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Sheumack, Michele Denise, and n/a. "StarLink(TM) Corn: A Case Study." Griffith University. School of Science, 2004. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20040401.151800.
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The 18 September 2000 disclosure that StarLink corn, a genetically engineered variety not approved for human consumption, had been detected in food was a seminal event in agricultural biotechnology. This thesis presents a comprehensive case study of the StarLink incident (part one), reviews the StarLink situation in terms of crisis management theory (part two) and develops crisis management theory using the StarLink incident as an example of a crisis (part three). Part one provides background information, then a meticulous day-by-day account of StarLink-related events. Part two presents a detailed overview of crisis management theory, then examines the StarLink situation in terms of pre-crisis (warning signals, preconditions for a crisis, crisis trigger), crisis (how Aventis, the biotechnology provider, managed the crisis and opinions concerning crisis handling) and post-crisis (lessons learned). Part three develops crisis management theory using the StarLink situation as an example of a crisis. It evaluates whether the StarLink incident possessed characteristics predicted for modern crises and suggests other factors which may become more prevalent and significant in future crises. The StarLink incident delivers certain practical lessons for managers, regulators and others and demonstrates a number of characteristics of modern crises.
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Sheumack, Michele Denise. "StarLink(TM) Corn: A Case Study." Thesis, Griffith University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/365599.
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The 18 September 2000 disclosure that StarLink corn, a genetically engineered variety not approved for human consumption, had been detected in food was a seminal event in agricultural biotechnology. This thesis presents a comprehensive case study of the StarLink incident (part one), reviews the StarLink situation in terms of crisis management theory (part two) and develops crisis management theory using the StarLink incident as an example of a crisis (part three). Part one provides background information, then a meticulous day-by-day account of StarLink-related events. Part two presents a detailed overview of crisis management theory, then examines the StarLink situation in terms of pre-crisis (warning signals, preconditions for a crisis, crisis trigger), crisis (how Aventis, the biotechnology provider, managed the crisis and opinions concerning crisis handling) and post-crisis (lessons learned). Part three develops crisis management theory using the StarLink situation as an example of a crisis. It evaluates whether the StarLink incident possessed characteristics predicted for modern crises and suggests other factors which may become more prevalent and significant in future crises. The StarLink incident delivers certain practical lessons for managers, regulators and others and demonstrates a number of characteristics of modern crises.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Science
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Туровська, Анастасія Віталіївна, and Валерій Вікторовіч Конін. "Перетворення альманаху системи Starlink в формат Yuma." Thesis, Національний авіаційний університет, 2021. https://er.nau.edu.ua/handle/NAU/53435.
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1. Optimal control [Електронний ресурс] // MathWorks - Makers of MATLAB and Simulink - MATLAB & Simulink. – Режим доступу: https://www.mathworks.com/discovery/optimal-control.html (дата звернення: 17.12.2021). – Назва з екрана.
2. Optimal control of a dynamical system with intermediate phase constraints and applications in cash management [Електронний ресурс] // American Institute of Mathematical Sciences. – Режим доступу: https://www.aimsciences.org/article/doi/10.3934/naco.2021005 (дата звернення: 17.12.2021). – Назва з екрана.На сьогоднішній день активно заповнюється навколоземний космічний простір низькоорбітальними супутниками зв'язку як, наприклад, нові системи Starlink, OneWeb, Cфера та вже діючі Iridium, Globalstar, Гонець. Низькоорбітальними вважаються супутники з висотами від 160 км до 2000 км над поверхнею Землі. Їх орбіти схильні до максимальних обурень з боку гравітаційного поля Землі та її верхньої атмосфери. Кутова швидкість супутників LEO максимальна - від 0,2°/с до 2,8°/с, періоди звернення від 87,6 хвилин до 127 хвилин. Інформація про ці системи доступна в Інтернеті як і формати орбітальних параметрів/
Національний авіаційний університет
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Schuck-Paim, Cynthia. "The starling as a rational decision maker." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2003. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:75f83ea4-01d6-4920-a7d8-0728b88da7da.
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A central question in behavioural and evolutionary ecology is to understand how animals make decisions between, for instance, potential mates, nesting sites, foraging patches and territories. Normative models of choice usually predict preferences between alternatives by computing their value according to some criterion and then identifying the alternative with greatest value. An important consequence of this procedure is captured in the economic concept of rationality, defined through a number of principles that are necessary for the existence of a scale of value upon which organisms base their choices. Violations of rationality are nonetheless well documented in psychological and economic studies of human choice and consumer behaviour, and have forced a reinterpretation of much of the existing data and models. Although largely unexplored in the study of animal decision-making, the systematic observation of irrationality would similarly pose serious challenges for functional approaches to behaviour. In this thesis I explore the possibility that violations of rational axioms may also be found in animal choices, using the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) as a model species. My objectives were threefold. Firstly, I investigated the prevalence of rationality across distinct foraging paradigms, in situations involving multialternative choices, structured choice sets, choices between alternatives described by multiple attributes and risk-sensitive decisions. In a number of distinct experiments, the preferences of the starlings were consistent and stable across contexts, conforming to basic rational principles such as transitivity and regularity. A second objective was to explore possible factors underlying reported violations of rational axioms by animals. Amongst potential mechanisms, I review and examine the implications of the use of hierarchical and higher order choice rules, as well as the presence of constraints on the perception of rewards. Finally, I examine the likely effect of contextual changes on an organism's state, and consequently choice behaviour, and experimentally confirm the expectation that statedependence in foraging preferences can underlie the observation of seemingly irrational behaviour. Altogether, my results suggest that, rather than being a common phenomenon, breaches of rationality in animals might be restricted to specific sets of parameters and conditions. They also emphasize the importance of considering the potential multitude of factors underlying violations of rationality in animal choices, and suggest that students of economic rationality in animal behaviour should also view preferences as a dynamic, statedependent measure.
