The influence of agroforestry and other land-use types on the persistence of a Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) population: an individual-based model approach.

PubMed

Imron, Muhammad Ali; Herzog, Sven; Berger, Uta

2011-08-01

The importance of preserving both protected areas and their surrounding landscapes as one of the major conservation strategies for tigers has received attention over recent decades. However, the mechanism of how land-use surrounding protected areas affects the dynamics of tiger populations is poorly understood. We developed Panthera Population Persistence (PPP)--an individual-based model--to investigate the potential mechanism of the Sumatran tiger population dynamics in a protected area and under different land-use scenarios surrounding the reserve. We tested three main landscape compositions (single, combined and real land-uses of Tesso-Nilo National Park and its surrounding area) on the probability of and time to extinction of the Sumatran tiger over 20 years in Central Sumatra. The model successfully explains the mechanisms behind the population response of tigers under different habitat landscape compositions. Feeding and mating behaviours of tigers are key factors, which determined population persistence in a heterogeneous landscape. All single land-use scenarios resulted in tiger extinction but had a different probability of extinction within 20 years. If tropical forest was combined with other land-use types, the probability of extinction was smaller. The presence of agroforesty and logging concessions adjacent to protected areas encouraged the survival of tiger populations. However, with the real land-use scenario of Tesso-Nilo National Park, tigers could not survive for more than 10 years. Promoting the practice of agroforestry systems surrounding the park is probably the most reasonable way to steer land-use surrounding the Tesso-Nilo National Park to support tiger conservation.

Probing cochlear tuning and tonotopy in the tiger using otoacoustic emissions.

PubMed

Bergevin, Christopher; Walsh, Edward J; McGee, JoAnn; Shera, Christopher A

2012-08-01

Otoacoustic emissions (sound emitted from the ear) allow cochlear function to be probed noninvasively. The emissions evoked by pure tones, known as stimulus-frequency emissions (SFOAEs), have been shown to provide reliable estimates of peripheral frequency tuning in a variety of mammalian and non-mammalian species. Here, we apply the same methodology to explore peripheral auditory function in the largest member of the cat family, the tiger (Panthera tigris). We measured SFOAEs in 9 unique ears of 5 anesthetized tigers. The tigers, housed at the Henry Doorly Zoo (Omaha, NE), were of both sexes and ranged in age from 3 to 10 years. SFOAE phase-gradient delays are significantly longer in tigers--by approximately a factor of two above 2 kHz and even more at lower frequencies--than in domestic cats (Felis catus), a species commonly used in auditory studies. Based on correlations between tuning and delay established in other species, our results imply that cochlear tuning in the tiger is significantly sharper than in domestic cat and appears comparable to that of humans. Furthermore, the SFOAE data indicate that tigers have a larger tonotopic mapping constant (mm/octave) than domestic cats. A larger mapping constant in tiger is consistent both with auditory brainstem response thresholds (that suggest a lower upper frequency limit of hearing for the tiger than domestic cat) and with measurements of basilar-membrane length (about 1.5 times longer in the tiger than domestic cat).

[Land use pattern and its dynamic changes in Amur tiger distribution region].

PubMed

Li, Zhong-wen; Wu, Jian-guo; Kou, Xiao-jun; Tian, Yu; Wang, Tian-ming; Mu, Pu; Ge, Jian-ping

2009-03-01

Land use and land cover change has been the primary cause for the habitat loss and fragmentation in the distribution region of Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica). Based on the spatiotemporal changes of land use and land cover in the distribution region, as well as their effects on the population dynamics of Amur tiger, this paper analyzed the development process and its characteristics of the main land use types (agricultural land, forest land, and construction land) in this region, with the land use change history being divided chronically into three distinctive periods, i.e., ancient times (prior to 1860), modern times (1860-1949), and contemporary times (after 1949). The results showed that the sporadic land use in ancient times had no significant effects on the survival of Amur tiger, while the extensive and intensive land use after the 1860s was mainly responsible for the decrease of Amur tiger population and its living space. Since 1949, the Amur tiger distribution region has been divided into two parts, i.e., Northeast China and Russia Far East. The differences in land use pattern, policy, and intensity between these two parts led to different survival status of Amur tiger. The key driving forces for the land use change in Amur tiger distribution region were human population increase, policy change, and increased productivity.

Scientific crowdsourcing in wildlife research and conservation: Tigers (Panthera tigris) as a case study

PubMed Central

Can, Özgün Emre; D’Cruze, Neil; Balaskas, Margaret; Macdonald, David W.

2017-01-01

With around 3,200 tigers (Panthera tigris) left in the wild, the governments of 13 tiger range countries recently declared that there is a need for innovation to aid tiger research and conservation. In response to this call, we created the “Think for Tigers” study to explore whether crowdsourcing has the potential to innovate the way researchers and practitioners monitor tigers in the wild. The study demonstrated that the benefits of crowdsourcing are not restricted only to harnessing the time, labor, and funds from the public but can also be used as a tool to harness creative thinking that can contribute to development of new research tools and approaches. Based on our experience, we make practical recommendations for designing a crowdsourcing initiative as a tool for generating ideas. PMID:28328924

Responses of tadpoles to hybrid predator odours: strong maternal signatures and the potential risk/response mismatch

PubMed Central

Chivers, Douglas P.; Mathiron, Anthony; Sloychuk, Janelle R.; Ferrari, Maud C. O.

2015-01-01

Previous studies have established that when a prey animal knows the identity of a particular predator, it can use this knowledge to make an ‘educated guess' about similar novel predators. Such generalization of predator recognition may be particularly beneficial when prey are exposed to introduced and invasive species of predators or hybrids. Here, we examined generalization of predator recognition for woodfrog tadpoles exposed to novel trout predators. Tadpoles conditioned to recognize tiger trout, a hybrid derived from brown trout and brook trout, showed generalization of recognition of several unknown trout odours. Interestingly, the tadpoles showed stronger responses to odours of brown trout than brook trout. In a second experiment, we found that tadpoles trained to recognize brown trout showed stronger responses to tiger trout than those tadpoles trained to recognize brook trout. Given that tiger trout always have a brown trout mother and a brook trout father, these results suggest a strong maternal signature in trout odours. Tadpoles that were trained to recognize both brown trout and brook trout showed stronger response to novel tiger trout than those trained to recognize only brown trout or only brook trout. This is consistent with a peak shift in recognition, whereby cues that are intermediate between two known cues evoke stronger responses than either known cue. Given that our woodfrog tadpoles have no evolutionary or individual experience with trout, they have no way of knowing whether or not brook trout, brown trout or tiger trout are more dangerous. The differential intensity of responses that we observed to hybrid trout cues and each of the parental species indicates that there is a likely mismatch between risk and anti-predator response intensity. Future work needs to address the critical role of prey naivety on responses to invasive and introduced hybrid predators. PMID:26041358

The Influence of Agroforestry and Other Land-Use Types on the Persistence of a Sumatran Tiger ( Panthera tigris sumatrae) Population: An Individual-Based Model Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imron, Muhammad Ali; Herzog, Sven; Berger, Uta

2011-08-01

The importance of preserving both protected areas and their surrounding landscapes as one of the major conservation strategies for tigers has received attention over recent decades. However, the mechanism of how land-use surrounding protected areas affects the dynamics of tiger populations is poorly understood. We developed Panthera Population Persistence (PPP)—an individual-based model—to investigate the potential mechanism of the Sumatran tiger population dynamics in a protected area and under different land-use scenarios surrounding the reserve. We tested three main landscape compositions (single, combined and real land-uses of Tesso-Nilo National Park and its surrounding area) on the probability of and time to extinction of the Sumatran tiger over 20 years in Central Sumatra. The model successfully explains the mechanisms behind the population response of tigers under different habitat landscape compositions. Feeding and mating behaviours of tigers are key factors, which determined population persistence in a heterogeneous landscape. All single land-use scenarios resulted in tiger extinction but had a different probability of extinction within 20 years. If tropical forest was combined with other land-use types, the probability of extinction was smaller. The presence of agroforesty and logging concessions adjacent to protected areas encouraged the survival of tiger populations. However, with the real land-use scenario of Tesso-Nilo National Park, tigers could not survive for more than 10 years. Promoting the practice of agroforestry systems surrounding the park is probably the most reasonable way to steer land-use surrounding the Tesso-Nilo National Park to support tiger conservation.

Monitoring tigers with confidence.

PubMed

Linkie, Matthew; Guillera-Arroita, Gurutzeta; Smith, Joseph; Rayan, D Mark

2010-12-01

With only 5% of the world's wild tigers (Panthera tigris Linnaeus, 1758) remaining since the last century, conservationists urgently need to know whether or not the management strategies currently being employed are effectively protecting these tigers. This knowledge is contingent on the ability to reliably monitor tiger populations, or subsets, over space and time. In the this paper, we focus on the 2 seminal methodologies (camera trap and occupancy surveys) that have enabled the monitoring of tiger populations with greater confidence. Specifically, we: (i) describe their statistical theory and application in the field; (ii) discuss issues associated with their survey designs and state variable modeling; and, (iii) discuss their future directions. These methods have had an unprecedented influence on increasing statistical rigor within tiger surveys and, also, surveys of other carnivore species. Nevertheless, only 2 published camera trap studies have gone beyond single baseline assessments and actually monitored population trends. For low density tiger populations (e.g. <1 adult tiger/100 km(2)) obtaining sufficient precision for state variable estimates from camera trapping remains a challenge because of insufficient detection probabilities and/or sample sizes. Occupancy surveys have overcome this problem by redefining the sampling unit (e.g. grid cells and not individual tigers). Current research is focusing on developing spatially explicit capture-mark-recapture models and estimating abundance indices from landscape-scale occupancy surveys, as well as the use of genetic information for identifying and monitoring tigers. The widespread application of these monitoring methods in the field now enables complementary studies on the impact of the different threats to tiger populations and their response to varying management intervention. © 2010 ISZS, Blackwell Publishing and IOZ/CAS.

The tiger genome and comparative analysis with lion and snow leopard genomes.

PubMed

Cho, Yun Sung; Hu, Li; Hou, Haolong; Lee, Hang; Xu, Jiaohui; Kwon, Soowhan; Oh, Sukhun; Kim, Hak-Min; Jho, Sungwoong; Kim, Sangsoo; Shin, Young-Ah; Kim, Byung Chul; Kim, Hyunmin; Kim, Chang-Uk; Luo, Shu-Jin; Johnson, Warren E; Koepfli, Klaus-Peter; Schmidt-Küntzel, Anne; Turner, Jason A; Marker, Laurie; Harper, Cindy; Miller, Susan M; Jacobs, Wilhelm; Bertola, Laura D; Kim, Tae Hyung; Lee, Sunghoon; Zhou, Qian; Jung, Hyun-Ju; Xu, Xiao; Gadhvi, Priyvrat; Xu, Pengwei; Xiong, Yingqi; Luo, Yadan; Pan, Shengkai; Gou, Caiyun; Chu, Xiuhui; Zhang, Jilin; Liu, Sanyang; He, Jing; Chen, Ying; Yang, Linfeng; Yang, Yulan; He, Jiaju; Liu, Sha; Wang, Junyi; Kim, Chul Hong; Kwak, Hwanjong; Kim, Jong-Soo; Hwang, Seungwoo; Ko, Junsu; Kim, Chang-Bae; Kim, Sangtae; Bayarlkhagva, Damdin; Paek, Woon Kee; Kim, Seong-Jin; O'Brien, Stephen J; Wang, Jun; Bhak, Jong

2013-01-01

Tigers and their close relatives (Panthera) are some of the world's most endangered species. Here we report the de novo assembly of an Amur tiger whole-genome sequence as well as the genomic sequences of a white Bengal tiger, African lion, white African lion and snow leopard. Through comparative genetic analyses of these genomes, we find genetic signatures that may reflect molecular adaptations consistent with the big cats' hypercarnivorous diet and muscle strength. We report a snow leopard-specific genetic determinant in EGLN1 (Met39>Lys39), which is likely to be associated with adaptation to high altitude. We also detect a TYR260G>A mutation likely responsible for the white lion coat colour. Tiger and cat genomes show similar repeat composition and an appreciably conserved synteny. Genomic data from the five big cats provide an invaluable resource for resolving easily identifiable phenotypes evident in very close, but distinct, species.

Scintillation Detector for the Measurement of Ultra-Heavy Cosmic Rays on the Super-TIGER Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Link, Jason

2011-01-01

We discuss the design and construction of the scintillation detectors for the Super-TIGER experiment. Super-TIGER is a large-area (5.4sq m) balloon-borne experiment designed to measure the abundances of cosmic-ray nuclei between Z= 10 and Z=56. It is based on the successful TIGER experiment that flew in Antarctica in 2001 and 2003. Super-TIGER has three layers of scintillation detectors, two Cherenkov detectors and a scintillating fiber hodoscope. The scintillation detector employs four wavelength shifter bars surrounding the edges of the scintillator to collect the light from particles traversing the detector. PMTs are optically coupled at both ends of the bars for light collection. We report on laboratory performance of the scintillation counters using muons. In addition we discuss the design challenges and detector response over this broad charge range including the effect of scintilator saturation.

The tiger genome and comparative analysis with lion and snow leopard genomes

PubMed Central

Cho, Yun Sung; Hu, Li; Hou, Haolong; Lee, Hang; Xu, Jiaohui; Kwon, Soowhan; Oh, Sukhun; Kim, Hak-Min; Jho, Sungwoong; Kim, Sangsoo; Shin, Young-Ah; Kim, Byung Chul; Kim, Hyunmin; Kim, Chang-uk; Luo, Shu-Jin; Johnson, Warren E.; Koepfli, Klaus-Peter; Schmidt-Küntzel, Anne; Turner, Jason A.; Marker, Laurie; Harper, Cindy; Miller, Susan M.; Jacobs, Wilhelm; Bertola, Laura D.; Kim, Tae Hyung; Lee, Sunghoon; Zhou, Qian; Jung, Hyun-Ju; Xu, Xiao; Gadhvi, Priyvrat; Xu, Pengwei; Xiong, Yingqi; Luo, Yadan; Pan, Shengkai; Gou, Caiyun; Chu, Xiuhui; Zhang, Jilin; Liu, Sanyang; He, Jing; Chen, Ying; Yang, Linfeng; Yang, Yulan; He, Jiaju; Liu, Sha; Wang, Junyi; Kim, Chul Hong; Kwak, Hwanjong; Kim, Jong-Soo; Hwang, Seungwoo; Ko, Junsu; Kim, Chang-Bae; Kim, Sangtae; Bayarlkhagva, Damdin; Paek, Woon Kee; Kim, Seong-Jin; O’Brien, Stephen J.; Wang, Jun; Bhak, Jong

2013-01-01

Tigers and their close relatives (Panthera) are some of the world’s most endangered species. Here we report the de novo assembly of an Amur tiger whole-genome sequence as well as the genomic sequences of a white Bengal tiger, African lion, white African lion and snow leopard. Through comparative genetic analyses of these genomes, we find genetic signatures that may reflect molecular adaptations consistent with the big cats’ hypercarnivorous diet and muscle strength. We report a snow leopard-specific genetic determinant in EGLN1 (Met39>Lys39), which is likely to be associated with adaptation to high altitude. We also detect a TYR260G>A mutation likely responsible for the white lion coat colour. Tiger and cat genomes show similar repeat composition and an appreciably conserved synteny. Genomic data from the five big cats provide an invaluable resource for resolving easily identifiable phenotypes evident in very close, but distinct, species. PMID:24045858

Analysis of Odorants in Marking Fluid of Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) Using Simultaneous Sensory and Chemical Analysis with Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction and Multidimensional Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Olfactometry.

PubMed

Soso, Simone B; Koziel, Jacek A

2016-06-25

Scent-marking is the most effective method of communication in the presence or absence of a signaler. These complex mixtures result in a multifaceted interaction triggered by the sense of smell. The objective was to identify volatile organic compound (VOC) composition and odors emitted by total marking fluid (MF) associated with Siberian tigers (Panthera tigris altaica). Siberian tiger, an endangered species, was chosen because its MF had never been analyzed. Solid phase microextraction (SPME) for headspace volatile collection combined with multidimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry for simultaneous chemical and sensory analyses were used. Thirty-two VOCs emitted from MF were identified. 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, the sole previously identified compound responsible for the "characteristic" odor of P. tigris MF, was identified along with two additional compounds confirmed with standards (urea, furfural) and four tentatively identified compounds (3-methylbutanamine, (R)-3-methylcyclopentanone, propanedioic acid, and 3-hydroxybutanal) as being responsible for the characteristic aroma of Siberian tiger MF. Simultaneous chemical and sensory analyses improved characterization of scent-markings and identified compounds not previously reported in MF of other tiger species. This research will assist animal ecologists, behaviorists, and zookeepers in understanding how scents from specific MF compounds impact tiger and wildlife communication and improve management practices related to animal behavior. Simultaneous chemical and sensory analyses is applicable to unlocking scent-marking information for other species.

Reliability and norms for the 10-item self-motivation inventory: The TIGER Study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Self-Motivation Inventory (SMI) has been shown to be a predictor of exercise dropout. The original SMI of 40 items has been shortened to 10 items and the psychometric qualities of the 10-item SMI are not known. To estimate the reliability of a 10-item SMI and develop norms for an ethnically dive...

Use of an action-selection framework for human-carnivore conflict in the Bangladesh Sundarbans.

PubMed

Barlow, Adam C D; Greenwood, Christina J; Ahmad, Ishtiaq U; Smith, James L D

2010-10-01

Human-carnivore conflict is manifested in the death of humans, livestock, and carnivores. The resulting negative local attitudes and retribution killings imperil the future of many endangered carnivores. We tailored existing management tools to create a framework to facilitate the selection of actions to alleviate human-carnivore conflict and applied the framework to the human-tiger conflict in the Bangladesh Sundarbans. We identified potential actions that consider previous management efforts, local knowledge, cost-effectiveness, fieldwork experience of authors and project staff, previous research on tiger ecology by the authors, and recommendations from human-carnivore conflict studies in other countries. Our framework includes creation of a profile to improve understanding of the nature of the conflict and its underlying causality. Identified actions include deterrents, education, direct tiger management, and response teams. We ranked actions by their potential to reduce conflict and the monetary cost of their implementation. We ranked tiger-response teams and monitoring problem tigers as the two best actions because both had relatively high impact and cost-effectiveness. We believe this framework could be used under a wide range of human-wildlife conflict situations because it provides a structured approach to selection of mitigating actions. © 2010 Society for Conservation Biology.

Hopelessness and Healing: Racial Identity in Young Adult Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franzak, Judith K.

2003-01-01

Notes that "Tears of a Tiger" is the story of a young African American man's responsibility for a drunk-driving crash that killed his best friend. Offers a reading of "Tears of a Tiger" and "Whirligig" through the lens of critical race theory. Suggests that, paired together, these novels afford a powerful opportunity…

Assessing tiger population dynamics using photographic capture-recapture sampling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Karanth, K.U.; Nichols, J.D.; Kumar, N.S.; Hines, J.E.

2006-01-01

Although wide-ranging, elusive, large carnivore species, such as the tiger, are of scientific and conservation interest, rigorous inferences about their population dynamics are scarce because of methodological problems of sampling populations at the required spatial and temporal scales. We report the application of a rigorous, noninvasive method for assessing tiger population dynamics to test model-based predictions about population viability. We obtained photographic capture histories for 74 individual tigers during a nine-year study involving 5725 trap-nights of effort. These data were modeled under a likelihood-based, ?robust design? capture?recapture analytic framework. We explicitly modeled and estimated ecological parameters such as time-specific abundance, density, survival, recruitment, temporary emigration, and transience, using models that incorporated effects of factors such as individual heterogeneity, trap-response, and time on probabilities of photo-capturing tigers. The model estimated a random temporary emigration parameter of =K' =Y' 0.10 ? 0.069 (values are estimated mean ? SE). When scaled to an annual basis, tiger survival rates were estimated at S = 0.77 ? 0.051, and the estimated probability that a newly caught animal was a transient was = 0.18 ? 0.11. During the period when the sampled area was of constant size, the estimated population size Nt varied from 17 ? 1.7 to 31 ? 2.1 tigers, with a geometric mean rate of annual population change estimated as = 1.03 ? 0.020, representing a 3% annual increase. The estimated recruitment of new animals, Bt, varied from 0 ? 3.0 to 14 ? 2.9 tigers. Population density estimates, D, ranged from 7.33 ? 0.8 tigers/100 km2 to 21.73 ? 1.7 tigers/100 km2 during the study. Thus, despite substantial annual losses and temporal variation in recruitment, the tiger density remained at relatively high levels in Nagarahole. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that protected wild tiger populations can remain healthy despite heavy mortalities because of their inherently high reproductive potential. The ability to model the entire photographic capture history data set and incorporate reduced-parameter models led to estimates of mean annual population change that were sufficiently precise to be useful. This efficient, noninvasive sampling approach can be used to rigorously investigate the population dynamics of tigers and other elusive, rare, wide-ranging animal species in which individuals can be identified from photographs or other means.

Assessing tiger population dynamics using photographic capture-recapture sampling.

PubMed

Karanth, K Ullas; Nichols, James D; Kumar, N Samba; Hines, James E

2006-11-01

Although wide-ranging, elusive, large carnivore species, such as the tiger, are of scientific and conservation interest, rigorous inferences about their population dynamics are scarce because of methodological problems of sampling populations at the required spatial and temporal scales. We report the application of a rigorous, noninvasive method for assessing tiger population dynamics to test model-based predictions about population viability. We obtained photographic capture histories for 74 individual tigers during a nine-year study involving 5725 trap-nights of effort. These data were modeled under a likelihood-based, "robust design" capture-recapture analytic framework. We explicitly modeled and estimated ecological parameters such as time-specific abundance, density, survival, recruitment, temporary emigration, and transience, using models that incorporated effects of factors such as individual heterogeneity, trap-response, and time on probabilities of photo-capturing tigers. The model estimated a random temporary emigration parameter of gamma" = gamma' = 0.10 +/- 0.069 (values are estimated mean +/- SE). When scaled to an annual basis, tiger survival rates were estimated at S = 0.77 +/- 0.051, and the estimated probability that a newly caught animal was a transient was tau = 0.18 +/- 0.11. During the period when the sampled area was of constant size, the estimated population size N(t) varied from 17 +/- 1.7 to 31 +/- 2.1 tigers, with a geometric mean rate of annual population change estimated as lambda = 1.03 +/- 0.020, representing a 3% annual increase. The estimated recruitment of new animals, B(t), varied from 0 +/- 3.0 to 14 +/- 2.9 tigers. Population density estimates, D, ranged from 7.33 +/- 0.8 tigers/100 km2 to 21.73 +/- 1.7 tigers/100 km2 during the study. Thus, despite substantial annual losses and temporal variation in recruitment, the tiger density remained at relatively high levels in Nagarahole. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that protected wild tiger populations can remain healthy despite heavy mortalities because of their inherently high reproductive potential. The ability to model the entire photographic capture history data set and incorporate reduced-parameter models led to estimates of mean annual population change that were sufficiently precise to be useful. This efficient, noninvasive sampling approach can be used to rigorously investigate the population dynamics of tigers and other elusive, rare, wide-ranging animal species in which individuals can be identified from photographs or other means.

Final consolidated action plan to Tiger Team. Volume 1, Change 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-04-01

Two separate Tiger Team assessments were conducted at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The first was conducted at the California site in Livermore between April 30, 1990, and May 18, 1990. A second Tiger team assessment was conducted at the New Mexico site in Albuquerque between April 15 and May 24, 1991. One purpose of this Action Plan is to provide a formal written response to each of the findings and/or concerns cited in the SNL Tiger Team assessment reports. A second purpose is to present actions planned to be conducted to eliminate deficiencies identified by the Tiger Teams. A thirdmore » purpose is to consolidate (group) related findings and to identify priorities assigned to the planned actions for improved efficiency and enhanced management of the tasks. A fourth and final purpose is to merge the two original SNL Action Plans for the New Mexico and California sites into a single Action Plan as a major step toward managing all SNL ES&H activities more similarly. Included in this combined SNL Action Plan are descriptions of the actions to be taken by SNL to liminate all problems identified in the Tiger Teams` findings/concerns, as well as estimated costs and schedules for planned actions.« less

Final consolidated action plan to Tiger Team. Volume 2, Change 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-04-01

Two separate Tiger Team assessments were conducted at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The first was conducted at the California site in Livermore between April 30, 1990, and May 18, 1990. A second Tiger Team assessment was conducted at the New Mexico site in Albuquerque between April 15 and May 24, 1991. This report is volume two, change one. One purpose of this Action Plan is to provide a formal written response to each of the findings and/or concerns cited in the SNL Tiger Team assessment reports. A second purpose is to present actions planned to be conducted to eliminate deficienciesmore » identified by the Tiger Teams. A third purpose is to consolidate (group) related findings and to identify priorities assigned to the planned actions for improved efficiency and enhanced management of the tasks. A fourth and final purpose is to merge the two original SNL Action Plans for the New Mexico [Ref. a] and California [Ref. b] sites into a single Action Plan as a major step toward managing all SNL ES&H activities more similarly. Included in this combined SNL Action Plan are descriptions of the actions to be taken by SNL to liminate all problems identified in the Tiger Teams` findings/concerns, as well as estimated costs and schedules for planned actions.« less

Tiger Team Assessment of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-03-01

This report documents the Tiger Team Assessment of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) conducted from February 11 to March 12, 1991. The PPPL is operated for the US Department of Energy (DOE) by Princeton University. The assessment was conducted under the auspices of the Headquarters, DOE, Office of Special Projects which is under the Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health. Activities of the Tiger Team Assessment resulted in identification of compliance findings or concerns and noteworthy practices and an analysis as to the root causes for noncompliance. The PPPL Tiger Team Assessment is one component of a larger,more » comprehensive DOE Tiger Team Assessment program for DOE facilities that will eventually encompass over 100 of the Department's operating facilities. The objective of the initiative is to provide the Secretary with information on the compliance status of DOE facilities with regard to ES H requirements; root causes for noncompliances; adequacy of DOE and contractor ES H management programs; response actions to address the identified problems areas; and DOE-wide ES H compliance trends and root causes.« less

Two Daddy Tigers and a Baby Tiger: Promoting Understandings about Same Gender Parented Families Using Picture Books

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Janette

2012-01-01

There is a small body of work examining how picture books can be used with young children and their families to develop understandings of contemporary issues including diversity and practices towards inclusion. This article describes a study in one New Zealand kindergarten that explored teachers' interpretations of children's responses to a…

Population Status of a Cryptic Top Predator: An Island-Wide Assessment of Tigers in Sumatran Rainforests

PubMed Central

Wibisono, Hariyo T.; Linkie, Matthew; Guillera-Arroita, Gurutzeta; Smith, Joseph A.; Sunarto; Pusparini, Wulan; Asriadi; Baroto, Pandu; Brickle, Nick; Dinata, Yoan; Gemita, Elva; Gunaryadi, Donny; Haidir, Iding A.; Herwansyah; Karina, Indri; Kiswayadi, Dedy; Kristiantono, Decki; Kurniawan, Harry; Lahoz-Monfort, José J.; Leader-Williams, Nigel; Maddox, Tom; Martyr, Deborah J.; Maryati; Nugroho, Agung; Parakkasi, Karmila; Priatna, Dolly; Ramadiyanta, Eka; Ramono, Widodo S.; Reddy, Goddilla V.; Rood, Ente J. J.; Saputra, Doddy Y.; Sarimudi, Ahmad; Salampessy, Adnun; Septayuda, Eka; Suhartono, Tonny; Sumantri, Ade; Susilo; Tanjung, Iswandri; Tarmizi; Yulianto, Koko; Yunus, Mohammad; Zulfahmi

2011-01-01

Large carnivores living in tropical rainforests are under immense pressure from the rapid conversion of their habitat. In response, millions of dollars are spent on conserving these species. However, the cost-effectiveness of such investments is poorly understood and this is largely because the requisite population estimates are difficult to achieve at appropriate spatial scales for these secretive species. Here, we apply a robust detection/non-detection sampling technique to produce the first reliable population metric (occupancy) for a critically endangered large carnivore; the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae). From 2007–2009, seven landscapes were surveyed through 13,511 km of transects in 394 grid cells (17×17 km). Tiger sign was detected in 206 cells, producing a naive estimate of 0.52. However, after controlling for an unequal detection probability (where p = 0.13±0.017; ±S.E.), the estimated tiger occupancy was 0.72±0.048. Whilst the Sumatra-wide survey results gives cause for optimism, a significant negative correlation between occupancy and recent deforestation was found. For example, the Northern Riau landscape had an average deforestation rate of 9.8%/yr and by far the lowest occupancy (0.33±0.055). Our results highlight the key tiger areas in need of protection and have led to one area (Leuser-Ulu Masen) being upgraded as a ‘global priority’ for wild tiger conservation. However, Sumatra has one of the highest global deforestation rates and the two largest tiger landscapes identified in this study will become highly fragmented if their respective proposed roads networks are approved. Thus, it is vital that the Indonesian government tackles these threats, e.g. through improved land-use planning, if it is to succeed in meeting its ambitious National Tiger Recovery Plan targets of doubling the number of Sumatran tigers by 2022. PMID:22087218

Population status of a cryptic top predator: an island-wide assessment of tigers in Sumatran rainforests.

PubMed

Wibisono, Hariyo T; Linkie, Matthew; Guillera-Arroita, Gurutzeta; Smith, Joseph A; Sunarto; Pusparini, Wulan; Asriadi; Baroto, Pandu; Brickle, Nick; Dinata, Yoan; Gemita, Elva; Gunaryadi, Donny; Haidir, Iding A; Herwansyah; Karina, Indri; Kiswayadi, Dedy; Kristiantono, Decki; Kurniawan, Harry; Lahoz-Monfort, José J; Leader-Williams, Nigel; Maddox, Tom; Martyr, Deborah J; Maryati; Nugroho, Agung; Parakkasi, Karmila; Priatna, Dolly; Ramadiyanta, Eka; Ramono, Widodo S; Reddy, Goddilla V; Rood, Ente J J; Saputra, Doddy Y; Sarimudi, Ahmad; Salampessy, Adnun; Septayuda, Eka; Suhartono, Tonny; Sumantri, Ade; Susilo; Tanjung, Iswandri; Tarmizi; Yulianto, Koko; Yunus, Mohammad; Zulfahmi

2011-01-01

Large carnivores living in tropical rainforests are under immense pressure from the rapid conversion of their habitat. In response, millions of dollars are spent on conserving these species. However, the cost-effectiveness of such investments is poorly understood and this is largely because the requisite population estimates are difficult to achieve at appropriate spatial scales for these secretive species. Here, we apply a robust detection/non-detection sampling technique to produce the first reliable population metric (occupancy) for a critically endangered large carnivore; the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae). From 2007-2009, seven landscapes were surveyed through 13,511 km of transects in 394 grid cells (17×17 km). Tiger sign was detected in 206 cells, producing a naive estimate of 0.52. However, after controlling for an unequal detection probability (where p = 0.13±0.017; ±S.E.), the estimated tiger occupancy was 0.72±0.048. Whilst the Sumatra-wide survey results gives cause for optimism, a significant negative correlation between occupancy and recent deforestation was found. For example, the Northern Riau landscape had an average deforestation rate of 9.8%/yr and by far the lowest occupancy (0.33±0.055). Our results highlight the key tiger areas in need of protection and have led to one area (Leuser-Ulu Masen) being upgraded as a 'global priority' for wild tiger conservation. However, Sumatra has one of the highest global deforestation rates and the two largest tiger landscapes identified in this study will become highly fragmented if their respective proposed roads networks are approved. Thus, it is vital that the Indonesian government tackles these threats, e.g. through improved land-use planning, if it is to succeed in meeting its ambitious National Tiger Recovery Plan targets of doubling the number of Sumatran tigers by 2022.

An Operational Level Analysis of Soviet Armored Formations in the Deliberate Defense in the Battle of Kursk, 1943

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-05-10

handling of this superb tank had averted catastrophe. In response to the T-34, German industry developed the -, medium Panther and heavy Tiger tanks . Hitler...high velocity gun was more than a match for the T-34. To compete against the Soviet heavy KV-l tank, the Wehrmacht fielded the Tiger tank . Armed with

Killing tigers to save them: fallacies of the farming argument.

PubMed

Kirkpatrick, R Craig; Emerton, Lucy

2010-06-01

The lucrative, illegal trade in tigers (Panthera tigris) remains a major conservation problem. Tiger farming has been proposed as a potential solution, with farmed tigers substituting for wild tigers. At first glance, this argument's logic seems simple: farming will increase the supply of tigers, prices will fall, and poaching will no longer be profitable. We contend, however, that this supply-side argument relies on mistaken assumptions. First, tiger markets are imperfect, meaning they are dominated by a few producers who control price. Second, consumers prefer wild tigers to farmed tigers and therefore the two are not pure substitutes. In economic terms, products from wild tigers are luxury goods, commanding a price premium. Third, there is no evidence that farmed tigers can be produced or sold more cheaply than wild tigers. In sum, it is unlikely that farming will drive down the price of wild-caught tigers or decrease profitability for tiger poachers. Rather, tiger farming is more likely to increase aggregate demand for tiger products and stimulate higher levels of poaching.

Saving wild tigers: a case study in biodiversity loss and challenges to be met for recovery beyond 2010.

PubMed

Seidensticker, John

2010-12-01

Wild tigers are being annihilated. Tiger range countries and their partners met at the 1st Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation in January 2010 to mandate the creation of the Global Tiger Recovery Program to double the number of tigers by 2022. Only 3200-3600 wild adult tigers remain, approximately half of the population estimated a decade ago. Tigers now live in only 13 countries, all of which are experiencing severe environmental challenges and degradation from the effects of human population growth, brisk economic expansion, rapid urbanization, massive infrastructure development and climate change. The overarching challenge of tiger conservation, and the conservation of biodiversity generally, is that there is insufficient demand for the survival of wild tigers living in natural landscapes. This allows the criminal activities of poaching wild tigers and their prey and trafficking in tiger derivatives to flourish and tiger landscapes to be diminished. The Global Tiger Recovery Program will support scaling up of practices already proven effective in one or more tiger range countries that need wider policy support, usually resources, and new transnational actions that enhance the effectiveness of individual country actions. The program is built on robust National Tiger Recovery Priorities that are grouped into themes: (i) strengthening policies that protect tigers; (ii) protecting tiger conservation landscapes; (iii) scientific management and monitoring; (iv) engaging communities; (v) cooperative management of international tiger landscapes; (vi) eliminating transnational illegal wildlife trade; (vii) persuading people to stop consuming tiger; (viii) enhancing professional capacity of policy-makers and practitioners; and (ix) developing sustainable, long-term financing mechanisms for tiger and biodiversity conservation. © 2010 ISZS, Blackwell Publishing and IOZ/CAS.

Attitudes toward consumption and conservation of tigers in China.

PubMed

Gratwicke, Brian; Mills, Judy; Dutton, Adam; Gabriel, Grace; Long, Barney; Seidensticker, John; Wright, Belinda; You, Wang; Zhang, Li

2008-07-02

A heated debate has recently emerged between tiger farmers and conservationists about the potential consequences of lifting the ban on trade in farmed tiger products in China. This debate has caused unfounded speculation about the extent of the potential market for tiger products. To fill this knowledge gap, we surveyed 1880 residents from a total of six Chinese cities to understand Urban Chinese tiger consumption behavior, knowledge of trade issues and attitudes towards tiger conservation. We found that 43% of respondents had consumed some product alleged to contain tiger parts. Within this user-group, 71% said that they preferred wild products over farmed ones. The two predominant products used were tiger bone plasters (38%) and tiger bone wine (6.4%). 88% of respondents knew that it was illegal to buy or sell tiger products, and 93% agreed that a ban in trade of tiger parts was necessary to conserve wild tigers. These results indicate that while Urban Chinese people are generally supportive of tiger conservation, there is a huge residual demand for tiger products that could resurge if the ban on trade in tiger parts is lifted in China. We suspect that the current supply of the market is predominantly met by fakes or substitutes branded as tiger medicines, but not listing tiger as an ingredient. We suggest that the Traditional Chinese Medicine community should consider re-branding these products as bone-healing medicines in order to reduce the residual demand for real tiger parts over the long-term. The lifting of the current ban on trade in farmed tiger parts may cause a surge in demand for wild tiger parts that consumers say are better. Because of the low input costs associated with poaching, wild-sourced parts would consistently undercut the prices of farmed tigers that could easily be laundered on a legal market. We therefore recommend that the Chinese authorities maintain the ban on trade in tiger parts, and work to improve the enforcement of the existing ban.

