Life Sciences Commons^™

Longnose Skate Jaw (Beringraja Rhina), Golda Stewart, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Jaw from female Longnose Skate (Beringraja rhina) collected on 30/3/2021 by Golda Stewart.

Spiny Dogfish (Squalus Acanthias) Jaw Prep, Meredith M. Pratt, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Spiny dogfish jaw prep performed at NSU's Fisheries and Avian Ecology lab.

Semester Schedule For Cognitive And Behavioral Neuroscience, Megan V. Caldwell

Open Educational Resources

This course schedule has been created for an asynchronous 15-week, 4 credit Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience course. It is a comprehensive schedule including a week-by-week breakdown of lecture topics, reading material, assignments, and exam schedule. The course covers topics related to cognition and neuroscience including the action potential, neurotransmitters, cell gradients, sensation (vision, hearing, and pain/somatosensation), neuroplasticity, memory, and movement systems. The schedule is intended to be accompanied by a syllabus.

Managing And Monitoring Genetic Isolation And Local Adaptation Of Endemic And Introduced Cotesia Sesamiae For The Biological Control Of The Cereal Stemborer Busseola Fusca In Cameroon, Rose Ndemah, Bruno Pierre Le Ru, Claire Capdevielle-Dulac, Fritz Schulthess, Laure Kaiser, Rachid Hanna, Alexandre Depoilly, Julius Obonyo, Paul André Calatayud, Albert Abang, Stéphane Dupas

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The success of biological bontrol (BC) introductions can be enhanced by considering theory and knowledge of biological systems. The gregarious braconid parasitoid Cotesia sesamiae (Cameroon) is one of the best studied biological control agent from the perspective of molecular ecology. Its evolutionary adaptation to the target host involves symbiotic partners. Polydnaviruses are responsible for immune and developmental adaptations whereas Wolbachia bacteria may reinforce this local adaptation though genetic isolation mechanisms. The noctuid Busseola fusca is a major stemborer pest of maize in sub-Saharan Africa. In contrast to eastern Africa, C. sesamiae is rarely found on B. fusca in western Africa. …

Impact Of The Exotic Fall Armyworm On Larval Parasitoids Associated With The Lepidopteran Maize Stemborers In Kenya, Bonoukpoè Mawuko Sokame, Julius Obonyo, Enock Mwangangi Sammy, Samira A. Mohamed, Sevgan Subramanian, Dora Chao Kilalo, Gerald Juma, Paul André Calatayud

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Exotic invasive insect herbivores have the potential to interfere with existing herbivore-natural enemy interactions in new environments. Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a new invasive pest in maize fields in Africa. Understanding the acceptability and suitability of FAW to existing maize stemborer-parasitoid interactions is the first step in elucidating the impact that this exotic insect pest can have on the existing natural enemies used in biological control of maize stemborers in Kenya. The most commonly used larval parasitoids for biological control programs against maize stemborer communities in East Africa are Cotesia flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) …

Temperature-Based Phenology Model To Predict The Development, Survival, And Reproduction Of The Oriental Fruit Fly Bactrocera Dorsalis, Dongmo K. Michel A., Komi K.M. Fiaboe, Sévilor Kekeunou, Samuel N. Nanga, Apollin F. Kuate, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, Désiré Gnanvossou, Rachid Hanna

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a major pest of fruit and vegetable production systems on several continents. The pest has invaded many countries, causing considerable impact on fruit production systems and commercialization. In this study we determined the relationship between temperature and development, survival and reproductive parameters of B. dorsalis on an artificial diet under laboratory conditions under 7 constant temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 33 and 35 °C) with 70 ± 10% relative humidity and a photoperiod of L12:D12. We validated the laboratory results with a full life table analysis under semi-natural conditions in …