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Bentley, George Edward. "Thyroxine and photorefractoriness in the European starling." Thesis, University of Bristol, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.337224.
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Zhang, Xuemeng. "The molecular basis of the Frank-Starling relationship." Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2016. http://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/the-molecular-basis-of-the-frankstarling-relationship(99065c99-bc56-4b0c-b51a-2a93b02b6aff).html.
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Frank-Starling law of the heart describes a proportional relationship between the end-diastolic ventricular volume and the systolic output in the heart on a beat-to-beat basis. It is largely due to a phenomenon called length dependent activation (LDA) on the level of cardiomyocytes. With the increasing SL, there are two outcomes of LDA: the increasing maximum force production, and the increasing Ca2+ sensitivity. Ca2+ binding to cardiac troponin C (cTnC) triggers a series of changes in thin filament structure that enable heart muscle cells to contract. A polarized fluorescence technique, FISS, was used to investigate the role of cTnC in the LDA. Using a purposely-built experimental set-up, force development and cTnC structural change were measured simultaneously as functions of [Ca2+] at SLs 1.9 and 2.3 μm. With the increasing SL, the Ca2+ sensitivity for force and cTnC structural change increased in a similar fashion, whereas the increase in maximum force production was not accompanied by an increase in the amplitude of cTnC structural change. Although the inhibition of active force by 25 μM blebbistatin reduced the amplitude of cTnC structural change upon Ca2+ activation, the SL-dependent increase in the Ca2+ sensitivity was still presented. These results suggested that the force-generating cross-bridges were not essential for the SL-dependent changes of Ca2+ sensitivity in LDA. Taken together, our results suggested that the LDA was likely controlled via two signalling pathways. The SL-dependent Ca2+ sensitivity was mainly regulated by the thin filament, while the SL-dependent maximum force generation was controlled by the thick filament. In addition, mimicking the SL stretching-induced reduction in interfilament spacing with 1% dextran did not reproduce the SL-dependent increase in the Ca2+ sensitivity, whereas further compression with 4% dextran significantly increased the Ca2+ sensitivity. This suggested that there might be another mechanism in the regulation of Ca2+ sensitivity by osmotic compression, which depends on the degree of the compression rather than the alteration in the interfilament spacing.
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Mountjoy, Donald James. "Male song and sexual selection in the European starling." Thesis, McGill University, 1994. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=41726.
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The function of the complex song of the European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) was examined. Song playback experiments showed that both male and female starlings were attracted by song, and complex song inhibited males from entering nestboxes. Wild starlings (at least two years old when first recorded) showed extensive changes in the composition of their song phrase repertoires and most also increased the size of their repertoires, which will result in a correlation between age and repertoire size in this species. Females prefer males that have more complex song, and this preference remained significant when preferences for certain nest sites were controlled. Males with larger repertoires did not spend more time incubating or make more feeding visits to nestlings than did males with smaller repertoires. The evolution of complex song in the European starling is consistent with an age-indicator model of sexual selection, in which aspects of male quality correlated with age are advertised by the complexity of male song.
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Cuthill, I. C. "Experimental studies in optimal foraging theory." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1985. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.371519.
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Boulakoud, Mohamed Salah. "The role of daily photoperiods and thyroxine in reproduction and photorefractoriness in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)." Thesis, University of Bristol, 1990. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.481421.
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Yusufu, Samaila D. "The effects of feeding deterrent (Methiocarb) on starling (Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus) behaviour." Thesis, University of Reading, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.328950.
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Peach, William James. "Aspects of communal roosting in starlings." Thesis, Open University, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.328814.
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Starling, Isabella. "Mechanisms and specificity of lentivirus neurotoxicity." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1998. http://webex.lib.ed.ac.uk/abstracts/starli01.pdf.
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Wright, Jonathan. "Sex differences in parental investment : seeking an evolutionary stable strategy." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1990. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.256387.
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Celis, Patricia. "Reproductive success and male traits in the spotless starling, Sturnus unicolor." Thesis, St Andrews, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/722.
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Bateson, Melissa. "Currencies for decision making : the foraging starling as a model animal." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1993. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.335903.
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Wong, Lun-cheong Captain, and 黃倫昌. "Resource use by egrets and herons in Starling Inlet, Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1999. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B42575369.
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Wong, Lun-cheong Captain. "Resource use by egrets and herons in Starling Inlet, Hong Kong." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 1999. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B42575369.
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Brickhill, Daisy. "Small-scale spatial variation in demography of the European starling Sturnus vulgaris." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2013. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=201726.