Attitudes Toward Consumption and Conservation of Tigers in China

PubMed Central

Gratwicke, Brian; Mills, Judy; Dutton, Adam; Gabriel, Grace; Long, Barney; Seidensticker, John; Wright, Belinda; You, Wang; Zhang, Li

2008-01-01

A heated debate has recently emerged between tiger farmers and conservationists about the potential consequences of lifting the ban on trade in farmed tiger products in China. This debate has caused unfounded speculation about the extent of the potential market for tiger products. To fill this knowledge gap, we surveyed 1880 residents from a total of six Chinese cities to understand Urban Chinese tiger consumption behavior, knowledge of trade issues and attitudes towards tiger conservation. We found that 43% of respondents had consumed some product alleged to contain tiger parts. Within this user-group, 71% said that they preferred wild products over farmed ones. The two predominant products used were tiger bone plasters (38%) and tiger bone wine (6.4%). 88% of respondents knew that it was illegal to buy or sell tiger products, and 93% agreed that a ban in trade of tiger parts was necessary to conserve wild tigers. These results indicate that while Urban Chinese people are generally supportive of tiger conservation, there is a huge residual demand for tiger products that could resurge if the ban on trade in tiger parts is lifted in China. We suspect that the current supply of the market is predominantly met by fakes or substitutes branded as tiger medicines, but not listing tiger as an ingredient. We suggest that the Traditional Chinese Medicine community should consider re-branding these products as bone-healing medicines in order to reduce the residual demand for real tiger parts over the long-term. The lifting of the current ban on trade in farmed tiger parts may cause a surge in demand for wild tiger parts that consumers say are better. Because of the low input costs associated with poaching, wild-sourced parts would consistently undercut the prices of farmed tigers that could easily be laundered on a legal market. We therefore recommend that the Chinese authorities maintain the ban on trade in tiger parts, and work to improve the enforcement of the existing ban. PMID:18596926

Inland area contingency plan and maps for Pennsylvania (on CD-ROM). Data file

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1996-12-01

EPA Region III has assembled on this CD a multitude of environmental data, in both visual and textual formats. While targeted for Facility Response Planning under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, this information will prove helpful to anyone in the environmental arena. Specifically, the CD will aid contingency planning and emergency response personnel. Combining innovative GIS technology with EPA`s state-specific data allows you to display maps, find and identify map features, look at tabular information about map features, and print out maps. The CD was designed to be easy to use and incorporates example maps as well as helpmore » sections describing the use of the environmental data on the CD, and introduces you to the IACP Viewer and its capabilities. These help features will make it easy for you to conduct analysis, produce maps, and browse the IACP Plan. The IACP data are included in two formats: shapefiles, which can be viewed with the IACP Viewer or ESRI`s ArcView software (Version 2.1 or higher), and ARC/INFO export files, which can be imported into ARC/INFO or converted to other GIS data formats. Point Data Sources: Sensitive Areas, Surface Drinking Water Intakes, Groundwater Intakes, Groundwater Supply Facilities, NPL (National Priority List) Sites, FRP (Facility Response Plan) Facilities, NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Facilities, Hospitals, RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) Sites, TRI (Toxic Release Inventory) Sites, CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) Sites Line Data Sources: TIGER Roads, TIGER Railroads, TIGER Hydrography, Pipelines Polygon Data Sources: State Boundaries, County Boundaries, Watershed Boundaries (8-digit HUC), TIGER Hydrography, Public Lands, Populated Places, IACP Boundaries, Coast Guard Boundaries, Forest Types, US Congressional Districts, One-half Mile Buffer of Surface Drinking Water Intakes.« less

Inland area contingency plan and maps for Virginia (on CD-ROM). Data file

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1996-12-01

EPA Region III has assembled on this CD a multitude of environmental data, in both visual and textual formats. While targeted for Facility Response Planning under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, this information will prove helpful to anyone in the environmental arena. Specifically, the CD will aid contingency planning and emergency response personnel. Combining innovative GIS technology with EPA`s state-specific data allows you to display maps, find and identify map features, look at tabular information about map features, and print out maps. The CD was designed to be easy to use and incorporates example maps as well as helpmore » sections describing the use of the environmental data on the CD, and introduces you to the IACP Viewer and its capabilities. These help features will make it easy for you to conduct analysis, produce maps, and browse the IACP Plan. The IACP data are included in two formats: shapefiles, which can be viewed with the IACP Viewer or ESRI`s ArcView software (Version 2.1 or higher), and ARC/INFO export files, which can be imported into ARC/INFO or converted to other GIS data formats. Point Data Sources: Sensitive Areas, Surface Drinking Water Intakes, Groundwater Intakes, Groundwater Supply Facilities, NPL (National Priority List) Sites, FRP (Facility Response Plan) Facilities, NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Facilities, Hospitals, RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) Sites, TRI (Toxic Release Inventory) Sites, CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) Sites Line Data Sources: TIGER Roads, TIGER Railroads, TIGER Hydrography, Pipelines Polygon Data Sources: State Boundaries, County Boundaries, Watershed Boundaries (8-digit HUC), TIGER Hydrography, Public Lands, Populated Places, IACP Boundaries, Coast Guard Boundaries, Forest Types, US Congressional Districts, One-half Mile Buffer of Surface Drinking Water Intakes.« less

Conservative management of pyothorax in an Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica).

PubMed

Schrader, Gabby M; Whiteside, Douglas P; Slater, Owen M; Black, Sandra R

2012-06-01

Therapy for pyothorax, or pleural empyema, has not been described for large felids. This case describes the successful treatment of pyothorax in a captive, large felid. A 15-yr-old multiparous, female Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) presented with nonspecific clinical signs caused by an insidious onset of pyothorax. Management of pyothorax cases in companion animals often involves thoracostomy tube placement with recurrent drainage of the pleural cavity, intensive supportive care, and monitoring. In this case, conservative management was elected because hospitalization was not a viable option. Thoracocentesis was performed to drain as much fluid from the chest cavity as possible, yielding more than 1.3 L. Corynebacterium sp. and unidentified anaerobic gram-positive cocci were cultured. Treatment included cefovecin subcutaneously, oral antibiotic therapy with clindamycin and marbofloxacin, meloxicam, and restricted exercise by minimizing access to the main exhibit. Significant improvement was noted clinically and radiographically 6 wk later, and no relapses were noted in the following weeks. An examination 11.5 mo later confirmed resolution.

Effect of sedative drugs with vitamin B6 combined with other B vitamins in the anti stress of captive amur tiger.

PubMed

Zhenglei, Qiao; Jianzhang, Ma

2018-05-01

In order to reduce the stress response of animals in animal transportation, it is often used to feed the animals with sedative drugs combined with compound vitamin B. In this article, we will randomly divide 16 amur tiger into the control group and the experimental group. The drug intervention is carried out in the experimental group. The sedative is mainly dexmedetomidine, combined with compound vitamin B, while control group did not feed the drug. The urine of two groups of individuals was collected before and after transportation and the cortisol content in urine was determined by radioimmunoassay as an indication of stress. Finally, referring to the changes of cortisol level in amur tiger, we analyzed the effect of vitamin B6 combined with sedative drugs on the anti stress effect of amur tiger. The results showed that the cortisol level in the control group was significantly different (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the cortisol level in the experimental group (P > 0.05). This kind of veterinary medicine which is mainly composed of sedative dexmedetomidine and vitamin B6 is obviously helpful for reducing the stress of the Amur tiger in transferred transportation.

Issues in Education: Tiger Moms--Five Questions that Need to Be Answered

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kohler, Maxie; Aldridge, Jerry; Christensen, Lois M.; Kilgo, Jennifer

2012-01-01

A "tiger mom" is a term popularized with the publication of Amy Chua's "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" (2011). Chua points to the tiger as a "living symbol of strength and power, [which] generally inspires fear and respect" (n.p.); the term "tiger mother" or "tiger mom" quickly became part of the popular lexicon. Chua perceives the tiger mom's…

Comparative serological investigation between cat and tiger blood for transfusion.

PubMed

Thengchaisri, Naris; Sinthusingha, Chayakrit; Arthitwong, Surapong; Sattasathuchana, Panpicha

2017-06-29

Evidence suggests that non-domesticated felids inherited the same AB-erythrocyte antigens as domestic cats. To study the possible compatibility of tiger blood with that of other endangered felidae, blood samples from captive tigers and domestic cats were subjected to an in vitro study. The objectives of this study were to (1) identify whether the captive tigers had blood type AB and (2) determine the compatibility between the blood of captive tigers and that of domestic cats with a similar blood type. The anti-coagulated blood with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid of 30 tigers was examined to determine blood type, and a crossmatching test was performed between tiger and cat blood. All 30 tigers had blood type A. Tube agglutination tests using tiger plasma with cat erythrocytes resulted in 100% agglutination (n=30) with type B cat erythrocytes and 76.7% agglutination (n=23) with type A cat erythrocytes. The 80% of major and 60% of minor compatibilities between blood from 10 tigers and 10 domestic cats with blood type A were found to pass compatibility tests. Interestingly, 3/10 of the tigers' red blood cell samples were fully compatible with all cat plasmas, and 1/10 of the tiger plasma samples were fully compatible with the type A red cells of domestic cats. Although the result of present findings revealed type-A blood group in the surveyed tigers, the reaction of tiger plasma with Type-A red cell from cats suggested a possibility of other blood type in tigers.

Fine-scale spatio-temporal variation in tiger Panthera tigris diet: Effect of study duration and extent on estimates of tiger diet in Chitwan National Park, Nepal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kapfer, Paul M.; Streby, Henry M.; Gurung, B.; Simcharoen, A.; McDougal, C.C.; Smith, J.L.D.

2011-01-01

Attempts to conserve declining tiger Panthera tigris populations and distributions have experienced limited success. The poaching of tiger prey is a key threat to tiger persistence; a clear understanding of tiger diet is a prerequisite to conserve dwindling populations. We used unpublished data on tiger diet in combination with two previously published studies to examine fine-scale spatio-temporal changes in tiger diet relative to prey abundance in Chitwan National Park, Nepal, and aggregated data from the three studies to examine the effect that study duration and the size of the study area have on estimates of tiger diet. Our results correspond with those of previous studies: in all three studies, tiger diet was dominated by members of Cervidae; small to medium-sized prey was important in one study. Tiger diet was unrelated to prey abundance, and the aggregation of studies indicates that increasing study duration and study area size both result in increased dietary diversity in terms of prey categories consumed, and increasing study duration changed which prey species contributed most to tiger diet. Based on our results, we suggest that managers focus their efforts on minimizing the poaching of all tiger prey, and that future studies of tiger diet be of long duration and large spatial extent to improve our understanding of spatio-temporal variation in estimates of tiger diet. ?? 2011 Wildlife Biology, NKV.

Tiger moths and the threat of bats: decision-making based on the activity of a single sensory neuron.

PubMed

Ratcliffe, John M; Fullard, James H; Arthur, Benjamin J; Hoy, Ronald R

2009-06-23

Echolocating bats and eared moths are a model system of predator-prey interaction within an almost exclusively auditory world. Through selective pressures from aerial-hawking bats, noctuoid moths have evolved simple ears that contain one to two auditory neurons and function to detect bat echolocation calls and initiate defensive flight behaviours. Among these moths, some chemically defended and mimetic tiger moths also produce ultrasonic clicks in response to bat echolocation calls; these defensive signals are effective warning signals and may interfere with bats' ability to process echoic information. Here, we demonstrate that the activity of a single auditory neuron (the A1 cell) provides sufficient information for the toxic dogbane tiger moth, Cycnia tenera, to decide when to initiate defensive sound production in the face of bats. Thus, despite previous suggestions to the contrary, these moths' only other auditory neuron, the less sensitive A2 cell, is not necessary for initiating sound production. However, we found a positive linear relationship between combined A1 and A2 activity and the number of clicks the dogbane tiger moth produces.

Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae): a review of conservation status.

PubMed

Wibisono, Hariyo T; Pusparini, Wulan

2010-12-01

The majority of wild Sumatran tigers are believed to live in 12 Tiger Conservation Landscapes covering approximately 88,000 km(2) . However, the actual distribution of tigers across Sumatra has never been accurately mapped. Over the past 20 years, conservation efforts focused on the Sumatran tigers have increased, but the population continues to decline as a result of several key threats. To identify the status of the Sumatran tiger distribution across the island, an island-wide questionnaire survey comprised of 35 respondents from various backgrounds was conducted between May and June 2010. The survey found that Sumatran tigers are positively present in 27 habitat patches larger than 250 km(2) and possibly present in another 2. In addition, a review on major published studies on the Sumatran tiger was conducted to identify the current conservation status of the Sumatran tiger. Collectively, these studies have identified several key factors that have contributed to the decline of Sumatran tiger populations, including: forest habitat fragmentation and loss, direct killing of tigers and their prey, and the retaliatory killing of tigers due to conflict with villagers. The present paper provides management authorities and the international community with a recent assessment and a base map of the actual distribution of Sumatran tigers as well as a general overview on the current status and possible future conservation challenges of Sumatran tiger management. © 2010 ISZS, Blackwell Publishing and IOZ/CAS.

Mitochondrial Phylogeography Illuminates the Origin of the Extinct Caspian Tiger and Its Relationship to the Amur Tiger

PubMed Central

Driscoll, Carlos A.; Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki; Bar-Gal, Gila Kahila; Roca, Alfred L.; Luo, Shujin; Macdonald, David W.; O'Brien, Stephen J.

2009-01-01

The Caspian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata) flourished in Central Asian riverine forest systems in a range disjunct from that of other tigers, but was driven to extinction in 1970 prior to a modern molecular evaluation. For over a century naturalists puzzled over the taxonomic validity, placement, and biogeographic origin of this enigmatic animal. Using ancient-DNA (aDNA) methodology, we generated composite mtDNA haplotypes from twenty wild Caspian tigers from throughout their historic range sampled from museum collections. We found that Caspian tigers carry a major mtDNA haplotype differing by only a single nucleotide from the monomorphic haplotype found across all contemporary Amur tigers (P. t. altaica). Phylogeographic analysis with extant tiger subspecies suggests that less than 10,000 years ago the Caspian/Amur tiger ancestor colonized Central Asia via the Gansu Corridor (Silk Road) from eastern China then subsequently traversed Siberia eastward to establish the Amur tiger in the Russian Far East. The conservation implications of these findings are far reaching, as the observed genetic depletion characteristic of modern Amur tigers likely reflects these founder migrations and therefore predates human influence. Also, due to their evolutionary propinquity, living Amur tigers offer an appropriate genetic source should reintroductions to the former range of the Caspian tiger be implemented. PMID:19142238

Mitochondrial phylogeography illuminates the origin of the extinct caspian tiger and its relationship to the amur tiger.

PubMed

Driscoll, Carlos A; Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki; Bar-Gal, Gila Kahila; Roca, Alfred L; Luo, Shujin; Macdonald, David W; O'Brien, Stephen J

2009-01-01

The Caspian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata) flourished in Central Asian riverine forest systems in a range disjunct from that of other tigers, but was driven to extinction in 1970 prior to a modern molecular evaluation. For over a century naturalists puzzled over the taxonomic validity, placement, and biogeographic origin of this enigmatic animal. Using ancient-DNA (aDNA) methodology, we generated composite mtDNA haplotypes from twenty wild Caspian tigers from throughout their historic range sampled from museum collections. We found that Caspian tigers carry a major mtDNA haplotype differing by only a single nucleotide from the monomorphic haplotype found across all contemporary Amur tigers (P. t. altaica). Phylogeographic analysis with extant tiger subspecies suggests that less than 10,000 years ago the Caspian/Amur tiger ancestor colonized Central Asia via the Gansu Corridor (Silk Road) from eastern China then subsequently traversed Siberia eastward to establish the Amur tiger in the Russian Far East. The conservation implications of these findings are far reaching, as the observed genetic depletion characteristic of modern Amur tigers likely reflects these founder migrations and therefore predates human influence. Also, due to their evolutionary propinquity, living Amur tigers offer an appropriate genetic source should reintroductions to the former range of the Caspian tiger be implemented.

Project CHECO Southeast Asia Report. USAF Operations from Thailand, 1 January 1967 to 1 July 1968

DTIC Science & Technology

1968-11-20

1967 to 30 June 1968 was the evolution of the MUSCLE SHOALS system , known as IGLOO WHITE after May 1968. This system was designed to use specialized...the southern portion of STEEL 3/ TIGER was designated TIGER HOUND in December 1965.- Later, BARREL ROLL was divided into three sectors, A, B, and c...established by the 7AF Commander were designated as operating rulesc-- The Commander, 7AF, was also responsible for submitting nominated targets to

Tigers of Sundarbans in India: is the population a separate conservation unit?

PubMed

Singh, Sujeet Kumar; Mishra, Sudhanshu; Aspi, Jouni; Kvist, Laura; Nigam, Parag; Pandey, Puneet; Sharma, Reeta; Goyal, Surendra Prakash

2014-01-01

The Sundarbans tiger inhabits a unique mangrove habitat and are morphologically distinct from the recognized tiger subspecies in terms of skull morphometrics and body size. Thus, there is an urgent need to assess their ecological and genetic distinctiveness and determine if Sundarbans tigers should be defined and managed as separate conservation unit. We utilized nine microsatellites and 3 kb from four mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes to estimate genetic variability, population structure, demographic parameters and visualize historic and contemporary connectivity among tiger populations from Sundarbans and mainland India. We also evaluated the traits that determine exchangeability or adaptive differences among tiger populations. Data from both markers suggest that Sundarbans tiger is not a separate tiger subspecies and should be regarded as Bengal tiger (P. t. tigris) subspecies. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses of the mtDNA data revealed reciprocal monophyly. Genetic differentiation was found stronger for mtDNA than nuclear DNA. Microsatellite markers indicated low genetic variation in Sundarbans tigers (He= 0.58) as compared to other mainland populations, such as northern and Peninsular (Hebetween 0.67- 0.70). Molecular data supports migration between mainland and Sundarbans populations until very recent times. We attribute this reduction in gene flow to accelerated fragmentation and habitat alteration in the landscape over the past few centuries. Demographic analyses suggest that Sundarbans tigers have diverged recently from peninsular tiger population within last 2000 years. Sundarbans tigers are the most divergent group of Bengal tigers, and ecologically non-exchangeable with other tiger populations, and thus should be managed as a separate "evolutionarily significant unit" (ESU) following the adaptive evolutionary conservation (AEC) concept.

Canine Distemper Virus: an Emerging Disease in Wild Endangered Amur Tigers (Panthera tigris altaica)

PubMed Central

Seimon, Tracie A.; Miquelle, Dale G.; Chang, Tylis Y.; Newton, Alisa L.; Korotkova, Irina; Ivanchuk, Galina; Lyubchenko, Elena; Tupikov, Andre; Slabe, Evgeny; McAloose, Denise

2013-01-01

ABSTRACT Fewer than 500 Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) remain in the wild. Due to low numbers and their solitary and reclusive nature, tiger sightings across their range in the Russian Far East and China are rare; sightings of sick tigers are rarer still. Serious neurologic disease observed in several wild tigers since 2001 suggested disease emergence in this endangered species. To investigate this possibility, histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), in situ hybridization (ISH), and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) were performed on tissues from 5 affected tigers that died or were destroyed in 2001, 2004, or 2010. Our results reveal canine distemper virus (CDV) infection as the cause of neurologic disease in two tigers and definitively establish infection in a third. Nonsuppurative encephalitis with demyelination, eosinophilic nuclear viral inclusions, and positive immunolabeling for CDV by IHC and ISH were present in the two tigers with available brain tissue. CDV phosphoprotein (P) and hemagglutinin (H) gene products were obtained from brains of these two tigers by RT-PCR, and a short fragment of CDV P gene sequence was detected in lymph node tissue of a third tiger. Phylogenetically, Amur tiger CDV groups with an Arctic-like strain in Baikal seals (Phoca siberica). Our results, which include mapping the location of positive tigers and recognition of a cluster of cases in 2010, coupled with a lack of reported CDV antibodies in Amur tigers prior to 2000 suggest wide geographic distribution of CDV across the tiger range and recent emergence of CDV as a significant infectious disease threat to endangered Amur tigers in the Russian Far East. PMID:23943758

The economics of protecting tiger populations: Linking household behavior to poaching and prey depletion

USGS Publications Warehouse

Damania, R.; Stringer, R.; Karanth, K.U.; Stith, B.

2003-01-01

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is classified as endangered and populations continue to decline. This paper presents a formal economic analysis of the two most imminent threats to the survival of wild tigers: poaching tigers and hunting their prey. A model is developed to examine interactions between tigers and farm households living in and around tiger habitats. The analysis extends the existing literature on tiger demography, incorporating predator-prey interactions and exploring the sensitivity of tiger populations to key economic parameters. The analysis aims to contribute to policy debates on how best to protect one of the world's most endangered wild cats.

Comparative serological investigation between cat and tiger blood for transfusion

PubMed Central

THENGCHAISRI, Naris; SINTHUSINGHA, Chayakrit; ARTHITWONG, Surapong; SATTASATHUCHANA, Panpicha

2017-01-01

Evidence suggests that non-domesticated felids inherited the same AB-erythrocyte antigens as domestic cats. To study the possible compatibility of tiger blood with that of other endangered felidae, blood samples from captive tigers and domestic cats were subjected to an in vitro study. The objectives of this study were to (1) identify whether the captive tigers had blood type AB and (2) determine the compatibility between the blood of captive tigers and that of domestic cats with a similar blood type. The anti-coagulated blood with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid of 30 tigers was examined to determine blood type, and a crossmatching test was performed between tiger and cat blood. All 30 tigers had blood type A. Tube agglutination tests using tiger plasma with cat erythrocytes resulted in 100% agglutination (n=30) with type B cat erythrocytes and 76.7% agglutination (n=23) with type A cat erythrocytes. The 80% of major and 60% of minor compatibilities between blood from 10 tigers and 10 domestic cats with blood type A were found to pass compatibility tests. Interestingly, 3/10 of the tigers’ red blood cell samples were fully compatible with all cat plasmas, and 1/10 of the tiger plasma samples were fully compatible with the type A red cells of domestic cats. Although the result of present findings revealed type-A blood group in the surveyed tigers, the reaction of tiger plasma with Type-A red cell from cats suggested a possibility of other blood type in tigers. PMID:28450662

Connectivity of Tiger (Panthera tigris) Populations in the Human-Influenced Forest Mosaic of Central India

PubMed Central

Joshi, Aditya; Vaidyanathan, Srinivas; Mondol, Samrat; Edgaonkar, Advait; Ramakrishnan, Uma

2013-01-01

Today, most wild tigers live in small, isolated Protected Areas within human dominated landscapes in the Indian subcontinent. Future survival of tigers depends on increasing local population size, as well as maintaining connectivity between populations. While significant conservation effort has been invested in increasing tiger population size, few initiatives have focused on landscape-level connectivity and on understanding the effect different landscape elements have on maintaining connectivity. We combined individual-based genetic and landscape ecology approaches to address this issue in six protected areas with varying tiger densities and separation in the Central Indian tiger landscape. We non-invasively sampled 55 tigers from different protected areas within this landscape. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian genetic assignment tests indicate long-range tiger dispersal (on the order of 650 km) between protected areas. Further geo-spatial analyses revealed that tiger connectivity was affected by landscape elements such as human settlements, road density and host-population tiger density, but not by distance between populations. Our results elucidate the importance of landscape and habitat viability outside and between protected areas and provide a quantitative approach to test functionality of tiger corridors. We suggest future management strategies aim to minimize urban expansion between protected areas to maximize tiger connectivity. Achieving this goal in the context of ongoing urbanization and need to sustain current economic growth exerts enormous pressure on the remaining tiger habitats and emerges as a big challenge to conserve wild tigers in the Indian subcontinent. PMID:24223132

Connectivity of tiger (Panthera tigris) populations in the human-influenced forest mosaic of Central India.

PubMed

Joshi, Aditya; Vaidyanathan, Srinivas; Mondol, Samrat; Edgaonkar, Advait; Ramakrishnan, Uma

2013-01-01

Today, most wild tigers live in small, isolated Protected Areas within human dominated landscapes in the Indian subcontinent. Future survival of tigers depends on increasing local population size, as well as maintaining connectivity between populations. While significant conservation effort has been invested in increasing tiger population size, few initiatives have focused on landscape-level connectivity and on understanding the effect different landscape elements have on maintaining connectivity. We combined individual-based genetic and landscape ecology approaches to address this issue in six protected areas with varying tiger densities and separation in the Central Indian tiger landscape. We non-invasively sampled 55 tigers from different protected areas within this landscape. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian genetic assignment tests indicate long-range tiger dispersal (on the order of 650 km) between protected areas. Further geo-spatial analyses revealed that tiger connectivity was affected by landscape elements such as human settlements, road density and host-population tiger density, but not by distance between populations. Our results elucidate the importance of landscape and habitat viability outside and between protected areas and provide a quantitative approach to test functionality of tiger corridors. We suggest future management strategies aim to minimize urban expansion between protected areas to maximize tiger connectivity. Achieving this goal in the context of ongoing urbanization and need to sustain current economic growth exerts enormous pressure on the remaining tiger habitats and emerges as a big challenge to conserve wild tigers in the Indian subcontinent.

Tiger Team Assessment of the National Institute for Petroleum and Energy Research

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-05-01

This report documents the Tiger Team Assessment of the National Institute for Petroleum and Energy Research (NIPER) and the Bartlesville Project Office (BPO) of the Department of Energy (DOE), co-located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The assessment investigated the status of the environmental, safety, and health (ES H) programs of the two organizations. The Tiger Team Assessment was conducted from April 6 to May 1, 1992, under the auspices of DOE's Office of Special Projects (OSP) in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health (EH). The assessment was comprehensive, encompassing environmental, safety, and health issues; management practices; qualitymore » assurance; and NIPER and BPO self-assessments. Compliance with Federal, state, and local regulations; DOE Orders; best management practices; and internal IITRI requirements was assessed. In addition, an evaluation was conducted of the adequacy and effectiveness of BPO and IITRI management of the ES H and self-assessment processes. The NIPER/BPO Tiger Team Assessment is part of a larger, comprehensive DOE Tiger Team Independent Assessment Program planned for DOE facilities. The objective of the initiative is to provide the Secretary with information on the compliance status of DOE facilities with regard to ES H requirements, root causes for noncompliance, adequacy of DOE and contractor ES H management programs, response actions to address the identified problem areas, and DOE-wide ES H compliance trends and root causes.« less

Tiger Team Assessment of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-06-01

This draft report documents the Tiger Team Assessment of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) located in Batavia, Illinois. Fermilab is a program-dedicated national laboratory managed by the Universities Research Association, Inc. (URA) for the US Department of Energy (DOE). The Tiger Team Assessment was conducted from May 11 to June 8, 1992, under the auspices of DOE's Office of Special Projects (OSP) under the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health (EH). The assessment was comprehensive, encompassing environmental, safety and health (ES H), and quality assurance (QA) disciplines; site remediation; facilities management; and waste management operations.more » Compliance with applicable Federal , State of Illinois, and local regulations; applicable DOE Orders; best management practices; and internal Fermilab requirements was addressed. In addition, an evaluation of the effectiveness of DOE and Fermilab management of the ES H/QA and self-assessment programs was conducted. The Fermilab Tiger Team Assessment is part a larger, comprehensive DOE Tiger Team Independent Assessment Program planned for DOE facilities. The objective of the initiative is to provide the Secretary of Energy with information on the compliance status of DOE facilities with regard to ES H requirements, root causes for noncompliance, adequacy of DOE and contractor ES H management programs, response actions to address the identified problem areas, and DOE-wide ES H compliance trends and root causes.« less

Tiger Team Assessment of the National Institute for Petroleum and Energy Research

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-05-01

This report documents the Tiger Team Assessment of the National Institute for Petroleum and Energy Research (NIPER) and the Bartlesville Project Office (BPO) of the Department of Energy (DOE), co-located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The assessment investigated the status of the environmental, safety, and health (ES&H) programs of the two organizations. The Tiger Team Assessment was conducted from April 6 to May 1, 1992, under the auspices of DOE`s Office of Special Projects (OSP) in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health (EH). The assessment was comprehensive, encompassing environmental, safety, and health issues; management practices; quality assurance;more » and NIPER and BPO self-assessments. Compliance with Federal, state, and local regulations; DOE Orders; best management practices; and internal IITRI requirements was assessed. In addition, an evaluation was conducted of the adequacy and effectiveness of BPO and IITRI management of the ES&H and self-assessment processes. The NIPER/BPO Tiger Team Assessment is part of a larger, comprehensive DOE Tiger Team Independent Assessment Program planned for DOE facilities. The objective of the initiative is to provide the Secretary with information on the compliance status of DOE facilities with regard to ES&H requirements, root causes for noncompliance, adequacy of DOE and contractor ES&H management programs, response actions to address the identified problem areas, and DOE-wide ES&H compliance trends and root causes.« less

Tiger Team Assessment of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-06-01

This draft report documents the Tiger Team Assessment of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) located in Batavia, Illinois. Fermilab is a program-dedicated national laboratory managed by the Universities Research Association, Inc. (URA) for the US Department of Energy (DOE). The Tiger Team Assessment was conducted from May 11 to June 8, 1992, under the auspices of DOE`s Office of Special Projects (OSP) under the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health (EH). The assessment was comprehensive, encompassing environmental, safety and health (ES&H), and quality assurance (QA) disciplines; site remediation; facilities management; and waste management operations. Compliancemore » with applicable Federal , State of Illinois, and local regulations; applicable DOE Orders; best management practices; and internal Fermilab requirements was addressed. In addition, an evaluation of the effectiveness of DOE and Fermilab management of the ES&H/QA and self-assessment programs was conducted. The Fermilab Tiger Team Assessment is part a larger, comprehensive DOE Tiger Team Independent Assessment Program planned for DOE facilities. The objective of the initiative is to provide the Secretary of Energy with information on the compliance status of DOE facilities with regard to ES&H requirements, root causes for noncompliance, adequacy of DOE and contractor ES&H management programs, response actions to address the identified problem areas, and DOE-wide ES&H compliance trends and root causes.« less

Faecal cortisol metabolites in Bengal (Panthera tigris tigris) and Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae).

PubMed

Narayan, Edward J; Parnell, Tempe; Clark, Giles; Martin-Vegue, Patrick; Mucci, Al; Hero, Jean-Marc

2013-12-01

The tiger (Panthera tigris) faces a great risk of extinction as its wild numbers have plummeted due to poaching and habitat destruction so ex-situ conservation programs are becoming ever more necessary. Reliable non-invasive biomarkers of the stress hormone (cortisol) are necessary for assessing the health and welfare of tigers in captivity. To our knowledge, non-invasive stress endocrinology methods have not been tested as widely in tigers. The first aim of this study was to describe and validate a faecal cortisol metabolite enzyme-immmunoassay (FCM EIA) for two tiger sub-species, the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) and the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae). Individual tigers (n=22) were studied in two large Zoos in Queensland, Australia (Dreamworld Theme Park and Australia Zoo). Fresh faecal samples (<12 h old) were collected each morning from both Zoos over a study period of 21 days. Biological validation was conducted separately by collecting feces 5 days before and 5 days after blood was taken from four male and five female tigers. Results showed that mean FCM levels increased by 138% and 285% in the male and female tigers within 1 day after bloods were taken, returning to baseline in 5 days. Laboratory validations of the FCM EIA were done using an extraction efficiency test and parallelism. Results showed >89% recovery of the cortisol standard that was added to tiger faecal extract. We also obtained parallel displacement of the serially diluted cortisol standard against serially diluted tiger faecal extract. Our second aim was to determine whether the FCM levels were significantly different between tiger sub-species and sex. Results showed no significant difference in mean FCM levels between the Bengal and Sumatran tiger sub-species. Mean levels of FCMs were significantly higher in females than in male tigers. Those male and female tigers with reported health issues during the study period expressed higher FCM levels than the reportedly healthy tigers. Interestingly, those tigers that took part in some activity (such as walks, photos, presentations and guest feeds) expressed moderately higher FCM levels at Dreamworld and lower FCM levels at Australia Zoo in comparison to those tigers that did not take part in such activities. These results indicate potential habituation in some tigers for routine activity through specialized training and pre-conditioning. In conclusion, the FCM EIA described in this study provides a reliable non-invasive method for evaluating the stress status of tigers in Zoos. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Developing a National Tiger Action Plan for the Union of Myanmar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lynam, Antony J.; Khaing, Saw Tun; Zaw, Khin Maung

2006-01-01

A century ago, tigers were considered pests in Myanmar. Hunters claimed thousands, yet populations persisted. In the past century, because of habitat loss and prey depletion, coupled with the recent demand for traditional medicines, tiger populations have been reduced to a few hundred individuals. As a first step toward long-term planning for tigers, and to guide efforts to increase protected area coverage, the Myanmar government in 1998 initiated a project to develop a revised National Tiger Action Plan. Extensive surveys confirmed tigers in only 4 of 17 survey locations. Significant populations are thought to persist in the far North and far South of the country, where large, intact forests offer the potential for tiger recovery. With partnerships and collaborations, tiger populations can be protected in the short term (<5 years) by expanding protected areas and corridors, mobilizing enforcement staff to reduce poaching of tigers and prey, and amending existing wildlife legislation in accordance with international laws. Over the long term (5-20 years), recovery of Myanmar’s tiger populations will depend on increasing support from local people, zoning tiger areas to reduce habitat loss and disturbance, and maintaining connectivity of existing national and transboundary forests. This article reviews the development of a new National Tiger Action Plan for the Union of Myanmar and discusses a blueprint for conservation measures aimed at saving tigers from extinction.

Developing a national tiger action plan for The Union of Myanmar.

PubMed

Lynam, Antony J; Khaing, Saw Tun; Zaw, Khin Maung

2006-01-01

A century ago, tigers were considered pests in Myanmar. Hunters claimed thousands, yet populations persisted. In the past century, because of habitat loss and prey depletion, coupled with the recent demand for traditional medicines, tiger populations have been reduced to a few hundred individuals. As a first step toward long-term planning for tigers, and to guide efforts to increase protected area coverage, the Myanmar government in 1998 initiated a project to develop a revised National Tiger Action Plan. Extensive surveys confirmed tigers in only 4 of 17 survey locations. Significant populations are thought to persist in the far North and far South of the country, where large, intact forests offer the potential for tiger recovery. With partnerships and collaborations, tiger populations can be protected in the short term (<5 years) by expanding protected areas and corridors, mobilizing enforcement staff to reduce poaching of tigers and prey, and amending existing wildlife legislation in accordance with international laws. Over the long term (5-20 years), recovery of Myanmar's tiger populations will depend on increasing support from local people, zoning tiger areas to reduce habitat loss and disturbance, and maintaining connectivity of existing national and transboundary forests. This article reviews the development of a new National Tiger Action Plan for the Union of Myanmar and discusses a blueprint for conservation measures aimed at saving tigers from extinction.

Tigers of Sundarbans in India: Is the Population a Separate Conservation Unit?

PubMed Central

Singh, Sujeet Kumar; Mishra, Sudhanshu; Aspi, Jouni; Kvist, Laura; Nigam, Parag; Pandey, Puneet; Sharma, Reeta; Goyal, Surendra Prakash

2015-01-01

The Sundarbans tiger inhabits a unique mangrove habitat and are morphologically distinct from the recognized tiger subspecies in terms of skull morphometrics and body size. Thus, there is an urgent need to assess their ecological and genetic distinctiveness and determine if Sundarbans tigers should be defined and managed as separate conservation unit. We utilized nine microsatellites and 3 kb from four mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes to estimate genetic variability, population structure, demographic parameters and visualize historic and contemporary connectivity among tiger populations from Sundarbans and mainland India. We also evaluated the traits that determine exchangeability or adaptive differences among tiger populations. Data from both markers suggest that Sundarbans tiger is not a separate tiger subspecies and should be regarded as Bengal tiger (P. t. tigris) subspecies. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses of the mtDNA data revealed reciprocal monophyly. Genetic differentiation was found stronger for mtDNA than nuclear DNA. Microsatellite markers indicated low genetic variation in Sundarbans tigers (He= 0.58) as compared to other mainland populations, such as northern and Peninsular (Hebetween 0.67- 0.70). Molecular data supports migration between mainland and Sundarbans populations until very recent times. We attribute this reduction in gene flow to accelerated fragmentation and habitat alteration in the landscape over the past few centuries. Demographic analyses suggest that Sundarbans tigers have diverged recently from peninsular tiger population within last 2000 years. Sundarbans tigers are the most divergent group of Bengal tigers, and ecologically non-exchangeable with other tiger populations, and thus should be managed as a separate “evolutionarily significant unit” (ESU) following the adaptive evolutionary conservation (AEC) concept. PMID:25919139

Combining abundance and performance data reveals how temperature regulates coastal occurrences and activity of a roaming apex predator.

PubMed

Payne, Nicholas L; Meyer, Carl G; Smith, James A; Houghton, Jonathan D R; Barnett, Adam; Holmes, Bonnie J; Nakamura, Itsumi; Papastamatiou, Yannis P; Royer, Mark A; Coffey, Daniel M; Anderson, James M; Hutchinson, Melanie R; Sato, Katsufumi; Halsey, Lewis G

2018-05-01

The redistribution of species has emerged as one of the most pervasive impacts of anthropogenic climate warming, and presents many societal challenges. Understanding how temperature regulates species distributions is particularly important for mobile marine fauna such as sharks given their seemingly rapid responses to warming, and the socio-political implications of human encounters with some dangerous species. The predictability of species distributions can potentially be improved by accounting for temperature's influence on performance, an elusive relationship for most large animals. We combined multi-decadal catch data and bio-logging to show that coastal abundance and swimming performance of tiger sharks Galeocerdo cuvier are both highest at ~22°C, suggesting thermal constraints on performance may regulate this species' distribution. Tiger sharks are responsible for a large proportion of shark bites on humans, and a focus of controversial control measures in several countries. The combination of distribution and performance data moves towards a mechanistic understanding of tiger shark's thermal niche, and delivers a simple yet powerful indicator for predicting the location and timing of their occurrences throughout coastlines. For example, tiger sharks are mostly caught at Australia's popular New South Wales beaches (i.e. near Sydney) in the warmest months, but our data suggest similar abundances will occur in winter and summer if annual sea surface temperatures increase by a further 1-2°C. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Indicators of success for smart law enforcement in protected areas: A case study for Russian Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) reserves.

PubMed

Hötte, Michiel H H; Kolodin, Igor A; Bereznuk, Sergei L; Slaght, Jonathan C; Kerley, Linda L; Soutyrina, Svetlana V; Salkina, Galina P; Zaumyslova, Olga Y; Stokes, Emma J; Miquelle, Dale G

2016-01-01

Although considerable conservation resources have been committed to develop and use law enforcement monitoring and management tools such as SMART, measures of success are ill-defined and, to date, few reports detail results post-implementation. Here, we present 4 case studies from protected areas with Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) in Russia, in which indicators of success were defined and evaluated at each. The ultimate goal was an increase in tiger numbers to 1 individual/100 km(2) at each site. We predicted that improvements in law enforcement effectiveness would be followed by increases in prey numbers and, subsequently, tiger numbers. We used short-term and long-term indicators of success, including: (i) patrol team effort and effectiveness; (ii) catch per unit effort indicators (to measure reductions in threats); and (iii) changes in target species numbers. In addition to implementing a monitoring system, we focused on improving law enforcement management using an adaptive management process. Over 4 years, we noted clear increases in patrol effort and a partial reduction in threats. Although we did not detect clear trends in ungulate numbers, tiger populations remained stable or increased, suggesting that poaching of tigers may be more limiting than prey depletion. Increased effectiveness is needed before a clear reduction in threats can be noted, and more time is needed before detecting responses in target populations. Nonetheless, delineation of concrete goals and indicators of success provide a means of evaluating progress and weaknesses. Such monitoring should be a central component of law enforcement strategies for protected areas. © 2015 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Lymphocytic Mural Folliculitis Resembling Epitheliotropic Lymphoma in Tigers ( Panthera tigris).

