Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Economic And Livestock Health Impacts Of Birds On Dairies: Evidence From A Survey Of Washington Dairy Operators, Julie L. Elser, Amber L. Adams Progar, Karen M.M. Steensma, Tyler P. Caskin, Susan R. Kerr, Stephanie A. Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The survey described in this research paper aimed to investigate the economic and health impacts of birds on dairies. Birds are common pests on dairies, consuming and contaminating feed intended for cattle. As a result, dairy operators experience increased feed costs and increased pathogen and disease risk. We surveyed dairy operators attending the 2017 Washington Dairy Conference to examine the impact of birds on dairies in Washington State. Dairy operators reported feed losses valued at $55 per cow resulting in annual losses totaling $5.5 million in the Western region of the state and $9.2 million in the Eastern region of …

Double-Crested Cormorant Colony Effects On Soil Chemistry, Vegetation Structure And Avian Diversity, Leah Moran Veum, Brian S. Dorr, Katie C. Hanson-Dorr, R.J. Moore, Scott A. Rush

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Effects of Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) on vegetation, soil chemistry and tree health have been documented from their breeding colonies in the northern breeding grounds of Canada and the United States (U.S.) but not for areas within the southeastern United States where breeding activity is relatively novel. We compared vegetation and tree metrics such as structure diversity, and soil chemistry among colony islands, uninhabited islands, and abandoned colony islands within Guntersville Reservoir, a temperate forest ecosystem. Avian diversity and community structure were also quantified on these islands. Concentrations of potassium (K), phosphorus (P) and nitrate (NO3 −) in soil were …

Change In Motherhood Status And Fertility Problem Identification: Implications For Changes In Life Satisfaction, Arthur L. Greil, Julia Mcquillan, Andrea R. Burch, Michele H. Lowry, Stacy Tiemeyer, Kathleen S. Slauson-Blevins

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Objective: To determine whether the association between changes in life satisfaction and becoming a mother (or not) depends on fertility problem identification status.

Background: Evidence and symbolic interactionist theory suggest that, for women who initially perceive a fertility barrier, gaining the valued identity “mother” should be associated with increases and continuing to face a blocked goal (i.e., not becoming a mother) should be associated with decreases in life satisfaction.

Method: This study used the nationally representative two-wave National Survey of Fertility Barriers to conduct a change-score analysis with chained multiple imputation. The focal dependent variable was change in life satisfaction. …

Endoglin Protein Interactome Profiling Identifies Trim21 And Galectin-3 As New Binding Partners, Eunate Gallardo-Vara, Lidia Ruiz-Llorente, Juan Casado-Vela, María J. Ruiz-Rodríguez, Natalia López-Andrés, Asit K. Pattnaik, Miguel Quintanilla

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Endoglin is a 180-kDa glycoprotein receptor primarily expressed by the vascular endothelium and involved in cardiovascular disease and cancer. Heterozygous mutations in the endoglin gene (ENG) cause herediatry hemorrhagic telangiectasia type 1, a vascular disease that presents with nasal and gastrointestinal bleeding, skin and mucosa telangiectase, and arteriovenous malformations in internal organs. A circulating form of endoglin (alias soluble endoglin, sEng), proteolytically released from the membrane-bound protein, has been observed in several inflammation-related pathological conditions and appears to contribute to endothelial dysfunction and cancer development through unknown mechanisms. Membrane-bound endoglin is an auxiliary component of the TGF-B receptor complex and …

The Skiles Mummy: Care Of A Debilitated Hunter-Gatherer Evidenced By Coprolite Studies And Stable Isotopic Analysis Of Hair, Kirsten A. Verostick, Isabel Teixeira-Santos, Vaughn M. Bryant Jr., Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

The Skiles Mummy (SMM), a naturally mummified adult male from the late archaic period of Lower Pecos Canyonlands of South Texas, represents a unique case of care. SMM is an exceptional mummy within this region due to both the retention of a full head of hair, and having a diagnosed case of megacolon, a complication commonly associated with Chagas disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. Stable isotopic analysis of his hair is consistent with a diet incorporating of C₄/CAM plants with some C₃ plants, freshwater resources, and higher trophic level animals. However, the segments of hair most …