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Quantifying the pattern and magnitude of spatio-temporal variation in demography, and identifying underlying causes, is key to understanding population dynamics. Using long-term, spatially-explicit data from a small population of European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) on Fair Isle, Scotland, I quantified spatio-temporal variation in demography and investigated its underlying mechanisms. I objectively described the population’s physical structure and hence defined spatial clusters of nest sites at multiple spatial scales. I quantified spatio-temporal variation in reproductive success and survival, across clusters and years. I explicitly included multiple broods in these analyses, examining their effects on variation in reproductive success and pre-breeding survival. My results demonstrate substantial small-scale spatial variation in both reproductive success and adult survival, contesting the common assumption that demography will be spatially homogeneous at small scales within populations that lack obvious subdivision. The inclusion of second broods had a substantial effect on spatio-temporal variation in reproductive success, however, the pre-breeding survival of second-brood individuals was so low that ultimately they may not have a large effect on population dynamics. I quantified dispersal movements of colour-ringed individuals, demonstrating that individuals breed significantly closer to their natal site than expected under random settlement. Individuals that left their natal cluster to breed moved to less productive clusters more than expected, and the difference in productivity between natal and breeding clusters did not vary with the number of available nest sites in the breeding year. The absence of nest-site availability effect suggests such patterns are consistent with source-sink dynamics, rather than site-dependent population regulation. Finally, I quantified the effect of grassland availability on demographic variation, since reduction in grassland is postulated to be a major factor in starling decline across Europe. However, there was no significant effect of the proportion of grassland surrounding the nest site on reproductive success or subsequent survival.
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King, Verdun Michael. "Circadian biology of Japanese quail and European starlings." Thesis, University of Bristol, 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.283955.
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Sandnes, Berit. "Fra Starafjall til Starling Hill : Dannelse og utvikling av norrøne stedsnavn på Orknøyene." Doctoral thesis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Arts, 2003. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:no:ntnu:diva-523.
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Williams, T. D. "Development of sexual maturity in juvenile starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)." Thesis, University of Bristol, 1986. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.379536.
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Graham, Andrew. "Towards an integrated management approach for the common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) in South Australia /." Title page, contents and introduction only, 1996. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09SM/09smg738.pdf.
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Double, Michael Colin. "Reproductive strategies in the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) investigated using single-locus DNA profiling." Thesis, University of Leicester, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/34328.
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1) This study investigated the reproductive strategies employed by European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) nesting in two separate study areas in England and another near Wellington, New Zealand. Evidence from behavioural observations and single-locus DNA profiling was used to establish the occurrence and frequency of alternative reproductive strategies within this generally socially monogamous species. 2) In total, 8% (42/526) of nestlings were sired by an extra-pair male and 28% of broods (37/134) contained at least one extra-pair young (EPY). There were no cases of extra-pair males gaining more than 50% of the paternity within a clutch. The distribution of EPY was best explained by the 'genetic diversity' hypothesis. 19% of the males breeding within the English study areas were paired to more than one female and extra- pair paternity (EPP) was significantly more common in the broods of these polygynous males. Nevertheless polygynous males sired significantly more fledglings than males paired to a single female. EPP was equally common in the broods of primary and secondary females. 3) An examination of the possible methods of paternity protection employed by male starlings failed to find evidence for strong mate guarding. Males followed a greater proportion of female-initiated departure flights during the female's fertile period (81 - 94%). However, in each study area males actively left their females unguarded during the female's fertile period. Frequent copulation is suggested to be the primary paternity guard in starlings. 4) The frequency of intraspecific brood parasitism (IBP) was determined through regular nest inspections and DNA profiling. Double laying was detected in 9% (34/394) of all clutches monitored. The hatching success of eggs thought to be parasitic was significantly lower than that of eggs laid by host femmes. DNA profiling revealed that 2% (12/576) of chicks were parasitic and 7% (11/154) of broods contained at least one parasitic chick. A single case of communal nesting was found. I suggest that IBP is the result of nest desertion principally caused by intraspecific disturbance and is a 'best-of-a- bad-job' strategy. 5) The existence of anti-parasitism strategies such as nest guarding, egg removal, nest desertion or retaliatory parasitism was investigated. Behavioural observations revealed that the intensity of nest guarding did not increase during the laying period, the time when potential hosts are most at risk from parasitic activity. The experimental presentation of a female during the laying period failed to increase the intensity of nest guarding. An egg addition experiment did not apparently induce parasitic behaviour in host birds and the host clutch size was not significantly different to the clutch size in non-experimental nests. Egg removal was no more frequent in experimental nests than neighbouring nests or nests elsewhere in the study area. The apparent absence of anti-parasitism behaviours in starlings is discussed. 6) The influence of breeding density, colony size and nearest neighbour distance on the frequency of IBP, EPP and intraspecific disturbance was investigated. There was no evidence to suggest that the composition of colonies of different sizes or nest distribution differed relative to male age. The mean frequency of EPP among nests was significantly negatively correlated with nearest neighbour distance. The frequency of intraspecific disturbance also showed a significant negative correlation with increasing inter-nest distance. No relationship was found between the frequency of EPP and the degree of breeding synchrony. IBP was significantly less frequent in the asynchronously laid intermediate clutches. The distribution of EPP among nests is discussed against a background of frequent copulation as the principal paternity guard.
