Digital Commons Network^™

Abalone, Haliotis Mariae (Wood, 1828), Hatchery And Seed Production Trials In Oman, Khalfan M. Al-Rashdi, Tsueno Iwao

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Hatchery and seed production trials for the Omani endemic abalone Haliotis mariae were carried out at the land-based Mirbat Abalone Seed Production Station in Oman between 1999 and 2000. The methods developed for broodstock conditioning, induction of spawning and fertilization, larval settlement, and the handling of small juveniles are shown. Abalone collected in the post-monsoon period and held for 2 months matured faster than those collected before the monsoon and held for 6 months. Spawning induction of males and females had 63% and 11% success rates respectively, and the morphology of early larval stages is shown. Survival rates of veliger …

Habitat Variation And Its Effect On The Morphological Characters Of Three Wild Plant Species In El-Riyadh City, W.K. Taia, H.A. El-Olyan

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Fourteen taxonomic characters have been studied in three wild plant species in El-Riyadh city; Francoeuria crispa, Zilla spinosa and Rumex vesicarius; collected from three different habitats. The results of this study revealed that the habitats have insignificant effect on the leaf characters in spite of the slight effect on the general status, fruiting stage and color of the plants. Cross correspondence analysis between the habitats revealed that the variations were within the confidence limits. It is concluded that leaf characters can be used as an effective selection criterion for classification.

Prenatal Exposure To Pm2.5 Concentration And Risk Of Preterm Birth In New Mexico; A Seasonal Pattern And Spatio-Temporal Modeling., Onyedikachi J. Okeke

Mathematics & Statistics ETDs

This study investigates the association between prenatal PM2.5 exposure and preterm birth risk in New Mexico (2014–2021). Using descriptive statistics, time series models, and spatial analyses, findings show an average preterm birth rate of 14.87 per 1,000 live births, with moderate correlation (r = 0.727) between PM2.5 levels and very preterm births. While traditional models revealed no significant global effect, spatial methods such as Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) and Multiscale GWR uncovered strong spatial heterogeneity. PM2.5 effects varied by county (coefficients: -0.00154 to 0.00150), with clustering evident in 2018–2019 (Moran’s I = 0.155–0.174). Results highlight the limitations of global models …

Predicting Capture And Survival Probabilities Of The Arizona Tiger Salamander: A Comparison Of Capture-Recapture Models, Brittney Nelson

Scholars Week

Capture-recapture models are essential tools for estimating population dynamics in ecological studies. A fundamental component of these models is the capture history matrix, which records individual detection over time and serves as the basis for estimating survival and capture probabilities. This presentation explores three statistical approaches to these estimations: the Cormack-Jolly-Seber (CJS) model, the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) for CJS, and the Bayesian CJS model. The CJS model provides a likelihood-based framework for estimation, and the HMM CJS incorporates latent states into the model to account for uncertainty in detection. The Bayesian CJS extends this same analysis by integrating prior …

Creatine Supplementation Is Safe, Beneficial Throughout The Lifespan, And Should Not Be Restricted, Richard Kreider, Andrew Jagim, Jose Antonio, Douglas Kalman, Chad Kerksick, Jeffrey R. Stout, Robert Wildman, Rick Collins, Diego A. Bonilla

Faculty Scholarship

As researchers investigating creatine supplementation, we have become increasingly concerned about reports that government agencies are attempting to restrict the sale of dietary supplements, including dietary supplements containing creatine, to children and adolescents. Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in every cell in the human body that plays a critical role in cellular metabolism. The daily turnover of creatine is about 2–4 grams/day, depending on muscle mass and physical activity levels (1, 2). About half of the daily need for creatine is synthesized in the body from amino acids (arginine, glycine, methionine) and stored as free creatine or phosphocreatine …

Comparative Analyses Of Neurorehabilitation Regulations And Health Equity In The U.S., Switzerland, And China: Implications For Universal Health Coverage, Linyue Lu

Switzerland: Global Health and Development Policy

Introduction: As populations age and the burden of neurological conditions rises, equitable access to neurorehabilitation has emerged as a critical yet under-addressed component of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This comparative study examines how healthcare structures in the United States, Switzerland, and China shape neurorehabilitation equity. Methods: This analysis combines semi-structured interviews with seven healthcare experts (neurorehabilitation clinicians, health economists, and scholars) and a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature, policy documents, and demographic data. Results: In the U.S., fragmented insurance models and high out-of-pocket costs disproportionately limit access for low-income and rural populations. Switzerland’s universal coverage masks the inequities driven by …

Ecological Studies Of Wolves On Isle Royale, Sarah R. Hoy, John A. Vucetich, Rolf O. Peterson

Ecological Studies of Wolves on Isle Royale

Annual Report 2024-2025

Adolescent Sleep Health, Mental Health, And Cardiovascular Disease Risk In Adulthood, Prince Nii Ossah Addo

