Parasites and immunogenetic diversity in prairie dogs

2018 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.Prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) are an important component of North American grassland communities. Prairie dogs have been characterized as ecosystem engineers and keystone species because their extensive burrow systems alter ecosystem dynamics and provide homes for a variety of species. Prairie dog populations have declined dramatically over the past century as a result of eradication programs, habitat loss, and introduced plague. This research explores factors related to host-parasite ecology and immunogenetics of prairie dogs. The second chapter is a systematic review of parasites recorded from all five prairie dog species. The third chapter characterizes genetic diversity and investigates selection at the hyperdiverse MHC DRB locus in black-tailed prairie dogs. The fourth chapter uses multimodel inference to investigate host and environmental factors affecting flea aggregation on black-tailed prairie dogs. I found host-parasite records documenting at least 104 parasites species from prairie dogs. Over 2/3 of parasite species were ectoparasites, primarily fleas. Most endoparasites were protozoa. Bacteria and viruses are essentially undescribed from prairie dogs. Potentially related to the diversity of parasites they are exposed to, the DRB gene in black-tailed prairie dogs was characterized by high levels of diversity. I also found considerable evidence for contemporary directional selection and historical balancing selection acting on the DRB gene in black-tailed prairie dogs. However, I found only weak evidence for a relationship between DRB genotype and flea parasitism in black-tailed prairie dogs. Primary drivers of flea aggregation on black-tailed prairie dogs, identified by multimodel inference of generalized linear models, were host sex and month of capture. Males were more heavily parasitized than females, and flea loads are greatest in September and lowest in June

Guest Artist Recital: Elizabeth Suderburg, Singer; Pamela Vokolek, Harp; March 21, 1975

Hayden AuditoriumFriday EveningMarch 21, 19758:15 p.m

Volunteer Engagement and Retention: Their Relationship to Community Service Self-Efficacy

The declining number of U.S. volunteers is troubling, necessitating improved understanding of drivers of volunteer retention such as volunteer engagement. We utilized the job demands-resources model to investigate the moderating role of community service self-efficacy (CSSE) on the relationships between two demands (organizational constraints and role ambiguity) and volunteer engagement. Volunteers (N = 235) from three U.S. nonprofit organizations participated in a survey as part of a volunteer program assessment. Volunteers who encountered greater organizational constraints and role ambiguity were less engaged. In addition, CSSE attenuated the negative relationship between organizational constraints and engagement, but not the negative association between role ambiguity and engagement. When faced with organizational constraints, volunteers with higher CSSE reported greater engagement than those with lower CSSE. Organizations should therefore assess and support volunteers’ CSSE to bolster their engagement when faced with demands. Further recommendations for increasing volunteer engagement are discussed

Grin and bear it: An examination of volunteers’ fit with their organization, burnout and spirituality

Volunteers are an essential asset to the success of nonprofits, government, business and philanthropic organizations. About 64.5 million people, or 26.5% of the U.S. population, volunteered at least once between September 2011 and September 2012, donating a median of 50 hours (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013). Despite these encouraging statistics, volunteer turnover presents a significant problem for nonprofits. Though considerable evidence has been amassed on antecedents and mechanisms predicting employees’ intentions to quit, surprisingly few studies have examined volunteer intentions to quit. Based on both Conservation of Resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989, 2001, 2011) and person–organization (PO) fit theory (Kristof-Brown, Zimmerman, & Johnson, 2005), this study begins to address this void by examining the extent to which poor PO fit between volunteer goals, personality and values with their organization influenced their intentions to quit through the mechanism of burnout. Further, we investigated whether the proposed mediated relationship depended upon volunteer daily spirituality, or the tendency to daily experience the transcendent dimensions of life. Using a sample of volunteers from a variety of nonprofit organizations (N = 355), poor volunteer fit positively predicted volunteer intentions to quit through their burnout. Further, the fullmediationmodel wasmoderated by individuals’ level of spirituality, with burned out volunteers reporting higher spirituality, indicating lower quitting intentions compared to those lower in spirituality. Implications for theory and practice are discussed

Longitudinal Assessment of Dementia Measures in Down Syndrome

Introduction: Early detection of dementia symptoms is critical in Down syndrome (DS) but complicated by clinical assessment barriers. The current study aimed to characterize cognitive and behavioral impairment using longitudinal trajectories comparing several measures of cognitive and behavioral functioning. Methods: Measures included global cognitive status (Severe Impairment Battery [SIB]), motor praxis (Brief Praxis Test [BPT]), and clinical dementia informant ratings (Dementia Questionnaire for People with Learning Disabilities [DLD]). One-year reliability was assessed using a two-way mixed effect, consistency, single measurement intraclass correlation among non-demented participants. Longitudinal assessment of SIB, BPT, and DLD was completed using linear mixed effect models. Results: One‐year reliability (n = 52; 21 male) was moderate for DLD (0.69 to 0.75) and good for SIB (0.87) and BPT (0.80). Longitudinal analysis (n = 72) revealed significant age by diagnosis interactions for SIB (F(2, 115.02) = 6.06, P = .003), BPT (F(2, 85.59) = 4.56, P = .013), and DLD (F(2, 103.56) = 4.48, P = .014). SIB progression (PR) had a faster decline in performance versus no‐dementia (ND) (t(159) = −2.87; P = .013). Dementia had a faster decline in BPT performance versus ND (t(112) = −2.46; P = .041). PR showed quickly progressing scores compared to ND (t(128) = −2.86; P = .014). Discussion: Current measures demonstrated moderate to good reliability. Longitudinal analysis revealed that SIB, BPT, and DLD changed with age depending on diagnostic progression; no change rates were dependent on baseline cognition, indicating usefulness across a variety of severity levels in DS

