Search

Background: The incidence of tick-borne diseases is increasing across the USA, with cases concentrated in the northeastern and midwestern regions of the country. Ixodes scapularis is one of the most important tick-borne disease vectors and has spread throughout the northeastern USA over the past four decades, with established populations in all states of the region. Methods: To better understand the rapid expansion of I. scapularis and the pathogens they transmit, we aggregated and analyzed I. scapularis abundance and pathogen prevalence data from across the northeastern USA, including the states of Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont, from 1989 to 2021. Maine was the only state to collect data during the entire time period, with the other states collecting data during a subset of this time period starting in 2008 or later. We harmonized I. scapularis abundance by county and tick season, where the nymph season is defined as May to September and the adult season is October to December, and calculated I. scapularis pathogen infection prevalence as the percentage of ticks that tested positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Borrelia miyamotoi. We then explored temporal trends in I. scapularis abundance and pathogen prevalence data using linear models. Results: The resulting dataset is one of the most spatially and temporally comprehensive records of tick abundance and pathogen prevalence in the USA. Using linear models, we found small or insignificant changes in the abundance of nymphs and adults over time; however, A. phagocytophilum, B. microti and B. burgdorferi prevalence in both nymphs and adults has increased over time. For the period 2017–2021, the statewide average prevalence of B. burgdorferi ranged from 19% to 25% in I. scapularis nymphs and from to 49% to 54% in I. scapularis adults. The statewide average prevalence of all other pathogens in I. scapularis for 2017–2021, including A. phagocytophilum (4–6% for nymphs, 4–9% for adults), B. microti (4–8% for nymphs, 2–13% for adults) and B. miyamotoi (1–2% for nymphs, 1–2% for adults), was considerably less. Conclusions: Our efforts revealed the complications of creating a comprehensive dataset of tick abundance and pathogen prevalence across time and space due to variations in tick collection and pathogen testing methods. Although tick abundance has not changed along the more southern latitudes in our study over this time period, and only gradually changed in the more northern latitudes of our study, human risk for exposure to tick-borne pathogens has increased due to increased pathogen prevalence in I. scapularis. This dataset can be used in future studies of I. scapularis and pathogen prevalence across the northeastern USA and to evaluate models of I. scapularis ecology and population dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The incidence of tick-borne diseases is increasing across the USA, with cases concentrated in the northeastern and midwestern regions of the country. Ixodes scapularis is one of the most important tick-borne disease vectors and has spread throughout the northeastern USA over the past four decades, with established populations in all states of the region. Methods To better understand the rapid expansion of I. scapularis and the pathogens they transmit, we aggregated and analyzed I. scapularis abundance and pathogen prevalence data from across the northeastern USA, including the states of Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont, from 1989 to 2021. Maine was the only state to collect data during the entire time period, with the other states collecting data during a subset of this time period starting in 2008 or later. We harmonized I. scapularis abundance by county and tick season, where the nymph season is defined as May to September and the adult season is October to December, and calculated I. scapularis pathogen infection prevalence as the percentage of ticks that tested positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Borrelia miyamotoi. We then explored temporal trends in I. scapularis abundance and pathogen prevalence data using linear models. Results The resulting dataset is one of the most spatially and temporally comprehensive records of tick abundance and pathogen prevalence in the USA. Using linear models, we found small or insignificant changes in the abundance of nymphs and adults over time; however, A. phagocytophilum, B. microti and B. burgdorferi prevalence in both nymphs and adults has increased over time. For the period 2017–2021, the statewide average prevalence of B. burgdorferi ranged from 19% to 25% in I. scapularis nymphs and from to 49% to 54% in I. scapularis adults. The statewide average prevalence of all other pathogens in I. scapularis for 2017–2021, including A. phagocytophilum (4–6% for nymphs, 4–9% for adults), B. microti (4–8% for nymphs, 2–13% for adults) and B. miyamotoi (1–2% for nymphs, 1–2% for adults), was considerably less. Conclusions Our efforts revealed the complications of creating a comprehensive dataset of tick abundance and pathogen prevalence across time and space due to variations in tick collection and pathogen testing methods. Although tick abundance has not changed along the more southern latitudes in our study over this time period, and only gradually changed in the more northern latitudes of our study, human risk for exposure to tick-borne pathogens has increased due to increased pathogen prevalence in I. scapularis. This dataset can be used in future studies of I. scapularis and pathogen prevalence across the northeastern USA and to evaluate models of I. scapularis ecology and population dynamics. Graphical Abstract

Climate zones play a significant role in shaping the forest ecosystems located within them by influencing multiple ecological processes, including growth, disturbances, and species interactions. Therefore, delineation of current and future climate zones is essential to establish a framework for understanding and predicting shifts in forest ecosystems. In this study, we developed and applied an efficient approach to delineate regional climate zones in the northeastern United States and maritime Canada, aiming to characterize potential shifts in climate zones and discuss associated changes in forest ecosystems. The approach comprised five steps: climate data dimensionality reduction, sampling scenario design, cluster generation, climate zone delineation, and zone shift prediction. The climate zones in the study area were delineated into four different orders, with increasing subzone resolutions of 3, 9, 15, and 21. Furthermore, projected climate normals under Shared Socioeconomic Pathways 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios were used to predict the shifts in climate zones until 2100. Our findings indicate that climate zones characterized by higher temperatures and lower precipitation are expected to become more prevalent, potentially becoming the dominant climate condition across the entire region. Thes changes are likely to alter regional forest composition, structure, and productivity. In short, such shifts in climate underscore the significant impact of environmental change on forest ecosystem dynamics and carbon sequestration potential.

Greater attention is being paid to issues surrounding end-of-life care for aging adults with developmental disabilities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the end-of-life experiences of two aging adults with developmental disabilities and life-limiting serious illnesses who received care in settings in the United States. Using a comparative case study design, data from three sources (records, staff, surrogates) were collected sequentially and triangulated via within and cross-case analyses. Although the setting and design limit the generalizability of these findings, the feasibility of delivering high quality care to adults with developmental disabilities as they age and experience terminal illnesses is supported. Insights are presented regarding how nurses can address barriers by adapting policies and practices to accommodate the distinct needs that arise as people with developmental disabilities age, become seriously ill, and reach life's end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melons (Cucumis melo var. reticulatis) are potentially a high value crop for New England, but production is limited by cool spring temperatures and sudden wilt. The sudden wilt syndrome in melon, attributed to both biotic and abiotic factors, is characterized by rapid wilting of vines either just preceding or during the harvest season, reducing melon quality and shortening the harvest period. We investigated the effects of grafting melons to rootstocks of interspecific hybrid squash (Cucurbita maxima × C. moschata), which have exhibited tolerance to soilborne diseases and cooler soil temperatures. In 2015, we compared the performance of ‘Halona’ melon grafted to two rootstocks, ‘Carnivor’ and ‘NH1320’, to that of nongrafted (NG) plants at two New Hampshire Agriculture Experiment Research Farms, Woodman (WRF) and Kingman (KRF). Pistillate flowering and melon harvests were 3 to 9 days earlier in NG than grafted (GR) plants. By harvest period, GR plant growth exceeded that of NG plants, and GR plants did not display wilting symptoms observed in NG plants. Total marketable yields were 57% and 90% higher for GR/‘Carnivor’ (47.8 and 45.0 Mg·ha−1) and 44% and 89% higher for GR/‘NH1320’ (43.9 and 44.9 Mg·ha−1) compared with the NG treatment (30.5 and 23.7 Mg·ha−1) at WRF and KRF, respectively. There were no differences in fruit numbers per plot between treatments, but mean fruit weight was between 33% and 71% larger in GR than NG treatments. In 2016, GR (‘NH1320’ rootstock) and NG ‘Halona’ were compared at three transplantation dates, 12 and 21 May and 1 June, and with two irrigation frequencies, drip irrigation every 2 days (2-d Irr) or every 4 days (4-d Irr). NG plants exhibited symptoms of sudden wilt in early August compared with no symptoms on GR plants. Harvests of NG melons were 3 to 8 days earlier than GR plants for all three planting dates. The increase in yields of GR plants compared with NG plants for the 12 and 21 May and 1 June planting dates were, respectively, 131%, 123%, and 149% greater with the 2-day Irr, and 93%, 100%, and 78% greater with 4-d Irr. Irrigation frequency did not significantly affect fruit size or soluble solids content (SSC), whereas grafting increased both fruit number and fruit size but did not significantly affect SSC at all three planting dates.

Identifying viruses in synanthropic animals is necessary for understanding the origin of many viruses that can infect human hosts and developing strategies to prevent new zoonotic infections. The white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, is one of the most abundant rodent species in the northeastern United States. We characterized the serum virome of 978 free-ranging P. leucopus mice caught in Pennsylvania. We identified many new viruses from 26 different virus families. Among these viruses was a highly divergent segmented flavivirus whose genetic relatives were recently identified in ticks, mosquitos, and vertebrates, including febrile patients. The novel flavi-like segmented virus, isolated from ticks in Pennsylvania, shares ˂70% aa identity with known viruses in the highly conserved region of the viral polymerase. Our data will enable researchers to develop molecular reagents to further characterize this virus and its relatives infecting other hosts and to curtail their spread, if necessary.

Romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is the most popular leafy vegetable in the United States. Organic and synthetic mulch materials are applied by farmers to reduce their weeding expenditures, manage soil temperatures, and increase the yield and quality of their crops. This study examined the impacts of using black polyethylene, compost, and shredded leaves as surface mulches in spring open field romaine lettuce by using data regarding the soil temperature, lettuce growth, and yield parameters. Mulch treatments were compared to determine effects on soil temperature, lettuce growth rates, leaf area index (LAI), yield, and plant size. Experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2019. Soil temperatures were slightly (but significantly) warmer in 2019, the plants grew more rapidly, and LAI, yield, and plant size were all significantly greater than they were in 2017. Mean soil temperatures were 18.0 and 18.9 °C in black polyethylene mulched plots, 17.7 and 18.5 °C in compost, 17.5 and 17.0 °C in bare ground, and 16.9 and 17.3 °C in shredded leaf plots in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Changes in canopy size presented a similar trend over the growing season for all treatments; shredded leaf and bare ground treatments on all measuring dates had the smallest canopy size, and compost and black polyethylene mulches had the largest canopy sizes. Black polyethylene and compost mulches had the highest LAI and yields in both years. In 2017, the bare ground treatment was similar to black polyethylene and compost mulch treatments for both parameters, and all three treatments were significantly greater than the shredded leaf mulch treatment. In 2019, the bare ground treatment was similar to the shredded leaf mulch treatment and significantly lower than the black polyethylene and compost mulch treatments. In 2017, black polyethylene and compost mulches had LAI of 7.67 and 7.37 and yields of 6.38 and 6.68 kg·m−2, respectively. Bare ground had an LAI of 7.16 and yielded 5.94 kg·m−2. Shredded leaf mulch plots had the lowest LAI (5.94) and yield (4.96 kg·m−2). In 2019, the bare ground treatment had an LAI of 7.5 and yielded 7.6 kg·m−2. Black polyethylene and compost mulches increased LAI by 1.7. Yield increased by 2.8 kg·m−2 with black polyethylene mulch and by 2.4 kg·m−2 with compost mulch. Shredded leaf mulch produced LAI and yield similar to but slightly lower than bare ground. Dry weight, plant height, and head diameter in bare ground and shredded leaf mulch treatments were significantly smaller than in black polyethylene and compost mulch treatments. The cultivar rank order was consistent across treatments in both years; ‘Ridgeline’ grew significantly faster than ‘Coastal Star’, and plants were significantly larger at harvest. Black polyethylene suppresses weeds and increases soil temperatures, thereby enhancing yields of spring-to-summer romaine lettuce under southern New England conditions. Compost mulch has similar effects on yields. Shredded leaf mulch is effective at suppressing weeds but decreases soil temperatures and yields.

Smartphone cameras and digital devices are increasingly used in the capture of tick images by the public as citizen scientists, and rapid advances in deep learning and computer vision has enabled brand new image recognition models to be trained. However, there is currently no web-based or mobile application that supports automated classification of tick images. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of a deep learning model pre-trained with millions of annotated images in Imagenet, against a shallow custom-build convolutional neural network (CNN) model for the classification of common hard ticks present in anthropic areas from northeastern USA. We created a dataset of approximately 2000 images of four tick species (Ixodes scapularis, Dermacentor variabilis, Amblyomma americanum and Haemaphysalis sp.), two sexes (male, female) and two life stages (adult, nymph). We used these tick images to train two separate CNN models – ResNet-50 and a simple shallow custom-built. We evaluated our models' performance on an independent subset of tick images not seen during training. Compared to the ResNet-50 model, the small shallow custom-built model had higher training (99.7%) and validation (99.1%) accuracies. When tested with new tick image data, the shallow custom-built model yielded higher mean prediction accuracy (80%), greater confidence of true detection (88.7%) and lower mean response time (3.64 s). These results demonstrate that, with limited data size for model training, a simple shallow custom-built CNN model has great prospects for use in the classification of common hard ticks present in anthropic areas from northeastern USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borrelia miyamotoi sensu lato, a relapsing fever Borrelia sp., is transmitted by the same ticks that transmit B. burgdorferi (the Lyme disease pathogen) and occurs in all Lyme disease-endemic areas of the United States. To determine the seroprevalence of IgG against B. miyamotoi sensu lato in the northeastern United States and assess whether serum from B. miyamotoi sensu lato-infected persons is reactive to B. burgdorferi antigens, we tested archived serum samples from area residents during 1991-2012. Of 639 samples from healthy persons, 25 were positive for B. miyamotoi sensu lato and 60 for B. burgdorferi. Samples from ≈10% of B. miyamotoi sensu lato-seropositive persons without a recent history of Lyme disease were seropositive for B. burgdorferi. Our results suggest that human B. miyamotoi sensu lato infection may be common in southern New England and that B. burgdorferi antibody testing is not an effective surrogate for detecting B. miyamotoi sensu lato infection.

