Life Sciences Commons^™

Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Disease: Social And Environmental Drivers Of Movement, Connectivity, And Disease Transmission In Bighorn Sheep, Lauren E. Ricci

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Movement is a fundamental component of animal ecology. Animals move in order to access resources and avoid risk. Movement decisions aggregated across time determine how individuals use space, contact dynamics between individuals within a population, and connectivity across a species range. These patterns that emerge from movement decisions have downstream implications for many ecological processes and a mechanistic understanding of movement can help answer broader questions about ecology.

Disease dynamics are intrinsically tied to movement. Understanding the mechanisms that drive movement can elucidate how disease will spread and impact host populations. In this vein, I employed a suite of movement …

Increased Longevity Of Red Clover Through Selection For Persistence And Disease Resistance, R R. Smith

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), an excellent perennial forage legume, has been considered for many years to be a short-lived, two to three years, forage. Selection for resistance to foliar and root rot diseases and for longevity of stand over the past four decades has improved the persistence of the currently available cultivars. The present studies were conducted to evaluate the progress from selection for longevity and disease resistance. Selection for stand longevity and improved disease resistance has reliably extended the production of red clover into the third and fourth year. Selection for healthy plants in 3- or …

Impacts Of Environmental Stressors On Native South Dakota Amphibian Physiology And Survival, Danielle Jean Galvin

Dissertations and Theses

Amphibian populations around the world are declining, with some of the most likely drivers behind these declines including emerging infectious diseases and environmental contaminants. To address major gaps in the current literature, I sought to evaluate the effect of two major environmental stressors on various aspects of amphibian physiology: emerging infectious diseases and environmental contaminants. Emerging infectious diseases of amphibians include fungal, viral, and parasitic pathogens which have expanded in host range, either geographically or in competent host species. Environmental contaminants include chemicals which may be naturally occurring in the environment, or which may be introduced to the environment, often …

Quantifying Non-Gaussian Intermittent Fluctuations In Physiology: Multiscale Probability Density Function Analysis Using The Savitzky-Golay Detrending, Madhur Mangalam, Damian G. Kelty-Stephen, Eiichi Watanabe, Ken Kiyono

Journal Articles

When measuring physiological data, the central limit theorem typically implies a consistent variance, resulting in data that closely follow a Gaussian distribution. However, physiological measurements often deviate from this expectation, increasing variance due to nonlinear correlations across various scales. The challenge lies in testing these tails, which comprise only rare and extreme values. We introduce multiscale probability density function (PDF) analysis, a method that estimates this non-Gaussianity parameter for physiological fluctuations in each of multiple timescales. We gain valuable insights into the observed distributions with heavier tails and nonlinear correlations by exploring the relationship between non-Gaussianity and logarithmic scale. To …

Replenishment Of Essential Natural Resources: An Assessment Of The Ability Of Freshwater Algae To Enhance Crop Quality And Soil Health, Lala Christina Ek

Theses and Dissertations

Disregard for soil, an essential natural resource, hinders global food production. Food insecurity is a major concern for both public health officials and environmental scientists due to soil quality decline, pollution, and climate change. Alternatives or targeted additions to chemical fertilizers can bolster soil quality, improve crop yields, lengthen crop shelf life, and mitigate environmental pollution. One potential alternative to chemical fertilizers is replacement of them with biological soil amendments, including algae, to enhance crop growth and improve soil health. Research was conducted at the University of South Carolina-Columbia campus garden to determine impacts of non-toxic freshwater algae on crop …

The Future Of Pandemics: Land Use Controls As Means Of Preventing Zoonotic Disease, Bailey Andree

Pace International Law Review

Zoonotic diseases are increasing in frequency as climate change worsens around the world, with the recent COVID-19 pandemic highlighting the inadequate mechanisms in place to counteract disease spread. This article reviews various zoonotic diseases and their patterns of spread, highlighting land use change as the key driver of disease to demonstrate the need for legal intervention. International land use law is a little-developed subsect of environmental law that holds the key to combating this disease spread, and this article proposes solutions through this legal lens. Land use techniques which may be used to combat disease spread include conservation laws, setback …

