RSS 1.0SUNY Oneonta Scholarly and Creative Works
Recent Submissions
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Non-Analog Behaviour of Eastern African Herbivore Communities During the Last Glacial PeriodModern African ungulates navigate seasonal variation in resource availability through diet-switching (primarily mixed-feeders) and/or migrating (primarily grass grazers). These ecological generalizations are well-documented today, but the extent to which they apply to the non-analog ecosystems of the Pleistocene are unclear. Drawing from serially-sampled stable isotope measurements from 18 Kenyan large herbivore species from the Last Glacial Period (LGP), we evaluate how diet, diet-switching, and migration compare to observations from present-day settings. We find a higher grazing signal in most LGP species and a greater magnitude of diet-switching than in the present. Additionally, we find that the relationships between grass intake, migration, diet-switching, and body size during the LGP were unlike those observed today. This establishes a revised paleoecology of LGP herbivore communities and highlights that LGP herbivores were behaviorally non-analog. Our results imply that ecological observations from present-day settings offer an incomplete perspective of herbivore-environment interactions.
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Chronicling a Crisis: SUNY Oneonta's Pandemic DiariesAnn Traitor and Matthew Hendley from the Department of History, Darren Chase, the Dean of the Library, and Ed Beck, an Instructional Designer from the Faculty Center for Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship, present their book, Chronicling a Crisis: SUNY Oneonta’s Pandemic Diaries. Inspired by the UK’s Mass Observation Project from the 1930s, the authors aimed to capture a community’s collective memory through blog entries submitted by students, faculty, and staff. Acting as observation caretakers, they recognized the significance of preserving the immediate words and reflections of living through a historic time. In reflecting on this project, the authors emphasize how memory is shaped over time and how these collected narratives offer an alternative way to understand history. Themes emerging from the blog entries reveal profound changes: the journeys we thought we were taking versus the journeys we find ourselves on now.
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Limited herbivore migration during the Last Glacial Period of KenyaEastern Africa is home to the largest terrestrial migrations on Earth. Though these migratory systems have been well-studied for decades, little is known of their antiquity and evolutionary history. Serially sampled strontium stable isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) from tooth enamel can be used to track migration in mammals. We analyze 87Sr/86Sr for 79 bovid and equid individuals representing 18 species from four localities in Kenya to characterize prehistoric migratory systems during the Last Glacial Period (115-11.7 ka). Of the species analyzed, 16 lack definitive evidence for migration, including blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), Thomson’s gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii), and plains zebra (Equus quagga), which are long-distance migrants today in the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem and historically in the Athi-Kapiti Plains. Only two species, the extinct wildebeests Rusingoryx atopocranion and Megalotragus sp., were migratory. These findings suggest a possible alternative narrative about ecosystem dynamics during the Last Glacial Period and shed light on the behavior of both extant and extinct species at this time. In particular, these results indicate that migratory behavior in extant species either emerged during the Holocene or was more spatiotemporally constrained in the past. Our results contribute to a growing body of evidence suggesting that the structure and function of geologically recent large mammal communities in eastern Africa differed considerably from those observed in the present-day.
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Prepare, Partner, Protest, Propose and Persevere: Advocating for a Dedicated Information Literacy ClassroomEnvision a beautifully renovated academic library without adequate space for information literacy instruction. In 2011, SUNY Oneonta, a midsize academic institution, began planning for the partial renovation of the James M. Milne Library to accommodate three offices and their staff: the tutoring center, accessibility resources office, and faculty center. In the initial planning stages, there was no discussion of the inclusion of dedicated information literacy classrooms. In 2017, when it was determined that there would be classrooms in the library, the provost and vice president for academic affairs created a policy that granted the college registrar priority to schedule semester-long classes in the library’s two computer-equipped classrooms to commence in the fall 2018 semester. This policy was made without consultation with the library. In 2018, the partial renovation of Milne Library was completed. The remodeled building was touted as student-centered and conducive to learning; however, in the three semesters immediately following the completion of the renovation, instruction librarians were forced to schedule nearly 25 percent of information literacy sessions in classrooms located outside the library and unequipped with computers. As a result of these two events, the head of reference and instruction and the instruction coordinator used a five-point advocacy model of prepare, partner, protest, propose, and persevere to advocate for adequate information literacy instruction facilities in Milne Library
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Understanding Poverty: A Relational ApproachDr. Elizabeth Seale, from the Sociology department, delves into her latest publication, Understanding Poverty: A Relational Approach. In her presentation, Dr. Seale explores her motivations behind writing the book, elucidates various forms of poverty, examines poverty as a social relation, and addresses its implications. She sheds light on the pervasive misconceptions surrounding economic adversity and its origins, particularly emphasizing the daily struggles faced by those living in poverty.