Evaluation Of Epas1 Variants For Association With Bovine Congestive Heart Failure [Version 1; Peer Review: 2 Approved], Michael P. Heaton, Adam S. Bassett, Katherine J. Whitman, Greta M. Krafsur, Sang M. Lee, Jaden M. Carlson, Halden J. Clark, Helen R. Smith, Madeline C. Pelster, Veronica Basnayake, Dale M. Grotelueschen, B. Vander Ley

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Bovine congestive heart failure (BCHF) has become increasingly prevalent in feedlot cattle in the Western Great Plains of North America. BCHF is an untreatable complex condition involving pulmonary hypertension that culminates in right ventricular failure and death. A protein variant of hypoxia-inducible factor 2 alpha (HIF2α, encoded by the endothelial PAS domain-containing protein 1 gene, EPAS1) was previously reported to be associated with pulmonary hypertension at altitudes exceeding 2,000 m. Our aim was to evaluate EPAS1 haplotypes for association with BCHF in feedlot cattle raised at moderate altitudes (1,200 m).

Methods: Paired samples of clinical cases and unaffected controls …

Bourbon Virus In Wild And Domestic Animals, Missouri, Usa, 2012–2013, Katelin C. Jackson, Thomas Gidlewski, J. Jeffrey Root, Angela M. Bosco-Lauth, R. Ryan Lash, Jessica R. Harmon, Aaron C. Brault, Nicholas A. Panella, William L. Nicholson, Nicholas Komar

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Bourbon virus (BRBV) was first isolated from a febrile patient with a history of tick bites in Bourbon County, Kansas, USA; the patient later died from severe illness in 2014 (1). Several additional human BRBV infections were reported subsequently from the midwestern and southern United States (2). BRBV belongs to the family Orthomyxoviridae, genus Thogotovirus, which is distributed worldwide and includes Araguari, Aransas Bay, Dhori, Jos, Thogoto, and Upolu viruses (1,3). Thogoto and Dhori viruses have been associated with human disease (4–6). Viruses within the genus Thogotovirus have been associated with hard or soft ticks (7). Recent studies suggest that …

Trends In Well-Being In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Nebraska Rural Poll Research Report 19-3, Rebecca Vogt, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, Timothy Meyer, Jason L. Weigle

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

Nebraska’s economy remained strong in the beginning of 2019. However, the continued weakness of the agriculture sector had the possibility of hampering the state’s economic growth. In addition, the March flooding had the potential for negative economic effects. Given these challenges, how do rural Nebraskans feel about their community? Are they satisfied with the services provided by their community? How do rural Nebraskans believe they are doing and how do they view their future? How satisfied are they with various items that influence their well-being? Have these views changed over the past 24 years? This paper provides a detailed analysis …

Predicting Functional Responses In Agro-Ecosystems From Animal Movement Data To Improve Management Of Invasive Pests, Mark Q. Wilber, Sarah M. Chinn, James C. Beasley, Raoul K. Bourghton, Ryan K. Brooks, Stephen S. Ditchkoff, Justin W. Fischer, Steve B. Hartley, Lindsey K. Holmstrom, John C. Kilgo, Jesse S. Lewis, Ryan S. Miller, Nathan P. Snow, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Samantha M. Wisely, Colleen T. Webb, Kim M. Peen

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Functional responses describe how changing resource availability affects consumer resource use, thus providing a mechanistic approach to prediction of the invasibility and potential damage of invasive alien species (IAS). However, functional responses can be context dependent, varying with resource characteristics and availability, consumer attributes, and environmental variables. Identifying context dependencies can allow invasion and damage risk to be predicted across different ecoregions. Understanding how ecological factors shape the functional response in agro-ecosystems can improve predictions of hotspots of highest impact and inform strategies to mitigate damage across locations with varying crop types and availability. We linked heterogeneous movement data across …

Role Of Dietary Flavonoid Compounds In Driving Patterns Of Microbial Community Assembly, Kerry L. Ivey, Andrew T. Chan, Jacques Izard, Aedin Cassidy, Geraint B. Rogers, Eric B. Rimm

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Flavonoids are a group of polyphenolic dietary compounds found in many different plant-based foods. There is increasing evidence that higher flavonoid intake may be causally linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases. The bioactivity and bioavailability of many dietary flavonoids can be influenced by gastrointestinal microbiome metabolism. However, the role that habitual flavonoid intake plays in shaping the human gut microbiome is poorly understood. We describe an application of an ecosystem-based analytic approach to nutritional, microbiome, and questionnaire data from a cohort of more than 240 generally healthy adult males to assess the role of …

