Digital Commons Network^™

Wildlife Services 2011 Research Needs Assessment, Mark E. Tobin, Stephanie A. Shwiff, John E. Mcconnell, Gary A. Littauer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The mission of U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services (WS) is to provide federal leadership and expertise in managing problems caused by wildlife. Approximately every 5 years, WS conducts a research needs assessment (RNA) to help to align research priorities at the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC, the research arm of the WS program) with WS program and customer needs. In 2011, the WS Deputy Administrator solicited input from employees throughout the WS program and representatives from other federal agencies, all 50 state wildlife agencies, various livestock and agricultural commodity groups, and non-governmental organizations. …

Opening Remarks – Twenty-Fifth Vertebrate Pest Conference, Robert M. Timm, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, A. Charles Crabb

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

On behalf of the Vertebrate Pest Council, I would like to welcome you to the 25^th Vertebrate Pest Conference. I regret that Bob Timm could not be here today. He underwent surgery recently. He is doing very well, is home, but was not able to attend the Conference. I agreed to fill in for him and present the Opening Remarks. Bob had a draft of his opening remarks already prepared, so I am relying heavily on his comments. The Vertebrate Pest Council is thrilled that the Conference is being held once again in this scenic and historically rich city …

Assignment Of Measurable Costs And Benefits To Wildlife Conservation Projects, S. A. Shwiff, A. M. Anderson, R. Cullen, P. C. L. White, S. S. Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Success of wildlife conservation projects is determined bya suite of biological and economic factors. Donorand public understanding of the economic factors is becoming increasingly central to the longevity of funding for conservation efforts. Unlike typical economic evaluation, many costs and benefits related to conservation efforts are realised in nonmonetary tenns. We identify the types of benefits and costs that arise from conservation projects and examine several well developed techniques that economists use to convert benefits and costs into monetary values so they may be compared in a common metric. Costs are typically more readily identifiable than benefits, with financia l …

Effects Of Turf Rolling And Soil Aeration On Rodent Populations, Gary W. Witmer, David Borrowman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rodent populations at airports can cause human safety issues by attracting raptors which increases the risk of raptor-aircraft strikes. Various methods can be used to reduce rodent numbers, including trapping, poisoning, and habitat manipulation. Burrow disruption by turf rolling and soil aeration is a potential habitat manipulation method that could potentially reduce the carrying capacity for rodents. We tested this method at Kansas City International Airport, Missouri. We monitored the rodent populations in a control (untreated) area and in a nearby treated area where the turf was rolled and the soil aerated. We used grids of live traps to determine …

Deer Mice (Peromyscus Spp.) Biology, Damage And Management: A Review, Gary W. Witmer, Rachael S. Moulton

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The deer mouse is the most widely distributed and abundant small mammal in North America. They use a wide array of habitats, are very adaptable, and have a high reproductive potential. They play a number of roles in ecosystems, but can cause damage to orchards, forests, agriculture crops, and rangelands primarily through seed and newly-emerged seedling consumption. They also cause damage similar to house mice when they occupy buildings or other structures. Deer mice are important components in disease transmission especially of hantaviruses and Lyme disease. Damage reduction methods generally involve lethal control to reduce numbers using rodenticides and traps. …

Introduction: Double-Crested Cormorants Of The Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River Basin: Recent Studies, Movements And Responses To Management Actions, D.V. Chip Weseloh, Francesca J. Cuthbert, D. Tommy King

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

This paper introduces the second Special Publication of the Waterbird Society to address the biology and management of the Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritius) in North America. Since the late 1960s and early 1970s, when the species was at very low population levels, the Double-crested Cormorant has rebounded to its greatest population level in over 100 years. Such a significant increase has resulted in changes in community structure, and new stressors, in many aquatic ecosystems. Both Special Publications (1995 and 2013) have been focused on the biology and management of the species. The first volume dealt mainly with population …