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Mississippi Zion: The Struggle for Liberation in Attala County, 1865-1915Dr. E. Howard Ashford of the History department uses excerpts from his new book to illustrate the ways in which African Americans in Attala County after the Civil War, influence economic and social politics as a non-majority racial group. The book, Mississippi Zion: The Struggle for Liberation in Attala County, 1865–1915 also offers a broader perspective on Black life in the state of Mississippi during the same historical period.
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Back to Back: The Co-occurrence of DISH and Ankylosing Spondylitis from Early Modern PolandObjective: This case study evaluates an individual with skeletal changes consistent with DISH and ankylosing spondylitis. We present here an evaluation of the individual’s pathological skeletal changes and a review of the potential diagnoses. Finally, we offer a differential diagnosis of co-morbidity infrequently found in the paleopathological record. Materials: The skeletal remains of a male, aged 50 + years from the early modern Polish (17th-18th century CE) site of Drawsko 1. Methods: Skeletal remains were examined for the presence of spondyloarthropathies. Results: The individual presented with anterolateral fusion of the vertebral bodies of T6-T10 with a “dripping candle wax” appearance, fusion of the right costovertebral joint at rib 8, fusion of the left apophyseal joints of T8-T10, and the calcification of the supraspinous ligament at T3-T4. The left sacroiliac joint shows intra-articular and para-articular fusion; the right has bony changes consistent with ongoing fusion. Entheseal reactions were noted on the left clavicle, scapulae, first metacarpals, ulnae, and humerii. Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), reactive arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PA), and enteropathic arthritis (EA) are considered as differential diagnoses. Conclusions: Based on the skeletal pattern of involvement, the individual suffered from both DISH and AS, which has previously been reported once in the paleopathological literature since 1950. The clinical literature indicates that co-occurrence of these two conditions is possible, with approximately 40 individuals affected. Significance: This case study is significant for demonstrating the co-occurrence of DISH and AS in the paleopathological record. Additionally, this case contributes to the understanding of heterogenous frailty and syndemics. Limitations: No radiographs were taken to confirm the differential diagnosis. No aDNA analysis was conducted. Suggestions for further research: The remains have been reburied; no further analysis is possible.
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A Survey on Audience Interests and Expectations for Planetarium ShowsIdentifying the public’s interests in astronomy topics helps planetariums create entertaining and impactful shows for their audience. During the creation process for a new show for SUNY Oneonta’s planetarium, a survey was conducted to gauge the public’s interests. A total of 109 participants filled out a digital survey that asked if they had previously attended a planetarium show, what topics interested them the most, and what they would want to learn about and see in a planetarium show. The survey showed that constellations and the Solar System remain popular choices and that beyond that, respondents´ choices may be strongly influenced by their previous exposure to astronomy topics.
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Presentation of Colonial Geography: Race and Space in German East Africa, 1884-1905Dr. Matthew Unangst of the History department uses excerpts from his new book to illustrate the ways in which Europeans combined ideas about race and geography to establish and justify colonialism in Africa. The book, Colonial Geography: Race and Space in German East Africa, 1884-1905, charts changes in conceptions of the relationship between people and landscapes in mainland Tanzania during the German colonial period. In German minds, colonial development would depend on the relationship between East Africans and the landscape. The book argues that the most important element in German imperialism was not its violence but its attempts to apply racial thinking to the mastery and control of space. Utilizing approaches drawn from critical geography, Colonial Geography posits that the development of a representational space of empire had serious consequences for German colonialism and the population of East Africa. In this lecture, Dr. Unangst demonstrates how spatial thinking shaped ideas about race and colonialism in the period of New Imperialism for all European empires, not just Germany.
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Patient decision-making modes and causes: A preliminary investigationA recent study of patient decision making regarding acceptance of an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) provides a substantial but nonrandom sample (N = 191) of telephone interviews with persons who have made an affirmative decision regarding an ICD. Using a coding scheme developed through qualitative analysis of transcribed interviews, these data can be subjected to exploratory statistical analysis. The reasons given by respondents for getting the ICD differed by both region and gender, and show some correlations with whether the device has or has not delivered any stimulation (shocks) since implantation. Cluster analysis reveals association among certain important themes in the discussion of the decision process, particularly linking rather opposite concepts into clusters related to specific dimensions. The results suggest the importance, to patients, of maintaining the integrity of the self by asserting control and independence. The majority of the respondents (61%) have not received the primary intended benefit of the device (stimulation). Thus, the findings suggest that psychological benefits alone of having the device (such as anxiety reduction) serve to justify acceptance of a computerized device. Implications for other lines of computerized health support and for further study of these issues are discussed.