Innovative Agronomic Practices For Sustainable Intensification In Sub-Saharan Africa. A Review, Shem Kuyah, Gudeta Weldesemayat Sileshi, Libère Nkurunziza, Ngonidzashe Chirinda, Pierre Celestin Ndayisaba, Kangbéni Dimobe, Ingrid Öborn

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Africa’s need to double food production and feed the burgeoning human population, without compromising its natural resource base, has raised the momentum for sustainable agricultural intensification on the continent. Many studies describe agronomic practices that can increase productivity on existing agricultural land without damaging the environment and without increasing the agricultural carbon footprint. However, there is limited information on specific practices with the greatest potential to contribute to sustainable intensification on smallholder farms in sub-Saharan Africa, while simultaneously keeping the carbon footprint low. The objectives of this review were to (1) identify good agronomic practices with potential for contributing to …

Intercropping Desmodium And Maize Improves Nitrogen And Phosphorus Availability And Performance Of Maize In Kenya, Pierre Celestin Ndayisaba, Shem Kuyah, Charles Aura Odhiambo Midega, Peter Njoroge Mwangi, Zeyaur Rahman Khan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Low levels of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in soils in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) limit maize (Zea mays) production in smallholder farms. We tested the hypothesis that desmodium (Desmodium intortum (Mill.) Urb.), a fodder legume, and food legumes commonly grown with maize in Western Kenya avail N and P and improve the performance of maize in intercrops. We measured available N and P in 15 cm topsoil at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after planting (WAP), and corresponding maize shoot weight in three seasons: 2017 long rains (LR), 2017 short rains (SR), and 2018 LR at Thomas Odhiambo Campus of …

Comparison Of Biological Methods To Control Aphis Fabae Scopoli (Hemiptera: Aphididae) On Kalanchoe Crops In East Africa, Thibault Nordey, Simon Boniface Boni, Mawufe Komi Agbodzavu, Robert Mwashimaha, Nickson Mlowe, Srinivasan Ramasamy, Emilie Deletre

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Aphids cause considerable damage to numerous crops all over the world and insecticides are the main means of controlling them, despite their detrimental impacts on human and environmental health. This study assessed the effectiveness of the parasitoid Aphidius colemani Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a mixture of predatory ladybird beetles, Hippodamia variegata Goeze, Chilocorus calvus Chiccl, and Cheilomenes propinqua Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and an entomopathogenic strain of Aspergillus flavus Link (Eurotiales: Trichocomaceae), collected locally in Tanzania, to control Aphis fabae Scopoli (Hemiptera: Aphididae). After assessing the predation and parasitism rates of these natural enemies at different aphid densities in laboratory experiments, their …

Supplementing Blood Diet With Plant Nectar Enhances Egg Fertility In Stomoxys Calcitrans, Simon K. Tawich, Joel L. Bargul, Daniel Masiga, Merid N. Getahun

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Stomoxys calcitrans (stable fly) is a cosmopolitan biting fly of both medical and veterinary importance. Unlike blood-feeding-related behavior of stable fly, its plant feeding, the fitness value, and the S. calcitrans–plant interaction are less understood. Here we show based on two chloroplast DNA genes, ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase large chain (rbcL) and the intergenic spacer gene trnH-psbA, that field-collected male and female stable flies fed on various plant species. We investigated the fitness cost of plant feeding using Parthenium hysterophorus, one of the plant species identified to have been fed on by the field-collected flies. Supplementation of blood feeding with a …

Caracuel_ Spiny Dogfish (Squalus Acanthias) Jaw, Nicolas M. Caracuel, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Female Spiny Dogfish (Squalus acanthias) jaw collected in MBIO 3910 Lab on 11/03/2021 by Nicolas M. Caracuel.

2 cm tall at the center/middle of the jaw.

3.1cm tall at the hinges.

7.9 cm long from hinge to hinge.

