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The North ‘Helicoptering’ Into The South: A Meta-Analysis Of Parachute Science In Ecological Field Studies, Alexandros Economou-Garcia

Student Publications

Science is increasingly collaborative, but scientists from the Global North (GN) often fail to collaborate with local scientists or to build local scientific capacity when conducting research in the Global South (GS). This practice is known as “parachute science” or “helicopter science”. In addition to ethical concerns, this practice is problematic in the field of ecology because it may reduce the likelihood that the research will inform local resource management and science policy. I hypothesized that, because research has become increasingly collaborative, there would be a decline in parachute science over time. In addition, I hypothesized that papers that included …

Describing The Impact Of The Sales Of Antibiotics On The Environment And In Population Health, Andrés Gaviria-Figueroa

Theses and Dissertations

The role of antibiotics in human health is of significant importance in the advancement of the medical field. It has contributed to an improvement of the quality of life and the age expectancy of the population. Antibiotic resistance is an expected consequence of the use of antibiotics. Bacteria have developed biological mechanisms that would help them become resistant to antibiotics. The uncontrolled use of antibiotics is significantly contributing to the ability of bacteria to become resistant to those antibiotics. This study, using the model of the Socio-Ecological Coupling of Antibiotic Resistance, explains how social and environmental factors interact and impact …

Characterization Of Particulate Matter Species In An Area Impacted By Aggregate And Limestone Mining North Of San Antonio, Tx, Usa, Amit U. Raysoni, Esmeralda Mendez, August Luna, Joe Collins

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Aggregate and limestone mining in San Antonio's Bexar and Comal counties in Texas, USA, has caused considerable health concerns as of late. Aggregate mining actions can result in localized air quality issues in any neighborhood. Furthermore, heavy truck traffic, hauling, and transportation of the mined material contribute to pollution. In this research, PM species were sampled at four locations north of the San Antonio city limits. The data were collected using a TSI Air Quality Sampler that sampled PM1, PM2.5, PM4, PM10, wind speed, wind direction, temperature, and relative humidity. Continuous data with 1 min averages were recorded during the …

Water Quality Adjacent To Swine Slurry Holding Ponds Associated With A Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, Andrew Sharpley, James Burke, Kristofor Brye, Larry Berry, Phillip Hays, Mike Daniels, Karl Vandevender, Tim Glover, Brian Haggard

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Environmental concerns exist over extended storage of liquid animal waste in outdoor holding ponds before land application, particularly in regions with underlying karst geology. To determine the effects of holding ponds on water quality, belowground interceptor trenches, groundwater (well), and a downslope ephemeral stream were monitored for water quality parameters. Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations increased (p < .0001) in well and ephemeral stream samples but decreased in trench samples (Trench 1 with a p < .0001) near the swine production facility and holding ponds over a 5-yr monitoring period (April 2014–June 2019). In contrast, chloride, which is a conservative element that can move freely through the soil without chemical, physical, or biological modification, and electrical conductivity decreased (p < .0001 to .0203) over the monitoring period in well and Trench 1 samples. Flow in the interceptor trenches was highly responsive to rainfall, suggesting the trenches were mainly capturing shallow subsurface flows initiated by rainfall. A lack of any increasing trend in chloride and electrical conductivity for ephemeral stream, well, or trench samples suggests that elevated nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in well and ephemeral stream samples may have been influenced by sources other than the liquid manure holding ponds (i.e., sources that have low chloride and electrical conductivity values). In regions with underlying karst geology, surface and subsurface water resources may require more expansive monitoring to demonstrate liquid manure holding ponds effects on nearby water quality.

Good Cop/Bad Cop: A Comparative Analysis Of Affiliative And Aggressive Behaviors By Adult Female And Male Olive Baboons With Infants At Randilen Wildlife Management Area, Tanzania, Jesse Elop

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigated the infant-directed behaviors of adult male and female olive baboons in Randilen Wildlife Management Area in April of 2022. The objectives were 1) To determine the difference between olive baboon males and females in frequency and duration of listed behaviors towards infants; 2) To classify the interactions of adult male and adult female olive baboons with infants as either primarily affiliative or primarily aggressive; 3) To determine the frequency of selected behaviors at different reproductive phases (lactation, estrus, neutral, indeterminant) amongst female olive baboons towards infants. A single baboon troop in Randilen Wildlife Management Area was observed …

Measuring Racial Equity In New Hampshire’S Food System, Olivia Saunders, Jennifer Wilhelm