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A Theory of Brand WW2Myths about the Second World War, grounded within stores of knowledge, often act as narrative templates to be drawn upon by collective memory. These myths and memories are transformed and commodified in a reductive manner into a brand encompassing simplistic narratives, easily recognized visual signifiers (including logo, colors, and associated symbols), and emotional cues that connect with the audience. This posits a theory that what most individuals today interact with is not a fragment of memory related to World War Two but rather a reductive representation sold as BrandWW2.
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Marvel tells / sells its own history: figureheads, promotion, curation, and application, 1982-1987This research explores Marvel Comics Group’s (MCG) efforts to actively construct and sell its own history during the early-to-mid 1980s. This active historicization was achieved through persistent promotion by company figurehead Stan Lee and fans-turned-professionals actively curating the history in an official capacity. The historical reference products focused on the growing direct market-based older fan types of cultists, enthusiasts, and petty producers and younger, newer consumers and fans attracted to the authority of both history and official releases. These reference materials included encyclopaedias (Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe), a promotional arm (Marvel Age), an official history (The Marvel Saga), commemorative ceremony (1986ʹs 25th Anniversary), and New Universe that in contrast reaffirmed the specialness of the original Marvel Universe. MCG’s efforts from 1982 to 1987 provide a rare instance to watch history actively be constructed, curated, sold, and applied and to illustrate to us the power inherent within such actions.
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Experiential Branding and Curating the Social SpaceThe branding of experience, which works to strengthen consumption practices by tying them into social and group behavior, is an extension of previous efforts that likewise attempt to brand traditionally non-commodified societal institutions including education (Twitchell, 2004), religion (Banet-Weiser, 2012; Twitchell, 2004), and our everyday lives (Moor, 2007). The logic of branding has crept into areas of our lives that previously were not branded – into large institutions like schools and museums and into micro-level everyday experiences and social relationships. This is possible today, in part, due to the rise of networked, social-media-based, smart phone technology that transforms our communication and looking into labor. This communication is increasingly visual; photos, gifs, video, and emoticons, for example, mirror the basic components of a brand.
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What Have We Lost? Modeling Dam Impacts on American Shad Populations Through Their Native RangeAmerican shad (Alosa sapidissima) are native to the east coast of North America from the St. Johns River, Florida, to the St. Lawrence River region in Canada. Since the 1800s, dams have reduced access to spawning habitat. To assess the impact of dams, we estimated the historically accessed spawning habitat in coastal rivers (485,618 river segments with 21,113 current dams) based on (i) width, (ii) distance from seawater, and (iii) slope (to exclude natural barriers to migration) combined with local knowledge. Estimated habitat available prior to dam construction (2,752 km2) was 41% greater than current fully accessible habitat (1,639 km2). River-specific population models were developed using habitat estimates and latitudinally appropriate life history parameters (e.g., size at age, maturity, iteroparity). Estimated coast-wide annual production potential was 69.1 million spawners compared with a dammed scenario (41.8 million spawners). Even with optimistic fish passage performance assumed for all dams (even if passage is completely absent), the dam-imposed deficit was alleviated by fewer than 3 million spawners. We estimate that in rivers modeled without dams, 98,000 metric tons of marine sourced biomass and nutrients were annually delivered, 60% of which was retained through carcasses, gametes and metabolic waste. Damming is estimated to have reduced this by more than one third. Based on our results, dams represent a significant and acute constraint to the population and, with other human impacts, reduce the fishery potential and ecological services attributed to the species.
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Considerations of variability and power for long-term monitoring of stream fish assemblagesLittle attention has been given to optimizing statistical power for monitoring stream fish assemblages. We explored the relationship between temporal variability and statistical power using 34 metrics from fish community data collected annually at six sites over 10 years via electrofishing. Metric variability differed by the life stage and group of species considered, use of abundance or mass data, and data standardization technique. Lower variability was associated with community data, abundance data, and time-based standardizations, while greater variability was associated with young-of- the-year data, mass data, and area-based standardizations. Simulation-based power analysis indicated metric choice, and to a lesser degree, monitoring design (annual, biennial, endpoints, or haphazard sampling) influenced power to detect change. Across a fixed number of surveys (N = 60), endpoints sampling performed best. The N needed to detect change was heavily dependent upon metric choice for all monitoring designs, with the most biologically specific metrics requiring greater N. Large savings in effort and resource expenditure can be obtained utilizing biologically relevant metrics that are robust to temporal noise within an appropriate sampling design.
