FIRST RECORD OF AN ADULT MALE EVENING BAT FROM KANSAS

The evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis) occurs throughout the eastern and southeastern United States and into extreme northeastern Mexico, approximately 42° to 18° N latitude (Watkins and Shump 1981). Although records of females are common, records of adult male evening bats are rare in the northern portion of the species range (Watkins 1969, Watkins 1972). Jones et al. (1967) suggested that adult males might not accompany females to at least some parts of the parturient range. As part of a larger study (Davis 2003) we surveyed bats on Fort Leavenworth Military Reservation (FLMR), Leavenworth County, Kansas in July 2002 and June and July 2003. Bats were captured by using mist netting, for a total effort of 48 net nights over two summers. Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates were recorded for all collecting locations and are available from authors. We captured II evening bats, including three specimens now deposited in the Collection of Recent Mammals, Midwestern State University (MWSU). Ten of the evening bats captured in our study included three adult females and seven juveniles. All of these individuals were captured in openings of the cottonwood-sycamore (Populus deltoides~Platanus occidentalis) and pecan-sugarberry (Carya illinoensis-Celtis laevigata) floodplain forests along the Missouri River. The other individual (MWSU 22086) represents the first record of an adult male evening bat for Kansas (Jones et al. 1967, Sparks and Choate 2000). The adult male was captured in oak-hickory (Quercus alba-Carya ovata) upland forest; northing 0334200, easting 4358631

AN ECONOMIC AND RISK ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF TILLAGE AND NITROGEN SOURCE ON SOIL CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN CORN PRODUCTION

The economic potential of no-tillage versus conventional tillage to sequester soil carbon using either commercial nitrogen or manure for continuous corn production is evaluated. Results indicate which system provides the highest net returns, which system is preferred by risk averse decision makers, and the price of carbon credits under alternative risk aversion preferences.Risk and Uncertainty,

Reconstruction of photon statistics using low performance photon counters

The output of a photodetector consists of a current pulse whose charge has the statistical distribution of the actual photon numbers convolved with a Bernoulli distribution. Photodetectors are characterized by a nonunit quantum efficiency, i.e. not all the photons lead to a charge, and by a finite resolution, i.e. a different number of detected photons leads to a discriminable values of the charge only up to a maximum value. We present a detailed comparison, based on Monte Carlo simulated experiments and real data, among the performances of detectors with different upper limits of counting capability. In our scheme the inversion of Bernoulli convolution is performed by maximum-likelihood methods assisted by measurements taken at different quantum efficiencies. We show that detectors that are only able to discriminate between zero, one and more than one detected photons are generally enough to provide a reliable reconstruction of the photon statistics for single-peaked distributions, while detectors with higher resolution limits do not lead to further improvements. In addition, we demonstrate that, for semiclassical states, even on/off detectors are enough to provide a good reconstruction. Finally, we show that a reliable reconstruction of multi-peaked distributions requires either higher quantum efficiency or better capability in discriminating high number of detected photons.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

Temperature-Dependent Growth of <i>Geomyces destructans</i>, the Fungus That Causes Bat White-Nose Syndrome

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emergent disease estimated to have killed over five million North American bats. Caused by the psychrophilic fungus Geomyces destructans, WNS specifically affects bats during hibernation. We describe temperature-dependent growth performance and morphology for six independent isolates of G. destructans from North America and Europe. Thermal performance curves for all isolates displayed an intermediate peak with rapid decline in performance above the peak. Optimal temperatures for growth were between 12.5 and 15.8°C, and the upper critical temperature for growth was between 19.0 and 19.8°C. Growth rates varied across isolates, irrespective of geographic origin, and above 12°C all isolates displayed atypical morphology that may have implications for proliferation of the fungus. This study demonstrates that small variations in temperature, consistent with those inherent of bat hibernacula, affect growth performance and physiology of G. destructans, which may influence temperature-dependent progression and severity of WNS in wild bats

Body temperature and body mass of hibernating little brown bats Myotis lucifugus in hibernacula affected by white-nose syndrome

Populations of hibernating bats in the northeastern USA are being decimated by white-nose syndrome (WNS). Although the ultimate cause of death is unknown, one possibility is the premature depletion of fat reserves. The immune system is suppressed during hibernation. Although an elevated body temperature (Tb) may facilitate an immune response, it also accelerates the depletion of fat stores. We sought to determine if little brown bats Myotis lucifugus Le Conte 1831 hibernating in WNS-affected hibernacula have an elevated Tb and reduced fat stores, relative to WNSunaffected Indiana bats Myotis sodalis Miller and Allen 1928 from Indiana. We found that WNS-affected M. lucifugus maintain a slightly, but significantly, higher skin temperature (Tskin), relative to surrounding rock temperature, than do M. sodalis from Indiana. We also report that WNS-affected M. lucifugus weigh significantly less than M. lucifugus from a hibernaculum outside of the WNS region. However, the difference in Tskin is minimal and we argue that the elevated Tb is unlikely to explain the emaciation documented in WNS-affected bats.The Indiana State University Center for North American Bat Research and Conservationhttp://acta.zbs.bialowieza.pl/ab201

Following Guidelines for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: “Yes, it’s a challenge”