PubMed

Sula, Mee-Ja M; Frank, Linda A; Ramsay, Edward C

2018-01-01

A striking form of lymphocytic mural folliculitis is described in 6 tigers ( Panthera tigris). Clinically, all tigers exhibited regionally extensive chronic, variably waxing and waning alopecia with minimal scaling and crusting most pronounced over the head, neck, and shoulders. More severely affected tigers exhibited marked hyperpigmentation and lichenification. Pruritus was not a feature. Tigers generally lacked signs of systemic illness and clinical pathology findings were unremarkable. Histologic examination of skin biopsies revealed infiltrative lymphocytic mural folliculitis extending the length of the hair follicle. Mild epidermal lymphocytic infiltrates were frequent. The surrounding dermis was histologically unremarkable in 4 of 6 tigers or associated with mild perifollicular and periadnexal mixed inflammation in 2 of 6 tigers. The cause of the mural folliculitis was not identified, and tigers responded poorly to immunomodulatory therapy. Lymphocytic mural folliculitis might be a nonspecific hypersensitivity reaction pattern in tigers, and care should be taken to differentiate this reaction pattern from epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma.

Unique fatality due to claw injuries in a tiger attack: a case report.

PubMed

Pathak, Hrishikesh; Dixit, Pradeep; Dhawane, Shailendra; Meshram, Satin; Shrigiriwar, Manish; Dingre, Niraj

2014-11-01

This paper describes a unique case of a fatal tiger attack in the wild. In the present case, a tiger fatally mauled a 34-year-old female with its claws, instead of the usual mechanism of killing by the bite injury to the neck. The autopsy revealed multiple fatal and non-fatal injuries caused by the tiger claws. The characteristic injuries due to the tooth impacts were absent as the teeth of the offending tiger were either fallen or non-functional. To the best of our knowledge, probably this rare case would be the first reported human fatality due to the tiger claw injuries in the world. The purpose of the present article is to highlight the fatal injuries due to the tiger claws, as the claw-induced fatal injuries in a tiger attack are not reported in the medico-legal literature. Moreover, this report would be an illustrative one for differentiation between the fatal injuries due to the claws and tooth impacts in a tiger attack. Furthermore, the present report establishes the importance of the tiger claws as a source of fatal injuries in a tiger attack. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Planning tiger recovery: Understanding intraspecific variation for effective conservation

PubMed Central

Wilting, Andreas; Courtiol, Alexandre; Christiansen, Per; Niedballa, Jürgen; Scharf, Anne K.; Orlando, Ludovic; Balkenhol, Niko; Hofer, Heribert; Kramer-Schadt, Stephanie; Fickel, Jörns; Kitchener, Andrew C.

2015-01-01

Although significantly more money is spent on the conservation of tigers than on any other threatened species, today only 3200 to 3600 tigers roam the forests of Asia, occupying only 7% of their historical range. Despite the global significance of and interest in tiger conservation, global approaches to plan tiger recovery are partly impeded by the lack of a consensus on the number of tiger subspecies or management units, because a comprehensive analysis of tiger variation is lacking. We analyzed variation among all nine putative tiger subspecies, using extensive data sets of several traits [morphological (craniodental and pelage), ecological, molecular]. Our analyses revealed little variation and large overlaps in each trait among putative subspecies, and molecular data showed extremely low diversity because of a severe Late Pleistocene population decline. Our results support recognition of only two subspecies: the Sunda tiger, Panthera tigris sondaica, and the continental tiger, Panthera tigris tigris, which consists of two (northern and southern) management units. Conservation management programs, such as captive breeding, reintroduction initiatives, or trans-boundary projects, rely on a durable, consistent characterization of subspecies as taxonomic units, defined by robust multiple lines of scientific evidence rather than single traits or ad hoc descriptions of one or few specimens. Our multiple-trait data set supports a fundamental rethinking of the conventional tiger taxonomy paradigm, which will have profound implications for the management of in situ and ex situ tiger populations and boost conservation efforts by facilitating a pragmatic approach to tiger conservation management worldwide. PMID:26601191

Planning tiger recovery: Understanding intraspecific variation for effective conservation.

PubMed

Wilting, Andreas; Courtiol, Alexandre; Christiansen, Per; Niedballa, Jürgen; Scharf, Anne K; Orlando, Ludovic; Balkenhol, Niko; Hofer, Heribert; Kramer-Schadt, Stephanie; Fickel, Jörns; Kitchener, Andrew C

2015-06-01

Although significantly more money is spent on the conservation of tigers than on any other threatened species, today only 3200 to 3600 tigers roam the forests of Asia, occupying only 7% of their historical range. Despite the global significance of and interest in tiger conservation, global approaches to plan tiger recovery are partly impeded by the lack of a consensus on the number of tiger subspecies or management units, because a comprehensive analysis of tiger variation is lacking. We analyzed variation among all nine putative tiger subspecies, using extensive data sets of several traits [morphological (craniodental and pelage), ecological, molecular]. Our analyses revealed little variation and large overlaps in each trait among putative subspecies, and molecular data showed extremely low diversity because of a severe Late Pleistocene population decline. Our results support recognition of only two subspecies: the Sunda tiger, Panthera tigris sondaica, and the continental tiger, Panthera tigris tigris, which consists of two (northern and southern) management units. Conservation management programs, such as captive breeding, reintroduction initiatives, or trans-boundary projects, rely on a durable, consistent characterization of subspecies as taxonomic units, defined by robust multiple lines of scientific evidence rather than single traits or ad hoc descriptions of one or few specimens. Our multiple-trait data set supports a fundamental rethinking of the conventional tiger taxonomy paradigm, which will have profound implications for the management of in situ and ex situ tiger populations and boost conservation efforts by facilitating a pragmatic approach to tiger conservation management worldwide.

Inland area contingency plan and maps for Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, District of Columbia (on CD-ROM). Data file

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1996-12-01

EPA Region III has assembled on this CD a multitude of environmental data, in both visual and textual formats. While targeted for Facility Response Planning under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, this information will prove helpful to anyone in the environmental arena. Specifically, the CD will aid contingency planning and emergency response personnel. Combining innovative GIS technology with EPA`s state-specific data allows you to display maps, find and identify map features, look at tabular information about map features, and print out maps. The CD was designed to be easy to use and incorporates example maps as well as helpmore » sections describing the use of the environmental data on the CD, and introduces you to the IACP Viewer and its capabilities. These help features will make it easy for you to conduct analysis, produce maps, and browse the IACP Plan. The IACP data are included in two formats: shapefiles, which can be viewed with the IACP Viewer or ESRI`s ArcView software (Version 2.1 or higher), and ARC/INFO export files, which can be imported into ARC/INFO or converted to other GIS data formats. Point Data Sources: Sensitive Areas, Surface Drinking Water Intakes, Groundwater Intakes, Groundwater Supply Facilities, NPL (National Priority List) Sites, FRP (Facility Response Plan) Facilities, NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Facilities, Hospitals, RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) Sites, TRI (Toxic Release Inventory) Sites, CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) Sites Line Data Sources: TIGER Roads, TIGER Railroads, TIGER Hydrography, Pipelines Polygon Data Sources: State Boundaries, County Boundaries, Watershed Boundaries (8-digit HUC), TIGER Hydrography, Public Lands, Populated Places, IACP Boundaries, Coast Guard Boundaries, Forest Types, US Congressional Districts, One-half Mile Buffer of Surface Drinking Water Intakes.« less

Ranging, Activity and Habitat Use by Tigers in the Mangrove Forests of the Sundarban.

PubMed

Naha, Dipanjan; Jhala, Yadvendradev V; Qureshi, Qamar; Roy, Manjari; Sankar, Kalyansundaram; Gopal, Rajesh

2016-01-01

The Sundarban of India and Bangladesh (about 6000 km²) are the only mangrove forests inhabited by a sizeable population of tigers. The adjoining area also supports one of the highest human densities and experiences severe human-tiger conflicts. We used GPS-Satellite and VHF radio-collars on 6 (3 males and 3 female) tigers to study their ranging patterns and habitat preference. The average home range (95% Fixed Kernel) for resident females was 56.4 (SE 5.69) and for males it was 110 (SE 49) km². Tigers crossed an average of 5 water channels > 30 meters per day with a mean width of 54 meters, whereas channels larger than 400 meters were rarely crossed. Tigers spent over 58% of their time within Phoenix habitat but compositional analysis showed a habitat preference of the order Avicennia-Sonneratia > Phoenix > Ceriops > Barren > Water. Average daily distance moved was 4.6 km (range 0.1-23). Activity of tigers peaked between 05:00 hours and 10:00 hours showing some overlap with human activity. Territory boundaries were demarcated by large channels which tigers intensively patrolled. Extra caution should be taken while fishing or honey collection during early morning in Avicennia-Sonneratia and Phoenix habitat types along wide channels to reduce human-tiger conflict. Considering home-range core areas as exclusive, tiger density was estimated at 4.6 (SE range 3.6 to 6.7) tigers/100 km2 giving a total population of 76 (SE range 59-110) tigers in the Indian Sundarban. Reluctance of tigers to cross wide water channels combined with increasing commercial boat traffic and sea level rise due to climate change pose a real threat of fragmenting the Sundarban tiger population.

Ranging, Activity and Habitat Use by Tigers in the Mangrove Forests of the Sundarban

PubMed Central

Naha, Dipanjan; Jhala, Yadvendradev V.; Qureshi, Qamar; Roy, Manjari; Sankar, Kalyansundaram; Gopal, Rajesh

2016-01-01

The Sundarban of India and Bangladesh (about 6000 km²) are the only mangrove forests inhabited by a sizeable population of tigers. The adjoining area also supports one of the highest human densities and experiences severe human-tiger conflicts. We used GPS-Satellite and VHF radio-collars on 6 (3 males and 3 female) tigers to study their ranging patterns and habitat preference. The average home range (95% Fixed Kernel) for resident females was 56.4 (SE 5.69) and for males it was 110 (SE 49) km². Tigers crossed an average of 5 water channels > 30 meters per day with a mean width of 54 meters, whereas channels larger than 400 meters were rarely crossed. Tigers spent over 58% of their time within Phoenix habitat but compositional analysis showed a habitat preference of the order Avicennia-Sonneratia > Phoenix > Ceriops > Barren > Water. Average daily distance moved was 4.6 km (range 0.1–23). Activity of tigers peaked between 05:00 hours and 10:00 hours showing some overlap with human activity. Territory boundaries were demarcated by large channels which tigers intensively patrolled. Extra caution should be taken while fishing or honey collection during early morning in Avicennia-Sonneratia and Phoenix habitat types along wide channels to reduce human-tiger conflict. Considering home-range core areas as exclusive, tiger density was estimated at 4.6 (SE range 3.6 to 6.7) tigers/100 km2 giving a total population of 76 (SE range 59–110) tigers in the Indian Sundarban. Reluctance of tigers to cross wide water channels combined with increasing commercial boat traffic and sea level rise due to climate change pose a real threat of fragmenting the Sundarban tiger population. PMID:27049644

Oldest Known Pantherine Skull and Evolution of the Tiger

PubMed Central

Mazák, Ji H.; Christiansen, Per; Kitchener, Andrew C.

2011-01-01

The tiger is one of the most iconic extant animals, and its origin and evolution have been intensely debated. Fossils attributable to extant pantherine species-lineages are less than 2 MYA and the earliest tiger fossils are from the Calabrian, Lower Pleistocene. Molecular studies predict a much younger age for the divergence of modern tiger subspecies at <100 KYA, although their cranial morphology is readily distinguishable, indicating that early Pleistocene tigers would likely have differed markedly anatomically from extant tigers. Such inferences are hampered by the fact that well-known fossil tiger material is middle to late Pleistocene in age. Here we describe a new species of pantherine cat from Longdan, Gansu Province, China, Panthera zdanskyi sp. nov. With an estimated age of 2.55–2.16 MYA it represents the oldest complete skull of a pantherine cat hitherto found. Although smaller, it appears morphologically to be surprisingly similar to modern tigers considering its age. Morphological, morphometric, and cladistic analyses are congruent in confirming its very close affinity to the tiger, and it may be regarded as the most primitive species of the tiger lineage, demonstrating the first unequivocal presence of a modern pantherine species-lineage in the basal stage of the Pleistocene (Gelasian; traditionally considered to be Late Pliocene). This find supports a north-central Chinese origin of the tiger lineage, and demonstrates that various parts of the cranium, mandible, and dentition evolved at different rates. An increase in size and a reduction in the relative size of parts of the dentition appear to have been prominent features of tiger evolution, whereas the distinctive cranial morphology of modern tigers was established very early in their evolutionary history. The evolutionary trend of increasing size in the tiger lineage is likely coupled to the evolution of its primary prey species. PMID:22016768

Securing a future for wild Indochinese tigers: Transforming tiger vacuums into tiger source sites.

PubMed

Lynam, Antony J

2010-12-01

A century ago, tigers (Panthera tigris Linnaeus, 1758) were so common in parts of Southeast Asia as to be considered pests, and governments sponsored their killing. Habitat loss and fragmentation, market-driven poaching and loss of prey have since led to the disappearance of Indochinese tigers from most their former range. Despite 15 years of dedicated tiger conservation funding, national estimates of Indochinese tiger subpopulations can at best only be roughly approximated. The future for the subspecies appears grim unless very focused efforts can be applied to stabilize and recover subpopulations. On a regional scale, the 2 proposed subspecies Panthera tigris corbetti and P. tigris jacksoni are effectively managed as separate conservation units. Evaluating where to place conservation efforts should consider the vulnerability (likelihood of extinction) and irreplaceability (likelihood that an area contributes uniquely to regional conservation) of tiger subpopulations. Only 1 site in Thailand supporting <200 individuals (Huai Kha Khaeng-Thung Yai) is considered low vulnerability, and is irreplaceable. Five sites in Lao, Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia are medium vulnerability and irreplaceable. Priorities at these 6 sites are to double tiger numbers within 10 years through protection and monitoring. Seven sites in Lao, Thailand and Myanmar are high vulnerability and irreplaceable, and might be recovered if government commitment to tigers, staff capacity and legal frameworks for tiger protection are established. Tigers are extremely vulnerable or even extinct in Cambodia's Eastern Plains and the site is irreplaceable for tigers because it represents the only large (>10,000 km(2) ) block of dry forest habitat available in the region. A reintroduction program is the only option to recover tigers there. © 2010 ISZS, Blackwell Publishing and IOZ/CAS.

Canine distemper virus as a threat to wild tigers in Russia and across their range.

PubMed

Gilbert, Martin; Soutyrina, Svetlana V; Seryodkin, Ivan V; Sulikhan, Nadezhda; Uphyrkina, Olga V; Goncharuk, Mikhail; Matthews, Louise; Cleaveland, Sarah; Miquelle, Dale G

2015-07-01

Canine distemper virus (CDV) has recently been identified in populations of wild tigers in Russia and India. Tiger populations are generally too small to maintain CDV for long periods, but are at risk of infections arising from more abundant susceptible hosts that constitute a reservoir of infection. Because CDV is an additive mortality factor, it could represent a significant threat to small, isolated tiger populations. In Russia, CDV was associated with the deaths of tigers in 2004 and 2010, and was coincident with a localized decline of tigers in Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Zapovednik (from 25 tigers in 2008 to 9 in 2012). Habitat continuity with surrounding areas likely played an important role in promoting an ongoing recovery. We recommend steps be taken to assess the presence and the impact of CDV in all tiger range states, but should not detract focus away from the primary threats to tigers, which include habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching and retaliatory killing. Research priorities include: (i) recognition and diagnosis of clinical cases of CDV in tigers when they occur; and (ii) collection of baseline data on the health of wild tigers. CDV infection of individual tigers need not imply a conservation threat, and modeling should complement disease surveillance and targeted research to assess the potential impact to tiger populations across the range of ecosystems, population densities and climate extremes occupied by tigers. Describing the role of domestic and wild carnivores as contributors to a local CDV reservoir is an important precursor to considering control measures. © 2015 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

The development and validation of a single SNaPshot multiplex for tiger species and subspecies identification--implications for forensic purposes.

PubMed

Kitpipit, Thitika; Tobe, Shanan S; Kitchener, Andrew C; Gill, Peter; Linacre, Adrian

2012-03-01

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is currently listed on Appendix I of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; this affords it the highest level of international protection. To aid in the investigation of alleged illegal trade in tiger body parts and derivatives, molecular approaches have been developed to identify biological material as being of tiger in origin. Some countries also require knowledge of the exact tiger subspecies present in order to prosecute anyone alleged to be trading in tiger products. In this study we aimed to develop and validate a reliable single assay to identify tiger species and subspecies simultaneously; this test is based on identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the tiger mitochondrial genome. The mitochondrial DNA sequence from four of the five extant putative tiger subspecies that currently exist in the wild were obtained and combined with DNA sequence data from 492 tiger and 349 other mammalian species available on GenBank. From the sequence data a total of 11 SNP loci were identified as suitable for further analyses. Five SNPs were species-specific for tiger and six amplify one of the tiger subspecies-specific SNPs, three of which were specific to P. t. sumatrae and the other three were specific to P. t. tigris. The multiplex assay was able to reliably identify 15 voucher tiger samples. The sensitivity of the test was 15,000 mitochondrial DNA copies (approximately 0.26 pg), indicating that it will work on trace amounts of tissue, bone or hair samples. This simple test will add to the DNA-based methods currently being used to identify the presence of tiger within mixed samples. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oldest known pantherine skull and evolution of the tiger.

PubMed

Mazák, Ji H; Christiansen, Per; Kitchener, Andrew C

2011-01-01

The tiger is one of the most iconic extant animals, and its origin and evolution have been intensely debated. Fossils attributable to extant pantherine species-lineages are less than 2 MYA and the earliest tiger fossils are from the Calabrian, Lower Pleistocene. Molecular studies predict a much younger age for the divergence of modern tiger subspecies at <100 KYA, although their cranial morphology is readily distinguishable, indicating that early Pleistocene tigers would likely have differed markedly anatomically from extant tigers. Such inferences are hampered by the fact that well-known fossil tiger material is middle to late Pleistocene in age. Here we describe a new species of pantherine cat from Longdan, Gansu Province, China, Panthera zdanskyi sp. nov. With an estimated age of 2.55-2.16 MYA it represents the oldest complete skull of a pantherine cat hitherto found. Although smaller, it appears morphologically to be surprisingly similar to modern tigers considering its age. Morphological, morphometric, and cladistic analyses are congruent in confirming its very close affinity to the tiger, and it may be regarded as the most primitive species of the tiger lineage, demonstrating the first unequivocal presence of a modern pantherine species-lineage in the basal stage of the Pleistocene (Gelasian; traditionally considered to be Late Pliocene). This find supports a north-central Chinese origin of the tiger lineage, and demonstrates that various parts of the cranium, mandible, and dentition evolved at different rates. An increase in size and a reduction in the relative size of parts of the dentition appear to have been prominent features of tiger evolution, whereas the distinctive cranial morphology of modern tigers was established very early in their evolutionary history. The evolutionary trend of increasing size in the tiger lineage is likely coupled to the evolution of its primary prey species.

Effect of tiger nut-derived products in gluten-free batter and bread.

PubMed

Aguilar, Núria; Albanell, Elena; Miñarro, Begoña; Guamis, Buenaventura; Capellas, Marta

2015-07-01

Tiger nut is a tuber used to produce tiger nut milk that yields a high quantity of solid waste, which can be dried and used as fiber source. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the quality of gluten-free bread formulated with different tiger nut-derived products in order to substitute soya flour (which is an allergen ingredient) and, at the same time, increase the use of tiger nut-derived products. Four gluten-free formulations based on corn starch and containing tiger nut milk, tiger nut milk by-product, tiger nut flour, or soya flour (as reference formulation) were studied. Tiger nut milk increased G' of gluten-free batter and rendered breads with the softest crumb (502.46 g ± 102.05), the highest loaf-specific volume (3.35 cm(3)/g ± 0.25), and it was mostly preferred by consumers (61.02%). Breads elaborated with tiger nut flour had similar characteristics than soya flour breads (except in color and crumb structure). The addition of tiger nut milk by-product resulted in a hard (1047.64 g ± 145.74) and dark (L(*)  = 70.02 ± 3.38) crumb bread, which was the least preferred by consumers. Results showed that tiger nut is a promising ingredient to formulate gluten-free baked products. © The Author(s) 2014.

Genotyping faecal samples of Bengal tiger Panthera tigris tigris for population estimation: a pilot study.

PubMed

Bhagavatula, Jyotsna; Singh, Lalji

2006-10-17

Bengal tiger Panthera tigris tigris the National Animal of India, is an endangered species. Estimating populations for such species is the main objective for designing conservation measures and for evaluating those that are already in place. Due to the tiger's cryptic and secretive behaviour, it is not possible to enumerate and monitor its populations through direct observations; instead indirect methods have always been used for studying tigers in the wild. DNA methods based on non-invasive sampling have not been attempted so far for tiger population studies in India. We describe here a pilot study using DNA extracted from faecal samples of tigers for the purpose of population estimation. In this study, PCR primers were developed based on tiger-specific variations in the mitochondrial cytochrome b for reliably identifying tiger faecal samples from those of sympatric carnivores. Microsatellite markers were developed for the identification of individual tigers with a sibling Probability of Identity of 0.005 that can distinguish even closely related individuals with 99.9% certainty. The effectiveness of using field-collected tiger faecal samples for DNA analysis was evaluated by sampling, identification and subsequently genotyping samples from two protected areas in southern India. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using tiger faecal matter as a potential source of DNA for population estimation of tigers in protected areas in India in addition to the methods currently in use.

76 FR 33748 - Combined Notice of Filings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-09

.... Applicants: ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC. Description: ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC submits tariff filing per 154.403(d)(2): ETC Tiger 2011--05--26 Out of Cycle Fuel Filing to be effective 7/1/2011. Filed Date: 05/26/2011... Numbers: RP11-2138-000. Applicants: ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC. Description: ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC submits...

Canine distemper virus: an emerging disease in wild endangered Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica).

PubMed

Seimon, Tracie A; Miquelle, Dale G; Chang, Tylis Y; Newton, Alisa L; Korotkova, Irina; Ivanchuk, Galina; Lyubchenko, Elena; Tupikov, Andre; Slabe, Evgeny; McAloose, Denise

2013-08-13

Fewer than 500 Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) remain in the wild. Due to low numbers and their solitary and reclusive nature, tiger sightings across their range in the Russian Far East and China are rare; sightings of sick tigers are rarer still. Serious neurologic disease observed in several wild tigers since 2001 suggested disease emergence in this endangered species. To investigate this possibility, histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), in situ hybridization (ISH), and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) were performed on tissues from 5 affected tigers that died or were destroyed in 2001, 2004, or 2010. Our results reveal canine distemper virus (CDV) infection as the cause of neurologic disease in two tigers and definitively establish infection in a third. Nonsuppurative encephalitis with demyelination, eosinophilic nuclear viral inclusions, and positive immunolabeling for CDV by IHC and ISH were present in the two tigers with available brain tissue. CDV phosphoprotein (P) and hemagglutinin (H) gene products were obtained from brains of these two tigers by RT-PCR, and a short fragment of CDV P gene sequence was detected in lymph node tissue of a third tiger. Phylogenetically, Amur tiger CDV groups with an Arctic-like strain in Baikal seals (Phoca siberica). Our results, which include mapping the location of positive tigers and recognition of a cluster of cases in 2010, coupled with a lack of reported CDV antibodies in Amur tigers prior to 2000 suggest wide geographic distribution of CDV across the tiger range and recent emergence of CDV as a significant infectious disease threat to endangered Amur tigers in the Russian Far East. Recognition of disease emergence in wildlife is a rare occurrence. Here, for the first time, we identify and characterize a canine distemper virus (CDV), the second most common cause of infectious disease death in domestic dogs and a viral disease of global importance in common and endangered carnivores, as the etiology of neurologic disease and fatal encephalitis in wild, endangered Amur tigers. We establish that in 2010 CDV directly or indirectly killed -1% of Amur tigers. Location of positive cases over an expansive geographic area suggests that CDV is widely distributed across the tiger range. Interspecies interactions are increasing as human populations grow and expand into wildlife habitats. Identifying animal reservoirs for CDV and identifying the CDV strains that are transmissible to and among wildlife species, including Amur tigers and sympatric critically endangered Amur leopards (Panthera pardus orientalis), is essential for guiding conservation and mitigation efforts.

Genetic Ancestry of the Extinct Javan and Bali Tigers

PubMed Central

Xue, Hao-Ran; Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki; Driscoll, Carlos A.; Han, Yu; Bar-Gal, Gila Kahila; Zhuang, Yan; Mazak, Ji H.; Macdonald, David W.; O’Brien, Stephen J.

2015-01-01

The Bali (Panthera tigris balica) and Javan (P. t. sondaica) tigers are recognized as distinct tiger subspecies that went extinct in the 1940s and 1980s, respectively. Yet their genetic ancestry and taxonomic status remain controversial. Following ancient DNA procedures, we generated concatenated 1750bp mtDNA sequences from 23 museum samples including 11 voucher specimens from Java and Bali and compared these to diagnostic mtDNA sequences from 122 specimens of living tiger subspecies and the extinct Caspian tiger. The results revealed a close genetic affinity of the 3 groups from the Sunda Islands (Bali, Javan, and Sumatran tigers P. t. sumatrae). Bali and Javan mtDNA haplotypes differ from Sumatran haplotypes by 1–2 nucleotides, and the 3 island populations define a monophyletic assemblage distinctive and equidistant from other mainland subspecies. Despite this close phylogenetic relationship, no mtDNA haplotype was shared between Sumatran and Javan/Bali tigers, indicating little or no matrilineal gene flow among the islands after they were colonized. The close phylogenetic relationship among Sunda tiger subspecies suggests either recent colonization across the islands, or else a once continuous tiger population that had subsequently isolated into different island subspecies. This supports the hypothesis that the Sumatran tiger is the closest living relative to the extinct Javan and Bali tigers. PMID:25754539

Subspecies genetic assignments of worldwide captive tigers increase conservation value of captive populations.

PubMed

Luo, Shu-Jin; Johnson, Warren E; Martenson, Janice; Antunes, Agostinho; Martelli, Paolo; Uphyrkina, Olga; Traylor-Holzer, Kathy; Smith, James L D; O'Brien, Stephen J

2008-04-22

Tigers (Panthera tigris) are disappearing rapidly from the wild, from over 100,000 in the 1900s to as few as 3000. Javan (P.t. sondaica), Bali (P.t. balica), and Caspian (P.t. virgata) subspecies are extinct, whereas the South China tiger (P.t. amoyensis) persists only in zoos. By contrast, captive tigers are flourishing, with 15,000-20,000 individuals worldwide, outnumbering their wild relatives five to seven times. We assessed subspecies genetic ancestry of 105 captive tigers from 14 countries and regions by using Bayesian analysis and diagnostic genetic markers defined by a prior analysis of 134 voucher tigers of significant genetic distinctiveness. We assigned 49 tigers to one of five subspecies (Bengal P.t. tigris, Sumatran P.t. sumatrae, Indochinese P.t. corbetti, Amur P.t. altaica, and Malayan P.t. jacksoni tigers) and determined 52 had admixed subspecies origins. The tested captive tigers retain appreciable genomic diversity unobserved in their wild counterparts, perhaps a consequence of large population size, century-long introduction of new founders, and managed-breeding strategies to retain genetic variability. Assessment of verified subspecies ancestry offers a powerful tool that, if applied to tigers of uncertain background, may considerably increase the number of purebred tigers suitable for conservation management.

Tigers in the Terai: Strong evidence for meta-population dynamics contributing to tiger recovery and conservation in the Terai Arc Landscape.

PubMed

Thapa, Kanchan; Wikramanayake, Eric; Malla, Sabita; Acharya, Krishna Prasad; Lamichhane, Babu Ram; Subedi, Naresh; Pokharel, Chiranjivi Prasad; Thapa, Gokarna Jung; Dhakal, Maheshwar; Bista, Ashish; Borah, Jimmy; Gupta, Mudit; Maurya, Kamlesh K; Gurung, Ghana Shyam; Jnawali, Shant Raj; Pradhan, Narendra Man Babu; Bhata, Shiv Raj; Koirala, Saroj; Ghose, Dipankar; Vattakaven, Joseph

2017-01-01

The source populations of tigers are mostly confined to protected areas, which are now becoming isolated. A landscape scale conservation strategy should strive to facilitate dispersal and survival of dispersing tigers by managing habitat corridors that enable tigers to traverse the matrix with minimal conflict. We present evidence for tiger dispersal along transboundary protected areas complexes in the Terai Arc Landscape, a priority tiger landscape in Nepal and India, by comparing camera trap data, and through population models applied to the long term camera trap data sets. The former showed that 11 individual tigers used the corridors that connected the transboundary protected areas. The estimated population growth rates using the minimum observed population size in two protected areas in Nepal, Bardia National Park and Suklaphanta National Park showed that the increases were higher than expected from growth rates due to in situ reproduction alone. These lines of evidence suggests that tigers are recolonizing Nepal's protected areas from India, after a period of population decline, and that the tiger populations in the transboundary protected areas complexes may be maintained as meta-population. Our results demonstrate the importance of adopting a landscape-scale approach to tiger conservation, especially to improve population recovery and long term population persistence.

Tigers in the Terai: Strong evidence for meta-population dynamics contributing to tiger recovery and conservation in the Terai Arc Landscape

PubMed Central

Wikramanayake, Eric; Malla, Sabita; Acharya, Krishna Prasad; Lamichhane, Babu Ram; Subedi, Naresh; Pokharel, Chiranjivi Prasad; Thapa, Gokarna Jung; Dhakal, Maheshwar; Bista, Ashish; Borah, Jimmy; Gupta, Mudit; Maurya, Kamlesh K.; Gurung, Ghana Shyam; Jnawali, Shant Raj; Pradhan, Narendra Man Babu; Bhata, Shiv Raj; Koirala, Saroj; Ghose, Dipankar; Vattakaven, Joseph

2017-01-01

The source populations of tigers are mostly confined to protected areas, which are now becoming isolated. A landscape scale conservation strategy should strive to facilitate dispersal and survival of dispersing tigers by managing habitat corridors that enable tigers to traverse the matrix with minimal conflict. We present evidence for tiger dispersal along transboundary protected areas complexes in the Terai Arc Landscape, a priority tiger landscape in Nepal and India, by comparing camera trap data, and through population models applied to the long term camera trap data sets. The former showed that 11 individual tigers used the corridors that connected the transboundary protected areas. The estimated population growth rates using the minimum observed population size in two protected areas in Nepal, Bardia National Park and Suklaphanta National Park showed that the increases were higher than expected from growth rates due to in situ reproduction alone. These lines of evidence suggests that tigers are recolonizing Nepal’s protected areas from India, after a period of population decline, and that the tiger populations in the transboundary protected areas complexes may be maintained as meta-population. Our results demonstrate the importance of adopting a landscape-scale approach to tiger conservation, especially to improve population recovery and long term population persistence. PMID:28591175

Toward Human-Carnivore Coexistence: Understanding Tolerance for Tigers in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Inskip, Chloe; Roberts, Thomas; MacMillan, Douglas

2016-01-01

Fostering local community tolerance for endangered carnivores, such as tigers (Panthera tigris), is a core component of many conservation strategies. Identification of antecedents of tolerance will facilitate the development of effective tolerance-building conservation action and secure local community support for, and involvement in, conservation initiatives. We use a stated preference approach for measuring tolerance, based on the ‘Wildlife Stakeholder Acceptance Capacity’ concept, to explore villagers’ tolerance levels for tigers in the Bangladesh Sundarbans, an area where, at the time of the research, human-tiger conflict was severe. We apply structural equation modeling to test an a priori defined theoretical model of tolerance and identify the experiential and psychological basis of tolerance in this community. Our results indicate that beliefs about tigers and about the perceived current tiger population trend are predictors of tolerance for tigers. Positive beliefs about tigers and a belief that the tiger population is not currently increasing are both associated with greater stated tolerance for the species. Contrary to commonly-held notions, negative experiences with tigers do not directly affect tolerance levels; instead, their effect is mediated by villagers’ beliefs about tigers and risk perceptions concerning human-tiger conflict incidents. These findings highlight a need to explore and understand the socio-psychological factors that encourage tolerance towards endangered species. Our research also demonstrates the applicability of this approach to tolerance research to a wide range of socio-economic and cultural contexts and reveals its capacity to enhance carnivore conservation efforts worldwide. PMID:26760035

Toward Human-Carnivore Coexistence: Understanding Tolerance for Tigers in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Inskip, Chloe; Carter, Neil; Riley, Shawn; Roberts, Thomas; MacMillan, Douglas

2016-01-01

Fostering local community tolerance for endangered carnivores, such as tigers (Panthera tigris), is a core component of many conservation strategies. Identification of antecedents of tolerance will facilitate the development of effective tolerance-building conservation action and secure local community support for, and involvement in, conservation initiatives. We use a stated preference approach for measuring tolerance, based on the 'Wildlife Stakeholder Acceptance Capacity' concept, to explore villagers' tolerance levels for tigers in the Bangladesh Sundarbans, an area where, at the time of the research, human-tiger conflict was severe. We apply structural equation modeling to test an a priori defined theoretical model of tolerance and identify the experiential and psychological basis of tolerance in this community. Our results indicate that beliefs about tigers and about the perceived current tiger population trend are predictors of tolerance for tigers. Positive beliefs about tigers and a belief that the tiger population is not currently increasing are both associated with greater stated tolerance for the species. Contrary to commonly-held notions, negative experiences with tigers do not directly affect tolerance levels; instead, their effect is mediated by villagers' beliefs about tigers and risk perceptions concerning human-tiger conflict incidents. These findings highlight a need to explore and understand the socio-psychological factors that encourage tolerance towards endangered species. Our research also demonstrates the applicability of this approach to tolerance research to a wide range of socio-economic and cultural contexts and reveals its capacity to enhance carnivore conservation efforts worldwide.

Estimation of tiger densities in India using photographic captures and recaptures

USGS Publications Warehouse

Karanth, U.; Nichols, J.D.

1998-01-01

Previously applied methods for estimating tiger (Panthera tigris) abundance using total counts based on tracks have proved unreliable. In this paper we use a field method proposed by Karanth (1995), combining camera-trap photography to identify individual tigers based on stripe patterns, with capture-recapture estimators. We developed a sampling design for camera-trapping and used the approach to estimate tiger population size and density in four representative tiger habitats in different parts of India. The field method worked well and provided data suitable for analysis using closed capture-recapture models. The results suggest the potential for applying this methodology for estimating abundances, survival rates and other population parameters in tigers and other low density, secretive animal species with distinctive coat patterns or other external markings. Estimated probabilities of photo-capturing tigers present in the study sites ranged from 0.75 - 1.00. The estimated mean tiger densities ranged from 4.1 (SE hat= 1.31) to 11.7 (SE hat= 1.93) tigers/100 km2. The results support the previous suggestions of Karanth and Sunquist (1995) that densities of tigers and other large felids may be primarily determined by prey community structure at a given site.

Living on the edge: Opportunities for Amur tiger recovery in China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, Tianming; Royle, Andy; Smith, J.L.D.; Zou, Liang; Lu, Xinyue; Li, Tong; Yang, Haitao; Li, Zhilin; Feng, Rongna; Bian, Yajing; Feng, Limin; Ge, Jianping

2017-01-01

Sporadic sightings of the endangered Amur tiger Panthera tigris altaica along the China-Russia border during the late 1990s sparked efforts to expand this subspecies distribution and abundance by restoring potentially suitable habitats in the Changbai Mountains. To guide science-based recovery efforts and provide a baseline for future monitoring of this border population, empirical, quantitative information is needed on what resources and management practices promote or limit the occurrence of tigers in the region. We established a large-scale field camera-trapping network to estimate tiger density, survival and recruitment in the Hunchun Nature Reserve and the surrounding area using an open population spatially explicit capture-recapture model. We then fitted an occupancy model that accounted for detectability and spatial autocorrelation to assess the relative influence of habitat, major prey, disturbance and management on tiger habitat use patterns. Our results show that the ranges of most tigers abut the border with Russia. Tiger densities ranged between 0.20 and 0.27 individuals/100 km2 over the study area; in the Hunchun Nature Reserve, the tiger density was three times higher than that in the surrounding inland forested area. Tiger occupancy was strongly negatively related to heavy cattle grazing, human settlements and roads and was positively associated with sika deer abundance and vegetation cover. These findings can help to identify the drivers of tiger declines and dispersal limits and refine strategies for tiger conservation in the human-dominated transboundary landscape. Progressively alleviating the impacts of cattle and human disturbances on the forest, and simultaneously addressing the economic needs of local communities, should be key priority actions to increase tiger populations. The long-term goal is to expand tiger distribution by improving habitats for large ungulates.

Amur tiger conservation education program: A pilot study on program effectiveness.

PubMed

Mukhacheva, Anna S; Derugina, Vasilissa V; Maksimova, Galina D; Soutyrina, Svetlana V

2015-07-01

Anthropogenic impacts are the primary threats to Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) and their habitat. Villagers living in proximity to tigers tend to view them negatively and, often, as a source of revenue on black markets. We aim to reduce human-tiger conflict by working with young students of Ternei County in the heart of tiger habitat in Primorskii Krai (Province). To inform and influence Ternei County's future decision-makers, we developed "Safe Conduct", a year-long education program held in 6 villages, culminating in a multi-school conference. We tested the efficacy of Safe Conduct as a potential model for tiger conservation educational programs. We measured levels of student knowledge about tiger ecology, their attitude towards tigers, and their willingness to engage in tiger conservation activites prior to, immediately after and 6 months following the completion of our program. Results supported the fundamental premise of Safe Conduct that knowledge and attitude towards tigers are correlated. Knowledge of tiger ecology and attitude towards tigers increased by the project's completion; both remained high after 6 months. However, commitment to participation in conservation efforts rose temporarily post-program and then dropped. Results varied by village. We recommend that the reasons for the high performance measures of students in 2 villages be investigated, and that lessons learned be applied to villages that underperformed. Safe Conduct represents a potential model for environmental education programs in Ternei County and elsewhere to educate future generations, to eventually develop a strong commitment to Amur tiger conservation at the community level. © 2015 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Phylogeography and genetic ancestry of tigers (Panthera tigris).

