Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Ecological Genomic Basis Of Salinity Adaptation In Tunisian Medicago Truncatula, Maren L. Friesen, Eric J.B. Von Wettberg, Mounawer Badri, Ken S. Moriuchi, Fathi Barhoumi, Peter L. Chang, Sonia Cuellar-Ortiz, Matilde A. Cordeiro, Wendy T. Vu, Soumaya Arraouadi, Naceur Djébali, Kais Zribi, Yazid Badri, Stephanie S. Porter, Mohammed Elarbi Aouani, Douglas R. Cook, Sharon Y. Strauss, Sergey V. Nuzhdin

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: As our world becomes warmer, agriculture is increasingly impacted by rising soil salinity and understanding plant adaptation to salt stress can help enable effective crop breeding. Salt tolerance is a complex plant phenotype and we know little about the pathways utilized by naturally tolerant plants. Legumes are important species in agricultural and natural ecosystems, since they engage in symbiotic nitrogen-fixation, but are especially vulnerable to salinity stress. Results: Our studies of the model legume Medicago truncatula in field and greenhouse settings demonstrate that Tunisian populations are locally adapted to saline soils at the metapopulation level and that saline origin …

Sources Of Blood Meals Of Sylvatic Triatoma Guasayana Near Zurima, Bolivia, Assayed With Qpcr And 12s Cloning, David E. Lucero, Wilma Ribera, Juan Carlos Pizarro, Carlos Plaza, Levi W. Gordon, Reynaldo Peña, Leslie A. Morrissey, Donna M. Rizzo, Lori Stevens

College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

In this study we compared the utility of two molecular biology techniques, cloning of the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA gene and hydrolysis probe-based qPCR, to identify blood meal sources of sylvatic Chagas disease insect vectors collected with live-bait mouse traps (also known as Noireau traps). Fourteen T. guasayana were collected from six georeferenced trap locations in the Andean highlands of the department of Chuquisaca, Bolivia.We detected four blood meals sources with the cloning assay: seven samples were positive for human (Homo sapiens), five for chicken (Gallus gallus) and unicolored blackbird (Agelasticus cyanopus), and one for opossum (Monodelphis domestica). Using the …

Gaining Traction In Research Data Management Support: A Case Study, Donna O'Malley

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

With the implementation of an institutional repository, librarians at the University of Vermont (UVM) began receiving inquiries about data management. In an effort to explore research data management roles for librarians at UVM the author led workshops based on Module One of the New England Collaborative Data Management Curriculum (NECDMC) with two audiences. In addition, the author consulted with faculty and staff from around the university to ascertain their support of research data management and integrate that information into the workshops. The first workshop was directed at UVM librarians and resulted in an understanding of their willingness to engage with …

Estimation Of Global Network Statistics From Incomplete Data, Catherine A. Bliss, Christopher M. Danforth, Peter Sheridan Dodds

College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

Complex networks underlie an enormous variety of social, biological, physical, and virtual systems. A profound complication for the science of complex networks is that in most cases, observing all nodes and all network interactions is impossible. Previous work addressing the impacts of partial network data is surprisingly limited, focuses primarily on missing nodes, and suggests that network statistics derived from subsampled data are not suitable estimators for the same network statistics describing the overall network topology. We generate scaling methods to predict true network statistics, including the degree distribution, from only partial knowledge of nodes, links, or weights. Our methods …

Facilitating Collaboration Across International Boundaries -- A Medical Librarian Job Exchange Program, Fred C. Pond

UVM Libraries Conference Day

Fred discussed the history behind the International Job Exchange Project, the benefits to individuals as well as institutions, and the current state of the program.

Expressions: The Newspaper Masthead, Erenst R. Anip, Karyn Norwood

UVM Libraries Conference Day

Capturing the essence of Vermont Newspapers 1836-1922. This poster shows examples of many historic-newspaper mastheads from historic Vermont newspapers that have been digitized and added to Chronicling America (see link to this website, below).

