Digital Commons Network^™

Multi-Scale Predictors Of Parasite Risk In Wild Male Savanna Baboons (Papio Cynocephalus), Bobby Habig, David A.W.A.M. Jansen, Mercy Y. Akinyi, Laurence R. Gesquiere, Susan C. Alberts, Elizabeth A. Archie

Publications and Research

Several factors are thought to shape male parasite risk in polygynous and polygynandrous mammals, including male-male competition, investment in potentially immunosuppressive hormones, and dispersal. Parasitism is also driven by processes occurring at larger scales, including host social groups and populations. To date, studies that test parasite-related costs of male behavior at all three scales—individual hosts, social groups, and the host population—remain rare. To fill this gap, we investigated multi-scale predictors of helminth parasitism in 97 male savanna baboons (Papio cynocephalus) living in the Amboseli ecosystem in Kenya over a 5-year span. Controlling for multi-scale processes, we found that many of …

Variations In 25-Hydroxyvitamin D In Countries From The Middle East And Europe: The Roles Of Uvb Exposure And Diet, William B. Grant, Hana M.A. Fakhoury, Spyridon N. Karras, Fatme Al Anouti, Harjit P. Bhattoa

All Works

© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) has been largely associated with latitude and sunshine exposure across several regions. According to previous results, 25(OH)D concentrations are, on average, relatively low in countries with abundant sunshine, including those of the Middle East and North Africa region, as well as lower-latitude Europe. The standard explanation for this phenomenon is that people wear concealing clothing because of cultural and religious practices and that high temperatures in summer limit direct sun exposure. However, the role of diet in the development of profound hypovitaminosis D has not been adequately …

Exploring The Structural Effects On The Lethal Violence At The U.S. Counties Under The Situational Action Theory: An Application Of Multivariable Spatial Regression Model, Yunho Yeom

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Since the stream analogy (Unnithan, Corzine, Huff-Corzine, & Whitt, 1994) and the frustration-aggression approach (Henry & Short, 1954) in lethal violence phenomenon analysis, several scholars have integrated theories from outside of their fields of study to understand lethal violence under a single theoretical framework. Some of these researchers have focused on deteriorating socioeconomic conditions and the collective attributional style when explaining the causes of lethal violence; others have failed to assume the non-independence of observation among contextual predictors. Recognizing these shortcomings, this study integrates the social components of situational action theory to examine their mediating effects on the relationship between …

Global Eras And Language Diversity In Indonesia: Transdisciplinary Projects Towards Language Maintenance And Revitalization, James T. Collins

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

Indonesia is immensely proud of its hundreds of regional languages. This amazing diversity occurs because of the social impact in the three global eras: ancient migration from Asian continent, trading intensification and colonial oppression five hundred years ago, and demographical and communication change in the 21st century. However, now we are witnessing the number decrease of the languages in Indonesia. The resistance and preservation of the inherited languages, which are local languages, in the Indonesian archipelago (Nusantara) language network that is indeed complex must be considered as important components in the Indonesia’s national identity. Along with the accelerated loss of …

Are Microclimate Conditions In El Malpais National Monument Caves In New Mexico, Usa Suitable For Pseudogymnoascus Growth?, Terry J. Torres-Cruz, Andrea Porras-Alfaro, Nicole A. Caimi, Ogochukwu Nwabologu, Edward W. Strach, Kaitlyn J.H. Read, Jesse M. Young, Debbie C. Buecher, Diana E. Northup

International Journal of Speleology

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 …

The Taming Of The Stew: Humans, Reindeer, Caribou And Food Systems On The Southwestern Seward Peninsula, Alaska, Odin Tarka Miller

Anthropology

This thesis addresses the question, what is the role of reindeer within communities of Alaska's southwestern Seward Peninsula, particularly as a food source? Employing a mixed-method approach, I conducted several months' fieldwork in the Seward Peninsula communities of Nome and Teller between 2016 and 2018, using methods that included participant observation, ethnographic interviews and a household survey designed to describe and quantify use of reindeer as food. As two varieties of the same species, Rangifer tarandus, reindeer and caribou are very similar in appearance. When caribou herds migrate nearby, reindeer tend to join them and become feral. Given the important …

