Digital Commons Network^™

A Hierarchical Bayesian Approach For Handling Missing Classification Data, Alison C. Ketz, Therese L. Johnson, Mevin B. Hooten, N. Thompson Hobbs

United States National Park Service: Publications

1. Ecologists use classifications of individuals in categories to understand composition of populations and communities. These categories might be defined by demo- graphics, functional traits, or species. Assignment of categories is often imperfect, but frequently treated as observations without error. When individuals are observed but not classified, these “partial” observations must be modified to include the missing data mechanism to avoid spurious inference.

2. We developed two hierarchical Bayesian models to overcome the assumption of perfect assignment to mutually exclusive categories in the multinomial distribu- tion of categorical counts, when classifications are missing. These models incorporate auxiliary information to adjust the posterior …

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Winter Habitats Of Bats In Texas, Melissa B. Meierhofer, Joseph S. Johnson, Samantha J. Leivers

KIP Articles

Few studies have described winter microclimate selection by bats in the southern United States. This is of particular importance as the cold-adapted fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which causes the fatal bat disease white-nose syndrome (WNS), continues to spread into southern United States. To better understand the suitability of winter bat habitats for the growth of P. destructans in this region, we collected roost temperature and vapor pressure deficit from 97 hibernacula in six ecoregions in Texas during winter 2016–17 and 2017–18. We also measured skin temperature of Rafinesque’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii), Townsend’s big-eared bats (C. townsendii), big-brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), …

Energy Content Of Seeds Of Texas Doveweed (Croton Texensis) From The Diet Of Mourning Doves (Zenaida Macroura) From Southeastern New Mexico, John L. Hunt, Matthew E. Grilliot, Troy L. Best, Collin S. Deen, Dixie Lozano-Lopez, Emily R. Neilson, Taytumn R. Schlegel-Ridgway

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We analyzed the energy content of seeds of Texas doveweed (Croton texensis) obtained from the crops of mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) collected from plains-mesa sand-scrub habitat in Eddy and Lea counties, New Mexico. Seeds were removed from crops and dried for 48 hours at 60°C to remove moisture and to standardize masses. Seeds were then analyzed for gross caloric value (i.e., energy content) in an oxygen bomb calorimeter. Energy content of seeds of Texas doveweed was greater than many seeds previously reported from the diet of mourning doves.

Are Microclimate Conditions In El Malpais National Monument Caves In New Mexico, Usa Suitable For Pseudogymnoascus Growth?, Terry J. Torres-Cruz, Porras-Alfaro, Nicole A. Caimi

KIP Articles

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a bat disease caused by the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which thrives in cold and very humid environments where bats frequently hibernate. Conidia of Pseudogymnoascus species are often documented on bats prior to the onset of WNS, but characterization of high-risk areas defined by microclimate cave conditions have been lacking. Investigating the occurrence of this fungal genus and appropriate environmental conditions to support P. destructans in southwestern U.S. caves is key to understanding the sites most likely to be impacted by WNS. Microclimate conditions in ten caves at El Malpais (ELMA) National Monument in New Mexico, …

De Novo Development And Characterization Of Tetranucleotide Microsatellite Loci Markers From A Southeastern Population Of The House Finch (Haemorhous Mexicanus), Edgar E. Sanchez, J Dylan Maddox, Douglas G. Barron

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Microsatellites are short tandem repeats (e.g. TAGATAGA) of base pairs in a species’ genome. High mutation rates in these regions produce variation in the number of repeats across individuals that can be utilized to study patterns of population- and landscape-level genetics and to determine parentage genetically. In this project our objective was to develop microsatellite markers for the House Finch, Haemorhous mexicanus. This species has become one of the most well-studied species of songbirds due to its unique geographical, evolutionary, and epidemiological history. Using mist-nets we captured birds on the Arkansas Tech University campus and collected blood samples to …

