Your search
Results 163 resources
-
In Southeast Asia, males of the Siamese fighting fish Betta splendens have been selected across centuries for paired-staged fights. During the selection process, matched for size males fight in a small tank until the contest is resolved. Breeders discard losing batches and reproduce winner batches with the aim of increasing fight performance. We assessed the results of this long-term selection process by comparing under standard laboratory conditions male and female aggressive behaviour of one strain selected for staged fights (“fighters”) and one strain of wild-types. The aggressive response of adult fish was tested against their mirror image or a size-matched conspecific. Fighter males were more aggressive than wild-type males for all measured behaviours. Differences were not only quantitative but the pattern of fight display was also divergent. Fighter males had an overall higher swimming activity, performing frequent fast strikes in the direction of the intruder and displaying from a distance. Wild-type males were less active and exhibited aggressive displays mostly in close proximity to the stimuli. Females of the fighter strain, which are not used for fights, were also more aggressive than wild-type females. Aggressive behaviours were correlated across male and female fighter siblings, suggesting common genetic and physiological mechanisms to male and female aggression in this species. The study further shows that results were largely independent of the stimulus type, with the mirror test inducing similar and less variable responses than the live conspecific presentation. These results suggest that selection for male winners co-selected for high-frequency and metabolic demanding aggressive display in males and also enhanced female aggression, opening a wide range of testable hypothesis about the ultimate and proximate mechanisms of male and female aggression in B. splendens.
-
Macao ( 30 Km2) is a territory characterized by small granitic intrusions, located along the coastal region of Southeast China (Cathaysia Block). Granitoids occur as different facies, including microgranite dykes, with distinct textural, mineralogical and geochemical features, for which a middle-upper Jurassic age ( 164 Ma) has been proposed. New data suggest that these granitoids are mostly high-K calc-alkaline metaluminous (A/CNK = 0.8 - 1.1) biotite granites, consistent with total absence of primary muscovite. They show variable amounts of SiO2 (67-77%), reflecting different degrees of magmatic evolution. There is also variability in terms of trace elements, particularly Rare Earth Elements (REEs), evidenced by decreasing (La/Sm)N, (Gd/Lu)N, (Ce/Yb)N and (Eu/Eu*)N towards the more evolved samples, which can be partly attributed to fractional crystallization processes. Most of the granitoids are characterized by (La/Yb)N = 3 - 10.8, showing negative Ba, Nb, Sr, Zr, P, Ti and Eu anomalies. On the other hand, microgranite dykes, along with a few more evolved granites, show an opposite tendency, being usually enriched in HREEs relatively to LREEs with (La/Yb)N = 0.4 - 1.1. Our data suggests intermediate genetic affinities between I-type and A-type granites. Although these granitoids are mostly metaluminous (characteristic of I-types), Ga/Al ratios, usually used to identify A-types, are close to the accepted boundary between A-type and other granite types. The affinities with A-type granites are more marked for the more evolved facies, which depict higher values of FeOt/MgO (14 - 60) and K2O/MgO (60 - 250). Their trace element characteristics are also transitional between WPG (Within-plate granites) and Syn-COLG (Collision Granites). We interpret those transitional characteristics (A/I and WPG/Syn-COLG) of Macao granitoids as reflecting an origin by melting of infracrustal sources over a period of high heat transfer from mantle to crust during an extensional tectonic setting probably contemporaneous with the subduction of the paleo-Pacific plate beneath the Eurasia, whose paleo-suture is thought to be located in the east flank of the Central Range, Taiwan.
-
If Australia has been subject to major influences by the United States and European countries, why is its economy healthier than their counter partners? What are the economic foundations that underline this anti-counter cycle of financial worldwide crisis from Australia? What are some of the lessons that countries from Europe that have not fared during the current financial worldwide crisis should learn from Australia? The purpose of this paper is to review the present Australian management system. Four changes are identified including embracement of corporate governance, a shift to adopt more R&D activities, a shift to adopt environmental sustainability practices and emerging corporate social responsibility. On the conclusions settings, a recap and recommendation on how Portugal, a member of the PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain) Southern European Countries club forgot to embrace directives that have been applied in Australia, to avoid the actual financial and identity crisis.
-
Family business are the dominant form of business in the world, and Chinese family business (CFB) is a unique type of family business that relies on collective action to survive. This paper argues that in CFBs, entrepreneurial actions are transgenerational collective endeavors, and successors are groomed as stewards of the family legacy. Work-life relationship in CFBs is about synergy and not balance because the family identity is the business identity, and vice-versa. Using five in-depth case studies, this research introduces an alternative understanding of CFBs and proposes a model of work-life synergy in transgenerational entrepreneurship based on discussion of five theory-based propositions. This model explains that through emphasizing on the business family's shared value and entrepreneurial legacy, elements of trust, shared identity and stewardship of family members are enhanced which leads to collective action and goal of the business family, resulting in transgenerational entrepreneurship. Limitations and future research are presented.
-
This research explores innovation of traditional SMEs that do not actively invest in innovation. Elements of open innovation have been identified in these firms in their effort to build social capital which they perceive as pertinent to their businesses. The result of the research shows that instead of using social capital as means for innovation, the unintentional practice of open innovation has contributed to the development of social capital, which further opens up potential for globalization. As a result, a model of open innovation as means of developing social capital for enhancing globalization potential for SMEs was developed.
