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Flint Ridge Cave History And Legends, Norman L. Warnell, Stanley D. Sides

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

Proceedings For Celebrating The Diversity Of Research In The Mammoth Cave Region: 11th Research Symposium At Mammoth Cave National Park, Shannon R. Trimboli Editor, Luke E. Dodd, Editor, De'etra Young, Editor

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

2016 Symposium Schedule Of Events, Shannon R. Trimboli Education Coordinator

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

This is the Schedule of Events for Mammoth Cave National Park's 11th Research Symposium.

Chromosomal-Level Assembly Of The Asian Seabass Genome Using Long Sequence Reads And Multi-Layered Scaffolding, Shubha Vij, Heiner Kuhl, Inna S. Kuznetsova, Aleksey Komissarov, Andrey A. Yurchenko, Peter Van Heusden, Siddharth Singh, Natascha May Thevasagayam, Sai Rama Sridatta Prakki, Kathiresan Purushothaman, Jolly M. Saju, Junhui Jiang, Stanley Kimbung Mbandi, Mario Jonas, Amy Hin Yan Tong, Sarah Mwangi, Doreen Lau, Si Yan Ngoh, Woei Chang Liew, Xueyan Shen, Lawrence S. Hon, James P. Drake, Matthew Boitano, Richard Hall, Chen-Shan Chin, Ramkumar Lachumanan, Jonas Korlach, Vladimir Trifonov, Marsel Kabilov, Alexey Tupikin, Darrell Green, Simon Moxon, Tyler Garvin, Fritz J. Sedlazeck, Gregory W. Vurture, Gopikrishna Gopalapillai, Vinaya Kumar Katneni, Tansyn H. Noble, Vinod Scaria, Sridhar Sivasubbu, Dean R. Jerry, Stephen J. O'Brien, Michael C. Schatz, Tamas Dalmay, Stephen W. Turner, Si Lok, Alan Christoffels, Laszlo Orban

Biology Faculty Articles

We report here the ~670 Mb genome assembly of the Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer), a tropical marine teleost. We used long-read sequencing augmented by transcriptomics, optical and genetic mapping along with shared synteny from closely related fish species to derive a chromosome-level assembly with a contig N50 size over 1 Mb and scaffold N50 size over 25 Mb that span ~90% of the genome. The population structure of L. calcarifer species complex was analyzed by re-sequencing 61 individuals representing various regions across the species’ native range. SNP analyses identified high levels of genetic diversity and confirmed earlier indications …

Bioeconomic Evaluation Of The Tiger Shrimp (Penaeus Monodon) Industry In Tra Vinh Province, Vietnam, Hieu Truong Khac, Hong Hue Tran Thi Phuong, Cheng Ting Huang, Sha Miao

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Analysis of costs and returns for the tiger shrimp farming industry in Tra Vinh Province, Vietnam was carried out by considering different production scales. The production scale influenced not only the cost but also the profitability. Through the results of multivariate statistical analyses, this study showed that the production cost, benefit and earning capacity varied from extensive to semi-intensive and finally to intensive systems. By means of Cobb-Douglas production function analysis, it is revealed that net revenue from increasing the production scale would increase if the input intensities of the fixed, seed and feed costs rose. More investment should be …

Diel Change In Acoustic Characteristics And Zooplankton Composition Of The Sound Scattering Layer In I-Lan Bay In Northeastern Taiwan, Szu-Chia Kao, Ming-An Lee, Kohji Iida

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

A 36-h acoustic observation of the I-Lan Bay was con-ducted on board the Ocean Research II from June 2 to 4, 2013. The acoustic volume backscattering strength (SV) was meas-ured using a scientific echo sounder (EK500, 38 and 120 kHz) to determine the acoustic characteristics of the deep scattering layers (DSLs) before and after the vertical movement. Two DSLs were found during the daytime at a depth of 80-130 m (upper DSL, UD) and 130-230 m (lower DSL, LD), with mean SVs of approximately 78 dB (UD) and 77 dB (LD) at 38 kHz and 65 dB (UD) and −60 …

Antioxidant Capacity And Metabolic Response Of Red Striped Snapper Lutjanus Erythropterus Fed Diet With Astaxanthin And/Or Oxidized Oil, Isagani P. Angeles, Jr., Yew-Hu Chien

