@misc{henry_beaulieu_bradford_graves jr_2023, title={Embedded racism: Inequitable niche construction as a neglected evolutionary process affecting health}, volume={11}, ISSN={["2050-6201"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/emph/eoad007}, DOI={10.1093/emph/eoad007}, abstractNote={Abstract Racial health disparities are a pervasive feature of modern experience and structural racism is increasingly recognized as a public health crisis. Yet evolutionary medicine has not adequately addressed the racialization of health and disease, particularly the systematic embedding of social biases in biological processes leading to disparate health outcomes delineated by socially defined race. In contrast to the sheer dominance of medical publications which still assume genetic ‘race’ and omit mention of its social construction, we present an alternative biological framework of racialized health. We explore the unifying evolutionary-ecological principle of niche construction as it offers critical insights on internal and external biological and behavioral feedback processes environments at every level of the organization. We Integrate insights of niche construction theory in the context of human evolutionary and social history and phenotype-genotype modification, exposing the extent to which racism is an evolutionary mismatch underlying inequitable disparities in disease. We then apply ecological models of niche exclusion and exploitation to institutional and interpersonal racial constructions of population and individual health and demonstrate how discriminatory processes of health and harm apply to evolutionarily relevant disease classes and life-history processes in which socially defined race is poorly understood and evaluated. Ultimately, we call for evolutionary and biomedical scholars to recognize the salience of racism as a pathogenic process biasing health outcomes studied across disciplines and to redress the neglect of focus on research and application related to this crucial issue.}, number={1}, journal={EVOLUTION MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH}, publisher={Oxford University Press (OUP)}, author={Henry, Paula Ivey and Beaulieu, Meredith R. Spence and Bradford, Angelle and Graves Jr, Joseph L.}, year={2023}, month={Jan}, pages={112–125} }
 @article{thakur_beaulieu_2023, title={One Health: Tackling Wicked Problems Together}, url={https://doi.org/10.52750/127835}, DOI={10.52750/127835}, abstractNote={One Health is the idea that animals, plants, the environment, and human society are all connected.To improve the health of one, we need to improve the health of all.For complex problems like those in global health, we need people from many different backgrounds and disciplines to work together toward solutions.Whether combating infectious diseases, ensuring food and water security, or addressing the impacts of climate change, meeting health needs is a Wicked Problem.NC State's Global One Health Academy leads these efforts by}, author={Thakur, Siddhartha and Beaulieu, Meredith Spence}, year={2023}, month={Aug} }
 @misc{beaulieu_2020, title={Data for Mosquito diversity and dog heartworm prevalence in suburban areas}, url={https://figshare.com/articles/Data_for_Mosquito_diversity_and_dog_heartworm_prevalence_in_suburban_areas/9339302/1}, DOI={10.6084/M9.FIGSHARE.9339302.V1}, publisher={figshare}, author={Beaulieu, Meredith Spence}, year={2020}, month={Jan} }
 @article{spence beaulieu_federico_reiskind_2020, title={Mosquito diversity and dog heartworm prevalence in suburban areas}, volume={13}, ISSN={["1756-3305"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13071-019-3874-0}, DOI={10.1186/s13071-019-3874-0}, abstractNote={Abstract Background Urbanization is occurring rapidly on a global scale and is altering mosquito communities, creating assemblages that are characteristically less diverse. Despite high rates of urbanization and ample examples of vector-borne diseases transmitted by multiple species, the effects of urbanization-driven mosquito diversity losses on disease transmission has not been well explored. We investigated this question using the dog heartworm, a filarial parasite vectored by numerous mosquito species. Methods We trapped host-seeking mosquitoes in undeveloped areas and neighborhoods of different ages in Wake County, North Carolina, USA, analyzing captured mosquitoes for heartworm DNA. We compared within-mosquito heartworm infection across land-use types by Kruskal–Wallis and likelihood ratio tests. Using zip code level data acquired from dogs in a local shelter, we performed linear regressions of within-host heartworm prevalence by within-mosquito heartworm prevalence as well as by three mosquito diversity measures. We also determined the best predictor of host-level prevalence among models including within-mosquito infection, mosquito diversity and abundance, and socioeconomic status as variables. Results Suburban areas had lower within-mosquito heartworm prevalence and lower likelihood of heartworm-positive mosquitoes than did undeveloped field sites, although no differences were seen between suburban and undeveloped wooded sites. No relationships were noted between within-mosquito and within-host heartworm prevalence. However, mosquito diversity metrics were positively correlated with host heartworm prevalence. Model selection revealed within-host prevalence was best predicted by a positive relationship with mosquito Shannon–Wiener diversity and a negative relationship with household income. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that decreases in mosquito diversity due to urbanization alter vector-borne disease risk. With regard to dog heartworm disease, this loss of mosquito diversity is associated with decreased heartworm prevalence within both the vector and the host. Although the response is likely different for diseases transmitted by one or few species, mosquito diversity losses leading to decreased transmission could be generalizable to other pathogens with multiple vectors. This study contributes to better understanding of the effects of urbanization and the role of vector diversity in multi-vectored pathosystems.}, number={1}, journal={PARASITES & VECTORS}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Spence Beaulieu, Meredith R. and Federico, Jennifer L. and Reiskind, Michael H.}, year={2020}, month={Jan} }
 @article{spence beaulieu_reiskind_2019, title={Comparative Vector Efficiency of Two Prevalent Mosquito Species for Dog Heartworm in North Carolina}, volume={11}, ISSN={0022-2585 1938-2928}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjz190}, DOI={10.1093/jme/tjz190}, abstractNote={Abstract The dog heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis (Leidy) (Spirurida: Onchocercidae), is a devastating parasite of domestic and wild canines vectored by a multitude of mosquito species. Although many species are implicated as vectors, not all contribute equally to disease transmission, with demonstrated variation in vector efficiency between and within species. We investigated the vector efficiency of mosquitoes derived from wild-caught North Carolina populations of two known heartworm vectors: a native species, Aedes triseriatus (Say) (Diptera: Culicidae), and an invasive species, Aedes albopictus (Skuse). We compared the parasite developmental times within the mosquito, mosquito longevity and fecundity, and the vector efficiency index between the two species. We found that the tested composite North Carolina population of Ae. triseriatus was an efficient vector of D. immitis under laboratory conditions, whereas the local composite population of Ae. albopictus was a competent but relatively poor vector. Compared with Ae. triseriatus, Ae. albopictus showed a longer time for parasite development, lower infection rates, and lower vector efficiency. Additionally, Ae. albopictus was the sole species to exhibit significant parasite-induced mortality. These results are in contrast to prior studies of populations of Ae. albopictus from locations outside of North Carolina, which have implicated the species as a highly competent heartworm vector. The variation seen for different strains of the same species emphasizes the heritable nature of D. immitis vector competence and highlights the need for local infection studies for accurate transmission risk assessment in a particular locale.}, journal={Journal of Medical Entomology}, publisher={Oxford University Press (OUP)}, author={Spence Beaulieu, Meredith R and Reiskind, Michael H}, editor={Faraji, AryEditor}, year={2019}, month={Nov} }
 @misc{beaulieu_2019, title={Data for Simplification of vector communities during suburban succession}, url={https://figshare.com/articles/Data_for_Simplification_of_vector_communities_during_suburban_succession/7488791/1}, DOI={10.6084/M9.FIGSHARE.7488791.V1}, publisher={figshare}, author={Beaulieu, Meredith Spence}, year={2019}, month={May} }
 @article{spence beaulieu_hopperstad_dunn_reiskind_2019, title={Simplification of vector communities during suburban succession}, volume={14}, ISSN={1932-6203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0215485}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0215485}, abstractNote={Suburbanization is happening rapidly on a global scale, resulting in changes to the species assemblages present in previously undeveloped areas of land. Community-level changes after anthropogenic land-use change have been studied in a variety of organisms, but the effects on arthropods of medical and veterinary importance remain poorly characterized. Shifts in diversity, abundance, and community composition of such arthropods, like mosquitoes, can significantly impact vector-borne disease dynamics due to varying vectorial capacity between different species. In light of these potential implications for vector-borne diseases, we investigated changes in mosquito species assemblage after suburbanization by sampling mosquitoes in neighborhoods of different ages in Wake County, North Carolina, US. We found that independent of housing density and socioeconomic status, mosquito diversity measures decreased as suburban neighborhoods aged. In the oldest neighborhoods, the mosquito assemblage reached a distinct suburban climax community dominated by the invasive, peridomestic container-breeding Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito. Aedes albopictus is a competent vector of