Digital Commons Network^™

Prevalence Of Feral Swine Disturbance At Important Archaeological Sites Over A Large Landscape In Florida, Richard M. Engeman, Joseph S. Meyer, John B. Allen

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine are globally known as one of the most destructive invasive vertebrates, damaging native habitats, native plants and animals, agriculture, infrastructure, spreading diseases. There has been little quantification on their disturbance to archaeological sites across a broad landscape. Over 6 years we inspected 293 significant archaeological sites for swine disturbance across a vast area. We found a 42% prevalence of swine disturbance among all sites, with prevalence not distinguishable among prehistoric sites, historic sites, and sites with both components. The areas of disturbance mapped within three historic homestead sites showed 5–26% of total site surface area rooted. Disturbance was …

Novel And Current Rodenticides For Pocket Gopher Thomomys Spp. Management In Vineyards: What Works?, Roger A. Baldwin, Ryan Meinerz, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

BACKGROUND: Rodenticides are often included as part of an integrated pest management approach for managing pocket gophers (Thomomys spp.) given that they are relatively quick and inexpensive to apply. Strychnine has historically been the most effective toxicant for pocket gophers, but its use is currently limited in the United States; alternative registered toxicants have not proven effective. Recent research with baits containing cholecalciferol plus anticoagulant toxicants proved effective against pocket gophers in a lab setting. Therefore, we established a field study to compare cholecalciferol plus anticoagulant combinations [0.03% cholecalciferol plus 0.005% diphacinone (C+D), 0.015% cholecalciferol plus 0.0025% brodifacoum (C+B1), …

Using Species Distribution Models To Define Nesting Habitat Of The Eastern Metapopulation Of Double-Crested Cormorants, Kate L. Sheehan, Samuel T. Esswein, Brian S. Dorr, Greg K. Yarrow, Ron J. Johnson

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

When organisms with similar phenotypes have conflicting management and conservation initiatives, approaches are needed to differentiate among subpopulations or discrete groups. For example, the eastern metapopulation of the double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) has a migratory phenotype that is culled because they are viewed as a threat to commercial and natural resources, whereas resident birds are targeted for conservation. Understanding the distinct breeding habitats of resident versus migratory cormorants would aid in identification and management decisions. Here, we use species distribution models (SDM: Maxent) of cormorant nesting habitat to examine the eastern P. auritus metapopulation and the predicted breeding …

Field-Based Evaluation Of A Male-Specific (F+) Rna Coliphage Concentration Method, J. C. Chandler, A. Pérez-Méndez, J. Paar Iii, M. M. Doolittle, B. Bisha, L. D. Goodridge

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Fecal contamination of water poses a significant risk to public health due to the potential presence of pathogens, including enteric viruses. Therefore, sensitive, reliable and easy to use methods for the concentration, detection and quantification of microorganisms associated with the safety and quality of water are needed. In this study, we performed a field evaluation of an anion exchange resin-based method to concentrate male-specific (F + ) RNA coliphages (FRNA), fecal indicator organisms, from diverse environmental waters that were suspected to be contaminated with feces. In this system, FRNA coliphages are adsorbed to anion exchange resin and direct nucleic acid …

Advances And Environmental Conditions Of Spring Migration Phenology Of American White Pelicans, D. Tommy King, Guiming Wang, Zhiqiang Yang, Justin W. Fischer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Spring migration phenology of birds has advanced under warming climate. Migration timing of shortdistance migrants is believed to be responsive to environmental changes primarily under exogenous control. However, understanding the ecological causes of the advancement in avian spring migration phenology is still a challenge due to the lack of long-term precise location data. We used 11 years of Global Positioning System relocation data to determine four different migration dates of the annual migration cycle of the American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), a short-distance migrant. We also tested the hypothesis that increases in winter temperature and precipitation on the …

Field-Based Evaluation Of A Male-Specific (F+) Rna Coliphage Concentration Method, J. C. Chandler, A. Pérez-Méndez, J. Paar Iii, M. M. Doolittle, B. Bisha, L. D. Goodridge

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Fecal contamination of water poses a significant risk to public health due to the potential presence of pathogens, including enteric viruses. Therefore, sensitive, reliable and easy to use methods for the concentration, detection and quantification of microorganisms associated with the safety and quality of water are needed. In this study, we performed a field evaluation of an anion exchange resin-based method to concentrate male-specific (F + ) RNA coliphages (FRNA), fecal indicator organisms, from diverse environmental waters that were suspected to be contaminated with feces. In this system, FRNA coliphages are adsorbed to anion exchange resin and direct nucleic acid …