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Geographic Variation In Host Selection In The Spider Wasps Entypus Unifasciatus (Say) And Tachypompilus Ferrugineus (Say) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), Ii, Frank E. Kurczewski, Joseph W. Stoll, Rick C. West, Kelly C. Kissane, Paige R. Chesshire, Neil S. Cobb

Insecta Mundi

This paper is the sequel to a 20 year-long (2002–2021) study of geographic variation in host selec­tion in the common American spider wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) Entypus unifasciatus (Say) (Pepsini) and Tachypompilus ferrugineus (Say) (Pompilini) (rusty spider wasp). Geography and host spider family are strongly linked in both species when 3387 host spider locality records from the years 1918–2021 are mapped. Entypus unifasciatus lycosid host records are plentiful from 43–44° N in the United States and southern Ontario to northern Mexico. Tachypompilus ferrugineus lycosid host records are abundant from southern Ontario and New England southward to Mexico east of the Rocky …

Microbiome Variation Across Populations Of Desert Halophyte Zygophyllum Qatarensis, Abdul Latif Khan, Lucas Dantas Lopes, Saqib Bilal, Sajjad Asaf, Kerri M. Crawford, Venkatesh Balan, Ahmed Al-Rawahi, Ahmed Al-Harrasi, Daniel P. Schachtman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Microbial symbionts play a significant role in plant health and stress tolerance. However, few studies exist that address rare species of core-microbiome function during abiotic stress. In the current study, we compared the microbiome composition of succulent dwarf shrub halophyte Zygophyllum qatarensis Hadidi across desert populations. The results showed that rhizospheric and endosphere microbiome greatly varied due to soil texture (sandy and gravel). No specific bacterial amplicon sequence variants were observed in the core-microbiome of bulk soil and rhizosphere, however, bacterial genus Alcaligenes and fungal genus Acidea were abundantly distributed across root and shoot endospheres. We also analyzed major nutrients …

A Descriptive Analysis Of Severe Maternal Morbidities In Southern Arizona, Joseph Sherman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Introduction

Maternal morbidities and maternal deaths are rising at an alarming rate throughout the United States, despite advances in medicine and technology (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2020). In 2020, maternal deaths climbed to its highest peak in thirty years, at 23.8 deaths per 100,000 births (CDC 2020; CDC 2022b). Maternal morbidities have also increased by nearly 200% from 1993 to 2014 (CDC, 2021). The startling rise in both maternal morbidities and maternal deaths is likely exacerbated by limited access to healthcare and the pervasiveness of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease (Carroll, 2017; Geller …

Microbiome Variation Across Populations Of Desert Halophyte Zygophyllum Qatarensis, Abdul Latif Khan, Lucas Dantas Lopes, Saqib Bilal, Sajjad Asaf, Kerri M. Crawford, Venkatesh Balan, Ahmed Al-Rawahi, Ahmed Al-Harrasi, Daniel P. Schachtman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Microbial symbionts play a significant role in plant health and stress tolerance. However, few studies exist that address rare species of core-microbiome function during abiotic stress. In the current study, we compared the microbiome composition of succulent dwarf shrub halophyte Zygophyllum qatarensis Hadidi across desert populations. The results showed that rhizospheric and endosphere microbiome greatly varied due to soil texture (sandy and gravel). No specific bacterial amplicon sequence variants were observed in the core-microbiome of bulk soil and rhizosphere, however, bacterial genus Alcaligenes and fungal genus Acidea were abundantly distributed across root and shoot endospheres. We also analyzed major nutrients …

The Role Of Agricultural Social Enterprise To Smallholder Farmers’ Adaptive Capacity To Climatic Stresses In Tanzania, Stanley G Kulanga, Noah M Pauline

Tanzania Journal of Science

This paper intended to ascertain the implications of agricultural social enterprise on the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers to climatic stresses in the Kilolo District, Tanzania. The study used a sample of 90 households. Household questionnaires, focus group discussions (FGD), and key informant interviews were used to collect primary data for this study. Secondary data were collected through a review of literature relevant to this study. The content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data, whereas quantitative data were subjected to Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS) version 20 for analysis. Microsoft Excel 2007 was used to analyse rainfall and …

Assessment Of Soil Quality Along The Proposed Main Road Through Ngorongoro And Northern Serengeti, Tanzania, Othman C. Othman, Abiud L. Kaswamila, Kjetil Bevanger, Augustino Mwakipesile, Kelvin Haule, Emilian Kihwele, Gloria Summay, Emmanuel Gereta

