[Formulae and special characters can only be approximated here. Please see the pdf version of the abstract for an accurate reproduction.] Ball-impact injuries in baseball, while relatively rare, have the potential to be catastrophic. These injuries are primarily attributed to impact by the ball after it has been hit, pitched or thrown. As the closest infielder to the hitter, the pitcher is at greatest risk of being struck by the batted ball. This thesis investigated the influence of bat and ball design on ball exit velocity (BEV) and the potential for impact injury to pitchers. Finite element analysis (FEA) was used to quantify the dynamics of bat-ball impact for bats of various moment of inertia and baseballs with different mechanical properties. The analysis was conducted using ANSYS/LSDYNA explicit dynamics software. To replicate a typical bat-ball impact in the field, the model required input of bat linear and angular velocity and orientation in three-dimensional (3-D) space, at the instant prior to impact. This data was obtained from 3-D kinematic analysis using two high-speed video cameras operating at 200 Hz. Seventeen high-performance batters used a wood bat and a metal bat of equal length and mass to hit baseballs thrown by a pitcher. Hitters developed significantly higher resultant linear velocity for both the proximal (38.3 ± 1.8 ms-1;) and distal (8.1 ± 1.8 ms-1) ends of the metal bat (compared with 36.4 ± 1.7 ms-1 and 6.9 ± 2.1 ms-1 respectively for the wood bat). They also achieved a significantly more “square” bat position just prior to impact with the ball (264.3 ± 9.1 deg compared with 251.5 ± 10.4 deg). These factors are important in transferring momentum to the batted ball. Mathematical description of the large-deformation material behaviour of the baseball was also required for this analysis. Previous research is limited to compression tests to 10 % of ball diameter, despite conjecture that during impact with the bat, the ball might deform to 50 % of its original diameter. Uniaxial quasi-static compression tests on seven models of baseballs investigated baseball behaviour during deformation to 50 % of ball diameter. The resulting force-displacement relationship was highly non-linear. Hence FEA was used to derive and verify a relationship to describe the time-dependent and elastic behaviour of the ball during the 1 ms period typical of bat-ball impact. The results of the bat-ball impact analysis indicated that for hits made at the point of maximum momentum transfer on the bat, the metal bat produced greater BEV than the wood bat (61.5 ms-1 and 50.9 ms-1 respectively). The higher BEV from the metal bat was attributed to greater pre-impact bat linear velocity, and bat orientation during impact. The more perpendicular horizontal orientation of the metal bat at the instant of impact resulted in a greater proportion of resultant BEV being directed in the global x-direction (toward the pitcher), compared with the wood bat. This indicates increasing bat moment of inertia (the relative mass of the bat barrel) may be a potential control strategy for BEV. BEV was also reduced for impacts using a baseball with values for instantaneous shear and relaxed modulii approximately 33 % less (9.9 % reduction in BEV for metal bat, 9.7 % for the wood bat).

Thesis (doctoral)--Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Nov. 12, 2008). Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. [111]-131).

