Mesic Vegetation Persistence: A New Approach for Monitoring Spatial and Temporal Changes in Water Availability in Dryland Regions Using Cloud Computing and the Sentinel and Landsat Constellations

Climate change and anthropogenic activity pose severe threats to water availability in drylands. A better understanding of water availability response to these threats could improve our ability to adapt and mitigate climate and anthropogenic effects. Here, we present a Mesic Vegetation Persistence (MVP) workflow that takes every usable image in the Sentinel (10-m) and Landsat (30-m) archives to generate a dense time-series of water availability that is continuously updated as new images become available in Google Earth Engine. MVP takes advantage of the fact that mesic vegetation can be used as a proxy of available water in drylands. Our MVP workflow combines a novel moisture-based index (moisture change index - MCI) with a vegetation index (Modified Chlorophyll Absorption Ratio Vegetation Index (MCARI2)). MCI is the difference in soil moisture condition between an individual pixel\u27s state and the dry and wet reference reflectance in the image, derived using 5th and 95th percentiles of the visible and shortwave infra-red drought index (VSDI). We produced and validated our MVP products across drylands of the western U.S., covering a broad range of elevation, land use, and ecoregions. MVP outperforms NDVI, a commonly-employed index for mesic ecosystem health, in both rangeland and forested ecosystems, and in mesic habitats with particularly high and low vegetation cover. We applied our MVP product at case study sites and found that MVP more accurately characterizes differences in mesic persistence, late-season water availability, and restoration success compared to NDVI. MVP could be applied as an indicator of change in a variety of contexts to provide a greater understanding of how water availability changes as a result of climate and management. Our MVP product for the western U.S. is freely available within a Google Earth Engine Web App, and the MVP workflow is replicable for other dryland regions

A79: Epidemiology of Athletic Injuries in China College Rock Climbing Athlete

Purpose: Originating from mountaineering, rock climbing has encountered fresh opportunities for growth since its inclusion in the Olympics, and there is a growing awareness of the associated injury risks. Methods: Using questionnaire survey and mathematical statistics methods, this paper studied the epidemiological characteristics of sports injuries among Chinese college rock-climbing athletes by 6 Chinese university rock-climbing teams. Results: The incidence of sports injury was as high as 87.10%, and the annual incidence of injury was 3.39 times/year. The number of injuries was mainly 1 time (43.55%), and the number of injuries was less in 4 (8.06%;) or 5 times (1.61%). A total of 105 injuries occurred, involving 107 body parts. Finger injuries were the most frequent, 30 times (28.04%), and followed by knee joint 12 times (11.21%). The most common injuries were abrasions (39.25%) followed by strains (26.17%) and impact injuries (13.08%). The incidence of acute injury was much higher than that of chronic injury, with 73 acute injuries (69.52%) and 32 chronic injuries (30.48%). UIAA1 injury was the most, 93 times (88.57%), followed by UIAA2 injury 10 times (9.52%). UIAA3 injury was once (0.95%). The most injuries occurred during training with 88 times (83.81%), followed by 11 times in competition (10.48%) and 6 times in other times (5.71%). Rock climbing events had the most injuries with 53 times (50.48%), followed by 32 times (30.48%), speed 15 times (14.29%) and other 5 times (4.76%). The factors influencing the occurrence of injury include risk factors and inducing events. The most important risk factors were the awareness of injury protection (P \u3c 0.05), sufficient preparation activities (P \u3c 0.05), wearing professional climbing shoes (P \u3c 0.05), and qualified protectors (P \u3c 0.05). Insufficient warm-up (n=41; 26.28%), the athlete\u27s own technical movement error (n=35; 22.44%), excessive exercise load (n=25; 16.03%) were the most major injury-inducing event. Conclusion: Chinese college rock climbers face a high incidence of injuries, affecting various body sites and manifesting in numerous injury types. The injuries tend to be of a relatively mild degree, and the risk factors are complex and variable. It is crucial for the Chinese community to approach rock climbing injuries with reason, diligently avoid associated risk factors, enhance support for rock climbing injury research, and foster the healthy and rapid development of rock climbing among Chinese college students

