Life Sciences Commons^™

An Assessment Of Data Related To Inspections Of Risk Factors For Public Swimming Pools, Shanita Shack, Maurice Redmond, R. Christopher Rustin

Environmental Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is mandated to ensure that public swimming pools are safe for those who use them. This mandate is carried out by the DPH and local environmental health professionals through regulations and inspections. In 2015, legislation was introduced proposing to reduce the authority of the DPH to inspect certain pool types (apartments, subdivision, condominiums) and thus reduce regulatory protections in place for swimmers. To ensure that the DPH had current information on the risks associated with pools, the EH team, with assistance from a graduate student, analyzed inspection data to evaluate risk factors …

A Preliminary Examination Of Elevated Blood Lead Levels In A Rural Georgia County, R. Christopher Rustin, Yu Sun, Chris Calhoun, Christy Kuriatnyk

Environmental Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Rural areas are often viewed as lower risk for lead poisoning and toxic exposures seriously impacting development of the brain and central nervous system; this report examines the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels for children <6 years of age in rural Ben Hill County, GA.

Methods: Lead surveillance data from the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) were analyzed using SAS®v-9.3 to calculate the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels (≥5ug/dL) among those children in Ben Hill County who had been tested for lead; the results were compared to Georgia and national data.

Results: A preliminary analysis of 2010-2015 screening data for Ben Hill County indicates that 8.73% …

Georgia’S Rapid Expansion Of Mosquito Surveillance In Response To Zika Virus, R. Christopher Rustin, Deonte Martin, Rosmarie Kelly

Environmental Health Sciences Faculty Presentations

Objective: To describe the Georgia Department of Public Health’s (DPH) mosquito surveillance capacity before and after Zika virus was declared a public health emergency, review and compare mosquito surveillance results from 2015 to 2016, and evaluate the risk of autochthonous vector transmission of Zika virus based on 2016 surveillance data of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

Introduction: Zika virus was declared an international public health emergency by the World Health Organization on February 1, 2016. With Georgia hosting the world’s busiest international airport and a sub-tropical climate that can support the primary Zika virus vector, Aedes aegypti, and secondary …

Tai Chi Can Improve Postural Stability As Measured By Resistance To Perturbation Related To Upper Limb Movement Among Healthy Older Adults, Jiahao Pan, Cuixian Liu, Shuqi Zhang, Li Li

Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine the effects of Tai Chi (TC) training on postural control when upright standing was perturbed by upper limb movement.

Methods: Three groups, TC, Brisk walk (BW), and sedentary (SE), of thirty-six participants aged from 65 to 75 years were recruited from local community centers. Participants performed static balance task (quiet standing for 30 s with eyes open and closed) and fitting task (two different reaching distances X three different opening sizes to fit objects through). During tasks, the COP data was recorded while standing on the force plate. Criteria measures calculated …

The European Eel Nccβ Gene Encodes A Thiazide-Resistant Na-Cl Cotransporter, Erika Moreno, Consuelo Plata, Alejandro Rodríguez-Gama, Eduardo R. Argaiz, Norma Vázquez, Karla Leyva, Carmen Y. Hernández-Carballo, León Islas, Christopher P. Cutler, Diana Pacheco-Alvarez, Adriana Mercado, Raquel Cariño-Cortés, Gerardo Gamba

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

The thiazide-sensitive Na-Cl cotransporter (NCC) is the major pathway for salt reabsorption in the mammalian distal convoluted tubule. NCC plays a key role in the regulation of blood pressure. Its inhibition with thiazides constitutes the primary baseline therapy for arterial hypertension. However, the thiazide-binding site in NCC is unknown. Mammals have only one gene encoding for NCC. The eel, however, contains a duplicate gene. NCCα is an ortholog of mammalian NCC and is expressed in the kidney. NCCβ is present in the apical membrane of the rectum. Here we cloned and functionally characterized NCCβ from the European eel. The cRNA …

The Eco-Epidemiology Of Pacific Coast Tick Fever In California, Kerry A. Padgett, Denise L. Bonilla, Marina E. Eremeeva, Carol A. Glaser, Robert S. Lane, Charsey Cole Porse, Martin B. Castro, Sharon L. Messenger, Alex Espinosa, Jill Hacker, Anne Kjemtrup, Bonnie Ryan, Jamesina J. Scott, Renjie Hu, Melissa Hardstone Yoshimizu, Gregory A. Dasch, Vicki Kramer