Thesis (M.S.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Orientador: Marcos Rogério André / Banca: Paulo Eduardo Neves Ferreira Velho / Banca: Daniel Guariz Pinheiro / Resumo: Dentre os ectoparasitas encontrados em morcegos, destacam-se as mocas Streblidae e ácaros Macronyssidae e e Spinturnicidae. A família Streblidae compreende um grupo monofilético de dípteros hematófagos Hippoboscoidea que parasitam morcegos. Enquanto ácaros da família Spinturnicidae são ectoparasitas exclusivos de quirópteros, aqueles da família Macronyssidae também parasitam outras espécies de mamíferos. Embora a ocorrência de Bartonella spp. tenha sido relatada em morcegos amostrados na Europa, África, Ásia e América Central e do Sul, poucos são os estudos acerca da ocorrência e diversidade genética de Bartonella spp. em moscas Hippoboscoidea e ácaros parasitas de quirópteros. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo investigar a ocorrência e traçar inferências filogenéticas de Bartonella spp. em moscas Streblidae e ácaros de Spinturnicidae e Macronyssidae parasitas de morcegos no Brasil. Entre maio de 2011 a abril de 2012 e setembro de 2013 a dezembro de 2014, 404 moscas de Streblidae, 100 Macronyssidaes e 100 ácaros de Spinturnicidae foram coletadas de duas localidades no município de Nova Iguaçu, estado do Rio de Janeiro, no sudeste do Brasil. Todos os 20 pools de ácaros e 202 (50%) mostraram-se positivos na PCR para o gene endógeno cox-1 de invertebrados. Quarenta (19,8%) de 202 moscas Streblidae foram positivas para Bartonella spp. em ensaios de qPCR baseados no gene nuoG. : 6/32 (18%) Paratrichobius longicrus, 7/24 (29%) Strebla guajiro, 2/5 (40%) Aspidoptera phyllostoma... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Among the ectoparasites found in bats, stand out Streblidae flies and Macronyssidae and Spinturnicidae mites. The Streblidae family comprises a monophyletic group of Hippoboscoidea hematophagous dipterans that parasitize bats. While mites of the Spinturnicidae family are ectoparasites unique to chiropterans, those of the Macronyssidae family also parasitize other species of mammals. Although the occurrence of Bartonella spp. has been reported in bats sampled in Europe, Africa, Asia and Central and South America, there are few studies on the occurrence and genetic diversity of Bartonella spp. in Hippoboscoidea flies and mites parasites of bats. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence and perform phylogenetic inferences of Bartonella spp. in Streblidae flies and Spinturnicidae and Macronyssidae mites parasites of bats in Brazil. Between May 2011 to April 2012 and September 2013 to December 2014, 404 Streblidae flies, 100 Macronyssidae and 100 Spinturnicidae mites were collected from two locations in the district of Nova Iguaçu, state of Rio de Janeiro, in southeastern Brazil. All 20 mite pools and 202 (50%) Streblidae flies showed to be positive in PCR assays targeting cox-1 gene. Forty (19.8%) of 202 Streblidae flies were positive for Bartonella spp. in qPCR assays based on the nuoG gene: Paratrichobius longicrus, 7/24 (29%) Strebla guajiro, 2/5 (40%) Aspidoptera phyllostomatis, 5/43 (11%) Aspidoptera falcata, 1/10 (10%) Trichobius anducei, 1/4 (25%) Megistopoda aranea ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Comprehensive wildlife conservation strategies must include consideration of the agricultural matrix and its integration into the greater landscape. Bats are postulated to provide critical pest suppression services, but the effects of agricultural intensification on insectivorous bats are not clear. Few studies have thoroughly investigated the ecosystem services provided by bats due, in part, to limited understanding of species-specific habitat use in agricultural landscapes, difficulties in prey identification, and the challenge of quantifying the impact of bats on pest populations and crops. My dissertation integrates these components to describe ecological relationships between the insects and bats associated with a pecan agroecosystem in central Texas. Specifically, I focus on the predator-prey relationship between bats and the pecan nut casebearer moth (PNC), a devastating pest of pecans. I begin with a literature review of the ecosystem services of insectivorous bats and the data necessary to thoroughly evaluate these services. I then assess the potential factors influencing species composition and spatio-temporal distributions of bats within the pecan agroecosystem. My results demonstrate higher activity and diversity of bats within the pecan agroecosystem than in the surrounding landscape likely due to roosting opportunities, but species-specific and seasonal differences exist in the effects of management intensity. Next, I investigate direct interactions between bats and PNC by measuring prey consumption patterns. I found that five species of bats prey upon PNC moths during all three critical population peaks prior to insecticide application, but there is variability in consumption among species. Finally, I assess indirect interactions between bats and pecans, by evaluating the effect of bat predation risk on pecan damage by PNC larvae. A negative relationship between foraging activity by bats and both PNC moths and PNC larval damage to pecans provides evidence that bat predation has quantitative downstream effects. My results highlight the conservation value of the agricultural matrix for bats and the complexities of accurately documenting ecosystem services provided by free-ranging mobile organisms.

Infectious disease dynamics are inherently shaped by the distribution, ecology, and genetic variation of hosts. Conversely, pathogens exert powerful influences on hosts through demographic processes and natural selection. These tenets of disease ecology and evolutionary biology are illustrated in the case of white-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging infectious disease of hibernating bats. WNS first emerged in 2006 and spread rapidly throughout eastern North America, causing massive declines in bat populations. To understand how host ecology and spatial distribution influence the spread of WNS, I evaluated risk models of colony-level correlates, including bat colony size, species composition, behavior, and gene flow. WNS was more likely to emerge in large colonies first, and species composition and behavior were also significant predictors of risk. Spatial spread was predicted by population genetics of little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus), indicating coupling of host gene flow and pathogen dispersal, and potential for the application of landscape genetics to predict future spread. To guide management and evaluate pre-existing genetic diversity, I assessed population genetic structure of little brown myotis using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq). RAD-seq data revealed two populations divided by the Rocky Mountains, with high gene flow between the distributions of putative subspecies. Demographic analyses and genome scans suggest adaptive genetic variation, variation that may be threatened by WNS in eastern North America. Drastic declines from WNS have likely imposed strong selection, and recent stabilization of populations near the disease epicenter suggests that resistance may have evolved in the host population. I generated whole genome sequence data for bats sampled before and after declines to test for demographic changes and natural selection. Average genomic differentiation and nucleotide diversity indicated little demographic change between the two periods, but preliminary analyses suggest genomic regions of differentiation combined with decreased nucleotide diversity in post-WNS relative to pre-WNS samples, hinting at a pattern of natural selection. Additional samples and in-depth analyses are necessary to robustly test these patterns; however, identification of signatures of selection in the bat genome would be an exciting indication of a rapid evolutionary response to an introduced disease.

There are 12 species of bats that occur in Illinois; 5 of these species can be found hibernating in abandoned mines and caves in southern Illinois. Due to the destruction of their natural hibernacula, caves, many species of bats have found abandoned mines to be suitable replacement habitat. A complex of abandoned underground microcrystalline silica mines in southern Illinois owned by Unimin Specialty Minerals Corporation now provides hibernacula for 5 species of cavernicolous bats: the federally endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), little brown bat (M. lucifugus), eastern pipistrelle (Perimyotis subflavus), big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), and the northern long-eared bat (M. septentrionalis). Within the last 10 years the number of bats using these mines has increased dramatically, especially the Indiana bat which has increased from just over 9,000 to 43,000 hibernating in Magazine Mine. One concern of having so many endangered bats hibernating in one mine is stability. Mines were created relatively recently and are still in the process of settling. Thus, these mines might act as a potential sink, drawing in hibernating bats but potentially collapsing and killing them. Thirteen mines were surveyed for bats and for the amount of spalling that occurred over the 16-month study period from September 2006 to December 2007. Factors that could increase the amount of spalling were quantified, including temperature, moisture, and moisture variability in the material of the walls in the mines, and temperature variability. Number of hibernating bats in the mines was also documented. Data were analyzed with logistic regression. Temperature was a significant predictor of spalling (W2 = 12.76, p = 0.0004) when considered as a univariate variable, as was temperature variation (W2 = 21.89, p = <0.0001). Considering multiple logistic regression analyses, moisture was the best predictor. For the 13 mines surveyed, number of hibernating bats ranged from 0 to 3,755. Whereas all three variables were important at predicting the presence of bats, temperature variation (W2 = 35.98, p =<0.0001) was a better predictor than temperature or moisture. In a multiple logistic regression, temperature (W2 = 46.75, p = < 0.0001) and temperature variation (W2 = 20.56, p = < 0.0001) were better at predicting presence of bats then was moisture. The less variation in temperature the more likely that bats will be present. Because bats prefer stable temperatures and spalling occurs more often at high variability of temperatures and very low temperatures, bats were usually in areas that exhibited little or no spalling.