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Sutherland, Robert Matthew. "Molecular analysis of avian diet." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.365749.
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Vliet, Andrew J. "Ecology of a biological invasion : the spread of the European starling in the United States." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.256705.
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Whitehead, Siân Carolyn. "Foraging behaviour and habitat use in the European starling, Sturnus vulgaris, in an agricultural environment." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1994. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:74a0c54e-86a0-4cf4-ab26-d82b305febc6.
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Recent changes in agricultural practice have reduced the diversity of habitats for a number of bird species, including the European Starling Sturnus vulgaris. I investigated the distribution of a starling population on farmland, and related this distribution to the availability of suitable habitats by studying the foraging behaviour of individual birds. I observed a preference of the overwintering flock for established pasture fields, particularly those which were closer to the central roost, which had shorter grass and which provided feeding areas further from hedges. I also demonstrated the role of leatherjacket Tipula paludosa availabilities in influencing the starlings' choice of feeding site. These prey were shown experimentally to be preferred over earthworms Lumbricus spp. which were the other main type of invertebrate prey available. I was unable to detect any systematic temporal pattern of habitat use which could have been linked to an appropriate theoretical framework (e.g. Ideal Free Distribution). I investigated the impact of starling foraging on prey availability by observing the behaviour of captive starlings allowed to forage in small enclosures. These experiments indicated that, at the level of foraging pressure expected in natural flocks, there was no significant resource depression during a single flock feeding visit to any one site. Furthermore I proposed that the extent of resource depression during the winter was insufficient to cause a shift in the birds' choice of foraging habitat over this period. The apparent lack of effects of resource depression raised the question of why starlings did not feed in the most preferred fields all the time. Further enclosure experiments investigated how an individual's foraging success might be affected by feeding with conspecifics. I found no evidence for enhancement or depression of foraging success as a result of feeding where another bird had just previously foraged, and little evidence for an effect of feeding in the presence of two other birds, despite changes in vigilance and time spent fighting. A possibly greater heterogeneity of these effects when in the natural flock situation was considered in relation to the observed flock departures. These and other effects (e.g. sampling the environment) were discussed as possible causes for the observed flock movements between fields. A final enclosure experiment investigated the impact of starling foraging on prey availability during the breeding season and demonstrated significant resource depression in a preferred field over the chick-feeding period. I then discussed starling foraging and the availability of suitable habitats in relation to the documented population decline of this species.
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Vasquez, Rodrigo A. "Decision making in variable environments : individuals, groups, and populations." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.297305.
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Minderman, Jeroen. "The Ecological Relevance of Personality Traits in Wild Starlings (Sturnus Vulgaris)." Thesis, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.512200.
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Methawasin, Mei Methajit. "The Role Of Titin In Cardiac Function: Studies With The Mouse Model Deficient In The Splicing Factor RBM20." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/337266.
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In the first half of this work, titin's role in cardiac function was studied using intact cardiac myocytes. The development of a carbon fiber based cell-attachment system allowed diastolic and systolic function of the isolated intact myocyte to be investigated. Addition of actomyosin inhibitor to the intact myocyte revealed that the majority of the cell's diastolic stiffness is due to titin but that actomyosin interaction exists as well and contributes ~ 30% of total diastolic stiffness. The details of this study are provided in chapter 1. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) accounts for up to 50% of total heart failure cases and is characterized by increased diastolic stiffness. An effective treatment for HFpEF does not exist. Reducing titin stiffness as a therapeutic strategy for lowering left ventricular (LV) chamber stiffness in HFpEF is currently under consideration. To understand the functional consequence of reduced titin stiffness on global cardiac function a Rbm20 Δᴿᴿᴹ mouse model was created. The Rbm20 Δᴿᴿᴹ model has deficiency in titin splicing that results in expression of very large and compliant titin isoforms in the sarcomeres. Study of Rbm20 Δᴿᴿᴹ cells revealed that cellular diastolic stiffness was inversely related to the size of titin and was reduced in a graded manner in Rbm20 Δᴿᴿᴹ heterozygous (+/-) and homozygous (-/-) cells. Importantly, reduced titin-based stiffness manifested in vivo as reduced LV chamber stiffness, which could be observed by echocardiography and pressure volume (PV) analysis. The systolic function of Rbm20 Δᴿᴿᴹ was studied by measuring the Frank-Starling mechanism (FSM), first at the intact myocyte level. The FSM was reduced in Rbm20 Δᴿᴿᴹ +/- and -/- with the largest reduction in -/- cells. PV analysis demonstrated a reduced FSM at the LV chamber level, consistent with the result at the cellular level. Surprisingly, exercise testing showed an enhanced exercise performance in cardiac specific Rbm20 Δᴿᴿᴹ +/- mice (relative to wild-type mice). Thus, this work indicates that increasing titin compliance improves diastolic function but negatively impacts systolic function. Importantly, findings suggest that the beneficial effect of improving diastolic function is a dominant effect. This work is described in Chapter 2.
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Pomalis, Richard. "A fundamental study of Starling flow and protein redistribution within a cell-free rectilinear membrane flow device." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp04/mq20982.pdf.
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Smith, Rebecca. "Together for better or worse? : why starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) forage in groups." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.275205.