Environmental Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Rickettsia philipii (type strain “Rickettsia 364D”), the etiologic agent of Pacific Coast tick fever (PCTF), is transmitted to people by the Pacific Coast tick, Dermacentor occidentalis. Following the first confirmed human case of PCTF in 2008, 13 additional human cases have been reported in California, more than half of which were pediatric cases. The most common features of PCTF are the presence of at least one necrotic lesion known as an eschar (100%), fever (85%), and headache (79%); four case-patients required hospitalization and four had multiple eschars. Findings presented here implicate the nymphal or larval stages of D …

The Cosm Newsletter

The COSM Newsletter (2008-2018)

• Eagles in Training for STEM Careers
• The Department of Biology Welcomes New Faculty
• Biology Alumni Move Onward and Upward
• Georgia Southern's Elite 8 for REU-2016
• Geologists Investigate Salt Water Intrusion on a Georgia Barrier Island
• The Georgia Southern Sea Turtle Program at St. Catherines Island: The 2016 Sea Turtle Nesting Season
• Hatchlings
• The Department of Mathematical Sciences Welcomes New Faculty
• Eagles Win Third MacArthur Award
• Faculty member awarded new Patent on “Engineered lumenized vascular networks and support matrix”
• The Photonic Nanotechnology Computational Group
• Edwards participates in NSF "Ideas Lab" to Measure "Big G"
• Faculty Member Participates in Scholarly Activities
• Professors …

Rickettsiologist Pavel F. Zdrodovskii: Larger Than Life, And Not Just For His Famous Book, Marina E. Eremeeva, S. N. Shpynov, I. V. Tarasevich

Environmental Health Sciences Faculty Publications

This article highlights the biography and scientific accomplishments of Pavel F. Zdrodovskii and his contributions to understanding the biology, pathogenesis, treatment, prevention and epidemiology of brucellosis, rickettsioses and many other infectious diseases.

Population Viability Analysis For Endangered Roanoke Logperch, James Henry Roberts, Paul L. Angermeier, Gregory B. Anderson

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

A common strategy for recovering endangered species is ensuring that populations exceed the minimum viable population size (MVP), a demographic benchmark that theoretically ensures low long-term extinction risk. One method of establishing MVP is population viability analysis, a modeling technique that simulates population trajectories and forecasts extinction risk based on a series of biological, environmental, and management assumptions. Such models also help identify key uncertainties that have a large influence on extinction risk. We used stochastic count-based simulation models to explore extinction risk, MVP, and the possible benefits of alternative management strategies in populations of Roanoke logperch Percina rex, an …

A Long-Term Study Of Ecological Impacts Of River Channelization On The Population Of An Endangered Fish: Lessons Learned For Assessment And Restoration, James Henry Roberts, Gregory B. Anderson, Paul L. Angermeier

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Projects to assess environmental impact or restoration success in rivers focus on project-specific questions but can also provide valuable insights for future projects. Both restoration actions and impact assessments can become “adaptive” by using the knowledge gained from long-term monitoring and analysis to revise the actions, monitoring, conceptual model, or interpretation of findings so that subsequent actions or assessments are better informed. Assessments of impact or restoration success are especially challenging when the indicators of interest are imperiled species and/or the impacts being addressed are complex. From 1997 to 2015, we worked closely with two federal agencies to monitor habitat …

Teaching For Higher Levels Of Thinking: Developing Quantitative And Analytical Skills In Environmental Science Courses, Adriana Bravo, Ana Porzecanski, Eleanor Sterling, Nora Bynum, J. Michelle Cawthorn, Denny S. Fernandez Del Viso, Laurie Freeman, Stuart Ketcham, Timothy Leslie, John Mull, Donna Vogler

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Professionals with strong quantitative and analytical skills are essential to understanding and responding to current environmental challenges. The goal of this study was to promote and evaluate the development of data analysis (DA) skills in undergraduate students through targeted interventions in environmental science courses. We developed materials to promote practice, instruction, and assessment of four core DA dimensions: the ability to make appropriate calculations, convert data to graphical representations, interpret graphical or mathematical information, and draw conclusions based on the analysis of data. We integrated two conservation exercises as pre/post assessment tools, flanking differentiated teaching interventions, into selected science courses …