Demographics And Telomere Dynamics Of Hibernating Arctic Ground Squirrels (Urocitellus Parryii), Sara M. Wilbur

Biological Sciences

Aging is the complex process by which an organism loses functional integrity over time. Several measurable contributors to or components of the aging process have been identified, one of which is telomere length. Telomeres are the repetitive, nucleoprotein structures located at the ends of linear chromosomes. In general, telomeres shorten over time and when exposed to damaging reactive oxygen species (highly unstable molecules released as a byproduct of cellular respiration). Organisms that have unique physiologies, in addition to those that live longer than otherwise predicted, have recently inspired comparative telomere dynamics studies. Hibernating mammals, which exhibit both heterothermy and long …

2019 - Monterey County Historical Society - Hornbeck Collection - Book Inventory

Related Research and Documents

Over 1200 books pertaining to, among other things, the history of California, California missions, geography, Spanish and Mexicans in the United States and California, California Indians, U.S. history, computer technology used in mapping, data use and interpretation

A Comparison Of Drone Imagery And Ground-Based Methods For Estimating The Extent Of Habitat Destruction By Lesser Snow Geese (Anser Caerulescens Caerulescens) In La Pérouse Bay, Andrew Barnas, Brian J. Darby, Gregory S. Vandeberg, Robert F. Rockwell, Susan N. Ellis-Felege

Biology Faculty Publications

Lesser snow goose (Anser caerulescens caerulescens) populations have dramatically altered vegetation communities through increased foraging pressure. In remote regions, regular habitat assessments are logistically challenging and time consuming. Drones are increasingly being used by ecologists to conduct habitat assessments, but reliance on georeferenced data as ground truth may not always be feasible. We estimated goose habitat degradation using photointerpretation of drone imagery and compared estimates to those made with ground-based linear transects. In July 2016, we surveyed five study plots in La Pérouse Bay, Manitoba, to evaluate the effectiveness of a fixed-wing drone with simple Red Green Blue …

A Comparison Of Drone Imagery And Groundbased Methods For Estimating The Extent Of Habitat Destruction By Lesser Snow Geese (Anser Caerulescens Caerulescens) In La Pérouse Bay, Andrew F. Barnas, Brian J. Darby, Gregory S. Vandeberg, Robert F. Rockwell, Susan N. Ellis-Felege

Biology Faculty Publications

Lesser snow goose (Anser caerulescens caerulescens) populations have dramatically altered vegetation communities through increased foraging pressure. In remote regions, regular habitat assessments are logistically challenging and time consuming. Drones are increasingly being used by ecologists to conduct habitat assessments, but reliance on georeferenced data as ground truth may not always be feasible. We estimated goose habitat degradation using photointerpretation of drone imagery and compared estimates to those made with ground-based linear transects. In July 2016, we surveyed five study plots in La Pérouse Bay, Manitoba, to evaluate the effectiveness of a fixed-wing drone with simple Red Green Blue …

Optimal Portfolio Design To Manage Oyster Resources, Frederick Nyanzu

Theses and Dissertations

The State of Mississippi wants to manage its oyster resource to increase production, quality, ecological, and economic benefits. In this study, we employ modern portfolio theory (MPT) to test if there are potential gains to hold multiple oyster resources for multiple benefits to aid the state's effort in achieving its goal. Using a Delphi approach, we elicit complete sets of data on ecosystem services (on oxygen, nutrients, sedimentation, and salinity) across multiple oyster resources (traditional plantings, off-bottom farms, and restored reefs). A benefit transfer method is used later to assigned money-metric value to each service estimate. The multiple service values …

Utah State Magazine, Fall 2019, Utah State University

Utah State Magazine

The quarterly magazine for friends and alumni of Utah State University.

