As-built design specification for the Yield Estimation Subsystem (YES) monthly yield data base and supporting programs

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Emerging from the Project! Evolving Views of Emory\u27s Library Use System

Beginning in 2014, Emory University’s Robert W. Woodruff Library initiated a project to connect entry card swipe data to demographic data within a locally created system . The system provides data visualizations as well as file export functionality. This project has involved developing a process for collecting and analyzing the data and presenting the results it in a way that can enable data-driven decision making

Twisted factorization of a banded matrix

The twisted factorization of a tridiagonal matrix T plays an important role in inverse iteration as featured in the MRRR algorithm. The twisted structure simplifies the computation of the eigenvector approximation and can also improve the accuracy. A tridiagonal twisted factorization is given by T=M k Δ k N k where Δ k is diagonal, M k ,N k have unit diagonals, and the k-th column of M k and the k-th row of N k correspond to the k-th column and row of the identity, that is $M_{k}e_{k}=e_{k},\;e_{k}^{t}N_{k}=e_{k}^{t}$ . This paper gives a constructive proof for the existence of the twisted factorizations of a general banded matrix A. We show that for a given twist index k, there actually are two such factorizations. We also investigate the implications on inverse iteration and discuss the role of pivotin

Oral Rabies Vaccination of a Northern Ohio Raccoon Population: Relevance of Population Density and Prebait Serology

Ohio’s oral rabies vaccination (ORV) program was established to prevent the westward spread of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) rabies virus (Lyssavirus, Rhabdoviridae) in Ohio, USA. The program, which targets raccoons, distributes vaccine-bait units (VBU) at a target density of 75 units/km2. Few studies have examined the relationship of VBU density and target population density to the prevalence of rabies virus-neutralizing antibodies (RVNA). We conducted experimental VBU distributions in August 2003 and August 2004, 150 km west of the ORV zone where there was no history of raccoon rabies. We measured change in RVNA titers in blood collected from live-trapped raccoons before and after VBU distributions. A closed population mark–recapture estimate of the size of the target population was 91 raccoons/km2, compared to the realized VBU distribution density of 70 units/km2. Surprisingly, 41% of 37 serum samples were RVNA-positive (≥0.05 IU/ml) before VBU distribution in 2003, but all titers were 2 was insufficient to produce a population-wide immunoprotective response against rabies infection in our high-density target population. Presence of RVNA in a presumed naive population before baiting demonstrates that estimating prevalence of RVNA after oral rabies vaccination can be problematic without knowledge of background titers and seasonal changes in prevalence of RVNA before and after baiting

Design Standards for LibGuides: Does Better Design Lead to Greater Use?

Web-based research guides are a major service provided by academic libraries, which require a significant investment of staff time to create and maintain. These guides, however, are not heavily used. Librarians need to understand the factors influencing the use a guide receives in order to make improvements that will increase usage. The literature suggests many design standards for guides to follow, but no quantitative assessment has been undertaken to determine whether good design really does increase research guide use. In a case study of LibGuides at Kennesaw State University, use of guides is regressed against a specific list of design and usability standards based on the library science and web design literature. The results demonstrate the effect each variable has on use and how well design predicts use overall. A list of standard design recommendations is presented, and other factors influencing guide use are also considered.Master of Science in Library Scienc

Avian Influenza among Waterfowl Hunters and Wildlife Professionals

We report serologic evidence of avian influenza infection in 1 duck hunter and 2 wildlife professionals with extensive histories of wild waterfowl and game bird exposure. Two laboratory methods showed evidence of past infection with influenza A/H11N9, a less common virus strain in wild ducks, in these 3 persons

Antigenic Characterization of H3 Subtypes of Avian Influenza A Viruses from North America

Besides humans, H3 subtypes of influenza A viruses (IAVs) can infect various animal hosts, including avian, swine, equine, canine, and sea mammal species. These H3 viruses are both antigenically and genetically diverse. Here, we characterized the antigenic diversity of contemporary H3 avian IAVs recovered from migratory birds in North America. Hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assays were performed on 37 H3 isolates of avian IAVs recovered from 2007 to 2011 using generated reference chicken sera. These isolates were recovered from samples taken in the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific waterfowl migration flyways. Antisera to all the tested H3 isolates cross-reacted with each other and, to a lesser extent, with those to H3 canine and H3 equine IAVs. Antigenic cartography showed that the largest antigenic distance among the 37 avian IAVs is about four units, and each unit corresponds to a 2 log 2 difference in the HI titer. However, none of the tested H3 IAVs cross-reacted with ferret sera derived from contemporary swine and human IAVs. Our results showed that the H3 avian IAVs we tested lacked significant antigenic diversity, and these viruses were antigenically different from those circulating in swine and human populations. This suggests that H3 avian IAVs in North American waterfowl are antigenically relatively stable. Además de infectar a los seres humanos, los subtipos H3 del virus de la influenza A (IAVs) pueden infectar a varios huéspedes animales, incluyendo aves, porcinos, equinos, caninos, y especies de mamíferos marinos. Estos virus H3 son tanto antigénica y genéticamente diversos. En este estudio, se caracterizó la diversidad antigénica de virus H3 contemporáneos recuperados de aves migratorias en América del Norte. Se realizaron pruebas de inhibición de la hemaglutinación (HI) en 37 H3 aislamientos de origen aviar recuperados de 2007 a 2011 usando sueros de pollo de referencia. Estos aislamientos fueron recuperados de las muestras tomadas de las rutas migratorias de aves acuáticas del Atlántico, Mississippi, Centro y del Pacífico. Los antisueros de todos los aislamientos H3 analizados mostraron reacciones cruzadas entre sí y en menor medida, con aquellos virus H3 de origen canino y equino. La cartografía antigénica demostró que la mayor distancia antigénica entre los 37 virus de este tipo de aves es de aproximadamente cuatro unidades, y cada unidad corresponde a una diferencia de dos logaritmos en el título de inhibición de la hemaglutinación. Sin embargo, ninguno de los virus H3 de este tipo mostró reacción cruzada con sueros de hurón específicos para virus de cerdos y humanos contemporáneos. Estos resultados mostraron que los virus H3 de origen aviar que se analizaron carecían de diversidad antigénica significativa y estos virus fueron antigénicamente diferentes de las que circulan en poblaciones de cerdos y de humanos. Esto sugiere que los virus H3 de aves acuáticas de América del Norte son relativamente estables antigénicamente

The Evolutionary Genetics and Emergence of Avian Influenza Viruses in Wild Birds

We surveyed the genetic diversity among avian influenza virus (AIV) in wild birds, comprising 167 complete viral genomes from 14 bird species sampled in four locations across the United States. These isolates represented 29 type A influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) subtype combinations, with up to 26% of isolates showing evidence of mixed subtype infection. Through a phylogenetic analysis of the largest data set of AIV genomes compiled to date, we were able to document a remarkably high rate of genome reassortment, with no clear pattern of gene segment association and occasional inter-hemisphere gene segment migration and reassortment. From this, we propose that AIV in wild birds forms transient “genome constellations,” continually reshuffled by reassortment, in contrast to the spread of a limited number of stable genome constellations that characterizes the evolution of mammalian-adapted influenza A viruses

Wild Ducks as Long-Distance Vectors of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1)

Some duck species are potential long-distance vectors; others are more likely to function as sentinels