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Gott, Annie Jean. "Effects of early-life adversity on the adult phenotype in European starlings." Thesis, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/4078.
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During development, individuals are exposed to a variable environment that shapes the adult phenotype. Circumstances that increase exposure to different sources of adversity during early life can significantly affect adult characteristics, extending so far as to contribute to the development of diseases such as depression and anxiety. Such psychological illnesses are the leading causes of disability worldwide, however there is still a significant amount yet to learn about the role that sources of early-life adversity can play in their etiology. Furthermore, even less is known about the mechanisms by which early experience becomes recorded in the adult phenotype. In a cohort of European starling nestlings, we used a unique developmental manipulation designed to dissociate effects of overall quantity of food from the begging investment required to obtain it. When the birds reached adulthood, we set out to investigate how early-life adversity could affect the HPA axis, DNA methylation, depression-like and anxiety-like phenotypes. We showed that different types of adversity can have significant independent effects on different components of HPA profiles, emotional phenotypes and global DNA methylation. We found evidence to suggest that increased exposure to adversity can decrease depression-like behaviour, but increase anxiety-like behaviour. We also showed that changes to the HPA axis are not stable as the birds age. We investigated if changes to the HPA axis were associated with depression-like and anxiety-like behaviour, but found limited evidence to support this hypothesis. Finally, we found that DNA methylation could be shaped by the early environment. We identified significant effects of nutritional restriction on global DNA methylation, with less food as a nestling leading to global DNA hyper-methylation. This work adds support to the hypothesis that different sources of early-life adversity can have significant effects on the adult phenotype.
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Swan, Autumn. "Effect of Noise on the Social Structure of European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)." W&M ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626960.
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Strassburg, Matthew D. "The Evaluation of Christmas Bird Counts as an Indicator of Population Trends and Habitat Selection in Blackbirds and Starlings." Thesis, North Dakota State University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10365/19385.
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Agelaius phoeniceus (red-winged blackbird), Quiscalus quiscula (common
grackle), and Sturnus vulgaris (European starling) are three of the most abundant bird
species found in North America, and along with Euphagus carolinus (rusty blackbird) and
Euphagus cyanocephalus (Brewer’s blackbird), make up a significant proportion of the
avian population. Population trends of these four blackbird species and European starlings (EUST)were analyzed from the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) data collected between 1988 and
2008. Population analyses were conducted using linear mixed-effect regressions from the
Lmer package of Program R. This approach was effective in modeling the population
trends of widespread species with large populations. However, it was not as effective in
modeling species with smaller populations and distributions. Only RWBL had significant change in population during the study period, showing
a positive increase in mean count number of approximately 2.4% each year. Habitat
selection showed some parallels among species.
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Fotheringham, James R. "Starlings working for food in a closed economy : empirical studies of feeding regulation." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.297533.
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Carter, Julia. "Social learning and social influences on foraging decisions in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2008. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.495922.
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Bernales, chavez Braulio. "Modélisation de l'hydrodynamique et des transferts dans les procédés de filtration membranaire." Thesis, Aix-Marseille, 2013. http://www.theses.fr/2013AIXM4779/document.
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L'accumulation du soluté à la surface d'une membrane entraîne le phénomène de polarisation de concentration. Ceci est un problème qui affecte tous les systèmes de filtration membranaire car il a pour effet une augmentation de la pression osmotique et par conséquence une réduction substantielle du flux de perméat. Afin de comprendre ce phénomène, nous avons d'abord mené une étude analytique de la filtration tangentielle en solvant pur prenant en compte de l'influence de la pression motrice locale sur le taux de perméation. Lors de cette étude, des solutions analytiques qui augmentent en précision avec l'ordre développé ont ete dérivées. Ensuite nous avons développé une approche analytique qui couple l'hydrodynamique aux transferts de matière pour le cas d'un système de filtration qui opère sous haute pression avec un taux de récupération faible. Dans le but d'intégrer à la fois la dépendance de la pression transmembranaire locale sur le flux de perméat et l'influence de la polarisation de concentration à travers leurs effets osmotiques sur la pression effective, nous avons développé un modèle numérique qui résout l'équation de conservation du soluté couplée aux équations de Navier-Stokes en régime stationnaire dans l'approximation de Prandtl. Nous avons validé cette approche grâce aux solutions analytiques précédemment dérivées. Ensuite, nous avons testé l'influence des principaux paramètres de fonctionnement sur la performance du système et comparé nos résultats avec ceux d'autres modèles numériques. Finalement, la pertinence du modèle a été quantitativement vérifiée grâce à des données tirées des expériences bien documentées en osmose inverseConcentration polarization of solute at the membrane surface, because of osmotic pressure effects, is an important phenomenon that can cause substantial reductions in permeation. To understand these phenomena: we first analyze the filtration process for a pure solvent, imposing the influence of the driving pressure on permeation at the membrane. We obtain accurate analytical solutions for the flow fields. We then derive an analytical solution that coupled hydrodynamics to mass transfer for filtration systems working in a situation of High Pressure and Low Recovery. Second, we develop a numerical model that incorporates both physical aspects: the dependency of pressure on permeation and the influence of concentration polarization and their related osmotic effects in the effective pressure at the membrane. For that, the numerical approach solves the solute conservation equation coupled with the Navier-Stokes equations under the steady Prandtl approximation. The solution of the system is performed using a finite difference method of order 2. The validity of this approach is successfully demonstrated with the previous analytical solutions for hydrodynamics, as well as for the coupling with mass transfer. We then test the influence of the main operating parameters (inlet concentration, axial flow rate, operating pressure and membrane permeability) on the performance of the filtration system and compare the results with other numerical models that takes into account concentration polarization phenomenon. Finally, the validity of this model is quantitatively well-proved when using the reported data resulting from reverse osmosis experiments
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Lodge, Adrian Jonathan. "The effect of diet quality and environmental factors on gut structure and function in the starling, Sturnus vulgaris (L.)." Thesis, University of Reading, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.262264.
