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opencc-zeroSep 2023View details →

Spatiotemporal organization of cryptic North American Culex species along an urbanization gradient

Landscape heterogeneity creates diverse habitat and resources for mosquito vectors of disease. A consequence may be varied distribution and abundance of vector species over space and time dependent on niche requirements. We tested the hypothesis that landscape heterogeneity driven by urbanization influences the distribution and relative abundance of Culex pipiens , Cx. restuans, and Cx. quinquefasciatus, three vectors of West Nile virus (WNv) in the eastern North American landscape. We collected 9,803 cryptic Culex from urban, suburban, and rural sites in metropolitan Washington, District of Columbia, during the months of June-October, 2019-2021. In 2021, we also collected mosquitoes in April and May to measure early-season abundance and distribution. Molecular techniques were used to identify a subset of collected Culex to species (n = 2,461). Ecological correlates of the spatiotemporal distribution of these cryptic Culex were examined using constrained and unconstrained ordination. Seasonality was not associated with Culex community composition in June-October over three years but introducing April and May data revealed seasonal shifts in community composition in the final year of our study. Culex pipiens were dominant across site types, while Cx. quinquefasciatus were associated with urban environments, and Cx. restuans were associated with rural and suburban sites. All three species rarely coexisted. Synthesis and applications: Our work demonstrates that human-mediated land-use changes influence the distribution and relative abundance of Culex vectors of WNv, even on fine geospatial scales. Site classification, percent impervious surface, distance to city center, and longitude predicted Culex community composition. We documented active Culex months before vector surveillance typically commences in this region, with Culex restuans being most abundant during April and May. Active suppression of Cx. restuans in April and May could reduce early enzootic transmission, delay the seasonal spread of WNv, and thereby reduce overall WNv burden. By June, the highest risk of epizootic spillover of WNv to human hosts may be in suburban areas with high human population density and mixed Culex assemblages that can transmit WNv between birds and humans. Focusing management efforts there may further reduce human disease burden.

opencc-by-4.0Jan 2021View details →

FIGURE 1 Ptomaphagus thebeatles n in Ptomaphagus thebeatles n. sp., a previously unrecognized beetle from Europe, with remarks on urban taxonomy and recent range expansion (Coleoptera: Leiodidae)

FIGURE 1 Ptomaphagus thebeatles n. sp., habitus. Drawing by Erik-Jan Bosch.

opencc-zeroSep 2023View details →

Data from: Rural selection drives the evolution of an urban-rural cline in coat color in gray squirrels

<div> Phenotypic differences between urban and rural populations are well-documented, but the evolutionary processes driving trait variation along urbanization gradients are often unclear. We combined spatial data on abundance, trait variation, and measurements of fitness to understand cline structure and test for natural selection on heritable coat color morphs (melanic, gray) of eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) along an urbanization gradient. Population surveys using remote cameras and visual counts at 76 sites along the urbanization gradient revealed a significant cline in melanism, decreasing from 48% in the city center to <5% in rural woodlands. Among 76 squirrels translocated to test for phenotypic selection, survival was lower for the melanic than gray morph in rural woodlands, whereas there was no difference in survival between color morphs in the city. These results suggest the urban-rural cline in melanism is explained by natural selection favoring the gray morph in rural woodlands combined with relaxed selection in the city. Our study illustrates how trait variation between urban and rural populations can emerge from selection primarily in rural populations rather than adaptation to novel features of the urban environment. This reposotory contains a) occupancy data, point count data, and R code used to estimate the urban-rural cline in melanism, and b) radiotelemetry data and R code used to estimate differential survival between color morphs in urban and rural environments. </div>

Data: Parameter regionalization with donor catchment clustering improves urban flood modeling in ungauged urban catchments

Data: Parameter regionalization with donor catchment clustering improves urban flood modeling in ungauged urban catchments for wrr Chen Hu, Jun Xia, Dunxian She !=== This dataset provides flood information for the paper submitted to wrr "Parameter regionalization with donor catchment clustering improves urban flood modeling in ungauged urban catchments",2023WR035071

opencc-zeroSep 2023View details →

Community attachment as a factor in the subjective well-being of older adults in urban and rural areas: A case study in Tokyo, Osaka, and Shikoku region in Japan

This study explored the relationship between community participation/community attachment and subjective well-being (SWB) among Japanese older adults. The study was conducted in Japanese urban (Tokyo and Osaka) and rural (Shikoku region) areas. Structural equation modelling was performed to assess the potential relationship between community participation, community attachment and SWB. Results showed that community participation and community attachment were positively associated in both areas. However, community attachment had a significant impact on SWB only in rural areas with little impact on increasing SWB in urban areas. We conclude that the role of community attachment varies according to regions with different socioeconomic properties. These findings contribute to the design of detailed region-specific initiatives to improve SWB of older adults.

