Breeding and post-breeding forest bird community dynamics in regenerating clearcuts and two-age harvests in the central Appalachians

Two-age harvesting has been used more frequently in the management of Central Appalachian hardwood stands as an alternative to clearcutting, but long-term responses of avifauna to these harvests have not been investigated during the breeding season. No studies have examined post-breeding bird communities in these harvests; recent research concerning post-breeding use of early-successional habitats has only examined clearcuts. Greater cover from predators and increased food resources in young seral forests are suspected factors behind the attraction of mature-forest birds post-breeding, and one goal was to test these hypotheses. In addition to microhabitat characteristics, avian habitat use of forest fragmented by timber harvesting may also be affected by stand attributes such as size, amount of edge, and retained basal area. My primary objectives were to (1) determine short- and long-term effects of two-age harvesting on breeding birds in comparison to clearcuts, (2) examine post-breeding bird responses to cover and food resource variables, and (3) relate post-breeding bird responses to residual basal area, stand size, and edge of young harvests.;In 1994-1996, breeding bird surveys were completed in two-age and clearcut stands as well as mature unharvested forest stands. In 2005 and 2006, I conducted point counts in the stands from the 1994-1996 study (now 19-26 years old) and in younger clearcut and two-age stands (6-10 years old). I determined differences in breeding bird metrics among these five treatments and temporal differences comparing time periods in the old harvests and unharvested stands.;I used mist-nets from late-June to mid-August 2006 to sample post-breeding bird communities in 9 regenerating stands with a gradient of residual basal areas. I measured vegetation characteristics, fruit, and arthropod resources at 10 nets within each stand. I analyzed capture data using Poisson regression and information-theoretic approaches to model selection. Vegetative cover and food variables were used to predict bird capture rates. Area and edge effects were tested in 13 stands sampled post-breeding in 2005-2006, which ranged from 4-21 ha in size, and bird metrics were contrasted among high-leave two-age (5.3-7.0 m2/ha retained basal area), low-leave two-age (2.0-3.7 m2/ha retained basal area) and clearcut treatments using mist-net and transect data during post-breeding.;Relative abundance of early-successional breeding species was similar in young two-age stands and young clearcuts. Many of these species, which are typically absent from group selection cuts, were present in two-age stands thus supporting their promise as an alternative to clearcutting. Although the older harvests had lower overall relative abundance, species richness, and diversity, they provided habitat for Neotropical migrant mature-forest songbirds that were absent or uncommon in the young harvests, and several late-successional species became more common in the older harvests over the 10 year period between studies. Consequently, two-age management provides habitat for a diverse group of species assemblages as these stands mature and may be an ecologically sustainable alternative to clearcutting in landscapes where Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) are uncommon.;For use of harvested stands by post-breeding birds, cover variables often were among the most important. Strong positive relations between vertical complexity of the vegetation and capture rates of mature-forest birds and molting adults support the predator-avoidance hypothesis. At the net level, basal area was a poor positive predictor of bird captures, except frugivores. Although captures in two-age stands were comparable to clearcuts, residual trees within a stand tended to depress proximate capture rates. Fruit variables inconsistently predicted frugivore captures, but appeared to be important for molting birds of both age classes. Arthropod variables best explained capture rates for some groups, but the difficulty of measuring food availability for birds and the lack of data concerning post-breeding food limitation precludes forming conclusions about the resource-selection hypothesis. Two-age and clearcut stands provided habitat for many early-successional and mature-forest birds post-breeding with cover appearing to be the primary factor for use by most species.;Clearcuts and two-age harvests were used similarly by generalists and late-successional individuals during post-breeding. Early-successional birds avoided high-leave two-age stands and were more common in clearcuts. Area and edge sensitivity were evident for both mature-forest and early-successional bird species. Mature-forest birds (both generalists and late-successional specialists) were found in fewer numbers in large stands, but edge effects were inconclusive, with more species associated with harvest edge. In contrast, early-successional species tended to use stand interiors more often and positively responded to stand size. Despite within-stand edge effects evident for several species, few birds in the forest periphery responded to harvest edge types. Mist-netting and transect surveys were important for helping to determine post-breeding habitat requirements for a variety of species. Understanding stand-specific bird survival is needed to determine the true quality of silvicultural harvests for post-breeding birds

The AIM2 inflammasome is critical for innate immunity to Francisella tularensis.

Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia, infects host macrophages, which triggers production of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta) and IL-18. We elucidate here how host macrophages recognize F. tularensis and elicit this proinflammatory response. Using mice deficient in the DNA-sensing inflammasome component AIM2, we demonstrate here that AIM2 is required for sensing F. tularensis. AIM2-deficient mice were extremely susceptible to F. tularensis infection, with greater mortality and bacterial burden than that of wild-type mice. Caspase-1 activation, IL-1beta secretion and cell death were absent in Aim2(-/-) macrophages in response to F. tularensis infection or the presence of cytoplasmic DNA. Our study identifies AIM2 as a crucial sensor of F. tularensis infection and provides genetic proof of its critical role in host innate immunity to intracellular pathogens

The pathogen profile of a honey bee queen does not reflect that of her workers

Throughout a honey bee queen’s lifetime, she is tended to by her worker daughters, who feed and groom her. Such interactions provide possible horizontal transmission routes for pathogens from the workers to the queen, and as such a queen’s pathogen profile may be representative of the workers within a colony. To explore this further, we investigated known honey bee pathogen co-occurrence, as well as pathogen transmission from workers to queens. Queens from 42 colonies were removed from their source hives and exchanged into a second, unrelated foster colony. Worker samples were taken from the source colony on the day of queen exchange and the queens were collected 24 days after introduction. All samples were screened for Nosema spp., Trypanosome spp., acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), black queen cell virus (BQCV), chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV), Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), Lake Sinai virus (LSV), and deformed wing virus master variants (DWV-A, B, and C) using RT-qPCR. The data show that LSV, Nosema, and DWV-B were the most abundant pathogens in colonies. All workers (n = 42) were LSV-positive, 88% were Nosema-positive, whilst pathogen loads were low (1 × 106 genome equivalents per pooled worker sample). All queens (n = 39) were negative for both LSV and Nosema. We found no evidence of DWV transmission occurring from worker to queen when comparing queens to foster colonies, despite DWV being present in both queens and workers. Honey bee pathogen presence and diversity in queens cannot be revealed from screening workers, nor were pathogens successfully transmitted to the queen

Improving Community Advisory Board Engagement In Precision Medicine Research To Reduce Health Disparities

Community Advisory Boards (CABs) are used in efforts to reduce health disparities; however, there is little documentation in the literature regarding their use in precision medicine research. In this case study, an academic-CAB partnership developed a questionnaire and patient educational materials for two precision smoking cessation interventions that involved use of genetic information. The community-engaged research (CEnR) literature provided a framework for enhancing benefits to CAB members involved in developing research documents for use with a low-income, ethnically diverse population of smokers. The academic partners integrated three CEnR strategies: 1) in-meeting statements acknowledging their desire to learn from community partners, 2) in-meeting written feedback to and from community partners, and 3) a survey to obtain CAB member feedback post-meetings. Strategies 1 and 2 yielded modifications to pertinent study materials, as well as suggestions for improving meeting operations that were then adopted, as appropriate, by the academic partners. The survey indicated that CAB members valued the meeting procedure changes which appeared to have contributed to improvements in attendance and satisfaction with the meetings. Further operationalization of relevant partnership constructs and development of tools for measuring these aspects of community-academic partnerships is warranted to support community engagement in precision medicine research studies

The Grizzly, September 14, 2023

Good Samaritan Policy Changes: Good Ideas? • Changes Across Wismer • Student Handbook Changes • Letter From the Editor • Hello From the News Editor • ODA\u27s Peer Mentor Program • Meet SGA President: Ben Douglas • Opinions: Upper Wismer\u27s Wonderful New Eats • Editor Introductions • UC Soccer on Fire! • Bears\u27 Football Comes Out of Hibernation With a Head of Steamhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/2014/thumbnail.jp