Traffic Noise And Sexual Selection: Studies Of Anthropogenic Impact On Bird Songs And Undergraduate Student Reasoning Of Evolutionary Mechanisms, Sarah Spier

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Humans have transformed much of the natural landscape and are continuing to do so at an accelerated rate, compromising natural areas that serve as important habitat for many species. Roads impact much of the environment as they fragment habitat and introduce traffic noise into the acoustic environment, deferentially affecting wildlife in roadside habitat. I explored how traffic noise affects the detection of birds based on whether their vocalizations were masked by traffic noise. Masked species detection was not affected by an increase in traffic noise amplitude, while there was a negative effect of traffic noise amplitude on unmasked species detection, …

Traffic Noise And Sexual Selection: Studies Of Anthropogenic Impact On Bird Songs And Undergraduate Student Reasoning Of Evolutionary Mechanisms, Sarah Spier

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Humans have transformed much of the natural landscape and are continuing to do so at an accelerated rate, compromising natural areas that serve as important habitat for many species. Roads impact much of the environment as they fragment habitat and introduce traffic noise into the acoustic environment, deferentially affecting wildlife in roadside habitat. I explored how traffic noise affects the detection of birds based on whether their vocalizations were masked by traffic noise. Masked species detection was not affected by an increase in traffic noise amplitude, while there was a negative effect of traffic noise amplitude on unmasked species detection, …

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, Dominque Gravel, Otso Ovaskainen

Faculty Publications

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 species together, and stacked SDMs that model each species individually combining the predictions afterward. We offer a comprehensive …

Climate Change And Chagas Disease In The Americas: A Qualitative Systematic Review, Brittany N. Graves

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

While many studies have found associations between climate change and factors affecting Chagas disease transmission, the future impact of climate change on the global spread of Chagas disease remains debatable. A qualitative, systematic review was conducted to assess the impact of climate change on Chagas disease transmission in the Americas (Central America, South America, and North America). The literature search was performed in January 2019 using the keywords climate, Chagas, and “trypanosoma cruzi” and the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, and Ovid. Searches retrieved records from 1982 through 2019. The initial electronic database search identified a total of 191 record documents …

Toughing It Out: Understanding The Interplay Of Phenotypic Plasticity And Evolution In Stressful Environments, Michael K. Gillis

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Preserving the health of ecosystems on Earth rewards local communities with economic benefits and improved quality of life. Yet, humans often perform activities that disrupt natural systems and lead to declines in biodiversity and ecosystem services. As a result, scientists face increasing pressure to predict ecological changes under different scenarios of anthropogenic inputs. One factor that is typically omitted from current forecasts is the potential for ongoing evolution in populations and resulting impacts on ecology (i.e. eco-evolutionary dynamics). Here, I present a collection of studies that test for an influence of eco-evolutionary dynamics on different aspects of global change and …

Hybrid Genome Assembly Of A Neotropical Mutualistic Ant, Juliane Hartke, Tilman Schell, Evelien Jongepier, Hanno Schmidt, Philipp P. Sprenger, Juraj Paule, Erich Bornberg-Bauer, Thomas Schmitt, Florian Menzel, Markus Pfenninger, Barbara Feldmeyer, Laura A. Katz

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The success of social insects is largely intertwined with their highly advanced chemical communication system that facilitates recognition and discrimination of species and nest-mates, recruitment, and division of labor. Hydrocarbons, which cover the cuticle of insects, not only serve as waterproofing agents but also constitute a major component of this communication system. Two cryptic Crematogaster species, which share their nest with Camponotus ants, show striking diversity in their cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profile. This mutualistic system therefore offers a great opportunity to study the genetic basis of CHC divergence between sister species. As a basis for further genome-wide studies high-quality genomes …

Exploring Neighborhood Level Variation In Incidence And Secondary Transmission Of Seasonal Influenza, Melissa Freeland

Masters Theses

Influenza epidemics in the United States, are major causes of morbidity and mortality, and cause serious economic disruption on an annual basis. Evidence has begun to accumulate linking neighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage to higher rates of hospitalization and mortality related to influenza (Cordoba & Aiello, 2016; Jung, Lin, & Viswanath, 2013). Some studies suggest that this may be due to lower rates of vaccination, higher rates of comorbidities in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities (Cordoba & Aiello, 2016; Jung, Lin, & Viswanath, 2013; Ross & Mirowsky, 2001). However, few studies have evaluated the effects of neighborhood level socioeconomic disadvantage and structural features on …

