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Precipitation Trends In North And South Carolina, Usa, Giacomo Moragila, Erika Brattich, Gregory J. Carbone

Faculty Publications

Study region

North and South Carolina, USA.

Study focus

Intense precipitation poses risks to life and property. Its frequency can change in response to global-scale drivers, but its spatial expression can vary seasonally and regionally, and be dependent on how it is measured and what analysis period is used. We investigate forty-four historical stations from the U.S. Historical Climatology Network (USHCN) across North and South Carolina to determine trends in the pluviometric regime defined by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI). New hydrological insights for the region Most of the stations in this area do not …

Wild Foods Contribute To Higher Dietary Diversity In India (Dataset And Code), Jennifer Zavaleta Cheek

NRM Departmental Data Sets

This data set and code files are in relation to a submitted research article with the working title : Wild foods contribute to higher dietary diversity in India

Article abstract:

Wild foods, from forests and common lands, can contribute to food and nutrition security. Most previous studies have established correlations between wild food consumption and children’s dietary diversity in Africa, but other groups and geographic contexts remain understudied. Here, a rigorous quasi-experimental method was combined with monthly-interval data to assess the contribution of wild foods to women’s diets. We collected 24-hour diet recall data monthly, from November 2016 to November …

Inventory Reveals Wide Biodiversity Of Edible Insects In The Eastern Democratic Republic Of Congo, Jackson Ishara, Rodrigue Ayagirwe, Katcho Karume, Gustave N. Mushagalusa, David Bugeme, Saliou Niassy, Patchimaporn Udomkun, John Kinyuru

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In response to growing food demand, edible insects are perceived as an opportunity to alleviate food insecurity. With its wide edible insects’ biodiversity, the Democratic Republic of Congo is one of Africa’s most critical entomophagous. This study aimed at giving a first insight on inventory showing diversity, perception, consumption, availability, host plants, harvesting techniques and processing techniques of edible insects in South-Kivu, DRC. It recorded twenty-three edible insects belonging to nine families and five orders, some of which are consumed in the larval, adult, egg and pupa stages. Rhyncophorus phoenicis, Alphitobius diaperinus, Macrotermes subhyalinus and Acheta domesticus were the most …

Correction To: The Dynamics And Role Of Gender In High-Value Avocado Farming In Kenya (The European Journal Of Development Research, (2022), 34, 5, (2272-2304), 10.1057/S41287-021-00484-Z), Beatrice Muriithi, Jane Kabubo-Mariara

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The article “The Dynamics and Role of Gender in High-Value Avocado Farming in Kenya”, written by Beatrice Muriithi, Jane Kabubo-Mariara, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal on 12 November 2021 without open access. With the author(s)’ decision to opt for Open Choice the copyright of the article changed on 21 of December to © The Author(s) 2021 and the article is forthwith distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the …

Honey Compositional Convergence And The Parallel Domestication Of Social Bees, Pierre Noiset, Nathalie Cabirol, Marcelo Rojas-Oropeza, Natapot Warrit, Kiatoko Nkoba, Nicolas J. Vereecken

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Honey collection evolved from simple honey hunting to the parallel and independent domestication of different species of bees in various parts of the world. In this study, we investigate the extent to which the composition of Apis and stingless bee honeys has been a driver in the selection of different bee species for domestication in Mesoamerica (Mexico) and Asia (Thailand) using a sampling design that combines peak honey profiling by H1 NMR spectroscopy with the collection of honeys from domesticated and undomesticated bee species. Our results show that, independently of the region of the world considered, domesticated stingless bees produce …

Contributions Of Integrated Soil Fertility Management (Isfm) To Various Sustainable Intensification Impact Domains In Tanzania, Job Kihara, Julius Manda, Anthony Kimaro, Elirehema Swai, Christopher Mutungi, Michael Kinyua, Patrick Okori, Gundula Fischer, Fred Kizito, Mateete Bekunda

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

CONTEXT: The implementation of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) varies widely among farmers, from no ISFM to multiple computations of ISFM components (i.e., improved germplasm, organic resources, fertilizers, and local adaptations e.g., soil and water conservation (SWC)). There is no comprehensive report on farmers' use of ISFM components and their impact on sustainable intensification domains of productivity, economic, social, human condition, and environment and the associated variations across farmer fields and agro-ecological zones (AEZs). OBJECTIVE: This study 1) evaluated the current implementation status of ISFM by farmers in relation to the various ISFM components and 2) provided multi-dimensional multi-scale evidence …