Investigating the Potential and Pitfalls of EV-Encapsulated MicroRNAs as Circulating Biomarkers of Breast Cancer

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) shuttle microRNA (miRNA) throughout the circulation and are believed to represent a fingerprint of the releasing cell. We isolated and characterized serum EVs of breast tumour-bearing animals, breast cancer (BC) patients, and healthy controls. EVs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), protein quantification, western blotting, and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Absolute quantitative (AQ)-PCR was employed to analyse EV-miR-451a expression. Isolated EVs had the appropriate morphology and size. Patient sera contained significantly more EVs than did healthy controls. In tumour-bearing animals, a correlation between serum EV number and tumour burden was observed. There was no significant relationship between EV protein yield and EV quantity determined by NTA, highlighting the requirement for direct quantification. Using AQ-PCR to relate miRNA copy number to EV yield, a significant increase in miRNA-451a copies/EV was detected in BC patient sera, suggesting potential as a novel biomarker of breast cancer

LLIN Evaluation in Uganda Project (LLINEUP)–effects of a vector control trial on Plasmodium infection prevalence and genotypic markers of insecticide resistance in Anopheles vectors from 48 districts of Uganda

Pyrethroid bednets treated with the synergist piperonyl butoxide (PBO) offer the possibility of improved vector control in mosquito populations with metabolic resistance. In 2017–2019, we conducted a large-scale, cluster-randomised trial (LLINEUP) to evaluate long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) treated with a pyrethroid insecticide plus PBO (PBO LLINs), as compared to conventional, pyrethroid-only LLINs across 104 health sub-districts (HSDs) in Uganda. In LLINEUP, and similar trials in Tanzania, PBO LLINs were found to provide greater protection against malaria than conventional LLINs, reducing parasitaemia and vector density. In the LLINEUP trial, we conducted cross-sectional household entomological surveys at baseline and then every 6 months for two years, which we use here to investigate longitudinal changes in mosquito infection rate and genetic markers of resistance. Overall, 5395 female Anopheles mosquitoes were collected from 5046 households. The proportion of mosquitoes infected (PCR-positive) with Plasmodium falciparum did not change significantly over time, while infection with non-falciparum malaria decreased in An. gambiae s.s., but not An. funestus. The frequency of genetic markers associated with pyrethroid resistance increased significantly over time, but the rate of change was not different between the two LLIN types. The knock-down resistance (kdr) mutation Vgsc-995S declined over time as Vgsc-995F, the alternative resistance mutation at this codon, increased. Vgsc-995F appears to be spreading into Uganda. Distribution of LLINs in Uganda was previously found to be associated with reductions in parasite prevalence and vector density, but here we show that the proportion of infective mosquitoes remained stable across both PBO and non-PBO LLINs, suggesting that the potential for transmission persisted. The increased frequency of markers of pyrethroid resistance indicates that LLIN distribution favoured the evolution of resistance within local vectors and highlights the potential benefits of resistance management strategies. Trial registration: This study is registered with ISRCTN, ISRCTN17516395. Registered 14 February 2017, http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN17516395

The Lantern, 2023-2024

God, worship, and damnation in the font of my body • The Men in My Life • Vagabond Fishermen • Unfinished Elegy • Big Game • Bitters • On the Ferris Wheel • Ruffling Feathers • Haunted House • Dragon in the Pond • Saint Sebastian • The Last Supper • The Perfect Babka • Session • Sunrise • Dish Dog • A Love Letter to Hands • In Memoriam: Mary Lobo \u2715 • Champagne • Resting Place • Balance • An Arboreal Requiem • Moving Forward • Bye-Bye Beach Days • Portofino • The Moth on My Dashboard • Golden Ash • New Chapters, Old Books • Visions of a Tired Receptionist • If It Ends • Salt-Lined Sidewalks • Poetry Can Be Anything • Happy Birthday • Overlooked • Dead Water • Daylight • Morn • The Last of the Bulgarians • To the Infamous • Loneliest Boy in the World • Barn on Fire • Mustang • Rhea • At Fault • Magic Circle • Thursday Afternoon • That Beautiful Blue • Post-Roe Lullaby • A Redefinition of Childhood • Frankenstein\u27s Monster • Eyes • Of Fields and Forests • A Toast to the End of My Life • Water Buffalo • Harvest Season • A Child of Cain Threw a Can Across the Room • To Be the Fairest of Them All • Chaoshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/lantern/1192/thumbnail.jp