A Comprehensive Evaluation Of Predictive Performance Of 33 Species Distribution Models At Species And Community Levels, Anna Norberg, Nerea Abrego, F. Guillaume Blanchet, Frederick R. Adler, Barbara J. Anderson, Jani Anttila, Miguel B. Araújo, Tad Dallas, David Dunson, Jane Elith, Scott D. Foster, Richard Fox, Janet Franklin, William Godsoe, Antoine Guisan, Bob O'Hara, Nicole A. Hill, Robert D. Holt, Francis K.C. Hui, Magne Husby, John Atle Kålås, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Miska Luoto, Heidi K. Mod, Graeme Newell, Ian Renner, Tomas Roslin, Janne Soininen, Wilfried Thuiller, Jarno Vanhatalo, David Warton, Matt White, Niklaus E. Zimmermann

Faculty Publications

© 2019 The Authors. Ecological Monographs published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Ecological Society of America A large array of species distribution model (SDM) approaches has been developed for explaining and predicting the occurrences of individual species or species assemblages. Given the wealth of existing models, it is unclear which models perform best for interpolation or extrapolation of existing data sets, particularly when one is concerned with species assemblages. We compared the predictive performance of 33 variants of 15 widely applied and recently emerged SDMs in the context of multispecies data, including both joint SDMs that model multiple …

Role Of Managed Marine Areas On The Diversity And Individual Responses Of Rocky Intertidal Shore Grazers In Central Chile, Kathy Liu

Scripps Senior Theses

Many different types of marine benthic herbivores or “grazers” inhabit coastal intertidal zones and play a crucial role in inter- and shallow subtidal ecosystems. Chile has one of the most diverse intertidal zones, but many intertidal grazers are exploited for human consumption. Marine protected areas (MPAs) and marine management and exploitation areas (MEAs) are promising tools for Chile to combat over exploitation of these grazer and other marine resources. This study surveyed the impact of sites with contrasting management on the diversity and abundance of all intertidal grazers and their impact on the size frequency and shell length-body weight allometry …

ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างการรับรู้การเลี้ยงดูแบบเฮลิคอปเตอร์ และความซึมเศร้าในนิสิตนักศึกษา โดยมีการรับรู้ความรักของพ่อแม่ การรับรู้ความสามารถของตนเองด้านการเรียนและด้านสังคมเป็นตัวแปรส่งผ่าน, ณัฐธัญ ชวนชัยรัตน์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

งานวิจัยครั้งนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษากลุ่มนิสิตนักศึกษาในเรื่องความสัมพันธ์ของการรับรู้การเลี้ยงดูแบบเฮลิคอปเตอร์ที่ส่งผลให้เกิดความซึมเศร้า โดยมีการรับรู้ความรักของพ่อแม่ การรับรู้ความสามารถของตนเองด้านการเรียนและด้านสังคมเป็นตัวแปรส่งผ่าน โดยผู้เข้าร่วมงานวิจัย คือ นิสิตนักศึกษาทุกชั้นปีในระดับปริญญาตรี มีอายุระหว่าง 18-24 ปี การวิจัยครั้งนี้ผู้วิจัยใช้กลุ่มตัวอย่าง จำนวน 290 คน ผู้วิจัยตรวจสอบสมมติฐานด้วยการวิเคราะห์การทดสอบตัวแปรส่งผ่าน (Mediation analysis) ในการวิเคราะห์ข้อมูล ผลการวิจัยพบว่า 1. การรับรู้การเลี้ยงดูแบบเฮลิคอปเตอร์ มีความสัมพันธ์ทางบวกกับ ความซึมเศร้า เมื่อควบคุมอิทธิพลของตัวแปรส่งผ่านทั้ง 3 ตัวแปร พบว่ามีความสัมพันธ์ต่อกันอย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติ (β = .22, p < .01) 2. การรับรู้ความรักของพ่อแม่ เป็นตัวแปรส่งผ่านระหว่าง การรับรู้การเลี้ยงดูแบบเฮลิคอปเตอร์ และความซึมเศร้า (β = .09, p < .05) 3. การรับรู้ความสามารถของตนเองด้านการเรียน ไม่ได้เป็นตัวแปรส่งผ่านระหว่าง การรับรู้การเลี้ยงดูแบบเฮลิคอปเตอร์ และความซึมเศร้า เนื่องจากช่วงของความเชื่อมั่นมีค่าคลุม 0 (β = .03, 95% ของช่วงชั้นความเชื่อมั่น [-.0019, .06]) 4. การรับรู้ความสามารถของตนเองด้านสังคม เป็นตัวแปรส่งผ่านระหว่าง การรับรู้การเลี้ยงดูแบบเฮลิคอปเตอร์ และความซึมเศร้า (β = .03, p < .01)

