The case for human development: a cross-country analysis of corruption perceptions

Economic studies have demonstrated, both empirically and theoretically, that higher levels of human development (HD) and economic freedom (EF) are associated with lower levels of perceived corruption. This study separately examines the impact of human development and economic freedom on perceived levels of corruption across more than one hundred countries using a novel approach that greatly reduces multicollinear bias in the model. The results from this study confirm that both HD and EF are significant predictors of corruption perception levels. Furthermore, an increase in either HD or EF corresponds to a reduction in corruption perception. When evaluated separately, however, increases in human development are shown to correspond to greater reductions in corruption perception than economic freedom. This is demonstrated with an OLS regression using data collected from a single year and a number of panel estimates that utilize data from multiple years.Human Development; Economic Freedom; Corruption; International; Cross-Country; Residual Analysis

How Hurricanes Affect Employment and Wages in Local Labor Markets

This paper adopts a generalized-difference-in-difference (GDD) technique outlined in Ariel R. Belasen and Solomon W. Polachek (IZA Discussion Paper #2976) to examine the impact of hurricanes on the labor market. We find that earnings of the average worker in a Florida county rises over 4% within the first quarter of being hit by a major Category 4 or 5 hurricane relative to counties not hit, and rises about 1¼% for workers in Florida counties hit by less major Category 1-3 hurricanes. Concomitantly, employment falls between 1½ and 5% depending on hurricane strength. On the other hand, the effects of hurricanes on neighboring counties have the opposite effects, moving earnings down between 3 and 4% in the quarter the hurricane struck. To better examine the specific shocks, we also observe sectoral employment shifts. Finally, we conduct a time-series analysis and find that over time, there is somewhat of a cobweb with earnings and employment rising and falling each quarter over a two-year time period.employment, exogenous shock, difference-in-difference estimation, local labor market, earnings, sectoral shifts

Thermal Ecology in Island Populations of Erhard's Wall Lizard, Podarcis erhardii

Global climate change has already impacted the majority of natural ecosystems and is expected to lead to numerous extinctions. The effects will be particularly severe for populations that have been reduced and isolated through habitat fragmentation, an important mechanism of human-caused biodiversity loss. Despite the worldwide occurrence of both processes, we have a poor understanding of how habitat fragmentation (and the associated loss in genetic diversity) renders species increasingly susceptible to climate change. Elucidating this relationship is important if we are to conserve global biodiversity. In this study, we examined thermal ecology and physiology across Cycladic land bridge island populations of Erhard's Wall Lizard (Podarcis erhardii). Populations on land bridge islands have been isolated from the mainland by rising sea levels, a process that is similar to anthropogenic habitat fragmentation. Previous research has shown that P. erhardii populations in the Cyclades show a predictable gradient of genetic diversity according to island size and age, and this species is considered a model ectotherm for studies of thermal ecology. We quantified environmental conditions (Te), field body temperatures (Tb), preferred temperatures (Tpref), critical thermal maxima and minima (CTmax and CTmin) and evaporative water loss (EWL) across five populations that differed in either genetic structure (low vs. high genetic diversity) or site environmental characteristics (elevation and aspect). Our findings suggest that: 1) genetic diversity does not appear to underlie differences in physiology or variability in thermal ecology; and 2) while environmental differences do not affect thermal biology, they do shape the water retention ability of individuals in a population. These results have implications for the management of fragmented species under shifting climate conditions.Master of ScienceNatural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/97371/1/MS Thesis - Anat Belasen - 20 April - FINAL.pd

The Impacts of Habitat Fragmentation on Amphibian Genetics and Health in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Biodiversity Hotspot

Amphibians are declining worldwide due to emerging infectious disease and habitat modification. Although these stressors overlap in time and space, we know little about their interactions. For example, habitat fragmentation reduces genetic diversity in wildlife, and genetic diversity is correlated with disease resistance according to theoretical and laboratory work. However, little is known about the relationship between genetic diversity and disease incidence in wild populations. In my dissertation, I evaluated the impacts of habitat fragmentation on potential disease susceptibility in amphibians of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (BAF), one of the most biodiverse but heavily fragmented areas on the planet. In Chapters 2-3, I sampled populations of a widespread coastal frog species (Cycloramphidae: Thoropa taophora) across a set of land-bridge islands that represent 12,000-20,000 year old habitat fragments, which I compared with mainland “control” populations. In Chapter 2, I examined the impacts of overall genetic diversity loss due to long-term isolation on islands on (1) immunogenetic (MHC IIB) diversity and (2) susceptibility to microeukaryote infections in a single host frog species. Contrary to previous studies that found high immunogenetic diversity in genetically impoverished populations, I found that inbred island populations exhibited significantly lower MHC IIB diversity than mainland populations. My results also showed that island populations and MHC IIB homozygotes were subject to more infections by diverse potentially parasitic microbes. In Chapter 3 I examined the relationship between immunogenetics and the assembly and diversity of the host-associated microbiome. I found that microbiome diversity was dependent on MHC IIB genotype, with heterozygotes hosting a higher diversity of potentially beneficial microbes. My results also strongly imply that there are interactions between bacteria and eukaryote microbes in the microbiome which have been overlooked by previous studies that focus only on the bacterial amphibian skin microbiome. In Chapters 4-5, I compared the impacts of two different types of habitat modification in the mainland BAF: (1) ~200 year old forest fragments set in a “sea” of intensive cattle pasture, and (2) shaded cacao plantations that serve as less aversive anthropogenic habitats. I compared frog populations found in both habitat types with “control” populations in continuous preserved forests. I sampled six frog host species to examine how the impacts of habitat modification vary according to species ecology: half of the frogs were high-dispersing habitat generalists and half were low-dispersing habitat specialists. In Chapter 4, I evaluated genetic diversity and isolation across these habitats and species. I found that while only generalist species showed reduced genetic diversity in forest fragments embedded in intensive agriculture, only specialists showed genetic isolation. Populations in rustic agricultural areas exhibited similar genetic diversity as those in preserved forests and relatively low genetic isolation, implying that rustic agriculture is less aversive to sensitive animals. In Chapter 5, I examined immunogenetic diversity and infections in a subset of these populations. I found that across all species, fragmented populations exhibited reduced immunogenetic diversity and increased infections. Immunogenotype influenced infections by both the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and by apicomplexan blood parasites. Taken together, my results suggest that the impacts of habitat modification on amphibian health are significant, and can include loss of overall genetic diversity, loss of immunogenetic diversity, loss of microbiome diversity, and increased infections. This relationship may help explain the recent rise of infectious diseases in amphibians and other wildlife species worldwide.PHDEcology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153398/1/abelasen_1.pd