Adaptive Use Of Nonlethal Strategies For Minimizing Wolf–Sheep Conflict In Idaho, Suzanne A. Stone, Stewart W. Breck, Jesse Timberlake, Peter M. Haswell, Fernando Najera, Brian S. Bean, Daniel J. Thornhill

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Worldwide, native predators are killed to protect livestock, an action that can undermine wildlife conservation efforts and create conflicts among stakeholders. An ongoing example is occurring in the western United States, where wolves (Canis lupus) were eradicated by the 1930s but are again present in parts of their historic range. While livestock losses to wolves represent a small fraction of overall livestock mortality, the response to these depredations has resulted in widespread conflicts including significant efforts at lethal wolf control to reduce impacts on livestock producers, especially those with large-scale grazing operations on public lands. A variety of …

A Method For The Improved Detection Of Aerosolized Influenza Viruses And The Male-Specific (F+) Rna Coliphage Ms2, J. C. Chandler, J. W. Schaeffer, M. Davidson, S. L. Magzamen, A. Pérez-Méndez, S. J. Reynolds, L. D. Goodridge, J. Volckens, A. B. Franklin, S. A. Shriner, B. Bisha

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The detection of aerosolized viruses can serve as an important surveillance and control tool in agriculture, human health, and environmental settings. Here, we adapted an anion exchange resin-based method, initially developed to concentrate negatively charged viruses from water, to liquid impingement-based bioaerosol sampling. In this method, aerosolized viruses are collected in a 20 ml liquid sample contained within widely used impingers, BioSamplers (SKC Inc., Eighty Four, PA), and further concentrated via adsorption to an anion exchange resin that is suspended within this liquid. Viral nucleic acids are then extracted from the resin to facilitate molecular analyses through a reduction in …

Ecological Potential For Rabies Virus Transmission Via Scavenging Of Dead Bats By Mesocarnivores, Tad C. Theimer, Annie C. Dyer, Brian W. Keeley, Amy T. Gilbert, David L. Bergman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Multiple species of bats are reservoirs of rabies virus in the Americas and are occasionally the source of spillover infections into mesocarnivore species. Although rabies transmission generally is assumed to occur via bite, laboratory studies have demonstrated the potential for rabies transmission via ingestion of rabid animals. We investigated the ecological potential for this mode of transmission by assessing mesocarnivore scavenging behavior of dead bats in suburban habitats of Flagstaff, Arizona, US. In autumn 2013, summer 2014, and autumn 2015, we placed 104 rabies-negative bat carcasses either near buildings, in wildland areas, or in residential yards and then monitored them …

Addressing The Gender Gap In Distinguished Speakers At Professional Ecology Conferences, Cooper M. Farr, Sara P. Bombaci, Travis Gallo, Anna M. Mangan, Hannah L. Riedl, Lani T. Stinson, Kate Wilkins, Drew E. Bennett, Theresa Nogeire-Mcrae, Liba Pejchar

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Keynote and plenary speakers at professional conferences serve as highly visible role models for early-career scientists and provide recognition of scientific excellence. This recognition may be particularly important for women, who are underrepresented in senior positions in the biological sciences. To evaluate whether conferences fulfill this potential, we examined distinguished speakers at North American ecology conferences between 2000 and 2015 and compared these data with the percentage of women ecologists at diverse career stages. We found that 15%–35% (x = 28%, n = 809) of the distinguished speakers were women, which is significantly lower than the percentage of female ecology …

Fine-Scale Assessment Of Home Ranges And Activity Patterns For Resident Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus) And Turkey Vultures (Cathartes Aura), Amanda E. Holland, Michael E. Byrne, A. Lawrence Bryan, Travis L. Devault, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., James C. Beasley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Knowledge of black vulture (Coragyps atratus) and turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) spatial ecology is surprisingly limited despite their vital ecological roles. Fine-scale assessments of space use patterns and resource selection are particularly lacking, although development of tracking technologies has allowed data collection at finer temporal and spatial resolution. Objectives of this study were to conduct the first assessment of monthly home range and core area sizes of resident black and turkey vultures with consideration to sex, as well as elucidate differences in monthly, seasonal, and annual activity patterns based on fine-scale movement data analyses. We collected …