Global light pollution is increasing worldwide, nearly doubling over the past 25 years, and the encroachment of artificial light into remaining dark areas threatens to disturb natural rhythms of wildlife species, such as bats. Artificial light impacts the behaviour of insectivorous bats in numerous ways, including changing foraging behaviour and altering prey selection. I conducted two manipulative field experiments to investigate effects of light pollution on prey selection in an insectivorous bat community. In the first experiment, I collected fecal samples from 6 species of insectivorous bats in naturally dark and artificially lit conditions and identified prey items using molecular methods. Proportional differences of identified prey were not consistent and appear to be species specific. Red bats, little brown bats, and gray bats exhibited expected increases in moths at lit sites. Beetle-specialist big brown bats had a sizeable increase in beetle consumption around lights, while tri-colored bats and evening bats showed little change in moth consumption between experimental conditions. Dietary overlap was high between experimental conditions within each species, and dietary breadth only changed significantly between experimental conditions in one species, the little brown bat. Our results, building on others, demonstrate that bat-insect interactions may be more nuanced than the common assertion that moth consumption increases around lights. Thus, no single policy is likely to be universally effective in minimizing effects of light pollution on foraging bats because of differences in bat and insect communities, and their interactions. Our work highlights the need for greater mechanistic understanding of bat-light interactions to predict which species will be most affected by light pollution, and to more effectively craft management strategies to minimize unnatural shifts in prey selection caused by artificial lights. In the second experiment, I again focused on changes in foraging due to light pollution by investigating expected knock-on physiological effects, which have not been studied. I measured plasma ß-hydroxybutyrate concentrations from six species of insectivorous bats in naturally dark and artificially lit conditions to investigate effects of light pollution on energy metabolism. We also recorded bat calls acoustically to measure differences in activity levels between experimental conditions. Blood metabolite level and acoustic activity data suggest species-specific changes in foraging around lights. In red bats (Lasiurus borealis), ß-hydroxybutyrate levels at lit sites were highest early in the night followed by a decrease. Acoustic data suggest pronounced peaks in activity at lit sites early in the night. In red bats on dark nights and in the other species in this community, which seem to avoid lights, ß-hydroxybutyrate remained constant, or possibly increased slightly throughout the night. Taken together, our results suggest red bats actively forage around lights and may gain some energetic benefit, while other species in the community avoid lit areas and thus gain no such benefit. Our results demonstrate that artificial light may have a bifurcating effect on bat communities, whereby a few species benefit through concentrated prey resources, yet most do not. Further, this may concentrate light-intolerant species into limited dark refugia, thereby increasing competition for depauperate insect communities, as insects are drawn to artificially lit spaces. It appears then that artificial lights change the environment in such a way as to benefit some species in insectivorous bat communities.

Submitted by ANA CLÁUDIA ALEXANDRE DE ALBUQUERQUE null (ac.alb@hotmail.com) on 2016-03-21T11:00:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Ana Cláudia A de Albuquerque.pdf: 998265 bytes, checksum: 1386f34fb9c89ae1ac081bb702cad917 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Juliano Benedito Ferreira (julianoferreira@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-03-22T13:27:00Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 albuquerque_aca_me_jabo.pdf: 998265 bytes, checksum: 1386f34fb9c89ae1ac081bb702cad917 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-22T13:27:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 albuquerque_aca_me_jabo.pdf: 998265 bytes, checksum: 1386f34fb9c89ae1ac081bb702cad917 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-26 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / A Amazônia é o maior Bioma brasileiro, com uma das maiores biodiversidades mundial. Foram descritas 167 espécies de morcegos no Brasil, com 120 espécies registradas no Estado do Pará, das quais 10 têm registro exclusivo neste estado. Entretanto, apesar da elevada diversidade, são raros os estudos voltados para a descrição de endoparasitas em