PubMed

Luo, Shu-Jin; Kim, Jae-Heup; Johnson, Warren E; van der Walt, Joelle; Martenson, Janice; Yuhki, Naoya; Miquelle, Dale G; Uphyrkina, Olga; Goodrich, John M; Quigley, Howard B; Tilson, Ronald; Brady, Gerald; Martelli, Paolo; Subramaniam, Vellayan; McDougal, Charles; Hean, Sun; Huang, Shi-Qiang; Pan, Wenshi; Karanth, Ullas K; Sunquist, Melvin; Smith, James L D; O'Brien, Stephen J

2004-12-01

Eight traditional subspecies of tiger (Panthera tigris),of which three recently became extinct, are commonly recognized on the basis of geographic isolation and morphological characteristics. To investigate the species' evolutionary history and to establish objective methods for subspecies recognition, voucher specimens of blood, skin, hair, and/or skin biopsies from 134 tigers with verified geographic origins or heritage across the whole distribution range were examined for three molecular markers: (1) 4.0 kb of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence; (2) allele variation in the nuclear major histocompatibility complex class II DRB gene; and (3) composite nuclear microsatellite genotypes based on 30 loci. Relatively low genetic variation with mtDNA,DRB,and microsatellite loci was found, but significant population subdivision was nonetheless apparent among five living subspecies. In addition, a distinct partition of the Indochinese subspecies P. t. corbetti in to northern Indochinese and Malayan Peninsula populations was discovered. Population genetic structure would suggest recognition of six taxonomic units or subspecies: (1) Amur tiger P. t. altaica; (2) northern Indochinese tiger P. t. corbetti; (3) South China tiger P. t. amoyensis; (4) Malayan tiger P. t. jacksoni, named for the tiger conservationist Peter Jackson; (5) Sumatran tiger P. t. sumatrae; and (6) Bengal tiger P. t. tigris. The proposed South China tiger lineage is tentative due to limited sampling. The age of the most recent common ancestor for tiger mtDNA was estimated to be 72,000-108,000 y, relatively younger than some other Panthera species. A combination of population expansions, reduced gene flow, and genetic drift following the last genetic diminution, and the recent anthropogenic range contraction, have led to the distinct genetic partitions. These results provide an explicit basis for subspecies recognition and will lead to the improved management and conservation of these recently isolated but distinct geographic populations of tigers.

Wild versus domestic prey in the diet of reintroduced tigers (Panthera tigris) in the livestock-dominated multiple-use forests of Panna Tiger Reserve, India.

PubMed

Kolipaka, S S; Tamis, W L M; van 't Zelfde, M; Persoon, G A; de Iongh, H H

2017-01-01

Grazing livestock in openly accessible areas is a common practice in the multiple-use forests of India; however, its compatibility with the reintroduction of tigers to these areas requires examination. Here, we investigated the diet of tigers in a livestock-dominated multiple-use buffer zone of the Panna Tiger Reserve, India. We hypothesised that the presence of feral cattle, along with open-access grazing practices in multiple-use forests, would increase the incidence of predation on livestock by tigers, even when wild prey are available. We used generalised linear models to test whether predation of livestock versus wild animals was influenced by (1) the sex and age class of tigers, (2) season, and (3) the distance of prey from the core-zone boundary of the reserve. Overall, sub-adult tigers and male tigers killed more livestock than wild prey, even when wild prey was available. In the winter and rainy seasons livestock were killed in higher numbers in the buffer zone than in summers, this may be because of the seasonally changing livestock herding patterns in the area. Further, with increasing distance from the core-zone boundary, all tigers killed more livestock, possibly because livestock were more easily accessible than wild prey. Our results show that open-access and unregulated livestock grazing is not currently compatible with large carnivore conservation in the same landscape. Such practices will lead to an increase in negative tiger-human-livestock interactions. In conclusion, we suggest the need to encourage locals to corral valuable cattle, leaving feral/unwanted livestock for tigers. This simple strategy would benefit both local inhabitants and tiger conservation in the multiple-use forests of India.

A comparison of food habits and prey preferences of Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica Temminck, 1844) at the southwest Primorskii Krai in Russia and Hunchun in China.

PubMed

Gu, Jiayin; Yu, Lan; Hua, Yan; Ning, Yao; Heng, Bao; Qi, Jinzhe; Long, Zexv; Yao, Mingyuan; Huang, Chong; Li, Zhilin; Lang, Jianming; Jiang, Guangshun; Ma, Jianzhang

2018-05-03

A small, isolated Amur tiger population is living at the southwest Primorskii Krai in Russia and Hunchun in China region. Many of them with "dual nationality" cross the border frequently. Formulating effective conservation strategies requires a clear understanding of tiger food requirements in both Russia and China sides, while Russia side already have clear results of it. We used scat analysis combined with data on the abundance of four prey species to estimate Amur tiger diet and prey preferences in Hunchun. We examined 53 tiger samples from 2011-2016 and found that tigers preyed on 12 species (11 species in winter), four of which were domestic animals with 33.58% biomass contribution, and got the first record that Amur tiger eat lynx in this area. Tigers showed a strong preference for wild boar (Jacobs index: +0.849), which were also the most frequently consumed prey, and a strong avoidance to roe deer (Jacobs index: -0.693). On the Russian side, domestic animals (just dog) were rarely found in tiger scat, and tiger did not show strong avoidance to roe deer, but to sika deer. We also found red deer footprints during winter surveys and that tigers ate red deer on the Chinese side, while there was no record of red deer on the Russian side. Reducing or eliminating human disturbance, such as grazing, is essential to recovering tiger prey and habitat in this area and the Sino-Russia joint ungulate annual survey is indispensable for prey estimates of this small, isolated Amur tiger population. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Wild versus domestic prey in the diet of reintroduced tigers (Panthera tigris) in the livestock-dominated multiple-use forests of Panna Tiger Reserve, India

PubMed Central

Tamis, W. L. M.; van ‘t Zelfde, M.; Persoon, G. A.; de Iongh, H. H.

2017-01-01

Grazing livestock in openly accessible areas is a common practice in the multiple-use forests of India; however, its compatibility with the reintroduction of tigers to these areas requires examination. Here, we investigated the diet of tigers in a livestock-dominated multiple-use buffer zone of the Panna Tiger Reserve, India. We hypothesised that the presence of feral cattle, along with open-access grazing practices in multiple-use forests, would increase the incidence of predation on livestock by tigers, even when wild prey are available. We used generalised linear models to test whether predation of livestock versus wild animals was influenced by (1) the sex and age class of tigers, (2) season, and (3) the distance of prey from the core-zone boundary of the reserve. Overall, sub-adult tigers and male tigers killed more livestock than wild prey, even when wild prey was available. In the winter and rainy seasons livestock were killed in higher numbers in the buffer zone than in summers, this may be because of the seasonally changing livestock herding patterns in the area. Further, with increasing distance from the core-zone boundary, all tigers killed more livestock, possibly because livestock were more easily accessible than wild prey. Our results show that open-access and unregulated livestock grazing is not currently compatible with large carnivore conservation in the same landscape. Such practices will lead to an increase in negative tiger-human-livestock interactions. In conclusion, we suggest the need to encourage locals to corral valuable cattle, leaving feral/unwanted livestock for tigers. This simple strategy would benefit both local inhabitants and tiger conservation in the multiple-use forests of India. PMID:28379997

78 FR 27217 - Combined Notice of Filings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-09

...: RP13-845-000. Applicants: ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC. Description: ETC Tiger 2013--System Map Filing to be...-859-000. Applicants: ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC. Description: ETC Tiger 2013 Semi-Annual Fuel Filing 4/30...

Stigma of tiger attack: Study of tiger-widows from Sundarban Delta, India*

PubMed Central

Chowdhury, Arabinda N.; Brahma, Arabinda; Mondal, Ranajit; Biswas, Mrinal K.

2016-01-01

Aims: Human-tiger conflict (HTC) is a serious public health issue in Sundarban Reserve Forest, India. HTC is a continued concern for significant mortality and morbidity of both human and tiger population. This study examined 49 widows, whose husbands were killed by tigers, in order to explore the cultural stigma related with tiger-killing and consequent discrimination and social rejection. Different psychosocial aspects of community stigma associated with tiger-killings is discussed in the context of local culture. Methods: A mix of both quantitative and qualitative methods was used in this ethnographic study in two mouzas of Sundarban adjacent to Reserve Forest, involving (1) Village Survey for Tiger-widows, (2) In-depth interview of the widows, (3) Focus Group discussions, (4) Participatory mapping and (5) Stigma assessment by using a 28 item stigma scale especially devised for this research. For comparison of stigma-burden snake-bite widows and normal widows were taken from the same community. Results: Tiger-widows showed significantly higher stigma scores on all the clusters (fear, negative feelings, disclosure, discrimination, community attitudes, and spiritual dimension) than from both normal and snake-bite widows. They also showed higher total stigma score (65.9 ± 9.8) than normal widows (35.8 ± 8.0) and snake-bite widows (40.1 ± 7.1) and this difference was highly significant (P < 0.001). IDIs and FGDs helped to unfold the cultural construct of stigma related to tiger-killing. This can be seen in how the tiger-widows’ quality of life has been negatively impacted with a multitude of post-trauma psychological scars, deprivation, abuse and exploitation. Conclusions: The study proposes that administrative strategy for sustainable alternative income generation and conservation policy with integrated participatory forest management may save both human and tiger. A community ecocultural mental health programme addressing to eradicate the cultural stigma related with tiger attack, with environmental awareness may help to reduce the social miseries of the tiger-widows. PMID:26985099

Genetic ancestry of the extinct Javan and Bali tigers.

PubMed

Xue, Hao-Ran; Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki; Driscoll, Carlos A; Han, Yu; Bar-Gal, Gila Kahila; Zhuang, Yan; Mazak, Ji H; Macdonald, David W; O'Brien, Stephen J; Luo, Shu-Jin

2015-01-01

The Bali (Panthera tigris balica) and Javan (P. t. sondaica) tigers are recognized as distinct tiger subspecies that went extinct in the 1940s and 1980s, respectively. Yet their genetic ancestry and taxonomic status remain controversial. Following ancient DNA procedures, we generated concatenated 1750bp mtDNA sequences from 23 museum samples including 11 voucher specimens from Java and Bali and compared these to diagnostic mtDNA sequences from 122 specimens of living tiger subspecies and the extinct Caspian tiger. The results revealed a close genetic affinity of the 3 groups from the Sunda Islands (Bali, Javan, and Sumatran tigers P. t. sumatrae). Bali and Javan mtDNA haplotypes differ from Sumatran haplotypes by 1-2 nucleotides, and the 3 island populations define a monophyletic assemblage distinctive and equidistant from other mainland subspecies. Despite this close phylogenetic relationship, no mtDNA haplotype was shared between Sumatran and Javan/Bali tigers, indicating little or no matrilineal gene flow among the islands after they were colonized. The close phylogenetic relationship among Sunda tiger subspecies suggests either recent colonization across the islands, or else a once continuous tiger population that had subsequently isolated into different island subspecies. This supports the hypothesis that the Sumatran tiger is the closest living relative to the extinct Javan and Bali tigers. © The American Genetic Association 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Estimation of tiger densities in the tropical dry forests of Panna, Central India, using photographic capture-recapture sampling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Karanth, K.Ullas; Chundawat, Raghunandan S.; Nichols, James D.; Kumar, N. Samba

2004-01-01

Tropical dry-deciduous forests comprise more than 45% of the tiger (Panthera tigris) habitat in India. However, in the absence of rigorously derived estimates of ecological densities of tigers in dry forests, critical baseline data for managing tiger populations are lacking. In this study tiger densities were estimated using photographic capture–recapture sampling in the dry forests of Panna Tiger Reserve in Central India. Over a 45-day survey period, 60 camera trap sites were sampled in a well-protected part of the 542-km2 reserve during 2002. A total sampling effort of 914 camera-trap-days yielded photo-captures of 11 individual tigers over 15 sampling occasions that effectively covered a 418-km2 area. The closed capture–recapture model Mh, which incorporates individual heterogeneity in capture probabilities, fitted these photographic capture history data well. The estimated capture probability/sample, p̂= 0.04, resulted in an estimated tiger population size and standard error (N̂(SÊN̂)) of 29 (9.65), and a density (D̂(SÊD̂)) of 6.94 (3.23) tigers/100 km2. The estimated tiger density matched predictions based on prey abundance. Our results suggest that, if managed appropriately, the available dry forest habitat in India has the potential to support a population size of about 9000 wild tigers.

Conserving tigers in working landscapes.

PubMed

Chanchani, Pranav; Noon, Barry R; Bailey, Larissa L; Warrier, Rekha A

2016-06-01

Tiger (Panthera tigris) conservation efforts in Asia are focused on protected areas embedded in human-dominated landscapes. A system of protected areas is an effective conservation strategy for many endangered species if the network is large enough to support stable metapopulations. The long-term conservation of tigers requires that the species be able to meet some of its life-history needs beyond the boundaries of small protected areas and within the working landscape, including multiple-use forests with logging and high human use. However, understanding of factors that promote or limit the occurrence of tigers in working landscapes is incomplete. We assessed the relative influence of protection status, prey occurrence, extent of grasslands, intensity of human use, and patch connectivity on tiger occurrence in the 5400 km(2) Central Terai Landscape of India, adjacent to Nepal. Two observer teams independently surveyed 1009 km of forest trails and water courses distributed across 60 166-km(2) cells. In each cell, the teams recorded detection of tiger signs along evenly spaced trail segments. We used occupancy models that permitted multiscale analysis of spatially correlated data to estimate cell-scale occupancy and segment-scale habitat use by tigers as a function of management and environmental covariates. Prey availability and habitat quality, rather than protected-area designation, influenced tiger occupancy. Tiger occupancy was low in some protected areas in India that were connected to extensive areas of tiger habitat in Nepal, which brings into question the efficacy of current protection and management strategies in both India and Nepal. At a finer spatial scale, tiger habitat use was high in trail segments associated with abundant prey and large grasslands, but it declined as human and livestock use increased. We speculate that riparian grasslands may provide tigers with critical refugia from human activity in the daytime and thereby promote tiger occurrence in some multiple-use forests. Restrictions on human-use in high-quality tiger habitat in multiple-use forests may complement existing protected areas and collectively promote the persistence of tiger populations in working landscapes. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

How many tigers Panthera tigris are there in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand? An estimate using photographic capture-recapture sampling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Simcharoen, S.; Pattanavibool, A.; Karanth, K.U.; Nichols, J.D.; Kumar, N.S.

2007-01-01

We used capture-recapture analyses to estimate the density of a tiger Panthera tigris population in the tropical forests of Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand, from photographic capture histories of 15 distinct individuals. The closure test results (z = 0.39, P = 0.65) provided some evidence in support of the demographic closure assumption. Fit of eight plausible closed models to the data indicated more support for model Mh, which incorporates individual heterogeneity in capture probabilities. This model generated an average capture probability $\\hat p$ = 0.42 and an abundance estimate of $\\widehat{N}(\\widehat{SE}[\\widehat{N}])$ = 19 (9.65) tigers. The sampled area of $\\widehat{A}(W)(\\widehat{SE}[\\widehat{A}(W)])$ = 477.2 (58.24) km2 yielded a density estimate of $\\widehat{D}(\\widehat{SE}[\\widehat{D}])$ = 3.98 (0.51) tigers per 100 km2. Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary could therefore hold 113 tigers and the entire Western Forest Complex c. 720 tigers. Although based on field protocols that constrained us to use sub-optimal analyses, this estimated tiger density is comparable to tiger densities in Indian reserves that support moderate prey abundances. However, tiger densities in well-protected Indian reserves with high prey abundances are three times higher. If given adequate protection we believe that the Western Forest Complex of Thailand could potentially harbour >2,000 wild tigers, highlighting its importance for global tiger conservation. The monitoring approaches we recommend here would be useful for managing this tiger population.

Microarray analysis of a salamander hopeful monster reveals transcriptional signatures of paedomorphic brain development

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is considered a hopeful monster because it exhibits an adaptive and derived mode of development - paedomorphosis - that has evolved rapidly and independently among tiger salamanders. Unlike related tiger salamanders that undergo metamorphosis, axolotls retain larval morphological traits into adulthood and thus present an adult body plan that differs dramatically from the ancestral (metamorphic) form. The basis of paedomorphic development was investigated by comparing temporal patterns of gene transcription between axolotl and tiger salamander larvae (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum) that typically undergo a metamorphosis. Results Transcript abundances from whole brain and pituitary were estimated via microarray analysis on four different days post hatching (42, 56, 70, 84 dph) and regression modeling was used to independently identify genes that were differentially expressed as a function of time in both species. Collectively, more differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified as unique to the axolotl (n = 76) and tiger salamander (n = 292) than were identified as shared (n = 108). All but two of the shared DEGs exhibited the same temporal pattern of expression and the unique genes tended to show greater changes later in the larval period when tiger salamander larvae were undergoing anatomical metamorphosis. A second, complementary analysis that directly compared the expression of 1320 genes between the species identified 409 genes that differed as a function of species or the interaction between time and species. Of these 409 DEGs, 84% exhibited higher abundances in tiger salamander larvae at all sampling times. Conclusions Many of the unique tiger salamander transcriptional responses are probably associated with metamorphic biological processes. However, the axolotl also showed unique patterns of transcription early in development. In particular, the axolotl showed a genome-wide reduction in mRNA abundance across loci, including genes that regulate hypothalamic-pituitary activities. This suggests that an axolotls failure to undergo anatomical metamorphosis late in the larval period is indirectly associated with a mechanism(s) that acts earlier in development to broadly program transcription. The axolotl hopeful monster provides a model to identify mechanisms of early brain development that proximally and ultimately affect the expression of adult phenotypes. PMID:20584293

Tiger salamanders' (Ambystoma tigrinum) response learning and usage of visual cues.

PubMed

Kundey, Shannon M A; Millar, Roberto; McPherson, Justin; Gonzalez, Maya; Fitz, Aleyna; Allen, Chadbourne

2016-05-01

We explored tiger salamanders' (Ambystoma tigrinum) learning to execute a response within a maze as proximal visual cue conditions varied. In Experiment 1, salamanders learned to turn consistently in a T-maze for reinforcement before the maze was rotated. All learned the initial task and executed the trained turn during test, suggesting that they learned to demonstrate the reinforced response during training and continued to perform it during test. In a second experiment utilizing a similar procedure, two visual cues were placed consistently at the maze junction. Salamanders were reinforced for turning towards one cue. Cue placement was reversed during test. All learned the initial task, but executed the trained turn rather than turning towards the visual cue during test, evidencing response learning. In Experiment 3, we investigated whether a compound visual cue could control salamanders' behaviour when it was the only cue predictive of reinforcement in a cross-maze by varying start position and cue placement. All learned to turn in the direction indicated by the compound visual cue, indicating that visual cues can come to control their behaviour. Following training, testing revealed that salamanders attended to stimuli foreground over background features. Overall, these results suggest that salamanders learn to execute responses over learning to use visual cues but can use visual cues if required. Our success with this paradigm offers the potential in future studies to explore salamanders' cognition further, as well as to shed light on how features of the tiger salamanders' life history (e.g. hibernation and metamorphosis) impact cognition.

[Identification and production of monoclonal antibody of Siberian tiger's immunoglobulin].

PubMed

Zhang, Yaonglong; Zhang, Duanling; Zhou, Ming; Xue, Yuan; Hua, Yuping; Ma, Jianzhang

2010-03-01

To purify immunoglobulin (Ig) of Siberian Tiger and prepare monoclonal antibody (mAb) against the Ig,which can be used to develop immunological diagnostic kits for diagnosing infectious disease in Siberian Tiger. The Ig of Siberian tigers was purified with saturated ammonium sulfate combined with recombinant Protein G. The C57BL/6 mice were immunized with the purified Ig. Spleno-cytes of the mice immunized were collected and fused with the mouse myeloma cell line (Sp2/0-Ag14). The positive hybridoma clones were selected by ELISA and were identified by western blot. The sandwich ELISA was used to detect immunocompetence of the purified Ig and the mAb. We obtained three mouse hybridoma clones that produced mAbs against Ig of Siberian Tiger. The derived McAbs could recognize Ig heavy chain of Siberian Tiger specifically. The biological activity of the Ig and obtained McAbs also could be identified by detecting the antibody induced by panleukopenia virus (FPV-HLJ) vaccine in Siberian Tiger. The antibody also would be useful for assess the vaccine efficacy against the infectious disease on the Siberian Tiger. Protein G can be used in Ig purification of Siberian Tiger. The obtained McAbs from the hybridoma ADT11 in this study owned strong ability to bind Ig of Siberian Tiger and have a stable immunocompetence. They can be used to develop diagnostic methods for detecting infectious disease in Siberian Tiger and vaccine research.

Saving the superstar: a review of the social factors affecting tiger conservation in India.

PubMed

Rastogi, Archi; Hickey, Gordon M; Badola, Ruchi; Hussain, Syed Ainul

2012-12-30

Tiger conservation in India represents an excellent case study of the many challenges facing conservation programs internationally. It is well understood that tigers are sensitive to human disturbances and large areas of habitat need to be protected for their conservation. Such protected areas in India are managed by the governments using an exclusionary approach. However, this approach is known to create several issues with local communities, including historical, legal, livelihood and management issues; with a volume of literature suggesting the inclusion of local communities in management. Yet, other evidence suggests that inclusion of communities in tiger conservation may lead to anthropogenic disturbances that can jeopardize tigers. The gravity of the situation is reflected in the recent disappearance of tigers from two key protected areas in India, the Sariska and Panna Tiger Reserves. This review paper connects the key literature from conservation biology, environmental history, management sciences, policy and political sciences to underline the gridlock of tiger conservation: it needs exclusive protected areas that antagonize communities, and it depends on the support of the same communities for success. We examine the possibility of reconciliation between these disciplines, and assert that research on tiger conservation needs to allow for an increasingly interdisciplinary approach. We call for a more integrated approach to tiger conservation, to examine the values inherent in conservation and to shed more light on the social factors that affect tiger conservation schemes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Elemental Abundances of Ultra-Heavy Galactic Cosmic Rays from the SuperTIGER Instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Ryan

2016-07-01

The SuperTIGER (Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder) experiment was launched on a long-duration balloon flight from Williams Field, Antarctica, on December 8, 2012. The instrument measured the relative elemental abundances of Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) for charge (Z) Z>10 with excellent charge resolution, displaying well resolved individual element peaks for 10 ≤ Z ≤ 40. During its record-breaking 55-day flight, SuperTIGER collected ˜4.73 x10^{6} Iron nuclei, ˜8 times as many as detected by its predecessor, TIGER, with charge resolution at iron of 0.17 cu. SuperTIGER measures charge (Z) and energy (E) using a combination of three scintillator and two Cherenkov detectors, and employs a scintillating fiber hodoscope for event trajectory determination. The SuperTIGER data have been analyzed to correct for instrument effects and remove events that underwent nuclear interactions within the instrument. The data include more than 600 events in the charge range 30 < Z ≤ 40. SuperTIGER is the first experiment to resolve elemental abundances of every element in this charge range with high statistics and single-element resolution. The relative abundances of the galactic cosmic ray source have been derived from the measured relative elemental abundances using atmospheric and interstellar propagations. The SuperTIGER measured abundances are generally consistent with previous experimental results from TIGER and ACE-CRIS, with improved statistical precision. The SuperTIGER results confirm the earlier results from TIGER, supporting a model of cosmic-ray origin in OB associations, with preferential acceleration of refractory elements over volatile elements ordered by atomic mass (A). A second SuperTIGER Antarctic flight is planned for December 2017. Details of the instrument, flight, data analysis, and ongoing preparations will be presented.

Complete mitochondrial genome of a wild Siberian tiger.

PubMed

Sun, Yujiao; Lu, Taofeng; Sun, Zhaohui; Guan, Weijun; Liu, Zhensheng; Teng, Liwei; Wang, Shuo; Ma, Yuehui

2015-01-01

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) was sequenced, using muscle tissue obtained from a male wild tiger. The total length of the mitochondrial genome is 16,996 bp. The genome structure of this tiger is in accordance with other Siberian tigers and it contains 12S rRNA gene, 16S rRNA gene, 22 tRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, and 1 control region.

Influence of Connectivity, Wild Prey and Disturbance on Occupancy of Tigers in the Human-Dominated Western Terai Arc Landscape

PubMed Central

Harihar, Abishek; Pandav, Bivash

2012-01-01

Occupying only 7% of their historical range and confined to forested habitats interspersed in a matrix of human dominated landscapes, tigers (Panthera tigris) typify the problems faced by most large carnivores worldwide. With heads of governments of tiger range countries pledging to reverse the extinction process and setting a goal of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022, achieving this target would require identifying existing breeding cores, potential breeding habitats and opportunities for dispersal. The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) represents one region which has recently witnessed recovery of tiger populations following conservation efforts. In this study, we develop a spatially explicit tiger occupancy model with survey data from 2009–10 based on a priori knowledge of tiger biology and specific issues plaguing the western TAL (6,979 km2), which occurs in two disjunct units (Tiger Habitat Blocks; THBs). Although the overall occupancy of tigers was 0.588 (SE 0.071), our results clearly indicate that loss in functionality of a regional corridor has resulted in tigers now occupying 17.58% of the available habitat in THB I in comparison to 88.5% in THB II. The current patterns of occupancy were best explained by models incorporating the interactive effect of habitat blocks (AIC w = 0.883) on wild prey availability (AIC w = 0.742) and anthropogenic disturbances (AIC w = 0.143). Our analysis has helped identify areas of high tiger occupancy both within and outside existing protected areas, which highlights the need for a unified control of the landscape under a single conservation unit with the primary focus of managing tigers and associated wildlife. Finally, in the light of global conservation targets and recent legislations in India, our study assumes significance as we identify opportunities to secure (e.g. THB II) and increase (e.g. THB I) tiger populations in the landscape. PMID:22792220

Phylogeography and Genetic Ancestry of Tigers (Panthera tigris)

PubMed Central

Johnson, Warren E; van der Walt, Joelle; Martenson, Janice; Yuhki, Naoya; Miquelle, Dale G; Uphyrkina, Olga; Goodrich, John M; Quigley, Howard B; Tilson, Ronald; Brady, Gerald; Martelli, Paolo; Subramaniam, Vellayan; McDougal, Charles; Hean, Sun; Huang, Shi-Qiang; Pan, Wenshi; Karanth, Ullas K; Sunquist, Melvin; Smith, James L. D

2004-01-01

Eight traditional subspecies of tiger (Panthera tigris), of which three recently became extinct, are commonly recognized on the basis of geographic isolation and morphological characteristics. To investigate the species' evolutionary history and to establish objective methods for subspecies recognition, voucher specimens of blood, skin, hair, and/or skin biopsies from 134 tigers with verified geographic origins or heritage across the whole distribution range were examined for three molecular markers: (1) 4.0 kb of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence; (2) allele variation in the nuclear major histocompatibility complex class II DRB gene; and (3) composite nuclear microsatellite genotypes based on 30 loci. Relatively low genetic variation with mtDNA, DRB, and microsatellite loci was found, but significant population subdivision was nonetheless apparent among five living subspecies. In addition, a distinct partition of the Indochinese subspecies P. t. corbetti into northern Indochinese and Malayan Peninsula populations was discovered. Population genetic structure would suggest recognition of six taxonomic units or subspecies: (1) Amur tiger P. t. altaica; (2) northern Indochinese tiger P. t. corbetti; (3) South China tiger P. t. amoyensis; (4) Malayan tiger P. t. jacksoni, named for the tiger conservationist Peter Jackson; (5) Sumatran tiger P. t. sumatrae; and (6) Bengal tiger P. t. tigris. The proposed South China tiger lineage is tentative due to limited sampling. The age of the most recent common ancestor for tiger mtDNA was estimated to be 72,000–108,000 y, relatively younger than some other Panthera species. A combination of population expansions, reduced gene flow, and genetic drift following the last genetic diminution, and the recent anthropogenic range contraction, have led to the distinct genetic partitions. These results provide an explicit basis for subspecies recognition and will lead to the improved management and conservation of these recently isolated but distinct geographic populations of tigers. PMID:15583716

Influence of connectivity, wild prey and disturbance on occupancy of tigers in the human-dominated western Terai Arc Landscape.

PubMed

Harihar, Abishek; Pandav, Bivash

2012-01-01

Occupying only 7% of their historical range and confined to forested habitats interspersed in a matrix of human dominated landscapes, tigers (Panthera tigris) typify the problems faced by most large carnivores worldwide. With heads of governments of tiger range countries pledging to reverse the extinction process and setting a goal of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022, achieving this target would require identifying existing breeding cores, potential breeding habitats and opportunities for dispersal. The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) represents one region which has recently witnessed recovery of tiger populations following conservation efforts. In this study, we develop a spatially explicit tiger occupancy model with survey data from 2009-10 based on a priori knowledge of tiger biology and specific issues plaguing the western TAL (6,979 km(2)), which occurs in two disjunct units (Tiger Habitat Blocks; THBs). Although the overall occupancy of tigers was 0.588 (SE 0.071), our results clearly indicate that loss in functionality of a regional corridor has resulted in tigers now occupying 17.58% of the available habitat in THB I in comparison to 88.5% in THB II. The current patterns of occupancy were best explained by models incorporating the interactive effect of habitat blocks (AIC w = 0.883) on wild prey availability (AIC w = 0.742) and anthropogenic disturbances (AIC w = 0.143). Our analysis has helped identify areas of high tiger occupancy both within and outside existing protected areas, which highlights the need for a unified control of the landscape under a single conservation unit with the primary focus of managing tigers and associated wildlife. Finally, in the light of global conservation targets and recent legislations in India, our study assumes significance as we identify opportunities to secure (e.g. THB II) and increase (e.g. THB I) tiger populations in the landscape.

A tiger cannot change its stripes: using a three-dimensional model to match images of living tigers and tiger skins.

PubMed

Hiby, Lex; Lovell, Phil; Patil, Narendra; Kumar, N Samba; Gopalaswamy, Arjun M; Karanth, K Ullas

2009-06-23

The tiger is one of many species in which individuals can be identified by surface patterns. Camera traps can be used to record individual tigers moving over an array of locations and provide data for monitoring and studying populations and devising conservation strategies. We suggest using a combination of algorithms to calculate similarity scores between pattern samples scanned from the images to automate the search for a match to a new image. We show how using a three-dimensional surface model of a tiger to scan the pattern samples allows comparison of images that differ widely in camera angles and body posture. The software, which is free to download, considerably reduces the effort required to maintain an image catalogue and we suggest it could be used to trace the origin of a tiger skin by searching a central database of living tigers' images for matches to an image of the skin.

A tiger cannot change its stripes: using a three-dimensional model to match images of living tigers and tiger skins

PubMed Central

Hiby, Lex; Lovell, Phil; Patil, Narendra; Kumar, N. Samba; Gopalaswamy, Arjun M.; Karanth, K. Ullas

2009-01-01

The tiger is one of many species in which individuals can be identified by surface patterns. Camera traps can be used to record individual tigers moving over an array of locations and provide data for monitoring and studying populations and devising conservation strategies. We suggest using a combination of algorithms to calculate similarity scores between pattern samples scanned from the images to automate the search for a match to a new image. We show how using a three-dimensional surface model of a tiger to scan the pattern samples allows comparison of images that differ widely in camera angles and body posture. The software, which is free to download, considerably reduces the effort required to maintain an image catalogue and we suggest it could be used to trace the origin of a tiger skin by searching a central database of living tigers' images for matches to an image of the skin. PMID:19324633

Ecopsychosocial Aspects of Human-Tiger Conflict: An Ethnographic Study of Tiger Widows of Sundarban Delta, India.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Arabinda N; Mondal, Ranajit; Brahma, Arabinda; Biswas, Mrinal K

2016-01-01

Human-tiger conflict (HTC) is a serious public health issue in Sundarban Reserve Forest, India. HTC is a continued concern for the significant mortality and morbidity of both human and tiger population. This is the first comprehensive report on Sundarban tiger-human conflicts and its impact on widows whose husbands were killed by tigers. The study attempts to explore the situation analysis of HTC and the aftermath of the incident including bereavement and coping, the cultural stigma related to being killed by a tiger and the consequent discrimination, deprivation, and social rejection, and the impact on the mental health of the tiger-widows. This is a three-phase ethnographic research with a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods. In the first phase, a door-to-door village survey (3,084 households) was carried out in two villages of Sundarban, which are adjacent to the Reserve Forest, in which the incidents of human-animal conflicts and the 65 tiger-widows identified were documented. In the second phase, the 65 tiger-widows were studied to explore the ecodemography of tiger attacks and tiger-widows alongside the stigma issue by using a stigma questionnaire (n = 49). The stigma burden was compared with normal widows (n = 21) and snake-bite widows (n = 18). In the third phase, the psychosocial and cultural dimensions related to tiger attacks were studied by using in-depth interviews (IDI) of the tiger-widows, focus-group discussions (FGD), and participatory mapping in the community. Clinical examinations of the mental health of the widows were also carried out in this phase. The mean age of the 65 widows was 43.49 ± 9.58 years. Of this, 12.3% of the widows had remarried and only 4.6% of the widows were literate. In all, 67.2% of all tiger attacks occurred as a result of illegal forest entry. The main livelihood of the former husbands of the widows were 43.8% wood cutting, 28.1% fishing, 10.9% crab catching, 9.4% tiger prawn seed (juvenile prawn), and 4.7% honey collection. The maximum number of attacks took place in the months of December (24.6%) and November (13.9%). The majority of incidences happened during the morning hours (47.7%) of the day. Of the cases, 86.1% were attacked while the person was engaged in livelihood activity. In all, 57.4% widows are recorded as living "below the poverty line". Currently, 45.5% widows earn their living by laboring work followed by forest-based livelihood activities (30%) and begging (5.2%). Tiger-widows differed significantly (P < 0.001) from both normal and snake-bite widows on all stigma cluster scores and the total score. Of the tiger-widows, 44% were shown to be suffering from some designated mental illness. IDIs and FGDs helped to unfold the cultural construct of stigma related to tiger-killing. This can be seen in how the tiger-widows' quality of life has been negatively impacted in the way their economic and social security, health, remarriage opportunities, and child upbringing is restricted, along with a multitude of posttrauma psychological scars, deprivation, abuse, and exploitation. The study highlights the multitude of sufferings experienced by the tiger-widows including the issues of the gender aspect of HTC and the ecopsychiatric risk factors of tiger attacks combined with the background of local sociocultural beliefs and practices. It is well known that a similar problem also exists in Bangladesh Sundarban as well, in which case it may be that a strong and practical administrative strategy for sustainable alternative income generation and a balanced conservation policy with integrated participatory forest management may go to save both human and tiger. A community ecocultural mental health program involving all the stakeholders (community, gram panchayat, and forest department) and aiming to address and even eradicate the cultural stigma of tiger attack may help to reduce the stigma burden and socicultural discrimination currently experienced by the tiger-widows.

Fatal tiger attack: a case report with emphasis on typical tiger injuries characterized by partially resembling stab-like wounds.

PubMed

Pathak, Hrishikesh; Borkar, Jaydeo; Dixit, Pradeep; Dhawane, Shailendra; Shrigiriwar, Manish; Dingre, Niraj

2013-10-10

Fatalities due to attacks by tigers on humans are uncommon and are rarely described in the medico-legal literature. We herein present a forensic investigation in a unique case of a fatal tiger attack in the wild on a 35 year old female in India by an Indian Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris). The attack resulted in two pairs of puncture wounds over the nape area with occult cervical spine injuries resulting from transfixing of spine due to the tiger canines; multiple puncture wounds, numerous scratches and abrasions consistent with the tiger claw injuries and injury to the right jugulocarotid vessels. This case outlines the characteristic injury pattern from such an attack along with the multiple sources of the tiger injuries. The analysis of these injuries might reveal the motivation behind the attack and the big cat species involved in the attack. A tiger injury is sometimes compared with a stab injury, as the patterned injuries due to a tiger bite are characterized by multiple penetrating, stab-like wounds. So, a special attention is paid toward establishment of the cause of death from bites by the animal teeth under unknown circumstances of trauma and to exclude the possibility of a homicide beyond reasonable doubt in such cases. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Philopatry and dispersal patterns in tiger (Panthera tigris).

PubMed

Gour, Digpal Singh; Bhagavatula, Jyotsna; Bhavanishankar, Maradani; Reddy, Patlolla Anuradha; Gupta, Jaya A; Sarkar, Mriganka Shekhar; Hussain, Shaik Mohammed; Harika, Segu; Gulia, Ravinder; Shivaji, Sisinthy

2013-01-01

Tiger populations are dwindling rapidly making it increasingly difficult to study their dispersal and mating behaviour in the wild, more so tiger being a secretive and solitary carnivore. We used non-invasively obtained genetic data to establish the presence of 28 tigers, 22 females and 6 males, within the core area of Pench tiger reserve, Madhya Pradesh. This data was evaluated along with spatial autocorrelation and relatedness analyses to understand patterns of dispersal and philopatry in tigers within this well-managed and healthy tiger habitat in India. We established male-biased dispersal and female philopatry in tigers and reiterated this finding with multiple analyses. Females show positive correlation up to 7 kms (which corresponds to an area of approximately 160 km(2)) however this correlation is significantly positive only upto 4 kms, or 50 km(2) (r  = 0.129, p<0.0125). Males do not exhibit any significant correlation in any of the distance classes within the forest (upto 300 km(2)). We also show evidence of female dispersal upto 26 kms in this landscape. Animal movements are important for fitness, reproductive success, genetic diversity and gene exchange among populations. In light of the current endangered status of tigers in the world, this study will help us understand tiger behavior and movement. Our findings also have important implications for better management of habitats and interconnecting corridors to save this charismatic species.

Assessment of genetic diversity, population structure, and gene flow of tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) across Nepal's Terai Arc Landscape.

