bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
THE IMPACT OF WOOD TYPE, SEASON, AND REPELLENT USE ON NORTH AMERICAN PORCUPINE DAMAGE
Authors: GRAHAM ANDIE S. , KEELY TOLLEY ROEN 
Published: February 2022

ABSTRACT
We evaluated the impact of wood type, season, and repellent use on North American Porcupine damage to forty installed posts along Rails-to-Trails property in Brockway, Pennsylvania, USA. Treatments were (1) pressure-treated Pine posts with Ro-Pel (a liquid repellent), (2) pressure-treated Pine posts without Ro-Pel, (3) Black Locust posts with Ro-Pel, and (4) Black Locust posts without Ro-Pel. We assessed new damage to posts 1 – 4 times per month from June 2007 – January 2009. All damage was to Pine posts (x− = 12.9 cm2, SE = 3.70 cm2) and no damage was observed to Black Locust posts. Observed damage to untreated posts (x− = 9.93 cm2, SE = 2.10 cm2) was 3.3 times greater than damage to posts treated with Ro-Pel (x− = 2.99 cm2, SE = 2.86 cm2). Total monthly damage to Pine posts was greatest in August (x− = 2.31 cm2, SE = 1.51 cm2) and there was no observed damage in February, October, and November. When examining damage by season, damage to Pine posts was 54 times greater in summer (June – August; x− = 1.62 cm2, SE = 0.567 cm2) than in fall (September – November; x− = 0.030 cm2, SE = 0.030 cm2). We suspect the seasonality observed may be related to salt loss and salt-seeking behavior. We suggest that landowners and managers who anticipate Porcupine damage consider using alternatives to pressure-treated Pine for their wooden structures. In addition, repellent applications could be timed to correspond with the peak of damage to reduce cost.
STREET TREE INVENTORY OF SELINSGROVE, PENNSYLVANIA
Authors: RESSLER DANIEL E. , KILMER JOHN A. 
Published: February 2022

ABSTRACTStreet trees provide a number of social and environmental benefits to their communities. A street tree inventory was conducted in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania to quantify the number of trees, the species present, tree characteristics, and sidewalk characteristics. The field data collected was combined with historical aerial photographs to evaluate the sustainability of the street tree community over time, as well as determine diversity and ecology statistics of the community by neighborhood. The analysis determined that more than half of the 1974 community existed in 2009, and that five of the eight neighborhoods lost nearly two-thirds of their trees. The street tree community is dominated by only three species and is not appropriately diverse to withstand potential threats from invasive boring insects that threaten the region's trees. Selinsgrove needs to find ways to limit tree losses and diversify the street tree community.
WOODEN VERSUS INSULATED METAL NESTBOXES: A COMPARISON OF REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS AND USE BY SONGBIRDS
Authors: RUSHMORE MARGARET E. , UNDERWOOD TODD J. , BROWN WILLIAM P. 
Published: February 2022

ABSTRACTWe compared reproductive success of Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) and House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) nests in wooden nestboxes to insulated metal nestboxes to determine if a new insulated metal nestbox design is a safe alternative to wooden nestboxes. We also examined the preference of four species of cavity-nesting birds to nest in wooden versus metal nestboxes. No significant differences were found among clutch size, hatching success, and the number of fledglings produced in Tree Swallow and House Wren nests between the two types of nestboxes. Therefore, insulated metal nestboxes appear to be a safe alternative to wooden nestboxes. Metal nestboxes were preferred by Tree Swallows to wooden nestboxes (χ2 = 6.5, n = 25, p = 0.01). However, wooden nestboxes were preferred to metal nestboxes as a first choice for nesting 77.1% of the time for all four species. House Wrens, Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis), and House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) all preferred wooden to metal nestboxes (Fisher's Exact Tests, all p &lt; 0.001). Thus, insulated metal boxes are safe, but may not attract desirable species, such as Eastern Bluebirds, when compared to traditional wooden Peterson-style boxes.
The Status of White Oak (Quercus alba) Trees at the Gordon Natural Area, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Authors: Stern Rachel , Turner Gregory D. , Hertel Gerard D. 
Published: February 2022