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Cam, Richard. "On the feasibility of using StarLAN to implement the FASTBUS Serial Network." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/27829.
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During the inception of FASTBUS, an autonomous data link, informally known as the FASTBUS Serial Network, was conceived as an auxiliary communications channel to be used in diagnostic applications for debugging FASTBUS systems. Since then, there have been several attempts at implementing this serial network, all of which have produced somewhat mixed results.
This thesis describes the latest attempt to implement a prototype FASTBUS serial network. By using a new LAN specification called StarLAN, some promising results have been obtained. These results show that StarLAN can be successfully adapted to implement the serial network without requiring major modifications. Furthermore, StarLAN seems to have the desirable characteristics of simplicity, low cost, an 'acceptable' data rate, and having multiple vendor support — advantages that previous implementation attempts had not possessed simultaneously. As such, StarLAN is the most promising solution to the serial network problem to have appeared so far.
This document will begin with a background discussion of FASTBUS, the FASTBUS Serial Network, and StarLAN. It will then discuss, in detail, how the prototype network was built, followed by a description and analysis of the performance measurements that were taken. It will also discuss considerations and options for a practical implementation of the serial network, based on experience from the work done with the prototype. Finally, a summary of the key results and an assessment of the StarLAN approach is given to conclude the thesis.
It is hoped that this document will be able to resolve many outstanding questions about a StarLAN-based serial network. Perhaps, FASTBUS users can now decide on whether or not to use StarLAN to implement the FASTBUS Serial Network.Science, Faculty of
Physics and Astronomy, Department of
Graduate
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Stewart, John Robert. "The evolution of Quaternary birds in the western Palaearctic : aspects of taxonomy and ecomorphology." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.325366.
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Carlson, Jenna Rae. "Sublethal Effects of Methylmercury on Flight Performance and Molt in European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)." W&M ScholarWorks, 2013. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626938.
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Gregory, Alastair Logan. "A theory for wheezing in lungs." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2019. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/284917.
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A quarter of the world's population experience wheezing. These sounds have been used for diagnosis since the time of the Ebers Papyrus (ca. 1500 BC), but the underlying physical mechanism responsible for the sounds is still poorly understood. The main purpose of this thesis is to change this, developing a theory for the onset of wheezing using both experimental and analytical approaches, with implications for both scientific understanding and clinical diagnosis. Wheezing is caused by a fluid structure interaction between the airways and the air flowing through them. We have developed the first systematic set of experiments of direct relevance to this physical phenomena. We have also developed new tools in shell theory using geometric algebra to improve our physical understanding of the self-excited oscillations observed when air flows through flexible tubes. In shell theory, the use of rotors from geometric algebra has enabled us to develop improved physical understanding of how changes of curvature, which are of direct importance to constitutive laws, come about. This has enabled a scaling analysis to be applied to the self-excited oscillations of flexible tubes, showing for the first time that bending energy is dominated by strain energy. We made novel use of multiple camera reconstruction to validate this scaling analysis by directly measuring the bending and strain energies during oscillations. The dominance of strain energy allows a simplification of the governing shell equations. We have developed the first theory for the onset of self-excited oscillations of flexible tubes based on a flutter instability. This has been validated with our experimental work, and provides a predictive tool that can be used to understand wheezing in the airways of the lung. Our theory for the onset of wheezing relates the frequency of oscillation to the airway geometry and material properties. This will allow diagnoses based on wheezing sounds to become more specific, which will allow the stethoscope, which has changed little in the last 200 years, to be brought into the 21st century.
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Walkup, Jessica A. "Small scale genetic and morphological structure in an island population of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2013. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=203387.
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Variation in morphology and genotype among individuals of the same species occurs almost everywhere in the natural world. Such variation underlies natural selection and any resulting evolution, and therefore needs to be quantified in order to predict and understand phenotypic and evolutionary dynamics. Where morphology or genotype vary non-randomly in space, structured spatial variation can arise. Such spatial variation can arise from, and cause, further evolutionary processes including local adaptation and speciation. Here, I quantify spatial variation in neutral genetics and morphology, and in selection on morphology, occurring at a very small spatial scale within a single population of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) resident to the Island of Fair Isle. I demonstrate weak but statistically significant genetic structure in microsatellite loci by FST comparison but that similar structure is not supported by Bayesian cluster analysis. I also show significant genetic structure between populations of starlings within the UK from England, Scotland, Colonsay, Orkney and Shetland, and show that there are two main genetic clusters supported by Bayesian cluster analysis. I show there are significant differences in weight, tarsus lengths, bill lengths, bill size and, body condition among three, spatially proximate, spatial areas within Fair Isle thereby demonstrating significant small-scale spatial variation in morphology within this island population Using capture mark recapture analysis to estimate survival probabilities I evidence the occurrence of stabilizing selection on weight and disruptive selection on tarsus length in starlings but find no evidence that selection on morphology differed between sexes or among areas within Fair Isle. I conclude that small scale spatial variation in morphology and neutral genetics can occur on small spatial scales even in species with high potential mobility and where there are no distinct differences in environment and movement is not physically inhibited.
