Population Dynamics and Range Expansion in Nine-Banded Armadillos

Understanding why certain species can successfully colonize new areas while others do not is a central question in ecology. The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is a conspicuous example of a successful invader, having colonized much of the southern United States in the last 200 years. We used 15 years (1992–2006) of capture-mark-recapture data from a population of armadillos in northern Florida in order to estimate, and examine relationships among, various demographic parameters that may have contributed to this ongoing range expansion. Modeling across a range of values for γ, the probability of juveniles surviving in the population until first capture, we found that population growth rates varied from 0.80 for γ = 0.1, to 1.03 for γ = 1.0. Growth rates approached 1.0 only when γ ≥0.80, a situation that might not occur commonly because of the high rate of disappearance of juveniles. Net reproductive rate increased linearly with γ, but life expectancy (estimated at 3 years) was independent of γ. We also found that growth rates were lower during a 3-year period of hardwood removal that removed preferred habitat than in the years preceding or following. Life-table response experiment (LTRE) analysis indicated the decrease in growth rate during logging was primarily due to changes in survival rates of adults. Likewise, elasticity analyses of both deterministic and stochastic population growth rates revealed that survival parameters were more influential on population growth than were those related to reproduction. Collectively, our results are consistent with recent theories regarding biological invasions which posit that populations no longer at the leading edge of range expansion do not exhibit strong positive growth rates, and that high reproductive output is less critical in predicting the likelihood of successful invasion than are life-history strategies that emphasize allocation of resources to future, as opposed to current, reproduction

The Role of Preoperative Bilateral Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patient Selection for Partial Breast Irradiation in Ductal Carcinoma In Situ

Purpose. Women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) are often candidates for breast-conserving therapy, and one option for radiation treatment is partial breast irradiation (PBI). This study evaluates the use of preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for PBI selection in DCIS patients. Methods. Between 2002 and 2009, 136 women with newly diagnosed DCIS underwent a preoperative bilateral breast MRI at Mayo Clinic in Florida. One hundred seventeen women were deemed eligible for PBI by the NSABP B-39 (National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project, Protocol B-39) inclusion criteria using physical examination, mammogram, and/or ultrasound. MRIs were reviewed for their impact on patient eligibility, and findings were pathologically confirmed. Results. Of the 117 patients, 23 (20%) were found ineligible because of pathologically proven MRI findings. MRI detected additional ipsilateral breast cancer in 21 (18%) patients. Of these women, 15 (13%) had more extensive disease than originally noted before MRI, and 6 (5%) had multicentric disease in the ipsilateral breast. In addition, contralateral breast cancer was detected in 4 (4%). Conclusions. Preoperative breast MRI altered the PBI recommendations for 20% of women. Bilateral breast MRI should be an integral part of the preoperative evaluation of all patients with DCIS being considered for PBI

Student Recital (December 7, 2015)

Choro de Saudade / Agustin Barrios Mangore Nolan Driscoll, guitar My mother bids me bind my hair / Franz Josef Haydn Willow Song (The Ballad of Baby Doe) / Douglas Moore Elizabeth Lach, soprano Thoughts of Love / Arthur Pryor I. Tempo di valse II. Tempo di valse III. Tempo di valse Nicholas Grisolia, euphonium Che gelida manina (La Boheme) / Giacomo Puccini Richard Moran, tenor Sonata 5 in F Major, Opus 24 / Ludwig van Beethoven Allegro Megan Polk, violin O vos omnes (The Seven Last Words of Christ) / Theodore Dubois Colleen McDonough, soprano Hommage a Villa-Lobos / Roland Dyens Andantinostalgie Tuhu Austin DeAndrade, guitar Morgen, Opus 21, No. 4 / Richard Strauss Justine Smigel, soprano Nature beyond art / Thomas Arne Xavier Cosme, tenor Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, K. 216 / W. A. Mozart Allegro Gail Colombo, violin Yu Guang Qu (Song of the Fisherman) / Guang Ran Jiaying Zhu, soprano El Decameron Negro / Leo Brouwer El arpa del guerrero Killian Kerrigan, guitar Una donna quindici anni (Cosi fan tutte), K. 588 / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Angela Maloney, soprano Concert Etude, Opus 49 / Alexander Goedicke Lindsey Cook, trumpethttps://vc.bridgew.edu/student_concerts/1101/thumbnail.jp