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study evaluated the effects of astaxanthin (AX) on antioxidant capacity, metabolic response, and liver AX concentration of red striped snapper (Lutjanus erythropterus) (20.05  1.65 g) fed with a diet with or without high dosage of oxidized oil (OX). The commercial diet served as control (C). Fish were fed with a diet containing 240 mg/kg AX, 100 ml/kg OX, or combination of 240 mg/kg AX and 100 ml/kg OX (AX  OX) for a day. Antioxidant capacity (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase) and metabolic response (glucose, triglycerides, and lactate) were monitored at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48 …

Additions To The Taiwan Eel Fauna With Five Newly Recorded Species Of Moray Eels (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae), And Redescription Of A Rare Species Gymnothorax Sagmacephalus, Kar-Hoe Loh, Kwang-Tsao Shao, Ving-Ching Chong, Hong-Ming Chen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Five rare moray species: Anarchias cantonensis (Schultz), Gymnothorax dorsalis Seale, G. intesi (Fourmanoir & Rivaton), G. phasmatodes (Smith) and G. sagmacephalus (Böhlke) belonging to the subfamilies Uropterygiinae and Muraeninae are reported for the first time in the surrounding waters off Taiwan. Diagnoses of these five species, including fresh coloration and dentition, are provided. A re-description of G. sagmacephalus is provided since its original description, based on the single holotype, was incomplete specifically due to its damaged tail. With the added 12 specimens, we provided the statistics of the morphological measurements and vertebral formulae, and expanded its geographical distribution from Japan …

Bioeconomic Analysis Of Commercial Pond Culturing Of The Striped Catfish Pangasianodon Hypophthalmus In The Mekong Delta, Vietnam, Hieu Truong Khac, Sha Miao, Cheng Ting Huang, Hong Hue Tran Thi Phuong

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

An analysis of costs and returns for striped catfish grow-out pond culturing in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam taking into consideration the factor of geographical location, was conducted. The geographical location not only had an influence on the cost but also the profitability of the enterprise. Multivariate statistical analysis showed a decline in the operating costs and benefits, depending on the location, being highest in middle stream ponds, less in upstream ponds and finally lowest in downstream ponds. However, the earning power of downstream ponds was highest, in terms of profitability associated with fingerlings, feed and energy. Cobb Douglas production function …

Effects Of Dietary Lipid Levels On Growth, Survival And Body Fatty Acid Composition Of Grouper Larvae, Epinephelus Coioides And Epinephelus Lanceolatus, Jen-Hong Chu, Shyn-Shin Sheen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Two feeding experiments were conducted to study the effects of dietary lipid levels on the growth, muscle fatty acid profile and survival of 0.14 g Epinephelus coioides and 0.09 g Epinephelus lanceolatus larvae. Five semi-purified diets included 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% lipid were formulated. Each diet was randomly assigned to three replicate groups of grouper larvae. The final weight, weight gain percentage and survival of two grouper species fed diet without supplemented lipid were significantly lower than those of larvae fed treatment diets. E. coioides had lower weight gain percentage than E. lanceolatus. The weight gain percentages of …

Extraction And Characterization Of Fucoidan From Six Brown Macroalgae, Chun-Ying Wang, Yean-Chang Chen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The content and composition of fucoidan in six brown macroalgae were investigated. The influence of different washing steps and two types of extraction methods on the yield and composition of fucoidan were assessed. The composition of the extract was determined by using a colorimetric method to measure the total sugar, sulfate, and protein contents of the fucoidan. The monosaccharide composition was assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography. The structures of the algal polysaccharide were studied using Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy. The fucoidan content extracted using method I was 13.13% (of dry weight), 24.00%, and 22.67% from Sargassum glaucescens, Sargassum …

Length-Based Estimates Of Growth And Natural Mortality For Blue Marlin (Makaira Nigricans) In The Northwest Pacific Ocean, Nan-Jay Su, Chi-Lu Sun, Chuan-Yuan Tai, Su-Zan Yeh