This study was conducted to investigate how adults with serious mental illness learn and utilize an illness self-management framework for pursuing recovery through a program called Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP). The researchers employed an interpretive descriptive methodology with thematic analysis. Data were collected from three focus groups (n = 26) and in-depth interviews with follow-up member checks with 10 participants (n = 20 interviews). Findings aligned with main constructs of self-determination theory (SDT) to explain how an autonomy-supportive environment created opportunities for participants to build competency, implementing personalized recovery strategies that are socially endorsed by peers, resulting in internalized motivation for continued application of WRAP's framework. SDT appears to explain mechanisms of change for WRAP. Recommendations for mental health organizations include broadly ensuring autonomy-supportive environments and services that maximize opportunities to build competence in recovery strategies in collaboration with peers. Future research may utilize SDT as the theoretical basis for investigating self-management programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An assessment of genetic diversity of marine populations is critical not only for the understanding and preserving natural biodiversity but also for its commercial potential. As commercial demand rises for marine resources, it is critical to generate baseline information for monitoring wild populations. Furthermore, anthropogenic stressors on the coastal environment, such as warming sea temperatures and overharvesting of wild populations, are leading to the destruction of keystone marine species such as kelps. In this study, we conducted a fine-scale genetic analysis using genome-wide high-density markers on Northwest Atlantic sugar kelp. The population structure for a total of 149 samples from the Gulf of Maine (GOM) and Southern New England (SNE) was investigated using AMOVA, FST, admixture, and PCoA. Genome-wide association analyses were conducted for six morphological traits, and the extended Lewontin and Krakauer (FLK) test was used to detect selection signatures. Our results indicate that the GOM region is more heterogeneous than SNE. These two regions have large genetic difference (between-location FST ranged from 0.21 to 0.32) and were separated by Cape Cod, which is known to be the biogeographic barrier for other taxa. We detected one significant SNP (P = 2.03 × 10–7) associated with stipe length, and 248 SNPs with higher-than-neutral differentiation. The findings of this study provide baseline knowledge on sugar kelp population genetics for future monitoring, managing and potentially restoring wild populations, as well as assisting in selective breeding to improve desirable traits for future commercialization opportunities.

The objectives of this study were to examine changing snowmaking conditions in the New Hampshire White Mountains and how changes in snowmaking operations have compared with winter warming. We analyzed three 50-year high-quality daily temperature records representing different elevations and aspects to assess changes in snowmaking conditions during important snowmaking periods. The analysis provides context for discussing the historical relationships between temperatures, water, and snowmaking infrastructure. There was significant warming of winter temperatures over the 50-year record, notably strongest at the early portion of the snowmaking season, especially in the weeks between 1 December and 25 December. While the rates of warming were comparable on both north- and south-facing aspects, the implied reduction in days suitable for snowmaking in each period was always lowest on the north-facing aspect as the mean temperatures on this aspect were farther below the snowmaking threshold. Daily average temperatures of –2°C and –5°C were both explored as thresholds for snowmaking. The implied reduction in snowmaking opportunity during the 1 November to 25 December period using a –2°C snowmaking threshold at the north-facing site was 20%, while the implied reduction for the entire season for that site was 8.5%.This decrease in opportunity for snowmaking, especially in the economically important early season, suggests an increasing need for large volumes of water to make snow in less time, given that holiday vacations are fixed in time. Analysis of snowmaking operations at Loon Mountain Resort suggest that modern snowmaking investments there have outpaced the pressure from climate warming to date, but this has concentrated demand for water into smaller time frames.