(And I Can't Stress This Enough) In My Mouth: Extradiegetic Affect As Material, C. Klockner

Theses and Dissertations

(and i can’t stress this enough) in my mouth: Extradiegetic Affect as Material is a non-linear exploration into the structures of feeling that exist in relation to cinema in its role as a technology for generating subjectivity. In the development of this research, a proposal of cinema’s likeness to the ecological circulation of microplastics is drawn in order to illustrate cinema’s materiality and nearly invisible ubiquity. The notion of extradiegetic affect is outlined as a post-cinematic condition in which lived experience becomes secondary to cinematic representation and which, simultaneously, becomes directly shaped by engaging with these representations.

Effects Of Thermal Stress On Amount, Composition, And Antibacterial Properties Of Coral Mucus, Rachel M. Wright, Marie E. Strader, Heather M. Genuise, Mikhail Matz

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America ABSTRACT The surface mucus layer of reef-building corals supports feeding, sediment clearing, and protection from pathogenic invaders. As much as half of the fixed carbon supplied by the corals' photosynthetic symbionts is incorporated into expelled mucus. It is therefore reasonable to expect that coral bleaching (disruption of the coralfialgal symbiosis) would affect mucus production. Since coral mucus serves as an important nutrient source for the entire reef community, this could have substantial ecosystemwide consequences. In this study, we examined the effects of heat …

Targeting The Inequality In Quality Improvement, Raquel Maria Davis

Public Health Theses

Objective. To use Casalino et al.’s (2007) proposed causal pathways of how pay-for-performance (P4P) can exacerbate racial/ethnic health care disparities as a framework for analyzing the literature and determine the adequacy of the evidence.

Data Sources/Study Setting. Existing literature (gray and peer-reviewed) on pay-for-performance and racial/ethnic health disparities identified from the Ovid Medline database.

Conceptual Framework. Casalino et al.’s four casual pathways include: “Pathway 1: Reduction in income for physicians in poor minority communities,” “Pathway 2: ‘Color-blind’ quality improvement programs,” “Pathway 3: ‘Teaching to the test’ might disproportionately affect minorities,” and “Pathway 4: Avoiding patients perceived as likely to lower …

Quantifying Amphibian Range Fragmentation In The Southeastern United States, Catherine E. Newman, Christopher C. Austin

Faculty Publications

© the authors. An often overlooked component of research on factors that drive amphibian geographic distributions is description of species range shape. Broad-scale range disjunction has implications for phylogeography, ecology, and conservation, but descriptions of fragmentation are usually based on subjective visual assessment of range maps. Here, we describe a method for objectively quantifying range fragmentation and use this method to describe the patterns of amphibian species range shapes in the southeastern United States, home to the highest amphibian species richness in North America. Species ranges varied widely in degree of fragmentation, from completely contiguous to highly fragmented, and degree …

Distribution, Hybridization, And Taxonomic Status Of Two-Lined Salamanders (Eurycea Bislineata Complex) In Virginia And West Virginia, Paul W. Sattler, Timothy R. Brophy

Faculty Publications and Presentations

We used three diagnostic protein markers to examine salamanders of the Eurycea bislineata complex at 80 localities in Virginia and West Virginia. Two groups were strongly differentiated and met at a narrow contact zone. Rare hybridization was observed as well as limited introgression up to 5 km north and 10 km south of the contact zone. At the contact zone, 1% F1, 2% F2, 32% backcross, and 66% parental genotypes were observed. This pattern of parapatric distribution with limited hybridization and introgression argues for the recognition of Eurycea bislineata and E. cirrigera as separate species.