The Use of Aprotinin in Pediatric Patients: A Review

This literature review includes all reports from 1993 to 2000 concerning the use of aprotinin in children undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) for congenital cardiac surgery. This review examined a nonhomogeneous pediatric patient population ranging from neonates to children up to 18 years of age, presenting many challenges. There have been publications advocating its use and those that have found no significant difference between the control group and those receiving aprotinin. The literature suggests that there is improvement in postoperative blood loss in pediatric patients undergoing redo cardiac surgery, but no significant difference in blood loss in those undergoing primary surgical repair. There is some evidence in the neonatal study groups that with high-dose aprotinin the inflammatory response is attenuated, leading to a reduction in inotropic support, earlier extubation, a tendency toward reduced post-operative blood loss and a reduced hospital stay. In most of the studies, the actual dose of aprotinin has varied with “highdose aprotinin” demonstrating the most significant differences. To achieve an adequate dose of aprotinin, the dose must be calculated on either the patient’s weight or their body surface area, and must include an appropriate dose in the prime of the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit, to achieve a plasma concentration between 200 KIU/mL to 400 KIU/mL. The incidence of anaphylactic reactions reported in the literature range from 0.3 to 0.6%. To date, there is no evidence to indicate any contraindication related to the use of aprotinin in the pediatric population

Comparisons between nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) populations in Brazil and the United States

We compared characteristics of a population of nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) studied in the southern United States with a population found in the Atlantic coastal rainforest of Brazil. Adult armadillos in Brazil weighed less than those in the U.S., but when weight was accounted for, did not differ in other measures of body size. However, juveniles in the U.S. were proportionately bigger than those in Brazil. Armadillos in Brazil were less abundant (numbers sighted per h of observation) and were active later at night than those in the U.S. Adult sex-ratios were male-biased in both populations. Finally, there was no significant difference in the incidence of littermate associations observed in the two populations, but groups of juveniles (which included non-littermates) were observed more frequently in the U.S. Many of these differences may be due to the fact that armadillos are hunted extensively in Brazil but not in the United States

Comparisons between nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) populations in Brazil and the United States

We compared characteristics of a population of nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) studied in the soulhem Uniled States with a population found in the Atlanlic coastal rainforest of Brazil. Adult armadillos in Brazil weighed less than Ihose in Ihe U.S., but when weight was accounted for, did not differ in: other measures of body size. However, juveniles in Ihe U.S. were proportionately bigger!han Ihose in Brazil. Armadillos in Brazil were less abundant (numbers sighted per h of observation) and were active laler al night .!han Ihose in the U.S. Adult sex-ratios were male-biased in bolh populations: Finally, there was no significant difference in Ihe incidence of litterrnate associations observed in Ihe two populations, but groups of juveniles (which included non-Iitterrnates) were observed more frequently in tbe U.S. Many of these differences may be due 10 the fact that armadillos are hunted extensively in Brazil but not in the United States.We compared characteristics of a population of nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) studied in the soulhem Uniled States with a population found in the Atlanlic coastal rainforest of Brazil. Adult armadillos in Brazil weighed less than Ihose in Ihe U.S., but when weight was accounted for, did not differ in: other measures of body size. However, juveniles in Ihe U.S. were proportionately bigger!han Ihose in Brazil. Armadillos in Brazil were less abundant (numbers sighted per h of observation) and were active laler al night .!han Ihose in the U.S. Adult sex-ratios were male-biased in bolh populations: Finally, there was no significant difference in Ihe incidence of litterrnate associations observed in Ihe two populations, but groups of juveniles (which included non-Iitterrnates) were observed more frequently in tbe U.S. Many of Ihese differences may be due 10 the fact that armadillos are hunted extensively in Brazil but not in the United States

The Role of Verbal Repetition in the Development of Infant Speech Preferences from 4 to 14 Months of Age

Four experiments investigated infants\u27 preferences for age-appropriate and age-inappropriate infant-directed speech (IDS) over adult-directed speech (ADS). Two initial experiments showed that 6-, 10-, and 14-month-olds preferred IDS directed toward younger infants, and 4-, 8-, 10-, and 14-month-olds, but not 6-month-olds, preferred IDS directed toward older infants. In Experiment 3, 6-month-olds preferred IDS directed toward older infants when the frequency of repeated utterances matched IDS to younger infants. In Experiment 4, 6-month-olds preferred repeated IDS utterances over the same IDS utterances organized without repetition. Attention to repeated utterances precedes word segmentation and sensitivity to statistical cues in continuous speech, and might play a role in the discovery of these and other aspects of linguistic structure