Macroecology of North American Suckers (Catostomidae): Tests of Bergmann\u27s and Rapoport\u27s Rules

Discerning spatial macroecological patterns in freshwater fishes has broad implications for community assembly, ecosystem dynamics, management, and conservation. This study explores the potential interspecific covariation of geographic range (Rapoport\u27s rule) and body size (Bergmann\u27s rule) with latitude in North American sucker fishes (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae). While numerous tests of Rapoport\u27s and Bergmann\u27s rules are documented in the literature, comparatively few of these studies have specifically tested for these patterns, and none have incorporated information reflecting shared ancestry into analyses of North American freshwater fish through a hierarchical model. This study utilized a hierarchical modeling approach with Bayesian inference to evaluate the role that evolution has played in shaping these distributional corollaries. Rapoport\u27s rule was supported at the tribe level but not across family and subfamily groupings. Particularly within the Catostominae subfamily, two tribes reflected strong support for Rapoport\u27s rule while two suggested a pattern was present. Conversely, Bergmann\u27s rule was not supported in Catostomidae. This study provides additional information regarding the pervasiveness of these \u27rules\u27 by expanding inferences in freshwater fishes and specifically addressing the potential for these macroecological patterns to play a role in the distribution of the understudied group Catostomidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR

Incorporation of Feeding Functional Group Information Informs Explanatory Patterns of Long-term Population Changes in Fish Assemblages

The objective of this study was to evaluate long term trends of fish taxa in southern Lake Michigan while incorporating their functional roles to improve our understanding of ecosystem level changes that have occurred in the system over time. The approach used here highlighted the ease of incorporating ecological mechanisms into population models so researchers can take full advantage of available long-term ecosystem information. Long term studies of fish assemblages can be used to inform changes in community structure resulting from perturbations to aquatic systems and understanding these changes in fish assemblages can be better contextualized by grouping species according to functional groups that are grounded in niche theory. We hypothesized that describing the biological process based on partial pooling of information across functional groups would identify shifts in fish assemblages that coincide with major changes in the ecosystem (e.g., for this study, shifts in zooplankton abundance over time). Herein, we analyzed a long-term Lake Michigan fisheries dataset using a multi-species state space modeling approach within a Bayesian framework. Our results suggested the population growth rates of planktivores and benthic invertivores have been more variable than general invertivores over time and that trends in planktivores can be partially explained by ecosystem changes in zooplankton abundance. Additional work incorporating more ecosystem parameters (e.g., primary production, etc.) should be incorporated into future iterations of this novel modeling concept

The Effects of Salinity and Acetaminophen on the Aquatic Snail Physa acuta

Pharmaceuticals are increasingly detected in water bodies, and their presence can negatively impact aquatic organisms. This effect can be amplified when combined with increasing salinity in freshwater ecosystems. Acetaminophen is a widely used analgesic that is commonly found in river, streams, and waters where it is discharged directly. Therefore, organisms present in these locations (e.g., insects, snails, amphibians, and fish) are likely to be affected by acetaminophen. In this study, we determined the effects of elevated salinity (0.68 g/L), acetaminophen (500 µg/L) and combined elevated salinity (0.68 g/L) and acetaminophen (500 µg/L), on the growth, reproduction, and movement of the freshwater snail Physa acuta. There were no effects on growth or reproduction. No changes were observed on movement in individual treatments groups; however, there was a significant effect in the combined treatment of salinity and acetaminophen. It is likely that an energetic trade-off between physiological mechanisms resulted in a synergistic negative effect on snails

Preliminary Understanding of Complexities in Swimming Performance of Common Minnow (Cyprinidae) Taxa

Understanding swimming performance of native freshwater fishes has implications for ecology, conservation, and management. In particular, this type of information has practical importance for improving the understanding of fish dispersal, occurrence, migration, and invasive potential. The objective of this study was to characterize swimming performance of 2 taxa from the comparatively understudied minnow family (Cyprinidae) and test for potential drivers as a function of total length, sex, habitat, morphology, or some combination. The study assessed Spotfin Shiner (Cyprinella spiloptera; n = 66) and Bluntnose Minnow (Pimephales notatus; n = 24) populations from an ontogenic range of male and female individuals from lentic and lotic habitats in Indiana and Ohio. Akaike information criterion (AIC) model selection identified the most parsimonious linear regression model to predict swimming performance of Spotfin Shiner and Bluntnose Minnow independently. Overall, larger Spotfin Shiners were superior swimmers compared with smaller individuals. In both species, individuals having more streamlined heads and elongated caudal regions were better swimmers. Additionally, Spotfin Shiners that were collected from lotic environments were generally better swimmers than individuals from lentic environments. Models did not recover sex-specific effects in either species—or meaningful total length, or habitat effects, in Bluntnose Minnows. Overall, this study provides evidence of a complex series of swimming performance covariates when assessing or understanding performance. This has implications for aquatic population, assemblage, and community ecology as well as management and conservation efforts

State-space models to describe survival of an endemic species in the Little Tennessee River basin

Endemic species are threatened by invasive species, habitat loss, and climate change. Endemic species are also an important group that maintains biodiversity. Understanding population dynamics of endemic species is needed to maintain or restore their populations. Advancements in models that describe population dynamics of endemic species and species of conservation need has been made possible by the application of novel quantitative methods. One such modeling tool is state-space modeling. These models provide a flexible framework to describe population dynamics using simple mortality models and more complex integrated population models. Here we develop a state-space model to describe survival and population size of the Sicklefin Redhorse (Catostomidae: Moxostoma sp.), a species of conservation concern from two rivers located in North Carolina, USA. This model is structured to combine information across similar rivers and to account for complex interactions of sex, time, variable sampling effort, and river discharge. Survival of Sicklefin Redhorse was found to vary by sex, and annual variability was not consistent across rivers. Discharge was negatively related to capture probability for males. Capture probabilities also differed across sex. Population estimates revealed a large difference between sex where males outnumbered females each year in both rivers. We conclude that electrofishing is not an efficient capture method but when used, should consider discharge. Discharge was not included in the survival model, however, the 3 years with the lowest survival in the Little Tennessee River coincided with the three lowest discharge years in the time series. Future work should investigate the difference in survival between the rivers