Gut Microbiota Shift In Layer Pullets Fed On Black Soldier Fly Larvae-Based Feeds Towards Enhancing Healthy Gut Microbial Community, Evalyne W. Ndotono, Fathiya M. Khamis, Joel L. Bargul, Chrysantus M. Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Globally, most gut microbiota-related studies have focused on broilers due to their diverse microbial communities compared to that of layer chicken. However, in Africa few studies have been undertaken despite the increasing benefits to the poultry industry. The utilization of Insect-Based diets to improve the gastrointestinal function and gut health in poultry is increasingly gaining global attention. Here, we evaluated the potential roles of commercial black soldier fly larvae-based feeds (BSFLF) in reshaping the abundance, composition and diversity of the gut microbiota of layer chickens using high throughput Oxford nanopore Minion sequencing of the full length bacterial 16S rRNA gene. …

The Case For Integrated Pest Management In Africa: Transition From A Pesticide-Based Approach, Ramasamy Srinivasan, Manuele Tamò, Sevgan Subramanian

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Pest management in major cropping systems has long been dominated by chemical pesticides in Africa. Smallholder farmers have perceived pesticides as insurance to protect their crops. Consumers are less aware of pesticide-related food-safety issues, and markets providing economic incentives to producers who adopt alternatives to pesticides have been slow to emerge. Hence, overuse of pesticides has been constantly increasing. Although African countries have a number of pesticide-related policies, they are inadequately implemented. However, significant investment has been made on integrated pest management (IPM) innovations in recent decades. Resistant cultivars, agroecological approaches, biological control, and biopesticides have been developed against key …

Genetics And Immunity Of Anopheles Response To The Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium Anisopliae Overlap With Immunity To Plasmodium, Tullu Bukhari, Vishukumar Aimanianda, Emmanuel Bischoff, Emma Brito-Fravallo, Karin Eiglmeier, Michelle M. Riehle, Kenneth D. Vernick, Christian Mitri

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Entomopathogenic fungi have been explored as a potential biopesticide to counteract the insecticide resistance issue in mosquitoes. However, little is known about the possibility that genetic resistance to fungal biopesticides could evolve in mosquito populations. Here, we detected an important genetic component underlying Anopheles coluzzii survival after exposure to the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae. A familiality study detected variation for survival among wild mosquito isofemale pedigrees, and genetic mapping identified two loci that significantly influence mosquito survival after fungus exposure. One locus overlaps with a previously reported locus for Anopheles susceptibility to the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Candidate gene …

Nutrient Quality And Maturity Status Of Frass Fertilizer From Nine Edible Insects, Dennis Beesigamukama, Sevgan Subramanian, Chrysantus M. Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Globally, there is growing interest to recycle organic waste using insect larvae into high-quality frass fertilizer through circular economy approach. This paper presents the first comparative report on the nutrient concentrations, fertilizing indices, nutrient supply potentials and compost maturity of nine edible insect frass fertilizers. Our results revealed that frass fertilizers from all the insect species had adequate concentrations and contents of macronutrients [nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K)], secondary nutrients (calcium, magnesium, and sulphur) and micro-nutrients (manganese, copper, iron, zinc, boron, and sodium). The fertilizing indices of the frass fertilizers were above 3. However, black soldier fly (BSF) frass …

The Effect Of Climate Variability In The Efficacy Of The Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium Acridum Against The Desert Locust Schistocerca Gregaria, Samuel F. Kamga, Frank T. Ndjomatchoua, Ritter A. Guimapi, Ingeborg Klingen, Clément Tchawoua, Anne Grete Roer Hjelkrem, Karl H. Thunes, Francois M. Kakmeni

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Despite substantial efforts to control locusts they remain periodically a major burden in Africa, causing severe yield loss and hence loss of food and income. Distribution maps indicating the value of the basic reproduction number R0 was used to identify areas where an insect pest can be controlled by a natural enemy. A dynamic process-based mathematical model integrating essential features of a natural enemy and its interaction with the pest is used to generate R0 risk maps for insect pest outbreaks, using desert locust and the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium acridum (Synn. Metarhizium anisoliae var. acridum) as a case study. This …