Social Network Analysis Of White-Tailed Deer Scraping Behavior: Implications For Disease Transmission, Michael E. Egan, Kim M. Pepin, Justin Fischer, Scott R. Hygnstrom, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Host contact structure affects pathogen transmission in host populations, but many measures of host contact do not distinguish contacts that are relevant to pathogen transmission from those that are not. Scrapes are sites for chemical communication by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) during the breeding season and potential sites of transmission of prions, the causative agent of chronic wasting disease (CWD). Scrape-related behaviors vary in their probability of transmitting prions to or from the environment, suggesting that behavior be combined with contact structure to better reflect potential heterogeneity in prion transmission at scrapes. We recorded visits and behaviors by …

Fungicide Efficacy On Fusarium Head Blight Of Hard Red Winter Wheat In Parsons, Ks, Sylvia R.G. Moraes, Bruno C. Pedreira, Gretchen F. Sassenrath, Erick De Wolf, Rodrigo B. Onofre, Kelsey Andersen Onofre

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

In 2022, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the efficacy of fungicide programs on Fusarium head blight (FHB) and deoxynivalenol (DON) levels. Fungicide treatments were evaluated in plots of the hard red winter wheat cultivar ‘KanMark’ inoculated withFusarium graminearumin Parsons, KS. Treatments consisted of a single application of Prosaro, Caramba, Miravis Ace, Prosaro Pro, or Sphaerex at early anthesis (Feekes 10.5.1), or dual application of Miravis Ace at early anthesis followed by (fb) Prosaro Pro, Sphaerex, or Folicur at 4 days after early anthesis. All fungicide programs numerically reduced FHB visual symptoms and resulted in …

Multi-Year Environmental Trends Of Shrimp Black Gill (Hyalophysa Lynni) Prevalence In Texas Gulf Coast Shrimp Populations, Jillian L. Swinford, Joel Anderson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Shrimp Black Gill, caused by the apostome ciliate Hyalophysa lynni, is an emerging disease impacting penaeid shrimp populations along the southeast Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Changing annual environmental conditions may drive infection levels of this parasitic ciliate in these populations, which comprise one of the largest fisheries in the United States. Hyalophysa lynni is established on the Texas Gulf Coast, and prevalence of this parasite has a strong seasonal and spatial trend, likely linked with high temperature and a wide range of estuarine salinities. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department monitored shrimp black gill in 2 …

Population Trajectory And Stressors Of Acropora Palmata Sites In The Florida Keys, Karen L. Neely, Kevin A. Macaulay, Kate S. Lunz

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The decline of elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, has been ongoing for decades, but the causes of decline and the resulting population status continue to be topics of study. Past efforts to categorize stressors have ranged from spatially and/or temporally focused efforts that detect local stressors but may miss broader patterns to meta-analyses that identify large-scale trends but may not account for finer-scale variability. We here conduct an analysis of sites surveyed across five years (2010-2015) and much of the Florida Reef Tract in order to look at large-scale patterns while also accounting for site, habitat, seasonal, and annual variability. …

Anticipating Infection: How Parasitism Risk Changes Animal Physiology, Patricia C. Lopes

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

1. Uninfected animals can attempt to prevent parasitism in many ways. Behavioural avoidance of parasitized conspecifics, for instance, is documented in several species.
2. Interactions with parasitized conspecifics can also, however, lead to physiological changes in uninfected animals, an effect that is much less well studied, and consequently, less well understood. The way in which exposure to parasitism risk changes the physiology of uninfected animals and the impacts of those changes on animal fitness remain a significant gap in knowledge.
3. Determining how the disease environment experienced by animals impacts their physiology, survival and reproduction has major implications for our knowledge of how …

Interdisciplinary Team Addresses Cotton Leafroll Dwarf Virus In Alabama, Kassie N. Conner, Edward Sikora, Jenny Koebernick, Marcio Zaccaron

The Journal of Extension

A multi-state and interdisciplinary team was formed to address the Extension and research needs of CLRDV, an emerging cotton disease with high potential impact for U.S. cotton production. In 2017, CLRDV was identified in AL and Auburn University immediately formed an interdisciplinary working group composed of plant breeders, plant pathologists, entomologists, and agronomists. Since then, scientists from ten other states have joined the CLRDV group. Thus, allowing research to be coordinated efficiently and best deploy limited resources to attend the stakeholder’s needs. The CLRDV group produces and shares new and relevant information with the scientific community and cotton producers alike.