many pathogens of human concern, and its dominance in suburban areas places it in close proximity with humans, allowing for heightened potential of host-vector interactions. While further research is necessary to explicitly characterize the effects of mosquito community simplification on vector-borne disease transmission in highly suburbanized areas, the current study demonstrates that suburbanization is disrupting mosquito communities so severely that they do not recover their diversity even 100 years after the initial disturbance. Our understanding of the community-level effects of anthropogenic land-use change on arthropod vectors will become increasingly important as we look to mitigate disease spread in a global landscape that is continually developed and altered by humans.}, number={5}, journal={PLOS ONE}, publisher={Public Library of Science (PLoS)}, author={Spence Beaulieu, Meredith R. and Hopperstad, Kristen and Dunn, Robert R. and Reiskind, Michael H.}, editor={Leisnham, Paul T.Editor}, year={2019}, month={May}, pages={e0215485} }
 @article{beaulieu_2019, title={The role of parasite manipulation in vector-borne diseases}, volume={2019}, ISSN={["2050-6201"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/emph/eoz019}, DOI={10.1093/emph/eoz019}, abstractNote={The parasite manipulation hypothesis posits that parasites can purposefully alter host behaviours, increasing probability of transmission to an uninfected host [1]. An example is Toxoplasma gondii, where infected rodents become less predator averse, increasing the likelihood of infection reaching the feline host [2]. With other behavioural alterations, determination of whether effects are due to manipulations or are secondary outcomes of infection can be difficult [1]. Regardless, parasiteinduced changes represented in the manipulation hypothesis have implications for disease transmission. The hypothesis applies to vector-borne diseases, where parasite-induced changes in vector behaviour can increase transmission to the non-arthropod host. Here, a commonly affected behaviour is bloodfeeding. Arthropods must blood-feed twice to transmit pathogens, first on an infectious host then again on a susceptible host. This necessity for two blood meals to fulfil the parasite’s life cycle makes bloodfeeding a major component to vectorborne disease transmission [3]. EXAMPLES IN PUBLIC HEALTH}, number={1}, journal={EVOLUTION MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH}, publisher={Oxford University Press (OUP)}, author={Beaulieu, Meredith R. Spence}, year={2019}, pages={106–107} }
 @article{modeling for cost analysis of johne's disease control based on evelisa testing_2013, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s021833901340010x}, DOI={10.1142/s021833901340010x}, abstractNote={Use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is recommended for control of Johne's disease (JD) in the cattle industry. A recent report showed that prevalence of JD in dairy farms could be reduced by applying an ELISA-based control strategy, even though the sensitivity of the current ELISA has been reported to be lower than 30%. We previously developed a more sensitive ELISA test (EVELISA; Ethanol Vortex ELISA) for diagnosis of JD and, in this report, aimed to evaluate cost-effectiveness of the EVELISA in JD control compared to that of a current ELISA test. For simulation of population dynamics, we developed a deterministic, discrete-time mathematical model incorporating contact structure, possibility of adult infection and the concept of order of events. In our model, the number of animals infected with the causative agent of JD, Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), increases in a 10-year simulation if no JD control measure is applied. When test results of ELISA or EVELISA are used for JD control, the increase in MAP-infected animals is less significant. According to our model, EVELISA-based control measures increase the annual per capita revenue of US dairy farms when compared to no JD control and ELISA-based JD control, respectively.}, journal={Journal of Biological Systems}, year={2013}, month={Dec} }
 @article{canner_spence_2011, title={A new technique using metal tags to track small seeds over short distances}, volume={26}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11284-010-0761-8}, DOI={10.1007/s11284-010-0761-8}, abstractNote={Abstract Myrmecochory (seed dispersal by ants) is an evolutionarily and ecologically common mutualism. Since the first study of the phenomenon, ecologists have sought to develop techniques to track ant‐dispersed seeds. Often, thick leaf litter and the potential burial of seeds by ants make tracking of seeds difficult. Here we describe a seed‐tracking technique for small seeds, which uses magnetic tags, developed for mark–recapture studies of fish, to track seeds after dispersal into the ant nest in temperate deciduous forests. We discuss our use of the technique as well as suggestions for improvement and other possible applications of the technique.}, number={1}, journal={Ecological Research}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Canner, Judith E. and Spence, Meredith}, year={2011}, month={Jan}, pages={233–236} }