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Kerpez, Theodore A. "COMPETITION BETWEEN EUROPEAN STARLINGS AND NATIVE WOODPECKERS FOR NEST CAVITIES IN SAGUAROS (NORTHERN FLICKER, ARIZONA)." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/276704.
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K, C. Upama. "Tracing the origin of migratory pests using geochemical fingerprinting : application to European starling in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/63781.
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The European starling (EUST) (Sturnidae: Sturnus vulgaris L.) is an invasive bird in North America where it is an agricultural pest. In British Columbia (Canada), the EUST population increases in orchards and vineyards in autumn, coinciding with ripening fruits. Starlings also create damage in dairy farms and feedlots by eating and contaminating food, and spreading diseases. Damage can be partly mitigated by the use of scare deterrents. However, scare techniques mainly serve to divert flocks until they become acclimated. Large-scale trapping and euthanizing before they move to fields and farms is the most practical means of preventing damage, but requires knowledge of natal origin.
Within a small (20,831 km²), agriculturally significant portion of south-central British Columbia, the Okanagan Valley, I employed analyses of 21 trace elements in bone tissue to discriminate the spatial distribution of juvenile EUST and to reveal the geographic origin of the problem birds. Stepwise discriminant analysis of trace elements classified juveniles from 64-79 % accurately to their natal origin, including sites that are 12 km apart. The elemental fingerprint of juveniles collected in the same area was different in two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). In both years, the majority of problem birds (55% in 2015 and 79 % in 2016) caught in vineyards and orchards were derived from the North Okanagan. In contrast, 89% of problem birds caught at dairy farms and feedlots were not from Okanagan and 11% were local in 2015; 100% of problem birds were local in 2016. It is unlikely that starlings from outside the region were misidentified as Okanagan Valley starlings because the geochemical fingerprints of those outside of the valley are very distinct. Thus, elemental signatures can separate populations with a high degree of spatial accuracy within several 10s of km, yielding a promising tool for identifying the geographic origin of migratory birds even over small geographic scales. These findings suggested that further control of starlings in vineyards and orchards, be targeted to the northern and southern regions of the valley; control in dairy farms and feedlots will require an expansion of the trapping program outside the region.Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences (Okanagan)
Earth and Environmental Sciences, Department of (Okanagan)
Graduate
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Wetzel, Amy Noel. "Studies in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 determination of factors contributing to the dissemination of Escherichia coli O157:H7 among dairy farms /." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1133239436.
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Freidin, Esteban. "Rationality, foraging, and associative learning : an integraltive approach." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2007. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:76c2b5f0-aa69-4cb7-9bfb-21b14dd510d2.
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One basic requisite for rationality is that choices are consistent across situations. Animals commonly violate rationality premises as evidenced, for example, by context-dependent choices, and such apparent irrationalities stand as paradoxes that instigate re-examination of some assumptions in behaviour ecological modelling. The goal of the present thesis was to study the psychological mechanisms underlying apparent irrationalities in order to assess the functional implications of general processes of valuation and choice. A common thread through the different studies is the hypothesis that most animal 'irrationalities' are due to misinterpretation of what the optimum would be in natural circumstances, and hence of the maximised currency in the theoretical predictions. I believe that the trait that may have been of paramount influence in many organisms' selective history was the ability to learn about the predictability of events and their biological value, and that this is implemented in an overriding force of associative learning mechanisms. In chapters 2 and 3, I present evidence of context-dependent foraging choices in European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, in the laboratory, and I implement a version of the Rescorla- Wagner learning model to account for both present data and apparent irrationalities reported by other authors. In chapter 4, I test the notion that context dependence may in fact be adaptive when animals face sequential choices, namely when they have to decide whether to take a prey item or to skip it in order to search for better alternatives. In chapter 5, I explore the functional implications of starlings' relative responding to incentives during an unexpected shortfall in reinforcement, and I also examine the extent to which information about the new environmental status helps them avoid energetic and time costs commonly seen in uninformed individuals. Last, in chapter 6, I present a brief summary of the main discussions considered and conclusions reached along this thesis.
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Pulcastro, Hannah C., Peter O. Awinda, Mei Methawasin, Henk Granzier, Wenji Dong, and Bertrand C. W. Tanner. "Increased Titin Compliance Reduced Length-Dependent Contraction and Slowed Cross-Bridge Kinetics in Skinned Myocardial Strips from Rbm20ΔRRM Mice." FRONTIERS MEDIA SA, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/621415.