BACKGROUND: Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally and is projected to be responsible for up to a quarter of AMR-associated deaths in the future. Management of DR-TB is increasingly decentralised to primary healthcare settings, and simultaneously becoming more complex due to a growing range of treatment options (e.g. novel agents, shorter regimens). This is reflected in the numerous recent updates to international guidelines and as such understanding the barriers and enablers to how healthcare workers access and use guidelines is vital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used an established psychological framework – the theoretical domains framework (TDF) – to construct and analyse an online survey and focus groups to explore healthcare workers current use of DR-TB guidelines in South Africa. We aimed to identify barriers and enablers with which to direct future attempts at improving guideline use. RESULTS: There were 19 responses to the online survey and 14 participants in two focus groups. 28% used the most up-to-date national guidelines, 79% accessed guidelines primarily on electronic devices. The TDF domains of ‘Social Influences’ (mean Likert score = 4.3) and ‘Beliefs about Consequences’ (4.2) were key enablers, with healthcare workers encouraged to use guidelines and also recognising the value in doing so. ‘Environmental Resources’ (3.7) and ‘Knowledge’ (3.3) were key barriers with limited, or variable access to guidelines and lack of confidence using them being notable issues. This was most noted for certain subgroups: children, HIV co-infected, pregnant women (2.7). DISCUSSION: Current use of DR-TB guidelines in South Africa is suboptimal. Planned interventions should focus on overcoming the identified key barriers and might include an increased use of digital tools

The estimated burden of fungal disease in South Africa

Background. With a population of 56.5 million, over 7 million persons living with HIV, one of the world’s highest rates of tuberculosis (TB) and a large proportion of the population living in poverty, South Africa (SA)’s fungal disease burden is probably substantial and broad in scope.Objectives. To estimate the burden of fungal disease in SA.Methods. Using total and at-risk populations and national, regional and occasionally global data, we estimated the incidence and prevalence of the majority of fungal diseases in SA.Results. Estimates for the annual incidence of HIV-related life-threatening fungal disease include cryptococcal meningitis (8 357 cases), Pneumocystis pneumonia (4 452 cases) and endemic mycoses (emergomycosis, histoplasmosis and blastomycosis, with 100, 60 and 10 cases per year, respectively). We estimate 3 885 cases of invasive aspergillosis annually. The annual burden of candidaemia and Candida peritonitis is estimated at 5 421 and 1 901 cases, respectively. The epidemic of pulmonary TB has probably driven up the prevalence of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis to 99 351 (175.8/100 000), perhaps the highest in the world. Fungal asthma probably affects &gt;100 000 adults. Mucosal candidiasis is common, with an annual prevalence estimated at 828 666 and 135 289 oral and oesophageal cases, respectively, complicating HIV infection alone (estimates in other conditions not made), and over a million women are estimated to be affected by recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis each year. Tinea capitis in children is common and conservatively estimated at &gt;1 000 000 cases. The inoculation mycoses sporotrichosis, chromoblastomycosis and eumycetoma occur occasionally (with 40, 40 and 10 cases estimated, respectively). Overall, we estimate that over 3.2 million South Africans are afflicted by a fungal disease each year (7.1% of the population).Conclusions. Significant numbers of South Africans are estimated to be affected each year by fungal infections, driven primarily by the syndemics of HIV, TB and poverty. These estimates emphasise the need for better epidemiological data, and for improving the diagnosis and management of these diseases

Frequency distribution of post race urine pH from Standardbreds compared with Thoroughbreds: research and regulatory significance

The concentration of drugs and drug metabolites in urine samples of racing horses is strongly influenced by urine pH(Tobin, 1981), depending on whether the drugs are weak acids or weak bases. Drugs that are weak acids tend to concentrate in besic urine. In contrast, drugs that are weak bases tend to concentrate in acidic urine. These relationships have a well-established theoretical basis (the Henderson-Hasselbalch relationship) and have been demonstrated repeatedly in experimental animals and man (Tobin, 1981). More recently, evidence suggests that these relationships also occur with clinically and forensically significant agents in equine urine (Wood, et al. 1990; Gerken et al.1991.

Lack of Foraging Site Fidelity Between Years by Common Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor)

Birds in the family Caprimulgidae generally exhibit high nest site fidelity, but it is not known if fidelity extends to foraging sites, especially for Common Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor), which are otherwise one of the most studied species. Common Nighthawks are ecologically distinct from other caprimulgids, being one of the few true aerial hawking species and among the longest distance migrants in the group. We predicted these birds would exhibit fidelity between years to a foraging site in British Columbia, Canada, where they forage in large numbers on a nightly basis and the same individuals return nightly. We banded individuals and, for a subset of birds, attached transmitters programmed to activate upon return to the foraging area the next year. We estimate we marked approximately 10% of the birds foraging at the site, but did not recapture a single marked bird despite capturing potentially 50% of birds foraging at that site over the two subsequent years. Furthermore, we did not detect any of the subset of birds with radiotransmitters, indicating they did not return to the foraging site in the year following initial capture. Our data suggest low fidelity between years to a foraging site, in contrast with the published records for nesting by this species and with the general expectations for the group.National Geographic Society || Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada || Texas Tech University || Southern Illinois Universit