The Factors Affecting Wind Erosion In Southern Utah, Mehmet Ozturk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wind erosion is a global issue and affecting millions of people in drylands by causing environmental issues (acceleration of snow melting), public health concerns (respiratory diseases), and socioeconomic problems (costs of damages and cleaning public properties after dust storms). Disturbances in drylands can be irreversible, thus leading to natural disasters such as the 1930s Dust Bowl. With increasing attention on aeolian studies, many studies have been conducted using ground-based measurements or wind tunnel studies. Ground-based measurements are important for validating model predictions and testing the effect and interactions of different factors known to affect wind erosion. Here, a machine-learning model …

Comparison Of Eight Remnant Tamaulipan Biotic Province Plant Communities In The Lower Rio Grande Valley Using Multivariate Analyses [Comparación De Ocho Comunidades Vegetales Remanentes De La Provincia Biótica Tamaulipeca El Valle Del Río Grande Usando Análisis Multivariada], Raziel I. Flores

Theses and Dissertations

The Tamaulipan Biotic Province falls within a biogeographic ecotone between temperate North America, the neotropics and the Chihuahuan Desert, and has consequently been defined as “Tamaulipan brushlands.” No quantitative, comparative study has ever been undertaken on the many and varied plant communities that occur in the region. This study compares eight remnant, primary plant communities to test the null hypothesis that the province comprises a single definable vegetation type. Four 50 x 10 m belt-transects were established at each site and woody plants taller than 1 m were recorded to determine species frequency, density, stratification and dominance. Community diversity was …

So . . . We're Going For A Walk: A Placed-Based Outdoor Art Experiential Learning Experience, Priscilla Anne Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

Schools in the United States often emphasize making children competitive in a global economy while neglecting the importance of developing citizens who are ecologically responsible. Problems of climate change, loss of biodiversity, mass extinctions and degradation of the natural environment, are often ignored. Some researchers have suggested that children lack unstructured play time in nature, have an increased amount of screen time, lack mindfulness, and are insulated from the natural world. Many children rarely have significant experience with nature's wildness. It is common for people to experience a sense of placelessness in the hyper-mobility of present times where "globalizing" agendas …

Exploring Violence: The Role Of Neighborhood Characteristics, Alcohol Outlets, And Other Micro-Places, Aleksandra J. Snowden

Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

This study explores the association between neighborhood characteristics, alcohol outlets, other micro-places, and neighborhood violence rates. Prior studies that examined the alcohol availability and violence associations suggested that alcohol outlets play an important role in violent outcomes, yet we know less about the larger environment in which alcohol outlets are located, including how the availability of other types of places that exist side by side with alcohol outlets in neighborhoods could influence the alcohol-violence relationships. I collected publicly available data on simple and aggravated assaults, neighborhood characteristics (concentrated disadvantage, concentrated immigration, residential stability, and ethnic heterogeneity), on- and off-premise outlets, …

An Econometric Analysis Of The Regional Resilience Of The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia’S Economy To Oil Shocks, Khaled Nasser S Alqahtani

Open Access Dissertations

Oil is the primary source of income for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA); fluctuations in prices have a direct impact on KSA’s economy. Large fluctuations, usually sudden dips in oil price such as those seen in 2015 when oil prices dropped to below $40 per barrel, are leading to large deficits in KSA’s economy (on the order of $103.626 billion in 2015). These fluctuations and resulting deficits result in social and economic uncertainty and unrest. KSA is, therefore, attempting to make systematic investments in infrastructure and technology to make its economy less susceptible to fluctuations in oil prices. The …

The Legacy Of Hosting Mega-Sports Events: A Twitter Analysis Of Leisure-Time Physical Activity Communication, Gabriela Baranowski Pinto