PubMed

Thapa, Kanchan; Manandhar, Sulochana; Bista, Manisha; Shakya, Jivan; Sah, Govind; Dhakal, Maheshwar; Sharma, Netra; Llewellyn, Bronwyn; Wultsch, Claudia; Waits, Lisette P; Kelly, Marcella J; Hero, Jean-Marc; Hughes, Jane; Karmacharya, Dibesh

2018-01-01

With fewer than 200 tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) left in Nepal, that are generally confined to five protected areas across the Terai Arc Landscape, genetic studies are needed to provide crucial information on diversity and connectivity for devising an effective country-wide tiger conservation strategy. As part of the Nepal Tiger Genome Project, we studied landscape change, genetic variation, population structure, and gene flow of tigers across the Terai Arc Landscape by conducting Nepal's first comprehensive and systematic scat-based, non-invasive genetic survey. Of the 770 scat samples collected opportunistically from five protected areas and six presumed corridors, 412 were tiger (57%). Out of ten microsatellite loci, we retain eight markers that were used in identifying 78 individual tigers. We used this dataset to examine population structure, genetic variation, contemporary gene flow, and potential population bottlenecks of tigers in Nepal. We detected three genetic clusters consistent with three demographic sub-populations and found moderate levels of genetic variation (He = 0.61, AR = 3.51) and genetic differentiation (FST = 0.14) across the landscape. We detected 3-7 migrants, confirming the potential for dispersal-mediated gene flow across the landscape. We found evidence of a bottleneck signature likely caused by large-scale land-use change documented in the last two centuries in the Terai forest. Securing tiger habitat including functional forest corridors is essential to enhance gene flow across the landscape and ensure long-term tiger survival. This requires cooperation among multiple stakeholders and careful conservation planning to prevent detrimental effects of anthropogenic activities on tigers.

Assessment of genetic diversity, population structure, and gene flow of tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) across Nepal's Terai Arc Landscape

PubMed Central

Manandhar, Sulochana; Bista, Manisha; Shakya, Jivan; Sah, Govind; Dhakal, Maheshwar; Sharma, Netra; Llewellyn, Bronwyn; Wultsch, Claudia; Waits, Lisette P.; Kelly, Marcella J.; Hero, Jean-Marc; Hughes, Jane

2018-01-01

With fewer than 200 tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) left in Nepal, that are generally confined to five protected areas across the Terai Arc Landscape, genetic studies are needed to provide crucial information on diversity and connectivity for devising an effective country-wide tiger conservation strategy. As part of the Nepal Tiger Genome Project, we studied landscape change, genetic variation, population structure, and gene flow of tigers across the Terai Arc Landscape by conducting Nepal’s first comprehensive and systematic scat-based, non-invasive genetic survey. Of the 770 scat samples collected opportunistically from five protected areas and six presumed corridors, 412 were tiger (57%). Out of ten microsatellite loci, we retain eight markers that were used in identifying 78 individual tigers. We used this dataset to examine population structure, genetic variation, contemporary gene flow, and potential population bottlenecks of tigers in Nepal. We detected three genetic clusters consistent with three demographic sub-populations and found moderate levels of genetic variation (He = 0.61, AR = 3.51) and genetic differentiation (FST = 0.14) across the landscape. We detected 3–7 migrants, confirming the potential for dispersal-mediated gene flow across the landscape. We found evidence of a bottleneck signature likely caused by large-scale land-use change documented in the last two centuries in the Terai forest. Securing tiger habitat including functional forest corridors is essential to enhance gene flow across the landscape and ensure long-term tiger survival. This requires cooperation among multiple stakeholders and careful conservation planning to prevent detrimental effects of anthropogenic activities on tigers. PMID:29561865

75 FR 38799 - ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Application

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-06

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP10-459-000] ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Application June 25, 2010. Take notice that on June 15, 2010, ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC (ETC Tiger), 711 Louisiana Street, Suite 900, Houston, Texas 77002, filed an application in Docket...

Ecopsychosocial Aspects of Human–Tiger Conflict: An Ethnographic Study of Tiger Widows of Sundarban Delta, India

PubMed Central

Chowdhury, Arabinda N.; Mondal, Ranajit; Brahma, Arabinda; Biswas, Mrinal K.

2016-01-01

AIMS Human–tiger conflict (HTC) is a serious public health issue in Sundarban Reserve Forest, India. HTC is a continued concern for the significant mortality and morbidity of both human and tiger population. This is the first comprehensive report on Sundarban tiger–human conflicts and its impact on widows whose husbands were killed by tigers. The study attempts to explore the situation analysis of HTC and the aftermath of the incident including bereavement and coping, the cultural stigma related to being killed by a tiger and the consequent discrimination, deprivation, and social rejection, and the impact on the mental health of the tiger-widows. METHODS This is a three-phase ethnographic research with a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods. In the first phase, a door-to-door village survey (3,084 households) was carried out in two villages of Sundarban, which are adjacent to the Reserve Forest, in which the incidents of human–animal conflicts and the 65 tiger-widows identified were documented. In the second phase, the 65 tiger-widows were studied to explore the ecodemography of tiger attacks and tiger-widows alongside the stigma issue by using a stigma questionnaire (n = 49). The stigma burden was compared with normal widows (n = 21) and snake-bite widows (n = 18). In the third phase, the psychosocial and cultural dimensions related to tiger attacks were studied by using in-depth interviews (IDI) of the tiger-widows, focus-group discussions (FGD), and participatory mapping in the community. Clinical examinations of the mental health of the widows were also carried out in this phase. RESULTS The mean age of the 65 widows was 43.49 ± 9.58 years. Of this, 12.3% of the widows had remarried and only 4.6% of the widows were literate. In all, 67.2% of all tiger attacks occurred as a result of illegal forest entry. The main livelihood of the former husbands of the widows were 43.8% wood cutting, 28.1% fishing, 10.9% crab catching, 9.4% tiger prawn seed (juvenile prawn), and 4.7% honey collection. The maximum number of attacks took place in the months of December (24.6%) and November (13.9%). The majority of incidences happened during the morning hours (47.7%) of the day. Of the cases, 86.1% were attacked while the person was engaged in livelihood activity. In all, 57.4% widows are recorded as living “below the poverty line”. Currently, 45.5% widows earn their living by laboring work followed by forest-based livelihood activities (30%) and begging (5.2%). Tiger-widows differed significantly (P < 0.001) from both normal and snake-bite widows on all stigma cluster scores and the total score. Of the tiger-widows, 44% were shown to be suffering from some designated mental illness. IDIs and FGDs helped to unfold the cultural construct of stigma related to tiger-killing. This can be seen in how the tiger-widows’ quality of life has been negatively impacted in the way their economic and social security, health, remarriage opportunities, and child upbringing is restricted, along with a multitude of posttrauma psychological scars, deprivation, abuse, and exploitation. CONCLUSIONS The study highlights the multitude of sufferings experienced by the tiger-widows including the issues of the gender aspect of HTC and the ecopsychiatric risk factors of tiger attacks combined with the background of local sociocultural beliefs and practices. It is well known that a similar problem also exists in Bangladesh Sundarban as well, in which case it may be that a strong and practical administrative strategy for sustainable alternative income generation and a balanced conservation policy with integrated participatory forest management may go to save both human and tiger. A community ecocultural mental health program involving all the stakeholders (community, gram panchayat, and forest department) and aiming to address and even eradicate the cultural stigma of tiger attack may help to reduce the stigma burden and socicultural discrimination currently experienced by the tiger-widows. PMID:26792997

Spatial assessment of attitudes toward tigers in Nepal.

PubMed

Carter, Neil H; Riley, Shawn J; Shortridge, Ashton; Shrestha, Binoj K; Liu, Jianguo

2014-03-01

In many regions around the world, wildlife impacts on people (e.g., crop raiding, attacks on people) engender negative attitudes toward wildlife. Negative attitudes predict behaviors that undermine wildlife management and conservation efforts (e.g., by exacerbating retaliatory killing of wildlife). Our study (1) evaluated attitudes of local people toward the globally endangered tiger (Panthera tigris) in Nepal's Chitwan National Park; and (2) modeled and mapped spatial clusters of attitudes toward tigers. Factors characterizing a person's position in society (i.e., socioeconomic and cultural factors) influenced attitudes toward tigers more than past experiences with tigers (e.g., livestock attacks). A spatial cluster of negative attitudes toward tigers was associated with concentrations of people with less formal education, people from marginalized ethnic groups, and tiger attacks on people. Our study provides insights and descriptions of techniques to improve attitudes toward wildlife in Chitwan and many regions around the world with similar conservation challenges.

77 FR 36287 - Proposed Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan for the California Tiger Salamander, Calaveras...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-18

...-FXES11120800000F2-123-F2] Proposed Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan for the California Tiger Salamander... animal, the threatened Central California Distinct Population Segment of the California tiger salamander (tiger salamander). The applicant would implement a conservation program to minimize and mitigate the...

76 FR 44036 - Proposed Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan for the California Tiger Salamander, AT&T Portable...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-22

...] Proposed Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan for the California Tiger Salamander, AT&T Portable Generator... Federally listed animal, the California tiger salamander. The applicant would implement a conservation... permanently convert 1.24 acres of upland grassland habitat for the California tiger salamander into a new...

Key tiger habitats in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya

Treesearch

Ashish Kumar; Bruce G. Marcot

2010-01-01

We describe assumed tiger habitat characteristics and attempt to identify potential tiger habitats in the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya, North East India. Conserving large forest tracts and protected wildlife habitats provides an opportunity for restoring populations of wide-ranging wildlife such as tigers and elephants. Based on limited field observations coupled...

Examining the feasibility of a Microsoft Kinect ™ based game intervention for individuals with anterior cruciate ligament injury risk.

PubMed

Zhiyu Huo; Griffin, Joseph; Babiuch, Ryan; Gray, Aaron; Willis, Bradley; Marjorie, Skubic; Shining Sun

2015-01-01

We describe a feasibility study in which the Microsoft Kinect is used for a game-based exercise to strengthen posterior chain muscles which are often weak in those at high risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. In the game, subjects perform a single posterior chain strengthening exercise. The game uses a side-scrolling video display driven by a hip abduction exercise while a player lies down on the floor. Leg lifts beyond a predetermined angle trigger the jumping action of an animated tiger. We describe the scene and game control, which uses depth images from the Kinect. Although Kinect-based skeletal data are used for many games, the skeletal model does not yield good estimates for positions on the floor. Our proposed system uses multiple leg angle estimators for different angle regions to recognize the player lying down and capture the angle between two legs. We conducted an experiment that validates our system with marker-based Vicon ground truth data. We also present results of an end-to-end test using the game, showing feasibility.

Effects of the herbicide atrazine on Ambystoma tigrinum metamorphosis: duration, larval growth, and hormonal response

USGS Publications Warehouse

Larson, Diane L.; McDonald, Susan; Hamilton, Steven J.; Fivizzani, Albert J.; Newton, Wesley E.

1998-01-01

We exposed larval tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) reared in the laboratory from eggs collected from a prairie wetland in North Dakota to three concentrations of atrazine (0, 75, and 250 i??g/L) in a static renewal test to determine the pesticide's effect on (1) plasma corticosterone and thyroxine concentrations, (2) larval size, and (3) days-to-stage at stages 2 and 4 of metamorphic climax. We found significant effects of atrazine on each of these response variables. Plasma thyroxine was elevated in both atrazine-exposed groups compared to the control group; plasma corticosterone was depressed in the 75 i??g/L treatment compared with both the control and 250 i??g/L treatment. Larvae exposed to 75 i??g/L atrazine reached stage 4 later, but at a size and weight comparable to the control group. By contrast, larvae in the 250 i??g/L treatment progressed to stage 4 at the same time but at a smaller size and lower weight than larvae in the control group. These results indicate that the herbicide has the potential to influence tiger salamander life history. We present a model consistent with our results, whereby corticosterone and thyroxine interact to regulate metamorphosis of tiger salamanders based on nutrient assimilation and adult fitness

Patterns of livestock depredation by tiger (Panthera tigris) and leopard (Panthera pardus) in and around Corbett Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand, India.

PubMed

Bargali, Harendra Singh; Ahmed, Tanveer

2018-01-01

India with estimated more than 2000 tigers (across 18 states) accounts for more than half of the remaining tigers across its range countries. Long-term conservation requires measures to protect the large carnivores and its prey base beyond the Protect Areas. The Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) and adjoining forest divisions with high density of tigers play a crucial role in conservation of tiger in Uttarakhand state as well as the Terai-Arc Landscape. However, CTR is surrounded with multiple-use forest (forest divisions), agriculture land, human habitation, townships and developmental projects. The movement of large carnivores and other wildlife through such habitats adds to the chances of human-wildlife conflict. The aim of the current study was to understand the patterns of livestock depredation by tigers and leopards in and around CTR. We examined a total of 8365 incidents of livestock depredation between 2006 and 2015 with tigers killing more livestock in a year (573.3±41.2) than leopards (263.2±9.9). Geographically, in north zone of CTR leopards were the major livestock predator (166.6±11), whereas tigers (547.7±40.1) in south zone. Examination of livestock kills indicated cows (75%) as the main victim, followed by buffaloes and other species. Analysis revealed that the livestock depredation by tigers varied significantly among seasons in south zone but not in north zone. However, such an explicit seasonal variation was not observed for leopards in north and south zone of CTR. Hotspots of livestock predation were identified around CTR. Addressing a conflict situation in a time-bound manner, timely disbursement of ex-gratia payment, involving locals at various tourism related activities and consistent rapport building initiatives are required to mitigate the human-wildlife conflict.

Tigers Need Cover: Multi-Scale Occupancy Study of the Big Cat in Sumatran Forest and Plantation Landscapes

PubMed Central

Sunarto, Sunarto; Kelly, Marcella J.; Parakkasi, Karmila; Klenzendorf, Sybille; Septayuda, Eka; Kurniawan, Harry

2012-01-01

The critically endangered Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae Pocock, 1929) is generally known as a forest-dependent animal. With large-scale conversion of forests into plantations, however, it is crucial for restoration efforts to understand to what extent tigers use modified habitats. We investigated tiger-habitat relationships at 2 spatial scales: occupancy across the landscape and habitat use within the home range. Across major landcover types in central Sumatra, we conducted systematic detection, non-detection sign surveys in 47, 17×17 km grid cells. Within each cell, we surveyed 40, 1-km transects and recorded tiger detections and habitat variables in 100 m segments totaling 1,857 km surveyed. We found that tigers strongly preferred forest and used plantations of acacia and oilpalm, far less than their availability. Tiger probability of occupancy covaried positively and strongly with altitude, positively with forest area, and negatively with distance-to-forest centroids. At the fine scale, probability of habitat use by tigers across landcover types covaried positively and strongly with understory cover and altitude, and negatively and strongly with human settlement. Within forest areas, tigers strongly preferred sites that are farther from water bodies, higher in altitude, farther from edge, and closer to centroid of large forest block; and strongly preferred sites with thicker understory cover, lower level of disturbance, higher altitude, and steeper slope. These results indicate that to thrive, tigers depend on the existence of large contiguous forest blocks, and that with adjustments in plantation management, tigers could use mosaics of plantations (as additional roaming zones), riparian forests (as corridors) and smaller forest patches (as stepping stones), potentially maintaining a metapopulation structure in fragmented landscapes. This study highlights the importance of a multi-spatial scale analysis and provides crucial information relevant to restoring tigers and other wildlife in forest and plantation landscapes through improvement in habitat extent, quality, and connectivity. PMID:22292063

Tigers need cover: multi-scale occupancy study of the big cat in Sumatran forest and plantation landscapes.

PubMed

Sunarto, Sunarto; Kelly, Marcella J; Parakkasi, Karmila; Klenzendorf, Sybille; Septayuda, Eka; Kurniawan, Harry

2012-01-01

The critically endangered Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae Pocock, 1929) is generally known as a forest-dependent animal. With large-scale conversion of forests into plantations, however, it is crucial for restoration efforts to understand to what extent tigers use modified habitats. We investigated tiger-habitat relationships at 2 spatial scales: occupancy across the landscape and habitat use within the home range. Across major landcover types in central Sumatra, we conducted systematic detection, non-detection sign surveys in 47, 17×17 km grid cells. Within each cell, we surveyed 40, 1-km transects and recorded tiger detections and habitat variables in 100 m segments totaling 1,857 km surveyed. We found that tigers strongly preferred forest and used plantations of acacia and oilpalm, far less than their availability. Tiger probability of occupancy covaried positively and strongly with altitude, positively with forest area, and negatively with distance-to-forest centroids. At the fine scale, probability of habitat use by tigers across landcover types covaried positively and strongly with understory cover and altitude, and negatively and strongly with human settlement. Within forest areas, tigers strongly preferred sites that are farther from water bodies, higher in altitude, farther from edge, and closer to centroid of large forest block; and strongly preferred sites with thicker understory cover, lower level of disturbance, higher altitude, and steeper slope. These results indicate that to thrive, tigers depend on the existence of large contiguous forest blocks, and that with adjustments in plantation management, tigers could use mosaics of plantations (as additional roaming zones), riparian forests (as corridors) and smaller forest patches (as stepping stones), potentially maintaining a metapopulation structure in fragmented landscapes. This study highlights the importance of a multi-spatial scale analysis and provides crucial information relevant to restoring tigers and other wildlife in forest and plantation landscapes through improvement in habitat extent, quality, and connectivity.

Population dynamics of Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) in Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Zapovednik: 1966-2012.

PubMed

Miquelle, Dale G; Smirnov, Evgeny N; Zaumyslova, Olga Yu; Soutyrina, Svetlana V; Johnson, Douglas H

2015-07-01

In 2010, the world's tiger (Panthera tigris) range countries agreed to the goal of doubling tiger numbers over 12 years, but whether such an increase is biologically feasible has not been assessed. Long-term monitoring of tigers in Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Zapovednik (SABZ), Russia provided an opportunity to determine growth rates of a recovering population. A 41-year growth phase was followed by a rapid decline in tiger numbers. Annual growth rates during the growth phase averaged 4.6%, beginning near 10% in the earliest years but quickly dropping below 5%. Sex ratio (females per male) mirrored growth rates, declining as population size increased. The rapid decline from 2009 to 2012 appeared to be tied to multiple factors, including poaching, severe winters and disease. Reproductive indicators of this population are similar to those of Bengal tiger populations, suggesting that growth rates may be similar. These results suggest that, first, tiger populations likely in general grow slowly: 3-5% yearly increases are realistic and larger growth rates are likely only when populations are highly depressed, mortality rates are low and prey populations are high relative to numbers of adult females. Second, while more research is needed, it should not be assumed that tiger populations with high prey densities will necessarily grow more quickly than populations with low prey densities. Third, while growth is slow, decline can be rapid. Fourth, because declines can happen so quickly, there is a constant need to monitor populations and be ready to respond with appropriate and timely conservation interventions if tiger populations are to remain secure. Finally, an average annual growth rate across all tiger populations of 6%, required to reach the Global Tiger Initiative's goal of doubling tiger numbers in 12 years, is a noble but unlikely scenario. © 2015 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Two Variants in SLC24A5 Are Associated with “Tiger-Eye” Iris Pigmentation in Puerto Rican Paso Fino Horses

PubMed Central

Mack, Maura; Kowalski, Elizabeth; Grahn, Robert; Bras, Dineli; Penedo, Maria Cecilia T.; Bellone, Rebecca

2017-01-01

A unique eye color, called tiger-eye, segregates in the Puerto Rican Paso Fino (PRPF) horse breed and is characterized by a bright yellow, amber, or orange iris. Pedigree analysis identified a simple autosomal recessive mode of inheritance for this trait. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) with 24 individuals identified a locus on ECA 1 reaching genome-wide significance (Pcorrected = 1.32 × 10−5). This ECA1 locus harbors the candidate gene, Solute Carrier Family 24 (Sodium/Potassium/Calcium Exchanger), Member 5 (SLC24A5), with known roles in pigmentation in humans, mice, and zebrafish. Humans with compound heterozygous mutations in SLC24A5 have oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) type 6 (OCA6), which is characterized by dilute skin, hair, and eye pigmentation, as well as ocular anomalies. Twenty tiger-eye horses were homozygous for a nonsynonymous mutation in exon 2 (p.Phe91Tyr) of SLC24A5 (called here Tiger-eye 1), which is predicted to be deleterious to protein function. Additionally, eight of the remaining 12 tiger-eye horses heterozygous for the p.Phe91Tyr variant were also heterozygous for a 628 bp deletion encompassing all of exon 7 of SLC24A5 (c.875-340_1081+82del), which we will call here the Tiger-eye 2 allele. None of the 122 brown-eyed horses were homozygous for either tiger-eye-associated allele or were compound heterozygotes. Further, neither variant was detected in 196 horses from four related breeds not known to have the tiger-eye phenotype. Here, we propose that two mutations in SLC24A5 affect iris pigmentation in tiger-eye PRPF horses. Further, unlike OCA6 in humans, the Tiger-eye 1 mutation in its homozygous state or as a compound heterozygote (Tiger-eye 1/Tiger-eye 2) does not appear to cause ocular anomalies or a change in coat color in the PRPF horse. PMID:28655738

Assessment of fine-scale resource selection and spatially explicit habitat suitability modelling for a re-introduced tiger (Panthera tigris) population in central India

PubMed Central

Sarkar, Mriganka Shekhar; Johnson, Jeyaraj A.; Sen, Subharanjan

2017-01-01

Background Large carnivores influence ecosystem functions at various scales. Thus, their local extinction is not only a species-specific conservation concern, but also reflects on the overall habitat quality and ecosystem value. Species-habitat relationships at fine scale reflect the individuals’ ability to procure resources and negotiate intraspecific competition. Such fine scale habitat choices are more pronounced in large carnivores such as tiger (Panthera tigris), which exhibits competitive exclusion in habitat and mate selection strategies. Although landscape level policies and conservation strategies are increasingly promoted for tiger conservation, specific management interventions require knowledge of the habitat correlates at fine scale. Methods We studied nine radio-collared individuals of a successfully reintroduced tiger population in Panna Tiger Reserve, central India, focussing on the species-habitat relationship at fine scales. With 16 eco-geographical variables, we performed Manly’s selection ratio and K-select analyses to define population-level and individual-level variation in resource selection, respectively. We analysed the data obtained during the exploratory period of six tigers and during the settled period of eight tigers separately, and compared the consequent results. We further used the settled period characteristics to model and map habitat suitability based on the Mahalanobis D2 method and the Boyce index. Results There was a clear difference in habitat selection by tigers between the exploratory and the settled period. During the exploratory period, tigers selected dense canopy and bamboo forests, but also spent time near villages and relocated village sites. However, settled tigers predominantly selected bamboo forests in complex terrain, riverine forests and teak-mixed forest, and totally avoided human settlements and agriculture areas. There were individual variations in habitat selection between exploratory and settled periods. Based on threshold limits of habitat selection by the Boyce Index, we established that 83% of core and 47% of buffer areas are now suitable habitats for tiger in this reserve. Discussion Tiger management often focuses on large-scale measures, but this study for the first time highlights the behaviour and fine-scale individual-specific habitat selection strategies. Such knowledge is vital for management of critical tiger habitats and specifically for the success of reintroduction programs. Our spatially explicit habitat suitability map provides a baseline for conservation planning and optimizing carrying capacity of the tiger population in this reserve. PMID:29114438

Assessment of fine-scale resource selection and spatially explicit habitat suitability modelling for a re-introduced tiger (Panthera tigris) population in central India.

PubMed

Sarkar, Mriganka Shekhar; Krishnamurthy, Ramesh; Johnson, Jeyaraj A; Sen, Subharanjan; Saha, Goutam Kumar

2017-01-01

Large carnivores influence ecosystem functions at various scales. Thus, their local extinction is not only a species-specific conservation concern, but also reflects on the overall habitat quality and ecosystem value. Species-habitat relationships at fine scale reflect the individuals' ability to procure resources and negotiate intraspecific competition. Such fine scale habitat choices are more pronounced in large carnivores such as tiger ( Panthera tigris ), which exhibits competitive exclusion in habitat and mate selection strategies. Although landscape level policies and conservation strategies are increasingly promoted for tiger conservation, specific management interventions require knowledge of the habitat correlates at fine scale. We studied nine radio-collared individuals of a successfully reintroduced tiger population in Panna Tiger Reserve, central India, focussing on the species-habitat relationship at fine scales. With 16 eco-geographical variables, we performed Manly's selection ratio and K-select analyses to define population-level and individual-level variation in resource selection, respectively. We analysed the data obtained during the exploratory period of six tigers and during the settled period of eight tigers separately, and compared the consequent results. We further used the settled period characteristics to model and map habitat suitability based on the Mahalanobis D 2 method and the Boyce index. There was a clear difference in habitat selection by tigers between the exploratory and the settled period. During the exploratory period, tigers selected dense canopy and bamboo forests, but also spent time near villages and relocated village sites. However, settled tigers predominantly selected bamboo forests in complex terrain, riverine forests and teak-mixed forest, and totally avoided human settlements and agriculture areas. There were individual variations in habitat selection between exploratory and settled periods. Based on threshold limits of habitat selection by the Boyce Index, we established that 83% of core and 47% of buffer areas are now suitable habitats for tiger in this reserve. Tiger management often focuses on large-scale measures, but this study for the first time highlights the behaviour and fine-scale individual-specific habitat selection strategies. Such knowledge is vital for management of critical tiger habitats and specifically for the success of reintroduction programs. Our spatially explicit habitat suitability map provides a baseline for conservation planning and optimizing carrying capacity of the tiger population in this reserve.

Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER). The Future of Interprofessional Education Is Here!

PubMed

Kuo, Ming-Chuan; Ball, Marion; Skiba, Diane J; Marin, Heimar; Shaw, Toria; Chang, Polun

2018-01-01

This session will describe the TIGER Initiative journey, its evolution and accomplishments nationally and internationally. A powerful demonstration of the TIGER Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) will be highlighted along with case studies from around the world, with emphasis on global competencies and opportunities for engagement in all current TIGER activities and future plans.

Estimating the Population Size and Genetic Diversity of Amur Tigers in Northeast China

PubMed Central

Dou, Hailong; Yang, Haitao; Feng, Limin; Mou, Pu; Wang, Tianming; Ge, Jianping

2016-01-01

Over the past century, the endangered Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) has experienced a severe contraction in demography and geographic range because of habitat loss, poaching, and prey depletion. In its historical home in Northeast China, there appears to be a single tiger population that includes tigers in Southwest Primorye and Northeast China; however, the current demographic status of this population is uncertain. Information on the abundance, distribution and genetic diversity of this population for assessing the efficacy of conservation interventions are scarce. We used noninvasive genetic detection data from scats, capture-recapture models and an accumulation curve method to estimate the abundance of Amur tigers in Northeast China. We identified 11 individual tigers (6 females and 5 males) using 10 microsatellite loci in three nature reserves between April 2013 and May 2015. These tigers are confined primarily to a Hunchun Nature Reserve along the border with Russia, with an estimated population abundance of 9–11 tigers during the winter of 2014–2015. They showed a low level of genetic diversity. The mean number of alleles per locus was 2.60 and expected and observed heterozygosity were 0.42 and 0.49, respectively. We also documented long-distance dispersal (~270 km) of a male Amur tiger to Huangnihe Nature Reserve from the border, suggesting that the expansion of neighboring Russian populations may eventually help sustain Chinese populations. However, the small and isolated population recorded by this study demonstrate that there is an urgent need for more intensive regional management to create a tiger-permeable landscape and increased genetic connectivity with other populations. PMID:27100387

Estimating the Population Size and Genetic Diversity of Amur Tigers in Northeast China.

PubMed

Dou, Hailong; Yang, Haitao; Feng, Limin; Mou, Pu; Wang, Tianming; Ge, Jianping

2016-01-01

Over the past century, the endangered Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) has experienced a severe contraction in demography and geographic range because of habitat loss, poaching, and prey depletion. In its historical home in Northeast China, there appears to be a single tiger population that includes tigers in Southwest Primorye and Northeast China; however, the current demographic status of this population is uncertain. Information on the abundance, distribution and genetic diversity of this population for assessing the efficacy of conservation interventions are scarce. We used noninvasive genetic detection data from scats, capture-recapture models and an accumulation curve method to estimate the abundance of Amur tigers in Northeast China. We identified 11 individual tigers (6 females and 5 males) using 10 microsatellite loci in three nature reserves between April 2013 and May 2015. These tigers are confined primarily to a Hunchun Nature Reserve along the border with Russia, with an estimated population abundance of 9-11 tigers during the winter of 2014-2015. They showed a low level of genetic diversity. The mean number of alleles per locus was 2.60 and expected and observed heterozygosity were 0.42 and 0.49, respectively. We also documented long-distance dispersal (~270 km) of a male Amur tiger to Huangnihe Nature Reserve from the border, suggesting that the expansion of neighboring Russian populations may eventually help sustain Chinese populations. However, the small and isolated population recorded by this study demonstrate that there is an urgent need for more intensive regional management to create a tiger-permeable landscape and increased genetic connectivity with other populations.

Probable Tiger-to-Tiger Transmission of Avian Influenza H5N1

PubMed Central

Thanawongnuwech, Roongroje; Amonsin, Alongkorn; Tantilertcharoen, Rachod; Damrongwatanapokin, Sudarat; Theamboonlers, Apiradee; Payungporn, Sunchai; Nanthapornphiphat, Kamonchart; Ratanamungklanon, Somchuan; Tunak, Eakchai; Songserm, Thaweesak; Vivatthanavanich, Veravit; Lekdumrongsak, Thawat; Kesdangsakonwut, Sawang; Tunhikorn, Schwann

2005-01-01

During the second outbreak of avian influenza H5N1 in Thailand, probable horizontal transmission among tigers was demonstrated in the tiger zoo. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of those viruses showed no differences from the first isolate obtained in January 2004. This finding has implications for influenza virus epidemiology and pathogenicity in mammals. PMID:15890122

DefenseLink Special: Remember the Flying Tigers of World War II

Science.gov Websites

Us Remembering The Flying Tigers The Flying Tigers of World War II Americans have not always waited during the early days of World War II before the United States officially became a combatant. Some them as heroes during the early period of World War II when Japan had the upper hand. The Flying Tigers

Ascarid infestation in captive Siberian tigers in China.

PubMed

Peng, Zhiwei; Liu, Shijie; Hou, Zhijun; Xing, Mingwei

2016-08-15

The Siberian tiger is endangered and is listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature; the captive environment is utilized to maintain Siberian tiger numbers. Little information regarding the prevalence of parasites in Siberian tigers is available. A total of 277 fecal samples of Siberian tigers were analyzed in this study. The microscopic analysis indicated the presence of ascarid eggs of Toxascaris leonina and Toxocara cati. The ascarid infection rate was 67.5% in Siberian tigers. The internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS-1) phylogenetic analysis indicated that T. leonina belonged to Toxascaris and that Toxo. cati belonged to Toxocara. The infestation rate and intensity of T. leonina were higher than those of Toxo. cati. One-way analysis of variance showed that the presence of T. leonina was significantly associated with age (P<0.05). Temperature changes also influenced T. leonina and Toxo. cati infestation, and a rise in temperature caused an increase in the number of T. leonina and Toxo. cati eggs. This study provides a better understanding of ascarid infestation among the captive Siberian tigers and is helpful for the prevention of the spread of infectious parasitic diseases among other tigers in the zoo. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Serosurvey of free-ranging Amur tigers in the Russian Far East.

PubMed

Goodrich, John M; Quigley, Kathy S; Lewis, John C M; Astafiev, Anatoli A; Slabi, Evgeny V; Miquelle, Dale G; Smirnov, Evgeney N; Kerley, Linda L; Armstrong, Douglas L; Quigley, Howard B; Hornocker, Maurice G

2012-01-01

Wild Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica, n=44) from the Russian Far East were tested for antibodies to feline leukemia virus, feline corona virus (FCoV), feline immunodeficiency virus, feline parvovirus (FPV), canine distemper virus (CDV), Toxoplasma gondii, and Bartonella henselae. Antibodies to FCoV, CDV, FPV, and T. gondii were detected in 43, 15, 68, and 42% of tigers, respectively. No differences were detected in antibody prevalence estimates between tigers captured as part of a research program and those captured to mitigate human-tiger conflicts. Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) were tested as a potential source for CDV; 16% were vaccinated against CDV and 58% of unvaccinated dogs were antibody positive for CDV. A high percentage of tigers were exposed to potential pathogens that could affect the survival of this species. We recommend continued monitoring of wild tigers throughout Asia, development of standardized sampling and postmortem examination procedures, and additional research to better understand potential domestic and wild animal sources for these pathogens.

Clean Cities Technical Assistance Project (Tiger Teams)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

This two-page fact sheet describes Clean Cities' technical assistance (Tiger Teams) capabilities and projects, both completed and ongoing. Tiger Teams are a critical element of the Clean Cities program, providing on-the-ground consultation to help inform program strategies. The knowledge Tiger Team experts gain from these experiences often helps inform other alternative fuels activities, such as needed research, codes and standards revisions, and new training resources.

Identifying Conservation Successes, Failures and Future Opportunities; Assessing Recovery Potential of Wild Ungulates and Tigers in Eastern Cambodia

PubMed Central

O'Kelly, Hannah J.; Evans, Tom D.; Stokes, Emma J.; Clements, Tom J.; Dara, An; Gately, Mark; Menghor, Nut; Pollard, Edward H. B.; Soriyun, Men; Walston, Joe

2012-01-01

Conservation investment, particularly for charismatic and wide-ranging large mammal species, needs to be evidence-based. Despite the prevalence of this theme within the literature, examples of robust data being generated to guide conservation policy and funding decisions are rare. We present the first published case-study of tiger conservation in Indochina, from a site where an evidence-based approach has been implemented for this iconic predator and its prey. Despite the persistence of extensive areas of habitat, Indochina's tiger and ungulate prey populations are widely supposed to have precipitously declined in recent decades. The Seima Protection Forest (SPF), and broader Eastern Plains Landscape, was identified in 2000 as representing Cambodia's best hope for tiger recovery; reflected in its designation as a Global Priority Tiger Conservation Landscape. Since 2005 distance sampling, camera-trapping and detection-dog surveys have been employed to assess the recovery potential of ungulate and tiger populations in SPF. Our results show that while conservation efforts have ensured that small but regionally significant populations of larger ungulates persist, and density trends in smaller ungulates are stable, overall ungulate populations remain well below theoretical carrying capacity. Extensive field surveys failed to yield any evidence of tiger, and we contend that there is no longer a resident population within the SPF. This local extirpation is believed to be primarily attributable to two decades of intensive hunting; but importantly, prey densities are also currently below the level necessary to support a viable tiger population. Based on these results and similar findings from neighbouring sites, Eastern Cambodia does not currently constitute a Tiger Source Site nor meet the criteria of a Global Priority Tiger Landscape. However, SPF retains global importance for many other elements of biodiversity. It retains high regional importance for ungulate populations and potentially in the future for Indochinese tigers, given adequate prey and protection. PMID:23077476

Culture, characteristics and chromosome complement of Siberian tiger fibroblasts for nuclear transfer.

PubMed

Song, Jimei; Hua, Song; Song, Kai; Zhang, Yong

2007-01-01

Tiger (Panthera tigris Linnaeus, 1758) is a characteristic species of Asia, which is in severe danger. Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is the largest one of the five existent tiger subspecies. It is extremely endangered. One new way for tiger protection and rescue is to study interspecies cloning. But there is few research data about Siberian tiger. In this study, we cultured Siberian tiger fibroblasts in vitro, analyzed their biological characteristics, chromosomes, and cell cycles, to provide not only nuclear donors with good morphology, normal biological characteristics, and chromosome quantity for tiger interspecies cloning, but also reliable data for further studying Siberian tiger. The results indicated that Siberian tiger ear fibroblasts can be successfully obtained by tissue culture either with or without overnight cold digestion, the cultured cells were typical fibroblasts with normal morphology, growth curve, and chromosome quantity; G0/G1 percentage increased and S percentage decreased with the confluence of cells. G0/G1 and S stage rate was significantly different between 40-50% and 80-90%, 95-100% confluence; there is no distinct difference between 80-90% and 95-100% confluence. The cells at the same density (80-90% confluence) were treated with or without 0.5% serum starving, GO/G1 rate of the former was higher than the latter, but the difference was not significant. GO/G1 proportion of 95-100% confluence was slightly higher than serum starving (80-90% confluence), but no significant difference. Therefore, the Siberian tiger fibroblasts we cultured in vitro can be used as donor cells, and the donor cells do not need to be treated with normal serum starvation during nuclear transfer; if we will just consider the rate of the G0/G1 stage cells, serum starvation can be replaced by confluence inhibition when cultured cells were more than 80-90% confluence.

Identifying conservation successes, failures and future opportunities; assessing recovery potential of wild ungulates and tigers in Eastern Cambodia.

PubMed

O'Kelly, Hannah J; Evans, Tom D; Stokes, Emma J; Clements, Tom J; Dara, An; Gately, Mark; Menghor, Nut; Pollard, Edward H B; Soriyun, Men; Walston, Joe

2012-01-01

Conservation investment, particularly for charismatic and wide-ranging large mammal species, needs to be evidence-based. Despite the prevalence of this theme within the literature, examples of robust data being generated to guide conservation policy and funding decisions are rare. We present the first published case-study of tiger conservation in Indochina, from a site where an evidence-based approach has been implemented for this iconic predator and its prey. Despite the persistence of extensive areas of habitat, Indochina's tiger and ungulate prey populations are widely supposed to have precipitously declined in recent decades. The Seima Protection Forest (SPF), and broader Eastern Plains Landscape, was identified in 2000 as representing Cambodia's best hope for tiger recovery; reflected in its designation as a Global Priority Tiger Conservation Landscape. Since 2005 distance sampling, camera-trapping and detection-dog surveys have been employed to assess the recovery potential of ungulate and tiger populations in SPF. Our results show that while conservation efforts have ensured that small but regionally significant populations of larger ungulates persist, and density trends in smaller ungulates are stable, overall ungulate populations remain well below theoretical carrying capacity. Extensive field surveys failed to yield any evidence of tiger, and we contend that there is no longer a resident population within the SPF. This local extirpation is believed to be primarily attributable to two decades of intensive hunting; but importantly, prey densities are also currently below the level necessary to support a viable tiger population. Based on these results and similar findings from neighbouring sites, Eastern Cambodia does not currently constitute a Tiger Source Site nor meet the criteria of a Global Priority Tiger Landscape. However, SPF retains global importance for many other elements of biodiversity. It retains high regional importance for ungulate populations and potentially in the future for Indochinese tigers, given adequate prey and protection.