ABSTRACT
A field study was conducted in 2007 and 2008 to assess the population, distribution, size, and health status of white oak (Quercus alba L.) trees found in a forest at the Gordon Natural Area preserve in Chester County, Pennsylvania. A sweep survey was used to locate each oak, and then geographic coordinates, diameter at breast height (DBH), and crown vigor, were determined for each tree. Twenty-three trees were encountered in all, indicating a low density of &lt; one tree per hectare, which was much lower than that of other co-occurring late successional species. Trees exhibited both clumped and linear distributions, likely resulting from acorn caching and past use of the species as a border around now reforested farmland. Trees were spread across most DBH size classes with a mean DBH = 57.4 cm. Most trees were relatively large and none occurred below 25 cm. Most trees were also healthy, though some were unhealthy. Overall, results suggest that white oak is an uncommon but widely dispersed species at the preserve, with a relatively healthy, but aging, population. Given these results, more studies of the species at the preserve are warranted, including new and periodic assessments of its recruitment status and canopy tree health, to better manage and ensure that white oak continues to have a presence in this forest and the region.
Analysis of Ground Water Drawdowns using Field Monitoring, Computer Modeling and Theoretical Techniques at Monroe Marketplace, Hummels Wharf, PA
Authors: Lachhab Ahmed , Stoker Matthew 
Published: February 2022

ABSTRACT
A newly built shopping center called Monroe Marketplace Plaza, located in Hummels Wharf, Pennsylvania, raised concern among local residents after they heard about the high rate of two pumping wells placed in the vicinity of their homes. The study herein was conducted by monitoring 4 domestic wells from March 2008 through January 2010, theoretically by using Neuman and Witherspoon equation, and lastly by groundwater modeling. The results showed that both Neuman and Witherspoon equation and groundwater modeling results are in agreement with the observed data when a hydraulic conductivity of 9.26x10−7 ft/sec (2.78x10−7 m/sec) was used. The results indicate that the initial drawdown of 19 ft (6 m) observed during the monitoring period in well 4 was caused by a nearby well that was pumping at high rate. The location of both pumping wells has arrested the cone of depression to the center of the plaza without major effect on the well 1, 2, and 3. The groundwater level gradually increased due to high specific yield of the aquifer and has since readjusted to new hydrological condition, fluctuating only to recharge effects. Overall, all 3 methods approximate similar results or complement each other and for a practical approach makes it highly unlikely that the New Marketplace's water consumption will affect residential water supply.
The Invasive New Zealand Mud Snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) Grows Faster When Consuming Periphyton Compared to Detritus
Authors: Bilka Rachel H. , Edward P. Levri 
Published: February 2022

ABSTRACT
Diet can play an important role in invasion success. The New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) has invaded lakes and streams on four different continents. The snail has been established in the Laurentian Great Lakes since at least 1991 and has recently been discovered in stream habitats adjacent to the lakes. The purpose of this experiment was to examine the effect of a change in diet from a benthic diet of detritus to a diet dominated by periphyton on the growth rate of this snail. Juvenile snails were placed into one of four treatments: standard lab diet of Spirulina, benthic sediment (detritus), rocks with periphyton growth, or detritus and rocks with periphyton growth. The growth rate was determined after six weeks. The results demonstrated that diet greatly influences growth rate of P. antipodarum with a diet of periphyton resulting in the highest growth rate and a detritus diet resulting in the slowest rate. These results provide evidence that the movement of the snail into lotic waters where periphyton is in greater abundance in the Great Lakes region could result in faster individual and, possibly, population growth rates.
A Survey of the Heavy Metals Present in the Soil of a Potential Urban Garden: A Service Learning Approach
Authors: Kessler Kyle , Umbenhauer Seth , Noble Alison R. 
Published: February 2022