Dataset for study Long-term changes in urban bird populations: correspondence of the trends between urban and rural areas

Dataset used for a study "Long-term changes in urban bird populations: correspondence of the trends between urban and rural areas" Data structure: Type = type of environment (R - rural, U - urban) POID = unique identifier of each census point across all transects Transect = unique identifier of a transect (each contains 20 census points) Point = unique identifier of a point within one transect Year = year of the count Species    = scientific name of bird species Count = number of birds counted Each species has its own datafile.

Selected references for analyzing the urban metabolism term and the urban metabolism concept

This file contains textual data and metadata collected within the framework of a research project on the concept of urban metabolism headed by Professor Daniela Perrotti and supported by the Belgian Fund for Scientific Reseach F.R.S-FNRS under Grant n° MIS-F.4536.22.

Dataset used in the study "Urban microclimate simulations based on GIS data to mitigate thermal hot-spots: Tree design scenarios in an industrial area of Florence"

This dataset repository includes input and output spatial data of urban microclimate simulations performed through QGIS and ENVI-met software used in the study "Urban microclimate simulations based on GIS data to mitigate thermal hot-spots: Tree design scenarios in an industrial area of Florence", published in the Building and Environment Journal, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110854">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110854</a>.

opencc-zeroOct 2023View details →

Tree species richness around urban red maples reduces pest abundance but does not enhance biological control

Urban trees often host greater insect pest abundance than trees in rural forests. This may be due, in part, to differences in tree diversity and canopy cover between these settings. Urban trees are often planted in isolation or monoculture, which favors pest accumulation. The gloomy scale, Melanaspis tenebricosa Comstock, is a pest of urban red maples (Acer rubrum L.) that is abundant where impervious surfaces dominate the local landscape. Increasing tree diversity and canopy cover around urban red maples may reduce gloomy scale abundance by supporting natural enemy communities. We investigated the effect that surrounding tree species richness and tree canopy cover had on gloomy scale abundance, natural enemy abundance, and biological control in red maple trees in Raleigh, NC, USA. We collected scales and natural enemies from red maples that spanned a gradient of tree species richness, canopy cover, and impervious surface values. We also measured gloomy scale parasitism and predation of sentinel prey in red maple canopies. Greater tree species richness and canopy cover were associated with lower gloomy scale density. Red maples in diverse settings also hosted fewer scales per natural enemy. Parasitoids were less common in maples in diverse settings, but generalist predator abundance was unaffected by tree diversity. Finally, tree species richness and canopy cover did not increase biological control of scales or sentinel prey. Our findings suggest that higher tree diversity and greater canopy cover may reduce gloomy scale density, but this is not entirely explained by the effects of natural enemies and biological control.

opencc-by-4.0Oct 2023View details →

Terrestrial laser scanning data of urban trees in Milton Keynes, UK: individual trees and Treegraph outputs

This dataset was used for the analysis of the following publication: Yang, W., Wilkes, P., Vicari, M.B., Hand, K., Calders, K. and Disney, M., 2024. Treegraph: tree architecture from terrestrial laser scanning point clouds. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation. Any use of this dataset should cite the paper above (Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License).   ================================================                     Dataset ================================================ TLS_point_clouds: - Data collection: Terrestrial laser scanning data acquired in leaf-off condition in April 2021. - Scanning instrument: We used a RIEGL VZ-400 with a wavelength of 1550 nm, 0.35 mrad beam divergence and 0.04˚ angular resolution. - Locations: The data were collected from three sites in Milton Keynes, UK: Avebury Blvd (Ave), Dansteed Way (Dan), and Overgate (Ove). - File information: Each file is an individual leaf-off tree point cloud in Polygon File Format (.ply), which can be viewed in software such as CloudCompare.   Treegraph_outputs: - Description: Model outputs from Treegraph for individual trees. - File naming convention: [TreeID]-[downsample_voxel_length]-[tip_diameter_if_known].* <ul> <li>*.centres.ply: Skeleton nodes of individual trees.</li> <li>*.mesh.ply: Cylinder model of individual trees.</li> <li>*.json: Geometrical and topological attributes at varying scales, from internode and branch to the whole tree.</li> <li>*.txt: Summary of input parameters, logs of intermediate steps, and a statistical overview of whole-tree structural attributes.</li> </ul>