Dynamics of a low-density tiger population in Southeast Asia in the context of improved law enforcement.

PubMed

Duangchantrasiri, Somphot; Umponjan, Mayuree; Simcharoen, Saksit; Pattanavibool, Anak; Chaiwattana, Soontorn; Maneerat, Sompoch; Kumar, N Samba; Jathanna, Devcharan; Srivathsa, Arjun; Karanth, K Ullas

2016-06-01

Recovering small populations of threatened species is an important global conservation strategy. Monitoring the anticipated recovery, however, often relies on uncertain abundance indices rather than on rigorous demographic estimates. To counter the severe threat from poaching of wild tigers (Panthera tigris), the Government of Thailand established an intensive patrolling system in 2005 to protect and recover its largest source population in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. Concurrently, we assessed the dynamics of this tiger population over the next 8 years with rigorous photographic capture-recapture methods. From 2006 to 2012, we sampled across 624-1026 km(2) with 137-200 camera traps. Cameras deployed for 21,359 trap days yielded photographic records of 90 distinct individuals. We used closed model Bayesian spatial capture-recapture methods to estimate tiger abundances annually. Abundance estimates were integrated with likelihood-based open model analyses to estimate rates of annual and overall rates of survival, recruitment, and changes in abundance. Estimates of demographic parameters fluctuated widely: annual density ranged from 1.25 to 2.01 tigers/100 km(2) , abundance from 35 to 58 tigers, survival from 79.6% to 95.5%, and annual recruitment from 0 to 25 tigers. The number of distinct individuals photographed demonstrates the value of photographic capture-recapture methods for assessments of population dynamics in rare and elusive species that are identifiable from natural markings. Possibly because of poaching pressure, overall tiger densities at Huai Kha Khaeng were 82-90% lower than in ecologically comparable sites in India. However, intensified patrolling after 2006 appeared to reduce poaching and was correlated with marginal improvement in tiger survival and recruitment. Our results suggest that population recovery of low-density tiger populations may be slower than anticipated by current global strategies aimed at doubling the number of wild tigers in a decade. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

Exercise Tiger: assessing the BCM impact of the 2012 Olympics on Canary Wharf.

PubMed

Evett, Jonathan

2011-02-01

In this paper, collective corporate resilience is studied to see how a culture of sharing information and planning may assist other business communities to prepare for future events. The London 2012 Summer Olympic Games will see huge opportunity for businesses in London, and across Europe, but not without cost. Canary Wharf lies in the heart of London's Docklands and less than three miles from the Olympic Park at Stratford. Purpose-built as a business district, it accommodates a working population of 95,000 people, is home to some of the world's leading brands and has a vibrant retail complex of over 200 shops, bars and restaurants. This business community is preparing for every aspect of the Olympics and, in particular, the disruption the Games will bring. As a private estate, the community resilience approach fostered here is both better defined and finite in terms of those it includes as a result. Preparing together with joint exercises, forums and open communications in a network of trusted partners is yielding collective benefits and lending a stronger voice in the call for more information from official agencies. This paper outlines the benefits of collective planning and reports on the success of Canary Wharf's annual estate-wide business continuity exercise - the first major collective Olympics planning exercise in London.

Interfacing 1990 US Census TIGER map files with New S graphics software. [Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rizzardi, M.; Mohr, M.S.; Merrill, D.W.

1992-07-01

In 1990, the United States Bureau of the Census released detailed geographic base files known as TIGER/Line (Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing) which contain detail on the physical features and census tract boundaries of every county in the United States. The TIGER database is attractive for two reasons. First, it is publicly available through the Bureau of the Census on tape or cd-rom for a minimal fee. Second, it contains 24 billion characters of data which describe geographic features of interest to the Census Bureau such as coastlines, hydrography, transportation networks, political boundaries, etc. Unfortunately, the large TIGER databasemore » only provides raw alphanumeric data; no utility software, graphical or otherwise, is included. On the other hand New S, a popular statistical software package by AT T, has easily operated functions that permit advanced graphics in conjunction with data analysis. New S has the ability to plot contours, lines, segments, and points. However, of special interest is the New S function map and its options. Using the map function, which requires polygons as input, census tracts can be quickly selected, plotted, shaded, etc. New S graphics combined with the TIGER database has obvious potential. This paper reports on our efforts to use the TIGER map files with New S, especially to construct census tract maps of counties. While census tract boundaries are inherently polygonal, they are not organized as such in the TIGER database. This conversion of the TIGER line'' format into New S polygon/polyline'' format is one facet of the work reported here. Also we discuss the selection and extraction of auxiliary geographic information from TIGER files for graphical display using New S.« less

An extremely sensitive species-specific ARMS PCR test for the presence of tiger bone DNA.

PubMed

Wetton, Jon H; Tsang, Carol S F; Roney, Chris A; Spriggs, Adrian C

2002-04-18

The survival of the tiger (Panthera tigris) is seriously threatened by poaching to provide raw materials for traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). Most highly prized are the tiger's bones, which are used in combination with other animal and plant derivatives in pills and plasters for the treatment of rheumatism and other ailments. Hundreds of patent remedies have been produced which claim to contain tiger bone, but proof of its presence is needed if legislation prohibiting the trade in endangered species is to be enforced.A highly sensitive tiger-specific real-time PCR assay has been developed to address this problem. Using primers specific to the tiger mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, successful amplification has been reliably achieved from blood, hair and bone as well as from a range of TCMs spiked with 0.5% tiger bone. Although capable of detecting fewer than 10 substrate molecules, the seven varieties of TCM pills and plasters tested showed no detectable trace of tiger DNA before spiking. Furthermore, sequencing several "tiger bone" fragments seized from TCM shops has shown that they actually originated from cattle and pigs. The potential effects of traditional bone preparation methods, evidence that much lower concentrations are used than alleged on TCM packaging, and substitution of bones from other species all suggest a low likelihood of detecting tiger DNA in patent medicines. Despite this, the basic methods have been thoroughly proven and can be readily applied to derivatives from other Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) protected species, providing a rapid and highly sensitive forensic test for species of origin. Potential applications to the monitoring of wild populations are demonstrated by the successful identification of shed hairs and faecal samples.

75 FR 67356 - Combined Notice of Filings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-02

... Time on Monday, November 1, 2010. Docket Numbers: RP11-1420-000. Applicants: ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC. Description: ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC submits tariff filing per 154.203: Tiger NAESB Version 1.9 Compliance...

75 FR 67357 - Combined Notice of Filings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-02

..., November 8, 2010. Docket Numbers: RP11-1432-000. Applicants: ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC. Description: ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC submits tariff filing per 154.203: Tiger FTSA Non-Conforming Agreement Filing to be...

75 FR 66749 - Combined Notice of Filings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-29

... Time on Monday, November 1, 2010. Docket Numbers: RP11-1420-000. Applicants: ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC. Description: ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC submits tariff filing per 154.203: Tiger NAESB Version 1.9 Compliance...

Historic distribution and recent loss of tigers in China.

PubMed

Kang, Aili; Xie, Yan; Tang, Jirong; Sanderson, Eric W; Ginsberg, Joshua R; Zhang, Endi

2010-12-01

Historical records can provide important evidence of changes in distributions of wildlife species. Here we discuss the distribution of the tiger (Panthera tigris Linnaeus, 1758) over the past 2000 years in China based on 2635 historical records. We also compare tiger distributions outlined in these records with ecosystem type maps. Throughout this time period, tigers maintained a broad distribution across 7 biomes (from forests to deserts). However, in recent decades the range has been significantly condensed. Today, only 2 populations remain, neither of which is independently viable. Tigers have completely disappeared from the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests of central China, a region that was traditionally their most important biome in China. The continued presence of wild tigers in China is highly dependent on significant conservation measures. © 2010 ISZS, Blackwell Publishing and IOZ/CAS.

The genetic basis of white tigers.

PubMed

Xu, Xiao; Dong, Gui-Xin; Hu, Xue-Song; Miao, Lin; Zhang, Xue-Li; Zhang, De-Lu; Yang, Han-Dong; Zhang, Tian-You; Zou, Zheng-Ting; Zhang, Ting-Ting; Zhuang, Yan; Bhak, Jong; Cho, Yun Sung; Dai, Wen-Tao; Jiang, Tai-Jiao; Xie, Can; Li, Ruiqiang; Luo, Shu-Jin

2013-06-03

The white tiger, an elusive Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) variant with white fur and dark stripes, has fascinated humans for centuries ever since its discovery in the jungles of India. Many white tigers in captivity are inbred in order to maintain this autosomal recessive trait and consequently suffer some health problems, leading to the controversial speculation that the white tiger mutation is perhaps a genetic defect. However, the genetic basis of this phenotype remains unknown. Here, we conducted genome-wide association mapping with restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) in a pedigree of 16 captive tigers segregating at the putative white locus, followed by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of the three parents. Validation in 130 unrelated tigers identified the causative mutation to be an amino acid change (A477V) in the transporter protein SLC45A2. Three-dimensional homology modeling suggests that the substitution may partially block the transporter channel cavity and thus affect melanogenesis. We demonstrate the feasibility of combining RAD-seq and WGS to rapidly map exotic variants in nonmodel organisms. Our results identify the basis of the longstanding white tiger mystery as the same gene underlying color variation in human, horse, and chicken and highlight its significance as part of the species' natural polymorphism that is viable in the wild. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Activity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenals axis in the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) in captivity and in the wild, and their dynamics throughout the year].

PubMed

Naidenko, S V; Ivanov, E A; Lukarevskiĭ, V S; Hernandez-Blanko, J A; Sorokin, P A; Litvinov, M N; Kotliar, A K; Rozhnov, V V

2011-01-01

A noninvasive evaluation method of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenals axis (HPA) activity in the Siberian tiger was verified. Comparison of the activity level of HPA in Siberian tigers in the wild and in captivity, and their alterations over the year was carried out. Significant seasonal deviations between activity levels of HPA in tigers in captivity were not found. In the wild, this level was significantly higher, reaching the maximum from November to January, which can be related with an unfavorable influence on tigers in low temperatures and deep snow cover.

75 FR 65470 - Combined Notice of Filings No. 1

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-25

...-000. Applicants: ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC. Description: ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC submits tariff filing per 154.203: ETC Tiger eTariff Baseline Filing to be effective 12/1/2010. Filed Date: 10/08/2010...

MHC class I and MHC class II DRB gene variability in wild and captive Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris).

PubMed

Pokorny, Ina; Sharma, Reeta; Goyal, Surendra Prakash; Mishra, Sudanshu; Tiedemann, Ralph

2010-10-01

Bengal tigers are highly endangered and knowledge on adaptive genetic variation can be essential for efficient conservation and management. Here we present the first assessment of allelic variation in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and MHC class II DRB genes for wild and captive tigers from India. We amplified, cloned, and sequenced alpha-1 and alpha-2 domain of MHC class I and beta-1 domain of MHC class II DRB genes in 16 tiger specimens of different geographic origin. We detected high variability in peptide-binding sites, presumably resulting from positive selection. Tigers exhibit a low number of MHC DRB alleles, similar to other endangered big cats. Our initial assessment-admittedly with limited geographic coverage and sample size-did not reveal significant differences between captive and wild tigers with regard to MHC variability. In addition, we successfully amplified MHC DRB alleles from scat samples. Our characterization of tiger MHC alleles forms a basis for further in-depth analyses of MHC variability in this illustrative threatened mammal.

Fatal influenza A (H5N1) virus Infection in zoo-housed Tigers in Yunnan Province, China

PubMed Central

Hu, Tingsong; Zhao, Huanyun; Zhang, Yan; Zhang, Wendong; Kong, Qiang; Zhang, Zhixiao; Cui, Qinghua; Qiu, Wei; Deng, Bo; Fan, Quanshui; Zhang, Fuqiang

2016-01-01

From 2014 to 2015, three cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza infection occurred in zoo-housed north-east China tigers (Panthera tigris ssp.altaica) and four tigers died of respiratory distress in succession in Yunnan Province, China. We isolated and characterized three highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses from these tigers. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that A/tiger /Yunnan /tig1404 /2014(H5N1) belongs to the provisional subclade 2.3.4.4e which were novel reassortant influenza A (H5N1) viruses with six internal genes from avian influenza A (H5N2) viruses. The HA gene of the isolated A/tiger /Yunnan /tig1412 /2014(H5N1) virus belongs to the subclade 2.3.2.1b. The isolated A/tiger /Yunnan /tig1508/2015 (H5N1) virus was a novel reassortant influenza A (H5N1) virus with three internal genes (PB2, PB1 and M) from H9N2 virus and belongs to the subclade 2.3.2.1c. PMID:27162026

Fatal influenza A (H5N1) virus Infection in zoo-housed Tigers in Yunnan Province, China.

PubMed

Hu, Tingsong; Zhao, Huanyun; Zhang, Yan; Zhang, Wendong; Kong, Qiang; Zhang, Zhixiao; Cui, Qinghua; Qiu, Wei; Deng, Bo; Fan, Quanshui; Zhang, Fuqiang

2016-05-10

From 2014 to 2015, three cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza infection occurred in zoo-housed north-east China tigers (Panthera tigris ssp.altaica) and four tigers died of respiratory distress in succession in Yunnan Province, China. We isolated and characterized three highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses from these tigers. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that A/tiger /Yunnan /tig1404 /2014(H5N1) belongs to the provisional subclade 2.3.4.4e which were novel reassortant influenza A (H5N1) viruses with six internal genes from avian influenza A (H5N2) viruses. The HA gene of the isolated A/tiger /Yunnan /tig1412 /2014(H5N1) virus belongs to the subclade 2.3.2.1b. The isolated A/tiger /Yunnan /tig1508/2015 (H5N1) virus was a novel reassortant influenza A (H5N1) virus with three internal genes (PB2, PB1 and M) from H9N2 virus and belongs to the subclade 2.3.2.1c.

77 FR 71818 - Endangered Species Recovery Permit Applications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-04

... tiger salamander (Santa Barbara County DPS) (Ambystoma californiense) in conjunction with habitat..., handle, and release) the California tiger salamander (Sonoma County Distinct Population Segment) (Ambystoma californiense) and California tiger salamander (Santa Barbara County DPS) (Ambystoma californiense...

Taming a Tiger in the City: Comparison of Motorized Backpack Applications and Source Reduction Against the Asian Tiger Mosquito, Aedes albopictus

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

TAMING A TIGER IN THE CITY: COMPARISON OF MOTORIZED BACKPACK APPLICATIONS AND SOURCE REDUCTION AGAINST THE ASIAN TIGER MOSQUITO, AEDES ALBOPICTUS...FONSECA2 AND ARY FARAJOLLAHI2,3,7 ABSTRACT. We evaluated 2 strategies to manage Aedes albopictus: 1) motorized backpack applications and 2) source...the community level. KEY WORDS Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, Bti, methoprene, hand applications, backpack applications INTRODUCTION Aedes

Concepts: Integrating population survey data from different spatial scales, sampling methods, and species

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dorazio, Robert; Delampady, Mohan; Dey, Soumen; Gopalaswamy, Arjun M.; Karanth, K. Ullas; Nichols, James D.

2017-01-01

Conservationists and managers are continually under pressure from the public, the media, and political policy makers to provide “tiger numbers,” not just for protected reserves, but also for large spatial scales, including landscapes, regions, states, nations, and even globally. Estimating the abundance of tigers within relatively small areas (e.g., protected reserves) is becoming increasingly tractable (see Chaps. 9 and 10), but doing so for larger spatial scales still presents a formidable challenge. Those who seek “tiger numbers” are often not satisfied by estimates of tiger occupancy alone, regardless of the reliability of the estimates (see Chaps. 4 and 5). As a result, wherever tiger conservation efforts are underway, either substantially or nominally, scientists and managers are frequently asked to provide putative large-scale tiger numbers based either on a total count or on an extrapolation of some sort (see Chaps. 1 and 2).

Why the Indian subcontinent holds the key to global tiger recovery.

PubMed

Mondol, Samrat; Karanth, K Ullas; Ramakrishnan, Uma

2009-08-01

With only approximately 3,000 wild individuals surviving restricted to just 7% of their historical range, tigers are now a globally threatened species. Therefore, conservation efforts must prioritize regions that harbor more tigers, as well try to capture most of the remaining genetic variation and habitat diversity. Only such prioritization based on demographic, genetic, and ecological considerations can ensure species recovery and retention of evolutionary flexibility in the face of ongoing global changes. Although scientific understanding of ecological and demographic aspects of extant wild tiger populations has improved recently, little is known about their genetic composition and variability. We sampled 73 individual tigers from 28 reserves spread across a diversity of habitats in the Indian subcontinent to obtain 1,263 bp of mitochondrial DNA and 10 microsatellite loci. Our analyses reveals that Indian tigers retain more than half of the extant genetic diversity in the species. Coalescent simulations attribute this high genetic diversity to a historically large population size of about 58,200 tigers for peninsular India south of the Gangetic plains. Furthermore, our analyses indicate a precipitous, possibly human-induced population crash approximately 200 years ago in India, which is in concordance with historical records. Our results suggest that only 1.7% (with an upper limit of 13% and a lower limit of 0.2%) of tiger numbers in historical times remain now. In the global conservation context our results suggest that, based on genetic, demographic, and ecological considerations, the Indian subcontinent holds the key to global survival and recovery of wild tigers.

Concepts and practices: Estimating abundance of prey species using hierarchical model-based approaches

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dorazio, Robert; Kumar, N. Samba; Royle, Andy; Gopalaswamy, Arjun M.

2017-01-01

Tigers predominantly prey on large ungulate species, such as sambar (Cervus unicolor), red deer (Cervus elaphus), gaur (Bos gaurus), banteng (Bos javanicus), chital (Axis axis), muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak), wild pig (Sus scrofa), and bearded pig (Sus barbatus). The density of a tiger population is strongly correlated with the density of such prey species (Karanth et al. 2004). In the absence of direct hunting of tigers, abundance of prey in an area is the key determinant of the “carrying capacity” of that area for tigers (Chap. 2). Accurate estimates of prey abundance are often needed to assess the potential number of tigers a conservation area can support.

TIGER 2010 Boundaries

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas web service supports research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas). This web service includes the State and County boundaries from the TIGER shapefiles compiled into a single national coverage for each layer. The TIGER/Line Files are shapefiles and related database files (.dbf) that are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File / Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database (MTDB).

Dietary supplementation of tiger nut alters biochemical parameters relevant to erectile function in l-NAME treated rats.

PubMed

Olabiyi, Ayodeji A; Carvalho, Fabiano B; Bottari, Nathieli B; Lopes, Thauan F; da Costa, Pauline; Stefanelo, Naiara; Morsch, Vera M; Akindahunsi, Afolabi A; Oboh, Ganiyu; Schetinger, Maria Rosa

2018-07-01

Tiger nut tubers have been reportedly used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in folk medicine without scientific basis. Hence, this study evaluated the effect of tiger nut on erectile dysfunction by assessing biochemical parameters relevant to ED in male rats by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (l-NAME) treatment. Rats were divided into five groups (n = 10) each: Control group; l-NAME plus basal diet; l-NAME plus Sildenafil citrate; diet supplemented processed tiger nut (20%) plus l-NAME;diet supplemented raw tiger nut (20%) plus l-NAME. l-NAME pre-treatment (40 mg/kg/day) lasted for 14 days. Arginase, acetycholinesterase (AChE) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) activities as well as nitric oxide levels (NO) in serum, brain and penile tissue were measured. l-NAME increased the activity of arginase, AChE and ADA and reduced NO levels. However, dietary supplementation with tiger nut caused a reduction on the activities of the above enzymes and up regulated nitric oxide levels when compared to the control group. The effect of tiger nut supplemented diet may be said to prevent alterations of the activities of the enzymes relevant in erectile function. Quercetin was revealed to be the most active component of tiger nut tuber by HPLC finger printing. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Lethal infection by a novel reassortant H5N1 avian influenza A virus in a zoo-housed tiger.

PubMed

He, Shang; Shi, Jianzhong; Qi, Xian; Huang, Guoqing; Chen, Hualan; Lu, Chengping

2015-01-01

In early 2013, a Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris) in a zoo died of respiratory distress. All specimens from the tiger were positive for HPAI H5N1, which were detected by real-time PCR, including nose swab, throat swab, tracheal swab, heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, aquae pericardii and cerebrospinal fluid. One stain of virus, A/Tiger/JS/1/2013, was isolated from the lung sample. Pathogenicity experiments showed that the isolate was able to replicate and cause death in mice. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that HA and NA of A/Tiger/JS/1/2013 clustered with A/duck/Vietnam/OIE-2202/2012 (H5N1), which belongs to clade 2.3.2.1. Interestingly, the gene segment PB2 shared 98% homology with A/wild duck/Korea/CSM-28/20/2010 (H4N6), which suggested that A/Tiger/JS/1/2013 is a novel reassortant H5N1 subtype virus. Immunohistochemical analysis also confirmed that the tiger was infected by this new reassortant HPAI H5N1 virus. Overall, our results showed that this Bengal tiger was infected by a novel reassortant H5N1, suggesting that the H5N1 virus can successfully cross species barriers from avian to mammal through reassortment. Copyright © 2014 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Understanding the local socio-political processes affecting conservation management outcomes in Corbett Tiger Reserve, India.

PubMed

Rastogi, Archi; Hickey, Gordon M; Badola, Ruchi; Hussain, Syed Ainul

2014-05-01

Several measures have been recommended to guarantee a sustainable population of tigers: sufficient inviolate spaces for a viable population, sufficient prey populations, trained and skilled manpower to guard against poaching and intrusion, banning trade in tiger products to reduce poaching, and importantly, the political will to precipitate these recommendations into implementation. Of these, the creation of sufficient inviolate spaces (generally in the form of protected areas) has created the most issues with local resource-dependent communities, often resulting in significant challenges for tiger conservation policy and management. Very little empirical research has, however, been done to understand and contextualize the local-level socio-political interactions that may influence the efficacy of tiger conservation in India. In this paper, we present the results of exploratory research into the ways in which local-stakeholder groups affect the management of Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR). Using a combined grounded theory-case study research design, and the Institutional Analysis and Development framework for analysis, we identify the socio-political processes through which local-stakeholder groups are able to articulate their issues and elicit desirable actions from the management of CTR. Increasing our awareness of these processes can help inform the design and implementation of more effective tiger conservation management and policy strategies that have the potential to create more supportive coalitions of tiger conservation stakeholders at the local level.

The development and application of a multiplex short tandem repeat (STR) system for identifying subspecies, individuals and sex in tigers.

PubMed

Zou, Zheng-Ting; Uphyrkina, Olga V; Fomenko, Pavel; Luo, Shu-Jin

2015-07-01

Poaching and trans-boundary trafficking of tigers and body parts are threatening the world's last remaining wild tigers. Development of an efficient molecular genetic assay for tracing the origins of confiscated specimens will assist in law enforcement and wildlife forensics for this iconic flagship species. We developed a multiplex genotyping system "tigrisPlex" to simultaneously assess 22 short tandem repeat (STR, or microsatellite) loci and a gender-identifying SRY gene, all amplified in 4 reactions using as little as 1 ng of template DNA. With DNA samples used for between-run calibration, the system generates STR genotypes that are directly compatible with voucher tiger subspecies genetic profiles, hence making it possible to identify subspecies via bi-parentally inherited markers. We applied "tigrisPlex" to 12 confiscated specimens from Russia and identified 6 individuals (3 females and 3 males), each represented by duplicated samples and all designated as Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) with high confidence. This STR multiplex system can serve as an effective and versatile approach for genetic profiling of both wild and captive tigers as well as confiscated tiger products, fulfilling various conservation needs for identifying the origins of tiger samples. © 2015 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Understanding the Local Socio-political Processes Affecting Conservation Management Outcomes in Corbett Tiger Reserve, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rastogi, Archi; Hickey, Gordon M.; Badola, Ruchi; Hussain, Syed Ainul

2014-05-01

Several measures have been recommended to guarantee a sustainable population of tigers: sufficient inviolate spaces for a viable population, sufficient prey populations, trained and skilled manpower to guard against poaching and intrusion, banning trade in tiger products to reduce poaching, and importantly, the political will to precipitate these recommendations into implementation. Of these, the creation of sufficient inviolate spaces (generally in the form of protected areas) has created the most issues with local resource-dependent communities, often resulting in significant challenges for tiger conservation policy and management. Very little empirical research has, however, been done to understand and contextualize the local-level socio-political interactions that may influence the efficacy of tiger conservation in India. In this paper, we present the results of exploratory research into the ways in which local-stakeholder groups affect the management of Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR). Using a combined grounded theory-case study research design, and the Institutional Analysis and Development framework for analysis, we identify the socio-political processes through which local-stakeholder groups are able to articulate their issues and elicit desirable actions from the management of CTR. Increasing our awareness of these processes can help inform the design and implementation of more effective tiger conservation management and policy strategies that have the potential to create more supportive coalitions of tiger conservation stakeholders at the local level.

75 FR 33633 - Endangered Species Recovery Permit Applications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-14

..., handle, kill and remove from the wild) the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) in..., handle, and release) the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) in conjunction with... applicant requests a permit to take (survey, capture, handle, and release) the California tiger salamander...

Prioritizing tiger conservation through landscape genetics and habitat linkages.

PubMed

Yumnam, Bibek; Jhala, Yadvendradev V; Qureshi, Qamar; Maldonado, Jesus E; Gopal, Rajesh; Saini, Swati; Srinivas, Y; Fleischer, Robert C

2014-01-01

Even with global support for tiger (Panthera tigris) conservation their survival is threatened by poaching, habitat loss and isolation. Currently about 3,000 wild tigers persist in small fragmented populations within seven percent of their historic range. Identifying and securing habitat linkages that connect source populations for maintaining landscape-level gene flow is an important long-term conservation strategy for endangered carnivores. However, habitat corridors that link regional tiger populations are often lost to development projects due to lack of objective evidence on their importance. Here, we use individual based genetic analysis in combination with landscape permeability models to identify and prioritize movement corridors across seven tiger populations within the Central Indian Landscape. By using a panel of 11 microsatellites we identified 169 individual tigers from 587 scat and 17 tissue samples. We detected four genetic clusters within Central India with limited gene flow among three of them. Bayesian and likelihood analyses identified 17 tigers as having recent immigrant ancestry. Spatially explicit tiger occupancy obtained from extensive landscape-scale surveys across 76,913 km(2) of forest habitat was found to be only 21,290 km(2). After accounting for detection bias, the covariates that best explained tiger occupancy were large, remote, dense forest patches; large ungulate abundance, and low human footprint. We used tiger occupancy probability to parameterize habitat permeability for modeling habitat linkages using least-cost and circuit theory pathway analyses. Pairwise genetic differences (FST) between populations were better explained by modeled linkage costs (r>0.5, p<0.05) compared to Euclidean distances, which was in consonance with observed habitat fragmentation. The results of our study highlight that many corridors may still be functional as there is evidence of contemporary migration. Conservation efforts should provide legal status to corridors, use smart green infrastructure to mitigate development impacts, and restore habitats where connectivity has been lost.

Fine-scale population genetic structure of the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) in a human-dominated western Terai Arc Landscape, India

PubMed Central

Singh, Sujeet Kumar; Aspi, Jouni; Kvist, Laura; Sharma, Reeta; Pandey, Puneet; Mishra, Sudhanshu; Singh, Randeep; Agrawal, Manoj; Goyal, Surendra Prakash

2017-01-01

Despite massive global conservation strategies, tiger populations continued to decline until recently, mainly due to habitat loss, human-animal conflicts, and poaching. These factors are known to affect the genetic characteristics of tiger populations and decrease local effective population sizes. The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) at the foothills of the Himalaya is one of the 42 source sites of tigers around the globe. Therefore, information on how landscape features and anthropogenic factors affect the fine-scale spatial genetic structure and variation of tigers in TAL is needed to develop proper management strategies for achieving long-term conservation goals. We document, for the first time, the genetic characteristics of this tiger population by genotyping 71 tiger samples using 13 microsatellite markers from the western region of TAL (WTAL) of 1800 km2. Specifically, we aimed to estimate the genetic variability, population structure, and gene flow. The microsatellite markers indicated that the levels of allelic diversity (MNA = 6.6) and genetic variation (Ho = 0.50, HE = 0.64) were slightly lower than those reported previously in other Bengal tiger populations. We observed moderate gene flow and significant genetic differentiation (FST= 0.060) and identified the presence of cryptic genetic structure using Bayesian and non-Bayesian approaches. There was low and significantly asymmetric migration between the two main subpopulations of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve and the Corbett Tiger Reserve in WTAL. Sibship relationships indicated that the functionality of the corridor between these subpopulations may be retained if the quality of the habitat does not deteriorate. However, we found that gene flow is not adequate in view of changing land use matrices. We discuss the need to maintain connectivity by implementing the measures that have been suggested previously to minimize the level of human disturbance, including relocation of villages and industries, prevention of encroachment, and banning sand and boulder mining in the corridors. PMID:28445499

Prioritizing Tiger Conservation through Landscape Genetics and Habitat Linkages

PubMed Central

Yumnam, Bibek; Jhala, Yadvendradev V.; Qureshi, Qamar; Maldonado, Jesus E.; Gopal, Rajesh; Saini, Swati; Srinivas, Y.; Fleischer, Robert C.

2014-01-01

Even with global support for tiger (Panthera tigris) conservation their survival is threatened by poaching, habitat loss and isolation. Currently about 3,000 wild tigers persist in small fragmented populations within seven percent of their historic range. Identifying and securing habitat linkages that connect source populations for maintaining landscape-level gene flow is an important long-term conservation strategy for endangered carnivores. However, habitat corridors that link regional tiger populations are often lost to development projects due to lack of objective evidence on their importance. Here, we use individual based genetic analysis in combination with landscape permeability models to identify and prioritize movement corridors across seven tiger populations within the Central Indian Landscape. By using a panel of 11 microsatellites we identified 169 individual tigers from 587 scat and 17 tissue samples. We detected four genetic clusters within Central India with limited gene flow among three of them. Bayesian and likelihood analyses identified 17 tigers as having recent immigrant ancestry. Spatially explicit tiger occupancy obtained from extensive landscape-scale surveys across 76,913 km2 of forest habitat was found to be only 21,290 km2. After accounting for detection bias, the covariates that best explained tiger occupancy were large, remote, dense forest patches; large ungulate abundance, and low human footprint. We used tiger occupancy probability to parameterize habitat permeability for modeling habitat linkages using least-cost and circuit theory pathway analyses. Pairwise genetic differences (F ST) between populations were better explained by modeled linkage costs (r>0.5, p<0.05) compared to Euclidean distances, which was in consonance with observed habitat fragmentation. The results of our study highlight that many corridors may still be functional as there is evidence of contemporary migration. Conservation efforts should provide legal status to corridors, use smart green infrastructure to mitigate development impacts, and restore habitats where connectivity has been lost. PMID:25393234

Growth and Maximum Size of Tiger Sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) in Hawaii

PubMed Central

Meyer, Carl G.; O'Malley, Joseph M.; Papastamatiou, Yannis P.; Dale, Jonathan J.; Hutchinson, Melanie R.; Anderson, James M.; Royer, Mark A.; Holland, Kim N.

2014-01-01

Tiger sharks (Galecerdo cuvier) are apex predators characterized by their broad diet, large size and rapid growth. Tiger shark maximum size is typically between 380 & 450 cm Total Length (TL), with a few individuals reaching 550 cm TL, but the maximum size of tiger sharks in Hawaii waters remains uncertain. A previous study suggested tiger sharks grow rather slowly in Hawaii compared to other regions, but this may have been an artifact of the method used to estimate growth (unvalidated vertebral ring counts) compounded by small sample size and narrow size range. Since 1993, the University of Hawaii has conducted a research program aimed at elucidating tiger shark biology, and to date 420 tiger sharks have been tagged and 50 recaptured. All recaptures were from Hawaii except a single shark recaptured off Isla Jacques Cousteau (24°13′17″N 109°52′14″W), in the southern Gulf of California (minimum distance between tag and recapture sites  =  approximately 5,000 km), after 366 days at liberty (DAL). We used these empirical mark-recapture data to estimate growth rates and maximum size for tiger sharks in Hawaii. We found that tiger sharks in Hawaii grow twice as fast as previously thought, on average reaching 340 cm TL by age 5, and attaining a maximum size of 403 cm TL. Our model indicates the fastest growing individuals attain 400 cm TL by age 5, and the largest reach a maximum size of 444 cm TL. The largest shark captured during our study was 464 cm TL but individuals >450 cm TL were extremely rare (0.005% of sharks captured). We conclude that tiger shark growth rates and maximum sizes in Hawaii are generally consistent with those in other regions, and hypothesize that a broad diet may help them to achieve this rapid growth by maximizing prey consumption rates. PMID:24416287

Growth and maximum size of tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) in Hawaii.

PubMed

Meyer, Carl G; O'Malley, Joseph M; Papastamatiou, Yannis P; Dale, Jonathan J; Hutchinson, Melanie R; Anderson, James M; Royer, Mark A; Holland, Kim N

2014-01-01

Tiger sharks (Galecerdo cuvier) are apex predators characterized by their broad diet, large size and rapid growth. Tiger shark maximum size is typically between 380 & 450 cm Total Length (TL), with a few individuals reaching 550 cm TL, but the maximum size of tiger sharks in Hawaii waters remains uncertain. A previous study suggested tiger sharks grow rather slowly in Hawaii compared to other regions, but this may have been an artifact of the method used to estimate growth (unvalidated vertebral ring counts) compounded by small sample size and narrow size range. Since 1993, the University of Hawaii has conducted a research program aimed at elucidating tiger shark biology, and to date 420 tiger sharks have been tagged and 50 recaptured. All recaptures were from Hawaii except a single shark recaptured off Isla Jacques Cousteau (24°13'17″N 109°52'14″W), in the southern Gulf of California (minimum distance between tag and recapture sites  =  approximately 5,000 km), after 366 days at liberty (DAL). We used these empirical mark-recapture data to estimate growth rates and maximum size for tiger sharks in Hawaii. We found that tiger sharks in Hawaii grow twice as fast as previously thought, on average reaching 340 cm TL by age 5, and attaining a maximum size of 403 cm TL. Our model indicates the fastest growing individuals attain 400 cm TL by age 5, and the largest reach a maximum size of 444 cm TL. The largest shark captured during our study was 464 cm TL but individuals >450 cm TL were extremely rare (0.005% of sharks captured). We conclude that tiger shark growth rates and maximum sizes in Hawaii are generally consistent with those in other regions, and hypothesize that a broad diet may help them to achieve this rapid growth by maximizing prey consumption rates.

Fine-scale population genetic structure of the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) in a human-dominated western Terai Arc Landscape, India.

PubMed

Singh, Sujeet Kumar; Aspi, Jouni; Kvist, Laura; Sharma, Reeta; Pandey, Puneet; Mishra, Sudhanshu; Singh, Randeep; Agrawal, Manoj; Goyal, Surendra Prakash

2017-01-01

Despite massive global conservation strategies, tiger populations continued to decline until recently, mainly due to habitat loss, human-animal conflicts, and poaching. These factors are known to affect the genetic characteristics of tiger populations and decrease local effective population sizes. The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) at the foothills of the Himalaya is one of the 42 source sites of tigers around the globe. Therefore, information on how landscape features and anthropogenic factors affect the fine-scale spatial genetic structure and variation of tigers in TAL is needed to develop proper management strategies for achieving long-term conservation goals. We document, for the first time, the genetic characteristics of this tiger population by genotyping 71 tiger samples using 13 microsatellite markers from the western region of TAL (WTAL) of 1800 km2. Specifically, we aimed to estimate the genetic variability, population structure, and gene flow. The microsatellite markers indicated that the levels of allelic diversity (MNA = 6.6) and genetic variation (Ho = 0.50, HE = 0.64) were slightly lower than those reported previously in other Bengal tiger populations. We observed moderate gene flow and significant genetic differentiation (FST= 0.060) and identified the presence of cryptic genetic structure using Bayesian and non-Bayesian approaches. There was low and significantly asymmetric migration between the two main subpopulations of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve and the Corbett Tiger Reserve in WTAL. Sibship relationships indicated that the functionality of the corridor between these subpopulations may be retained if the quality of the habitat does not deteriorate. However, we found that gene flow is not adequate in view of changing land use matrices. We discuss the need to maintain connectivity by implementing the measures that have been suggested previously to minimize the level of human disturbance, including relocation of villages and industries, prevention of encroachment, and banning sand and boulder mining in the corridors.

Ontogeny of head and caudal fin shape of an apex marine predator: The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier).

PubMed

Fu, Amy L; Hammerschlag, Neil; Lauder, George V; Wilga, Cheryl D; Kuo, Chi-Yun; Irschick, Duncan J

2016-05-01

How morphology changes with size can have profound effects on the life history and ecology of an animal. For apex predators that can impact higher level ecosystem processes, such changes may have consequences for other species. Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are an apex predator in tropical seas, and, as adults, are highly migratory. However, little is known about ontogenetic changes in their body form, especially in relation to two aspects of shape that influence locomotion (caudal fin) and feeding (head shape). We captured digital images of the heads and caudal fins of live tiger sharks from Southern Florida and the Bahamas ranging in body size (hence age), and quantified shape of each using elliptical Fourier analysis. This revealed changes in the shape of the head and caudal fin of tiger sharks across ontogeny. Smaller juvenile tiger sharks show an asymmetrical tail with the dorsal (upper) lobe being substantially larger than the ventral (lower) lobe, and transition to more symmetrical tail in larger adults, although the upper lobe remains relatively larger in adults. The heads of juvenile tiger sharks are more conical, which transition to relatively broader heads over ontogeny. We interpret these changes as a result of two ecological transitions. First, adult tiger sharks can undertake extensive migrations and a more symmetrical tail could be more efficient for swimming longer distances, although we did not test this possibility. Second, adult tiger sharks expand their diet to consume larger and more diverse prey with age (turtles, mammals, and elasmobranchs), which requires substantially greater bite area and force to process. In contrast, juvenile tiger sharks consume smaller prey, such as fishes, crustaceans, and invertebrates. Our data reveal significant morphological shifts in an apex predator, which could have effects for other species that tiger sharks consume and interact with. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evidence of positive selection associated with placental loss in tiger sharks.