An Analysis Of Clinical Questions Asked At Professor Rounds: A Ten-Year Review Of Topics, Nancy A. Bianchi

UVM Libraries Conference Day

Questions asked at residents’ educational conferences can be valuable catalysts for learning. Although finding answers to these queries is the ultimate goal, the topics of these questions themselves can be equally instructive. Nancy's poster shows the methods used and the results that came from this analysis.

Creating Social Media Policies In Public Libraries, James P. Allen

UVM Libraries Conference Day

James, as a librarian and as a trustee, talks about the benefits and pitfalls of creating social-media policies for a small public library in Vermont.

Buying A Rat Trap ... And More (Natural History Essays), Michele Patenaude

UVM Libraries Conference Day

Michele read her natural-history essay to us, about the rat in her backyard. She recorded its movements and actions, educated us about "rat the animal," as well as her thoughts about having "one of her own."

The Federal Depository Library Program In The 21st Century, Scott L. Schaffer

UVM Libraries Conference Day

Scott discussed the history and current practices, as well as what the future may hold, for the Federal Depository Library Program.

Decorative Bindings In The Rare Book Collection, Jeffrey D. Marshall

UVM Libraries Conference Day

Jeff's interest in learning more about bookbinding came about because of a recent donation from the David Richardson estate to the Special Collections Dept. Jeff knew there were some interesting examples of bindings in this donated collection, and he wanted to better understand what we now owned. In this presentation, he showed examples of books from the “hand-press era,” i.e. from the beginning of printing in the 15th century to 1800, when printing presses were powered by hand.

Exploring Germplasm Diversity To Understand The Domestication Process In Cicer Spp. Using Snp And Dart Markers, Manish Roorkiwal, Eric J. Von Wettberg, Hari D. Upadhyaya, Emily Warschefsky, Abhishek Rathore, Rajeev K. Varshney

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

To estimate genetic diversity within and between 10 interfertile Cicer species (94 genotypes) from the primary, secondary and tertiary gene pool, we analysed 5,257 DArT markers and 651 KASPar SNP markers. Based on successful allele calling in the tertiary gene pool, 2,763 DArT and 624 SNP markers that are polymorphic between genotypes from the gene pools were analyzed further. STRUCTURE analyses were consistent with 3 cultivated populations, representing kabuli, desi and pea-shaped seed types, with substantial admixture among these groups, while two wild populations were observed using DArT markers. AMOVA was used to partition variance among hierarchical sets of landraces …

Agent-Based Modeling Of Malaria Vectors: The Importance Of Spatial Simulation, Arne Bomblies

College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: The modeling of malaria vector mosquito populations yields great insight into drivers of malaria transmission at the village scale. Simulation of individual mosquitoes as "agents" in a distributed, dynamic model domain may be greatly beneficial for simulation of spatial relationships of vectors and hosts. Methods. In this study, an agent-based model is used to simulate the life cycle and movement of individual malaria vector mosquitoes in a Niger Sahel village, with individual simulated mosquitoes interacting with their physical environment as well as humans. Various processes that are known to be epidemiologically important, such as the dependence of parity on …

Computational Studies Of Multiple-Particle Nonlinear Dynamics In A Spatio-Temporally Periodic Potential, Owen D. Myers, Junru Wu, Jeffrey S. Marshall, Christopher M. Danforth

College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

The spatio-temporally periodic (STP) potential is interesting in Physics due to the intimate coupling between its time and spatial components. In this paper, we begin with a brief discussion of the dynamical behaviors of a single particle in a STP potential and then examine the dynamics of multiple particles interacting in a STP potential via the electric Coulomb potential. For the multiple particles' case, we focus on the occurrence of bifurcations when the amplitude of the STP potential varies. It is found that the particle concentration of the system plays an important role; the type of bifurcations that occur and …

The Uvm Food Systems Summit Makes More Room At The Table, Jane Kolodinsky

Food Systems Summit 2014

No abstract provided.