Treatment of adult Valcheta frogs Pleurodema somuncurense for chytrid fungus

SUMMARY: Treatment of an ex-situ colony of Valcheta frog with chloramphenicol solution was not successful in eliminating chytrid fungus.Fil: Arellano, Maria Luz. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología de Vertebrados. Sección Herpetología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Velasco, Melina Alicia. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología de Vertebrados. Sección Herpetología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Martínez Aguirre, Tomás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología de Vertebrados. Sección Herpetología; ArgentinaFil: Zarini, Ornella. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología de Vertebrados. Sección Herpetología; ArgentinaFil: Belasen, Anat M.. University of Michigan; Estados UnidosFil: James, Timothy. University of Michigan; Estados UnidosFil: Kacoliris, Federico Pablo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología de Vertebrados. Sección Herpetología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentin

The case for human development: a cross-country analysis of corruption perceptions

Economic studies have demonstrated, both empirically and theoretically, that higher levels of human development (HD) and economic freedom (EF) are associated with lower levels of perceived corruption. This study separately examines the impact of human development and economic freedom on perceived levels of corruption across more than one hundred countries using a novel approach that greatly reduces multicollinear bias in the model. The results from this study confirm that both HD and EF are significant predictors of corruption perception levels. Furthermore, an increase in either HD or EF corresponds to a reduction in corruption perception. When evaluated separately, however, increases in human development are shown to correspond to greater reductions in corruption perception than economic freedom. This is demonstrated with an OLS regression using data collected from a single year and a number of panel estimates that utilize data from multiple years

The case for human development: a cross-country analysis of corruption perceptions

Economic studies have demonstrated, both empirically and theoretically, that higher levels of human development (HD) and economic freedom (EF) are associated with lower levels of perceived corruption. This study separately examines the impact of human development and economic freedom on perceived levels of corruption across more than one hundred countries using a novel approach that greatly reduces multicollinear bias in the model. The results from this study confirm that both HD and EF are significant predictors of corruption perception levels. Furthermore, an increase in either HD or EF corresponds to a reduction in corruption perception. When evaluated separately, however, increases in human development are shown to correspond to greater reductions in corruption perception than economic freedom. This is demonstrated with an OLS regression using data collected from a single year and a number of panel estimates that utilize data from multiple years

First Record of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Pleurodema somuncurense, a Critically Endangered Species from Argentina

The presence of Bd zoosporangia in skin samples of the dead individual coming from the eastern warm branch, which reach temperatures of up to 26°C, suggests the occurrence of a Bd strain adapted to higher temperatures (Bd does not grow well above 25°C: Piotrowsky et al. 2004). Since the two pairs of branches differ by almost 4°C, and knowing that temperature may influences patterns of Bd infection, future field-studies should assess the prevalence of the Bd infection in subpopulations of Valcheta Frog inhabiting at different environmental conditions along the stream.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

First Record of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Pleurodema somuncurense, a Critically Endangered Species from Argentina

The presence of Bd zoosporangia in skin samples of the dead individual coming from the eastern warm branch, which reach temperatures of up to 26°C, suggests the occurrence of a Bd strain adapted to higher temperatures (Bd does not grow well above 25°C: Piotrowsky et al. 2004). Since the two pairs of branches differ by almost 4°C, and knowing that temperature may influences patterns of Bd infection, future field-studies should assess the prevalence of the Bd infection in subpopulations of Valcheta Frog inhabiting at different environmental conditions along the stream.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Management strategy to avoid chytrid fungus infection in egg clutches of the Valcheta frog Pleurodema somuncurense

Eggs which were removed from a chytrid- infected population of Valcheta frogs shortly after laying and then hatched in a clean environment resulted in juveniles free of the fungus.Fil: Arellano, Maria Luz. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología de Vertebrados. Sección Herpetología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Velasco, Melina Alicia. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología de Vertebrados. Sección Herpetología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Martínez Aguirre, Tomás. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología de Vertebrados. Sección Herpetología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Zarini, Ornella. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología de Vertebrados. Sección Herpetología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Belasen, Anat M.. University of Michigan; Estados UnidosFil: James, Timothy Y.. University of Michigan; Estados UnidosFil: Kacoliris, Federico Pablo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología de Vertebrados. Sección Herpetología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin