Digital Commons Network^™

Developing Models Of Disease Transmission: Insights From Ecological Studies Of Insects And Their Baculoviruses, Bret D. Elderd

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Biotechnology For Mechanisms That Counteract Salt Stress In Extremophile Species: A Genome-Based View, Ray A. Bressan, Hyeong Cheol Park, Francesco Orsini, Dong Ha Oh, Maheshi Dassanayake, Gunsu Inan, Dae Jin Yun, Hans J. Bohnert, Albino Maggio

Faculty Publications

Molecular genetics has confirmed older research and generated new insights into the ways how plants deal with adverse conditions. This body of research is now being used to interpret stress behavior of plants in new ways, and to add results from most recent genomics-based studies. The new knowledge now includes genome sequences of species that show extreme abiotic stress tolerances, which enables new strategies for applications through either molecular breeding or transgenic engineering. We will highlight some physiological features of the extremophile lifestyle, outline emerging features about halophytism based on genomics, and discuss conclusions about underlying mechanisms. © 2012 Korean …

Checklist Of Insects Associated With Salvinia Minima Baker In Louisiana, Usa, Katherine A. Parys, Matthew L. Gimmel, Seth J. Johnson

Faculty Publications

This study presents a list of adult insects (excluding Diptera and Lepidoptera) collected from an infestation of an invasive aquatic weed, common salvinia (Salvinia minima Baker), in southern Louisiana, USA. Insects were sampled from May - November of 2009 and 2010 using floating pitfall traps. A total of 7,933 specimens were collected, representing seven orders, 70 families, and 235 species. Species of note include three currently undescribed species of Coleoptera, one previously undescribed braconid wasp, two new state records of Curculionidae, a new state generic record for the family Limnichidae, and a new record for the United States. © 2013 …

Using Marine Snails To Teach Biogeography And Macroevolution: The Role Of Larvae And Dispersal Ability In The Evolution And Persistence Of Species, Jonathan R. Hendricks

Faculty Publications

While some marine animals are capable of traveling great distances, many have limited mobility as adults and spend the majority of their lifetimes in a small geographical area or may even be cemented to a single place. While it might be expected that species with limited mobility would have small geographic distributions, some nevertheless occur over very large areas. This is the case for some marine snails (gastropods). A key factor that impacts the geographic distribution of marine snails is the type of larvae they have during the phase of their life history that follows hatching from an egg. Because …

Resource-Based Habitat Associations In A Neotropical Liana Community, James W. Dalling, Stefan A. Schnitzer, Claire Baldeck, Kyle E. Harms, Robert John, Scott A. Mangan, Elena Lobo, Joseph B. Yavitt, Stephen P. Hubbell

Faculty Publications

Summary: 1.Lianas are a conspicuous element of many tropical forests, accounting for up to 40% of woody stem density and 20% of species richness in seasonal forests. However, lianas have seldom been surveyed at sufficiently large spatial scales to allow an assessment of the importance of habitat variables in structuring liana communities. 2.We compare the association patterns of 82 liana species and an equivalent sample of tree species on the 50ha Forest Dynamics Project plot on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, with topographic habitat variables (high and low plateau, slope, swamp and streamside), and thirteen mapped soil chemical variables. In addition, …

The Role Of Individual Behavior Type In Mediating Indirect Interactions, Blaine D. Griffen, Benjamin J. Toscano, John Gatto

Faculty Publications

Trait-mediated indirect interactions (TMII) play an important role in structuring natural communities, and numerous studies have experimentally demonstrated their presence in a variety of systems. However, these studies have largely examined the presence or absence of traits that are responsible for these interactions, without considering natural variation between individuals in the extent to which these traits are manifested. We used a well-documented TMII to investigate the importance of individual behavior type for determining the strength of the TMII. The toadfish Opsanus tau has an indirect positive influence on bivalve survival because the mud crab Panopeus herbstii, a consumer of bivalves, …

Evolution Of A Sexually Dimorphic Trait In A Broadly Distributed Topminnow (Fundulus Olivaceus), Jacob F. Schaefer, David D. Duvernell, Brian R. Kreiser, Charles Champagne, Scott R. Clark, Melissa Gutierrez, Laura K. Stewart, Chazz Coleman