Identifying viruses in synanthropic animals is necessary for understanding the origin of many viruses that can infect humans and developing strategies to prevent new zoonotic infections. The white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, is one of the most abundant rodent species in the northeastern United States. We characterized the serum virome of 978 free-ranging P. leucopus mice caught in Pennsylvania. We identified many new viruses belonging to 26 different virus families. Among these viruses was a highly divergent segmented flavivirus whose genetic relatives were recently identified in ticks, mosquitoes, and vertebrates, including febrile humans. This novel flavi-like segmented virus was found in rodents and shares ≤70% aa identity with known viruses in the highly conserved region of the viral polymerase. Our data will enable researchers to develop molecular reagents to further characterize this virus and its relatives infecting other hosts and to curtail their spread, if necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in growing season length (GSL) are of concern for agricultural, phenological, economic, epidemiological, and bioclimatological reasons. This research identifies spatial and temporal changes over the last several decades in GSL, along with the day-of-year of the last spring freeze and first autumn freeze, for the northeastern United States – a region particularly susceptible to such changes due to the large population and intense economic activities. Results suggest that growing season has significantly increased in length since 1980 as compared to prior to 1980, and both spatial and temporal variation in GSL has decreased for the region over time. Changes to GSL for this region are driven more by a shift in the first autumn freeze date than the last spring freeze date. The areas of greatest increase in GSL in the pre- vs. post-1980 period tend to be in the high elevations, near large water bodies, and near the largest cities. Results will assist environmental planners as they prepare mitigation and adaptation strategies amid a changing environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Climate zone shifts of northeastern US and maritime Canada delineated and characterized. • Based on differing spatial resolutions, optimal zones of 3, 9, 15, and 21 were determined. • Current high diversity of distinct climate zones in region is anticipated to decrease. • Projected shifts have important implications for regional forest structure and productivity. Climate zones play a significant role in shaping the forest ecosystems located within them by influencing multiple ecological processes, including growth, disturbances, and species interactions. Therefore, delineation of current and future climate zones is essential to establish a framework for understanding and predicting shifts in forest ecosystems. In this study, we developed and applied an efficient approach to delineate regional climate zones in the northeastern United States and maritime Canada, aiming to characterize potential shifts in climate zones and discuss associated changes in forest ecosystems. The approach comprised five steps: climate data dimensionality reduction, sampling scenario design, cluster generation, climate zone delineation, and zone shift prediction. The climate zones in the study area were delineated into four different orders, with increasing subzone resolutions of 3, 9, 15, and 21. Furthermore, projected climate normals under Shared Socioeconomic Pathways 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios were used to predict the shifts in climate zones until 2100. Our findings indicate that climate zones characterized by higher temperatures and lower precipitation are expected to become more prevalent, potentially becoming the dominant climate condition across the entire region. Thes changes are likely to alter regional forest composition, structure, and productivity. In short, such shifts in climate underscore the significant impact of environmental change on forest ecosystem dynamics and carbon sequestration potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 1980 and 2010, documented commercial landings of the four most commercially-important bivalve mollusks have declined sharply in U.S. estuaries and bays from Maine to North Carolina. The numbers of shellfishermen have declined accordingly. Landings of the following species have declined: eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica, by 93%; northern quahogs, Mercenaria mercenaria, by 62%; softshell clams, Mya arenaria, by 66%; northern bay scallops, Argopecten irradians irradians, by 93%; and southern bay scallops, A. i. concentricus, by 91%. Their combined landings fell by an estimated 85%. In the previous three decades, 1950-80, annual landings of the same species did not decline. The declines in landings of the bivalve mollusks were a consequence of declines in their abundances which was due to falling juvenile recruitments. The declines took place after the molluscan environments changed adversely for the bivalves as the North Atlantic Oscillation index switched its phase from negative to positive in about 1982 and usually remained there until 2003. Winters then became substantially warmer while the other seasons were also warmer, but less so. The temperature increases in winter and spring probably forced weight losses in the adult mollusks, and, consequently, they spawned fewer eggs. The increased temperature also allowed heavy feeding by pelagic copepods on phytoplankton, which left too little food available for the adult shellfish and their larvae to produce good seed recruitments. Also, pre-dation on the juvenile recruits may have increased, which precipitated the declines. From Long Island Sound, N. Y., through Chesapeake Bay, Md., warmer waters allowed diseases to kill many adult oysters. In some waters, higher temperatures increased the negative effects of eutrophication, and in other waters the loss of eelgrass, Zostera marina, probably contributed to degradation of habitats. This paper also discusses the role that crustaceans, i.e., pelagic copepods, shrimps, and crabs, play in the productivity of bivalve mollusk stocks. Pre-dation by penaeid shrimp on tiny bivalve recruits is suggested as an important factor that controls bivalve abundances. The common perception that bivalve landings declined due to overfishing is reconsidered, because separate environmental factors have had a much larger effect upon their productivity., Introduction In U.S estuaries and bays from Maine to North Carolina (Fig. 1), commercial landings and associated abundances of the four major, commercially important bivalve mollusks have experienced large synchronous [...]