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Blue marlin is an important resource for commercial and recreational fisheries. However, several life history parameters needed for stock assessments of this species are poorly determined. Sex-specific catch-at-size data (eye fork length, EFL) for blue marlin were collected from the Taiwanese offshore longline fishery in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and analyzed using the MULTIFAN, a length-frequency analysis, to derive growth parameters. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters of blue marlin were estimated to be different between sexes. The best model for the females included 11 age-classes in the lengthfrequency data sets (asymptotic length L = 312.5 cm EFL, growth coefficient k …

Ecological Studies Of Wolves On Isle Royale, 2015-2016, Rolf O. Peterson, John A. Vucetich

Ecological Studies of Wolves on Isle Royale

Annual Report 2015-2016

Permian Scorpions From The Petrified Forest Of Chemnitz, Germany, Jason A. Dunlop, David A. Legg, Paul L. Selden, Victor Fet, Joerg W. Schneider, Ronny Rößler

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Background: Paleozoic scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) have been widely documented from the Carboniferous Period; which hosts a remarkable assemblage of more than sixty species including both putative stem- and crown-group fossils. By contrast the succeeding Permian Period is almost completely devoid of records, which are currently restricted to a trace fossil from the early Permian of New Mexico, USA and some limb fragments from the late Permian of the Vologda Region, Russia.

Results: ?Opsieobuthus tungeri sp. nov. from the Petrified Forest of Chemnitz, Germany represents the first complete body fossils of scorpions from the Permian. Explosive volcanism preserved these remarkable …

An Analysis Of The Characteristics And Practices Of Selected Alabama Small Livestock Producers: A Focus On Production And Processing, Jannette R. Bartlett, Mst Nusrat Jahan, David Nii O. Tackie, Akua Adu-Gyamfi, Francisca A. Quarcoo

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

The study assessed the characteristics and practices of small livestock producers, emphasizing production and processing. Data were obtained from a convenience sample of 121 small producers from South Central Alabama, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, including chi-square tests. The socioeconomic factors showed most were part-time farmers; middle-aged producers; producers with at most a two-year/technical degree or some college education, and producers with $40,000 or less annual household income. A majority practiced rotational grazing, fed a combination of forage (direct from pasture), hay and concentrate, and about half conducted soil tests regularly. Furthermore, many had goats with parasite problems that …

Fatty Acid Composition Of Growing Kiko X Spanish Crossbred Intact Male Goats Fed Varying Levels Of Peanut Skins, Aleta R. Stone, Nar Gurung, Sandra G. Solaiman, Byeng R. Min, Gamal M. Abdelrahim, Anthony S. Kumi, Wendell H. Mcelhenney

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the effects of feeding peanut skins (PS) on fatty acid profile of goat meat. The diets used contained 0, 10, 20, and 30% of PS. After 92 days, longissimus muscle (LM), mesenteric adipose (MA), and subcutaneous (SA) tissue samples were analyzed for fatty acid profile. Eighteen (18), 21, and 21 fatty acids were detected in LM, MS and SC adipose tissues, respectively. No changes were detected in the fatty acid profile, but C18:0 increased linearly in LM (p < 0.05) with increasing level of PS whereas C18:1 decreased in the similar manner (p = 0.05). Total saturated fatty acid and monounsaturated fatty acid percentage increased linearly ( …

Western Australian Silver-Lipped Pearl Oyster (Pinctada Maxima) Industry, Anthony M. Hart, K. L. Travaille, R. Jones, S. J. Brand-Gardner, F J. Webster, A. Irving, A. V. Harry

WA Marine Stewardship Council report series

This report provides a comprehensive description of the pearling (Pinctada maxima) industry in Western Australia. The pearling industry is comprised of the wild capture and cultivation of the silver-lipped pearl oyster Pinctada maxima in Western Australia’s northwest region.