Faculty Publications

Understanding the interaction between sexual and natural selection within variable environments is crucial to our understanding of evolutionary processes. The handicap principle predicts females will prefer males with exaggerated traits provided those traits are indicators of male quality to ensure direct or indirect female benefits. Spatial variability in ecological factors is expected to alter the balance between sexual and natural selection that defines the evolution of such traits. Male and female blackspotted topminnows (Fundulidae: Fundulus olivaceus) display prominent black dorsolateral spots that are variable in number across its broad range. We investigated variability in spot phenotypes at 117 sites …

Geospatial Examination Of Lithium In Drinking Water And Suicide Mortality, Marco Helbich, Michael Leitner, Nestor D. Kapusta

Faculty Publications

Background: Lithium as a substance occurring naturally in food and drinking water may exert positive effects on mental health. In therapeutic doses, which are more than 100 times higher than natural daily intakes, lithium has been proven to be a mood-stabilizer and suicide preventive. This study examined whether natural lithium content in drinking water is regionally associated with lower suicide rates.Methods: Previous statistical approaches were challenged by global and local spatial regression models taking spatial autocorrelation as well as non-stationarity into account. A Geographically Weighted Regression model was applied with significant independent variables as indicated by a spatial autoregressive model.Results: …

Understanding Resistance To Standardization In Education: The Tragedy Of The Commons As A Theoretical Framework, Grinell Smith, Colette Rabin

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to articulate how a theory, developed in 1968 by Garrett Hardin to describe how shared resources, or “commons” can become depleted, also elucidates the mechanism by which standardization of educational outcomes and assessment have come to dominate current education discourse. We then present results of a case study of a school struggling to succeed within a context of a district’s hyper-focus on standardized measures of success, and employ the theory to illustrate its usefulness to explain what we found at the school site. We believe this theoretical framework provides interesting perspectives on current trends …

Nest Success And Hatchling Survival Of American Alligators Within Inland Wetlands Of East Texas, Warren C. Conway, Gary Calkins, David Saalfeld

Faculty Publications

Because of liberalization of American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) harvest management in Texas, estimates of nest success and hatchling survival for inland populations are essential for long-term, sustainable population and harvest management. To date, few studies have examined American alligator nest success and hatchling survival. We initiated a 3-year study from 2006 to 2008 to document alligator nest success and hatchling survival within several wetlands in east Texas. From June 2006 to August 2008, we located 30 nests from 3 wetlands within east Texas, where overall nest success was 44.2% (95% CI=25.1– 63.1%), irrespective of year. Nest circumference and day during …

Barbuda: A Caribbean Island In Transition, Andrew Sluyter, Amy E. Potter

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Phylogenetic Distribution And Ecological Role Of Carbon Monoxide Oxidation In The Genus Burkholderia, Carolyn F. Weber, Gary M. King

Faculty Publications

Burkholderia is a physiologically and ecologically diverse genus that occurs commonly in assemblages of soil and rhizosphere bacteria. Although Burkholderia is known for its heterotrophic versatility, we demonstrate that 14 distinct environmental isolates oxidized carbon monoxide (CO) and possessed the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of form I CO dehydrogenase (coxL). DNA from a Burkholderia isolate obtained from a passalid beetle also contained coxL as do the genomic sequences of species H160 and Ch1-1. Isolates were able to consume CO at concentrations ranging from 100 ppm (vol/vol) to sub-ambient (< 60 ppb (vol/vol)). High concentrations of pyruvate inhibited CO uptake (> 2.5 mM), but mixotrophic consumption of CO and pyruvate occurred …

Differential Responses Of Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders (Plethodon Cinereus) To Conspecifics And Centipedes, A. A. Burgett, Geoffrey R. Smith

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Stroke Mortality And Trends From 1990 To 2006 In 39 Countries From Europe And Central Asia: Implications For Control Of High Blood Pressure, Josep Redon, Michael H. Olsen, Richard S. Cooper, Oscar Zurriaga, Miguel A. Martinez-Beneito, Stephane Laurent, Renata Cifkova, Antonio Coca, Guiseppe Mancia

Faculty Publications

AimsThe aim of the present study was to extend our understanding of international trends in stroke and major sequelae in Europe and countries peripheral to Europe by assessing: (1) current mortality rates, (2) the most recent 15-year prevalence trends, and (3) the relationship between systolic blood pressure in community surveys and national stroke mortality. Methods and resultsData were obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO www.who.int/whosis/database/mort/table.cfm), and represent national vital statistics as reported by 39 countries (European and Central Asian countries) using a standard format and population-based cardiovascular surveys. Total numbers of deaths by stroke (International Classification of Diseases 430438, …