Are Turf-Type Tall Fescue Cultivars Useful For Reducing Wildlife Hazards In Airport Environments?, Brian E. Washburn

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife-aircraft collisions pose a serious risk to aircraft and cost civil aviation over US$1 billion worldwide annually. Habitat management within airport environments is the most important long-term component of an integrated approach to reduce the use of airfields by hazardous wildlife. Recent research has demonstrated that Canada geese avoid foraging on endophyte-infected tall fescue; consequently, this turfgrass might be useful in airfield revegetation and seeding projects. Although some research evaluating commercially available tall fescue cultivars on airfields has been conducted, additional information is needed to determine if tall fescue cultivars might be viable for airfields in various regions of the …

Chapter 4: Crop Management Of Switchgrass, Matt A. Sanderson, Marty Schmer, Vance Owens, Pat Keyser, Wolter Elbersen

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Management of switchgrass for bioenergy and forage share some commonalities, of particular interest in bioenergy crop production is: (1) rapid establishment of switchgrass to generate harvestable biomass in the seeding year, (2) highly efficient management of soil and fertilizer N to minimize external energy inputs, and (3) harvest management to maximize yields of lignocellulose. Bioenergy cropping may entail management for multiple services in addition to biomass yield including soil C sequestration, wildlife habitat, landscape management, and water quality protection. Management is a critical factor especially as land classified as marginal or idle land will be emphasized for bioenergy production to …

Efficacy Of Proximity Loggers For Detection Of Contacts Between Maternal Pairs Of White-Tailed Deer, Ryan Walrath, Timonthy R. Vandeelen, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Contact frequency and duration estimates between individuals are important to understanding the behavioral ecology of wildlife species and the epidemiology of infectious diseases. A new technology uses proximity data loggers to record time and duration of contacts. We conducted an experiment at Sandhill Wildlife Management Area, located near Babcock, Wisconsin (USA) to compare probabilities of detecting intraspecific contacts among white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) maternal pairs (dams/fawns) based on detections from proximity loggers deployed on collars versus those obtained from direct observation. We defined 5 discrete probabilities of detection of a contact in terms of P (probability of detection …

Safety And Immunogenicity Of Onrab® In Raccoons And Skunks In West Virginia – 2011 Field Trial Report, D. D. Slate, R. Chipman, K. Nelson, C. Croson, S. Mills, C. Rupprecht, K. C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In 2011, a field trial was conducted in southeastern West Virginia to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a live recombinant human adenovirus (serotype 5)-rabies glycoprotein vaccine (ONRAB®) in wild raccoons and skunks. ONRAB® was selected for evaluation based on the success achieved in eliminating raccoon rabies from Ontario and Quebec, Canada, through the integration of this vaccine into rabies management strategies and significantly higher sero-positivity in comparison to Raboral V-RG® in studies along the U.S.-Canada border. The field trial site was composed of forested and agricultural habitats in an area where raccoon rabies is enzootic and oral rabies vaccine …

Invasives: The High Cost Of Indifference, Mark Pfost, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

At one time, wildlife professionals may have been blissfully ignorant about invasive species, classifying “plants” as lawn grass, flowers, trees, or weeds, and putting animals into two groups: species with bag limits and everything else. But those days of ignorance are long past. We see how invasives threaten local, even global, ecosystems, and we need to help create greater awareness about the scope of the problem.

Wildlife professionals must not only prepare to deal with how seven billion people, climate change, and habitat loss will affect native species and habitats, but also how those species and habitats will be affected …

Do Bioclimate Variables Improve Performance Of Climate Envelope Models?, James I. Watling, Stephanie S. Romanach, David N. Bucklin, Carolina Speroterra, Laura A. Brandt, Leonard G. Pearlstine, Frank J. Mazzotti