Morphological Variation Among Herring Gulls (Larus Argentatus) And Great Black-Backed Gulls (Larus Marinus) In Eastern North America, Gregory J. Robertson, Sheena Roul, Karel A. Allard, Cynthia Pekarik, Raphael A. Lavoie, Julie C. Ellis, Noah G. Perlut, Antony W. Diamond, Nikki Benjamin, Robert A. Ronconi, Scott G. Gilliland, Brian G. Veitch

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) and Great Black-backed Gull (L. marinus) morphometric data from various eastern North American locations was collected to examine the sources of variation in body size within and among geographic regions. For Herring Gulls, significant differences in all commonly taken measurements at local and regional scales were found. However, most of the variation in measurements was due to sex differences and the natural variance seen within local populations. Herring Gulls breeding in the Arctic did not show any evidence of being morphologically different from other groups. A discriminant function derived from a Newfoundland, …

Roof-Top Nesting In A Declining Population Of Herring Gulls (Larus Argentatus) In Portland, Maine, Usa, Noah G. Perlut, David N. Bonter, Julie C. Ellis, Margaret S. Friar

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

A number of colonial waterbird species have been documented nesting on roof-tops throughout Europe and North America. The most common hypothesis explaining why gulls (Laridae) select roof-tops for nesting has been that population growth rates are higher than territory vacancy rates in traditional (island) habitat, suggesting that roof-tops are a non-preferred habitat. Roof-top habitat may actually be equal to or higher quality than island habitat as anthropogenic food is abundant and lower nest density may lead to lower intraspecific aggression and predation. During 2011–2012, reproductive effort and success was monitored in a regionally declining population of Herring Gulls (Larus …

Evaluation Of Passive Acoustic Telemetry Approaches For Monitoring And Mitigating Shark Hazards Off The Coast Of Western Australia, R. Mcauley, Barry Bruce, Ian S. Keay, S Mountford, Tania Pinnell

Fisheries Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Growth Rates In Two Captive Bred Species Of Atelopus (Anura; Bufonidae), At El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center, Cecile Avery

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since their evolution, amphibians have managed to survive four mass extinctions. But today’s amphibians are now facing severe decline due to a plethora of causes including habitat destruction, climate change, pathogens, and pollution. Of all the possible causes of decline and extinction of amphibian populations, one of the most startling has been the effect of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), or chytrid fungus. It was decided that rapid action was needed to preserve the amphibian populations in the area, since it was clear that current in situ conservation methods were ineffective against Bd. EVACC, the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center, was created …

Foraging Time And Food Resource Use Of Geoffroy’S Tamarin (Saguinus Geoffroyi) In An Urban Forest Landscape, Parque Natural Metropolitano, Ciudad De Panamá, Panamá, Rachael Pruitt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Saguinus geoffroyi, a small neotropical primate that ranges from the Chocó region of Colombia along the Pacific coast of Panamá to the eastern side of the Azuero peninsula. They are known to be a disturbance tolerant species and are mostly found in secondary growth and forest edges where understory growth is moderately dense. They have 3 main food sources: insects, small fruits and exudates (plant saps), which are located in different layers of the forest, although the composition of these may change depending on the season. This study attempted to determine the common food resources, foraging time and location of …

Global Phylogeny Of The Water Penny Beetles Using Both Molecular And Morphological Evidence (Co, Mathew Vincent Wood

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Psephenidae is a family of freshwater beetles usually found in swift streams worldwide. Their unique disc shaped and flattened larvae have made this a group of interest for scientists for centuries. Morphologically, this family has been relatively well researched, and systematically the family is fairly well known and supported as monophyletic. One issue with Psephenidae, and with many other insect groups, is the lack of the molecular phylogenetic analyses to test morphology hypothesizes.

After successfully sequencing these two genes from species representing nearly all of the known genera, the data were analyzed using both Bayesian and parsimony methods. Analyses …

Host-Parasite Associations Of Small Mammal Communities And Implications For The Spread Of Lyme Disease, Matthew J. Buchholz

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Many zoonotic pathogens of concern to human and veterinary health are maintained in the environment within small mammal reservoirs and vectored to new hosts by ectoparasitic arthropods. While the ecological relationships among small mammals, ectoparasites, and disease-causing symbiotic microorganisms are important to these dynamics, little is known about them across much of North America. The sylvatic cycle of Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease, is of particular interest because Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease of humans in the United States. However, cases of Lyme disease are primarily confined to the northeastern and Midwestern United States, …

Modulation Of Prey-Capture Kinematics And Suction Feeding Performance In Smallmouth Bass, Micropterus Dolomieu, Andrea Sejdic