Diversity And Phylogenetic Relationships Among Bartonella Strains From Thai Bats, Clifton D. Mckee, Michael Y. Kosoy, Ying Bai, Lynn M. Osikowicz, Richard Franka, Amy T. Gilbert, Sumalee Boonmar, Charles E. Rupprecht, Leonard Peruski

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Bartonellae are phylogenetically diverse, intracellular bacteria commonly found in mammals. Previous studies have demonstrated that bats have a high prevalence and diversity of Bartonella infections globally. Isolates (n = 42) were obtained from five bat species in four provinces of Thailand and analyzed using sequences of the citrate synthase gene (gltA). Sequences clustered into seven distinct genogroups; four of these genogroups displayed similarity with Bartonella spp. sequences from other bats in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Thirty of the isolates representing these seven genogroups were further characterized by sequencing four additional loci (ftsZ, nuoG, rpoB, …

Strength Testing Of Raccoons And Invasive Wild Pigs For A Species-Specific Bait Station, Nathan P. Snow, Michael J. Lavelle, Joseph M. Halseth, Chad R. Blass, Justin A. Foster, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

With the development of a toxic bait (HOGGONE®) for the control of invasive wild pig (IWP; Sus scrofa) populations in the United States, there is a need to develop a bait station to mitigate potential effects on nontarget species. Our objective was to identify characteristics of a bait station that can successfully exclude raccoons (Procyon lotor)—a ubiquitous and dexterous nontarget species—while facilitating bait consumption by IWPs that exhibit group-feeding behaviors. We evaluated abilities of captive raccoons (n = 19) and IWPs (n = 41) to open the lids of prototype resistance assessment bait stations (RABS) …

Assessing The Applicability Of Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions For Global 500 Corporations' Facebook Profiles And Content, Kevin D. Lo, Richard D. Waters, N. Christensen

Organization, Leadership, and Communication

This research examines how Hofstede’s six cultural dimensions are reflected on the official corporate Facebook pages from 259 organizations on Fortune magazine’s Global 500 list. This research is grounded in original indices to measure the six dimensions across Facebook’s “About Us” section, the textual updates provided by the companies, as well as the media that they share (photographs and videos). This is the first attempt to create a conceptualization of Hofstede’s dimensions for organizational social media use. The results paint a mixed picture indicating that the global nature of these corporations is echoed in a somewhat similar overall presence on …

Comparison Of A Micro-Neutralization Test With The Rapid Fluorescent Focus Inhibition Test For Measuring Rabies Virus Neutralizing Antibodies, Todd G. Smith, Amy T. Gilbert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT) is routinely used in the United States to measure rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (rVNA). RFFIT has a long history of reproducible and reliable results. The test has been modified over the years to use smaller volumes of reagents and samples, but requires a 50 μL minimum volume of test serum. To conduct pathogenesis studies, small laboratory animals such as mice are regularly tested for rVNA, but the minimum volume for a standard RFFIT may be impossible to obtain, particularly in scenarios of repeated sampling. To address this problem, a micro-neutralization test was developed …

Ontogenetic And Ecological Variation In Invasion Risk Of Brown Treesnakes (Boiga Irregularis) On Guam, Shane R. Siers, Julie A. Savidge, Robert N. Reed

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Size structure within populations of invasive species may have consequences for relative risk at all stages of the invasion process, with implications for management interventions such as interdiction, suppression, and eradication. To assess relative distributions of invasive Brown Treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) among demographic categories of management interest, we undertook the most comprehensive and controlled sampling in > 25 years of research into this ecologically and economically destructive introduced predator. We collected a seasonally-balanced sample of 100 snakes from each of 18 sites, stratified by six habitat types, encompassing the species’ entire extralimital range. Samples indicated significant differences in distributions …

History Of Regulations, Policy, And Research Related To Conflicts Between Blackbirds And People, George M. Linz, Michael L. Avery, Richard A. Dolbeer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The United States and Canada have invested substantial resources over the past 60 years for developing methods to reduce blackbird (Icteridae) damage to agricultural crops, to manage large winter roosts that create nuisance and public health problems, and to mitigate conflicts with endangered species. It is an indication of the challenging nature of the conflicts with these abundant, highly mobile birds that we are still attempting to improve existing methods and develop new approaches to mitigate the problems. Scientists have tested chemical frightening agents and repellents, mechanical scare devices, bird-resistant sunflowers, decoy crops, habitat management, population management, and cultural modifications …

Determination Of 20, 25-Diazacholesterol In Avian Matrices By High Performance Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Benjamin G. Abbo, Laura E. Hulslander, David A. Goldade

