scholarly journals Distribution and Environmental Persistence of the Causative Agent of White-Nose Syndrome, Geomyces destructans, in Bat Hibernacula of the Eastern United States

2012 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 1293-1301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey M. Lorch ◽  
Laura K. Muller ◽  
Robin E. Russell ◽  
Michael O'Connor ◽  
Daniel L. Lindner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North America ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
The United States ◽  
Culture Technique ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Geomyces Destructans ◽  
Sediment Samples ◽  
White Nose Syndrome

ABSTRACTWhite-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emerging disease of hibernating bats caused by the recently described fungusGeomyces destructans. First isolated in 2008, the origins of this fungus in North America and its ability to persist in the environment remain undefined. To investigate the correlation between manifestation of WNS and distribution ofG. destructansin the United States, we analyzed sediment samples collected from 55 bat hibernacula (caves and mines) both within and outside the known range of WNS using a newly developed real-time PCR assay.Geomyces destructanswas detected in 17 of 21 sites within the known range of WNS at the time when the samples were collected; the fungus was not found in 28 sites beyond the known range of the disease at the time when environmental samples were collected. These data indicate that the distribution ofG. destructansis correlated with disease in hibernating bats and support the hypothesis that the fungus is likely an exotic species in North America. Additionally, we examined whetherG. destructanspersists in infested bat hibernacula when bats are absent. Sediment samples were collected from 14 WNS-positive hibernacula, and the samples were screened for viable fungus by using a culture technique. ViableG. destructanswas cultivated from 7 of the 14 sites sampled during late summer, when bats were no longer in hibernation, suggesting that the fungus can persist in the environment in the absence of bat hosts for long periods of time.

A comparison of earthquake damage areas as a function of magnitude across the United States

1993 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 1064-1080 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. A. Bollinger ◽  
M. C. Chapman ◽  
M. S. Sibol
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North America ◽  
Ground Motion ◽  
Epicentral Distance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Eastern North America ◽  
Similar Response ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
The West

Abstract This study investigates the relationship between earthquake magnitude and the size of damage areas in the eastern and western United States. To quantify damage area as a function of moment magnitude (M), 149 MMI VI and VII areas for 109 earthquakes (88 in the western United States, 21 in the eastern United States and Canada) were measured. Regression of isoseismal areas versus M indicated that areas in the East were larger than those in the West, at both intensity levels, by an average 5 × in the M 4.5 to 7.5 range. In terms of radii for circles of equivalent area, these results indicate that damaging ground motion from shocks of the same magnitude extend 2 × the epicentral distance in eastern North America compared to the West. To determine source and site parameters consistent with the above results, response spectral levels for eastern North America were stochastically simulated and compared with response spectral ordinates derived from recorded strong ground motion data in the western United States. Stress-drop values of 200 bars, combined with a surficial 2-km-thick low velocity “sedimentary” layer over rock basement, produced results that are compatible with the intensity observations, i.e., similar response spectral levels in the east at approximately twice their epicentral distance in the western U.S. distance. These results suggest that ground motion modeling in eastern North America may need to incorporate source and site parameters different from those presently in general use. The results are also of importance to eastern U.S. hazard assessments as they require allowance for the larger damage areas in preparedness and mitigation programs.

AIR-BORNE POLLEN SURVEYS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

1967 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. J. Bassett ◽  
C. W. Crompton
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
North America ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
The United States ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Causative Agents ◽  
Early Fall ◽  
Trees And Shrubs

Results from 17 pollen collecting stations in British Columbia indicate that air-borne pollen of ragweeds and their relatives, the principal causative agents of hay fever in North America, is practically absent throughout the province. Coniferous trees and shrubs such as pines, spruces, firs, cedars, Douglas fir, hemlocks and junipers produce the greater part of the air-borne pollen from March to early July. Pollen from alders, poplars, willows and birches is also prevalent in some areas in the early spring. The peak periods of grass pollen near the United States–Canadian border occur mainly in June and the early part of July, while further north they are about a month later. Of the four types of plantain pollen identified from the different collecting stations, English plantain was the most common, especially in the southwesterly part of the province. Pollen from the lambs’-quarters and amaranth families and wormwoods occurs mainly in the late summer and early fall and is more abundant in the dry interior than along the coast.

scholarly journals Complete Genome Sequence of Houston Virus, a Newly Discovered Mosquito-Specific Virus Isolated from Culex quinquefasciatus in Mexico