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Insufficient sleep and poor sleep quality are major public health issues among adolescents in the United States (U.S.). Mental health and substance use challenges are also common among adolescents, particularly those with sleep problems. Although exposures in adolescence have been evidenced to significantly impact future health, little is known about how adolescent sleep health, mental health, and substance use influence future cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. We, therefore, examined the association between sleep health in adolescence and CVD risk in adulthood and assessed whether the association is mediated by depressive symptoms and substance use in adolescents. Further, we explored the …

Bird Richness As A Mediator Between Greenspace And Mental Health Relationships, Sihao Chena, Huaqing Wang, Wenyan Xu

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

Neighborhood greenspaces are widely known to benefit bird diversity and human mental health. However, whether bird richness mediates the relationship between greenspace and mental health is unknown. We ascertain such mediation effects in 294 census tracts in Los Angeles City. We obtained greenspace data from one-meter resolution satellite imagery, bird species data from eBird citizen science datasets, and prevalence of poor mental health from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mediation analysis combined with spatial error models was used to assess the mediating effects while controlling for geographic, demographic, and socio-economic factors. We found that the higher greenspace …

The Relationship Between Climate And Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Incidence Rate In Malang Regency In 2022-2024, Aticobhita C. Pramono, Suprijandani Suprijandani, Marlik Marlik, Pratiwi Hermiyanti

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is an infectious disease that poses a public health problem in tropical regions and is influenced by climatic factors such as temperature, rainfall, humidity, and wind speed. In 2023, Malang Regency recorded 1,018 cases with an incidence rate (IR) of 38.2 per 100,000 population. This study aims to analyze the relationship between climatic factors and the DF IR for the 2022–2024 period using an ecological design and Spearman’s correlation analysis. Climate data were obtained from the BMKG, while DF data were obtained from the Health Office. The results showed that only air temperature was significantly associated …

Social Determinants Of Covid-19 Morbidity In Indonesia: Observational District Level Analysis, Ade Heryana, Wiku Adisasmito, Dumilah Ayuningtyas

Media Kesehatan Masyarakat Indonesia

Since the COVID-19 pandemic globally struggled in late 2019, the global community has become aware that outbreaks of infectious diseases are associated with conditions beyond health factors, such as social, economic, demographic, geographic, and lifestyle. This paper aims to identify the influence of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) on COVID-19 morbidity rates in Indonesia. The study analyzed morbidity cases during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, namely the Delta variant wave. Multivariate analysis with linear regression was used to determine the predictors that affect COVID-19 morbidity in 128 districts/cities of the Java and Bali isles, which were controlled by …

Aerial Phytomass And Carbon Sequestrated By The Kitshanga Forest Massif In The Wamba Valley In Dr-Congo, Mayanu Pemba, Ntalakwa Makolo, Kidikwadi Tango, Lubini Ayingweu

Journal of Bioresource Management

Aerial phytomass and carbon sequestrated by the Kitshanga forest massif in the Wamba valley in DR-Congo. The general objective was to evaluate the aerial phytomass and the carbon contained in the ligneous tissues of the trees. Specifically, the research aims to: (i) inventory all individuals in the Kitshanga gallery forest; (ii) identify the species in the study area; (iii) determine the floristic composition and density of the stand studied and (iv) evaluate the phytomass and the carbon sequestered by this vegetation. Inventory devices full on 1 hectare subdivided by 400 m² to obtain 25 plots which constitute the size of …

Kenyon College - March 27, 2015

The Kenyon Collegian

No abstract provided.

Aerosolized Transmissible Diseases Guidance Document, J. David Miller, John P. (Jack) Springston Jr., Cheryl L. Marcham, J. David Krause, Ling-Ling Hung, Wane A. Baker

Publications

Prior to COVID-19, pandemic influenza viruses have emerged four times in the previous one hundred years. This includes “Spanish” influenza (H1N1) in 1918, “Asian” influenza (H2N2) in 1957, “Hong Kong” influenza (H3N2) in 1968, and H1N1 “swine” influenza in 2009 (Saunders-Hastings & Krewski, 2016; Taubenberger, 2005). In early May 2024, the first reported human case of avian flu (H5N1) that had also infected cows in the US appeared in the literature (Uyeki et al., 2024). In late August 2024, OSHA released a hazard alert providing information for dairy workers on avian influenza in dairy cattle, together with personal protective equipment …

Critical Appraisal Of Multidrug Therapy In The Ambulatory Management Of Patients With Covid-19 And Hypoxemia. Part Ii: Causal Inference Using The Bradford Hill Criteria, Eleftherios Gkioulekas, Peter A. Mccullough, Colleen Aldous