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife contraceptives are an emerging tool for minimizing human-wildlife conflicts. One promising avian contraceptive compound, 20,25-diazacholesterol (DAC), reduces fertility by inhibiting cholesterol synthesis. A reliable analytical method for DAC was required in support of its registration for use as a reproductive control agent in pest bird species. A liquid chromatographic method employing tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was developed for the analysis of tissue extracts following solid phase extraction clean-up. Tissues analyzed were whole body samples from crows, monk parakeets, and quails and liver samples from crows and quails. Excellent sensitivity and selectivity was afforded by tandem mass spectrometry. The method …

The Economic Impact Of Blackbird Damage To Crops, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Karina L. Ernest, Samantha L. Degroot, Aaron M. Anderson, Steven S. Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

There are nearly 1,000 species of birds in North America, some of which provide obvious economic benefits like egg production, meat production, bird watching, or hunting (American Bird Association 2016). Some bird species, however, can cause a considerable amount of damage to U.S. agriculture, with estimates of annual damage caused by birds in the United States exceeding US$4.7 billion (Pimentel et al. 2005). Blackbirds (lcteridae) are one group of birds in North America that can cause significant economic damage to commercial grain crops, and to a lesser extent vine and tree crops (Wilson et al. 1989; Dolbeer 1990; Linz et …

Demographic And Temporal Variations In Immunity And Condition Of Polar Bears (Ursus Maritimus) From The Southern Beaufort Sea, Lorin A. Neuman-Lee, Patricia A. Terletzky, Todd C. Atwood, Eric M. Gese, Geoffrey D. Smith, Sydney Greenfield, John Pettit, Susannah S. French

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Assessing the health and condition of animals in their natural environment can be problematic. Many physiological metrics, including immunity, are highly influenced by specific context and recent events to which researchers may be unaware. Thus, using a multifaceted physiological approach and a context-specific analysis encompassing multiple time scales can be highly informative. Ecoimmunological tools in particular can provide important indications to the health of animals in the wild.We collected blood and hair samples from free-ranging polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea and examined the influence of sex, age, and reproductive status on metrics of immunity, …

Ante-Mortem Detection Of Chronic Wasting Disease In Recto-Anal Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissues From Elk (Cervus Elaphus Nelsoni) Using Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (Rt-Quic) Assay: A Blinded Collaborative Study, Sireesha Manne, Naveen Kondru, Tracy Nichols, Aaron Lehmkuhl, Bruce Thomsen, Rodger Main, Patrick Halbur, Somak Dutta, Anumantha G. Kanthasamy

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Prion diseases are transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) characterized by fatal, progressive neurologic diseases with prolonged incubation periods and an accumulation of infectious misfolded prion proteins. Antemortem diagnosis is often difficult due to a long asymptomatic incubation period, differences in the pathogenesis of different prions, and the presence of very low levels of infectious prion in easily accessible samples. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a TSE affecting both wild and captive populations of cervids, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, moose, muntjac, and most recently, wild reindeer. This study represents a well-controlled evaluation of a newly developed real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) …

Seasonal Effects Of Wind Conditions On Migration Patterns Of Soaring American White Pelican, Javier Gutierrez Illan, Guiming Wang, Fred L. Cunningham, D. Tommy King

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Energy and time expenditures are determinants of bird migration strategies. Soaring birds have developed migration strategies to minimize these costs, optimizing the use of all the available resources to facilitate their displacement. We analyzed the effects of different wind factors (tailwind, turbulence, vertical updrafts) on the migratory flying strategies adopted by 24 satellite-tracked American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) throughout spring and autumn in North America. We hypothesize that different wind conditions encountered along migration routes between spring and autumn induce pelicans to adopt different flying strategies and use of these wind resources. Using quantile regression and fine-scale atmospheric …

Truth And Complexity: Notes On Music And Liberalism, John M. Finnis

Journal Articles

Simpson's Political Illiberalism restores to its proper place in political theory Plato's thesis that bad music imperils the whole culture and polity, a thesis ignored with utter recklessness in contemporary liberal practice and, for the most part, theory. But Simpson's elaboration of the thesis over-simplifies the characteristics of Bach's (and later) "modern" music that make it dangerous, somewhat in the way that the Providential "composing" of human history, with all its complexities, involves discord and danger. One such hazardous complexity is the addition of prophetic divine revelation ("Jerusalem") to the achievements of (divinely given) human reason exercised in natural science …

Truth And Politics: A Symposium On Peter Simpson's Political Illiberalism: A Defense Of Freedom., Gerard V. Bradley

Journal Articles

There is no more important question in thinking about life-and actually living-in political community than whether it is to be permeated by, and purposefully oriented around, the main truths about human flourishing. It is at least paradoxical that, precisely when the state and its law and political life are shaping people's lives more and more, the professed roots of all this influence are growing thinner, more shallow. Lawmakers who profess and in many cases even think they should be "neutral" about values are more involved with how persons' lives go than, perhaps, ever before.