Fire Ant Decapitating Fly Cooperative Release Programs (1994-2008): Two Pseudacteon Species, P. Tricuspis And P. Curvatus, Rapidly Expand Across Imported Fire Ant Populations In The Southeastern United States, Anne Marie A. Callcott, Sanford D. Porter, Ronald D. Weeks, L. C. Fudd Graham, Seth J. Johnson, Lawrence E. Gilbert

Faculty Publications

Natural enemies of the imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren S. richteri Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), and their hybrid, include a suite of more than 20 fire ant decapitating phorid flies from South America in the genus Pseudacteon. Over the past 12 years, many researchers and associates have cooperated in introducing several species as classical or self-sustaining biological control agents in the United States. As a result, two species of flies, Pseudacteon tricuspis Borgmeier and P. curvatus Borgmeier (Diptera: Phoridae), are well established across large areas of the southeastern United States. Whereas many researchers have published local and state information about …

Height-Diameter Allometry Of Tropical Forest Trees, T. R. Feldpausch, L. Banin, O. L. Phillips, T. R. Baker, S. L. Lewis, C. A. Quesada, K. Affum-Baffoe, E. J. M. M. Arets, N. J. Berry, M. Bird, E. S. Brondizio, P. De Camargo, J. Chave, G. Djagbletey, T. F. Domingues, M. Drescher, P. M. Fearnside, M. B. Franca, N. M. Fyllas, G. Lopez-Gonzalez, A. Hladik, N. Higuchi, M. O. Hunter, Michael W. Palace

Faculty Publications

Tropical tree height-diameter (H:D) relationships may vary by forest type and region making large-scale estimates of above-ground biomass subject to bias if they ignore these differences in stem allometry. We have therefore developed a new global tropical forest database consisting of 39 955 concurrent H and D measurements encompassing 283 sites in 22 tropical countries. Utilising this database, our objectives were:

1. to determine if H:D relationships differ by geographic region and forest type (wet to dry forests, including zones of tension where forest and savanna overlap).

2. to ascertain if the H:D relationship is modulated by climate and/or forest …

Tripodfish (Aulopiformes: Bathypterois) Locomotion And Landing Behaviour From Video Observation At Bathypelagic Depths In The Campos Basin Of Brazil, Matthew P. Davis, Prosanta Chakrabarty

Faculty Publications

A video observation of a deep-sea tripodfish (Aulopiformes: Bathypterois) taken from a remotely-operated vehicle at a depth of 1443 m in the Campos Basin, Brazil is analysed for swimming and landing movements. The observed specimen is identified here as Bathypteroisgrallator, and this record is the first video observation of a tripodfish exhibiting periodic swimming followed by landing in a resting position on deep-sea substrate which we interpret as ‘bathypteroiform’ movement, a locomotive mode unique to taxa within Bathypterois. This observation describes the functional role of the fins associated with landing, including independent movements of the elongated fin ray elements. The …

Morphological Convergence During Pregnancy Among Predator And Nonpredator Populations Of The Livebearing Fish Brachyrhaphis Rhabdophora (Teleostei: Poeciliidae), Jeff S. Wesner, Eric J. Billman, Adam Meier, Mark C. Belk

Faculty Publications

Predation can drive morphological divergence in prey populations, although examples of divergent selection are typically limited to nonreproductive individuals. In livebearing females, shape often changes drastically during pregnancy, reducing speed and mobility and enhancing susceptibility to predation. In the present study, we document morphological divergence among populations of nonreproductive female livebearing fish (Brachyrhaphis rhabdophora) in predator and nonpredator environments. We then test the hypothesis that shape differences among nonreproductive females are maintained among reproductive females between predator and nonpredator environments. Nonreproductive females in predator environments had larger caudal regions and more fusiform bodies than females in nonpredator environments; …

Groundwater Uranium And Cancer Incidence In South Carolina, Sara E. Wagner, James B. Burch, Matteo Bottai, Robin C. Puett, Dwayne E. Porter, Susan Bolick-Aldrich, Tom Temples, Rebecca C. Wilkerson, John E. Vena, James R. Hébert

Faculty Publications

Objective

This ecologic study tested the hypothesis that census tracts with elevated groundwater uranium and more frequent groundwater use have increased cancer incidence.