Where To Invest Project Efforts For Greater Benefit: A Framework Formanagement Performance Mapping With Examples For Potato Seed Health, C. E. Buddenhagen, Y. Xing, J. L. Andrade-Piedra, G. A. Forbes, P. Kromann, I. Navarrete, S. Thomas-Sharma, Robin A. Choudhury, K. F. Andersen Onofre, E. Schulte-Geldermann

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Policymakers and donors often need to identify the locations where technologies are most likely to have important effects, to increase the benefits from agricultural development or extension efforts. Higher-quality information may help to target the high-benefit locations, but often actions are needed with limited information. The value of information (VOI) in this context is formalized by evaluating the results of decision making guided by a set of specific information compared with the results of acting without considering that information. We present a framework for management performance mapping that includes evaluating the VOI for decision making about geographic priorities in regional …

Vectors, Pathogens And Climate Change: How Will Human Health Be Affected?, Joseph T. Barry

Honors Projects

This paper details how ongoing climate change will continue to affect the future of humanity. More specifically, this paper seeks to begin a conversation about how climate change impacts vectors and vector-borne pathogens and how both of these ultimately impact the future of human health. Three different vectors and three different pathogens are compared to provide an overview of how climate change may benefit these vectors and their associated pathogens. The vectors species selected for this comparative study are: (i) mosquitoes (Diptera, family Culicine), (ii) ticks (superorder Parasitiformes, order Ixodida), and (iii) kissing bugs (Hemiptera, subfamily Triatominae). Yellow fever virus …

Macronutrient Availability Shapes Host Response To Infection And Feeding Behavior, Weston Gerald Perrine

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Macronutrients in the diet are vital to the physiological processes necessary for an organism to effectively clear a pathogen. Diet can be important to a host’s susceptibility to infection and severity of pathology, though results can vary across host-pathogen systems (Sen et al. 2016). Manipulating the ratio of specific macronutrients in the diet is an effective method to begin understanding how individual macronutrients, rather than food types, have on immune responses. Using an avian host-pathogen system, I explored the effects of dietary macronutrient composition, specifically lipid and protein content, on disease pathology and behavior of canaries (Serinus canaria) infected with …

Optimizing Management Of Invasions In An Uncertain World Using Dynamic Spatial Models, Kim M. Pepin, Amy J. Davis, Rebecca S. Epanchin-Niell, Andrew M. Gormley, Joslin L. Moore, Timothy J. Smyser, H. Bradley Shaffer, William L. Kendall, Katriona Shea, Michael C. Runge, Sophie Mckee

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Dispersal drives invasion dynamics of nonnative species and pathogens. Applying knowledge of dispersal to optimize the management of invasions can mean the difference between a failed and a successful control program and dramatically improve the return on investment of control efforts. A common approach to identifying optimal management solutions for invasions is to optimize dynamic spatial models that incorporate dispersal. Optimizing these spatial models can be very challenging because the interaction of time, space, and uncertainty rapidly amplifies the number of dimensions being considered. Addressing such problems requires advances in and the integration of techniques from multiple fields, including ecology, …

Uv Exposure Causes Energy Trade-Offs Leading To Increased Chytrid Fungus Susceptibility In Green Tree Frog Larvae, Rebecca L. Cramp, Michel E. B. Ohmer, Craig E. Franklin

Faculty and Student Publications

Levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation have increased in many parts of the world due to the anthropogenic destruction of the ozone layer. UV radiation is a potent immunosuppressant and can increase the susceptibility of animal hosts to pathogens. UV radiation can directly alter immune function via immunosuppression and photoimmunotolerance; however, UV may also influence pathogen defences by affecting the distribution of energy resources among competing physiological processes. Both defence against UV damage and repair of incurred damage, as well as the maintenance of immune defences and responding to an immune challenge, are energetically expensive. These competing demands for finite energy …

2022 Standard-Sized Triploid Watermelon Cultivar Evaluation In Indiana, Wenjing Guan, Dean Haseman, Dennis Nowaskie, Dan Egel

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

A total of 6,600 acres of watermelons were planted in southern Indiana in 2021, making Indiana the sixth largest watermelon production state in the US, following Florida, Texas, Georgia, California, and North Carolina (USDA, 2022). Farmers select cultivars based on yield, disease resistance and fruit quality. This annual watermelon cultivar evaluation trial aims to provide watermelon producers and seed companies with information on the performances of different watermelon cultivars in southern Indiana.