ABSTRACT
Eight soil samples were collected from a small urban land plot located at 1700 North Sixth Street Harrisburg, PA 17102 and the concentration of copper, nickel, zinc, and lead in existing soil was determined. The concentrations of these metals were compared to EPA standards to assess soil suitability for the development of a successful urban garden. Samples were prepared by acid digestion and then analyzed using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The concentration of copper was found to be 11 ± 4 mg/kg at the low end and 46 ± 25 mg/kg at the high end, nickel concentrations ranged from 11 ± 4 mg/kg to 20 ± 3 mg/kg, lead concentrations from 26 ± 1 mg/kg to 402+ mg/kg, and the zinc concentrations ranged from 30 ± 6 mg/kg to 216 ± 166 mg/kg. All concentrations, with the exception lead, were below the EPA recommended limits for heavy metals in home and vegetable gardens. This study also discusses the benefits of service learning for developing relationships between academic institutions and community partners as well as the role of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in urban areas.
Distribution of Arsenic in Presque Isle State Park Pond Sediments
Authors: Diz Harry R. , Murnock Jason 
Published: February 2022

ABSTRACT
A study of arsenic in pond sediments on the Presque Isle peninsula, Erie, PA, was conducted in 2000 and 2001 by Murnoch (2002) due to concerns expressed by citizens and various local officials. Samples of pond and lagoon sediments were collected at thirteen primary sites and additional reference sites for analysis of arsenic content during the fall, 2000, and again in spring, 2001. The probable effect concentration (PEC) for arsenic of 33.0 mg/kg-DW, an indication of the concentration above which adverse impacts on benthic organisms are expected to occur, was exceeded in the surface sediments at all 13 primary sites during fall sampling and in all but one site during spring sampling, with concentrations as high as 393 mg/kg-DW measured. For deeper sediments, the PEC was exceeded in the fall at nine sites and in the spring at six sites. Surface sediments contained more arsenic than did deeper sediments. These differences were more pronounced in the spring samples than in the fall samples. There was a general trend, with numerous exceptions, for sites closer to Gull Point (the geologically ‘new’ end of the peninsula) to have lower arsenic levels. While the source of the arsenic in the sediments of Presque Isle is unknown, these high levels are likely due to natural processes that, over time, have resulted in an enrichment of arsenic in surface sediments. A possible mechanism for this enrichment is proposed. This study has not attempted to document the risk to the ecosystem associated with elevated arsenic concentrations, but it is reasonable to speculate that there could be an adverse impact on some organisms.
Bioaccumulation of Methylmercury in Neovison vison (Schreber, 1777) Populations of the Susquehanna River Valley
Authors: Brown Matthew R. , Iudica Carlos A. 
Published: February 2022

ABSTRACT
Being the longest non-navigable river on the eastern coast of the United States, the Susquehanna River and the surrounding areas support a vast number of plants, animals, and other organisms, creating a vast and complex food web within a large and biodiverse ecosystem. One of the most prominent and essential organisms within this food web is the American mink (Neovison vison). In recent years, studies have been conducted to determine the level of biomagnification of methylmercury in terrestrial organisms that reside at higher trophic levels. This particular study has found that American mink populations residing in the Susquehanna River Valley of Pennsylvania are reliable indicators of bioaccumulation of methylmercury due to their role as piscivorous carnivores residing at a high trophic level of the terrestrial food web. Analysis of methylmercury concentrations of 166 hair samples from collected mink specimens yielded 111 samples with concentrations in excess of the toxicity threshold of 1 mg kg-1 body weight. Furthermore, our data suggest that although mercury contamination is a global concern, geographical location of mercury producers, such as coal-burning power plants, and the relationship to the location of mink populations may be a large factor in bioaccumulation of mercury. In particular, samples taken from mink specimens within habitats in the northeastern region of Pennsylvania contained higher concentrations of methylmercury as well as a larger quantity of samples containing concentrations higher than the toxicity threshold than in samples from other regions of the state.
Mussel Population and Distribution on Buffalo Creek, an American Eel Stocked Tributary to the West Branch Susquehanna River
Authors: Reese Sean P. , Huffner Michael , Feindt Jared 
Published: February 2022