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

We continue the critical appraisal of three published case series of 119 COVID-19 patients with hypoxemia, treated in the United States, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria with similar ivermectin-based multidrug treatments, to assess the available evidence supporting a causal relationship between treatment and reduction in hospitalizations and mortality. A narrative review was conducted to assess the Bradford Hill criteria for a causal association. We used a previously proposed refinement of the Bradford Hill criteria that reorganized them into three categories of direct, mechanistic, and parallel evidence. The efficacy of the two most aggressive ivermectin-based multidrug protocols is supported by the Bradford Hill …

Plymfit Study: A Study To Investigate The Feasibility Of Wrist-Worn Smartwatch Use In Perioperative Care [Version 1; Peer Review: Awaiting Peer Review], Alex Hunter, Jeremy Fabes

Peninsula Medical School

BackgroundWrist-worn activity monitors may provide a novel cost-effective method to risk stratify patients before surgery as well as instigate and monitor both prehabilitation and rehabilitation to improve patient fitness and therefore perioperative outcomes. This may address a number of key issues facing the health of the expanding perioperative population. However, a baseline dataset using smartwatches is urgently required before interventional strategies can be robustly developed.AimsTo pilot the use of wrist-worn consumer smartwatches in participants undergoing major surgery. To assess feasibility of their use and direct methodology for a future large cohort study. This will be used to assess the clinical …

Climate Change And Galamsey In Northern Ghana: Security Implications For The Sahel, Deborah Mawusi Ameh

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

The impact of both climate change and galamsey (illegal small-scale mining) on the Ghanaian economy is manifold ranging from personal to state insecurity. Sharing a border with the Sahel and its associated problems regarding state capacity and instability, this paper sought to understand how the twin internal issues (climate change and galamsey) within the northern part of Ghana would impact the already unstable Sahelian region. Using the Human Needs Theory (HNT), and a qualitative approach of rigorous content analysis, this paper was able to understand the push factors accounting for the overindulgence in galamsey such as economic distress and lack …

Urban Beavers At The Crossroads: How Ecological Knowledge, Sociodemographic, And Spatial Context Shape Public Perception And Coexistence Preferences, Matthew Guziejka

Dissertations and Theses

Urban beavers demonstrate synurbization by adapting to urban environments, offering ecological benefits such as biodiversity enhancement and flood mitigation, while also occasionally conflicting with infrastructure. This study examines how ecological knowledge, sociodemographics, and spatial context influence public perceptions and management preferences for urban beavers in the Tualatin River watershed, Oregon.

A voluntary survey of 176 participants from peri-urban areas assessed demographic characteristics, ecological knowledge, and attitudes toward management approaches. Spatial factors, such as proximity to watercourses and green spaces, were also analyzed. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore relationships between these factors and management preferences. Political orientation was significantly …

Cyanobacteria And Algae From Chýnov And Koněprusy Caves (Czech Republic), Michaela Wipplingerová, Jan Pokorný, Jan Kaštovský

International Journal of Speleology

Algae and cyanobacteria have been studied in two so far phycologically unexplored show caves (Chýnov and Koněprusy) in the Czech Republic. Taxa were identified morphologically using cultivation and subsequent light microscopy, while problematic cyanobacterial species were verified by sequencing the genes for 16S rRNA and 16S–23S internal transcribed spacer. A total of 13 cyanobacterial taxa were found, two Bacillariophyceae, three Xanthophyceae, four Chlorophyceae, six Trebouxiophyceae, 11 Streptophyta, and three Euglenida; many of these species were found for the first time in the caves. The darker parts of the caves were dominated by cyanobacteria, and green algae were found predominantly right …

Indigenous Futures: Decolonizing Conservation And Restoring Ecological Sovereignty, Jasmine Beach

University Honors Theses

This study examines how members of Indigenous-led conservation organizations perceive the ecological and social implications of colonial conservation ideologies in the context of contemporary grassroots strategies. By analyzing the ongoing impact of conservation frameworks in Kenya, this research highlights the role of Indigenous-led initiatives in advancing sustainable, community-driven alternatives. Using a Two-Eyed Seeing approach, which integrates Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with Western scientific methods, the study employs qualitative, semi-structured interviews with leaders from Zawadisha, KENVO, Wildlife Works, and CER-Kenya. Findings indicate that these organizations, particularly those led by women, actively restore biodiversity, enhance climate resilience, and challenge exclusionary conservation policies. …

Predicting Freshwater Spring Distribution Using Maxent Modeling: A Case Study In Groundwater Management Area 9 (Gma-9), Texas, Zayed Mallick

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Freshwater springs are one of the most vital groundwater sources and they have been a reliable water source for mining, irrigation, drinking, and farming, particularly in hot and arid regions like Groundwater Management Area-9 (GMA-9), Texas. However, excessive groundwater extraction, climate change, and environmental degradation have created tremendous stress on the sustainability of freshwater springs and as a result, they might not be able to meet the future water demand. This study uses the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model to predict the distribution of springs in GMA-9 and to identify the key topographic and climatic factors influencing their occurrence. This study …