quirópteros pertencentes a este Bioma. Diante disso, o presente estudo teve como objetivo estudar a helmintofauna de diferentes espécies de quirópteros amazônicos, calcular os índices de infecção comparando-os com aspectos fenotípicos dos hospedeiros e avaliar os índices ecológicos populacionais e de cada guilda alimentar. Para tal, foram utilizados 67 morcegos de 21 espécies provenientes de várias cidades do Estado do Pará. Os animais foram separados em guildas alimentares e necropsiados. Os parasitas obtidos foram identificados taxonomicamente e quantificados. Dos animais estudados, 20,89% (14/67) encontraram-se parasitados. No total, foram recuperados 182 exemplares de helmintos das seguintes espécies: Anenterotrema eduardocaballeroi, Anenterotrema liliputianum, Ochoterenatrema caballeroi, Tricholeiperia sp., Parahistiostrongylus octacanthus, Litomosoides guiterasi, Litomosoides brasiliensis, Capillariinae gen. sp. e Hymenolepididae gen. sp. Pelos resultados obtidos verificou-se que não houve impacto do endoparasitismo na condição corporal dos quirópteros e não foram observadas diferenças entre a intensidade parasitária de machos e de fêmeas. A guilda alimentar que apresentou maior prevalência e intensidade média parasitária foi os onívoros. De acordo com a literatura, animais pertencentes a regiões mais próximas a linha do Equador tendem a apresentar maior riqueza de espécies de parasitas, fato este que não foi observado no presente estudo, no qual foram observadas baixas diversidade e riqueza de espécies. Constatou-se que os quirópteros estudados não seguiram o padrão ecológico observado em outros grupos de animais. / Amazonia, the largest Brazilian Biomes, is one of the most biodiverse Biomes around the world. Considering the Brazilian chiropteran species, 120 of out 167 are registered in Pará State, with 10 endemic species. Despite the high diversity of bats in Amazonia, studies on their parasites, especially on helminths, are scarce. Therefore, the present study aims to study the helminthfauna of different bat species from the Pará State, Amazon Biome, determine the descriptors of infection and evaluate the host-parasite relationship, as well as evaluate diferences in ecological indexes in accord to the alimentary guilds. The study was developed on 67 bats of 21 species captured in several áreas of the Pará State. The animals were identified, divided in alimentary guilds and necropsied. The parasites obtained were identified and quantified. Parasites were found in 20.89% of the bats, a total of 182 specimens belonging to Anenterotrema eduardocaballeroi, Anenterotrema liliputianum, Ochoterenatrema caballeroi, Tricholeiperia sp., Parahistiostrongylus octacanthus, Litomosoides guiterasi, Litomosoides brasiliensis, Capillariinae gen. sp. and Hymenolepididae gen. sp. The results indicate that there was no impact of endoparasitism on host body condition and no relationship between sex and parasite intensity. In relation to the alimentary guilds, the omnivores showed higher prevalence and mean intensity. Animals from regions closer to the equator tend to have greater richness parasites species, but the present study revealed low diversity and richness species. In conclusion, bats studied did not follow the ecological pattern observed in other animal groups. / CNPq: 156973/2014-6

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-06-28Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:43:16Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 marchesin_src_dr_sjrp.pdf: 719824 bytes, checksum: 27f6c7b9b1235bdfcec78f2741f543a0 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / A proposta do presente trabalho foi analisar as relações de proximidade genética e evolutiva entre espécies de Chiroptera, a partir da utilização da técnica PCR-RFLP para a obtenção de dados moleculares para os genes mitocondrial 12/16S e nuclear RAG2. A variabilidade detectada no presente estudo para as diferentes espécies é extremamente importante e poderá orientar ou subsidiar estudos com diferentes finalidades. A complexidade dos táxons de Chiroptera observada em outras análises, como citogenética e morfológica também foi revelada pela análise de RFLP, reforçando a importância dessa metodologia nos estudos evolutivos do grupo. / The aim of this study was to assess the relationships of genetic and evolutive proximity among Chiroptera species, through the obtention of molecular data through mitochondrial (12/16S) and nuclear (RAG2) genes by PCR-RFLP technique. The variability detected by this study to the different species is extremely important and can direct or subsidize studies with different purposes. The complexity of Chiroptera taxa observed in cytogenetic and morphologic analyses was also revealed by the RFLP technique, reinforcing the importance of this methodology in evolutive studies of the group.