ABSTRACT
In 2009 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service began stocking young American eel into Buffalo Creek, a small agriculturally impacted stream that feeds into the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. The freshwater mussel Elliptio complanata is known to have higher success rates completing its life cycle using American eel as the host fish for its glochidia (Lellis et al. 2013). The objective of this study was to determine if the American eel will affect mussel populations within their first 5 years of reintroduction into Buffalo Creek and hopes to be a baseline study for future research. A total of ten sites were randomly distributed throughout Buffalo Creek with each site consisting of four 5m x 5m quadrants. In the first year of the study (2012) most mussels found were large E. complanata adults indicating that they had been present before the eel reintroduction. In 2013 we recorded almost twice as many mussels as last year and four new species (Strophitus undulates, Lampsilis cariosa, Alasmidonta marginata, and Villosa iris).
Aerobic Oral and Nasal Bacteria in New Jersey Black Bears (Ursus americanus) with a Report on Antibiotic Susceptibility of Escherichia coli
Authors: Lisowski Sasha , Chinnici Nicole , Huffman Jane E. 
Published: February 2022

ABSTRACT
The microbiology of animal bite wound infections is often polymicrobial. Black bear attacks have been a rare occurrence in the past and with few published studies on their oral flora, the bacteria present in black bear bite wounds is largely unknown. This study examines the oral and nasal aerobic bacteria from research trapped bears in northwestern New Jersey during June 2014. Oral swabs from the buccal and lingual supragingival tooth surfaces and nasal swabs from 22 black bears were plated onto Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA), Eosin Methylene Blue agar (EMB), and Columbia Nalidixic Acid agar (CNA) for bacterial isolation. Twelve aerobic bacterial species were identified from the oral and nasal samples. The most frequently isolated bacteria were Bacillus sp., Klebsiella oxytoca, Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis. The diversity in the aerobic oral and nasal flora of black bears in New Jersey suggests the importance of including these organisms in basic health risk assessment protocols and suggests a potential tool for assessment of bear/habitat interactions. To evaluate the role of black bears in the spread of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli, oral, nasal and anal samples were collected from eight black bears (two sows and six cubs). Antibiotic resistance was measured for tetracycline and streptomycin. E.coli resistance for tetracycline and streptomycin was 7%.
A Checklist and Distributional Synthesis of Amphibian and Reptile Species in Columbia County, Pennsylvania
Authors: Hartzell Sean M. 
Published: February 2022