Personal Activity Intelligence And Mortality - Data From The Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, Javaid Nauman, Xuemei Sui, Carl J. Lavie, Chi Pang Wen, Jari A. Laukkanen, Steven N. Blair, Patrick Dunn, Ross Arena, Ulrik Wisloff

Faculty Publications

Importance Personal activity intelligence (PAI) is a novel activity metric that can be integrated into self-assessment heart rate devices, and translates heart rate variations during exercise into a weekly score. Previous studies relating to PAI have been conducted in the same populations from Norway where the PAI metric has been derived, limiting generalizability of the results.

Objective: To test whether PAI is associated with total and cause-specific mortality in a large cohort from the United States.

Design: Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study (ACLS) – a prospective cohort between January 1974 and December 2002 with a mean follow-up of 14.5 years.

Setting: …

Nmds For Fundulus Parasite Community Similarity, Derek Garvey, Dave Kerstetter, Christopher Blanar

Biology Faculty Datasets

Nonmetric multidimensional scaling models calculating the similarity of parasite species assemblages between Fundulus sp. populations across the Atlantic coast using Bray-Curtis similarity

On-Farm Assessment Of Cassava Root Yield Response To Tillage, Plant Density, Weed Control And Fertilizer Application In Southwestern Nigeria, Olabisi Omolara Onasanya, Stefan Hauser, Magdalena Necpalova, Felix Kolawole Salako, Christine Kreye, Meklit Tariku, Johan Six, Pieter Pypers

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Cassava is growing in importance in Nigeria as a food and industrial crop. Current yields are low due to poor soil fertility and because farmers do not use improved germplasm, clean planting material, or improved crop management in Nigeria. To provide feasible agronomic recommendations targeting increased root yield, the effects of tillage intensity, fertilizer application, plant density and weed control were tested in 230 farmers’ fields in southwestern Nigeria over two years. In 2016, tillage treatments were zero, single and double passage with a disc plough, followed by ridging (soil shaping) versus leaving the soil flat. Fertilizer application at 75:20:90 …

Importation And Preliminary Evaluation Of The Stem Boring Moth Buakea Kaeuae1 As A Potential Biological Control Agent Of Invasive Guineagrass, Megathyrsus Maximus2, Ann T. Vacek, John A. Goolsby, Paul Andre Calatayud, Bruno Le Ru, Boaz Musyoka, Rupesh R. Kariyat

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Guineagrass, Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B.K.Simon & S.W.L.Jacobs, is an African grass that is invasive in Florida, Hawaii, southern Texas, and northeastern Mexico. Buakea kaeuae Moyal et al., a stem-boring African moth found only on M. maximus, was imported from Kenya and evaluated for its ability to feed and develop on Guineagrass naturalized in southern Texas. Neither larvae nor adults developed or reproduced on Texas Guineagrass.

Push-Pull Strategy Combined With Net Houses For Controlling Cowpea Insect Pests And Enhancing Crop Yields, Seydou Diabate, Thibaud Martin, Lucy Kananu Murungi, Komi K.M. Fiaboe, John Wesonga, John M. Kimani, Emilie Deletre

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Net houses can be used in tropical environments to protect crops such as cowpea against large insect pests, thereby avoiding pesticide treatments while sustainably mitigating the effects of climate change. We investigated a push-pull strategy to prevent small insect pest outbreaks in a net house. The push component consisted of two stimulus plants, i.e. Cymbopogon citratus and Tagetes minuta, and the pull stimuli consisted of visual cues from blue and yellow sticky traps. Field experiments were set up in central Kenya and conducted during a rainy and a dry season, involving an open field control treatment, and three management treatments …

Oviposition Behavior Of Telenomus Busseolae, Telenomus Isis And Trichogramma Bournieri On Eggs Of East African Cereal Stemborers, Anani Y. Bruce, Fritz Schulthess, Jacqueline K. Makatiani, Henri E.Z. Tonnang