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fishStan: Hierarchical Bayesian models for fisheriesFisheries managers and ecologists use statistical models to estimate population-level relations and demographic rates (e.g., length-maturity curves, growth curves, and mortality rates). These relations and rates provide insight into populations and inputs for other models. For example, growth curves may vary across lakes showing fish populations differ due to management actions or underlying environmental conditions. A fisheries manager could use this information to set lake-specific harvest limits or an ecologist could use this information to test scientific hypotheses about fish populations. The above example also demonstrates how populations exist within hierarchical structures where sub-populations may be nested within a meta-population. More generally, these hierarchical structures may be both biological (e.g., different lakes or river pools) and statistical (e.g., correlated error structures). Currently, limited options exist for fitting these hierarchical models and people seeking to use them often must program their own implementations. Furthermore, many fisheries managers and researchers may not have Bayesian programming skills, but many can use interactive languages such as R. Additionally, programs such as JAGS often require long run times (e.g., hours if not days) to fit hierarchical models and programs such as Stan can be more difficult to program because it is a compiled language. We created fishStan to share hierarchical models for fisheries and ecology in an easy-to-use R package.
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Money Gone Up in Smoke: The Tobacco Use and Malnutrition Nexus in BangladeshBackground: The tobacco epidemic in Bangladesh is pervasive. Expenditures on tobacco may reduce money available for food in a country with a high malnutrition rate. Objectives: The aims of the study are to quantify the opportunity costs of tobacco expenditure in terms of nutrition (i.e., food energy) forgone and the potential improvements in the household level food-energy status if the money spent on tobacco were diverted for food consumption. Method: We analyzed data from the 2010 Bangladesh Household Income and Expenditure Survey, a nationally representative survey conducted among 12,240 households. We present 2 analytical scenarios: (1) the lower-bound gain scenario entailing money spent on tobacco partially diverted to acquiring food according to households' food consumption share in total expenditures; and (2) the upper-bound gain scenario entailing money spent on tobacco diverted to acquiring food only. Age- and gender-based energy norms were used to identify food-energy deficient households. Data were analyzed by mutually exclusive smoking-only, smokeless-only, and dual-tobacco user households. Findings: On average, a smoking-only household could gain 269-497 kilocalories (kcal) daily under the lower-bound and upper-bound scenarios, respectively. The potential energy gains for smokeless-only and dual-tobacco user households ranged from 148-268 kcal and 508-924 kcal, respectively. Under these lower- and upper-bound estimates, the percentage of smoking-only user households that are malnourished declined significantly from the baseline rate of 38% to 33% and 29%, respectively. For the smokeless-only and dual-tobacco user households, there were 2-3 and 6-9 percentage point drops in the malnutrition prevalence rates. The tobacco expenditure shift could translate to an additional 4.6-7.7 million food-energy malnourished persons meeting their caloric requirements. Conclusions: The findings suggest that tobacco use reduction could facilitate concomitant improvements in population-level nutrition status and may inform the development and refinement of tobacco prevention and control efforts in Bangladesh.
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Development and calibration of a dietary nitrate and nitrite database in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health StudyObjective: Nitrate and nitrite are probable human carcinogens when ingested under conditions that increase the formation of N-nitroso compounds. There have been limited efforts to develop US databases of dietary nitrate and nitrite for standard FFQ. Here we describe the development of a dietary nitrate and nitrite database and its calibration. Design: We analysed data from a calibration study of 1942 members of the NIH-AARP (NIH-AARP, National Institutes of Health-AARP) Diet and Health Study who reported all foods and beverages consumed on the preceding day in two non-consecutive 24 h dietary recalls (24HR) and completed an FFQ. Based on a literature review, we developed a database of nitrate and nitrite contents for foods reported on these 24HR and for food category line items on the FFQ. We calculated daily nitrate and nitrite intakes for both instruments, and used a measurement error model to compute correlation coefficients and attenuation factors for the FFQ-based intake estimates using 24HR-based values as reference data. Results: FFQ-based median nitrate intake was 68·9 and 74·1 mg/d, and nitrite intake was 1·3 and 1·0 mg/d, in men and women, respectively. These values were similar to 24HR-based intake estimates. Energy-adjusted correlation coefficients between FFQ- and 24HR-based values for men and women respectively were 0·59 and 0·57 for nitrate and 0·59 and 0·58 for nitrite; energy-adjusted attenuation factors were 0·59 and 0·57 for nitrate and 0·47 and 0·38 for nitrite. Conclusions: The performance of the FFQ in assessing dietary nitrate and nitrite intakes is comparable to that for many other macro- and micronutrients.
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Healthcare and Wellness Practitioner Confidence in Provision of Nutrition Education and Use of Evidence-Based Nutrition ResourcesObjectives: Differences in messaging from healthcare and wellness practitioners can lead to consumer confusion and mistrust in nutrition. The regular use of evidence-based nutrition resources by practitioners could improve consistency in patient education. The confidence registered dietitians (RDNs) and non-RDN practitioners have in providing nutrition education and the use of evidence-based nutrition resources in patient education is not known. Objectives: 1) To evaluate how confident RDN and non-RDN practitioners are in providing nutrition education, and 2) to evaluate RDN and non-RDN use of evidence-based nutrition resources.