The Lantern, 2022-2023

The Genie and the Scotsman • Taxi Driver Savior Complex • Midnight Waltz • Eulogy of Caution • Don\u27t cry over spilled milk!! • I am the spider • The Lamb • The Witch and the Shepherd • Nostalgia • In the Summer I Want Light • I Am (Not) • Thanatophobia • We\u27re not children anymore • Hamlet\u27s Fool • Lemon • the last two people in the world • Amongst Chaos (what captivated me) • How About Now, Billy Joel • Bug Trap • Spring, Musser Hall, Room 219 • Time\u27s Denial • A Song of History • A Haiku for You • Hello! My Name Is: • Toilet Humor • Waterfalls • Communion • Shift • Mama Told Me Not To Waste My Life • Writer\u27s Block • Sharp-Tongued Women • Off Trail • Paper Bag Town • Serenity • Landscape of Ursinus Courtyard • Image #07, Affinist designer • Love Birds • Discount Narnia • False Security • Stripes and Illusions • The Burning of Ophelia • Molly\u27s Folly • The Son of Bethany • Meta • Little Blue Sailboats • Grease Trap • Hitchhiking With My Eyes Closed • The Donna of Our Time • The Magic of Cooking • The Closing Shift • A Baptism of Teeth • Dear Beloved • How Kansas Got to Chicago • Anywhere, if you look hard enoughhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/lantern/1191/thumbnail.jp

Acute mucosal pathogenesis of feline immunodeficiency virus is independent of viral dose in vaginally infected cats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The mucosal pathogenesis of HIV has been shown to be an important feature of infection and disease progression. HIV-1 infection causes depletion of intestinal lamina propria CD4+ T cells (LPL), therefore, intestinal CD4+ T cell preservation may be a useful correlate of protection in evaluating vaccine candidates. Vaccine studies employing the cat/FIV and macaque/SIV models frequently use high doses of parenterally administered challenge virus to ensure high plasma viremia in control animals. However, it is unclear if loss of mucosal T cells would occur regardless of initial viral inoculum dose. The objective of this study was to determine the acute effect of viral dose on mucosal leukocytes and associated innate and adaptive immune responses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Cats were vaginally inoculated with a high, middle or low dose of cell-associated and cell-free FIV. PBMC, serum and plasma were assessed every two weeks with tissues assessed eight weeks following infection. We found that irrespective of mucosally administered viral dose, FIV infection was induced in all cats. However, viremia was present in only half of the cats, and viral dose was unrelated to the development of viremia. Importantly, regardless of viral dose, all cats experienced significant losses of intestinal CD4+ LPL and CD8+ intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL). Innate immune responses by CD56+CD3- NK cells correlated with aviremia and apparent occult infection but did not protect mucosal T cells. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in viremic cats were more likely to produce cytokines in response to Gag stimulation, whereas aviremic cats T cells tended to produce cytokines in response to Env stimulation. However, while cell-mediated immune responses in aviremic cats may have helped reduce viral replication, they could not be correlated to the levels of viremia. Robust production of anti-FIV antibodies was positively correlated with the magnitude of viremia.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results indicate that mucosal immune pathogenesis could be used as a rapid indicator of vaccine success or failure when combined with a physiologically relevant low dose mucosal challenge. We also show that innate immune responses may play an important role in controlling viral replication following acute mucosal infection, which has not been previously identified.</p