Effects of Wind Turbine Noise on Songbird Behavior During Nonbreeding Season

Anthropogenic noise is one of the fastest growing, globally widespread pollutants, affecting countless species worldwide. Despite accumulating evidence of the negative impacts of wind turbines on wildlife, little is known about how the noise they generate affects ecological systems. Songbirds may be susceptible to noise pollution due to their reliance on vocal communication and thus, in this field study, we examined how songbirds are affected by wind turbine noise. We broadcasted noise produced by one wind turbine in a migratory stopover site during the nonbreeding season. Throughout the study, we repeatedly monitored the acoustic environment and songbird community before, during, and after the noise treatments with passive acoustic monitoring and mist netting. We employed generalized linear mixed effects models to assess the impact of experimental noise treatment on birds behavior and likelihood ratio tests to compare models with variables of interest with null models. The daily number of birds in the presence of wind turbine noise decreased by approximately 30% compared with the before and after phases. This reduction had a significant spatial pattern; the largest decrease was closer to the speaker and on its downwind side, fitting measured sound propagation. Although we found no impact on species diversity, two out of three most common species showed clear avoidance behavior: 45% and 36% decrease in abundance for the lesser whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) and Sardinian warbler (Sylvia melanocephala momus), respectively. In the after phase, there were lingering effects on the lesser whitethroat. The age structure of the lesser whitethroat population was affected because only juvenile birds showed avoidance behavior. No difference in avoidance extent was found between migratory and nonmigratory species, but the impacts of displacement on migrants during stopover are especially troubling from a conservation perspective. Our results stress the need to address the impacts of noise pollution on wildlife when planning noise-generating infrastructures, such as wind turbines, to allow for sustainable development without threatening already declining songbird populations

COVID-19: Companion Animals Help People Cope During Government-Imposed Social Isolation

This research explores the impact of government-imposed social isolation orders on homes with companion animals. Data were collected April through May 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey of 234 Americans observing social isolation orders included demographic questions; questions about relationships to other persons and companion animals within the home; and Likert-scale questions designed to probe the complexities of these relationships and their influences on perceived stress and isolation. We hypothesized that the presence of companion animals helps to mitigate stressors related to observing social isolation orders, with those living alone experiencing more benefit and homes with children experiencing less. The results suggest that the presence of companion animals alleviates stress and isolation by providing attachment figures and activities on which to focus one’s energy. These results support that companion animals are increasingly viewed as members of one’s family and provide social support during stressful life events

Teaching Excellence Through Mindful Reflection

Reflective teaching is examining one’s beliefs about teaching and learning and determining the alignment of those beliefs with what happens within your courses (Reflective Teaching, 2021). The goal is to think critically about one’s teaching to find evidence of effective teaching as well as identifying potential areas for improvement (Palmer, 2017). The tool described here is based on the Framework for Assessing Teaching Effectiveness (FATE) and is intended to help teachers develop self-reflection around teaching and objectively describe their strengths and weaknesses in a manner consistent with the evidence of their teaching practices (Simonson, Earl, and Frary, 2021; Simonson, Frary, and Earl, 2023)

Proteomic Dataset for Decellularization of Porcine Auricular Cartilage

Objectives Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major concern in the United States and worldwide. Development and validation of robust decellularization techniques is critical in generating suitable bioscaffolds for future OA treatment options. Data descriptions In the present study, proteins from porcine auricular cartilage before and after decellularization were extracted, digested, and identified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The data represents protein profiles of both non-decellularized and decellularized porcine auricular cartilage. This data is intended to be useful to scientists who are interesting in generating biomaterials for potential relevant clinical applications using decellularized cartilage tissue

Investigating How Secondary Metabolites Change During Interactions Among Fungi and Bacteria