Are We Seeing The Changes We Seek? A Ten Year Reflection From The Field, Dana Hudson

Food Systems Summit 2014

No abstract provided.

Rewriting The Call To Charity: From Food Shelf Volunteer To Food Justice Advocate, Beth Dixon

Food Systems Summit 2014

Consider the food shelf volunteer (or any charity worker) who is inspired to practice good work on behalf of those who are poor and hungry. Her beneficence is praiseworthy. But a simple call to charity may also blind the volunteer to certain facts about food justice. First, it leaves out why clients who utilize the food shelf are hungry. Second, it suggests that the generous volunteers who staff the food shelf have met their political responsibilities. In this viewpoint I argue that hunger relief advocates may be transformed into policy advocates only if they are epistemically positioned to do so. …

Designing For Behavior And Culture In Local Food Systems, Christiana Lackner, J. P. Pellicciaro

Food Systems Summit 2014

Although food systems and design may seem like they do not have much in common, design is as essential to the human experience as food. Herbert Simon is quoted as saying, "Everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into preferred ones."

This view positions design to help address current issues around behavior and culture in local food systems. In this paper, we analyze the approaches of various common and emerging models in the local food movement through several design lenses. We highlight opportunities for innovation in local food initiatives by using design-based thinking tools that …

Racism And Capitalism: Dual Challenges For The Food Movement, Eric Holt-Giménez

Food Systems Summit 2014

No abstract provided.

How Can You Recognize Success? Individual Responses To Food System Policy Aimed At Children, Erin Roche, David Connor, Jane Kolodinsky

Food Systems Summit 2014

Farm-to-school (FTS) programs and similar programs are gaining attention for many reasons, one of which is the recognition that they could help stem the increase in childhood overweight and obesity. Most programs that have been evaluated have increased students' selection or intake of fruits and vegetables following the incorporation of FTS components. However, the wide range of activities that are typically part of FTS programs make it difficult to pinpoint which components have the greatest potential to improve students' health behaviors. Within the field of nutrition education, theory-based interventions that target the key underlying factors influencing health behavior offer the …

Resistance And Innovation In The Evolving Urban Food System Of Monterrey Mexico, Craig K. Harris

Food Systems Summit 2014

Monterrey is the capital city of the state of Nuevo Leon in Mexico. Historically it is the leading industrial city of Mexico, with a strong history of foreign direct investment. Located in the northeastern part of the country, its proximity to Texas has fostered its status as a modern cosmopolitan metropolis. The past couple decades have been characterized by a history of violence, but that is now diminishing as citizens' groups are "taking back our city". The hot and arid climate of the region meant that, as the metropolis developed, it had to rely on some importation of food from …

"La Misma Realidad De Cada Lugar Es Diferente" ("The Same Reality Of Each Place Is Different"): A Case Study Of An Organic Farmers Market In Lima, Peru, Kevin Cody

Food Systems Summit 2014

Alternative food movements in North America and Western Europe have proliferated in recent years as producers and consumers attempt to reform what is perceived as a fatally flawed industrial food system. Meanwhile, agricultural producers in the global South are increasingly dispossessed of land and livelihoods as agro-industrial processes take on increasingly global dimensions. Given that many of the challenges facing small-scale producers in the North and South stem from similar patterns of agro-industrialization, might they also share similar responses to these challenges?

In this article I make a case for broadening the geographic frame of reference for alternative food systems …

The Energy Basis Of Food Security, Eric Garza

Food Systems Summit 2014

Food security includes elements of food availability, access and use. In the complex system that is our global food system, many variables influence an individual’s ability to achieve food security, but given that many people access food through economic markets food prices have come to be a vital component of food security. Food prices are influenced by many factors, but among these are fuel prices. For the last decade trends in food prices have tracked those of fuel prices consistently, and just as fuel prices have generally increased since 2005 food prices have done the same. Rising and increasingly volatile …