Mineral dust is known to affect cloud and precipitation by serving as ice nuclei, and an increasing number of modeling studies have explicitly related ice nucleation with the dust number concentrations. We examine the seasonal variations and the long‐term trend of dust number concentrations over the northeastern United States (NEUS) during 2000–2017, based on results from a global chemical transport model with size‐resolved particle microphysics (GEOS‐Chem/APM). Comparisons with observations show that GEOS‐Chem/APM can capture most of the strong dust events in the NEUS. The model results indicate that mineral dusts over the NEUS are dominated by dust transported in the lower and middle troposphere (from 2 to 6 km). The number concentrations of dust larger than 500 nm (ND,d > 500nm) vary by over 2 orders of magnitude from nondust‐transport days to event days, and ND,d > 500nm in different seasons can vary by 1 order of magnitude. The frequencies of dust events also show seasonal variation, with most annually top 50% dust events in spring and early summer (March–June) and in fall and early winter (September–December), and stronger dust events mainly in March–June. From 2000 to 2017, the springtime dust event days decrease by about 50% (above‐average dust events), 76% (top 10% events), and 85% (top 5% events), and ND,d > 500nm of strong events decreases by about 50%. Our analysis indicates that these decrease trends are caused by the declining Asian dust loading. The frequencies of dust events in summer have a weaker decreasing trend, and there is no obvious tendency in other seasons. Key Points: Using the GEOS‐Chem/APM model, we studied the long‐term properties of dust number concentration in the northeastern United StatesIn the northeastern United States, mineral dust shows significant seasonal variations, and spring dust events have the highest dust number concentration and frequencyIn the northeastern United States, the dust number concentrations and frequencies of spring strong dust events have significant decreasing trend from 2000 to 2017 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing models of couple functioning after trauma are primarily based on the experiences of returning military veterans. In this study, we conducted thematic analysis of a purposive sample of 49 oral histories of responders to the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks to understand how they navigated life with their spouses after the response experience. Use of multiple coders and analytic matrices increased analytic rigor. In the sample, 34.7% disclosed a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis and another 22.7% mentioned experiencing at least one trauma symptom. Most responders had not sought mental health intervention, relying instead on their spouses' caregiving. Responders reported limited disclosure to their spouses about the details of their 9/11/01 response work, which may have helped them cope emotionally with repeated 9/11/01 clean-up duties. Shared values regarding the common good and patriotism were important for maintaining an intimate relationship after 9/11/01, and helping partners understand and feel understood by each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from pollution sources is thought to be a minor component of organic aerosol (OA) and fine particulate matter beyond the urban scale. Here we present airborne observations of OA in the northeastern United States, showing that 58% of OA over the region during winter is secondary and originates from pollution sources. We observed a doubling of OA mass from SOA formation in aged emissions, with unexpected similarity to OA growth observed in polluted areas in the summer. A regional model with a simple SOA parameterization based on summer measurements reproduces these winter observations and shows that pollution SOA is widespread, accounting for 14% of submicron particulate matter in near‐surface air. This source of particulate matter is largely unaccounted for in air quality management in the northeastern United States and other polluted areas. Plain Language Summary: Organic aerosol is a major contributor to fine particulate matter concentrations. The wintertime sources of organic aerosols in polluted areas have remained uncertain because of a lack of regional‐scale measurements. We made aircraft‐based observations of organic aerosols over the northeastern United States during winter. We observed that a majority of organic aerosols consist of secondary organic aerosols that form in the atmosphere from gases emitted from pollution sources. Prior to our measurements, the expectation was that wintertime pollution sources of secondary organic aerosols are minor outside urban areas. Our results show that their influence is ubiquitous over the entire eastern United States, and a better understanding of these sources can help in developing effective policies to reduce wintertime air pollution. Key Points: Fifty‐eight percent of wintertime organic aerosol in the northeastern U.S. is secondary organic aerosol from pollution sourcesObserved photochemical growth rate of organic aerosol is well reproduced by a simple parameterization based on past summer measurementsModel shows that secondary organic aerosols from pollution sources are widespread making up 14% of submicron particles near surface [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infectious diseases are rapidly emerging and many are increasing in incidence across the globe. Processes of land‐use change, notably habitat loss and fragmentation, have been widely implicated in the emergence and spread of zoonoses such as Lyme disease, yet evidence remains equivocal.Here, we discuss and apply an innovative approach from the social sciences; instrumental variables, which seeks to tease out causality from observational data. Using this approach, we revisit the effect of forest fragmentation on Lyme disease incidence, focusing on human interaction with fragmented landscapes. Although human interaction with infected ticks is of clear and fundamental importance to human disease incidence, human activities that influence exposure have been largely overlooked in ecology literature.Using county‐level land‐use and Lyme disease incidence data for ~800 counties from the northeastern United States over the span of a decade, we illustrate (a) that human interaction with fragmented forest landscapes reliably predicts Lyme disease incidence, while ecological measures of forest fragmentation alone are unreliable predictors and (b) that identifying the effect of forest fragmentation on human disease entails addressing the feedback between Lyme disease risk and human decisions to avoid interaction with high‐risk landscapes.Synthesis and applications. Our innovative approach and novel results help to clarify the equivocal literature on the effects of forest fragmentation on Lyme disease and illustrate the key role that human behaviour may be playing