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Climate envelope models are widely used to forecast potential effects of climate change on species distributions. A key issue in climate envelope modeling is the selection of predictor variables that most directly influence species. To determine whether model performance and spatial predictions were related to the selection of predictor variables, we compared models using bioclimate variables with models constructed from monthly climate data for twelve terrestrial vertebrate species in the southeastern USA using two different algorithms (random forests or generalized linear models), and two model selection techniques (using uncorrelated predictors or a subset of user-defined biologically relevant predictor variables). There …

Fitting Statistical Distributions To Sea Duck Count Data: Implications For Survey Design And Abundance Estimation, Elise F. Zipkin, Jeffery B. Leirness, Brian P. Kinlan, Allan F. O’Connell, Emily D. Silverman

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Determining appropriate statistical distributions for modeling animal count data is important for accurate estimation of abundance, distribution, and trends. In the case of sea ducks along the U.S. Atlantic coast, managers want to estimate local and regional abundance to detect and track population declines, to define areas of high and low use, and to predict the impact of future habitat change on populations. In this paper, we used a modified marked point process to model survey data that recorded flock sizes of Common eiders, Long-tailed ducks, and Black, Surf, and White-winged scoters. The data come from an experimental aerial survey, …

Gonadal Abnormalities In Frogs (Lithobates Spp.) Collected From Managed Wetlands In An Agricultural Region Of Nebraska, Usa, Diana M. Papoulias, Matt S. Schwarz, Lourdes Mena

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Nebraska’s Rainwater Basin (RWB) provides important wetland habitat for North American migratory birds. Concern exists that pesticide and nutrient runoff from surrounding row-crops enters wetlands degrading water quality and adversely affecting birds and wildlife. Frogs may be especially vulnerable. Plains leopard (Lithobates blairi) metamorphs from RWB wetlands with varying concentrations of pesticides were evaluated for a suite of biomarkers of exposure to endocrine active chemicals. Froglets had ovarian dysgenesis, high rates of testicular oocytes, and female-biased sex ratios however, there was no clear statistical association between pesticide concentrations and biomarkers. Data interpretation was hindered because timing and duration …

Hepatic Abc Transporters And Triglyceride Metabolism, John S. Parks, Soonkyu Chung, Gregory S. Shelness

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Purpose of review—Elevated plasma triglyceride and reduced HDL concentrations are prominent features of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Individuals with Tangier disease also have elevated plasma triglyceride concentrations and very low HDL, resulting from mutations in ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), an integral membrane protein that facilitates nascent HDL particle assembly. Past studies attributed the inverse relationship between plasma HDL and triglyceride to intravascular lipid exchange and catabolic events. However, recent studies also suggest that hepatic signaling and lipid mobilization and secretion may explain how HDL affects plasma triglyceride concentrations.

Recent findings—Hepatocyte-specific ABCA1 knockout mice have markedly reduced plasma …

Regulation Of P53 Stability And Apoptosis By A Ror Agonist, Yongjun Wang, Laura A. Solt, Douglas J. Kojetin, Thomas P. Burris

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Activation of p53 function leading to cell-cycle arrest and/or apoptosis is a promising strategy for development of anticancer therapeutic agents. Here, we describe a novel mechanism for stabilization of p53 protein expression via activation of the orphan nuclear receptor, RORa. We demonstrate that treatment of cancer cells with a newly described synthetic ROR agonist, SR1078, leads to p53 stabilization and induction of apoptosis. These data suggest that synthetic ROR agonists may hold utility in the treatment of cancer.

Regulation Of Expression Of Citrate Synthase By The Retinoic Acid Receptor-Related Orphan Receptor A (Rorα), Christine Crumbley, Yongjun Wang, Subhashis Banerjee, Thomas P. Burris

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

The retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor α (RORα) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily of transcription factors that plays an important role in regulation of the circadian rhythm and metabolism. Mice lacking a functional RORα display a range of metabolic abnormalities including decreased serum cholesterol and plasma triglycerides. Citrate synthase (CS) is a key enzyme of the citric acid cycle that provides energy for cellular function. Additionally, CS plays a critical role in providing citrate derived acetyl-CoA for lipogenesis and cholesterologenesis. Here, we identified a functional RORα response element (RORE) in the promoter of the CS gene. ChIP …