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Titin is a giant protein spanning from the Z-disk to the M-band of the cardiac sarcomere. In the I-band titin acts as a molecular spring, contributing to passive mechanical characteristics of the myocardium throughout a heartbeat. RNA Binding Motif Protein 20 (RBM20) is required for normal titin splicing, and its absence or altered function leads to greater expression of a very large, more compliant N2BA titin isoform in Rbm20 homozygous mice (Rbm20(Delta RRm)) compared to wild-type mice (WT) that almost exclusively express the stiffer N2B titin isoform. Prior studies using Rbm20(Delta RRm) animals have shown that increased titin compliance compromises muscle ultrastructure and attenuates the Frank-Starling relationship. Although previous computational simulations of muscle contraction suggested that increasing compliance of the sarcomere slows the rate of tension development and prolongs cross-bridge attachment, none of the reported effects of Rbm20(Delta RRm) on myocardial function have been attributed to changes in cross-bridge cycling kinetics. To test the relationship between increased sarcomere compliance and cross-bridge kinetics, we used stochastic length-perturbation analysis in Ca2+-activated, skinned papillary muscle strips from Rbrn20<^>R'Rm and WT mice. We found increasing titin compliance depressed maximal tension, decreased Ca2+-sensitivity of the tension-pCa relationship, and slowed myosin detachment rate in myocardium from Rbm20(Delta RRm) vs. WT mice. As sarcomere length increased from 1.9 to 2.2 mu m, length-dependent activation of contraction was eliminated in the Rbrn20<^>R'Rm myocardium, even though myosin MgADP release rate decreased similar to 20% to prolong strong cross-bridge binding at longer sarcomere length. These data suggest that increasing N2BA expression may alter cardiac performance in a length-dependent manner, showing greater deficits in tension production and slower cross-bridge kinetics at longer sarcomere length. This study also supports the idea that passive mechanical characteristics of the myocardium influence ensemble cross-bridge behavior and maintenance of tension generation throughout the sarcomere.
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Rhymer, Caroline Margaret. "Foraging behaviour of the European Starling Sturnus vulgaris : a case study to explore the potential implications of climate change on ground-probing birds." Thesis, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/1902.
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It is well established that farmland bird population declines are strongly linked to the land use and management changes associated with increased agricultural intensification. In future, climate change is predicted to be an increasingly important driver of bird population changes. A substantial number of studies have investigated the large scale impacts of climate change on species’ distribution and abundance. However, few have examined in detail specific ecological impacts of climate change on bird demographics that would allow predictions of the effects of climate on bird populations. Here I show that below-ground prey form a key part of the diet, of my study species, the Starling Sturnus vulgaris, on UK grassland in both the breeding and non-breeding season. I then show that soil moisture mediates intake rates of below-ground prey using field experiments on wild-caught Starlings. Intermediate soils provided the best foraging opportunities with both saturated and dry soils being suboptimal I then linked delivery of below-ground prey to reproductive success. A study of adult provisioning of nestlings (n= 42 nests), over a four year period, established that the delivery of below-ground prey, specifically Tipulidae larvae, was mediated by changes in soil moisture and linked to Starling reproductive success via changes in fledgling survival. Analysis of fledgling success at a range of sites (n=132) provided evidence that an increase in the mean spring (April-June) soil moisture deficit over a twenty year period was a significant driver of Starling population dynamics in Britain; even after controlling for temporal changes in starling xi populations (likely to be linked to agricultural intensification). I conclude by discussing different management options to alter soil moisture levels on grassland to benefit both ground-probing birds and the impacts on a range of other ecosystem services (e.g. reducing flood risk).
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Neuhauser, Jessica Ann-Etta. "Using trace elements to chemically fingerprint European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/45121.
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European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are an introduced pest that cause significant economic and ecologic damages and losses in areas where they thrive. In the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada, a trapping program has been established in an attempt to minimize the damage to agricultural crops caused by the starling. Although over 260 000 have been trapped and euthanized the population remains stable and is thought to be increasing. As the starling is a highly mobile species it is not known where the population originates. In order to determine origin(s) of the 2010 starling population in Kelowna, a portion of the Okanagan Valley, trace element analysis was performed on six different tissue types of starlings (brain, bone, muscle, heart, liver and feathers) to determine which, if any, would be the most appropriate for origin determination. Starlings from the same location were sampled over two time periods to evaluate the degree of temporal separation provided from the various tissues. The most appropriate tissue for origin analysis will have a slow turnover time that would retain the chemical signature of where it was synthesized. As bone turns over very slowly in humans it was hypothesized that it would be the most appropriate for origin determination. Using cluster analysis bone was deemed to be the best temporal separator and the most appropriate tissue to trace origins of starlings. Bone was further examined for its ability to separate populations spatially. Bones from starlings obtained from four regions in British Columbia, and one in the United States, were analysed to create a database of source populations that the fall population of Okanagan birds could be compared to. Using principal component analysis bone proved to separate areas with high spatial resolution. All of the 2010 fall population was from immigrant sources with the majority from unknown locations. Three source populations were identified using principle component analysis by comparing immigrant birds to 95 % confidence intervals calculated around the means of each source population, proving that this technique can be applied to address small-scale movements in mobile organisms. More potential source locations are needed to characterize the Kelowna population. Trace elements proved to provide high spatial resolution, separating populations within several hundred kilometers of each other.