ABSTRACT
Species inventories and distributional analyses at fine resolutions, such as at the county level, can provide a wealth of data to inform biological research and management as well as provide important baseline data for long-term biological monitoring. This work represents the first herpetological species and distributional inventory for Columbia County in northeastern Pennsylvania. A review of literature, museum records, and vouchered submissions on the Pennsylvania Amphibian and Reptile Survey (PARS) database confirmed the occurrence of 39 species of amphibians and reptiles within the county. The Eastern Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) is reported herein as a new county record. Eleven species confirmed within Columbia County are of conservation concern. Known township occurrence data, compiled from museum records, published literature, and field observations are presented for 28 non-imperiled species and (with township names omitted) for seven imperiled species. This work contributes to the understanding of Pennsylvania's herpetofauna and provides important baseline data for long-term monitoring and future research on amphibian and reptile species within Columbia County.
In a Foreign Land: Estrangement in “Rappaccini's Daughter”
Authors: Buonomo Leonardo 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
When Hawthorne set “Rappaccini's Daughter” in Italy, he recreated a country he had known, at that stage of his life, only through his reading and his perusal of prints. Unable to leave his native country, he had traveled to Italy imaginatively, and he had further emphasized the distance between the Italian tale and his American productions by attributing it to his French alter ego M. de l’Aubépine. Although “Rappaccini's Daughter” is one of Hawthorne's most widely discussed tales, the provenance of its male protagonist, Giovanni Guasconti, has received but scant attention. This essay will concentrate on the precise identification of Giovanni as a Neapolitan student who has left his home and has traveled a great distance to study at the University of Padua, in the north. Given the story's setting, namely, Renaissance Italy, Giovanni has traveled from what was then the Kingdom of Naples to the territory of the Republic of Venice. To all intents and purposes, Giovanni is a foreigner in a city where everything is unfamiliar and mysterious. The estrangement he experiences inevitably colors his perception of places, people, and events. Giovanni feels ill at ease in the stony urban center of Padua and longs for the sunny vistas of seaside Naples. It is precisely his longing that renders him particularly vulnerable to the lure of Dr. Rappaccini's luxuriant garden (a sort of microclimate, a southern oasis in the north), which he can see from his window. He hungers, one might say, for greenery, and that need exposes him to danger.
Wanderers of the New World: From the Jew as Other, to the Jew as (Uncanny) Double in “A Virtuoso's Collection” (1842) and “Ethan Brand” (1850)
Authors: Sommer Myriam Ackermann 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe legend of the Wandering Jew began as a European folk motif and migrated to America, where it gained a popularity unmatched in the countries of the Old World. This article focuses on the adaptation of this legend in the American gothic, and specifically on the literary rendition of the Wandering Jew in Hawthorne's “A Virtuoso's Collection” (1842) and “Ethan Brand” (1850). Hawthorne first staged this archetype in his short story titled “A Virtuoso's Collection,” in which the Jew serves as a chronicler and an eerie museum guide. In “Ethan Brand,” the Wandering Jew is recast as a “German Jew,” a showman carrying a diorama and showing sketches. There, he serves as both the figure of the Other and an image of the evil double. He proves to be a source of gothic horror, hinting at the pointlessness of the quest of the main protagonist, who claims to have identified and mastered the “Unpardonable Sin.” After the departure of the Jew, Brand kills himself, which could be interpreted as a victory of the doppelgänger typical of gothic tales. However, Brand's attempt to annihilate himself is incomplete, for it is mentioned in the explicit that his heart could not be burnt down. This ambiguous ending and lack of closure are true to the spirit of the legend, whereby the Jew must wander until messianic times. However, the real Jew behind the mask remains unaccounted for, as he is reduced to a mere literary representation of pure otherness.
Association of chronic diseases with mortality among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 treated with convalescent plasma: Evidence from a single center – Iraq
Authors: Al-Ani Abdulsalam , Ismael Ghazzay Hazim , Al Shawi Ameel F. , Eyada Al-koubaisy Haitham Noaman , Al-Ani Fatimah , Aldouri Maadh 
Published: February 2022

Objective/Background: While there is no universal agreement on the benefits of convalescent plasma (CP) in the treatment of COVID-19 infection, very little is known about whether CP affects the association between chronic diseases and mortality. It is known that chronic diseases are associated with worse outcomes, but it is not clear whether the transfusion of CP impacts this association. This study aims to evaluate this impact considering that few studies have discussed the treatment of COVID-19 patients with CP. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among COVID-19 patients treated with CP at the main hospital for treatment and isolation of COVID-19 in Anbar/Iraq during the period of May to August 2020. A questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics, smoking, and contact with COVID-19 was conducted. The presence of comorbidity, especially hypertension, heart failure, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic pulmonary diseases, asthma, and the hospital outcome (discharged home alive or cure/death) were included. The Chi-square test (or Fisher's exact test) was used to measure the association between comorbidity with the outcome. Logistic regression was used to assess the main predictors for cure (discharged home alive) and death outcome. Results: The mean age of the subjects was (53.05 ± 15.16), with a higher death rate among the older age group, especially those over 60-year with non-survivors at age of 65 or more. There was a statistically significant association between the presence of comorbidity and the mortality rate (P < 0.001). Subjects with chronic disease had a 5 times higher risk for death due to COVID-19 in comparison to those without the chronic disease (OR = 5.8, C.I. = 2.01-16.96, P = 0.001), hypertension showed the highest predictor (C.I = 1.43- 22.29, p = 0.013). Smoking and gender were not associated with mortality. Conclusion: The present study found a high mortality rate among COVID-19 patients treated with CP, specially for those with age over 60, or with comorbidities.