Landscape Factors That Influence European Starling (Sturnus Vulgaris) Nest Box Occupancy At Nasa Plum Brook Station (Pbs), Erie County, Ohio, Usa, Morgan Pfeiffer, Thomas W. Seamans, Bruce N. Buckingham, Bradley F. Blackwell

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

During the last decade at NASA Plum Brook Station (PBS), Erie County, Ohio, United States, there has been a nearly 50% decrease in European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) occupancy (nests with ≥1 egg) of nest boxes designed to be used by starlings. Increased availability of natural cavities, from invertebrate pests, might have altered nest box occupation rates. It was hypothesized that starling nest box occupation rates would be a function of an index of potentially suitable tree cavities for nesting starlings, the semi-colonial nature of breeding starlings, and access to foraging areas (e.g., mowed lawns near buildings). Specifically, it was predicted …

Occupied, Judy Diamond, Tom Floyd, Rebecca Smith, Ann Downer-Hazell, Martin Powell, Nick Poliwko, Angie Fox, Amy Spiegel, Patricia Wonch Hill, Julia Mcquillan

Zea E-Books Collection

Our bodies are home to more microbes than human cells. The balance of helpful to harmful microbes in our bodies can make us sick or healthy. The Biology of Human project focuses on helping people understand themselves by exploring scientific principles that underlie modern research in human biology. Biology of Human is an alliance of science educators, artists, science writers, and biomedical researchers working to increase public understanding about viruses and infectious disease. In this comic, Daniel and Miguel find themselves in the world of the microbes, where they meet the Roid (Bacteroides), Longo biffi (Bifidobacterium longum), E. …

Stem Opportunities - High School 2019, Huey-Xian Kelly Wong, Madeleine Rauhauser, Annie Morgan Nelson

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

This publication details the lesson plan for the “Opportunities in STEM” club for the summer of 2019. This club began out of a desire to educate high school students about the opportunities and careers available in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. Often, students feel that the prospect of entering a STEM field is daunting and out of their grasp. What it means to be a scientist is often unclear, and students never consider opportunities out of the fear of the unknown, particularly when science is associated with complexity and difficulty. This lesson plan integrates experiments with a wealth …

Comparison Of The Efficacy Of Four Drug Combinations For Immobilization Of Wild Pigs, Christine K. Ellis, Morgan E. Wehtje, Lisa L. Wolfe, Peregrine L. Wolff, Clayton D. Hilton, Mark C. Fisher, Shari Green, Michael P. Glow, Joeseph M. Halseth, Michael J. Lavelle, Nathan P. Snow, Eric H. Vannatta, Jack C. Rhyan, Kurt C. Vercauteren, William R. Lance, Pauline Nol

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Field immobilization of native or invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) is challenging. Drug combinations commonly used often result in unsatisfactory immobilization, poor recovery, and adverse side effects, leading to unsafe handling conditions for both animals and humans. We compared four chemical immobilization combinations, medetomidine–midazolam–butorphanol (MMB), butorphanol–azaperone–medetomidine (BAM™), nalbuphine–medetomidine–azaperone (NalMed-A), and tiletamine– zolazepam–xylazine (TZX), to determine which drug combinations might provide better chemical immobilization of wild pigs. We achieved adequate immobilization with no post-recovery morbidity withMMB. Adequate immobilization was achieved with BAM™; however, we observed post-recovery morbidity. Both MMB and BAM™ produced more optimal results relative to body temperature, recovery, and …

Vision In An Abundant North American Bird: The Red-Winged Blackbird, Esteban Fernández-Juricic, Patrice E. Baumhardt, Luke P. Tyrrell, Amanda Elmore, Shelagh T. Deliberto, Scott J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Avian vision is fundamentally different from human vision; however, even within birds there are substantial between species differences in visual perception in terms of visual acuity, visual coverage, and color vision. However, there are not many species that have all these visual traits described, which can constrain our ability to study the evolution of visual systems in birds. To start addressing this gap, we characterized multiple traits of the visual system (visual coverage, visual acuity, centers of acute vision, and color vision) of the Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), one of the most abundant and studied birds in North America. We …