-
This paper presents an algorithm that applies metrics derived from automatic QRS detection and segmentation in electrocardiogram signals for analyzing Heart Rate Variability to study the evolution of metrics in the frequency domain of a clinical procedure. The analysis was performed on three sets of elderly people, who are categorized according to frailty phenotype. The first set was comprised of frail elderly, the second pre-frail elderly, and the third robust elderly. Investigators from many disciplines have been encouraged to contribute to the understanding of molecular and physiological changes in multiple systems that may increase the vulnerability of frail elderly. In this work, the frailty phenotype can be characterized by unintentional weight loss, as self-reported, fatigue assessed by self-report, grip strength (measured directly), physical activity level assessed by self-report and gait speed (measured). The results obtained demonstrate the existence of significant differences between Heart Rate Variability metrics for the three groups, especially considering a higher preponderance for sympathetic nervous system for the group of robust patients in response to postural maneuver.
-
In 2000, the China-Africa relationship was further strengthened with the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The FOCAC offers a platform for consultation and cooperation mechanisms aimed at deepening diplomatic, security, trade and investment relations between China and African countries. Later came the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, an international trade network initiated by China that connects the three continents of Asia, Europe and Africa. The BRI focuses on the following key areas: cultural exchange; policy coordination; facilities connectivity; trade and investment; and financial integration. The BRI shares development objectives similar to those of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In fact, the BRI implements part of the SDGs and provides a practical mechanism to strengthen the Sino-Africa relationship, which Africa can leverage to meet its Sustainable Goals. Africa is linked through the “Road” of the BRI plan and has received infrastructural projects funded by China to facilitate trade and integration of the national economies along the trading route. Through the establishment of Economic and Trade Zones which attracts investments from Chinese companies, and building infrastructures such as sea ports and railways, China through the BRI framework is helping Africa meet UN SGD Goal 9 concerning industry, innovation and infrastructure. A practical effect is that the BRI is helping African countries overcome the infrastructure gap, create jobs, acquire skills and promote integration between countries.
-
The knowledge of spatial distribution of grasshoppers can be very relevant for agricultural planning purposes. On the other hand, the comparison of spatial interpolators for efficiency and reliability reasons is also a key factor to understand interpolation maps outcomes (versus reality). At last, but not least, the use of open Web geographical tools to disseminate true spatial inferential methods to address spatial issues is still quite limited (if none) in high schools and universities, particularly in Geography subjects. If the latter can be addressed with myGeoffice©, the first issue will use the Utah, USA, dataset (58 samples) to layout the spatial distribution of grasshoppers and understand the counties that are more pro to this kind of agriculture infestation. Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW), Moving Average (MA), Multi-quadratic, Inverse Multi-quadratic and Nearest Neighbor (NN) will produce interpolated surfaces of grasshopper’s properties. Efficiency of spatial interpolators was assessed in this writing based on the prediction error’s statistics derived from the difference between the estimation and the real samples on a cross-validation procedure. Remarkably, results show that NN was the most accurate one when compared with the remaining deterministic approaches at sample’s locations.
-
For a long time, Geography did not hold a specific mathematical approach for any interpretation of space and this was the key reason why Geography degrees covered a wide variety of subjects such as demography, geology or topography to fulfill its curriculum. Yet from the 90’s, Geography finally created its own research agenda to meet four vital questions of any true geographer: “Where is …?”, “Is there a general spatial pattern?”, “What are the anomalies?” and “Why do these phenomena pursue certain spatial distribution?” The present review article addresses ten different spatial (point, regression and event) issues for learning and teaching aim where statistics play a major background role on the outcomes of myGeoffice© free Web GIS platform. These include cluster analysis, geographically weighted regression (GWR), ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, path analysis, minimum spanning tree, linear regression, space-time clustering and point patterns, for instance. Although the technical viewpoint of the algorithms is not explained at fully, this review paper makes a rather strong emphasis on the result’s interpretation, their respective meaning and when these techniques should be applied in a learning/teaching context.
-
One of the purposes of this study is to evaluate how the choice of teaching method can be assisted by knowledge of a student’s personality type and learning style. The present research is undertaken in the context of Web 2.0 tools use within the Portuguese literature subject at Escola Portuguesa de Macao (EPM). The Felder-Soloman index of learning style (ILS) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) based upon Jung’s theory of psychological nature were used as measures of learning style and personality type with 8th grade EPM students. Descriptive and chi-squared correlation statistical results of the associations between personality and learners types are presented. These results are discussed positing that the knowledge of student’s personality traits and learning styles together may have a notable implication for teaching methods.
-
Complexity theory (CT) has had a meteoric rise in management literature and the social sciences. Its fledgling importation into school leadership and management raises several questions and concerns. This article takes one view of CT and argues that, though its key elements have much to offer school leadership and management, caution has to be exercised in accepting CT too readily, as it: (1) is unclear on its own novelty, nature and status; (2) can be regarded as disguised ideology in conflating description and prescription; (3) confuses explanation with prediction; (4) is relativist, undermining its own status; (5) contains problems in its advocacy of self-organization; (6) neglects the ethical and emotional dimensions of leadership and management; and (7) risks exonerating school leaders and managers from reasonable expectations of accountability and responsibility. The article concludes that there are questions to CT at the levels of theory, ontology, deontology and ethics, but that it offers useful challenges for school leadership and management.