Developing An Agenda For Research About Policies To Improve Access To Healthy Foods In Rural Communities: A Concept Mapping Study, Donna B. Johnson, Emilee Quinn, Marilyn Sitaker, Alice Ammerman, Carmen Byker, Wesley Dean, Sheila Fleischhacker, Jane Kolodinsky, Courtney Pinard, Stephanie B.Jilcott Pitts, Joseph Sharkey

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Policies that improve access to healthy, affordable foods may improve population health and reduce health disparities. In the United States most food access policy research focuses on urban communities even though residents of rural communities face disproportionately higher risk for nutrition-related chronic diseases compared to residents of urban communities. The purpose of this study was to (1) identify the factors associated with access to healthy, affordable food in rural communities in the United States; and (2) prioritize a meaningful and feasible rural food policy research agenda. Methods. This study was conducted by the Rural Food Access Workgroup (RFAWG), a …

Promoting Vermont Films In Vermont's Libraries: Presenting Freedom & Unity - The Vermont Movie In A Small Vermont Library, Fred C. Pond, Nora Jacobson

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

This poster reviews steps taken to screen a recent Vermont movie (over a two month period, in six parts) at the Tunbridge (Vermont) Public Library, in an effort to promote Vermont films, at the same time provide provide programming for libraries.

The filmmakers and librarians initiated post-screening discussions on topics explored in the film, with the goal of engaging audiences on local issues.

A review of the audience attendance, funding and recommendations for future collaborations is included.

Kicking The Tires: A Usability Study Of The Primo Discovery Tool, Aaron Nichols, Amber Billey, Peter Spitzform, Alice Stokes, Catherine Mundy

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Discovery tools offer users a powerful way of searching library holdings, as well as external databases and indexes. They are becoming an increasingly common part of the library user experience, and research on the usability of such tools is expanding. In 2012, a mid-sized academic research library implemented Primo Discovery and Delivery by Ex Libris and conducted a diagnostic usability test to investigate how the tool is used without instruction, to discover patterns in searching behavior, and to uncover how compatible Primo is with user search behavior. This paper will describe the design and implementation of the usability study. Despite …

What's Gender Got To Do With It? A Critique Of Rda Rule 9.7, Amber Billey, Emily Drabinski, K.R. Roberto

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

The interpretation of RDA Rule 9.7 regarding gender when identifying persons by Library of Congress (LC) and the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) reinforce regressive conceptions of gender identity. The rule instructs catalogers to record gender when identifying persons, and although RDA gives catalogers the flexibility to record more than two gender labels, LC limits Name Authority Cooperative Program (NACO) catalogers to a binary label: male, female or not known. In this article, the authors challenge gender as a descriptive attribute for personal names, critique how LC is instructing NACO catalogers to record elements about gender, and make recommendations to …

New Perspectives In Ecosystem Services Science As Instruments To Understand Environmental Securities, Ferdinando Villa, Brian Voigt, Jon D. Erickson

Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

As societal demand for food, water and other life-sustaining resources grows, the science of ecosystem services (ES) is seen as a promising tool to improve our understanding, and ultimately the management, of increasingly uncertain supplies of critical goods provided or supported by natural ecosystems. This promise, however, is tempered by a relatively primitive understanding of the complex systems supporting ES, which as a result are often quantified as static resources rather than as the dynamic expression of human-natural systems. This article attempts to pinpoint the minimum level of detail that ES science needs to achieve in order to usefully inform …

Putting A Squeeze On Pubmed, Gary S. Atwood, Nancy A. Bianchi, Fred C. Pond

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

How do you squeeze a 13-hour professional development class on PubMed into a 1-hour staff development workshop? This was the challenge that we, the workshop organizers, faced after completing the PubMed for Trainers class in the summer of 2013.

Although the University hosted the class, there were several UVM librarians who could not attend. The issue facing us was how to effectively pass along the valuable information from the workshop to those absent colleagues.

Our solution was to distill the most essential information from the class into a series of micro-presentations and deliver them using a modified Pecha Kucha format. …

Padlet: Closing The Student Feedback Loop, Gary S. Atwood

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.