Determining The Influence Of Habitat Complexity On Fish Diversity And Abundance In Hawaiian Coral Reefs, Gabrielle Reece Demarco

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Since AUVs maintain heightened levels of identification, advanced system complexity coverage, low taxonomic selectivity, while maintaining large sample sizes and exceptional navigational accuracies, AUVs could be beneficial in certain circumstances. However, since UVC’s tend to have higher biomass identification accuracies and AUVs lack of agility and reactivity increase unidentifiable fish (While increasing biomass coverage), its costs may not justify the means. However, with advances in camera and drone technologies, it may be possible to heighten the identification abilities of AUVs, thus offering a low-interruption solution to fish surveying

Volume 29-2 Complete Issue, C. Nicholas Raphael

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 29-2 Complete Issue

Variation In Grassland Biomass: A Spatial And Temporal Perspective, Stephen J. Walsh

The Geographical Bulletin

During a sampling period extending from May 07 through August 13, 1985, plant biomass, soil temperature, soil moisture, and other selected biophysical variables were collected on a weekly basis at 12 sample sites distributed along a 200 km east-west trending transect in west-central Oklahoma. Correlation coefficients showed temporal and spatial relationships between dry mean biomass and the relative location of sample sites along the transect, Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate location of each sample site, sample site elevation, and sample week (-0.43, +0.43, -0.54, and +0.42, respectively). A multiple regression analysis showed that 84.5 percent of the variation in plant biomass …

Influence Of Inselbergs On Bat Diversity In Afrotropical Ecosystems, Amanda Lee Grunwald

Dissertations and Theses

Humans are altering biological communities on local to global scales, driving profound changes in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. However, significant gaps and biases in biodiversity data hinder our understanding of ecosystem interactions, making it challenging to develop effective, data-driven policies to protect remaining biodiversity. Bats, the second most species-rich groups of mammals, have a global distribution, and perform a broad array of vital ecosystem functions. Their diversity peaks in the tropics, where they often constitute more than 50% of mammal species diversity. The Afrotropics host substantial bat diversity, yet have historically been perceived as having lower species richness compared to …

Living Labs: How Experimental Forests Offer Insights Into Small Mammal Population Dynamics, Nicholas Gosling

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Unraveling Algerian Bat Coronaviruses: From Initial Detection To Genome Recovery And Co-Infection Discovery, Safia Zeghbib, Zsófia Tauber, Tamás Görföl, Karimane Malek Zeghbib, Mourad Ahmim, Gábor Kemenesi

School of Biomedical Sciences

IntroductionBats, known as main reservoirs for coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, carry these viruses asymptomatically thanks to their unique immune systems. These viruses can spill over to humans through direct contact or intermediate hosts, as observed in the cases of SARS and COVID-19. Despite the significant public health implications, research on bat-related viral zoonoses remains inadequate in Algeria due to insufficient surveillance and funding. Additionally, the ecological diversity of Algerian bats is still largely unexplored, resulting in knowledge gaps. Therefore, investigating bat coronaviruses within the One Health framework in Algeria provides a holistic approach to understanding and mitigating the …

A Media Ecology Review, Lance Strate

Communication Research Trends

No abstract provided.

Calculating 3d Rugosity Maps For Complex Habitat Scans, Kindrat Beregovyi, Jennifer A. Dijkstra, Thomas Butkiewicz

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Advances in 3D scanning and reconstruction techniques, such as structure-from-motion, have resulted in an abundance of increasingly-detailed 3D habitat models. However, many existing methods for calculating structural complexity of these models use 2.5D techniques that fail to capture the details of truly 3D models with overlapping features. This paper presents novel algorithms that extend traditional rugosity metrics to generate multi-scale rugosity maps for complex 3D models. Models are repeatedly subdivided for local analysis using multiple 3D grids, which are jittered to smooth results and suppress extreme values from edge cases and poorly-fit reference planes. A rugosity-minimizing technique is introduced to …

A Long-Term Study Of Algal Blooms In Alexandria's Ecosystems: A Review, Samia K. Mikhail, Wagdy Labib

Blue Economy

Coastal ecosystems in Alexandria are facing significant stress, primarily due to the intrusion of discharged wastewaters of different origins. Over the past three decades, there has been a noticeable increase in the occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) across Alexandria marine, brackish, and freshwater environments. Unfortunately, the situation is deteriorating, and HABs have become chronic issues characterized by frequent occurrences of various causative species. This phenomenon has spread widely affecting previously uninfected coastal areas with high frequency and diverse patterns of occurrence. This article provides an overview of the state of visible HABs associated with incidents of fish and/or invertebrate …