Zika And Flavivirus Shell Disorder: Virulence And Fetal Morbidity, Gerard Kian-Meng Goh, A. Keith Dunker, James A. Foster, Vladimir N. Uversky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Zika virus (ZIKV) was first discovered in 1947 in Africa. Since then, sporadic ZIKV infections of humans have been reported in Africa and Asia. For a long time, this virus was mostly unnoticed due to its mild symptoms and low fatality rates. However, during the 2015–2016 epidemic in Central and South America, when millions of people were infected, it was discovered that ZIKV causes microcephaly in the babies of mothers infected during pregnancy. An examination of the M and C proteins of the ZIKV shell using the disorder predictor PONDR VLXT revealed that the M protein contains relatively high disorder …

Functional Analyses Of The Dna- And Rna-Binding Protein Spovg In Borrelia Burgdorferi, Christina R. Savage

Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics

Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, exists in a defined enzootic cycle involving Ixodes scapularis ticks and various vertebrates. Humans can serve as an accidental host, if a tick colonized with B. burgdorferi happens to feed on a human. B. burgdorferi are also accidental pathogens: they do not make toxins, or destroy host tissue by other mechanisms. They merely transmit between vector and host to survive. In order to do this, they must effectively sense their current environment, and appropriately alter cellular processes. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of how B. burgdorferi manages to do this has been …

Descriptive And Risk Factor Analysis Of Infantile Cataracts, Marine Nalbandyan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Infantile cataract is a lens opacity diagnosed by 12 months of age. It is a major cause of childhood blindness, with about 200,000 children worldwide being blind because of bilateral cataracts. Blindness has a negative impact on the quality of a child’s life and is associated with increased healthcare costs. While reduction/elimination of childhood blindness is a priority issue in public health, risk factors remain unknown for about two-thirds of infantile cataract cases. The primary aims of this dissertation were to (1) identify, evaluate, and summarize observational studies investigating non-genetic risk factors for infantile cataracts, (2) estimate birth prevalence and …

Tribute From The Underworld : The Historical Ecology Of The Maya Postclassic Fish Trade With Isotopic Analysis Of Otoliths From MayapáN And Caye Coco, Jeffrey Michael Bryant

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation investigates the Maya fish trade through the extensive analysis of fish otoliths (ear stones), from the Postclassic sites of Mayapán, and Caye Coco, and provides an initial foundation for the development of a historical ecology program. Through osteometry, thin-section microscopy of growth rings, and microscale stable isotope analysis (δC13 and δO18), a spectrum of data is produced to characterize the Postclassic fish trade. These data are used to illuminate themes of the seasonality of the fish harvest, diet, biodiversity, fish population demography, environmental change, sustainability, and resilience. The timing of a seasonal intensification of the harvest is viewed …

The Epiphytic Bryophyte Vegetation Of Kamilet Valley (Artvin, Turkey), Mevlüt Alataş, Nevzat Batan, Tülay Ezer

Turkish Journal of Botany

In this study, the vegetation of epiphytic bryophytes in the Kamilet Valley and its surroundings (Arhavi, Artvin) was investigated. The study area is located within the borders of the Eastern Black Sea Mountains and is one of the 122 important plant areas in Turkey. The investigation of epiphytic bryophyte communities was carried out in 2016 during different vegetation periods according to Braun-Blanquet?s phytosociological methodology. Phytosociological data obtained from 65 relevés were ordinated using detrended correspondence analysis (DECORANA) and classified using two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN). Consequently, six epiphytic bryophyte communities new to Turkey were determined with TWINSPAN and DECORANA: Leucobryo-Tetraphidetum …