Tanzania Journal of Science

A new road through northern Serengeti National Park is proposed to be built. The purpose of this study was to collect baseline data on soils along the route of the proposed road before its construction. The physicochemical properties were used to characterize the soil before the construction of the proposed road. Levels of soil macro-elements mainly potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sodium (Na), and physicochemical properties: electrical conductivity (EC), pH, organic carbon (OC), soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), cation exchange capacity (CEC), phosphorus (P), aluminium (Al) were determined. Also, heavy metals: cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper …

Management Strategies And Distribution Of Aphanomyces Root Rot Of Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa), A Continuing Threat To Forage Production In The United States, Jennifer M. Giles, Conner L. Tordsen, Travis R. Rebstock, Bruna Bucciarelli, Deborah A. Samac, Andrew E. Sathoff

Research & Publications

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is one of several legumes that is affected by Aphanomyces root rot (ARR) caused by Aphanomyces euteiches. Symptoms of ARR on alfalfa seedlings include a yellow-grey discolouration of roots, rotting and loss of lateral roots, stunted growth, chlorotic foliage and reduction of nitrogen-producing nodules on roots. Infection can also occur on adult plants leading to loss of lateral roots and nodules. At the seedling stage, ARR decreases alfalfa stand establishment, and field longevity is reduced when adult plants are infected. A. euteiches is an oomycete pathogen that has motile zoospores and thick-walled oospores that …

Extreme Development Of Dragon Fruit Agriculture With Nighttime Lighting In Southern Vietnam, Shenyue Jia, Son V. Nghiem, Seung-Hee Kim, Laura Krauser, Andrea E. Gaughan, Forest R. Stevens, Menas Kafatos, Khanh D. Ngo

Institute for ECHO Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Dragon fruit is widely grown in Southeast Asia and other tropical or subtropical regions. As a high-value cash crop ideal for exportation, dragon fruit cultivation has boomed during the past decade in southern Vietnam. Light supplementing during the winter months using artificial lighting sources is a widely adopted cultivation technique to boost productivity in the major dragon fruit planting regions of Vietnam. The application of electric lighting at night leads to a significant increase of nighttime light (NTL) observable by satellite sensors. The strong seasonality signal of NTL in dragon fruit cultivation enables identifying dragon fruit plantations using NTL images. …

A Statistical Method For Quantifying Animal Interaction; Combining Time Geography And Simulation, Zachary J. Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dynamic interaction (DI) describes the synchronous interaction of one or more individual animals over time. Current methods to quantify DI from tracking data are lacking. They typically require synchronized tracking data which limits their applicability to most studies. They also often do not have built-in tests of significance to evaluate interaction, and if so, rely on random walk models that lack biological realism. This research aimed to develop and evaluate a new way of measuring animal interaction that overcomes these limitations. The goal was to create a statistical method for quantifying and evaluating interaction that is relevant across computational, behavioural, …

Genetic Connectivity Of Trypanosomes Between Tsetse-Infested And Tsetse-Free Areas Of Kenya, Naomi N. Kimenyi, Kelvin M. Kimenyi, Nelson O. Amugune, Merid N. Getahun

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The prevalence rates of trypanosomes, including those that require cyclical transmission by tsetse flies, are widely distributed in Africa. Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma congolense are actively maintained in regions where there are no tsetse flies although at low frequencies. Whether this could be due to an independent evolutionary origin or multiple introduction of trypanosomes due to continuous movement of livestock between tsetse-free and -infested areas is not known. Thus, the aim of the study was to carry out microsatellite genotyping to explore intra-specific genetic diversity between T. (Trypanozoon), T. congolense and Trypanosoma vivax from the two regions: tsetse infested and …

Volume 2, Chapter 19-2: Bryophyte Bacteria Effects On Communities, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Human Adaptation And Morphological Variation: Expanding Diversity In Anatomy Curriculum, Jordan Cass, Cooker Storm

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Introduction: The recent upturn in our nation’s socio-political conversation has fueled interest in ensuring that college curricula is diverse and inclusive. Because human anatomy is ubiquitous across colleges, it may be a valuable avenue to purposefully incorporate topics of diversity in a way that positively impacts our socio-cultural relationships. Providing students with a scientific understanding of our visible differences may mitigate subconscious bias when we see others who have different features. Purpose: We investigated the biogeographical factors that contribute to the morphological variability of the face, hair, and body size; with the secondary aim of developing diverse and …