Of course, any community which has …

Empowering Courts In Corporate Law, Julian Velasco

Journal Articles

Corporate law recognizes the twin duties of care and loyalty, but treats the two very differently. Cases involving the duty of care receive very deferential review under the business judgment rule, if any at all, in light of exculpation provisions in corporate charters, while cases involving the duty of loyalty receive more demanding review under the entire fairness test. A fiduciary has the duty to act in the interests of the beneficiary in all relevant respects." In other words, both care and loyalty, as well as any other fiduciary duties that exist, are all merely aspects of the one overarching …

"To Help, Not To Hurt": Justice Thomas's Equality Canon, Nicole Stelle Garnett, William S. Consovoy

Journal Articles

To comprehend Justice Thomas’s views on racial equality requires an understanding of how his life experiences influence his approach to questions of race and the law. Recurring themes in his opinions about racial equality include his belief that racial preferences stigmatize their beneficiaries, his concern that the prevailing notion that racial integration is necessary to black achievement is rooted in a presumption of racial inferiority, his worry that affirmative action efforts provide cover for the failure to address the urgent needs of disadvantaged Americans, and his knowledge that seemingly benign policies can mask illicit motives. Finally, Justice Thomas contends that …

Chickens And Eggs: Does Custody Move Support, Or Vise-Versa?, Margaret F. Brinig

Journal Articles

Most, if not all, of the theoretical work on child support presupposes that it becomes an issue only when couples separate, that is, that the flow moves between custody and child support and that the duty to make monetary payments is typically owed by the noncustodial parent. (I realize, of course, that there can be issues regarding the identity of the payor and that there are criminal and civil actions possible when parents refuse or neglect to provide support to dependent children.) Some empirical work confirms the relationship between the two. For example, Judith Seltzer, Weiss and Willis, and Brinig …

Evaluation Of Antibody Response To An Adjuvanted Hapten-Protein Vaccine As A Potential Inhibitor Of Sexual Maturation For Farmed Atlantic Salmon, Darcy S.O. Mora, Mo D. Salman, Christopher A. Myrick, Jack C. Rhyan, Lowell A. Miller, Ellen Marie Sætre, Douglas C. Eckery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

An experimental contraceptive vaccine was evaluated in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). A peptide derived from the beta subunit of luteinizing hormone (LH) was conjugated to two different carrier proteins, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), and formulated with one of four immunostimulants in a water-in-oil emulsion. Specific antibody responses to the peptide and each carrier protein were evaluated. While the antibody response to KLH was stronger than the response to BSA, both carrier proteins stimulated comparable antibody responses to the LH peptide. The immunostimulant proved to be more important for enhancing the LH peptide antibody response …

Coordinating Compliance Incentives, Veronica Root

Journal Articles

In today’s regulatory environment, a corporation engaged in wrongdoing can be sure of one thing: regulators will point to an ineffective compliance program as a key cause of institutional misconduct. The explosion in the importance of compliance is unsurprising given the emphasis that governmental actors — from the Department of Justice, to the Securities and Exchange Commission, to even the Commerce Department — place on the need for institutions to adopt “effective compliance programs.” The governmental actors that demand effective compliance programs, however, have narrow scopes of authority. DOJ Fraud handles violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, while the …

What's In, And What's Out: How Ip's Boundary Rules Shape Innovation, Mark P. Mckenna, Christopher J. Sprigman

Journal Articles

Intellectual property law sorts subject matter into a variety of different regimes, each with different terms of protection and different rules of protectability, infringement, and defenses. For that sorting to be effective, IP needs principles to distinguish the subject matter of each system. This paper focuses on one of the most important aspects of border-drawing that our IP system undertakes — identifying “useful” subject matter.

This aspect is critical because our IP system gives utility patent law pride of place and draws the boundaries of the other doctrines in large part to respect utility patent’s supremacy. Yet IP law’s sense …