Sagebrush leaves host microbial communities that produce secondary metabolites likely to be important for plant health and function. Previous research demonstrated the antagonistic properties of B. amyloliquefaciens against fungal microbes, possibly attributable to its secretion of secondary metabolites. This study investigates the chemistry of three sagebrush-associated microbes—C. hebarum, A. pullulans, and B. amyloliquefaciens—during their interactions. Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis confirmed differential metabolite profiles among monocultures and co-cultures. Additionally, the widespread distribution of B. amyloliquefaciens in various environments underscores its importance. The objective of this research was to investigate the chemistry of three sagebrush-associated microbes, and how it changed during their interactions with each other. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) revealed unique chemical patterns, indicating interspecies differences and interactive effects. We hypothesized that PCA and NMDS analyses would reveal distinct differences in the chemistry of our focal species, with clustering of replicates and separation among different species. Our results show replicate clustering to suggest consistent chemistry within groups, with notable differences observed across mono and co-cultures. Specifically, PCA highlighted the similarity between the BC co-culture and B. amyloliquefaciens, while NMDS exhibited greater distinction. Future analyses will elucidate underlying mechanisms and specific chemicals driving these differences

Examination of Urinary Pesticide Concentrations, Protective Behaviors, and Risk Perceptions Among Latino and Latina Farmworkers in Southwestern Idaho

Introduction: Studies have documented high levels of pesticide exposure among men farmworkers; however, few have examined exposures or the experiences of women farmworkers. Data gaps also exist regarding farmworkers’ perceived risk and control related to pesticides, information that is critical to develop protective interventions. Objective: We aimed to compare urinary pesticide biomarker concentrations between Latino and Latina farmworkers and examine associations with occupational characteristics, risk perceptions, perceived control, and protective behaviors. Methods: We enrolled a convenience sample of 62 farmworkers (30 men and 32 women) during the pesticide spray season from April–July 2022 in southwestern Idaho. Participants were asked to complete two visits within a seven-day period; at each visit, we collected a urine sample and administered a questionnaire assessing demographic and occupational information. Urine samples were composited and analyzed for 17 biomarkers of herbicides and of organophosphate (OP) and pyrethroid insecticides. Results: Ten pesticide biomarkers (TCPy, MDA, PNP, 3-PBA, 4-F-3-PBA, cis- and trans-DCCA, 2,4-D, Glyphosate, AMPA) were detected in \u3e80% of samples. Men and women had similar urinary biomarker concentrations (p = 0.19–0.94); however, women worked significantly fewer hours than men (p = 0.01), wore similar or greater levels of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and were slightly more likely to report having experienced an Acute Pesticide Poisoning (26% of women vs. 14% of men; p = 0.25). We observed inconsistencies in risk perceptions, perceived control, and protective behaviors among men. Discussion: Our study is one the first to examine pesticide exposure and risk perceptions among a cohort of farmworkers balanced on gender. Taken with previous findings, our results suggest that factors such as job tasks, biological susceptibility, or access to trainings and protective equipment might uniquely impact women farmworkers’ exposure and/or vulnerability to pesticides. Women represent an increasing proportion of the agricultural workforce, and larger studies are needed to disentangle these findings

Influence of Subsurface Critical Zone Structure on Hydrological Partitioning in Mountainous Headwater Catchments

Headwater catchments play a vital role in regional water supply and ecohydrology, and a quantitative understanding of the hydrological partitioning in these catchments is critically needed, particularly under a changing climate. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of subsurface critical zone (CZ) structure in modulating the partitioning of precipitation in mountainous catchments; however, few existing studies have explicitly taken into account the 3D subsurface CZ structure. In this study, we designed realistic synthetic catchment models based on seismic velocity-estimated 3D subsurface CZ structures. Integrated hydrologic modeling is then used to study the effects of the shape of the weathered bedrock and the associated storage capacity on various hydrologic fluxes and storages in mountainous headwater catchments. Numerical results show that the weathered bedrock affects not only the magnitude but also the peak time of both streamflow and subsurface dynamic storage

A Statistical Analysis Investigating the Phenomenon Known as Kitten Season and Its Correlation to Climate

Open intake animal shelters that take in stray and feral cats have long had to cope with a phenomenon known as “Kitten Season”, a period of time when there is a large uptick of intakes of young kittens aged 0-6 months old. This typically occurs from April to October in the United States. While evidence in some other species suggests that conceptions could be related to temperature , little research has examined how conception may be related to climate conditions in cats. To determine whether cat conception is related to climate, I examine data from January 2012 and December 2020 on all cat intakes acquired from the Idaho Humane Society. Conception date is estimated and analyses are conducted to determine whether temperature correlates with daily kitten conceptions. Results from this study will help provide insights into how a changing climate will influence the number of kitten conceptions