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The oviposition behavior of the scelionids Telenomus busseolae, Telenomus isis and the trichogrammatid Trichogramma bournieri was studied on eggs of lepidopteran cereal stemborers, which included the noctuid Busseola fusca, Sesamia calamistis, Sesamia nonagrioides, the crambid Chilo partellus, and the pyralid Eldana saccharina. Unlike Tr. bournieri, Telenomus spp. did not attack eggs of C. partellus and E. saccharina. Five distinct behavioral steps were observed, which included foraging, drumming with the antennae on the eggs, ovipositor insertion, egg marking, and walking and resting. Foraging, walking and resting were observed less frequently than the other behaviors. There was a clear hierarchy of behavioral …

A Recalibrated And Tested Lintul-Cassava Simulation Model Provides Insight Into The High Yield Potential Of Cassava Under Rainfed Conditions, J. G. Adiele, A. G.T. Schut, R. P.M. Van Den Beuken, K. S. Ezui, P. Pypers, A. O. Ano, C. N. Egesi, K. E. Giller

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Accurate assessments of the yield potential of cassava are needed to analyse yield gaps, define yield targets and set benchmarks for actual yields in Nigeria. This study evaluated the crop model LINTUL-Cassava under assumed potential growth and water-limited conditions in Nigeria. On-farm experiments were conducted at six locations across the three major cassava growing agro-ecologies of Western Africa (Tropical Rainforest – Ogoja and Ikom in Cross River state, Rainforest Transition Savanna – Ekpoma in Edo state and Guinea Savanna – Otukpo in Benue state) during two subsequent seasons (2016 – 2018). Treatments included fertilizer rates calculated to support the assumed …

The African Citrus Triozid Trioza Erytreae Del Guercio (Hemiptera: Triozidae): Temporal Dynamics And Susceptibility To Entomopathogenic Fungi In East Africa, Owusu Fordjour Aidoo, C. M. Tanga, S. A. Mohamed, F. M. Khamis, S. Opisa, B. A. Rasowo, J. W. Kimemia, J. Ambajo, M. Sétamou, S. Ekesi, C. Borgemeister

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The African citrus triozid Trioza erytreae Del Guercio (Hemiptera: Triozidae) is the most destructive citrus pest. Presently, biological data on T. erytreae are insufficient for important parameters like distribution, seasonal dynamics and entomopathogens. Therefore, we determined the temporal dynamics of T. erytreae along three different altitudinal gradients in Kenya. In low altitudes, females of T. erytreae reactivated and started laying eggs between late February and early March. The mean monthly number of immature stages of T. erytreae per flush shoot peaked in February, whereas adults peaked in March. For mid-altitudes, T. erytreae mean populations peaked in February, but adults were …

Detection Of The Spotted Wing Drosophila, Drosophila Suzukii, In Continental Sub-Saharan Africa, Charles A. Kwadha, Louis A. Okwaro, Isabella Kleman, Guillermo Rehermann, Santosh Revadi, Shepard Ndlela, Fathiya M. Khamis, Peterson W. Nderitu, Muo Kasina, Momanyi K. George, Grace G. Kithusi, Samira A. Mohamed, H. Michael G. Lattorff, Paul G. Becher

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii Matsumura, is an insect pest of soft-skinned fruit, native to Eastern Asia. Since 2008, a world-wide dispersal of D. suzukii is seen, characterized by the establishment of the pest in many Asian, American and European countries. While the potential for invasion of continental Africa by D. suzukii has been predicted, its presence has only been shown for Morocco in Northern Africa. Knowledge about a possible establishment in other parts of the continent is needed as a basis for pest management. In 2019, we carried out a first survey in three counties in Kenya to …

Are The Current Animal Trypanosomiasis Management Methods In Kenya Complementary Or Substitutes? Evidence From Kwale County, Arnold Lumumbah Musungu, David Jakinda Otieno, Beatrice Wambui Muriithi, Rose Nyikal, Daniel Masiga, Michael Nyanganga Okal