Doctoral Dissertations

Routine engagement in Leisure-Time Physical Activity (LTPA) is associated with long-term health, lower mortality, and higher quality of life. Inspiring participation in LTPA is one desired benefit of public investment in mega-events such as the Olympic Games. Whether such inspiration materializes—and, if so, for how long—was examined in three studies that investigated a perception-action process at the level of the interaction between real and virtual environments. The influence of the real environment of the Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 was assessed via the virtual environment instantiated in the Twitter social network. Emerging dynamic communication about LTPA in three …

An Exploration Of Colorectal Cancer Incidence Rates In North Dakota, Usa, Via Structural Equation Modeling, Gary G. Schwartz, Marilyn G. Klug, Bradley C. Rundquist

Geography & Geographic Information Science Faculty Publications

Purpose The state of North Dakota has one of the highest incidence rates for colorectal cancer in the USA. Its high incidence rate, coupled with a large variation in incidence rates among counties within the state, makes North Dakota a “natural laboratory” in which to investigate environmental clues to colorectal cancer. We conducted a hypothesis-generating study to explore potential determinants of colorectal cancer in North Dakota.

Methods We obtained county-specific incidence rates for North Dakota’s 53 counties from the statewide cancer registry and corresponding data on county demographic, agricultural, and geophysical features from population-based sources. Candidate demographic/agricultural variables included median …

Seedling And Resprout Survival Of Three Chaparral Species Following Woolsey Wildfire, Karagan L. Smith, Stephen D. Davis

Featured Research

Fire is a common natural disaster that effects Southern California. Combined with recent chronic drought, there has been an increase in the damage and frequency of these fires in recent years. Three chaparral species are common to the Pepperdine campus: Malosma laurina, Ceanothus spinosus, and Ceanothus megacarpus. The survival of these native species is essential because they are indicators for the changes that are occurring in our local ecosystem and provide further implications of how our ecosystem responds to natural disaster. Seedling recruitment and resprouting are mechanisms these chaparral species use to reestablish postfire. Postfire data have been recorded …

Structural Racism And Odds For Infant Mortality Among Infants Born In The United States 2010, Roman Pabayo, Amy Ehntholt, Kara L. Davis, Sze Yan Liu, Peter Muening, Daniel Cook

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

While ecological studies indicate that high levels of structural racism within US states are associated with elevated infant mortality rates, studies using individual-level data are needed. To determine whether indicators of structural racism are associated with the individual odds for infant mortality among white and black infants in the US.

METHODS:

We used data on 2,163,096 white and 590,081 black infants from the 2010 US Cohort Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Files. Structural racism indicators were ratios of relative proportions of blacks to whites for these domains: electoral (registered to vote and voted; state legislature representation), employment (civilian labor …

A Comparison Of Diurnal Resting Sites Used By Sylvilagus Audubonii And Lepus Californicus In The Chihuahuan Desert, Robert L. Harrison

Western North American Naturalist

Sylvilagus audubonii (desert cottontail) and Lepus californicus (black-tailed jackrabbit) occur in sympatry in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. During the daytime, both species occupy shallow excavations under shrubs known as forms. Comparisons of form and shrub characteristics between the 2 species can provide insights into connections between body size, physiology, and behavior. I examined forms of the 2 species in the Chihuahuan Desert in southern New Mexico, USA, from 2014 to 2016. In response to temperature, S. audubonii varied the structure of its forms and dug burrows, whereas L. californicus did not. Sylvilagus audubonii forms were most commonly …

Goats Distinguish Between Positive And Negative Emotion-Linked Vocalisations, Luigi Baciadonna, Elodie Briefer, Livio Favaro, A. G. Mcelligott

Bioacoustics Collection

Background: Evidence from humans suggests that the expression of emotions can regulate social interactions and promote coordination within a group. Despite its evolutionary importance, social communication of emotions in non-human animals is still not well understood. Here, we combine behavioural and physiological measures, to determine if animals can distinguish between vocalisations linked to different emotional valences (positive and negative). Using a playback paradigm, goats were habituated to listen to a conspecific call associated with positive or negative valence (habituation phase) and were subsequently exposed to a variant of the same call type (contact call) associated with the opposite valence (dishabituation …