Methods

Data sources included: incident total, leukemia, prostate, breast, colorectal, lung, kidney, and bladder cancers (1996–2005, SC Central Cancer Registry); demographic and groundwater use (1990 US Census); and groundwater uranium concentrations (n = 4,600, from existing federal and state databases). Kriging was used to predict average uranium concentrations within tracts. The relationship between uranium and standardized cancer incidence ratios was modeled among tracts with substantial groundwater use via linear or semiparametric regression, with and without stratification …

Stable Isotope Analysis Reveals Detrital Resource Base Sources Of The Tree Hole Mosquito, Aedes Triseriatus, Michael G. Kaufman, Kirsten S. Pelz-Stelinski, Donald A. Yee, Steven A. Juliano, Peggy H. Ostrom, Edward D. Walker

Faculty Publications

1. Detritus that forms the basis for mosquito production in tree hole ecosystems can vary in type and timing of input. We investigated the contributions of plant‐ and animal‐derived detritus to the biomass of Aedes triseriatus (Say) pupae and adults by using stable isotope (¹⁵N and ¹³C) techniques in laboratory experiments and field collections.
2. Laboratory‐reared mosquito isotope values reflected their detrital resource base, providing a clear distinction between mosquitoes reared on plant or animal detritus.
3. Isotope values from field‐collected pupae were intermediate between what would be expected if a single (either plant or animal) detrital source dominated the …

A Comparative Study Of Salt Tolerance Parameters In 11 Wild Relatives Of Arabidopsis Thaliana, Francesco Orsini, Matilde Paino D'Urzo, Gunsu Inan, Sara Serra, Dong Ha Oh, Michael V. Mickelbart, Federica Consiglio, Xia Li, Jae Cheol Jeong, Dae Jin Yun, Hans J. Bohnert, Ray A. Bressan, Albino Maggio

Faculty Publications

Salinity is an abiotic stress that limits both yield and the expansion of agricultural crops to new areas. In the last 20 years our basic understanding of the mechanisms underlying plant tolerance and adaptation to saline environments has greatly improved owing to active development of advanced tools in molecular, genomics, and bioinformatics analyses. However, the full potential of investigative power has not been fully exploited, because the use of halophytes as model systems in plant salt tolerance research is largely neglected. The recent introduction of halophytic Arabidopsis-Relative Model Species (ARMS) has begun to compare and relate several unique genetic resources …

Laboratory Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of Fluorescent Biomarkers For Sugar-Feeding Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae), T. M. Mascari, L. D. Foil

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of four fluorescent dyes (rhodamine B, uranine O, auramine O, and erythrosin B) and two nonfluorescent dyes (carmoisine and indigotine) incorporated into sugar baits as biomarkers for phlebotomine sand flies, Each dye could be detected in sand flies fed baits with dye for 24 h when examined using bright field microscopy, although there was considerable variability in the marking produced; all sand flies that had ingested rhodamine B-treated sucrose solution were marked clearly. Sand flies that had ingested sucrose solution containing rhodamine B or uranine O at concentrations as low …

Gis And Injury Prevention And Control: History, Challenges, And Opportunities, Nathaniel Bell, Nadine Schuurman

Faculty Publications

Intentional and unintentional injury is the leading cause of death and potential years of life lost in the first four decades of life in industrialized countries around the world. Despite surgical innovations and improved access to emergency care, research has shown that certain populations remain particularly vulnerable to the risks and consequences of injury. Recent evidence has shown that the analytical, data linkage, and mapping tools of geographic information systems (GIS) technology provide can further address these determinants and identify populations in need. This paper traces the history of injury prevention and discusses current and future challenges in furthering our …

Organismal Climatology: Analyzing Environmental Variability At Scales Relevant To Physiological Stress, Brian Helmuth, Bernardo R. Broitman, Lauren Yamane, Sarah E. Gilman, Katharine Mach, K. A.S. Mislan, Mark W. Denny

Faculty Publications

Predicting when, where and with what magnitude climate change is likely to affect the fitness, abundance and distribution of organisms and the functioning of ecosystems has emerged as a high priority for scientists and resource managers. However, even in cases where we have detailed knowledge of current species’ range boundaries, we often do not understand what, if any, aspects of weather and climate act to set these limits. This shortcoming significantly curtails our capacity to predict potential future range shifts in response to climate change, especially since the factors that set range boundaries under those novel conditions may be different …

Renegotiating Barbuda's Commons: Recent Changes In Barbudan Open-Range Cattle Herding, Andrew Sluyter, Amy E. Potter