Transcriptomic Profiling Of Trypanosoma Congolense Mouthpart Parasites From Naturally Infected Flies, Sara Silva Pereira, Kawira Mathenge, Daniel Masiga, Andrew Jackson

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: Animal African trypanosomiasis, or nagana, is a veterinary disease caused by African trypanosomes transmitted by tsetse flies. In Africa, Trypanosoma congolense is one of the most pathogenic and prevalent causes of nagana in livestock, resulting in high animal morbidity and mortality and extensive production losses. In the tsetse fly, parasites colonise the midgut and eventually reach the mouthparts, from where they can be transmitted as the fly feeds on vertebrate hosts such as cattle. Despite the extreme importance of mouthpart-form parasites for disease transmission, very few global expression profile studies have been conducted in these parasite forms. Methods: Here, …

Household Perception And Infestation Dynamics Of Bedbugs Among Residential Communities And Its Potential Distribution In Africa, Dennis M. Mbuta, Fathiya M. Khamis, Bonoukpoè M. Sokame, Florence Ng’Ong’A, Komivi S. Akutse

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Bedbugs have experienced an extraordinary upsurge in the recent past across the world. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the community perception of the pest outbreaks, the population dynamics, and dispersal patterns under different habitat systems. A survey was conducted within communities in nine counties in Kenya, where geographical coordinates of the sites of bedbug presence were recorded and maximum entropy distribution modelling (MaxEnt) was used to map and predict the potentially suitable habitat, while system thinking and system dynamics approach with Vensim PLE 8.0.9 software was applied to implement bedbug infestation dynamics. Our results indicated that majority of the …

The Distinctive Bionomics Of Aedes Aegypti Populations In Africa, David P. Tchouassi, Sheila B. Agha, Jandouwe Villinger, Rosemary Sang, Baldwyn Torto

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses of medical importance. Behavioral and biological attributes contribute to its vectorial capacity. The mosquito domestic form, which resides outside Africa (Ae. aegypti aegypti (Aaa)), is considered to breed in artificial containers in and around homes and preferentially feeds on human blood but commonly indulges in a plant diet. Potential divergence in these attributes, in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where Aaa coexists with the forest ecotype (Ae. aegypti formosus), should impact the vectoring ability and hence disease epidemiology. A summary of current knowledge on Ae. aegypti blood feeding, oviposition, and …

Urbanization Of Aedes Mosquito Populations And Evolution Of Arboviral Disease Risk In Africa, Sheila B. Agha, David P. Tchouassi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The arboviral diseases dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever are re-merging and gaining a foothold in Africa, with a significant threat of large outbreaks in urban areas. Although their emergence is intimately linked to the primary vector Aedes aegypti, which thrives in urban environments, the risk of these diseases remains substantially heterogeneous in different geographic areas. Range expansion of invasive mosquito species Aedes albopictus, and colonization of urban habitats by sylvatic and peridomestic Aedes vectors, are likely to alter the diseases’ epidemiology. We discuss how a network of different vector species and perhaps vector subpopulations could interact with associated serotypes/genotypes/lineages of …

The Possibilities Of Explicit Striga (Striga Asiatica) Risk Monitoring Using Phenometric, Edaphic, And Climatic Variables, Demonstrated For Malawi And Zambia, Emily Kimathi, Bester Tawona Mudereri, Elfatih M. Abdel-Rahman, Saliou Niassy, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, Tobias Landmann

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Food insecurity continues to affect more than two-thirds of the population in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly those depending on rain-fed agriculture. Striga, a parasitic weed, has caused yield losses of cereal crops, immensely affecting smallholder farmers in SSA. Although earlier studies have established that Striga is a constraint to crop production, there is little information on the spatial extent of spread and infestation severity of the weed in some SSA countries like Malawi and Zambia. This study aimed to use remotely sensed vegetation phenological (n = 11), climatic (n = 3), and soil (n = 4) variables to develop a …

Epidemiology Of Tick-Borne Pathogens Of Cattle And Tick Control Practices In Coastal Kenya, Joseph Wang Ang’A Oundo, Daniel Masiga, Quirine Ten Bosch, Jandouwe Villinger, Constantianus J.M. Koenraadt, Shewit Kalayou