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nohemi Cigarroa-Toledo ◽  
Carlos M. Baak-Baak ◽  
Rosa C. Cetina-Trejo ◽  
Carlos Cordova-Fletes ◽  
Mario A. Martinez-Nuñez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North America ◽  
Culex Quinquefasciatus ◽  
Complete Genome Sequence ◽  
Complete Genome ◽  
The United States ◽  
Geographic Range ◽  
Southern Mexico ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Virus

We fully sequenced the genome of Houston virus, a recently discovered mosquito-associated virus belonging to the newly established family Mesoniviridae. The isolate was recovered from Culex quinquefasciatus in southern Mexico, which shows that the geographic range of Houston virus is not restricted to the United States in North America.

scholarly journals William Culp Darrah (1909–1989)

1990 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 857-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elsie Darrah Morey
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North America ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
The United States ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Upper Carboniferous ◽  
International Geological

William C. Darrah, educator, geologist, botanist, and historian, loved life, and he chose to share with others his genuine enjoyment of discovery and learning through his writing and teaching. His A Critical Review of the Upper Carboniferous Floras of the Eastern United States (1970) and nearly a hundred professional papers made his name familiar to many paleontologists in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States. It is interesting to note that early in his career Bill developed an interest in the early conifers, especially Walchia. At the time of his death, he had just completed a manuscript with Paul Lyons, “The Earliest Conifers in North America: Upland and/or Paleoclimatic Indicators?,” “which has been accepted for publication in PALAIOS. Most recently, having attended the International Geological Conference in the United States in 1933, Bill had hoped to present a paper on the Dunkard at the July 1989 IGC in Washington, D.C.

Quick NAFTA deal is unlikely

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North America ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
The United States ◽  
Canadian Dollar ◽  
Industrial Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Trading Partners ◽  
Us Dollar

Subject NAFTA update. Significance Negotiators from Canada, Mexico and the United States will reconvene this month to address major disagreements on critical NAFTA provisions. The meeting will give negotiators their first opportunity to take stock of their governments' respective positions in the aftermath of Mexico's elections, the recent imposition of key US import tariffs and the retaliatory measures taken by US trading partners. While the grounds for agreement exist, the chances of a rapid conclusion are remote. Impacts Trade uncertainty will hit prospects for industrial growth, earnings, cash flow and investment across North America. The Canadian dollar and the peso are likely to remain weak against the US dollar throughout 2018. The threat of new US auto tariffs may hasten agreement on NAFTA auto provisions, giving Trump an early negotiating victory.

scholarly journals Evolutionary Aspects of Emerging Lyme Disease in Canada

2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (21) ◽  
pp. 7350-7359 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. H. Ogden ◽  
E. J. Feil ◽  
P. A. Leighton ◽  
L. R. Lindsay ◽  
G. Margos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
At Risk ◽  
North America ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Evolutionary Aspects

ABSTRACTIn North America, Lyme disease (LD) is a tick-borne zoonosis caused by the spirochete bacteriumBorrelia burgdorferisensu stricto, which is maintained by wildlife. Tick vectors and bacteria are currently spreading into Canada and causing increasing numbers of cases of LD in humans and raising a pressing need for public health responses. There is no vaccine, and LD prevention depends on knowing who is at risk and informing them how to protect themselves from infection. Recently, it was found in the United States that some strains ofB. burgdorferisensu strictocause severe disease, whereas others cause mild, self-limiting disease. While many strains occurring in the United States also occur in Canada, strains in some parts of Canada are different from those in the United States. We therefore recognize a need to identify which strains specific to Canada can cause severe disease and to characterize their geographic distribution to determine which Canadians are particularly at risk. In this review, we summarize the history of emergence of LD in North America, our current knowledge ofB. burgdorferisensu strictodiversity, its intriguing origins in the ecology and evolution of the bacterium, and its importance for the epidemiology and clinical and laboratory diagnosis of LD. We propose methods for investigating associations betweenB. burgdorferisensu strictodiversity, ecology, and pathogenicity and for developing predictive tools to guide public health interventions. We also highlight the emergence ofB. burgdorferisensu strictoin Canada as a unique opportunity for exploring the evolutionary aspects of tick-borne pathogen emergence.