The Iowa Homemaker vol.5, no.7

Table of Contents The True Spirit of Christmas by Dr. O. H. Cessna, page 1 Something Different for Christmas Greetings by Elizabeth Johnson, page 2 The Purchase Price of Beauty by Dr, Elizabeth Hoyt, page 3 Can You Visualize Your Hat Problem by Florence Faust, page 4 Decorating the Christmas Tree by Margaret Ericson, page 5 Christmas – For Him by Dorothy Harp and Louise Corsaut, page 5 With Iowa State Home Economics Association, page 6 Preparing the Girl for Motherhood by Dr. Florence Brown Sherborn, page 7 Girls’ 4-H Clubs, page 10 Fuel Economy in the Kitchen by Miriam Rapp, page 11 When We Are Very Young by Anna Johnson, page 12 Editorial, page 13 Who’s There and Where, page 14 Eternal Question, page 16 If You Would Have Health by Margaret Whistler, page 1

The Grizzly, March 27, 1981

Parents Day Slated for Early April • Overwhelming Enthusiasm Welcomes Special Olympics • Bomberger Tower Under Construction • SPC Elects New Grizzly Editor-in-Chief • Shakespeare Opens • Departmental Focus: Math Department • Transplanted Texan: NY to Collegeville • Spectrum Tries New Ticket Sales • Values Next Forum Topic • TV Production in Communications • Language Clubs Host Dessert Festival • Final Exam Schedule • Baseball Team Carries Much Potential • Hoopsters Finish 3rd in Nation • Tennis Team Prepares for Tough Season • Women\u27s Lacrosse Start Season 1-1https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1056/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, February 27, 1981

Police Involvement: Fraternity Pledging Marred by Bad Reports • Lewis Thomas Graduation Speaker • FCA Gearing Up for Special Olympics • Off-Campus Housing Explored by USGA • USGA Notes • Wickersham Outlines Fall Semester Senior Symposium • Departmental Focus: Romance Languages • Middle East: Soviet Rivalry Topic of Forum • Beta Sig to Sponsor Franken & Davis • Cafe International Opens Tonight • Bierprobe Taste-Testing a Big Success • Reborn Songfest Loses Appeal • IFC Dance Slated for March 20 • You See UC to Become Regular Friday Feature • Registration Delayed • Gifford Heading for Nationals • Lady Swimmers End Season at .500 • Basketball Shooting for NCAA Tournament • Aquabears Have High Hopes for MACs • Sweeney, DiMattia Take 1sts in Indoor Track • Women Hoopsters Enter Playoffs Looking for Titlehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1054/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, March 20, 1981

Special Olympics at Ursinus This Weekend • IFC All Set for Dance • Basketball Team Shootin\u27 for National Title • St. Andrews Scholarship Applications Being Taken • McQuillan Warns of Student Loan Cuts • USGA Notes • Evening Student Awarded Phillips Prize • Departmental Focus: Economics / Business Administration • Texan in New York • Rush Clarifies Itself in Moving Pictures • Positive Rock Radio • Midsummer Night\u27s Dream in Final Preparation • UC Secretaries: Service Beyond the Call of Duty • Classics Club Announces Movie • Course Offerings 1981-1982 • Ursinus Basketball in Final Four • All-American Giff Earns Third • Gymnastics Season Seen as a Successhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1055/thumbnail.jp

Cognitive and Behavioral Domains That Reliably Differentiate Normal Aging and Dementia in Down Syndrome

Primary care integration of Down syndrome (DS)-specific dementia screening is strongly advised. The current study employed principal components analysis (PCA) and classification and regression tree (CART) analyses to identify an abbreviated battery for dementia classification. Scale- and subscale-level scores from 141 participants (no dementia n = 68; probable Alzheimer’s disease n = 73), for the Severe Impairment Battery (SIB), Dementia Scale for People with Learning Disabilities (DLD), and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales—Second Edition (Vineland-II) were analyzed. Two principle components (PC1, PC2) were identified with the odds of a probable dementia diagnosis increasing 2.54 times per PC1 unit increase and by 3.73 times per PC2 unit increase. CART analysis identified that the DLD sum of cognitive scores (SCS \u3c 35 raw) and Vineland-II community subdomain (\u3c 36 raw) scores best classified dementia. No significant difference in the PCA versus CART area under the curve (AUC) was noted (D(65.196) = −0.57683; p = 0.57; PCA AUC = 0.87; CART AUC = 0.91). The PCA sensitivity was 80% and specificity was 70%; CART was 100% and specificity was 81%. These results support an abbreviated dementia screening battery to identify at-risk individuals with DS in primary care settings to guide specialized diagnostic referral