PubMed

Swift, Dominic G; Dunning, Luke T; Igea, Javier; Brooks, Edward J; Jones, Catherine S; Noble, Leslie R; Ciezarek, Adam; Humble, Emily; Savolainen, Vincent

2016-06-14

All vertebrates initially feed their offspring using yolk reserves. In some live-bearing species these yolk reserves may be supplemented with extra nutrition via a placenta. Sharks belonging to the Carcharhinidae family are all live-bearing, and with the exception of the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), develop placental connections after exhausting yolk reserves. Phylogenetic relationships suggest the lack of placenta in tiger sharks is due to secondary loss. This represents a dramatic shift in reproductive strategy, and is likely to have left a molecular footprint of positive selection within the genome. We sequenced the transcriptome of the tiger shark and eight other live-bearing shark species. From this data we constructed a time-calibrated phylogenetic tree estimating the tiger shark lineage diverged from the placental carcharhinids approximately 94 million years ago. Along the tiger shark lineage, we identified five genes exhibiting a signature of positive selection. Four of these genes have functions likely associated with brain development (YWHAE and ARL6IP5) and sexual reproduction (VAMP4 and TCTEX1D2). Our results indicate the loss of placenta in tiger sharks may be associated with subsequent adaptive changes in brain development and sperm production.

Conservation priorities for endangered Indian tigers through a genomic lens.

PubMed

Natesh, Meghana; Atla, Goutham; Nigam, Parag; Jhala, Yadvendradev V; Zachariah, Arun; Borthakur, Udayan; Ramakrishnan, Uma

2017-08-29

Tigers have lost 93% of their historical range worldwide. India plays a vital role in the conservation of tigers since nearly 60% of all wild tigers are currently found here. However, as protected areas are small (<300 km 2 on average), with only a few individuals in each, many of them may not be independently viable. It is thus important to identify and conserve genetically connected populations, as well as to maintain connectivity within them. We collected samples from wild tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) across India and used genome-wide SNPs to infer genetic connectivity. We genotyped 10,184 SNPs from 38 individuals across 17 protected areas and identified three genetically distinct clusters (corresponding to northwest, southern and central India). The northwest cluster was isolated with low variation and high relatedness. The geographically large central cluster included tigers from central, northeastern and northern India, and had the highest variation. Most genetic diversity (62%) was shared among clusters, while unique variation was highest in the central cluster (8.5%) and lowest in the northwestern one (2%). We did not detect signatures of differential selection or local adaptation. We highlight that the northwest population requires conservation attention to ensure persistence of these tigers.

78 FR 16703 - Endangered Species Recovery Permit Applications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-18

... California tiger salamander (Santa Barbara County DPS and Sonoma County DPS) (Ambystoma californiense) in... requests a permit to take (harass by survey, capture, handle, and release) the California tiger salamander... tiger salamander (Santa Barbara County DPS) (Ambystoma californiense) in conjunction with surveys and...

75 FR 18482 - Stanford University Habitat Conservation Plan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-12

... includes the federally listed as threatened California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense... preserved as needed. A 315-acre ``California Tiger Salamander Reserve'' also would be established at the... habitat within the Reserve would be permanently protected to offset any loss of tiger salamander habitat...

78 FR 55287 - Endangered Species Recovery Permit Applications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-10

... requests a permit to take (harass by survey, capture, handle, and release) the California tiger salamander...) the California tiger salamander (Santa Barbara County DPS and Sonoma County DPS) (Ambystoma...) the California tiger salamander (Santa Barbara County DPS and Sonoma County DPS) (Ambystoma...

Tigers with Artistic Style.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holt, Maureen

2003-01-01

Presents an art lesson used with sixth-grade students in which they painted their school mascot (a tiger) in the style of a famous artist. Explains that students selected an artist, such as Andrew Wyeth or Edvard Munch. Describes how the students created their tigers. (CMK)

Tests with an integrated helmet system for the TIGER helicopter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boehm, Hans-Dieter V.; Evers, Carl; Stenner, K.-H.

1998-08-01

The TIGER helicopter is under development by the MODs of France and Germany for their armies. The initial German requirement was for anti-tank missions only. This task has been extended to support missions which resulted in an upgrade to the German 'UH-TIGER' variant. German MOD is planning to procure 212 UH-TIGER helicopters armed with TRIGAT-, HOT anti-tank missiles, STINGER air-to-air missiles, 68 mm rockets and a gun pod with a 12.7 mm gun.

TIGER 2010 Boundaries

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas web service supports research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas). This web service includes the State, County, and Census Block Groups boundaries from the TIGER shapefiles compiled into a single national coverage for each layer. The TIGER/Line Files are shapefiles and related database files (.dbf) that are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File / Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database (MTDB).

Population Explosions of Tiger Moth Lead to Lepidopterism Mimicking Infectious Fever Outbreaks

PubMed Central

Wills, Pallara Janardhanan; Anjana, Mohan; Nitin, Mohan; Varun, Raghuveeran; Sachidanandan, Parayil; Jacob, Tharaniyil Mani; Lilly, Madhavan; Thampan, Raghava Varman; Karthikeya Varma, Koyikkal

2016-01-01

Lepidopterism is a disease caused by the urticating scales and toxic fluids of adult moths, butterflies or its caterpillars. The resulting cutaneous eruptions and systemic problems progress to clinical complications sometimes leading to death. High incidence of fever epidemics were associated with massive outbreaks of tiger moth Asota caricae adult populations during monsoon in Kerala, India. A significant number of monsoon related fever characteristic to lepidopterism was erroneously treated as infectious fevers due to lookalike symptoms. To diagnose tiger moth lepidopterism, we conducted immunoblots for tiger moth specific IgE in fever patients’ sera. We selected a cohort of patients (n = 155) with hallmark symptoms of infectious fevers but were tested negative to infectious fevers. In these cases, the total IgE was elevated and was detected positive (78.6%) for tiger moth specific IgE allergens. Chemical characterization of caterpillar and adult moth fluids was performed by HPLC and GC-MS analysis and structural identification of moth scales was performed by SEM analysis. The body fluids and chitinous scales were found to be highly toxic and inflammatory in nature. To replicate the disease in experimental model, wistar rats were exposed to live tiger moths in a dose dependant manner and observed similar clinico-pathological complications reported during the fever epidemics. Further, to link larval abundance and fever epidemics we conducted cointegration test for the period 2009 to 2012 and physical presence of the tiger moths were found to be cointegrated with fever epidemics. In conclusion, our experiments demonstrate that inhalation of aerosols containing tiger moth fluids, scales and hairs cause systemic reactions that can be fatal to human. All these evidences points to the possible involvement of tiger moth disease as a major cause to the massive and fatal fever epidemics observed in Kerala. PMID:27073878

Interfacing 1990 US Census TIGER map files with New S graphics software

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rizzardi, M.; Mohr, M.S.; Merrill, D.W.

1992-07-01

In 1990, the United States Bureau of the Census released detailed geographic base files known as TIGER/Line (Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing) which contain detail on the physical features and census tract boundaries of every county in the United States. The TIGER database is attractive for two reasons. First, it is publicly available through the Bureau of the Census on tape or cd-rom for a minimal fee. Second, it contains 24 billion characters of data which describe geographic features of interest to the Census Bureau such as coastlines, hydrography, transportation networks, political boundaries, etc. Unfortunately, the large TIGER databasemore » only provides raw alphanumeric data; no utility software, graphical or otherwise, is included. On the other hand New S, a popular statistical software package by AT&T, has easily operated functions that permit advanced graphics in conjunction with data analysis. New S has the ability to plot contours, lines, segments, and points. However, of special interest is the New S function map and its options. Using the map function, which requires polygons as input, census tracts can be quickly selected, plotted, shaded, etc. New S graphics combined with the TIGER database has obvious potential. This paper reports on our efforts to use the TIGER map files with New S, especially to construct census tract maps of counties. While census tract boundaries are inherently polygonal, they are not organized as such in the TIGER database. This conversion of the TIGER ``line`` format into New S ``polygon/polyline`` format is one facet of the work reported here. Also we discuss the selection and extraction of auxiliary geographic information from TIGER files for graphical display using New S.« less

Estimating the Potential Impact of Canine Distemper Virus on the Amur Tiger Population (Panthera tigris altaica) in Russia

PubMed Central

Gilbert, Martin; Miquelle, Dale G.; Goodrich, John M.; Reeve, Richard; Cleaveland, Sarah; Matthews, Louise; Joly, Damien O.

2014-01-01

Lethal infections with canine distemper virus (CDV) have recently been diagnosed in Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica), but long-term implications for the population are unknown. This study evaluates the potential impact of CDV on a key tiger population in Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Zapovednik (SABZ), and assesses how CDV might influence the extinction potential of other tiger populations of varying sizes. An individual-based stochastic, SIRD (susceptible-infected-recovered/dead) model was used to simulate infection through predation of infected domestic dogs, and/or wild carnivores, and direct tiger-to-tiger transmission. CDV prevalence and effective contact based on published and observed data was used to define plausible low- and high-risk infection scenarios. CDV infection increased the 50-year extinction probability of tigers in SABZ by 6.3% to 55.8% compared to a control population, depending on risk scenario. The most significant factors influencing model outcome were virus prevalence in the reservoir population(s) and its effective contact rate with tigers. Adjustment of the mortality rate had a proportional impact, while inclusion of epizootic infection waves had negligible additional impact. Small populations were found to be disproportionately vulnerable to extinction through CDV infection. The 50-year extinction risk in populations consisting of 25 individuals was 1.65 times greater when CDV was present than that of control populations. The effects of density dependence do not protect an endangered population from the impacts of a multi-host pathogen, such as CDV, where they coexist with an abundant reservoir presenting a persistent threat. Awareness of CDV is a critical component of a successful tiger conservation management policy. PMID:25354196

Habitat evaluation of wild Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) and conservation priority setting in north-eastern China.

PubMed

Xiaofeng, Luan; Yi, Qu; Diqiang, Li; Shirong, Liu; Xiulei, Wang; Bo, Wu; Chunquan, Zhu

2011-01-01

The Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is one of the world's most endangered species. Recently, habitat fragmentation, food scarcity and human hunting have drastically reduced the population size and distribution areas of Amur tigers in the wild, leaving them on the verge of extinction. Presently, they are only found in the north-eastern part of China. In this study, we developed a reference framework using methods and technologies of analytic hierarchy process (AHP), remote sensing (RS), geographic information system (GIS), GAP analysis and Natural Break (Jenks) classification to evaluate the habitat and to set the conservation priorities for Amur tigers in eastern areas of Heilongjiang and Jilin Provinces of northeast China. We proposed a Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) incorporating 7 factors covering natural conditions and human disturbance. Based on the HSI values, the suitability was classified into five levels from the most to not suitable. Finally, according to results of GAP analysis, we identified six conservation priorities and designed a conservation landscape incorporating four new nature reserves, enlarging two existing ones, and creating four linkages for Amur tigers in northeast China. The case study showed that the core habitats (the most suitable and highly suitable habitats) identified for Amur tigers covered 35,547 km(2), accounting for approximately 26.71% of the total study area (1,33,093 km(2)). However, existing nature reserves protected only (7124 km(2) or) 20.04% of the identified core habitats. Thus, enlargement of current reserves is necessary and urgent for the tiger's conservation and restoration. Moreover, the establishment of wildlife corridors linking core habitats will provide an efficient reserve network for tiger conservation to maintain the evolutionary potential of Amur tigers facing environmental changes. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How much gene flow is needed to avoid inbreeding depression in wild tiger populations?

PubMed Central

Kenney, John; Allendorf, Fred W.; McDougal, Charles; Smith, James L. D.

2014-01-01

The number and size of tiger populations continue to decline owing to habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and poaching of tigers and their prey. As a result, tiger populations have become small and highly structured. Current populations have been isolated since the early 1970s or for approximately seven generations. The objective of this study is to explore how inbreeding may be affecting the persistence of remaining tiger populations and how dispersal, either natural or artificial, may reduce the potentially detrimental effect of inbreeding depression. We developed a tiger simulation model and used published levels of genetic load in mammals to simulate inbreeding depression. Following a 50 year period of population isolation, we introduced one to four dispersing male tigers per generation to explore how gene flow from nearby populations may reduce the negative impact of inbreeding depression. For the smallest populations, even four dispersing male tigers per generation did not increase population viability, and the likelihood of extinction is more than 90% within 30 years. Unless habitat connectivity is restored or animals are artificially introduced in the next 70 years, medium size wild populations are also likely to go extinct, with only four to five of the largest wild tiger populations likely to remain extant in this same period without intervention. To reduce the risk of local extinction, habitat connectivity must be pursued concurrently with efforts to increase population size (e.g. enhance habitat quality, increase habitat availability). It is critical that infrastructure development, dam construction and other similar projects are planned appropriately so that they do not erode the extent or quality of habitat for these populations so that they can truly serve as future source populations. PMID:24990671

How much gene flow is needed to avoid inbreeding depression in wild tiger populations?

PubMed

Kenney, John; Allendorf, Fred W; McDougal, Charles; Smith, James L D

2014-08-22

The number and size of tiger populations continue to decline owing to habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and poaching of tigers and their prey. As a result, tiger populations have become small and highly structured. Current populations have been isolated since the early 1970s or for approximately seven generations. The objective of this study is to explore how inbreeding may be affecting the persistence of remaining tiger populations and how dispersal, either natural or artificial, may reduce the potentially detrimental effect of inbreeding depression. We developed a tiger simulation model and used published levels of genetic load in mammals to simulate inbreeding depression. Following a 50 year period of population isolation, we introduced one to four dispersing male tigers per generation to explore how gene flow from nearby populations may reduce the negative impact of inbreeding depression. For the smallest populations, even four dispersing male tigers per generation did not increase population viability, and the likelihood of extinction is more than 90% within 30 years. Unless habitat connectivity is restored or animals are artificially introduced in the next 70 years, medium size wild populations are also likely to go extinct, with only four to five of the largest wild tiger populations likely to remain extant in this same period without intervention. To reduce the risk of local extinction, habitat connectivity must be pursued concurrently with efforts to increase population size (e.g. enhance habitat quality, increase habitat availability). It is critical that infrastructure development, dam construction and other similar projects are planned appropriately so that they do not erode the extent or quality of habitat for these populations so that they can truly serve as future source populations. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Estimating the potential impact of canine distemper virus on the Amur tiger population (Panthera tigris altaica) in Russia.

PubMed

Gilbert, Martin; Miquelle, Dale G; Goodrich, John M; Reeve, Richard; Cleaveland, Sarah; Matthews, Louise; Joly, Damien O

2014-01-01

Lethal infections with canine distemper virus (CDV) have recently been diagnosed in Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica), but long-term implications for the population are unknown. This study evaluates the potential impact of CDV on a key tiger population in Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Zapovednik (SABZ), and assesses how CDV might influence the extinction potential of other tiger populations of varying sizes. An individual-based stochastic, SIRD (susceptible-infected-recovered/dead) model was used to simulate infection through predation of infected domestic dogs, and/or wild carnivores, and direct tiger-to-tiger transmission. CDV prevalence and effective contact based on published and observed data was used to define plausible low- and high-risk infection scenarios. CDV infection increased the 50-year extinction probability of tigers in SABZ by 6.3% to 55.8% compared to a control population, depending on risk scenario. The most significant factors influencing model outcome were virus prevalence in the reservoir population(s) and its effective contact rate with tigers. Adjustment of the mortality rate had a proportional impact, while inclusion of epizootic infection waves had negligible additional impact. Small populations were found to be disproportionately vulnerable to extinction through CDV infection. The 50-year extinction risk in populations consisting of 25 individuals was 1.65 times greater when CDV was present than that of control populations. The effects of density dependence do not protect an endangered population from the impacts of a multi-host pathogen, such as CDV, where they coexist with an abundant reservoir presenting a persistent threat. Awareness of CDV is a critical component of a successful tiger conservation management policy.

Tiger, Bengal and Domestic Cat Embryos Produced by Homospecific and Interspecific Zona-Free Nuclear Transfer.

PubMed

Moro, L N; Jarazo, J; Buemo, C; Hiriart, M I; Sestelo, A; Salamone, D F

2015-10-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate three different cloning strategies in the domestic cat (Felis silvestris) and to use the most efficient to generate wild felid embryos by interspecific cloning (iSCNT) using Bengal (a hybrid formed by the cross of Felis silvestris and Prionailurus bengalensis) and tiger (Panthera tigris) donor cells. In experiment 1, zona-free (ZP-free) cloning resulted in higher fusion and expanded blastocyst rates with respect to zona included cloning techniques that involved fusion or injection of the donor cell. In experiment 2, ZP-free iSCNT and embryo aggregation (2X) were assessed. Division velocity and blastocyst rates were increased by embryo aggregation in the three species. Despite fewer tiger embryos than Bengal and cat embryos reached the blastocyst stage, Tiger 2X group increased the percentage of blastocysts with respect to Tiger 1X group (3.2% vs 12.1%, respectively). Moreover, blastocyst cell number was almost duplicated in aggregated embryos with respect to non-aggregated ones within Bengal and tiger groups (278.3 ± 61.9 vs 516.8 ± 103.6 for Bengal 1X and Bengal 2X groups, respectively; 41 vs 220 ± 60 for Tiger 1X and Tiger 2X groups, respectively). OCT4 analysis also revealed that tiger blastocysts had higher proportion of OCT4-positive cells with respect to Bengal blastocysts and cat intracytoplasmic sperm injection blastocysts. In conclusion, ZP-free cloning has improved the quality of cat embryos with respect to the other cloning techniques evaluated and was successfully applied in iSCNT complemented with embryo aggregation. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

1. VIEW OF OFFICE OF THE NEVADA LUCKY TIGER MILL ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. VIEW OF OFFICE OF THE NEVADA LUCKY TIGER MILL AND MINE COMPLEX (FEATURE B-I), FACING NORTHEAST. ROAD TO HATCH ADIT IN THE FOREGROUND. (OCTOBER, 1995) - Nevada Lucky Tiger Mill & Mine, Office, East slope of Buckskin Mountain, Paradise Valley, Humboldt County, NV

50 CFR 17.43 - Special rules-amphibians.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Special rules—amphibians. (a) San Marcos salamander (Eurycea nana). (1) All provisions of § 17.31 apply to... livestock. (c) California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense). (1) Which populations of the California tiger salamander are covered by this special rule? This rule covers the California tiger...

Congenital vestibular disease in captive Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris ssp. sumatrae) in Australasia.

PubMed

Wheelhouse, Jaimee L; Hulst, Frances; Beatty, Julia A; Hogg, Carolyn J; Child, Georgina; Wade, Claire M; Barrs, Vanessa R

2015-11-01

The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris ssp. sumatrae) is a critically endangered species in the wild. To ensure that demographic and genetic integrity are maintained in the longer term, those Sumatran tigers held in captivity are managed as a global population under a World Association of Zoos and Aquariums Global Species Management Plan (GSMP). A retrospective study, including segregation and pedigree analysis, was conducted to investigate potential cases of congenital vestibular disease (CVD) in captive Sumatran tigers in Australasian zoos using medical and husbandry records, as well as video footage obtained from 50 tigers between 1975 and 2013. Data from the GSMP Sumatran tiger studbook were made available for pedigree and segregation analysis. Fourteen cases of CVD in 13 Sumatran tiger cubs and one hybrid cub (Panthera tigris ssp. sumatrae × Panthera tigris) were identified. Vestibular signs including head tilt, circling, ataxia, strabismus and nystagmus were observed between birth and 2 months of age. These clinical signs persisted for a median of 237 days and had resolved by 2 years of age in all cases. Pedigree analysis revealed that all affected tigers were closely related and shared a single common ancestor in the last four generations. A genetic cause for the disease is suspected and, based on pedigree and segregation analysis, an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance is likely. Further investigations to determine the world-wide prevalence and underlying pathology of this disorder are warranted. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving effectiveness of protection efforts in tiger source sites: Developing a framework for law enforcement monitoring using MIST.

PubMed

Stokes, Emma J

2010-12-01

Wild tigers are in a critical state with an estimated population decline of more than 95% over the past century. Improving the capacity and effectiveness of law enforcement in reducing poaching of tigers is an immediate priority to secure remaining wild populations in source sites. From 2008-2010, standardized patrol-based law enforcement monitoring (LEM) was established under the Tigers Forever Program across 8 key tiger sites in order to improve and evaluate law enforcement interventions. Patrol-based monitoring has the distinct advantage of providing regular and rapid information on illegal activities and ranger performance, although, until recently, it has received relatively little scrutiny from the conservation community. The present paper outlines a framework for implementation of LEM in tiger source sites using MIST, a computerized management information system for ranger-based data collection. The framework addresses many of the technical, practical and institutional challenges involved in the design, implementation, sustainability and evaluation of LEM. Adoption of such a framework for LEM is a cost-effective strategy to improve the efficiency of law enforcement efforts, to increase the motivation of enforcement staff and to promote the accountability of law enforcement agencies in addressing threats to tigers. When combined with independent, systematic and science-based monitoring of tigers and their prey, LEM has great potential for evaluating the effectiveness of protection-based conservation investments. © 2010 ISZS, Blackwell Publishing and IOZ/CAS.

Demographic loss, genetic structure and the conservation implications for Indian tigers.

PubMed

Mondol, Samrat; Bruford, Michael W; Ramakrishnan, Uma

2013-07-07

India is home to approximately 60 per cent of the world's remaining wild tigers, a species that has declined in the last few centuries to occupy less than 7 per cent of its former geographical range. While Indian tiger numbers have somewhat stabilized in recent years, they remain low and populations are highly fragmented. Therefore, the application of evidence-based demographic and genetic management to enhance the remaining populations is a priority. In this context, and using genetic data from historical and modern tigers, we investigated anthropogenic impacts on genetic variation in Indian tigers using mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers. We found a very high number of historical mitochondrial DNA variants, 93 per cent of which are not detected in modern populations. Population differentiation was higher in modern tigers. Simulations incorporating historical data support population decline, and suggest high population structure in extant populations. Decreased connectivity and habitat loss as a result of ongoing fragmentation in the Indian subcontinent has therefore resulted in a loss of genetic variants and increased genetic differentiation among tiger populations. These results highlight that anthropogenic fragmentation and species-specific demographic processes can interact to alter the partitioning of genetic variation over very short time scales. We conclude that ongoing strategies to maximize the size of some tiger populations, at the expense of losing others, is an inadequate conservation strategy, as it could result in a loss of genetic diversity that may be of adaptive significance for this emblematic species.

Demographic loss, genetic structure and the conservation implications for Indian tigers

PubMed Central

Mondol, Samrat; Bruford, Michael W.; Ramakrishnan, Uma

2013-01-01

India is home to approximately 60 per cent of the world's remaining wild tigers, a species that has declined in the last few centuries to occupy less than 7 per cent of its former geographical range. While Indian tiger numbers have somewhat stabilized in recent years, they remain low and populations are highly fragmented. Therefore, the application of evidence-based demographic and genetic management to enhance the remaining populations is a priority. In this context, and using genetic data from historical and modern tigers, we investigated anthropogenic impacts on genetic variation in Indian tigers using mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers. We found a very high number of historical mitochondrial DNA variants, 93 per cent of which are not detected in modern populations. Population differentiation was higher in modern tigers. Simulations incorporating historical data support population decline, and suggest high population structure in extant populations. Decreased connectivity and habitat loss as a result of ongoing fragmentation in the Indian subcontinent has therefore resulted in a loss of genetic variants and increased genetic differentiation among tiger populations. These results highlight that anthropogenic fragmentation and species-specific demographic processes can interact to alter the partitioning of genetic variation over very short time scales. We conclude that ongoing strategies to maximize the size of some tiger populations, at the expense of losing others, is an inadequate conservation strategy, as it could result in a loss of genetic diversity that may be of adaptive significance for this emblematic species. PMID:23677341

Forest corridors maintain historical gene flow in a tiger metapopulation in the highlands of central India.

PubMed

Sharma, Sandeep; Dutta, Trishna; Maldonado, Jesús E; Wood, Thomas C; Panwar, Hemendra Singh; Seidensticker, John

2013-09-22

Understanding the patterns of gene flow of an endangered species metapopulation occupying a fragmented habitat is crucial for landscape-level conservation planning and devising effective conservation strategies. Tigers (Panthera tigris) are globally endangered and their populations are highly fragmented and exist in a few isolated metapopulations across their range. We used multi-locus genotypic data from 273 individual tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) from four tiger populations of the Satpura-Maikal landscape of central India to determine whether the corridors in this landscape are functional. This 45 000 km(2) landscape contains 17% of India's tiger population and 12% of its tiger habitat. We applied Bayesian and coalescent-based analyses to estimate contemporary and historical gene flow among these populations and to infer their evolutionary history. We found that the tiger metapopulation in central India has high rates of historical and contemporary gene flow. The tests for population history reveal that tigers populated central India about 10 000 years ago. Their population subdivision began about 1000 years ago and accelerated about 200 years ago owing to habitat fragmentation, leading to four spatially separated populations. These four populations have been in migration-drift equilibrium maintained by high gene flow. We found the highest rates of contemporary gene flow in populations that are connected by forest corridors. This information is highly relevant to conservation practitioners and policy makers, because deforestation, road widening and mining are imminent threats to these corridors.

Forest corridors maintain historical gene flow in a tiger metapopulation in the highlands of central India

PubMed Central

Sharma, Sandeep; Dutta, Trishna; Maldonado, Jesús E.; Wood, Thomas C.; Panwar, Hemendra Singh; Seidensticker, John

2013-01-01

Understanding the patterns of gene flow of an endangered species metapopulation occupying a fragmented habitat is crucial for landscape-level conservation planning and devising effective conservation strategies. Tigers (Panthera tigris) are globally endangered and their populations are highly fragmented and exist in a few isolated metapopulations across their range. We used multi-locus genotypic data from 273 individual tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) from four tiger populations of the Satpura–Maikal landscape of central India to determine whether the corridors in this landscape are functional. This 45 000 km2 landscape contains 17% of India's tiger population and 12% of its tiger habitat. We applied Bayesian and coalescent-based analyses to estimate contemporary and historical gene flow among these populations and to infer their evolutionary history. We found that the tiger metapopulation in central India has high rates of historical and contemporary gene flow. The tests for population history reveal that tigers populated central India about 10 000 years ago. Their population subdivision began about 1000 years ago and accelerated about 200 years ago owing to habitat fragmentation, leading to four spatially separated populations. These four populations have been in migration–drift equilibrium maintained by high gene flow. We found the highest rates of contemporary gene flow in populations that are connected by forest corridors. This information is highly relevant to conservation practitioners and policy makers, because deforestation, road widening and mining are imminent threats to these corridors. PMID:23902910

Genetic characterization of H5N1 influenza A viruses isolated from zoo tigers in Thailand.

PubMed

Amonsin, Alongkorn; Payungporn, Sunchai; Theamboonlers, Apiradee; Thanawongnuwech, Roongroje; Suradhat, Sanipa; Pariyothorn, Nuananong; Tantilertcharoen, Rachod; Damrongwantanapokin, Sudarat; Buranathai, Chantanee; Chaisingh, Arunee; Songserm, Thaweesak; Poovorawan, Yong

2006-01-20

The H5N1 avian influenza virus outbreak among zoo tigers in mid-October 2004, with 45 animals dead, indicated that the avian influenza virus could cause lethal infection in a large mammalian species apart from humans. In this outbreak investigation, six H5N1 isolates were identified and two isolates (A/Tiger/Thailand/CU-T3/04 and A/Tiger/Thailand/CU-T7/04) were selected for whole genome analysis. Phylogenetic analysis of the 8 gene segments showed that the viruses clustered within the lineage of H5N1 avian isolates from Thailand and Vietnam. The hemagglutinin (HA) gene of the viruses displayed polybasic amino acids at the cleavage site, identical to those of the 2004 H5N1 isolates, which by definition are highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). In addition, sequence analyses revealed that the viruses isolated from tigers harbored few genetic changes compared with the viruses having infected chicken, humans, tigers and a leopard isolated from the early 2004 H5N1 outbreaks. Sequence analyses also showed that the tiger H5N1 isolated in October 2004 was more closely related to the chicken H5N1 isolated in July than that from January. Interestingly, all the 6 tiger H5N1 isolates contained a lysine substitution at position 627 of the PB2 protein similar to the human, but distinct from the original avian isolates.

76 FR 36068 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Sonoma...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-21

... Critical Habitat for the Sonoma County Distinct Population Segment of the California Tiger Salamander... Sonoma County Distinct Population Segment of the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense... (ac) (22,580 hectares (ha)) of land as critical habitat for the Sonoma California tiger salamander. We...

TIGER reliability analysis in the DSN

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gunn, J. M.

1982-01-01

The TIGER algorithm, the inputs to the program and the output are described. TIGER is a computer program designed to simulate a system over a period of time to evaluate system reliability and availability. Results can be used in the Deep Space Network for initial spares provisioning and system evaluation.

Estimating tiger abundance from camera trap data: Field surveys and analytical issues

USGS Publications Warehouse

Karanth, K. Ullas; Nichols, James D.; O'Connell, Allan F.; Nichols, James D.; Karanth, K. Ullas

2011-01-01

Automated photography of tigers Panthera tigris for purely illustrative purposes was pioneered by British forester Fred Champion (1927, 1933) in India in the early part of the Twentieth Century. However, it was McDougal (1977) in Nepal who first used camera traps, equipped with single-lens reflex cameras activated by pressure pads, to identify individual tigers and study their social and predatory behaviors. These attempts involved a small number of expensive, cumbersome camera traps, and were not, in any formal sense, directed at “sampling” tiger populations.

Do cryptic species exist in Hoplobatrachus rugulosus? An examination using four nuclear genes, the cyt b gene and the complete MT genome.

PubMed

Yu, Danna; Zhang, Jiayong; Li, Peng; Zheng, Rongquan; Shao, Chen

2015-01-01

he Chinese tiger frog Hoplobatrachus rugulosus is widely distributed in southern China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is listed in Appendix II of CITES as the only Class II nationally-protected frog in China. The bred tiger frog known as the Thailand tiger frog, is also identified as H. rugulosus. Our analysis of the Cyt b gene showed high genetic divergence (13.8%) between wild and bred samples of tiger frog. Unexpected genetic divergence of the complete mt genome (14.0%) was also observed between wild and bred samples of tiger frog. Yet, the nuclear genes (NCX1, Rag1, Rhod, Tyr) showed little divergence between them. Despite this and their very similar morphology, the features of the mitochondrial genome including genetic divergence of other genes, different three-dimensional structures of ND5 proteins, and gene rearrangements indicate that H. rugulosus may be a cryptic species complex. Using Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood, and maximum parsimony analyses, Hoplobatrachus was resolved as a sister clade to Euphlyctis, and H. rugulosus (BT) as a sister clade to H. rugulosus (WT). We suggest that we should prevent Thailand tiger frogs (bred type) from escaping into wild environments lest they produce hybrids with Chinese tiger frogs (wild type).

Do Cryptic Species Exist in Hoplobatrachus rugulosus? An Examination Using Four Nuclear Genes, the Cyt b Gene and the Complete MT Genome

PubMed Central

Li, Peng; Zheng, Rongquan; Shao, Chen

2015-01-01

he Chinese tiger frog Hoplobatrachus rugulosus is widely distributed in southern China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is listed in Appendix II of CITES as the only Class II nationally-protected frog in China. The bred tiger frog known as the Thailand tiger frog, is also identified as H. rugulosus. Our analysis of the Cyt b gene showed high genetic divergence (13.8%) between wild and bred samples of tiger frog. Unexpected genetic divergence of the complete mt genome (14.0%) was also observed between wild and bred samples of tiger frog. Yet, the nuclear genes (NCX1, Rag1, Rhod, Tyr) showed little divergence between them. Despite this and their very similar morphology, the features of the mitochondrial genome including genetic divergence of other genes, different three-dimensional structures of ND5 proteins, and gene rearrangements indicate that H. rugulosus may be a cryptic species complex. Using Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood, and maximum parsimony analyses, Hoplobatrachus was resolved as a sister clade to Euphlyctis, and H. rugulosus (BT) as a sister clade to H. rugulosus (WT). We suggest that we should prevent Thailand tiger frogs (bred type) from escaping into wild environments lest they produce hybrids with Chinese tiger frogs (wild type). PMID:25875761

Comparison of tiletamine and zolazepam pharmacokinetics in tigers (Panthera tigris) and leopards (Panthera pardus): do species differences account for adverse effects in tigers?

PubMed

Lewis, J C M; Teale, P; Webber, G; Sear, J W; Taylor, P M

2014-09-01

Serious post-operative neurological complications of unknown aetiology are reported in tigers after immobilisation using tiletamine and zolazepam. These complications may arise from the persistent effects of tiletamine or active metabolites of tiletamine or zolazepam. Concentrations of tiletamine, zolazepam and some metabolites were measured using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in plasma from captive tigers (n = 8) and leopards (n = 9; an unaffected species, for comparison) during anaesthesia for routine clinical procedures. The zolazepam:tiletamine (Z:T) ratio was calculated. Peak concentrations occurred at 9-33 min and ranged from 83.5 to 379.2 ng/mL for tiletamine and 301.1 to 1239.3 ng/mL for zolazepam after correction for dose by weight. There were no significant differences between tigers and leopards. The Z:T ratio was generally <5 and did not differ between species. In both tigers and leopards, zolazepam metabolism appeared to be primarily via demethylation. There was evidence for hydroxylation in leopards, but much less in tigers than leopards. No major differences between the species in parent pharmacokinetics were identified. The metabolism of tiletamine could not be defined with any degree of certainty for either species. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monitoring carnivore populations at the landscape scale: occupancy modelling of tigers from sign surveys

USGS Publications Warehouse

Karanth, Kota Ullas; Gopalaswamy, Arjun M.; Kumar, Narayanarao Samba; Vaidyanathan, Srinivas; Nichols, James D.; MacKenzie, Darryl I.

2011-01-01

1. Assessing spatial distributions of threatened large carnivores at landscape scales poses formidable challenges because of their rarity and elusiveness. As a consequence of logistical constraints, investigators typically rely on sign surveys. Most survey methods, however, do not explicitly address the central problem of imperfect detections of animal signs in the field, leading to underestimates of true habitat occupancy and distribution. 2. We assessed habitat occupancy for a tiger Panthera tigris metapopulation across a c. 38 000-km2 landscape in India, employing a spatially replicated survey to explicitly address imperfect detections. Ecological predictions about tiger presence were confronted with sign detection data generated from occupancy sampling of 205 sites, each of 188 km2. 3. A recent occupancy model that considers Markovian dependency among sign detections on spatial replicates performed better than the standard occupancy model (ΔAIC = 184·9). A formulation of this model that fitted the data best showed that density of ungulate prey and levels of human disturbance were key determinants of local tiger presence. Model averaging resulted in a replicate-level detection probability [inline image] = 0·17 (0·17) for signs and a tiger habitat occupancy estimate of [inline image] = 0·665 (0·0857) or 14 076 (1814) km2 of potential habitat of 21 167 km2. In contrast, a traditional presence-versus-absence approach underestimated occupancy by 47%. Maps of probabilities of local site occupancy clearly identified tiger source populations at higher densities and matched observed tiger density variations, suggesting their potential utility for population assessments at landscape scales. 4. Synthesis and applications. Landscape-scale sign surveys can efficiently assess large carnivore spatial distributions and elucidate the factors governing their local presence, provided ecological and observation processes are both explicitly modelled. Occupancy sampling using spatial replicates can be used to reliably and efficiently identify tiger population sources and help monitor metapopulations. Our results reinforce earlier findings that prey depletion and human disturbance are key drivers of local tiger extinctions and tigers can persist even in human-dominated landscapes through effective protection of source populations. Our approach facilitates efficient targeting of tiger conservation interventions and, more generally, provides a basis for the reliable integration of large carnivore monitoring data between local and landscape scales.

Trends of Forest Dynamics in Tiger Landscapes Across Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mondal, Pinki; Nagendra, Harini

2011-10-01

Protected areas (PAs) are cornerstones of biodiversity conservation, but small parks alone cannot support wide-ranging species, such as the tiger. Hence, forest dynamics in the surrounding landscapes of PAs are also important to tiger conservation. Tiger landscapes often support considerable human population in proximity of the PA, sometimes within the core itself, and thus are subject to various land use activities (such as agricultural expansion and road development) driving habitat loss and fragmentation. We synthesize information from 27 journal articles in 24 tiger landscapes to assess forest-cover dynamics in tiger-range countries. Although 29% of the PAs considered in this study have negligible change in overall forest cover, approximately 71% are undergoing deforestation and fragmentation. Approximately 58% of the total case studies have human settlements within the core area. Most changes—including agricultural expansion, plantation, and farming (52%), fuelwood and fodder collection (43%), logging (38%), grazing (38%), and tourism and development (10%)—can be attributed to human impacts largely linked to the nature of the management regime. This study highlights the need for incorporating new perspectives, ideas, and lessons learned locally and across borders into management plans to ensure tiger conservation in landscapes dominated by human activities. Given the increasing isolation of most parks due to agricultural, infrastructural, and commercial developments at the periphery, it is imperative to conduct planning and evaluation at the landscape level, as well as incorporate multiple actors and institutions in planning, instead of focusing solely on conservation within the PAs as is currently the case in most tiger parks.