Pulmonary Function And Blood Dna Methylation: A Multiancestry Epigenome-Wide Association Meta-Analysis, Mikyeong Lee, Tianxiao Huan, Daniel L. Mccartney, Geetha Chittoor, Maaike De Vries, Lies Lahousse, Jennifer N. Nguyen, Jennifer A. Brody, Juan Castillo-Fernandez, Natalie Terzikhan, Cancan Qi, Roby Joehanes, Josine L. Min, Gordon J. Smilnak, Jessica R. Shaw, Chen Xi Yang, Elena Colicino, Thanh T. Hoang, Mairead L. Bermingham, Hanfei Xu, Anne E. Justice, Cheng-Jian Xu, Stephen S. Rich, Simon R. Cox, Judith M. Vonk, Ivana Prokić, Nona Sotoodehnia, Pei-Chien Tsai, Joel D. Schwartz, Janice M. Leung, Sinjini Sikdar, Rosie M. Walker, Sarah E. Harris, Diana A. Van Der Plaat, David J. Van Den Berg, Traci M. Bartz, Tim D. Spector, Pantel S. Vokonas, Riccardo E. Marioni, Adele M. Taylor, Yongmei Liu, R. Graham Barr, Leslie A. Lange, Andrea A. Baccarelli, Ma'en Obeidat, Myriam Fornage, Tianyuan Wang, James M. Ward, Alison A. Motsinger-Reif, Gibran Hemani, Gerard H. Koppelman, Jordana T. Bell, Sina A. Gharib, Guy Brusselle, H. Marike Boezen, Kari E. North, Daniel Levy, Kathryn L. Evans, Josée Dupris, Charles E. Breeze, Ani Manichaikul, Stephanie J. London

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Rationale: Methylation integrates factors present at birth and modifiable across the lifespan that can influence pulmonary function. Studies are limited in scope and replication.

Objectives: To conduct large-scale epigenome-wide meta-analyses of blood DNA methylation and pulmonary function.

Methods: Twelve cohorts analyzed associations of methylation at cytosine-phosphate-guanine probes (CpGs), using Illumina 450K or EPIC/850K arrays, with FEV₁, FVC, and FEV₁/FVC. We performed multiancestry epigenome-wide meta-analyses (total of 17,503 individuals; 14,761 European, 2,549 African, and 193 Hispanic/Latino ancestries) and interpreted results using integrative epigenomics.

Measurements and Main Results: We identified 1,267 CpGs (1,042 genes) differentially methylated (false discovery …

Participatory Identification Of Factors Inhibiting Integrated Management Of Livestock And Wildlife Production On Kenyan Rangelands, E. N. Muthiani, S. K. Karimi

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Unveiling Global Roles Of G-Quadruplexes And G4-22 In Human Genetics, Ruth Barros De Paula

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

G-quadruplexes are non-B DNA structures formed by four or more runs of repeated guanines that confer unique features to living organism’s genomes. These sequences are enriched in regulatory regions, such as promoters and 5’ UTRs, and have distinct regulatory roles in both health and disease states. Even though previous studies showed the impact of G4 in gene expression, none of them summarized the location-specific effect of G4. Also, there is no broad understanding about the most common G4 repeat in the human genome, named here as G4-22, and how it links to the evolution of mammals and their biology. In …

Dna Damage And Aging In Progeria Compared To Healthy Cells., Ashtyn Marie Hill

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Decline In Amphibian Health In Local Stream, Elyse Vetter, Elise Dearment, Colton Russell, Audrey Fontes, Lee Kats

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Many local streams of the Santa Monica Mountains are populated by the native California Newt, Taricha torosa, a species of special concern. Arroyo Sequit is one of these streams, the upper and lower portions of which are split by a culvert and the Mulholland Highway. This stream and the surrounding areas burned during the Woolsey fire of 2018. Since the fire, construction has been ongoing in and around the stream. Two years post-fire (during the summer of 2020) significantly more newts were found in the stream than years prior. A large proportion of these newts were unhealthy in appearance, …

Living With It: A Patient’S And A Biochemist’S Perspective On Kidney Disease; A Historical Review Of Alport Syndrome, Jacob Olson

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

A review paper on the origin of health studies around Alport Syndrome, including aspects of genetics, pharmacy, and biochemistry, from the past to today and beyond. This report deals with important aspects of health development with regards to kidney disease overall, but narrows its focus on Alport Syndrome specifically due to the personal nature of the topic for the author. While this paper includes no personal testimony, as it is strictly meant to be formal, the author shares a deep connection with the material.