An Attenuated Zika Virus Encoding Non-Glycosylated Envelope (E) And Non-Structural Protein 1 (Ns1) Confers Complete Protection Against Lethal Challenge In A Mouse Model, Arun S. Annamalai, Aryamav Pattnaik, Bikash R. Sahoo, Zack P. Guinn, Brianna L. Bullard, Eric A. Weaver, David J. Steffen, Sathish Kumar Natarajan, Thomas M. Petro, Asit K. Pattnaik

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-transmitted flavivirus, emerged in the last decade causing serious human diseases, including congenital microcephaly in newborns and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. Although many vaccine platforms are at various stages of development, no licensed vaccines are currently available. Previously, we described a mutant MR766 ZIKV (m2MR) bearing an E protein mutation (N154A) that prevented its glycosylation, resulting in attenuation and defective neuroinvasion. To further attenuate m2MR for its potential use as a live viral vaccine, we incorporated additional mutations into m2MR by substituting the asparagine residues in the glycosylation sites (N130 and N207) of NS1 with alanine …

Low Secondary Risks For Captive Coyotes From A Sodium Nitrite Toxic Bait For Invasive Wild Pigs, Nathan P. Snow, Katherine E. Horak, Simon T. Humphrys, Linton D. Staples, David G. Hewitt, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

An acute toxic bait is being developed to deliver micro‐encapsulated sodium nitrite (SN) to stimulate severe methemoglobinemia and humane death for invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa), thereby providing a new tool for reducing their populations. During April 2016, we evaluated sensitivity to SN and outcomes of secondary consumption in the ubiquitous mammalian scavenger, coyote (Canis latrans), to determine secondary risks of consuming carcasses of wild pigs that died from consuming the SN toxic bait. At the National Wildlife Research Center in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, we first evaluated whether coyotes fed carcasses of domestic pigs killed by consumption of SN …

Bacteria-Mediated Modification Of Insecticide Toxicity In The Yellow Fever Mosquito, Aedes Aegypti, Sara S. Scates, Scott T. O'Neal, Troy D. Anderson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The incidence of mosquito-borne disease poses a significant threat to human and animal health throughout the world, with effective chemical control interventions limited by widespread insecticide resistance. Recent evidence suggests that gut bacteria of mosquitoes, known to be essential in nutritional homeostasis and pathogen defense, may also play a significant role in facilitating insecticide resistance. This study investigated the extent to which bacteria contribute to the general esterase and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450)-mediated detoxification of the insecticides propoxur and naled, as well as the insecticidal activity of these chemistries to the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Experiments conducted using …

An In Vitro Enrichment Strategy For Formulating Synergistic Synbiotics, Car Reen Kok, David Fabian Gomez Quintero, Clement Niyirora, Devin Rose, Amanda Li, Robert Hutkins

Food for Health: Publications

ABSTRACT Research on the role of diet on gut and systemic health has led to considerable interest toward identifying novel therapeutic modulators of the gut microbiome, including the use of prebiotics and probiotics. However, various host responses have often been reported among many clinical trials. This is in part due to competitive exclusion as a result of the absence of ecological niches as well as host mediated constraints via colonization resistance. In this research, we developed a novel in vitro enrichment (IVE) method for isolating autochthonous strains that can function as synergistic synbiotics and overcome these constraints. The method relied …

Post–Modern Epidemiology: When Methods Meet Matter, George Davey Smith

United States Public Health Resources

In the last third of the 20th century, etiological epidemiology within academia in high-income countries shifted its primary concern from attempting to tackle the apparent epidemic of noncommunicable diseases to an increasing focus on developing statistical and causal inference methodologies. This move was mutually constitutive with the failure of applied epidemiology to make major progress, with many of the advances in understanding the causes of noncommunicable diseases coming from outside the discipline, while ironically revealing the infectious origins of several major conditions. Conversely, there were many examples of epidemiologic studies promoting ineffective interventions and little evident attempt to account for …

