Impacts of red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta Buren) on native faunal communities in two pine-dominated forests

Impacts red imported fire ants (RIFA) exert on native faunal communities were monitored in two pine-dominated ecosystems in Louisiana. After suppression of established RIFA populations with Amdro®, cotton mice (Peromyscus gossypinus), herpetofaunal, ground-dwelling invertebrate, Lycosidae, and non-target ant communities were compared between untreated-control and treated plots with respect to possible ecological impacts of RIFA on these communities. Efficacy of Amdro® (A. I. 0.7% hydramethylnon) was tested at Alexander State Forest and Sandy Hollow WMA, and was found to be effective at both sites for 99-42.3% and 97-48%, respectively, suppression of RIFA on treated plots, for three to seven months, with treatments administered in the evening at a rate 1.68 kg/ha. Following suppression, RIFA were shown to minimally impact cotton mice, ground-dwelling invertebrate populations, and Lycosidae species, indicating that RIFA is not the regulating factor in these communities. In the case of cotton mice, habitat conditions that favor cotton mice may also favor RIFA. The majority of non-target ants analyzed at Alexander State Forest and Sandy Hollow WMA also seem to coexist with RIFA, although some species including Aphaenogaster rudis-texana, Crematogaster lineolata, Brachymrymex musculus, Paratrechina faisonensis, Pheidole dentata, and Pheidole metallescens may occur in sparse, small populations in the presence of RIFA. At Alexander State Forest, both Brachymrymex musculus and Tapinoma sessile showed a positive response to RIFA suppression, indicating signs of competitive release. At Sandy Hollow WMA Monomorium minimum and Prenolepis imparis responded negatively to treatment, indicating that Amdro® may exhibit non-target effects to these two species. Herpetofaunal communities, particularly ground skink and southeastern five-lined skink populations may be negatively impacted by RIFA. However sample sizes for all herpetofauna species were low. Amdro® is effective at suppressing RIFA populations in forested ecosystems; however the impacts RIFA pose on native ground-dwelling faunal communities may be minimal in these two pine-dominated communities

Please Check One—Male or Female?: Confronting Gender Identity Discrimination in Collegiate Residential Life

While litigation in this field has rarely involved colleges and universities, collegiate environments are often the “forefront for social activism,”5 so it is likely the issue of transgender housing discrimination will soon explode on campus. It is now critical that colleges, universities, and the counsel who represent them either prepare to address these issues when they arise or explore possibilities to preempt the legal issues that will surely arise at their schools. Part II of this comment discusses the legal definition of transgender. Part III examines the history of the treatment of transgender persons in American courts, as well as their current legal status. Part IV surveys how various residential facilities house transgender youth, as well as how transgender needs affect public restrooms and the legal issues these facilities have faced. Part V reviews the approaches colleges and universities use to address the needs and concerns specific to housing transgender youth. Part VI analyzes the legal issues that may arise from these methods by examining the legal challenges faced by residential facilities. Part VII concludes with the measures college and university administrators and lawmakers should take to tackle the legal issues that concern housing transgender students, as well as the policies needed to protect transgender students

Risk Factors and Trends in Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns in Strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Following Changes in the CDC Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Treatment Guidelines – United States, 2012-2018

Antimicrobial resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae) has become a major global public health concern in the 21st century. Surveillance activities are essential in identifying risk factors in priority populations. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors associated with and trends in antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in N. gonorrhoeae strains identified through the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP). A study sample of 37,157 men was evaluated to measure adherence to changes in CDC’s STD treatment guidelines in 2012 and 2015. Data were analyzed to measure associations between independent and dependent variables by conducting bivariate and logistic regression analyses. Overall, treatment of gonorrhea was prescribed as recommended. Risk factors that were statistically significant included both demographic and behavioral characteristics. Information on treatment regimens following implementation of STD treatment guidelines can be useful in assessing prescribing practices and adherence to guidelines in treating gonorrhea, particularly in populations at risk of antimicrobial resistant gonorrhea

A Future of Equality for Virginia\u27s Tribes: Reform the Federal Recognition Process to Repair Injustice

This article first examines the historical background of the Virginian-American Indian identity after European contact in Part I. This section looks at the early interactions between American Indians and colonial settlers, the treaties that defined American Indian identity, and the first government-to-government relationships between the tribes and colonial powers. It also follows the changing social attitudes toward American Indians. Part II discusses how social attitudes in the early twentieth century about American Indians led to long-reaching legal effects for Virginian-American Indians. Part III details the federal recognition process, and discusses how and why it denies Virginia’s tribes an equal place in modern America. The article concludes with recommendations to Congress for improving the future of equality for Virginia’s American Indians

Evaluation of demand in a rural English hospital emergency department

The purpose of this article is to analyse the patient demand placed on a rural district general hospital (DGH) emergency department within the context of the Purpose, Process, People (PPP) framework used in the private sector. This analysis was undertaken to inform wider evaluation of the implementation of the enterprise culture—the NHS policy to adopt private sector best practice to produce resource use, quality and efficiency improvements. The article concludes with a view that the PPP framework provides methods of calculating the level of discharge necessary to meet the four-hour wait target. Data describing the characteristics and patterns of attending patients can be used to develop an emergency department’s processes and people to achieve its time-based target

LIVE HOG AND PORK IMPORTS: PAST AND PROJECTED CONSEQUENCES FOR THE U.S. PORK SECTOR

The U.S. pork sector is modeled to simulate the effects of alternative import levels on prices, production, consumption, farm receipts, and consumer expenditures. Over the 1983-1985 period, producers annually received $600 million less due to increasing imports than if imports had remained at the 1979-1982 average. Farm prices and slaughter were lower by$2.21 per hundredweight and .1 million head annually, respectively. Four simulations reflecting alternative import paths over the period 1986-1992 were examined. With lower imports (relative to current levels), production and farm prices rise significantly in the long run; consumers purchase less and pay more.International Relations/Trade,

A Descriptive Quantitative Exploration of College Students of Promise During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The term Students of Promise is used for students considered to have a heightened risk status, which not only has a negative effect on students but also on the higher education institutions they attend. This quantitative study explored how the COVID-19 virus has impacted student populations at various US higher education institutions and to uncover what specific issues (financial, emotional, social) impacted students during this unprecedented time in light of student categories and student demographics. This study found statistical significance in Students of Promise characteristics and presents data on the behaviors, activities, and tools necessary for success, concerns surrounding COVID-19, and opinions on higher education factors. Implications are also discussed to include a deeper understanding of Students of Promise needs, social mobility, and advising. This study shows that Students of Promise continue to need academic resources but also ways to lower stress levels and to afford college

Performance optimization of a leagility inspired supply chain model: a CFGTSA algorithm based approach

Lean and agile principles have attracted considerable interest in the past few decades. Industrial sectors throughout the world are upgrading to these principles to enhance their performance, since they have been proven to be efficient in handling supply chains. However, the present market trend demands a more robust strategy incorporating the salient features of both lean and agile principles. Inspired by these, the leagility principle has emerged, encapsulating both lean and agile features. The present work proposes a leagile supply chain based model for manufacturing industries. The paper emphasizes the various aspects of leagile supply chain modeling and implementation and proposes a new Hybrid Chaos-based Fast Genetic Tabu Simulated Annealing (CFGTSA) algorithm to solve the complex scheduling problem prevailing in the leagile environment. The proposed CFGTSA algorithm is compared with the GA, SA, TS and Hybrid Tabu SA algorithms to demonstrate its efficacy in handling complex scheduling problems