Nutlet Structures Of Subsection Fragiles Of The Genus Stachys (Lamiaceae) From Turkey And Their Systematic Applications, Mehmet Cengi̇z Karai̇smai̇loğlu, Özal Güner

Turkish Journal of Botany

This paper includes the morphological and anatomical characters of the nutlets of 7 endemic species of the subsection Fragiles of the genus Stachys (Lamiaceae) from Turkey and the systematic significance of these characteristics, using one-way analysis of variance and cluster and principal component analyses. Morphological characters such as the dimensions, shapes, colors, and surfaces of the nutlets were studied using light and scanning electron microscopes. The structures and thicknesses of the pericarp and endosperm layers, as well as the sizes of the cotyledon in the nutlets, were anatomically studied. The outcomes revealed that the taxa varyfrom each other in terms …

Mobile Societies, Mobile Religions: On The Ecological Roots Of Two Religions Deemed Monotheistic, Edward Surman

CGU Theses & Dissertations

How do environments affect the generation and development of religions? The investigation taken up in this dissertation is one attempt to address this question. This work focuses on one comparative case study: the potential causal relationship between agriculturally marginal landscapes and the two oldest religions deemed monotheistic. This dissertation argues that the respective origins (and early development) of communities of worship centered around Ahura Mazda and YHWH were affected by similar environmental contexts. The dearth of literature concerning the effects of environments on religions extends to established theoretical and methodological approaches on the topic. The framework for approaching this research …

Abstracts Of Student Presentations And Posters At The Fall 2018 Meeting Of The Florida Ornithological Society, Florida Field Naturalist

Florida Field Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Historical Ecology And Longitudinal Research Strategies Around Lake Mývatn Iceland, Thomas Mcgovern, George Hambrecht, Megan Hicks

Publications and Research

Historical Ecology has proven to be a very influential tool kit for thinking about complex human interactions with changing landscapes, climate, and other humans. It has also provided concrete and practical frameworks for carrying out sustained long- term place-based research projects that break through traditional periodization to look at the dialectical interaction of human economies and local and regional ecosystems through time. The “longitudinal perspective” pioneered by Carole Crumley’s work in Burgundy has proved to be a very effective tool for carrying out sustained multi-year, multi-investigator, and multi- generational investigations in landscapes around the globe. This paper presents an overview …

Structure And Regional Representativeness Of The Herpetofauna From Parque Estadual Da Serra De Caldas Novas, Cerrado, Central Brazil, Werther P. Ramalho, Rafael F. Jorge, Tarcilla V. C. Guimarães, Ricardo A. P. Pires, Alfredo P. Peña, Vinicius Guerra

Neotropical Biodiversity

Amphibians and reptiles are diversified in the Cerrado biome but have been threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as lack of understanding of their distribution. Therefore, collection and organization of information about species in natural environments are essential for conservation, especially in Protected areas (PAs) and their adjacent zones. We present information about the composition and structure of the herpetofauna from Parque Estadual da Serra de Caldas Novas (PESCAN) and its representativeness in comparison to other PAs in the Cerrado. Fieldwork was conducted in 12 sampling sites from February 2009 to February 2010, using active search and pitfall …

Variable Tree Establishment In Bauxite Mine Restoration In South-West Australia Linked To Rainfall Distribution, Seasonal Temperatures And Seed Rain, Tai White-Toney, Dylan Korczynskyj, Andrew Grigg, Max Bulsara

Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Reasons for variable establishment of Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata D. Don ex Sm.) and Marri (Corymbia calophylla (Lindl). K. D. Hill & L. A. S. Johnson) on restored forest sites after bauxite mining in south‐west Australia are not well understood. To refine restoration outcomes, we compiled tree seedling density establishment data from surveys of 654 previously mined sites restored between 1998 and 2017, and applied generalised linear models to discriminate the effects of 24 climatic and restoration practice variables. Final models explained 50% and 31% of the variation in Jarrah and Marri density, respectively. Broadcast seeding and fertiliser rates …

