Toni M. Withers  Colleen A. Carlson  Belinda A. Gresham 《Biological Control》2013,64(3):177-185

Host specificity testing to predict host range is one of the key steps to predicting the risk a biological control agent will present to non-target organisms in the new environment. When host specificity testing data contain discrepancies, or unacceptable levels of uncertainty, it can be difficult for decision-makers to adequately address this uncertainty. To better understand the uncertainty in host specificity testing, we used a range of statistical tools to examine a data set associated with the leaf weevil Cleopus japonicus (Curculionidae), a biological control agent for the weed Buddleja davidii (Buddlejaceae) in New Zealand. Significant uncertainty arose during the early stages of host specificity testing when one C. japonicus larva reared to pupation on a culturally important native plant. Further trials were conducted to evaluate the suitability of C. japonicus as a biological control agent, and despite the uncertainty, C. japonicus was released in New Zealand in 2006, and has since established populations at each release site. However, the possibility of larvae completing their life cycle on the native plant initiated this evaluation of the statistics associated with testing biological control agents. We present results from analyses of the C. japonicus survival data using confidence intervals, equivalence testing, power analyses and survival curves to highlight the appropriateness of each of these tools for interpreting host specificity tests in biological control.  相似文献   

    

Casey Parker  Daviela Ramirez  C. Roxanne Connelly 《Journal of vector ecology》2019,44(2):210-215

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are invasive mosquito species with geographic ranges that have oscillated within Florida since their presence was first documented. Local transmission of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses serves as evidence of the public health importance of these two species. It is important to have detailed knowledge of their distribution to aid in mosquito control efforts and understand the risk of arbovirus transmission to humans. Through a partnership involving the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Service and the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory; the Florida Department of Health; and mosquito control agencies throughout Florida, a container mosquito surveillance program involving all life stages was launched in the summer of 2016 to detect the presence of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Results from this survey were mapped to provide a picture of the current known distribution of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus in Florida. Aedes aegypti and/or Ae. albopictus were detected in the 56 counties that were part of the survey. Only Aedes albopictus was detected in 26 counties, primarily in the panhandle region of Florida. The results of this work underscore the importance of maintaining container mosquito surveillance in a state where chikungunya, dengue, and Zika viruses are present and where there is continued risk for exotic arbovirus introductions.  相似文献   

    

Geerat J. Vermeij  Roxanne Banker  Lena R. Capece  Emilia Sakai Hernandez  Sydney O. Salley  Veronica Padilla Vriesman  Barbara E. Wortham 《Journal of Biogeography》2019,46(1):1-18

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Jacob A. Brockerman  Mark Okon  Stephen G. Withers  Lawrence P. McIntosh 《Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society》2019,28(3):620-632

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Roxanne S. Beltran  Erin Marnocha  Alexandra Race  Donald A. Croll  Gage H. Dayton  Erika S. Zavaleta 《Ecology and evolution》2020,10(12):5184-5196

Disparities remain in the representation of marginalized students in STEM. Classroom‐based experiential learning opportunities can increase student confidence and academic success; however, the effectiveness of extending learning to outdoor settings is unknown. Our objectives were to examine (a) demographic gaps in ecology and evolutionary biology (EEB) major completion, college graduation, and GPAs for students who did and did not enroll in field courses, (b) whether under‐represented demographic groups were less likely to enroll in field courses, and (c) whether under‐represented demographic groups were more likely to feel increased competency in science‐related tasks (hereafter, self‐efficacy) after participating in field courses. We compared the relationships among academic success measures and demographic data (race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, first‐generation, and gender) for UC Santa Cruz undergraduate students admitted between 2008 and 2019 who participated in field courses (N = 941 students) and who did not (N = 28,215 students). Additionally, we administered longitudinal surveys to evaluate self‐efficacy gains during field‐based versus classroom‐based courses (N = 570 students). We found no differences in the proportion of students matriculating at the university as undecided, proposed EEB, or proposed other majors across demographic groups. However, five years later, under‐represented students were significantly less likely to graduate with EEB degrees, indicating retention rather than recruitment drives disparities in representation. This retention gap is partly due to a lower rate of college completion and partly through attrition to other majors. Although under‐represented students were less likely to enroll in field courses, field courses were associated with higher self‐efficacy gains, higher college graduation rates, higher EEB major retention, and higher GPAs at graduation. All demographic groups experienced significant increases in self‐efficacy during field‐based but not lecture‐based courses. Together, our findings suggest that increasing the number of field courses and actively facilitating access to students from under‐represented groups can be a powerful tool for increasing STEM diversity.  相似文献   

    

David José Menor-Campos  Roxanne Hawkins  Joanne Williams 《Anthrozo?s》2018,31(5):599-614