in the ecology of Lyme disease in North America. Accounting for human activity and behaviour in the ecology of disease more broadly may result in improved understanding of both the ecological drivers of disease, as well as actionable intervention strategies to reduce disease burden in a changing world. For example, our model results indicate that forest fragmentation by human settlement increases Lyme disease incidence, which has practical implications for land‐use policy aimed at disease reduction. Specifically, our model suggests land‐use regulations that reduce parcel size would be an actionable approach to reduce Lyme disease transmission for policymakers concerned about increasing Lyme disease incidence in the northeastern United States. Our innovative approach and novel results help to clarify the equivocal literature on the effects of forest fragmentation on Lyme disease and illustrate the key role that human behaviour may be playing in the ecology of Lyme disease in North America. Accounting for human activity and behaviour in the ecology of disease more broadly may result in improved understanding of both the ecological drivers of disease, as well as actionable intervention strategies to reduce disease burden in a changing world. For example, our model results indicate that forest fragmentation by human settlement increases Lyme disease incidence, which has practical implications for land‐use policy aimed at disease reduction. Specifically, our model suggests land‐use regulations that reduce parcel size would be an actionable approach to reduce Lyme disease transmission for policymakers concerned about increasing Lyme disease incidence in the northeastern United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on patterns of abundance, recruitment, and predation on the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) in three human‐dominated estuaries in the northeastern United States. Through replicate field experiments and observational studies at multiple sites nested within each of the three estuaries, we investigated the relative influences of local and regional scale variation in select bottom‐up and top‐down factors on blue mussel populations on wave‐protected rocky shores. The most striking result was the decoupling between adult abundance and recruitment: mussel recruitment rates were highest in the most northern estuary, Casco Bay, while adult abundances were highest in the most southern estuary, Long Island Sound. We detected evidence of top‐down forcing on adult abundance by consumers in the two more southern estuaries, Narragansett Bay and Long Island Sound, but not in Casco Bay. Finally, we observed some indications of bottom‐up forcing on mussel abundance and recruitment at the within‐estuary scale, but these signals were not consistent among estuaries or across the responses measured (e.g., adult abundances and recruitment rates). Our results support previous work demonstrating the importance of both top‐down and bottom‐up influences on rocky shore populations, and also highlight how future research—particularly integrating studies of the different ontogenetic stages of mussels—could further advance understanding of biological population dynamics in this and other systems.

Seasonal variation in spatial distribution and pathogen prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) influences human population risk of Lyme disease in peri-urban built environments. Parks, gardens, playgrounds, school campuses and neighborhoods represent a significant risk for Lyme disease transmission. From June 2012 through May 2014, ticks were collected using 1 m2 corduroy cloths dragged over low-lying vegetation parallel to walkways with high human foot traffic. DNA was extracted from ticks, purified and presence of B. burgdorferi assessed by polymerase chain reaction amplification. Summer is reported as the time of highest risk for Lyme disease transmission in the United States and our results indicate a higher tick density of 26.0/1000 m2 in summer vs. 0.2/1000 m2 to 10.5/1000 m2 in spring and fall. However, our findings suggest that tick infection rate is proportionally higher during the fall and spring than summer (30.0-54.7% in fall and 36.8-65.6% in spring vs. 20.0-28.2% in summer). Seasonal variation in infected tick density has significant implications for Lyme disease transmission as people are less likely to be aware of ticks in built environments, and unaware of increased infection in ticks in spring and fall. These factors may lead to more tick bites resulting in Lyme infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of perinatal opioid use and neonatal withdrawal continues to rise rapidly in the face of the growing opioid addiction epidemic in the United States, with rural areas more severely affected. Despite decades of research and development of practice guidelines, maternal and neonatal outcomes have not improved substantially. This focused ethnography sought to understand the experience of accessing care necessary for substance use disorder recovery, pregnancy, and parenting. Personal accounts of 13 rural women, supplemented by participant observation and media artifacts, uncovered three domains with underlying themes: challenges of getting treatment and care (service availability, distance/geographic location, transportation, provider collaboration/coordination, physical and emotional safety), opportunities to bond (proximity, information), and importance of relationships (respect, empathy, familiarity, inclusion, interactions with care providers). Findings highlight the need for providers and policy makers to reduce barriers to treatment and care related to logistics, stigma, judgment, and lack of understanding of perinatal addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to examine changing snowmaking conditions in the New Hampshire White Mountains and how changes in snowmaking operations have compared with winter warming. We analyzed three 50-year high-quality daily temperature records representing different elevations and aspects to assess changes in snowmaking conditions during important snowmaking periods. The analysis provides context for discussing the historical relationships between temperatures, water, and snowmaking infrastructure. There was significant warming of winter temperatures over the 50-year record, notably strongest at the early portion of the snowmaking season, especially in the weeks between 1 December and 25 December. While the rates of warming were comparable on both north- and south-facing aspects, the implied reduction in days suitable for snowmaking in each period was always lowest on the north-facing aspect as the mean temperatures on this aspect were farther below the snowmaking threshold. Daily average temperatures of –2°C and –5°C were both explored as thresholds for snowmaking. The implied reduction in snowmaking opportunity during the 1 November to 25 December period using a –2°C snowmaking threshold at the north-facing site was 20%, while the implied reduction for the entire season for that site was 8.5%.This decrease in opportunity for snowmaking, especially in the economically important early season, suggests an increasing need for large volumes of water to make snow in less time, given that holiday vacations are fixed in time. Analysis of snowmaking operations at Loon Mountain Resort suggest that modern snowmaking investments there have outpaced the pressure from climate warming to date, but this has concentrated demand for water into smaller time frames. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Accurately assessing forest carbon storage on a landscape scale is critical to understanding global carbon cycles and the effects of land cover changes on ecological processes. Calculations of regional-scale forest carbon storage that rely on maps of land cover typically reflect only coarse forest classes. How differences in carbon stored by different tree species may affect such assessments is largely unexplored. We examined a range of forest carbon storage models to understand the effects of forest type specificity on carbon storage estimates in the northeastern United States.Methods: Models estimated forest carbon in total aboveground and coarse root biomass based on three levels of forest classification specificity: (1) relative basal area by species, (2) species associations, and (3) broad forest types per IPCC (in: IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories, IPCC, Japan, 2006) guidelines.Results: The specificity of forest type classifications influenced results with generally lower carbon storage estimates resulting from higher-specificity forest classifications. The two most specific models, with mean carbon storage estimates of 103-107 Mg/ha, were most accurate compared to field validation points. These estimates are greater than 2013 field-based U.S. Forest Service estimates (84-90 Mg/ha).Conclusions: There are many sources of uncertainty in landscape-scale carbon storage assessments. Here we show that improving detail in one of these sources, forest stand composition, increases the accuracy of these assessments, and better reflects carbon storage patterns across heterogeneous landscapes. While more work is needed, particularly to improve stand age maps, this information can inform the interpretation of current carbon storage estimates and improve future estimates in heterogeneous forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the inpatient hospitalization experience for women veterans through in-depth interviews. Women veterans who were admitted for inpatient care on medical units within a university-affiliated VA hospital were invited to participate in a semistructured interview that inquired about their hospital experience, interactions with medical providers, and how being a woman veteran might affect this experience. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using constant comparative method until thematic saturation was achieved (n = 25). Three themes, (a) Being a woman and a veteran: Intersecting identities, (b) Expecting equality and equity, and (c) Defining woman-centered inpatient care described the unique perspective and context for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) health care of women veterans. These findings provide insight and guidance to clinical practice and care delivery for women veterans, including training and interpersonal approaches medical providers can take to improve the hospital experience for women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harvesting is the leading cause of adult tree mortality in forests of the northeastern United States. While current rates of timber harvest are generally sustainable, there is considerable pressure to increase the contribution of forest biomass to meet renewable energy goals. We estimated current harvest regimes for different forest types and regions across the U.S. states of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine using data from the U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Program. We implemented the harvest regimes in SORTIE-ND, an individual-based model of forest dynamics, and simulated the effects of current harvest regimes and five additional harvest scenarios that varied by harvest frequency and intensity over 150 yr. The best statistical model for the harvest regime described the annual probability of harvest as a function of forest type/region, total plot basal area, and distance to the nearest improved road. Forests were predicted to increase in adult aboveground biomass in all harvest scenarios in all forest type and region combinations. The magnitude of the increase, however, varied dramatically—increasing from 3% to 120% above current landscape averages as harvest frequency and intensity decreased. The variation can be largely explained by the disproportionately high harvest rates estimated for Maine as compared with the rest of the region. Despite steady biomass accumulation across the landscape, stands that exhibited old-growth characteristics (defined as ≥300 metric tons of biomass/hectare) were rare (8% or less of stands). Intensified harvest regimes had little effect on species composition due to widespread partial harvesting in all scenarios, resulting in dominance by late-successional species over time. Our analyses indicate that forest biomass can represent a sustainable, if small, component of renewable energy portfolios in the region, although there are tradeoffs between carbon sequestration in forest biomass and sustainable feedstock supply. Integrating harvest regimes into a disturbance theory framework is critical to understanding the dynamics of forested landscapes, especially given the predominance of logging as a disturbance agent and the increasing pressure to meet renewable energy needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informal family caregivers make a significant contribution to the U.S. health care system, and the need for caregivers will likely increase. Gaining deeper insights into the caregiver experience will provide essential knowledge needed to support the future caregiver workforce delivering care. Discourse analysis is a viable approach in analyzing textual caregiver data that focuses on the end-of-life caregiving experience. The purpose of this study was to conduct an in-depth discourse analytic examination of 13 hours of caregiver interview data, which reveal the multiplicity of shifting stances and perceptions of one caregiver in the midst of end-of-life care, specifically with regard to his perceptions of self (caregiver) and other (care recipient). By isolating a specific but limited set of reference terms used throughout the discourse, we gained systematic glimpses into the mind and perceptions of this single caregiver in relation to his role as caregiver for his terminally ill wife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]