The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR)

The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) is a NASA Small Explorer mission that will carry the first focusing hard X-ray (5 -- 80 keV) telescope to orbit. NuSTAR will offer a factor 50 -- 100 sensitivity improvement compared to previous collimated or coded mask imagers that have operated in this energy band. In addition, NuSTAR provides sub-arcminute imaging with good spectral resolution over a 12-arcminute field of view. After launch, NuSTAR will carry out a two-year primary science mission that focuses on four key programs: studying the evolution of massive black holes through surveys carried out in fields with excellent multiwavelength coverage, understanding the population of compact objects and the nature of the massive black hole in the center of the Milky Way, constraining explosion dynamics and nucleosynthesis in supernovae, and probing the nature of particle acceleration in relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei. A number of additional observations will be included in the primary mission, and a guest observer program will be proposed for an extended mission to expand the range of scientific targets. The payload consists of two co-aligned depth-graded multilayer coated grazing incidence optics focused onto solid state CdZnTe pixel detectors. To be launched in early 2012 on a Pegasus rocket into a low-inclination Earth orbit. Data will be publicly available at GSFC's High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) following validation at the science operations center located at Caltech.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Proceedings of the SPIE, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2010: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ra

The Grizzly, November 12, 2009

Picasso at the Lapin Agile Draws in Audiences • Ursinus Awarded Teagle Grant • H1N1: How Ursinus is Battling the Swine Flu • Health Stats on the Ursinus Campus • Guest Speaker Addresses Urban (Dis)order • Four Students Hope to Pursue their Dreams with Watson Fellowship • Philly\u27s Practically Single Proves Pop-Punk Prevails; Set to Play Ursinus Friday • Veterans: The Brave Who Allow Us to be Free • Ghost Hunter Gives Presentation on Campus • Opinion: Hamid Karzai: Further Complicating Issues in Afghanistan; Ursinus\u27 Need for an Intro to Writing Class • Field Hockey Hoists C.C. Trophy for Sixth Consecutive Yearhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1799/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, October 15, 2009

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Draws in Large Audiences • MRSA Awareness Month • UC Student Hit by Car on Main Street, Makes $50 • Omega Chi Sponsors Blood Drive • E-Mail Outsourcing and its Effects on the Ursinus Community • Study Abroad Programs Create Great Opportunities for Students •$10,000 Grant Brings Danny Buraczeski\u27s Swing Concerto to Dance Students • Senior Halloween Party Planners Leave Under 21-Year-Olds Out • Opinions: Obama\u27s Nobel Prize: Criticism Warranted?; Assisted Living: Call it Assisted Dying for Many • Women\u27s Rugby Gets Down and Dirty for 2009 Season • Record Falls After the Bears\u27 Big Defeat Over Gettysburghttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1795/thumbnail.jp

The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR)

The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) is a NASA Small Explorer mission that will carry the first focusing hard X-ray (5 - 80 keV) telescope to orbit. NuSTAR will offer a factor 50 - 100 sensitivity improvement compared to previous collimated or coded mask imagers that have operated in this energy band. In addition, NuSTAR provides sub-arcminute imaging with good spectral resolution over a 12-arcminute field of view. After launch, NuSTAR will carry out a two-year primary science mission that focuses on four key programs: studying the evolution of massive black holes through surveys carried out in fields with excellent multiwavelength coverage, understanding the population of compact objects and the nature of the massive black hole in the center of the Milky Way, constraining explosion dynamics and nucleosynthesis in supernovae, and probing the nature of particle acceleration in relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei. A number of additional observations will be included in the primary mission, and a. guest observer program will be proposed for an extended mission to expand the range of scientific targets. The payload consists of two co-aligned depth-graded multilayer coated grazing incidence optics focused onto solid state CdZnTe pixel detectors. To be launched in early 2012 on a Pegasus rocket into a low-inclination Earth orbit. NuSTAR largely avoids SAA passages, and will therefore have low and stable detector backgrounds. The telescope achieves a 10.15-meter focal length through on-orbit deployment of all mast. An aspect and alignment metrology system enable reconstruction of the absolute aspect and variations in the telescope alignment resulting from mast flexure during ground data processing. Data will be publicly available at GSFC's High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) following validation at the science operations center located at Caltech

Review of epidemiologic data on the debate over smokeless tobacco's role in harm reduction

Some tobacco researchers have argued that the European Union should remove its ban on a form of low-nitrosamine smokeless tobacco referred to as Swedish 'snus'. This argument has developed in to an international debate over the use of smokeless tobacco as a measure of harm reduction for smokers. Leading authorities in the USA have firmly stated that there is no safe tobacco - a message which does not allow for any discussion of comparative tobacco risks. This commentary is intended to review the origin of the controversy over Swedish 'snus', to examine briefly the meta-analysis on cancer risks by Peter Lee and Jan Hamling (published in July in BMC Medicine) and to discuss the anticipated direction of the debate on tobacco-harm reduction in the USA. We anticipate that much of the debate will shift from the discussion of epidemiologic data to the discussion of the marketing, health communication and economics of smokeless tobacco. While the Food and Drug Administration's newly approved authority over tobacco will undoubtedly affect the smokeless products, it may not be the sole determinant of harm reduction's fate in the USA