Beliefs concerning the mental experiences of nonhuman animals have been related to how people treat, see, and take care of nonhuman animals. Whereas this issue has been the subject of several studies on adults, few have been conducted with children. Taking advantage of a recently published scale, the Child-BAM questionnaire, we aimed to explore the beliefs in animal minds of Spanish primary school children. The study also considered the effects of a child's age, school year group, gender, and pet ownership on their beliefs in animal mind. The Child-BAM questionnaire, concerning the mental capabilities of eight different species (human, chimpanzee, dog, cow, otter, sparrow, frog, and fish), was distributed at a primary school sited in Cordoba, Spain. A total of 416 participants were included aged between 6 and 13 years. Each child provided scores for animals’ ability to have intelligence, experience pain, fear, happiness, and sadness, and total scores for the eight species were calculated. The results showed that children's beliefs about animal minds differed depending on the type of animal, and that children were more likely to believe in the emotional capacities of animals rather than their cognitive capabilities. Dogs achieved similar scores to humans regarding all capabilities, and higher than any other species, while the cow, fish, and frog generally scored the lowest. Age, school year group, and having a companion animal at home affected beliefs in animal minds, whereas gender had no effect. This study highlights cultural similarities in children's beliefs about animal minds and the potential importance of this variable for future research in child–animal interactions.  相似文献   

    

Miriam P. Kötzler  Lawrence P. McIntosh  Stephen G. Withers 《Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society》2017,26(8):1555-1563

Xylanases are important polysaccharide‐cleaving catalysts for the pulp and paper, animal feeds and biofuels industries. They have also proved to be valuable model systems for understanding enzymatic catalysis, with one of the best studied being the GH11 xylanase from Bacillus circulans (Bcx). However, proteins from this class are very recalcitrant to refolding in vitro. This both limits their high level expression in heterologous hosts, and prevents experimental approaches, such as peptide ligation or chemical modifications, to probe and engineer their stability and function. To solve this problem, a systematic screening approach was employed to identify suitable buffer conditions for renaturing Bcx in vitro. The fractional factorial screen employed identified starting conditions for refolding, which were then refined and developed into a generic protocol for renaturing preparative amounts of active Bcx in a 50–60% yield from inclusion bodies. The method is robust and proved equally proficient at refolding circularly permuted versions that carry cysteine mutations. This general approach should be applicable to related GH11 xylanases, as well as proteins adopting a similar β‐jellyroll fold, that are otherwise recalcitrant to refolding in vitro.  相似文献   

    

Shang Wang  Melissa Minter  Rafael A. Homem  Louise V. Michaelson  Herbert Venthur  Ka S. Lim  Amy Withers  Jinghui Xi  Christopher M. Jones  Jing‐Jiang Zhou 《Molecular ecology》2020,29(19):3795-3808

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Roanne Sutherland  Nicolas Meurisse  Andrew R. Pugh  Christopher M. Ranger  Michael E. Reding  Jessica L. Kerr  Jessica Russell  Toni M. Withers 《Agricultural and Forest Entomology》2023,25(3):355-364

1. The granulate ambrosia beetle (GAB) Xylosandrus crassiusculus, was first formally detected in New Zealand in 2019. Since then, GAB has subsequently been found infesting numerous tree species in the Auckland region.
2. Flight intercept traps baited with ethanol lures were deployed from October 2019 to May 2021 at three sites in the Auckland region to ascertain the phenology of GAB in New Zealand. Two distinct peak flight periods were identified in early and late summer, while a smaller and inconsistent third peak was detected in early autumn. Logistical analysis of GAB captures in the ethanol-lured traps and degree-day (DD) accumulation indicated that 90% of flight activity is completed by 800 DD.
3. To assess monitoring tactics, flight intercept traps were baited with three different ethanol lures with varying release rates or ethanol-soaked or non-soaked wood bolts from three species of trees. A lure releasing 2 g ethanol per day was most effective at capturing GAB. Ethanol-soaked bolts were less effective than the lures.
4. Xylosandrus crassiusculus represents a significant risk for shrubs and trees native to New Zealand, as well as commercial horticultural and forestry trees. We recommend using ethanol-lured panel traps for monitoring purposes.

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Roxanne S. Beltran  Keith M. Hernandez  Richard Condit  Patrick W. Robinson  Daniel E. Crocker  Chandra Goetsch  A. Marm Kilpatrick  Daniel P. Costa 《Ecology letters》2023,26(5):706-716

Although anthropogenic change is often gradual, the impacts on animal populations may be precipitous if physiological processes create tipping points between energy gain, reproduction or survival. We use 25 years of behavioural, diet and demographic data from elephant seals to characterise their relationships with lifetime fitness. Survival and reproduction increased with mass gain during long foraging trips preceding the pupping seasons, and there was a threshold where individuals that gained an additional 4.8% of their body mass (26 kg, from 206 to 232 kg) increased lifetime reproductive success three-fold (from 1.8 to 4.9 pups). This was due to a two-fold increase in pupping probability (30% to 76%) and a 7% increase in reproductive lifespan (6.0 to 6.4 years). The sharp threshold between mass gain and reproduction may explain reproductive failure observed in many species and demonstrates how small, gradual reductions in prey from anthropogenic disturbance could have profound implications for animal populations.  相似文献