Cytotaxonomy of some Cirsium species of the eastern United States, with a key to eastern species

1969 ◽  
Vol 47 (8) ◽  
pp. 1257-1275 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Moore ◽  
C. Frankton
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North America ◽  
Chromosome Number ◽  
Introduced Species ◽  
The United States ◽  
Eastern North America ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Chromosome Counts ◽  
First Time ◽  
Eastern Species

The morphology and chromosome number of nine species of Cirsium of eastern North America are considered. Chromosome counts are presented for the first time for C. iowense, 2n = 18; C. lecontei, 2n = 32; C. nuttallii, 2n = 24, 28; C. repandum, 2n = 30; C. smallii, 2n = 34; C. engelmannii, 2n = 20; C. texanum, 2n = 22, 24; C. virginianum, 2n = 28. Additional chromosomes, possibly to be considered as accessories, were found in C. nuttallii, C. engelmannii, and C. texanum. These chromosomes render uncertain the number characteristic of these species. A key to the 26 native and introduced species found in Canada and the United States east of 100° west latitude is presented. The interrelationships of the eastern species and of the species of the western series Undulata are discussed.

A culture-based survey of fungi in soil from bat hibernacula in the eastern United States and its implications for detection of Geomyces destructans, the causal agent of bat white-nose syndrome

Mycologia ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 105 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey M. Lorch ◽  
Daniel L. Lindner ◽  
Andrea Gargas ◽  
Laura K. Muller ◽  
Andrew M. Minnis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Causal Agent ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Geomyces Destructans ◽  
White Nose Syndrome

scholarly journals Multilocus PCR Assays Elucidate Vegetative Incompatibility Gene Profiles of Cryphonectria parasitica in the United States

2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (17) ◽  
pp. 5736-5742 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dylan P. G. Short ◽  
Mark Double ◽  
Donald L. Nuss ◽  
Cameron M. Stauder ◽  
William MacDonald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cryphonectria Parasitica ◽  
Chestnut Blight ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Vegetative Incompatibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Primer Sets

ABSTRACTChestnut blight is a devastating disease ofCastaneaspp. Mycoviruses that reduce virulence (hypovirulence) of the causative agent,Cryphonectria parasitica, can be used to manage chestnut blight. However, vegetative incompatibility (vic) barriers that restrict anastomosis-mediated virus transmission hamper hypovirulence efficacy. In order to effectively determine the vegetative incompatibility genetic structure ofC. parasiticafield populations, we have designed PCR primer sets that selectively amplify and distinguish alleles for each of the six known diallelicC. parasiticavicgenetic loci. PCR assay results were validated using a panel of 64 European tester strains with genetically determinedvicgenotypes. Analysis of 116C. parasiticaisolates collected from five locations in the eastern United States revealed 39 uniquevicgenotypes and generally good agreement between PCR and tester strain coculturing assays in terms ofvicdiversity and genotyping. However, incongruences were observed for isolates from multiple locations and suggested that the coculturing assay can overestimate diversity at the six knownvicloci. The availability of molecular tools for rapid and precisevicgenotyping significantly improves the ability to predict and evaluate the efficacy of hypovirulence and related management strategies.

scholarly journals Psychrophilic and Psychrotolerant Fungi on Bats and the Presence of Geomyces spp. on Bat Wings Prior to the Arrival of White Nose Syndrome

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (18) ◽  
pp. 5465-5471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynnaun J. A. N. Johnson ◽  
Andrew N. Miller ◽  
Robert A. McCleery ◽  
Rod McClanahan ◽  
Joseph A. Kath ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Internal Transcribed Spacer ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
The United States ◽  
Nuclear Ribosomal Dna ◽  
Fungal Flora ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Geomyces Destructans ◽  
Operational Taxonomic Units ◽  
White Nose Syndrome

ABSTRACTSince 2006,Geomyces destructans, the causative agent of white nose syndrome (WNS), has killed over 5.7 million bats in North America. The current hypothesis suggests that this novel fungus is an invasive species from Europe, but little is known about the diversity within the genusGeomycesand its distribution on bats in the United States. We documented the psychrophilic and psychrotolerant fungal flora of hibernating bats prior to the arrival of WNS using culture-based techniques. A total of 149 cultures, which were obtained from 30 bats in five bat hibernacula located in four caves and one mine, were sequenced for the entire internal transcribed spacer (ITS) nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) region. Approximately 53 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) at 97% similarity were recovered from bat wings, with the community dominated by fungi within the generaCladosporium,Fusarium,Geomyces,Mortierella,Penicillium, andTrichosporon. ElevenGeomycesisolates were obtained and placed in at least seven distinctGeomycesclades based on maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analyses. Temperature experiments revealed that allGeomycesstrains isolated are psychrotolerant, unlikeG. destructans, which is a true psychrophile. Our results confirm that a large diversity of fungi, including severalGeomycesisolates, occurs on bats prior to the arrival of WNS. Most of these isolates were obtained from damaged wings. Additional studies need to be conducted to determine potential ecological roles of these abundantGeomycesstrains isolated from bats.

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