opencc-zeroOct 2023View details →

The genomic response to urbanization in the damselfly Ischnura elegans

The complex and rapid environmental changes brought about by urbanization pose significant challenges to organisms. The multifaceted effects of urbanization often make it difficult to define and pinpoint the very nature of adaptive urban phenotypes. In such situations, scanning genomes for regions differentiated between urban and non-urban populations may be an attractive approach. Here, we investigated the genomic signatures of adaptation to urbanization in the damselfly Ischnura elegans sampled from 31 rural and urban localities in three geographic regions: southern and northern Poland, and southern Sweden. Genome-wide variation was assessed using more than 370,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyped by ddRADseq. Associations between SNPs and the level of urbanization were tested using two genetic environment association methods: LFMM and BayPass. While we found numerous candidate SNPs and a highly significant overlap between candidates identified by the two methods within the geographic regions, there was a distinctive lack of repeatability between the geographic regions both at the level of individual SNPs and of genomic regions. However, we found "synapse organization" at the top of the functional categories enriched among the genes located in the proximity of the candidate urbanization SNPs. Interestingly, the overall significance of "synapse organization" was built up by the accretion of different genes associated with candidate SNPs in different geographic regions. This finding is consistent with the highly polygenic nature of adaptation, where the response may be achieved through a subtle adjustment of allele frequencies in different genes that contribute to adaptive phenotypes. Taken together, our results point to a polygenic adaptive response in the nervous system, specifically implicating genes involved in synapse organization, which mirrors the findings from several genomic and behavioral studies of adaptation to urbanization in other taxa.

opencc-by-4.0Oct 2023View details →

Insect biomass shows a stronger decrease than species richness along urban gradients

Anthropogenic land cover change is a major driver of biodiversity loss, with urbanisation and farmland practices responsible for some of the most drastic modifications of natural habitats. The relative importance of different land covers for shaping insect communities, however, is unclear. This study examines the effect of urban and farmland covers, along with land cover heterogeneity, at a landscape scale on species richness, evenness and biomass of flying insects using citizen science carnet sampling across Denmark. Increasing urban cover had a negative effect on insect richness but an even stronger negative effect on biomass. Increased land cover heterogeneity did not mitigate the negative effect of urban cover. Insect assemblages also became more even with increased urban cover. Farmland cover had no significant effect on insect richness, evenness or biomass. Based on our findings, the urban cover has a strong negative impact on insect communities, indicating that urbanisation could contribute to insect declines. Moreover, our findings indicate that insect loss occurs more through loss of biomass than loss of species, which may affect the ecosystem‐level consequences of urbanisation.

opencc-zeroOct 2023View details →

From green to red: Urban heat stress drives leaf color evolution

Urban environments, occupying approximately 1% of total land area, often impose novel biotic and abiotic selective pressures on organisms and provide valuable opportunities to understand the eco-evolutionary dynamics between nature and human societies. Prevalence of impervious surface and resulting higher temperatures in urban areas, known as urban heat islands, comprises prominent characteristics in global cities. However, it is not known whether and how urban plants adapt to such heat stress. This study focused on Oxalis corniculata, which has intraspecific polymorphism in leaf color (green, red), and examined whether the leaf color variation is associated with urban heat stress. Field observations revealed consistent associations between leaf color and habitat types (green vs. urban) at local (< 500m), landscape (< 50km), and global scales. Green-leaved plants were dominant in green habitats, and red-leaved individuals had increased in number in urban habitats. Growth and photosynthesis experiments indicated the adaptive benefit and cost of red/green leaves associated with heat stresses. Red-leaved individuals had higher growth rates and photosynthetic efficiency under heat stress, while green-leaved individuals displayed higher growth rates and photosynthetic efficiency under non-stressful conditions. Genome-wide SNP analysis suggests that the red leaf trait may have evolved multiple times from the ancestral green leaf, rather than spreading from a single origin of red leaf evolution. Overall, the results suggested that the dominance of red leaves of O. corniculata seen in cities worldwide would be evidence of plant adaptative evolution due to urban heat islands.

opencc-by-4.0Oct 2023View details →

Risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in HBOC patients at urban public hospital

Data collected from a diverse patient population at an urban, public hospital with Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndromes and their utilization of risk reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy.

closedIPD-NOFeb 2026View details →

TACUNA (Traditions and Connections for Urban Native Americans)

ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT04617938. IPD Sharing: NO. Countries: 1. Publications: 4.

Impact of a Smartphone Application on Postpartum Weight Loss and Breastfeeding Rates Among Low-income, Urban Women

ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT03167073. IPD Sharing: UNDECIDED. Countries: 1. Publications: 3.

closedIPD-NOFeb 2026View details →

Undiagnosed Hepatitis C Infection in an Urban Hospital

ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT01957085. IPD Sharing: NO. Countries: 1. Publications: 3.

Family-Focused, Stress-Reduction Program to Improve the Health Care of Urban Children With Asthma

ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT00384813. IPD Sharing: Not stated. Countries: 1. Publications: 1.

Use of Mobile Technology to Prevent Progression of Pre-hypertension in Latin American Urban Settings

ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT01295216. IPD Sharing: Not stated. Countries: 3. Publications: 3.

A Pilot Study to Improve Preventive Asthma Care for Urban Adolescents

ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT01106326. IPD Sharing: Not stated. Countries: 1. Publications: 2.