Nitrogen Increases Early-Stage And Slows Late-Stage Decomposition Across Diverse Grasslands, Allison L. Gill, Peter B. Adler, Elizabeth T. Borer, Christopher R. Buyarski, Elsa E. Cleland, Carla M. D'Antonio, Kendi F. Davies, Daniel S. Gruner, W. Stanley Harpole, Kirsten S. Hofmockel, Andrew S. Macdougall, Rebecca L. Mcculley, Brett A. Melbourne, Joslin L. Moore, John W. Morgan, Anita C. Risch, Martin Schütz, Eric W. Seabloom, Justin P. Wright, Louie H. Yang, Sarah E. Hobbie

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

1. To evaluate how increased anthropogenic nutrient inputs alter carbon cycling in grasslands, we conducted a litter decomposition study across 20 temperate grasslands on three continents within the Nutrient Network, a globally distributed nutrient enrichment experiment
2. We determined the effects of addition of experimental nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium plus micronutrient (K_μ) on decomposition of a common tree leaf litter in a long-term study (maximum of 7 years; exact deployment period varied across sites). The use of higher order decomposition models allowed us to distinguish between the effects of nutrients on early- versus late-stage decomposition.
3. Across continents, the …

Stepping-Stones And Mediators Of Pandemic Expansion: A Context For Humans As Ecological Super-Spreaders, Eric P. Hoberg, Walter A. Boeger, Daniel R. Brooks, Valeria Trivellone, Salvatore J. Agosta

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

Humans represent ecological super-spreaders in the dissemination and introduction of pathogens. These processes, consistent with the dynamics of the Stockholm paradigm, are exemplified in the origin and globalized distributions of SARS-CoV-2 since initial recognition in central Asia during 2019 and 2020. SARS-like viruses are not widespread in mammals but appear widespread in chiropterans. Bats are isolated ecologically from most other assemblages of mammals in terrestrial systems. Humans may be the stepping-stone hosts for broad global dissemination and wider infection (given the opportunity) among diverse assemblages of mammals in which host and viral capacity are compatible. Human globalization mediated insertion in …

Current Epidemiological Status And Antibiotic Resistance Profile Of Urinary Tract Infection, Muddasir Khan, Syed Hussain Shah, M. Abdullah, Muhammad Salman, Fawad Hayat, Raheela Sarwar, Neelma Hassan, Sohail Ahmad Jan, M. Saddam, Ziaur Rahman, Imran Qazi

Journal of Bioresource Management

With a longitudinal (2020–2021) completion, a set of 300 urine samples of individuals suspected of UTI was characterized based on the biochemical analysis and Kirby Bauer's disc diffusion method. Throughout, a total of 167 samples revealed UTI positivity by obtaining bacterial growth. Reporting that E. coli (69.4 %) was the most dominant when compared with Klebsiella (14.3 %), Proteus (5.9 %), S. aureus (4.7 %), P. aeruginosa (3.5 %), and Enterobacter (1.7 %), respectively. Gender-wise discrimination showed that E. coli was highly distributed among female (50.2 %) patients. A prominent percentage of E. coli (41.9 %) was found in the …

Centralized Project-Specific Metadata Platforms: Toolkit Provides New Perspectives On Open Data Management Within Multi-Institution And Multidisciplinary Research Projects, Andrew Wright Child, Jennifer Hinds, Lucas Sheneman, Sven Buerki

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Open science and open data within scholarly research programs are growing both in popularity and by requirement from grant funding agencies and journal publishers. A central component of open data management, especially on collaborative, multidisciplinary, and multi-institutional science projects, is documentation of complete and accurate metadata, workflow, and source code in addition to access to raw data and data products to uphold FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles. Although best practice in data/metadata management is to use established internationally accepted metadata schemata, many of these standards are discipline-specific making it difficult to catalog multidisciplinary data and data products in a …

Sustainable Management Of Rangelands: An Assessment Of Invasion Cover Trajectories And Their Contribution To Invasion Management In Marigat Sub-County, Kenya, Beatrice Adoyo, Albrecht Ehrensperger, Mikalitsa S. Mukhovi, Boniface Kiteme, Purity Mbaabu Rima, Sandra Eckert, Simon Choge, Urs Schaffner

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Invasive alien species have complex spatiotemporal patterns of spread beyond geographical and jurisdictional boundaries. This calls for a coordinated management approach that is spatially explicit, extends beyond individual plot levels, and incorporates land users’ perceptions and decisions. This study, therefore, aims at assessing spatiotemporal invasion trajectories of the invasive tree Prosopis juliflora in Baringo County, Kenya, and evaluating their possible relation to land users’ management decisions. Pre-classified land cover data over a seven-year time period (1988–2016) were reclassified based on the presence or absence of P. juliflora and integrated into ArcGIS to produce P. juliflora cover trajectories for analysis. The …