2021 Standard-Size Triploid Watermelon Variety Evaluation In Indiana, Wenjing Guan, Dan Egel, Dennis Nowaskie, Dean Haseman

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

A total of 6,700 acres of watermelons were planted in Indiana in 2020 with a production value of $46.9 million (USDA 2021). Production in Indiana in 2020 was increased from 6,500 acres and $35.3 million production value in 2019. Primary watermelon type grown in Indiana is standard-sized triploid watermelons. Variety selection based on yield, disease resistance and fruit quality is a key decision in watermelon production. The objective of this study is to provide watermelon producers and seed companies with the updated information on the performance of watermelon varieties grown in Indiana.

Polar Bear Behavior: Morphologic And Physiologic Adaptations, John P. Whiteman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Polar bears possess morphologic and physiologic characteristics that reflect their terrestrial lineage as members of the bear family (Ursidae) as well as adaptations to the Arctic marine environment. Among marine mammals, they are the least adapted for aquatic life. They exhibit substantial seasonality in body mass, body condition, and many physiological functions, reflecting the annual cycle of both their Arctic sea ice habitat and the availability of their main prey, ringed seals. This hypercarnivorous diet has likely influenced the polar bear’s craniodental morphology and nutritional physiology. Similar to other marine mammal predators, polar bears exhibit a relatively high resting metabolic …

Spatial And Temporal Variation In Aedes Albopictus Prevalence Across Arkansas, Alyssa N. Jones, Eric C. Lovely, Douglas G. Barron

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Aedes albopictus is a well-known vector species of mosquito that is responsible for the transmission of many arboviruses such as Zika, chikungunya, and dengue. The objective of this study was to quantify spatial and temporal variation of Ae. albopictus prevalence in Arkansas. We used egg abundance as a proxy for mosquito prevalence. Across 2 years, we worked with the Arkansas Department of Health to collect mosquito eggs using oviposition traps. Eggs were desiccated, counted, and later rehydrated in rearing chambers and raised through adulthood for species determination (>99% Ae. albopictus). We determined mean egg abundance by month, year, …

Failure Of Passive Transfer In Neonatal Calves In Dairy Farms In Ankara Region, Erdal Kara, Ebubeki̇r Ceylan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study, as a model for the farms in Turkey implementing professional herd management protocols, was conducted to examine a variety of factors in relation to the prevalence of failure of passive transfer (FPT) and the passive transfer (PT) in dairy farms in Ankara. A total of 400 calves and 363 cows from 9 different farms practicing professional herd management systems and employ full-time veterinarians were included in the study. Following the birth of the calf, colostrum was taken from cows, blood samples were taken from calves at 24-48 h of age and analysed for IgG using ELISA. FPT was …

Disease Prevalence And The Population Genetic Structure Of Crassostrea Virginica Along The Georgia Coast, Sarah Batchelor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, is an ecologically important species that plays a role in protecting shorelines, water filtration, and providing habitat and food for various fish species. Perkinsus marinus and Haplosporidium nesloni are two pathogens currently affecting oyster populations. These pathogens have both been documented as causes of mass mortality events along the East coast. They greatly diminish the health of oysters, resulting in the degradation of oyster tissue, reduction in growth and reproductive ability, and may cause death. In this study, wild oysters were collected from eleven locations along the Georgia coast to investigate the presence, intensity, …

Primer Registro Del Pequeño Escarabajo De La Colmena Aethina Tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) En Colmenas De Abejas Africanizadas En Guatemala, José Francisco García Ochaeta

Insecta Mundi

Se registra por primera vez la presencia del pequeño escarabajo de la colmena (PEC), Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), en colmenas de abejas africanizadas en el departamento de Petén, Guatemala, alimentándose de miel y polen. Se presenta información básica sobre la especie, su distribución conocida actual e ilustraciones para ayudar en su identificación.

The presence of the small hive beetle (SHB), Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), is recorded for the first time in Africanized beehives from Petén department, Guatemala, feeding on honey and pollen. Basic information about the species, including its currently known distribution, and illustrations, are presented to aid …