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

African animal trypanosomiasis (AAT) and its vectors, mainly tsetse, are a major constraint to livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Control efforts have been ongoing for decades, but finding a sustainable solution remains a major concern. This paper assessed the complementarity and substitutability of existing AAT management methods to inform policies toward an integrated approach. A multivariate probit (MVP) analytical technique was used to model interrelationships in the control methods from 308 randomly selected livestock keepers. The results show that the current AAT control methods are complementary and not substitutes. Furthermore, the number of years of formal education, household size, …

Mice Pups Breastfed By Foster Mothers Whose Breast Milk Contains Plasmodium Falciparum Recombinant Se36 Antigen Develop Specific Antibodies, Margaret Mendi Njoroge, Victor Irungu Mwangi, Tonny Jimmy Owalla, Hastings Ozwara, Thomas G. Egwang

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Intranasal instillation of SE36, a malaria vaccine candidate antigen, in lactating BALB/c strain (derived from the Bagg and albino laboratory inbred mice) female mice resulted in the appearance of the antigen in breast milk as demonstrated by sandwich ELISA and Western blot. Pups born of immunologically naive mice and breastfed on lactating foster mothers exposed intranasally to SE36 developed IgG anti-SE36 antibodies. These data demonstrate that maternal immunization in mice by this route in lactating mothers can result in active immunization of offspring via ingestion of breast milk containing antigen. If confirmed in a nonhuman primate model and in human …

Non-Chemical Post-Harvest Disinfestation Of Bactrocera Dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) In Tommy Atkins Mango Using Hot-Water Immersion Treatment, P. Ocitti, S. Ndlela, A. M. Akol, H. Muyinza, S. A. Mohamed

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Mango production and trade is a major source of employment, food and income in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). Most of its production in SSA is under smallholder farming with a few commercial farms undertaking production. Fruits are traded both locally and some exported, with improved exotic varieties being preferred by consumers. However, mango export which is more lucrative to most exporters in terms of foreign currency exchange earnings, is currently faced with serious quarantine restrictions because of the invasive fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis. Since its invasion in Africa, yield losses of up to 100 % have been recorded. In addition, …

Improved Storage Mitigates Vulnerability To Food-Supply Shocks In Smallholder Agriculture During The Covid-19 Pandemic, M. Huss, M. Brander, M. Kassie, U. Ehlert, T. Bernauer

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Millions of smallholder farmers in low-income countries are highly vulnerable to food-supply shocks, and reducing this vulnerability remains challenging in view of climatic changes. Restrictions to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic produced a severe supply-side shock in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, including through frictions in agricultural markets. We use a large-scale field experiment to examine the effects of improved on-farm storage on household food security during COVID-19 restrictions. Based on text message survey data we find that the prevalence of food insecurity increased in control group households during COVID-19 restrictions (coinciding with the agricultural lean season). In …

Anthropogenic And Climatic Factors Interact To Influence Reproductive Timing And Effort, Susannah S. French, Geoffrey Smith

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Reproduction, although absolutely essential to a species’ persistence, is in itself challenging. As anthropogenic change increasingly affects every landscape on Earth, it is critical to understand how specific pressures impact the reproductive efforts of individuals, which directly contribute to the success or failure of populations. However, organisms rarely encounter a single burden at a time, and the interactions of environmental challenges can have compounding effects. Disentangling environmental and physiological pressures is difficult because they are often context-dependent and not generalizable, but long-term monitoring across variable landscapes and weather patterns can improve our understanding of these complex interactions. We tested the …

Data From: Recovery From Discrete Wound Severities In Side-Blotched Lizards (Uta Stansburiana): Implications For Energy Budget, Locomotor Performance, And Oxidative Stress, Susannah S. French, Spencer B. Hudson