Towards Economic Growth And Development: The Role Of Development Finance Institutions In Fostering Foreign Direct Investment In Sub-Saharan Africa, Carmen Cagiza

Doctoral Projects

This dissertation contributes to the debate on economic development in developing countries through the analyses of four related strands of literature – the FDI and growth literature, the literature on finance and development, the DFI and growth literature, aid, institutions and economic development. The present research seeks to contribute to the debate on the effect of DFIs on FDI and consequently on economic development in developing economies to bridge the existing funding gap and thus ensure these economies achieve the global shared vision of sustainable development of the United Nations 2030 agenda. We acknowledge that development is triggered by economic …

Application Of Pheromone Is Potential Ecological Approach In Management Of Tuta Absoluta In Tomatoes: The Case Of Ruaha River Basin In Iringa, Tanzania, Theonest Kombe, Nicodemus D. Matojo, Fikira Kimbokota

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is currently considered to be one of the most destructive insect pests of tomatoes worldwide. The present study was conducted in three study sites along Ruaha River Basin, Iringa, Tanzania, to assess community awareness about T. absoluta infestation and its management. The study also evaluated the susceptibility of three tomato varieties against T. absoluta in a greenhouse setting, as well as the effect of colours of traps and doses of pheromone in attracting T. absoluta in a field environment. The field survey revealed that 97% of the respondents were aware of the …

Academic Information Seeking Behaviour Of Undergraduate Students Of History And International Studies In Nigerian Federal Universities, Chidi Amaechi Ph.D, Joseph Oluchukwu Wogu Ph.D

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study aims to understand the academic information-seeking behaviour of undergraduate students of history and international studies in Nigerian federal universities. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The study respondents were South-East federal universities undergraduate students of 100-400 levels in South-East, Nigeria's history and international studies department. The study was borne out of the numerous behavioural patterns exhibited by undergraduate students, history, and international studies undergraduate students inclusive for them to excel in their academic pursuits. 110 undergraduate students of history and international studies were sampled for the study. In determining the sample size, a random …

Effect Of Winter Canola Cultivar On Seed Yield, Oil, And Protein Content, Kyle D. Mcgeary, Jason P. De Koff, Bharat Pokharel, Richard Link, Priya Saini, Taqdeer Gill

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Winter canola (Brassica napus L.) production has increased in the United States over the past several decades; however, there is little research in the southeastern United States on its agronomic production and growth characteristics under different nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of N rates on winter mortality, yield, oil and protein content, and seedpod shatter resistance across cultivars. Canola was grown in a randomized split complete block design with four replicates under five different N rates (0, 56, 112, 168, and 224 kg N ha−1) with four different cultivars (Hekip, Inspiration, …

Facilitation Differentially Affects Competitive Responses Of Aspen And Subalpine Fir Through Stages Of Stand Development, Rebecca Lee Molinari, Matthew F. Bekker, Benjamin D. St. Clair, Jason Bartholomew, R. Justin Derose, Stanley G. Kitchen, Samuel B. St. Clair

Aspen Bibliography

Spatial interactions between trees influence forest community succession. The objective of this study was to investigate how shifts in forest composition and proximity between tree species affect stand development over time in mixed forest systems. At six locations across the Fishlake National Forest, Utah, USA, in stands where facilitation has been documented previously, tree-ring samples were collected from aspen and subalpine fir trees. Basal area increment was calculated to characterize the effects of the proximity of overstory trees on multidecadal growth responses of aspen and subalpine fir in aspen-dominant and mixed aspen–conifer stands. Subalpine fir seedlings were established next to …

Irvine Prairie Planned Work, C. Irvine, B. Pippert, Laura Jackson, Laura Walter, Anne Phillips, C. Teator, Justin Meissen

Tallgrass Prairie Publications and Reports

Report on the plans for work to be done in 2022 to further the restoration and maintenance of a tallgrass prairie in Benton County, Iowa.

Lee Isaac Chung, Minari (2020): Having An Amerikorean Life, Nagehan Uzuner

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Minari by Lee Isaac Chung is a drama which chronicles the life of a Korean family who moves to the USA during 1980s in pursuit for a better life. The acculturation process is experienced differently by family members. Children are mostly bored with their new life in the rural area of Arkansas while their mother, Monica, is terrified of living in a mobile home which is made of a truck trailer in the middle of nowhere. Meanwhile, the grandmother joins the family from Korea to take care of the kids with a more positive approach dealing with their struggles. The …