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tick-borne diseases (TBD) are a major constraint to livestock health and productivity in sub-Saharan Africa. Nonetheless, there are relatively few robust epidemiologic studies documenting TBD and its management in different endemic settings in Kenya. Therefore, a cross-sectional study using multi-stage cluster sampling was undertaken to characterize the epidemiology of TBD and management factors among zebu cattle reared under an extensive system in coastal Kenya. Blood samples from 1486 cattle from 160 herds in 14 villages were screened for the presence of tick-borne bacterial and protozoan pathogens using PCR with high-resolution melting analysis and sequencing. Standardized questionnaires were used to collect …

Assessing The Impact Of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (Npis) And Bcg Vaccine Cross-Protection In The Transmission Dynamics Of Sars-Cov-2 In Eastern Africa, Chelsea Mbeke Kilonzo, Mark Wamalwa, Solange Youdom Whegang, Henri E.Z. Tonnang

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Objective: The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still affecting African countries. The pandemic presents challenges on how to measure governmental, and community responses to the crisis. Beyond health risks, the socio-economic implications of the pandemic motivated us to examine the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 and the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). The main objective of this study was to assess the impact of BCG vaccination and NPIs enforced on COVID-19 case-death-recovery counts weighted by age-structured population in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Rwanda. We applied a semi-mechanistic Bayesian hierarchical model (BHM) combined with Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) …

Contemporary Exploitation Of Natural Products For Arthropod-Borne Pathogen Transmission-Blocking Interventions, Jackson M. Muema, Joel L. Bargul, Meshack A. Obonyo, Sospeter N. Njeru, Damaris Matoke-Muhia, James M. Mutunga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

An integrated approach to innovatively counter the transmission of various arthropod-borne diseases to humans would benefit from strategies that sustainably limit onward passage of infective life cycle stages of pathogens and parasites to the insect vectors and vice versa. Aiming to accelerate the impetus towards a disease-free world amid the challenges posed by climate change, discovery, mindful exploitation and integration of active natural products in design of pathogen transmission-blocking interventions is of high priority. Herein, we provide a review of natural compounds endowed with blockade potential against transmissible forms of human pathogens reported in the last 2 decades from 2000 …

Electroantennogram And Machine Learning Reveal A Volatile Blend Mediating Avoidance Behavior By Tuta Absoluta Females To A Wild Tomato Plant, Raphael Njurai Miano, Pascal Mahukpe Ayelo, Richard Musau, Ahmed Hassanali, Samira A. Mohamed

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tomato cultivation is threatened by the infestation of the nocturnal invasive tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta. This study was based on field observations that a wild tomato plant, Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme, grown in the Mount Kenya region, Kenya, is less attacked by T. absoluta, unlike the cultivated tomato plants like S. lycopersicum (var. Rambo F1). We hypothesized that the wild tomato plant may be actively avoided by gravid T. absoluta females because of the emission of repellent allelochemical constituents. Therefore, we compared infestation levels by the pest in field monocrops and intercrops of the two tomato genotypes, characterized the headspace …

Enhancement Of Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L) Postharvest Quality By Use Of Magnetic Fields – A Case Of Shangi Potato Variety, Francis G. Irungu, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Francis G. Ndiritu, Simon G. Mathenge, Fredrick G. Kiruki, Symon M. Mahungu

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Production of potatoes in the developing countries has been on the rise. This reinforces the growing importance of potatoes throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America as a source of food and livelihood. However, this crop continues to experience major postharvest losses that are associated with a lack of effective storage facilities in these regions. This study used magnetic fields (MF) as an innovative technology to reduce potato losses while under storage. The effects of test variables; sources of magnetic fields intensity and exposure time on physicochemical properties of stored shangi potatoes were investigated. Double Helmholtz coils were used to generate …

Using Outbreak Data To Estimate The Dynamic Covid-19 Landscape In Eastern Africa, Mark Wamalwa, Henri E.Z. Tonnang

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: The emergence of COVID-19 as a global pandemic presents a serious health threat to African countries and the livelihoods of its people. To mitigate the impact of this disease, intervention measures including self-isolation, schools and border closures were implemented to varying degrees of success. Moreover, there are a limited number of empirical studies on the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to control COVID-19. In this study, we considered two models to inform policy decisions about pandemic planning and the implementation of NPIs based on case-death-recovery counts. Methods: We applied an extended susceptible-infected-removed (eSIR) model, incorporating quarantine, antibody and vaccination …