Durvalumab In Combination With Olaparib In Patients With Relapsed Sclc: Results From A Phase Ii Study, Anish Thomas, Rasa Vilimas, Christopher Trindade, Rebecca Erwin-Cohen, Nitin Roper, Liqiang Xi, Venkatesh Krishnasamy, Elliot Levy, Andy Mammen, Samantha Nichols, Yuanbin Chen, Vamsidhar Velcheti, Faye Yin, Eva Szabo, Yves Pommier, Seth M. Steinberg, Jane B. Trepel, Mark Raffeld, Howard A. Young, Javed Khan, Stephen Hewitt, Jung Min Lee

United States Public Health Resources

Purpose: Despite high tumor mutationburden, immune checkpoint blockade has limited efficacy in SCLC. We hypothesized that poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibition could render SCLC more susceptible to immune checkpoint blockade. Methods: A single-arm, phase II trial (NCT02484404) enrolled patients with relapsed SCLC who received durvalumab, 1500 mg every 4 weeks, and olaparib, 300 mg twice a day. The primary outcome was objective response rate. Correlative studies included mandatory collection of pretreatment and during-treatment biopsy specimens, which were assessed to define SCLC immunephenotypes: desert (CD8-positive T-cell prevalence low), excluded (CD8-positive T cells in stroma immediately adjacent/within tumor), and inflamed (CD8-positive T cells …

Perceptions Of Immigration Among Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans: Nebraska Rural Poll Research Report 19-2, Rebecca Vogt, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyer, Jason L. Weigle

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

The percent of Nebraska’s population that is foreign born has steadily increased during the past decade. In fact, its growth in foreign born population since 2010 ranks in the top 10 among all states. Given these changes, are rural Nebraskans aware of recent immigrants in their community? How do they perceive immigrants and their impacts on rural Nebraska? How do they view various immigration policies? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions. This report details 1,776 responses to the 2019 Nebraska Rural Poll, the 24th annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of …

Taste Manipulation And Swallowing Mechanics In Trauma-Related Sensory-Based Dysphagia, Angela M. Dietsch, H. Duncan Dorris, William Pearson, Katie E. Dietrich-Burns, Nancy Pearl Solomon

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose: This study explored the effects of highconcentration taste manipulation trials on swallow function in persons with sensory-based dysphagia.

Method: Dysphagia researchers partnered with clinical providers to prospectively identify traumatically injured U.S. military service members (N = 18) with sensorybased dysphagia as evidenced by delayed initiation and/or decreased awareness of residue/penetration/ aspiration. Under videofluoroscopy, participants swallowed trials of 3 custom-mixed taste stimuli: unflavored (40% weight/volume [wt/vol] barium sulfate in distilled water), sour (2.7%wt/vol citric acid in 40% wt/vol barium suspension), and sweet–sour (1.11% wt/vol citric acid plus 8% wt/vol sucrose in 40% wt/vol barium suspension). Trials were analyzed …

Longitudinal Quantification Of Adenovirus Neutralizing Responses In Zambian Mother-Infant Pairs: Impact Of Hiv-1 Infection And Its Treatment, Sara R. Privatt, Brianna L. Bullard, Eric A. Weaver, Charles Wood, John T. West

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Vaccination offers the most cost-effective approach to limiting the adverse impact of infectious and neoplastic diseases that reduce the quality of life in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, it is unclear what vaccine vectors would be most readily implementable in the setting and at what age they should be applied for maximal efficacy. Adenoviruses (Ad) and Ad-based vectors have been demonstrated to induce effective humoral and cellular immune responses in animal models and in humans. However, because immunity associated with Ad infection is lifelong, there exists a debate as to whether pre-existing immunity might decrease the efficacy of Ad vectored vaccines. …

Environmental Sampling Techniques For Herd-Level Surveillance Of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus, Jaden Carlson

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Control of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) relies on resource-intensive individual animal sampling to detect and remove persistently infected (PI) cattle. Herd-level surveillance tools would be useful for herds with unknown BVDV status and for monitoring herds with BVDV-free status. The overall objective of this thesis is to explore the viability of BVDV surveillance at a herd-level using samples collected without handling individual animals. The first objective was to determine the feasibility of using stable flies as a sampling tool to detect BVDV. The second objective was to determine the feasibility of using drinking water to detect BVDV. To accomplish …

