Observations on the White-Faced Ibis, Plegadis Chihi, in Louisiana

The eight-month study deals with the White-faced Ibis, Plegadis chihi, in southwestern Louisiana. It affirms the absence of the closely related Glossy Ibis, Plegadis falcinellus, as a breeding bird in that area today. Data on feeding habits, social behavior, nesting cycles, and plumage changes in chihi are presented as a step toward clarifying the relationship of these two puzzling forms of ibis; but the full significance of these findings cannot be ascertained until more is known about the habits of falcinellus. The most important conclusions concern plumage changes. It is shown that published descriptions of plumage and molt in chihl contain serious errors. For most of the year individuals of the two forms, both adult and immature, are practically indistinguishable in the field, while some unidentifiable birds are present at all seasons. During the breeding cycle, however, chihi assumes a striking facial patch lacking in falcinellus and probably also exhibits differently colored soft parts. The very fact that the really trenchant differences between the two forms are confined to the breeding season lends these differences added taxonomic significance, suggesting that they might function as reproductive isolating mechanisms should falcinellus and chihl meet in the same range. Therefore, it would seem that, in the present state of knowledge falcinellus and chihi should be maintained as separate species despite their similarities. Measurements of carefully sexed birds indicate marked sexual dimorphism in size in White-faced Ibis—a situation hitherto obscured by the seemingly erroneous labeling or sexing of some specimens

A Computationally Efficient Method for Nonlinear Multihull Seakeeping.

A method for predicting the large amplitude motions of multihull vessels in a computationally efficient and robust manner has been developed and demonstrated. The present theory utilizes frequency domain hydrodynamic coefficients that include hull interactions in the radiation problem and a body-exact solution of the time-varying hydrostatic and Froude-Krylov forces in the time-domain. The theory and computational tool have been developed with a stated objective of supporting multihull design optimization, which requires extremely fast and stable computations that can accurately assess the seakeeping measure of merit in a relative sense. Higher fidelity tools can be used subsequent to a converged design to obtain a more accurate assessment of seakeeping performance. The contribution of this work to the general body of knowledge is in the development of a theory that captures hull interaction effects at lower ship speeds, where interaction effects are likely, while retaining the numerical efficiency of strip theory. A far-field approximation is invoked, whereby the radiated waves from one demi-hull appear as incident waves to another demi-hull. Comparisons of the present theory to model test data and 3D computations have shown fairly good agreement for some ship designs and, while capturing correct trends, relatively poor agreement for other ship designs. Agreement is generally better for multihulls that are long and slender with demi-hull separation greater than two times the demi-hull beam.Ph.D.Naval Architecture & Marine EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/61750/1/wbelknap_1.pd

Modular assembly of transposable element arrays by microsatellite targeting in the guayule and rice genomes

Abstract Background: Guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray) is a rubber-producing desert shrub native to Mexico and the United States. Guayule represents an alternative to Hevea brasiliensis as a source for commercial natural rubber. The efficient application of modern molecular/genetic tools to guayule improvement requires characterization of its genome. Results: The 1.6 Gb guayule genome was sequenced, assembled and annotated. The final 1.5 Gb assembly, while fragmented (N50 =22 kb), maps >95% of the shotgun reads and is essentially complete. Approximately 40,000 transcribed, protein encoding genes were annotated on the assembly. Further characterization of this genome revealed 15 families of small, microsatellite-associated, transposable elements (TEs) with unexpected chromosomal distribution profiles. These SaTar (Satellite Targeted) elements, which are non-autonomous Mu-like elements (MULEs), were frequently observed in multimeric linear arrays of unrelated individual elements within which no individual element is interrupted by another. This uniformly non-nested TE multimer architecture has not been previously described in either eukaryotic or prokaryotic genomes. Five families of similarly distributed non-autonomous MULEs (microsatellite associated, modularly assembled) were characterized in the rice genome. Families of TEs with similar structures and distribution profiles were identified in sorghum and citrus. Conclusion: The sequencing and assembly of the guayule genome provides a foundation for application of current crop improvement technologies to this plant. In addition, characterization of this genome revealed SaTar elements with distribution profiles unique among TEs. Satar targeting appears based on an alternative MULE recombination mechanism with the potential to impact gene evolution. Keywords: Natural rubber, Genome, Assembly, Annotation, Class II transposable element, Non-autonomous, Transposo

Explorations, Vol. 6, No. 1

Cover: Panthera pardus, Chui in Kiswatuli, was photographed by Dr. Linda Karbonit ar Dr. James A. Sherburne in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Karbonit was accompanying Sherburne who was working on the design and development of the University of Maine, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, assistance program in wildlife training and conservation education to Tanzania’s National Parks. Sherburne, who has worked in Tanzania for several years, was there most recently in 1988 and 1989 working on the parks project. He serves as the Director of International Natural Resources and Agricultural Programs at the University of Maine. Articles include: Research and Economic Development: from the U.S. Senate Statement, December 22, 1989, by Sen. George J. Mitchell Politics and Research: Providing a Key for Economic Development, by Sen. William S. Cohen. Publisher’s Perspective, by Gregory N. Brown, Vice President, Research and Public Service What’s EPSCoR? Editorial Reflections, by Carole J. Bombard Past and Present: Marine Geologists Explore the Old and Teach the Young, by Daniel Belknap and Joseph Kelley High Biological Productivity: Salt Marshes, by Mark E. Wood Barrier Beaches, by William Duffy Sediment Budgets & Bluff Slump, by Rebecca Smith Coastal Environments and Change, by Andrew Walsh Mapping What You Can\u27t See, by Donald Robbins Casco Bay: Sea Level and the Shoreline, by Bradley W.B. Hay Christmas at Sea, by Molly Horvath A Short Course and the Local Economy, by Richard Hale and James Philp Dr. Bernard Lown: Alumnus Receives Golden Door Award The Sky is Falling . . . well, maybe, by Carole J. Bombard A Growing Interest in Timberland, by Robert A. Strong and Bret P. Vicar

Early-Onset Progressive Retinal Atrophy Associated with an IQCB1 Variant in African Black-Footed Cats (Felis nigripes)

African black-footed cats (Felis nigripes) are endangered wild felids. One male and full-sibling female African black-footed cat developed vision deficits and mydriasis as early as 3 months of age. The diagnosis of early-onset progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) was supported by reduced direct and consensual pupillary light reflexes, phenotypic presence of retinal degeneration, and a non-recordable electroretinogram with negligible amplitudes in both eyes. Whole genome sequencing, conducted on two unaffected parents and one affected offspring was compared to a variant database from 51 domestic cats and a Pallas cat, revealed 50 candidate variants that segregated concordantly with the PRA phenotype. Testing in additional affected cats confirmed that cats homozygous for a 2 base pair (bp) deletion within IQ calmodulin-binding motif-containing protein-1 (IQCB1), the gene that encodes for nephrocystin-5 (NPHP5), had vision loss. The variant segregated concordantly in other related individuals within the pedigree supporting the identification of a recessively inherited early-onset feline PRA. Analysis of the black-footed cat studbook suggests additional captive cats are at risk. Genetic testing for IQCB1 and avoidance of matings between carriers should be added to the species survival plan for captive management

Do Social Bonds Matter for Emerging Adults?

The extent to which social bonds and turning points influence criminal activity has been the focus of much empirical research. However, there have been few empirical studies exploring social bonds and turning points and offending for those who have experienced emerging adulthood, a recently identified stage of the life course. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health we examined if indicators of social bonds and turning points were predictors of criminal offending. Several of the turning points and social bonds included in these analyses were found to influence decreases in criminal offending for a cohort of emerging adults. We extend previous research by examining the influence of social bonds and turning points on patterns of criminal offending during emerging adulthood

Early-onset progressive retinal atrophy associated with an IQCB1 variant in African black-footed cats (Felis nigripes)

African black-footed cats (Felis nigripes) are endangered wild felids. One male and full-sibling female African black-footed cat developed vision deficits and mydriasis as early as 3 months of age. The diagnosis of early-onset progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) was supported by reduced direct and consensual pupillary light reflexes, phenotypic presence of retinal degeneration, and a non-recordable electroretinogram with negligible amplitudes in both eyes. Whole genome sequencing, conducted on two unaffected parents and one affected offspring was compared to a variant database from 51 domestic cats and a Pallas cat, revealed 50 candidate variants that segregated concordantly with the PRA phenotype. Testing in additional affected cats confirmed that cats homozygous for a 2 base pair (bp) deletion within IQ calmodulin-binding motif-containing protein-1 (IQCB1), the gene that encodes for nephrocystin-5 (NPHP5), had vision loss. The variant segregated concordantly in other related individuals within the pedigree supporting the identification of a recessively inherited early-onset feline PRA. Analysis of the black-footed cat studbook suggests additional captive cats are at risk. Genetic testing for IQCB1 and avoidance of matings between carriers should be added to the species survival plan for captive management

Fundulus as the premier teleost model in environmental biology : opportunities for new insights using genomics

Author Posting. © Elsevier B.V., 2007. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part D: Genomics and Proteomics 2 (2007): 257-286, doi:10.1016/j.cbd.2007.09.001.A strong foundation of basic and applied research documents that the estuarine fish Fundulus heteroclitus and related species are unique laboratory and field models for understanding how individuals and populations interact with their environment. In this paper we summarize an extensive body of work examining the adaptive responses of Fundulus species to environmental conditions, and describe how this research has contributed importantly to our understanding of physiology, gene regulation, toxicology, and ecological and evolutionary genetics of teleosts and other vertebrates. These explorations have reached a critical juncture at which advancement is hindered by the lack of genomic resources for these species. We suggest that a more complete genomics toolbox for F. heteroclitus and related species will permit researchers to exploit the power of this model organism to rapidly advance our understanding of fundamental biological and pathological mechanisms among vertebrates, as well as ecological strategies and evolutionary processes common to all living organisms.This material is based on work supported by grants from the National Science Foundation DBI-0420504 (LJB), OCE 0308777 (DLC, RNW, BBR), BES-0553523 (AW), IBN 0236494 (BBR), IOB-0519579 (DHE), IOB-0543860 (DWT), FSML-0533189 (SC); National Institute of Health NIEHS P42-ES007381(GVC, MEH), P42-ES10356 (RTD), ES011588 (MFO); and NCRR P20 RR-016463 (DWT); Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery (DLM, TDS, WSM) and Collaborative Research and Development Programs (DLM); NOAA/National Sea Grant NA86RG0052 (LJB), NA16RG2273 (SIK, MEH,GVC, JJS); Environmental Protection Agency U91620701 (WSB), R82902201(SC) and EPA’s Office of Research and Development (DEN)