Relationship Between The Romberg Test And The Wii Basic Balance Test And Cognition In Athletes With Concussion, Nicholas G. Murray, Anthony P. Salvatore, Arthur Islas, Joseph Tomaka, Rebecca J. Reed-Jones

Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Background: Approximately 30% of individuals with a sport-related concussion present with postural instability. Multiple clinical balance tests exist to diagnose postural instability; yet little is known about the potential relationship between these type of postural assessments and cognition post-concussion. Aim: The purpose of the current study was to assess the relationship between the Romberg test, the Wii Fit basic balance test (WBBT), and the composite scores on the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) test in a sample of athletes with concussions.

Methods: 55 post-concussed athletes (40 male) completed the Romberg Test (RT) (−/+), the WBBT, and ImPACT test. …

The Cosm Newsletter

The COSM Newsletter (2008-2018)

• Research Cooperative Membership Approved
• Bo Ginn National Fish Hatchery
• Faculty Highlights
• Professor Heralds Unsung Pioneer of Evolutionary Biology in LeConte Lecture
• Biology Students Recognized
• Special Thank You to Dr. Daniel Hagan and Miriam Hagan
• Mole Day & National Chemistry Week Celebration 2015
• Mole Day & National Chemistry Week Celebration 2015
• Chemistry Student Presents at Annual Biomedical Research Conference
• Dr. Anke Hildebrandt Talk
• 28th Annual Mathematics Tournament
• Eagle Battalion to Build New $9.5 Million Building
• Dr. Maxim Durach's Nanotechnology Computational Group
• Dr. Xiaojun Wang Research in Phosphors
• Dr. Monique Aller Presents Interstellar Matter Research at the International Astronomical Union
• Physics Team …

Athletes Who Train On Unstable Compared To Stable Surfaces Exhibit Unique Postural Control Strategies In Response To Balance Perturbations, D. S. Blaise Williams Iii, Nicholas G. Murray, Douglas W. Powell

Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Background

Athletes have been shown to exhibit better balance compared to non-athletes (NON). However, few studies have investigated how the surface on which athletes train affects the strategies adopted to maintain balance. Two distinct athlete groups who experience different types of sport-specific balance training are stable surface athletes (SSA) such as basketball players and those who train on unstable surfaces (USA) such as surfers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of training surface on dynamic balance in athletes compared to NON.

Methods

Eight NON, eight SSA, and eight USA performed five 20-s trials in each of …

Consequences Of Secondary Calibrations On Divergence Time Estimates, John J. Schenk

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Secondary calibrations (calibrations based on the results of previous molecular dating studies) are commonly applied in divergence time analyses in groups that lack fossil data; however, the consequences of applying secondary calibrations in a relaxed-clock approach are not fully understood. I tested whether applying the posterior estimate from a primary study as a prior distribution in a secondary study results in consistent age and uncertainty estimates. I compared age estimates from simulations with 100 randomly replicated secondary trees. On average, the 95% credible intervals of node ages for secondary estimates were significantly younger and narrower than primary estimates. The primary …

Epigenetic Response To Habitat Change: Changes Variation In Dna Methylation Frequencies And Generational Transmission Vary With Invasion Status, Aaron W. Schrey, Travis R. Robbins, Jacob D. Lee, David W. Dukes, Alexandria K. Ragsdale, Christopher J. Thawley, Tracy Langkilde

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Epigenetic mechanisms may be important for a native species’ response to rapid environmental change. Red Imported Fire Ants (Solenopsis invicta Santschi, 1916) were recently introduced to areas occupied by the Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus Bosc & Daudin, 1801). Behavioral, morphological and physiological phenotypes of the Eastern Fence Lizard have changed following invasion, creating a natural biological system to investigate environmentally induced epigenetic changes. We tested for variation in DNA methylation patterns in Eastern Fence Lizard populations associated with different histories of invasion by Red Imported Fire Ants. At methylation sensitive amplified fragment length polymorphism loci, we detected a higher …

Replication Datasets For Consequences Of Secondary Calibrations On Divergence Time Estimates, John J. Schenk

Department of Biology Research Data

No abstract provided.