Validation Of A Death Assay For Angiostrongylus Cantonensis Larvae (L3) Using Propidium Iodide In A Rat Model (Rattus Norvegicus), Susan I. Jarvi, John Jacob, Robert T. Sugihara, Israel L. Leinbach, Ina H. Klasner, Lisa M. Kaluna, Kirsten A. Snook, M. Kathleen Howe, Steven H. Jacquier, Ingo Lange, Abigail L. Atkinson, Ashley R. Deane, Chris N. Niebuhr, Shane R. Siers

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a pathogenic nematode and the cause of neuroangiostrongyliasis, an eosinophilic meningitis more commonly known as rat lungworm disease. Transmission is thought to be primarily due to ingestion of infective third stage larvae (L3) in gastropods, on produce, or in contaminated water. The gold standard to determine the effects of physical and chemical treatments on the infectivity of A. cantonensis L3 larvae is to infect rodents with treated L3 larvae and monitor for infection, but animal studies are laborious and expensive and also raise ethical concerns. This study demonstrates propidium iodide (PI) to be a reliable marker of …

Type X Strains Of Toxoplasma Gondii Are Virulent For Southern Sea Otters (Enhydra Lutris Nereis) And Present In Felids From Nearby Watersheds, Karen Shapiro, Elizabeth Vanwormer, Andrea Packham, Erin Dodd, Patricia A. Conrad, Melissa Miller

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Why some Toxoplasma gondii-infected southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) develop fatal toxoplasmosis while others have incidental or mild chronic infections has long puzzled the scientific community. We assessed robust datasets on T. gondii molecular characterization in relation to detailed necropsy and histopathology results to evaluate whether parasite genotype influences pathological outcomes in sea otters that stranded along the central California coast. Genotypes isolated from sea otters were also compared with T. gondii strains circulating in felids from nearby coastal regions to assess land-to-sea parasite transmission. The predominant T. gondii genotypes isolated from 135 necropsied sea otters were atypical Type …

Contact Rates With Nesting Birds Before And After Invasive Snake Removal: Estimating The Effects Of Trap-Based Control, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Melia G. Nafus, Page E. Klug, Björn Lardner, M.J. Mazurek, Julie A. Savidge, Robert N. Reed

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive predators are responsible for almost 60% of all vertebrate extinctions worldwide with the most vulnerable faunas occurring on islands. The brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) is a notorious invasive predator that caused the extirpation or extinction of most native forest birds on Guam. The success of avian reintroduction efforts on Guam will depend on whether snake-control techniques sufficiently reduce contact rates between brown treesnakes and reintroduced birds. Mouse-lure traps can successfully reduce brown treesnake populations at local scales. Over a 22-week period both with and without active snake removal, we evaluated snake-trap contact rates for mouse- and bird-lure traps. Bird-lure …

An Evaluation Of The Registration And Use Prospects For Four Candidate Toxicants For Controlling Invasive Mongooses (Herpestes Javanicus Auropunctatus), Emily W. Ruell, Chris N. Niebuhr, Robert T. Sugihara, Shane R. Siers

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The eradication or control of invasive small Indian mongooses from islands likely requires toxic baiting when removal by trapping proves insufficient. The one toxic bait currently registered for mongooses in the United States has relatively low palatability and efficacy for mongooses. Developing and registering a new pesticide can be very expensive, while funding for developing toxicants for mongooses is limited. Once registered, use of a toxic bait may be hindered by other factors, such as public opposition to an inhumane toxicant, poorer efficacy than expected, or if the toxic bait is difficult for applicators to apply or store. Therefore, we …

The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status And White Matter Microstructure In Pre-Reading Children: A Longitudinal Investigation, Ola Ozernov-Palchik, Elizabeth S. Norton, Yingying Wang, Sara D. Beach, Jennifer Zuk, Maryanne Wolf, John D.E. Gabrieli, Nadine Gaab

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Reading is a learned skill crucial for educational attainment. Children from families of lower socioeconomic status (SES) tend to have poorer reading performance and this gap widens across years of schooling. Reading relies on the orchestration of multiple neural systems integrated via specific white-matter pathways, but there is limited understanding about whether these pathways relate differentially to reading performance depending on SES background. Kindergarten white-matter FA and second-grade reading outcomes were investigated in an SES-diverse sample of 125 children. The three left-hemisphere white-matter tracts most associated with reading, and their right-hemisphere homologs, were examined: arcuate fasciculus (AF), superior longitudinal fasciculus …