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Wounding events (predation attempts, competitive combat) result in injuries and/or infections that induce integrated immune responses for the recovery process. Despite the survival benefits of immunity in this context, the costs incurred may require investment to be diverted from traits contributing to immediate and/or future survival, such as locomotor performance and oxidative status. Yet, whether trait constraints manifest likely depends on wound severity and the implications for energy budget. For this study, food intake, body mass, sprint speed, and oxidative indices (reactive oxygen metabolites, antioxidant capacity) were monitored in male side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) healing from cutaneous wounds of discrete …

Exploring The Influence Of Different Habitats And Their Volatile Chemistry In Modulating Sand Fly Population Structure In A Leishmaniasis Endemic Foci, Kenya, Iman B. Hassaballa, Baldwyn Torto, Catherine L. Sole, David P. Tchouassi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Phlebotomine sand flies transmit many viral protozoan and bacterial pathogens of public health importance. Knowledge of the ecologic factors influencing their distribution at local scale can provide insights into disease epidemiology and avenues for targeted control. Animal sheds, termite mounds and houses are important peri-domestic and domestic habitats utilized by different sand flies as resting or breeding habitats. However, our knowledge for selection of these habitats by sand flies remains poor. Here, we tested the hypothesis that these habitat types harbor different composition of sand fly species and differ in their volatile chemistry that could influence sand fly selection. To …

The Role Of Trialeurodes Vaporariorum-Infested Tomato Plant Volatiles In The Attraction Of Encarsia Formosa (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), Pascal M. Ayelo, Abdullahi A. Yusuf, Christian W.W. Pirk, Samira A. Mohamed, Anaїs Chailleux, Emilie Deletre

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Natural enemies locate their herbivorous host and prey through kairomones emitted by host plants and herbivores. These kairomones could be exploited to attract and retain natural enemies in crop fields for insect pest control. The parasitoid Encarsia formosa preferentially parasitises its whitefly host, Trialeurodes vaporariorum, a major pest of tomato Solanum lycopersicum, thus offering an effective way to improve whitefly control. However, little is known about the chemical interactions that occur in E. formosa-T. vaporariorum-S. lycopersicum tritrophic system. Using behavioural assays and chemical analyses, we investigated the kairomones mediating attraction of the parasitoid to host-infested tomato plants. In Y-tube olfactometer …

Can Black Soldier Fly Desmodium Intortum Larvae-Based Diets Enhance The Performance Of Cobb500 Broiler Chickens And Smallholder Farmers' Profit In Kenya?, Mary M. Mutisya, Mawufe K. Agbodzavu, John N. Kinyuru, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Mathew Gicheha, Girma Hailu, Daisy Salifu, Zeyaur Khan, Saliou Niassy

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

This study aimed to evaluate the performance of broiler chickens fed on 3 black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) (Hermetia illucens) and Greenleaf desmodium (Desmodium intortum)-based meals. We evaluated growth performance, carcass quality, and profitability under various commercial pathways (doorstep, retail, whole, and assorted). Desmodium and BSFL powders were formulated into 3 ratios: T1 25:75, T2 50:50, and T3 75:25. A commercial feed was used as a control. One hundred and twenty mixed-sex 1-day-old broiler chicks (Cobb) were reared in pens for 42 d in a completely randomized design. The chickens were weighed weekly to monitor their growth rate. After the …

Dynamics Of N-P-K Demand And Uptake In Cassava, Joy Geraldine Adiele, Antonius G.T. Schut, Kodjovi S. Ezui, Pieter Pypers, Ken E. Giller

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Fertilizers are required to improve productivity of cassava and meet the increasing demand for cassava as food, feed, or raw material for processing industries. Our objective was to develop nutrition indices for N, P, and K to provide quantitative insight in the dynamics of nutrient demand and uptake of cassava. On-farm experiments were conducted at six locations in Nigeria from 2016 to 2018, across the major cassava growing agro-ecologies of West Africa. Nitrogen, P, and K were applied at different rates. Uptake of nutrients was measured in leaves, stems, and storage roots at 4, 8, and 12 or 14 months …