Faculty Publications

Barbuda remains little developed and sparsely populated relative to its neighbors in the Leeward Lesser Antilles, a rather extraordinary and relatively unknown Caribbean place. Much of its distinctiveness derives from the communal land-tenure system, itself rooted in three centuries of open-range cattle herding. Yet, as revealed through interviews, newspaper archives, and landscape observations, openrange cattle herding has declined over the past three decades, with related changes in land tenure. As the new Barbuda Land Act came into effect in 2008, codifying the communal tenure system, the very landscape elements that manifest open-range herding have become obscure. In particular, the rock-walled …

Cesarean And Vbac Rates Among Immigrant Vs. Native-Born Women: A Retrospective Observational Study From Taiwan Cesarean Delivery And Vbac Among Immigrant Women In Taiwan, Jung-Chung Fu, Sudha Xirasagar, Jihong Liu, Janice C. Probst

Faculty Publications

Background:Cultural and ethnic roots impact women’s fertility and delivery preferences This study investigated whether the likelihood of cesarean delivery, primary cesarean, and vaginal delivery after cesarean (VBAC) varies by maternal national origin.

Mehods: We conducted a nation-wide, population-based, observational study using secondary data from Taiwan. De-identified data were obtained on all 392,246 singleton live births (≥500 g; ≥20 weeks) born to native-born Taiwanese, Vietnamese and mainland Chinese-born mothers between January 1 2006 and December 31 2007 from Taiwan’s nation-wide birth certificate data. Our analytic samples consisted of the following: for overall cesarean likelihood 392,246 births, primary cesarean 336,766 (excluding …

Impact Of Reproductive Effort On Survival Of Rio Grande Wild Turkey Meleagris Gallop Intermedia Hens In Texas, Bret A. Collier, Kyle B. Melton, Jason B. Hardin, Nova J. Silvy, Markus J. Peterson

Faculty Publications

The southeastern portion of the Edwards Plateau of Texas, historically a stronghold of Rio Grande wild turkeys Meleagris gallopavo intermedia, has seen the numbers of turkeys declining since the 1970s. Because hen survival is a key parameter affecting turkey population dynamics, we monitored radio-tagged Rio Grande wild turkey hens on the Edwards Plateau during 2001-2007 to compare survival during the breeding season in areas where turkey abundance has declined vs areas with stable populations. Breeding season survival was best predicted by a model that allowed variation during different periods of the reproductive season (initial nesting during 25 March 21 April, …

Differential Mortality Drives Life-History Evolution And Population Dynamics In The Fish Brachyrhaphis Rhabdophora, Jerald B. Johnson, J. Jaime Zuniga-Vega

Faculty Publications

Life-history theory predicts that populations experiencing different levels of extrinsic mortality will evolve divergent reproductive strategies. Previous work in the live bearing fish Brachyrhaphis rhabdophora shows that individuals from populations that occur with piscivorous fish mature earlier and at smaller sizes and have more and smaller offspring than fish from populations without predators. However, until now, there have been no data to demonstrate that differences in mortality rates actually exist between predator and predator free sites. Here we present the results of a serial mark-recapture field study designed to estimate mortality rates in natural populations of B. rhabodophora from Costa …

Association Between Community Health Center And Rural Health Clinic Presence And County-Level Hospitalization Rates For Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions: An Analysis Across Eight Us States, Janice C. Probst, James N. Laditka, Sarah B. Laditka

Faculty Publications

Background: Federally qualified community health centers (CHCs) and rural health clinics (RHCs) are intended to provide access to care for vulnerable populations. While some research has explored the effects of CHCs on population health, little information exists regarding RHC effects. We sought to clarify the contribution that CHCs and RHCs may make to the accessibility of primary health care, as measured by county-level rates of hospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) conditions.

Methods: We conducted an ecologic analysis of the relationship between facility presence and county-level hospitalization rates, using 2002 discharge data from eight states within the US (579 counties). …

Decoupling Development And Energy Flow During Embryonic Diapause In The Cricket, Allonemobius Socius, Julie A. Reynolds, Steven C. Hand

Faculty Publications

Respiration rate increases 6.3-fold during 15days of post-oviposition development in embryos of the Southern ground cricket, Allonemobius socius. This ontogenetic increase in metabolism of non-diapause insects is blocked during diapause, such that metabolic rate is only 36% of the rate measured for 15 days developing embryos. Surprisingly, however, there is not an acute metabolic depression during diapause entry at the point when developmental ceases (4-5days post-oviposition), as measured by blockage of morphological change and DNA proliferation. The results indicate a decoupling of developmental arrest from metabolism. Both non-diapause and diapause embryos have unusually high [AMP]:[ATP] ratios and low [ATP]:[ADP] ratios …