Development And Application Of Methods Used To Source Prehistoric Southwestern Maize: A Review, Larry Benson

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Archaeological cobs free of mineral contaminants should be used to source the soils in which they were grown. Mineral contaminants often contain much higher concentrations of metals than vegetal materials and can alter a cob’s apparent metal and heavy-isotope content. Cleaning a cob via immersion in an acid solution for more than a few minutes will result in the incongruent and sometimes complete leaching of metals, including strontium (Sr), from the cob. When using ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr to determine the location of potential agriculture fields, it is best to either integrate several depth-integrated soil samples or to integrate several …

Spatially Explicit Models For Inference About Density In Unmarked Or Partially Marked Populations, Richard B. Chandler, J. Andrew Royle

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Recently developed spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models represent a major advance over traditional capture-recapture (CR) models because they yield explicit estimates of animal density instead of population size within an unknown area. Futhermore, unlike nonspatial CR methods, SCR models account for heterogeneity in capture probability arising from the juxtaposition of animal activity centers and sample locations. Although the utility of SCR methods is gaining recognition, the requirement that all individuals can be uniquely identified exludes their use in many contexts. In this paper, we develop models for situations in which individual recognition is not possible, thereby allowing SCR concepts to be …

Go Niche Or Go Home: Influence Maximization In The Presence Of Strong Opponent, Long Foong Liow

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In hotly contested product categories dominated by a few powerful firms, it is quite common for weaker or late entrants to focus only on particular segments of the whole market. The rationale for such strategy is intuitive: to avoid direct confrontation with heavy-weight firms, and to concentrate in segments where these weaker firms have comparative advantages. In marketing, this is what people called “go niche or go home”. The niche-building strategy may rely on “homophily”, which implies that consumers in a particular market segment might possess certain set of attributes that cause them to appreciate certain products better (in other …

The Impact Of University Patenting On Mobility Of Scientists, Xi Ye

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

After the passage of Bayh-Dole Act, universities have been actively involved in patenting. At the same time, the booming of university patenting has brought up huge controversies and debates in academia. A large body of literature is devoted, from a broad macro-level view, to investigate the impact of intellectual property rights (IPR) on the research activities of universities. However, very few empirical studies have been conducted to study the impact of university patenting on the mobility of individuals who have been granted these patents. This study, aiming to provide a different insight to the extant literature, employs data from U.S. …

The Impact Of Perceived Csr On Employee Performance And Turnover Intention: An Examination Of The Mediating Effect Of Organizational Justice And Organization-Based Self-Esteem, Alicia Ting Shiun Ho

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) has spanned across a few decades and in various fields. Yet only a handful of academic studies have investigated the relationship between CSR and a commonly neglected stakeholder – the employees. The employees are an essential part of the organization and will be highly influenced by the CSR initiatives carried out by the organization. In my paper, I intend to bridge the gap between CSR and the employee. A theoretical model is presented to show how employees' perception of CSR subsequently impacts their performance and turnover intentions, mediated by organizational justice and organization-based self-esteem. …

The Emotional Intelligence Profiles And Cognitive Measures Of Nurse Anesthesia Students In The Southeastern United States, Shawn Bryant Collins

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose of this cross-sectional correlational study was to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and personal and academic factors of nurse anesthesia students at three points in a program: matriculation, at one year of study, and in the last semester of study and the relationship of these to clinical scores and national certification examination (NCE) scores.

Method. An ex-post-facto cross-sectional study design was used to gather data at three critical times in nurse anesthesia (NA) programs to explore the relationships between emotional intelligence scores, preadmission demographics, clinical scores, and NCE scores.

Results. Data from 216 nurse anesthesia students …

Can Equitable Estoppel Be Used As An Effective Way For A Legal Parent To Obtain Child Support For The Children Of A Separated Same-Sex Couple?, Josh Smolow

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

No abstract provided.