Frank Beach Award Winner: Neuroendocrinology Of Group Living, Annaliese K. Beery

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

Why do members of some species live in groups while others are solitary? Group living (sociality) has often been studied from an evolutionary perspective, but less is known about the neurobiology of affiliation outside the realms of mating and parenting. Colonial species offer a valuable opportunity to study nonsexual affiliative behavior between adult peers. Meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) display environmentally induced variation in social behavior, maintaining exclusive territories in summer months, but living in social groups in winter. Research on peer relationships in female meadow voles demonstrates that these selective preferences are mediated differently than mate relationships in …

Investigating Neurogenesis As A Veritable Epigenetic Endophenotype For Alzheimer's Disease, Layne Wells

Scripps Senior Theses

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, characterized by progressive amyloid plaque aggregation, neurofibrillary tangles, and cortical tissue death. As the prevalence of AD is projected to climb in coming years, there is a vested interest in identifying endophenotypes by which to improve diagnostics and direct clinical interventions. The risk for complex disorders, such as AD, is influenced by multiple genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Significant strides have been made in identifying genetic variants linked to AD through the genome-wide association study (GWAS). It has been estimated in more recent years, however, that GWAS-identified variants account for limited …

Ectoparasite Presence In Select Northcentral Kansas Bat Species, Elizabeth Schumann

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Working with other graduate students on a grant given to Fort Hays State University, from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, I looked at presence and species of ectoparasites on bat species. The main goal of our grant was to quantify and qualify the status of the northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) in the state of Kansas, and to record data on any bycatch. I worked on our grant in the summer field seasons of 2016 and 2017, May to October, as described by the Indiana bat protocol.

Bats were captured by using mist nets set over …

Nutrient Flux From Aquatic To Terrestrial Invertebrate Communities Across A Lakeside Ecotone, Hosanna B. Loreaux

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I examined how the spatiotemporal distribution of spider webs and diet changed in a lake riparian zone with increasing distance from an aquatic resource. I surveyed twenty, one-hundred meter transects along the perimeters of Sanford and Escanaba lakes (Wisconsin). Overall, spider web abundance was highest near the lakes and decreased moving into the adjacent forest. Horizontal orb webs, vertical orb webs, and mesh webs showed strong negative relationships with distance from the lakes. Aquatic insects composed an average 36-64% of spider diet for all spider families throughout the riparian zone, suggesting that some spider families are selecting …

Ribbeting Results: Emergent Infectious Diseases In Wetland Systems, Ariel Horner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

North American amphibians have recently been impacted by two major emerging pathogens, the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and iridoviruses in the genus Ranavirus (Rv). Environmental, seasonal and host factors may play important roles in disease dynamics, but few studies incorporate these components into their analyses. Here, we investigated the role of environmental, seasonal, genetic and location effects on driving Bd and Rv infection prevalence and severity in a biodiversity hot spot, the southeastern United States. We used quantitative PCR to characterize Bd and Rv dynamics in natural populations of three amphibian species: Notophthalmus perstriatus, Hyla squirella and Pseudacris ornata and …

Forecasting Vibrio Parahaemolyticus In A Changing Climate, Meghan Ann Hartwick

Doctoral Dissertations

The distribution, transmission and adaptation patterns of infectious diseases are changing worldwide. Though there are many potential mechanisms that can transmit infectious agents to new areas, the ability of pathogens to persist in new locations can be largely attributed to changing climate conditions, especially in temperate regions. Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a naturally occurring bacteria in most marine and estuarine systems, provides a model example of these globally observed climate-related changes to disease dynamics that are occurring locally in the Northeast, US. Like many Vibrio species, pathogenicity in human hosts is believed to be limited to a subset of strains, whereas the …