Search results for "perception"

Urban landscape evolution as a consequence of an invasive pest: The case of a small sicilian town

2017

The Red Palm Weevil (RPW), after its accidental introduction in Italy in 2005, determined a progressive disruption of Canary palms mostly in the central and southern regions. As it is difficult to undertake the management of this pest, the possibility of substituting the killed/symptomatic palms with other ornamental trees has been recently discussed. In this context, understanding the citizens' needs about green areas can improve the management of public parks and urban greening. Involving citizens on the natural resource management using public participation processes is crucial. The case study of a small town of Sicily (Italy) was treated and the spread of this pest was monitored. Moreov…

Social equity and marine protected areas: Perceptions of small-scale fishermen in the Mediterranean Sea

2020

Abstract Global conservation policy requires the scaling up of effectively and equitably managed networks of marine protected areas (MPAs). While progress has been made on spatial coverage, the fundamental aspects of effectiveness and equity are falling short. Past research has focused on management effectiveness in MPAs, but less attention has been given to social equity though it is an ethical imperative and instrumental to conservation. This study assessed the perceptions of SSF regarding recognitional, procedural and distributional dimensions of social equity using quantitative surveys in 11 MPAs across 6 countries on the Mediterranean Sea. To do so, we developed individual indicators f…

The aquaculture supply chain in the time of covid-19 pandemic: Vulnerability, resilience, solutions and priorities at the global scale

2022

13 pages, 3 tables, 5 figures

Biological films adhering to the oral soft tissues: Structure, composition, and potential impact on taste perception

2018

The role of free-flowing saliva in taste perception is increasingly recognized, but saliva is also present in the mouth as films intimately associated to soft or hard tissues. On mucosal surfaces, particularly on the tongue, the structure and composition of such films (including its microbial constitutive part) may play a particular role in the sense of taste due to their proximity with the taste anatomical structures. This review compiles the current knowledge on the structure of biological films adhering to oral mucosae and on their biochemical and microbiological composition, before presenting possible implications for taste perception. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The understanding of the ro…

Oxidation in wine: Does expertise influence the perception?

2019

International audience; Wines can develop off-odours that depreciate their quality. Among them, oxidation is one of the most prevalent. The main objective of this work was to study the perception of wine oxidation through the categorization of oxidized wines perceived as not-faulty/faulty depending on the expertise of participants. For this purpose, one white wine and one red wine were spiked with three volatile oxidation compounds (acetaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde and methional) in order to recreate twelve levels of oxidation in a controlled way. Samples were submitted to orthonasal tasting for being categorized by wine experts and novices and coupled to a free description task. Results de…

Camouflage accuracy in Sahara–Sahel desert rodents

2020

1. Camouflage helps animals to hide from predators and is therefore key to survival. Although widespread convergence of animal phenotypes to their natural environment is well-established, there is a lack of knowledge about how species compromise camouflage accuracy across different background types in their habitat.2. Here we tested how background matching has responded to top–down selection by avian and mammalian predators using Sahara–Sahel desert rodents in North Africa.3. We show that the fur colouration of several species has become an accurate match to different types of desert habitats. This is supported by a correlation analysis of colour and pattern metrics, investigation of animal…

Adaptation to climate change of the French wine industry: a systemic approach – Main outcomes of the project LACCAVE

2018

Présenté au 12. Congreso Internacional Terroir; Taking into account the major economical role and specificities of the French wine industry, adaptation to climate change is a very challenging issue. In 2011, 23 research teams launched a systemic and multidisciplinary program to analyze the impacts from the vine to the region, to define adaptation strategies combining technical, spatial and organizational options and to evaluate the perception by the actors and consumers of climate change issues. Thermal variability was studied at local scale to develop high resolution atmospheric models which better simulate future climate trends. Impacts on growth/developmental conditions and vine response…

Colour and luminance contrasts predict the human detection of natural stimuli in complex visual environments.

2017

Much of what we know about human colour perception has come from psychophysical studies conducted in tightly-controlled laboratory settings. An enduring challenge, however, lies in extrapolating this knowledge to the noisy conditions that characterize our actual visual experience. Here we combine statistical models of visual perception with empirical data to explore how chromatic (hue/saturation) and achromatic (luminant) information underpins the detection and classification of stimuli in a complex forest environment. The data best support a simple linear model of stimulus detection as an additive function of both luminance and saturation contrast. The strength of each predictor is modest …

Four steps to identify mechanisms of ICT4D: A critical realism-based methodology

2018

Barriers and facilitators of older people's mHealth usage: a qualitative review of older people's views

2018

The aim of this qualitative evidence synthesis is to identify and assess existing\ud evidence on barriers to and facilitators of older people’s usage of mHealth. Existing\ud literature identified many factors that affect people’s experiences and perceptions of\ud mHealth, which are in turn influenced by their personal circumstances and biography.\ud The following themes were identified using the thematic synthesis approach: (a)\ud perception of usefulness, (b) user requirements, (c) self-efficacy, (d) sense of self and\ud control, (e) privacy and confidentiality, and (f) cost. MHealth devices and services are\ud complex interventions that have to be integrated into an older person’s life in…