Contributions Of Black Locust (Robinia Pseudoacacia L.) To Livelihoods Of Peri-Urban Dwellers In The Free State Province Of South Africa, Gerald Chikowore, Frank Chidawanyika, Grant D. Martin

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) is a globally widespread tree of North American origin, considered as a tree of economic importance in some countries and regarded as disruptive invader in others. In South Africa, the species is categorised as a category1b invasive species which dictates the species as undesirable warranting management. We conducted a survey on how the tree has been integrated into livelihoods of peri-urban inhabitants in the eastern Free State Province of South Africa. Results showed that while the tree is currently being utilised by peri-urban dwellers, it is not the species of choice. Moreover, its contribution to …

Prepreg Age Monitoring And Qualitative Prediction Of Mechanical Performance Of Composite Using Dielectric State Variables, Monjur Morshed Rabby, Partha Pratim Das, Minhazur Rahman, Vamsi Vadlamudi, Rassel Raihan

SAGE Open Access Agreement Publications-Archive

The aviation and automobile industries have recently depended on thermoset epoxy-based prepreg as a raw material for manufacturing composites. Since prepregs have a limited out-life (i.e., the maximum storing time allowed at room temperature), they must be stored in refrigerators at low temperatures. If not maintained, they can often adversely affect the desired quality of the final product. Prepregs are often discarded once the prepreg out-life ends, leading to a loss of millions of dollars and a detrimental impact on the environment. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a simple method to monitor prepreg aging/degradation in order to ensure its …

Arch Rock (Width In Millimeters), Peter G. Butterfield, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: White Oaks in Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest

Data in this collection regards white oak trees (Quercus alba) in Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest, Vinton County, Ohio. Affiliated images are available at http://ecommons.udayton.edu/mcewanlab_6_images.

File type: .csv

About the data:

• Column A: Year
• Column B and onward: Measurements of tree rings in millimeters; sample title appears in row 1
• Measurements taken using a Velmex Unislide and the Tellervo software application.

Coordinates Of Each Sample, Peter G. Butterfield, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: White Oaks in Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest

Data in this collection regards white oak trees (Quercus alba) in Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest, Vinton County, Ohio. Affiliated images are available at http://ecommons.udayton.edu/mcewanlab_6_images.

File type: .csv

About the data:

• Column A: Year
• Column B and onward: Measurements of tree rings in millimeters; sample title appears in row 1
• Measurements taken using a Velmex Unislide and the Tellervo software application.

Arch Rock (Widths In Dendrochronology Format), Peter G. Butterfield, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: White Oaks in Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest

Data in this collection regards white oak trees (Quercus alba) in Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest, Vinton County, Ohio. Affiliated images are available at http://ecommons.udayton.edu/mcewanlab_6_images.

File type: .csv

About the data:

• Column A: Year
• Column B and onward: Measurements of tree rings in millimeters; sample title appears in row 1
• Measurements taken using a Velmex Unislide and the Tellervo software application.

Watch Rock (Widths In Dendrochronology Format), Peter G. Butterfield, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: White Oaks in Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest

Data in this collection regards white oak trees (Quercus alba) in Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest, Vinton County, Ohio. Affiliated images are available at http://ecommons.udayton.edu/mcewanlab_6_images.

File type: .csv

About the data:

• Column A: Year
• Column B and onward: Measurements of tree rings in millimeters; sample title appears in row 1
• Measurements taken using a Velmex Unislide and the Tellervo software application.

Watch Rock (Widths In Millimeters), Peter G. Butterfield, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: White Oaks in Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest

Data in this collection regards white oak trees (Quercus alba) in Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest, Vinton County, Ohio. Affiliated images are available at http://ecommons.udayton.edu/mcewanlab_6_images.

File type: .csv

About the data:

• Column A: Year
• Column B and onward: Measurements of tree rings in millimeters; sample title appears in row 1
• Measurements taken using a Velmex Unislide and the Tellervo software application.

Sample Diameter And Date Of Establishment, Peter G. Butterfield, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: White Oaks in Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest

Data in this collection regards white oak trees (Quercus alba) in Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest, Vinton County, Ohio. Affiliated images are available at http://ecommons.udayton.edu/mcewanlab_6_images.

File type: .csv

About the data:

• Column A: Year
• Column B and onward: Measurements of tree rings in millimeters; sample title appears in row 1
• Measurements taken using a Velmex Unislide and the Tellervo software application.