"The Life Of The Flesh Is In The Blood": State Storage And Usage Of Baby's Blood Sample, Jaclyn S. D'Arminio

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note highlights the ethical, legal, and policy challenges surrounding Newborn Screening (NBS) programs, particularly the storage and use of newborn bloodspots. It argues that while these programs provide crucial health benefits, the lack of informed consent regarding the retention and use of bloodspots raises significant privacy concerns. The central argument is that balancing public health benefits with individual privacy rights requires robust informed consent frameworks to maintain trust and ensure scientific progress.

Sex Change: Changing The Face Of Transgender Policy In The United States, Amy Ballard

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note argues that transgender laws in the United States are inconsistent and unjust, with a lack of a uniform legal definition of transgender. The 2010 passport policy, which allows gender changes without surgery, highlights the need for comprehensive legal reform. The author advocates for a standardized legal definition and procedures to ensure consistent rights and protections for transgender individuals.

Biomass Yield And Nutrient Removal Rates Of Perennial Grasses Under Nitrogen Fertilization, M. K. Kering, T. J. Butler, J. T. Biermacher, John A. Guretzky

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Perennial grasses may provide a renewable source of biomass for energy production. Biomass yield, nutrient concentrations, and nutrient removal rates of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), giant miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus), giant reed (Arundo donax L.), weeping lovegrass [Eragrostis curvula (Shrad.) Nees], kleingrass (Panicum coloratum L.), and Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.) were evaluated at four N fertilizer rates (0, 56, 112, or 168 kg Nha⁻¹) on a Minco fine sandy loam soil in southern Oklahoma. Species were established in 2008 and harvested for biomass in winter of 2009 and 2010. Biomass …

Genetic Diversity Of ‘Cadidatus Liberibacter Solanacearum’ Strains In The United States And Mexico Revealed By Simple Sequence Repeat Markers, Hong Lin, Md Sajedul Islam, Yang Bai, Amin Wen, Suque Lan, Neil C. Gudmestad, Edwin L. Civerolo

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ is associated with the Zebra Chip (ZC) disorder of potatoes. A panel of eight simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers was developed and used to genetically characterize ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ strains obtained from ZC-affected potato plants in the United States and Mexico. The multilocus SSR markers in this study effectively differentiated genotypes and estimated genetic diversity of ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ strains. Genotype assignment analyses identified two major lineages of ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ in the North American populations while only one lineage type was identified in Mexican population. No clear genetic structure was found among haplotypes …

Prescient Human Fetuses Thrive, Curt A. Sandman, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Fetal detection of adversity is a conserved trait that allows many species to adapt their early developmental trajectories to ensure survival. According to the fetal-programming model, exposure to stressful or hostile conditions in utero is associated with compromised development and a lifelong risk of adverse health outcomes. In a longitudinal study, we examined the consequences of prenatal and postnatal exposure to adversity for infant development. We found increased motor and mental development during the 1st year of life among infants whose mothers experienced congruent levels of depressive symptoms during and after pregnancy, even when the levels of symptoms were relatively …

Methodological Implications Of Nonlinear Dynamical Systems Models For Whole Systems Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine, Iris R. Bell, Mary Koithan, David Pincus

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

This paper focuses on the worldview hypotheses and research design approaches from nonlinear dynamical complex systems (NDS) science that can inform future studies of whole systems of complementary and alternative medicine (WS-CAM), e.g., Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, and homeopathy. The worldview hypotheses that underlie NDS and WS-CAM (contextual, organismic, interactive-integrative - Pepper, 1942) overlap with each other, but differ fundamentally from those of biomedicine (formistic, mechanistic). Differing views on the nature of causality itself lead to different types of study designs. Biomedical efficacy studies assume a simple direct mechanistic cause-effect relationship between a specific intervention and a specific bodily outcome, …