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The feeding behavior of fishes is a topic that has piqued the interests of many researchers given the dynamic and ancestral nature of aquatic prey-capture. This study examines aquatic feeding in terms of the suction and ram components of feeding in smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu, and how they modulate their kinematic behavior when attacking pelagic and benthic prey. Relative to other Micropterus genera, the reduced gape in smallmouth bass suggests they may create considerable suction pressure – stronger subambient pressure pulled through a smaller opening creates greater velocity. Suction feeding is useful when feeding on benthic prey, such as crayfish. …

Occupancy Rates And Detection Probabilities Of Red-Backed Salamanders On The Virginia Fall Line, Jay D. Mcghee

Virginia Journal of Science

To meet the conservation needs of declining amphibian populations, there is a need to assess monitoring techniques in various habitat types and seasons. I assessed detection rates and proportion of area occupied via transect monitoring for red-backed salamanders at a site along the Virginia Fall Line in Doswell, Virginia. I established 24 transects in a 3.2-ha area in both riparian and upland habitats. Objects providing natural cover along these transects were sampled 3 times a week in fall and spring over a two-year period. Models of occupancy and detection were developed and compared using Akaike’s Information Criterion. Based on 113 …

Mother--Offspring Recognition Via Contact Calls In Cattle, Bos Taurus, Mónica Padilla De La Torre, Elodie F. Briefer, Brad M. Ochocki, Alan G. Mcelligott, Tom Reader

Sentience Collection

Individual recognition in gregarious species is fundamental in order to avoid misdirected parental investment. In ungulates, two very different parental care strategies have been identified: ‘hider’ offspring usually lie concealed in vegetation whereas offspring of ‘follower’ species remain with their mothers while they forage. These two strategies have been suggested to impact on mother--offspring vocal recognition, with unidirectional recognition of the mother by offspring occurring in hiders and bidirectional recognition in followers. In domestic cattle, Bos taurus, a facultative hider species, vocal communication and recognition have not been studied in detail under free-ranging conditions, where cows and calves can graze …

White Shark Research Report Q And A - Based On Fisheries Research Report 273: Evaluation Of Passive Acoustic Telemetry Approaches For Monitoring And Mitigating Shark Hazards Off The Coast Of Western Australia, Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia

Fisheries Research Reports

This document is a Question and Answer summary based on Fisheries Research Report 273: Evaluation of passive acoustic telemetry approaches for monitoring and mitigating shark hazards off the coast of Western Australia.

Shark attacks are rare but traumatic events that involve complex and dynamic interactions between sharks’ ecology and human demographics and behaviours. To better understand the biological and ecological factors contributing to the series of incidents of white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) attacks off Western Australia, sharks were fitted with acoustic transmitters (‘tags’) that emit unique identification codes every 50 to 150 seconds. Tagged sharks were monitored by up to …

Impact Of Stress Hormones And Iugr Fetal Conditions On Myoblast Function, Hannah E. Riley, Kristin A. Beede, Dustin T. Yates

UCARE: Research Products

Chronic fetal stress causes adaptive responses that result in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Maternal stressors including heat stress, illness, and obesity cause placental dysfunction that harshens the intrauterine environment by inducing hypoxia and nutrient restriction. IUGR fetuses have restricted growth through the last trimester and after birth. The objective of this study was to test the effects of stress hormones on myoblast proliferation rates. L6 cells and primary myoblasts that were isolated from IUGR fetal sheep in a previous study were used to study the effects of stress hormones on myoblast proliferation and myoblast gene expression. Incubation in epinephrine-spiked media …

Beef Systems Management Strategies: Calving Date Selection, Estrus Synchronization, And Post-Weaning Management, Benjamin T. Tibbitts

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The objective of an invited review and four experiments was to evaluate production implications and economic efficiencies of beef systems strategies involving calving date selection, utilization of reproductive technology, and post-weaning management of heifers and steers. The invited review in chapter II considers factors that influence a producer’s decision on when to calve beef females. The calving date decision impacts the entire beef production cycle and must take into account any environmental conditions, available resources, and cite specific advantages and/or disadvantages. Understanding the importance of varying physiological state and nutrient demands associated with lactation and gestation is critical to optimizing …