Genetic Evidence of Tiger Population Structure and Migration within an Isolated and Fragmented Landscape in Northwest India

PubMed Central

Bhavanishankar, Maradani; Jaggi, Kanika; Hussain, Shaik Mohammed; Harika, Katakam; Shivaji, Sisinthy

2012-01-01

Background Majority of the tiger habitat in Indian subcontinent lies within high human density landscapes and is highly sensitive to surrounding pressures. These forests are unable to sustain healthy tiger populations within a tiger-hostile matrix, despite considerable conservation efforts. Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) in Northwest India is one such isolated forest which is rapidly losing its links with other tiger territories in the Central Indian landscape. Non-invasive genetic sampling for individual identification is a potent technique to understand the relationships between threatened tiger populations in degraded habitats. This study is an attempt to establish tiger movement across a fragmented landscape between RTR and its neighboring forests, Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary (KPWLS) and Madhav National Park (MNP) based on non-invasively obtained genetic data. Methods Data from twelve microsatellite loci was used to define population structure and also to identify first generation migrants and admixed individuals in the above forests. Results Population structure was consistent with the Central Indian landscape and we could determine significant gene flow between RTR and MNP. We could identify individuals of admixed ancestry in both these forests, as well as first generation migrants from RTR to KPWLS and MNP. Conclusions Our results indicate reproductive mixing between animals of RTR and MNP in the recent past and migration of animals even today, despite fragmentation and poaching risk, from RTR towards MNP. Substantial conservation efforts should be made to maintain connectivity between these two subpopulations and also higher protection status should be conferred on Madhav National Park. PMID:22253791

Noninvasive genetics provides insights into the population size and genetic diversity of an Amur tiger population in China.

PubMed

Wang, Dan; Hu, Yibo; Ma, Tianxiao; Nie, Yonggang; Xie, Yan; Wei, Fuwen

2016-01-01

Understanding population size and genetic diversity is critical for effective conservation of endangered species. The Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is the largest felid and a flagship species for wildlife conservation. Due to habitat loss and human activities, available habitat and population size are continuously shrinking. However, little is known about the true population size and genetic diversity of wild tiger populations in China. In this study, we collected 55 fecal samples and 1 hair sample to investigate the population size and genetic diversity of wild Amur tigers in Hunchun National Nature Reserve, Jilin Province, China. From the samples, we determined that 23 fecal samples and 1 hair sample were from 7 Amur tigers: 2 males, 4 females and 1 individual of unknown sex. Interestingly, 2 fecal samples that were presumed to be from tigers were from Amur leopards, highlighting the significant advantages of noninvasive genetics over traditional methods in studying rare and elusive animals. Analyses from this sample suggested that the genetic diversity of wild Amur tigers is much lower than that of Bengal tigers, consistent with previous findings. Furthermore, the genetic diversity of this Hunchun population in China was lower than that of the adjoining subpopulation in southwest Primorye Russia, likely due to sampling bias. Considering the small population size and relatively low genetic diversity, it is urgent to protect this endangered local subpopulation in China. © 2015 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Genetic evidence of tiger population structure and migration within an isolated and fragmented landscape in Northwest India.

PubMed

Reddy, Patlolla Anuradha; Gour, Digpal Singh; Bhavanishankar, Maradani; Jaggi, Kanika; Hussain, Shaik Mohammed; Harika, Katakam; Shivaji, Sisinthy

2012-01-01

Majority of the tiger habitat in Indian subcontinent lies within high human density landscapes and is highly sensitive to surrounding pressures. These forests are unable to sustain healthy tiger populations within a tiger-hostile matrix, despite considerable conservation efforts. Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) in Northwest India is one such isolated forest which is rapidly losing its links with other tiger territories in the Central Indian landscape. Non-invasive genetic sampling for individual identification is a potent technique to understand the relationships between threatened tiger populations in degraded habitats. This study is an attempt to establish tiger movement across a fragmented landscape between RTR and its neighboring forests, Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary (KPWLS) and Madhav National Park (MNP) based on non-invasively obtained genetic data. Data from twelve microsatellite loci was used to define population structure and also to identify first generation migrants and admixed individuals in the above forests. Population structure was consistent with the Central Indian landscape and we could determine significant gene flow between RTR and MNP. We could identify individuals of admixed ancestry in both these forests, as well as first generation migrants from RTR to KPWLS and MNP. Our results indicate reproductive mixing between animals of RTR and MNP in the recent past and migration of animals even today, despite fragmentation and poaching risk, from RTR towards MNP. Substantial conservation efforts should be made to maintain connectivity between these two subpopulations and also higher protection status should be conferred on Madhav National Park.

Trends of forest dynamics in tiger landscapes across Asia.

PubMed

Mondal, Pinki; Nagendra, Harini

2011-10-01

Protected areas (PAs) are cornerstones of biodiversity conservation, but small parks alone cannot support wide-ranging species, such as the tiger. Hence, forest dynamics in the surrounding landscapes of PAs are also important to tiger conservation. Tiger landscapes often support considerable human population in proximity of the PA, sometimes within the core itself, and thus are subject to various land use activities (such as agricultural expansion and road development) driving habitat loss and fragmentation. We synthesize information from 27 journal articles in 24 tiger landscapes to assess forest-cover dynamics in tiger-range countries. Although 29% of the PAs considered in this study have negligible change in overall forest cover, approximately 71% are undergoing deforestation and fragmentation. Approximately 58% of the total case studies have human settlements within the core area. Most changes-including agricultural expansion, plantation, and farming (52%), fuelwood and fodder collection (43%), logging (38%), grazing (38%), and tourism and development (10%)-can be attributed to human impacts largely linked to the nature of the management regime. This study highlights the need for incorporating new perspectives, ideas, and lessons learned locally and across borders into management plans to ensure tiger conservation in landscapes dominated by human activities. Given the increasing isolation of most parks due to agricultural, infrastructural, and commercial developments at the periphery, it is imperative to conduct planning and evaluation at the landscape level, as well as incorporate multiple actors and institutions in planning, instead of focusing solely on conservation within the PAs as is currently the case in most tiger parks.

The Super-TIGER Instrument to Probe Galactic Cosmic Ray Origins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, John W.; Binns, W. R.; Bose, R, G.; Braun, D. L.; Christian, E. R.; Daniels, W. M; DeNolfo, G. A.; Dowkontt, P. F.; Hahne, D. J.; Hams, T.;

Mortality of Amur tigers: The more things change, the more they stay the same.

PubMed

Robinson, Hugh S; Goodrich, John M; Miquelle, Dale G; Miller, Clayton S; Seryodkin, Ivan V

2015-07-01

Poaching as well as loss of habitat and prey are identified as causes of tiger population declines. Although some studies have examined habitat requirements and prey availability, few studies have quantified cause-specific mortality of tigers. We used cumulative incidence functions (CIFs) to quantify cause-specific mortality rates of tigers, expanding and refining earlier studies to assess the potential impact of a newly emerging disease. To quantify changes in tiger mortality over time, we re-examined data first collected by Goodrich et al. (; study period 1: 1992-2004) as well as new telemetry data collected since January 2005 (study period 2: 2005-2012) using a total of 57 tigers (27 males and 30 females) monitored for an average of 747 days (range 26-4718 days). Across the entire study period (1992 to 2012) we found an estimated average annual survival rate of 0.75 for all tigers combined. Poaching was the primary cause of mortality during both study periods, followed by suspected poaching, distemper and natural/unknown causes. Since 2005, poaching mortality has remained relatively constant and, if combined with suspected poaching, may account for a loss of 17-19% of the population each year. Canine distemper virus (CDV) may be an additive form of mortality to the population, currently accounting for an additional 5%. Despite this relatively new source of mortality, poaching remains the main threat to Amur tiger survival and, therefore, population growth. © 2015 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

75 FR 17755 - Certificate of Alternative Compliance for the Offshore Supply Vessel GULF TIGER

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-07

... Compliance for the Offshore Supply Vessel GULF TIGER AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces that a Certificate of Alternative Compliance was issued for the offshore supply... for the h offshore supply vessel GULF TIGER. Full compliance with 72 COLREGS and the Inland Rules Act...

76 FR 4103 - ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Filing

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-24

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. AC11-25-000] ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Filing January 13, 2011. Take notice that on December 30, 2010, ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC submitted a request for a waiver of the reporting requirement to file the FERC Form 2 for 2010...

Talking to the dead: using Post-mortem data in the assessment of stress in tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) (Péron and Lesueur, 1822).

PubMed

Wosnick, Natascha; Bornatowski, Hugo; Ferraz, Carolina; Afonso, André; Sousa Rangel, Bianca; Hazin, Fábio Hissa Vieira; Freire, Carolina Arruda

2017-02-01

Sharks are very sensitive to stress and prone to a high mortality rate after capture. Since approximately 50 million of sharks are caught as bycatch every year, and current recommendations to reduce the impact of commercial fishing strongly support immediate release, it is imperative to better understand post-release mortality caused by the stress of capture and handling. Blood samples allow the assessment of stress levels which are valuable tools to reduce mortality in commercial, recreational and scientific fishing, being essential for the improvement in those conservation measures. Biochemical analyses are widely used for sharks as stress indicators, with secondary plasma parameters (lactate, glucose and ions) being the most often employed assays. However, it is virtually impossible to determine baseline plasma parameters in free-ranging sharks, since blood withdrawal involves animal capture and restrain, which are stressful procedures. This study aims at analyzing secondary parameters of five healthy tiger sharks captured with circular hooks and handlines in Fernando de Noronha (Northeastern Brazil) and comparing them with secondary parameters of three dead tiger sharks caught off Recife (also Northeastern Brazil). The results showed that the analysis of some plasma constituents in dead animals may be an efficient tool to assess stress and lethality. However, traditional parameters such as glucose and calcium, need to be used with caution. The results also demonstrated the extreme importance of urea and phosphorus for assessing stress response and mortality in tiger sharks, both parameters frequently neglected and of utmost importance for shark's homeostasis.

[Specific features of feeding of the Amur tiger Panthera tigris altaica (Carnivora, Felidae) in a densely populated locality (with reference to Bol'shekhekhtsirskii Reserve and its environs)].

PubMed

2012-01-01

Specific features of feeding of the Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) in the Bol'shekhekhtsirskii Reserve located in a densely populated locality (only 15 km to the north of it is the city of Khabarovsk) have been investigated. For a long time (1992-2000) the diet of tigers consisted 100% of wild animals, although the accessibility of domestic animals, dogs, in particular, was high. From 2000 to 2007, in their feeding, the proportion of dogs increased (up to 47%), and the proportion of wild animals decreased (50.8%). Tigers attacking dogs were physically weakened (broken fangs, wounds, inflicted by humans, diseases). Thus, even in a densely populated locality, the tiger's diet includes domestic animals only at exposure to different negative factors.

Genetic structure of the Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) population: Are tigers in Sikhote-Alin and southwest Primorye truly isolated?

PubMed

Sorokin, Pavel A; Rozhnov, Vyatcheslav V; Krasnenko, Anna U; Lukarevskiy, Victor S; Naidenko, Sergey V; Hernandez-Blanco, Jose A

2016-01-01

We used molecular genetic analyses to noninvasively identify individual Amur tigers and define subpopulations of tigers in the Russian Far East. We identified 63 individuals after genotyping 256 feces, 7 hair and 11 blood samples collected within southern, central and northern Sikhote-Alin, as well as Southwest Primorye. Analysis of nuclear DNA at 9 microsatellite loci demonstrated greater genetic similarity between animals from southern and northern Sikhote-Alin (some 500 km apart) than between animals from Ussuriskii State Nature Reserve and Southwest Primorye (less than 10 km apart at their nearest point), suggesting that a true barrier exists preventing movements of tigers between Southwest Primorye and the southern Sikhote-Alin Mountains. © 2015 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Two fatal tiger attacks in zoos.

PubMed

Tantius, Britta; Wittschieber, Daniel; Schmidt, Sven; Rothschild, Markus A; Banaschak, Sibylle

2016-01-01

Two captive tiger attacks are presented that took place in Cologne and Münster zoos. Both attacks occurred when the handlers, intent on cleaning the enclosures, entered whilst the tigers accidently retained access to the location, and thus defended their territory against the perceived intruders. Both victims suffered fatal neck injuries from the bites. At Münster, colleagues managed to lure the tiger away from its victim to enable treatment, whilst the Cologne zoo tiger had to be shot in order to allow access to be gained. Whilst it was judged that human error led to the deaths of the experienced zookeepers, the investigation in Münster was closed as no third party was found to be at fault, whereas the Cologne zoo director was initially charged with being negligent. These charges were subsequently dismissed as safety regulations were found to be up to date.

Reef-Fidelity and Migration of Tiger Sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier, across the Coral Sea

PubMed Central

Werry, Jonathan M.; Planes, Serge; Berumen, Michael L.; Lee, Kate A.; Braun, Camrin D.; Clua, Eric

2014-01-01

Knowledge of the habitat use and migration patterns of large sharks is important for assessing the effectiveness of large predator Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), vulnerability to fisheries and environmental influences, and management of shark–human interactions. Here we compare movement, reef-fidelity, and ocean migration for tiger sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier, across the Coral Sea, with an emphasis on New Caledonia. Thirty-three tiger sharks (1.54 to 3.9 m total length) were tagged with passive acoustic transmitters and their localised movements monitored on receiver arrays in New Caledonia, the Chesterfield and Lord Howe Islands in the Coral Sea, and the east coast of Queensland, Australia. Satellite tags were also used to determine habitat use and movements among habitats across the Coral Sea. Sub-adults and one male adult tiger shark displayed year-round residency in the Chesterfields with two females tagged in the Chesterfields and detected on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, after 591 and 842 days respectively. In coastal barrier reefs, tiger sharks were transient at acoustic arrays and each individual demonstrated a unique pattern of occurrence. From 2009 to 2013, fourteen sharks with satellite and acoustic tags undertook wide-ranging movements up to 1114 km across the Coral Sea with eight detected back on acoustic arrays up to 405 days after being tagged. Tiger sharks dove 1136 m and utilised three-dimensional activity spaces averaged at 2360 km3. The Chesterfield Islands appear to be important habitat for sub-adults and adult male tiger sharks. Management strategies need to consider the wide-ranging movements of large (sub-adult and adult) male and female tiger sharks at the individual level, whereas fidelity to specific coastal reefs may be consistent across groups of individuals. Coastal barrier reef MPAs, however, only afford brief protection for large tiger sharks, therefore determining the importance of other oceanic Coral Sea reefs should be a priority for future research. PMID:24421879

Amphibian commerce as a likely source of pathogen pollution.

PubMed

Picco, Angela M; Collins, James P

2008-12-01

The commercial trade of wildlife occurs on a global scale. In addition to removing animals from their native populations, this trade may lead to the release and subsequent introduction of nonindigenous species and the pathogens they carry. Emerging infectious diseases, such as chytridiomycosis caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), and ranaviral disease have spread with global trade in amphibians and are linked to amphibian declines and die-offs worldwide, which suggests that the commercial trade in amphibians may be a source of pathogen pollution. We screened tiger salamanders involved in the bait trade in the western United States for both ranaviruses and Bd with polymerase chain reaction and used oral reports from bait shops and ranavirus DNA sequences from infected bait salamanders to determine how these animals and their pathogens are moved geographically by commerce. In addition, we conducted 2 surveys of anglers to determine how often tiger salamanders are used as bait and how often they are released into fishing waters by anglers, and organized bait-shop surveys to determine whether tiger salamanders are released back into the wild after being housed in bait shops. Ranaviruses were detected in the tiger salamander bait trade in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, and Bd was detected in Arizona bait shops. Ranaviruses were spread geographically through the bait trade. All tiger salamanders in the bait trade were collected from the wild, and in general they moved east to west and north to south, bringing with them their multiple ranavirus strains. Finally, 26-73% of anglers used tiger salamanders as fishing bait, 26-67% of anglers released tiger salamanders bought as bait into fishing waters, and 4% of bait shops released tiger salamanders back into the wild after they were housed in shops with infected animals. The tiger salamander bait trade in the western United States is a useful model for understanding the consequences of the unregulated anthropogenic movement of amphibians and their pathogens through trade.

Reef-fidelity and migration of tiger sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier, across the Coral Sea.

PubMed

Werry, Jonathan M; Planes, Serge; Berumen, Michael L; Lee, Kate A; Braun, Camrin D; Clua, Eric

2014-01-01

Knowledge of the habitat use and migration patterns of large sharks is important for assessing the effectiveness of large predator Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), vulnerability to fisheries and environmental influences, and management of shark-human interactions. Here we compare movement, reef-fidelity, and ocean migration for tiger sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier, across the Coral Sea, with an emphasis on New Caledonia. Thirty-three tiger sharks (1.54 to 3.9 m total length) were tagged with passive acoustic transmitters and their localised movements monitored on receiver arrays in New Caledonia, the Chesterfield and Lord Howe Islands in the Coral Sea, and the east coast of Queensland, Australia. Satellite tags were also used to determine habitat use and movements among habitats across the Coral Sea. Sub-adults and one male adult tiger shark displayed year-round residency in the Chesterfields with two females tagged in the Chesterfields and detected on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, after 591 and 842 days respectively. In coastal barrier reefs, tiger sharks were transient at acoustic arrays and each individual demonstrated a unique pattern of occurrence. From 2009 to 2013, fourteen sharks with satellite and acoustic tags undertook wide-ranging movements up to 1114 km across the Coral Sea with eight detected back on acoustic arrays up to 405 days after being tagged. Tiger sharks dove 1136 m and utilised three-dimensional activity spaces averaged at 2360 km³. The Chesterfield Islands appear to be important habitat for sub-adults and adult male tiger sharks. Management strategies need to consider the wide-ranging movements of large (sub-adult and adult) male and female tiger sharks at the individual level, whereas fidelity to specific coastal reefs may be consistent across groups of individuals. Coastal barrier reef MPAs, however, only afford brief protection for large tiger sharks, therefore determining the importance of other oceanic Coral Sea reefs should be a priority for future research.

A comparison of food habits and prey preference of Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) at three sites in the Russian Far East.

PubMed

Kerley, Linda L; Mukhacheva, Anna S; Matyukhina, Dina S; Salmanova, Elena; Salkina, Galina P; Miquelle, Dale G

2015-07-01

Prey availability is one of the principal drivers of tiger distribution and abundance. Therefore, formulating effective conservation strategies requires a clear understanding of tiger diet. We used scat analysis in combination with data on the abundance of several prey species to estimate Amur tiger diet and preference at 3 sites in the Russian Far East. We also examined the effect of pseudoreplication on estimates of tiger diet. We collected 770 scats across the 3 sites. Similar to previous studies, we found that tigers primarily preyed on medium to large ungulates, with wild boar, roe, sika and red deer collectively comprising 86.7% of total biomass consumed on average. According to Jacobs' index, tigers preferred wild boar, and avoided sika deer. Variation in preference indices derived from these scat analyses compared to indices derived from kill data appear to be due to adjustments in biomass intake when sex-age of a killed individual is known: a component missing from scat data. Pseudoreplication (multiple samples collected from a single kill site) also skewed results derived from scat analyses. Scat analysis still appears useful in providing insight into the diets of carnivores when the full spectrum of prey species needs to be identified, or when sample sizes from kill data are not sufficient. When sample sizes of kill data are large (as is now possible with GPS-collared animals), kill data adjusted by sex-age categories probably provides the most accurate estimates of prey biomass composition. Our results provide further confirmation of the centrality of medium ungulates, in particular wild boar, to Amur tiger diet, and suggest that the protection of this group of species is critical to Amur tiger conservation. © 2015 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Evaluating the Ability of the PBS Children's Show Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood to Teach Skills to Two Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Dotson, Wesley H; Rasmussen, Eric E; Shafer, Autumn; Colwell, Malinda; Densley, Rebecca L; Brewer, Adam T; Alonzo, Marisol C; Martinez, Laura A

2017-03-01

Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood is a children's television show incorporating many elements of video modeling, an intervention that can teach skills to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This study evaluated the impact of watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood episodes on the accurate performance of trying new foods and stopping play politely with two five-year-old children with ASD. Both children showed improved performance of skills only following exposure to episodes of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood , suggesting that watching episodes can help children with ASD learn specific skills.

CHEETAH: A next generation thermochemical code

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fried, L.; Souers, P.

1994-11-01

CHEETAH is an effort to bring the TIGER thermochemical code into the 1990s. A wide variety of improvements have been made in Version 1.0. We have improved the robustness and ease of use of TIGER. All of TIGER`s solvers have been replaced by new algorithms. We find that CHEETAH solves a wider variety of problems with no user intervention (e.g. no guesses for the C-J state) than TIGER did. CHEETAH has been made simpler to use than TIGER; typical use of the code occurs with the new standard run command. CHEETAH will make the use of thermochemical codes more attractivemore » to practical explosive formulators. We have also made an extensive effort to improve over the results of TIGER. CHEETAH`s version of the BKW equation of state (BKWC) is able to accurately reproduce energies from cylinder tests; something that other BKW parameter sets have been unable to do. Calculations performed with BKWC execute very quickly; typical run times are under 10 seconds on a workstation. In the future we plan to improve the underlying science in CHEETAH. More accurate equations of state will be used in the gas and the condensed phase. A kinetics capability will be added to the code that will predict reaction zone thickness. Further ease of use features will eventually be added; an automatic formulator that adjusts concentrations to match desired properties is planned.« less

Evaluating physiological stress in Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris ssp. sumatrae) managed in Australian zoos.

PubMed

Parnell, Tempe; Narayan, Edward J; Magrath, Michael J L; Roe, Sheila; Clark, Giles; Nicolson, Vere; Martin-Vegue, Patrick; Mucci, Al; Hero, Jean-Marc

2014-01-01

Glucocorticoid quantification using non-invasive methods provides a powerful tool for assessing the health and welfare of wildlife in zoo-based programmes. In this study, we provide baseline data on faecal-based glucocorticoid (cortisol) monitoring of Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris ssp. sumatrae) managed at the Melbourne Zoo in Victoria, Australia. We sampled five tigers daily for 60 days. Faecal cortisol metabolites (FCMs) in tiger faecal extracts were quantified using enzyme immunoassays that were successfully validated using parallelism and accuracy recovery checks. Two female tigers had significantly higher mean FCM levels than the two males and another female, suggesting that females may have higher FCM levels. A significant elevation was noted in the FCM levels for one female 2 days after she was darted and anaesthetized; however, the FCM levels returned to baseline levels within 3 days after the event. Comparative analysis of FCM levels of tigers sampled at Melbourne Zoo with tigers sampled earlier at two other Australian Zoos (Dreamworld Themepark and Australia Zoo) showed that FCM levels varied between zoos. Differences in the enclosure characteristics, timing of sampling, size and composition of groupings and training procedures could all contribute to this variation. Overall, we recommend the use of non-invasive sampling for the assessment of adrenocortical activity of felids managed in zoos in Australia and internationally in order to improve the welfare of these charismatic big cats.

Evaluating physiological stress in Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris ssp. sumatrae) managed in Australian zoos

PubMed Central

Parnell, Tempe; Narayan, Edward J.; Magrath, Michael J. L.; Roe, Sheila; Clark, Giles; Nicolson, Vere; Martin-Vegue, Patrick; Mucci, Al; Hero, Jean-Marc

2014-01-01

Glucocorticoid quantification using non-invasive methods provides a powerful tool for assessing the health and welfare of wildlife in zoo-based programmes. In this study, we provide baseline data on faecal-based glucocorticoid (cortisol) monitoring of Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris ssp. sumatrae) managed at the Melbourne Zoo in Victoria, Australia. We sampled five tigers daily for 60 days. Faecal cortisol metabolites (FCMs) in tiger faecal extracts were quantified using enzyme immunoassays that were successfully validated using parallelism and accuracy recovery checks. Two female tigers had significantly higher mean FCM levels than the two males and another female, suggesting that females may have higher FCM levels. A significant elevation was noted in the FCM levels for one female 2 days after she was darted and anaesthetized; however, the FCM levels returned to baseline levels within 3 days after the event. Comparative analysis of FCM levels of tigers sampled at Melbourne Zoo with tigers sampled earlier at two other Australian Zoos (Dreamworld Themepark and Australia Zoo) showed that FCM levels varied between zoos. Differences in the enclosure characteristics, timing of sampling, size and composition of groupings and training procedures could all contribute to this variation. Overall, we recommend the use of non-invasive sampling for the assessment of adrenocortical activity of felids managed in zoos in Australia and internationally in order to improve the welfare of these charismatic big cats. PMID:27293659

Does “Tiger Parenting” Exist? Parenting Profiles of Chinese Americans and Adolescent Developmental Outcomes

PubMed Central

Kim, Su Yeong; Wang, Yijie; Orozco-Lapray, Diana; Shen, Yishan; Murtuza, Mohammed

2013-01-01

“Tiger parenting,” as described by Chua (2011), has put parenting in Asian American families in the spotlight. The current study identified parenting profiles in Chinese American families and explored their effects on adolescent adjustment. In a three-wave longitudinal design spanning eight years, from early adolescence to emerging adulthood, adolescents (54% female), fathers and mothers from 444 Chinese American families reported on eight parenting dimensions (e.g., warmth and shaming) and six developmental outcomes (e.g., GPA and academic pressure). Latent profile analyses on the eight parenting dimensions demonstrated four parenting profiles: supportive, tiger, easygoing, and harsh parenting. Over time, the percentage of parents classified as tiger parents decreased among mothers but increased among fathers. Path analyses showed that the supportive parenting profile, which was the most common, was associated with the best developmental outcomes, followed by easygoing parenting, tiger parenting, and harsh parenting. Compared with the supportive parenting profile, a tiger parenting profile was associated with lower GPA and educational attainment, as well as less of a sense of family obligation; it was also associated with more academic pressure, more depressive symptoms and a greater sense of alienation. The current study suggests that, contrary to the common perception, tiger parenting is not the most typical parenting profile in Chinese American families, nor does it lead to optimal adjustment among Chinese American adolescents. PMID:23646228

75 FR 48914 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding on a Petition to Delist the Tiger...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-12

... Federal regulations are relevant to the tiger: the Captive Bred Wildlife (CBW) registration program under... interpretation of the appropriate degree of control for these species of captive bred wildlife. The Service has...). Domestic livestock, such as cattle, water buffalos, goats, and dogs, are also frequently taken by tigers...

50 CFR 14.252 - What definitions do I need to know?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... wildlife species means a specimen of any of the following eight species: Lion (Panthera leo), tiger... from the breeding of any combination of any of these species, for example, a liger (a male lion and a female tiger) or a tiglon (a male tiger and a female lion), whether naturally or artificially produced...

50 CFR 14.252 - What definitions do I need to know?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... wildlife species means a specimen of any of the following eight species: Lion (Panthera leo), tiger... from the breeding of any combination of any of these species, for example, a liger (a male lion and a female tiger) or a tiglon (a male tiger and a female lion), whether naturally or artificially produced...

50 CFR 14.252 - What definitions do I need to know?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... wildlife species means a specimen of any of the following eight species: Lion (Panthera leo), tiger... from the breeding of any combination of any of these species, for example, a liger (a male lion and a female tiger) or a tiglon (a male tiger and a female lion), whether naturally or artificially produced...

Variations in gut microbiota and fecal metabolic phenotype associated with Fenbendazole and Ivermectin Tablets by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and LC/MS-based metabolomics in Amur tiger.

PubMed

He, Fengping; Zhai, Jiancheng; Zhang, Le; Liu, Dan; Ma, Yue; Rong, Ke; Xu, Yanchun; Ma, Jianzhang

2018-05-15

The Amur tiger is one of the most endangered species in the world, and the healthy population of captive Amur tigers assists the recovery of the wild population. Gut microbes have been shown to be important for human disease and health, but little research exists regarding the microbiome of Amur tigers in captivity. In this study, we used an integrated approach of 16S rRNA gene sequencing combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS)-based metabolomics to analyze the effects of Fenbendazole and Ivermectin Tablets on the gut microbiota and fecal metabolic phenotype of the Amur tiger. The relative abundances of the bacterial genera Collinsella, Clostridium XI and Megamonas were decreased, whereas those of Escherichia and Clostridium sensu stricto were increased in experimental Amur tigers compared with those in normal controls. Meanwhile, distinct changes in the fecal metabolic phenotype of the experimental Amur tigers were also found, including lower levels of acrylic acid, acetoacetate and catechol and higher amounts of 5,6-dihydrouracil, adenine hydrochloride hydrate and galactitol. Moreover, the differentially abundant gut microbes were substantially associated with the altered fecal metabolites, especially the bacteria in the Firmicutes and Actinomycetes, which were involved in the metabolism of 5,6-dihydrouracil, 6-phospho-d-gluconate and 1-methylnicotinamide. Our results indicate for the first time that Fenbendazole and Ivermectin Tablets not only disturb the gut microbiota at the abundance level but also alter the metabolic homeostasis of the Amur tiger. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimating abundance and density of Amur tigers along the Sino-Russian border.

PubMed

Xiao, Wenhong; Feng, Limin; Mou, Pu; Miquelle, Dale G; Hebblewhite, Mark; Goldberg, Joshua F; Robinson, Hugh S; Zhao, Xiaodan; Zhou, Bo; Wang, Tianming; Ge, Jianping

2016-07-01

As an apex predator the Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) could play a pivotal role in maintaining the integrity of forest ecosystems in Northeast Asia. Due to habitat loss and harvest over the past century, tigers rapidly declined in China and are now restricted to the Russian Far East and bordering habitat in nearby China. To facilitate restoration of the tiger in its historical range, reliable estimates of population size are essential to assess effectiveness of conservation interventions. Here we used camera trap data collected in Hunchun National Nature Reserve from April to June 2013 and 2014 to estimate tiger density and abundance using both maximum likelihood and Bayesian spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) methods. A minimum of 8 individuals were detected in both sample periods and the documentation of marking behavior and reproduction suggests the presence of a resident population. Using Bayesian SECR modeling within the 11 400 km(2) state space, density estimates were 0.33 and 0.40 individuals/100 km(2) in 2013 and 2014, respectively, corresponding to an estimated abundance of 38 and 45 animals for this transboundary Sino-Russian population. In a maximum likelihood framework, we estimated densities of 0.30 and 0.24 individuals/100 km(2) corresponding to abundances of 34 and 27, in 2013 and 2014, respectively. These density estimates are comparable to other published estimates for resident Amur tiger populations in the Russian Far East. This study reveals promising signs of tiger recovery in Northeast China, and demonstrates the importance of connectivity between the Russian and Chinese populations for recovering tigers in Northeast China. © 2016 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Tiger Team Assessments seventeen through thirty-five: A summary and analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-12-01

On June 27, 1989, the Secretary of Energy, Admiral James D. Watkins, US Navy (Retired), announced a 10-Point Plan to strengthen environmental, safety, and health (ES H) programs and waste management activities at the US Department of Energy (DOE). The third initiative called for establishing an independent audit (the Tiger Teams) to assess DOE's major operating facilities and laboratories. As of November 1992, all 35 Tiger Team Assessments were completed and formally reported to the Secretary. In May 1991 a report providing an analysis and summary of the findings and root causes identified by the first 16 Tiger Team Assessmentsmore » was completed and submitted to the Secretary of Energy and to all DOE program managers. This document is intended to provide an easily used and easily understood summary and analysis of the information contained in Tiger Team Assessments numbers 17 through 35 to help DOE achieve ES H excellence.« less

Distemper: not a new disease in lions and tigers.

PubMed Central

Myers, D L; Zurbriggen, A; Lutz, H; Pospischil, A

1997-01-01

In light of recent canine distemper virus (CDV) epidemics, we set out to determine the historical significance of CDV infection in captive lions and tigers in Switzerland. The retrospective case material consisted of 42 lion and tiger necropsy cases from 1972 to 1992. Necropsy reports for all lions and tigers were reviewed. All existing paraffin tissues were immunohistochemically examined with a polyclonal antibody raised against CDV. The results for 19 of the 42 lions and tigers were classified as positive by immunohistochemistry; 23 results were negative or questionable. The results for four animals (three positive and one negative ) were further tested by in situ hybridization, and the results concurred with the immunohistochemistry findings. CDV infection of large cats is older and more widespread than previously thought. All large cats in captivity should be immunized even if canine distemper is not believed to be a problem for large cats in the area. PMID:9067652

Defining Tiger Parenting in Chinese Americans.

PubMed

Kim, Su Yeong

2013-09-01

"Tiger" parenting, as described by Amy Chua [2011], has instigated scholarly discourse on this phenomenon and its possible effects on families. Our eight-year longitudinal study, published in the Asian American Journal of Psychology [Kim, Wang, Orozco-Lapray, Shen, & Murtuza, 2013b], demonstrates that tiger parenting is not a common parenting profile in a sample of 444 Chinese American families. Tiger parenting also does not relate to superior academic performance in children. In fact, the best developmental outcomes were found among children of supportive parents. We examine the complexities around defining tiger parenting by reviewing classical literature on parenting styles and scholarship on Asian American parenting, along with Amy Chua's own description of her parenting method, to develop, define, and categorize variability in parenting in a sample of Chinese American families. We also provide evidence that supportive parenting is important for the optimal development of Chinese American adolescents.

Using dogs for tiger conservation and research.

PubMed

Kerley, Linda L

2010-12-01

This paper is a review of the history, development and efficacy of using dogs in wildlife studies and considers the use of dogs in the research and conservation of wild tigers (Panthera tigris Linnaeus, 1758). Using scat detection dogs, scent-matching dogs, law enforcement detection dogs and protection dogs are proven methods that can be effectively used on tigers. These methods all take advantage of the dog's extremely evolved sense of smell that allows them to detect animals or animal byproducts (often the focus of tiger studies). Dogs can be trained to communicate this information to their handlers. © 2010 ISZS, Blackwell Publishing and IOZ/CAS.

The Super-TIGER Instrument to Probe Galactic Cosmic-Ray Origins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, John E.

2013-04-01

Super-TIGER is a large area (5.4 m^2) balloon-borne instrument designed to measure cosmic-ray nuclei in the charge interval 30 <= Z <= 42 with individual-element resolution and high statistical precision, and make exploratory measurements through Z = 56. These measurements will provide sensitive tests of the emerging model of cosmic-ray origins in OB associations and models of the mechanism for selection of nuclei for acceleration. Furthermore, Super-TIGER will measure with high statistical accuracy the energy spectra of the more abundant elements in the interval 10 <= Z <= 28 at energies 0.8 < E < 10 GeV/nucleon to test the hypothesis that nearby micro-quasars could superpose features on the energy spectra. Super-TIGER, which builds on the heritage of the smaller TIGER, was constructed by a collaboration involving WUSTL, NASA/GSFC, Caltech, JPL and U Minn. It was successfully launched from Antarctica in December 2012, collecting high-quality data for over one month. Particle charge and energy were measured with a combination of plastic scintillators, acrylic and silica-aerogel Cherenkov detectors, and a scintillating fiber hodoscope. Details of the flight, instrument performance, data analysis and preliminary results of the Super-TIGER flight will be presented.

[Preparation of the vaccine with inactivated Feline Panleukopenia Virus isolated from tiger and the preliminary application].

PubMed

Yu, Yali; Zhou, Ming; Zhang, Jin; Hua, Yuping; Wang, Ligang; Liu, Yinan; Liu, Dan; Xia, Xianzhu

2009-05-01

To prepare a vaccine with inactivated Feline Panleukopenia Virus (FPV) isolated from Siberian tigers and to evaluate its immunological effect. FPV-HLJ, an FPV strain previously isolated from Siberian tiger in our lab was used to inoculate cat kidney cell line F81 with dose 1/10(v/v) using the synchronizing inoculation method. Inoculated F81 cell line was cultured at 37 degrees C and collected when cytopathic effect was up to 75%. Viral suspension was inactivated by using formaldehyde for 24 h and inactive vaccine preapred by adding aluminium hydroxide gel as adjuvant to the suspension. The inactive vaccine was applied to 2-month-old kitten tigers of hypodermically after protection effect was proved in 2-month-old nonimmunized cats by using the same vaccination procedure. Antibody level in vaccinated cats revealed an increasing trend that the valence of antibody reached 1:1024-2048 after three times of vaccination. All vaccinated cats survived challenges of virulent FPV virus. The valence of antibody reached 1:1024 in most vaccinated tigers 15 days after the third vaccination. The results indicated that the inactivated vaccine can produce immunoprotection for tigers.

Improving the U.S. Military’s Adaptability Against the Salafist-jihadi Threat

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-12

and bloodshed. Likewise, when the Sri Lankan government enacted a series of brutal and oppressive domestic policies against the Tamil population, the... Tamils nearly unanimously rallied behind the Tamil Tigers or LTTE in response. Similarly, it has been argued that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were

Corporate Multiculturalism, Diversity Management, and Positive Interculturalism in Irish Schools and Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryan, Audrey

2010-01-01

This article offers an empirical critique of recent social and educational policy responses to cultural diversity in an Irish context, with a particular focus on anti-racism, integration and intercultural education policies developed during the so-called "Celtic Tiger" era. Combining ethnographic and discourse analytic techniques, I…

Tracking changes and preventing loss in critical tiger habitat

PubMed Central

Joshi, Anup R.; Dinerstein, Eric; Wikramanayake, Eric; Anderson, Michael L.; Olson, David; Jones, Benjamin S.; Seidensticker, John; Lumpkin, Susan; Hansen, Matthew C.; Sizer, Nigel C.; Davis, Crystal L.; Palminteri, Suzanne; Hahn, Nathan R.

2016-01-01

The global population of wild tigers remains dangerously low at fewer than 3500 individuals. Habitat loss, along with poaching, can undermine the international target recovery of doubling the number of wild tigers by 2022. Using a new satellite-based monitoring system, we analyzed 14 years of forest loss data within the 76 landscapes (ranging from 278 to 269,983 km2) that have been prioritized for conservation of wild tigers. Our analysis provides an update of the status of tiger habitat and describes new applications of technology to detect precisely where forest loss is occurring in order to curb future habitat loss. Across the 76 landscapes, forest loss was far less than anticipated (79,597 ± 22,629 km2, 7.7% of remaining habitat) over the 14-year study period (2001–2014). Habitat loss was unevenly distributed within a subset of 29 landscapes deemed most critical for doubling wild tiger populations: 19 showed little change (1.5%), whereas 10 accounted for more than 98% (57,392 ± 16,316 km2) of habitat loss. Habitat loss in source population sites within 76 landscapes ranged from no loss to 435 ± 124 km2 (x¯=24km2, SD = 89, total = 1676 ± 476 km2). Doubling the tiger population by 2022 requires moving beyond tracking annual changes in habitat. We highlight near–real-time forest monitoring technologies that provide alerts of forest loss at relevant spatial and temporal scales to prevent further erosion. PMID:27051881

Recovery of the SuperTIGER Instrument and Preparations for the Flight of SuperTIGER-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walsh, N. E.; Supertiger Collaboration

2016-03-01

On December 8, 2012, the SuperTIGER (Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder) instrument began its long-duration balloon flight from Williams Field, Antarctica. Flying for a record-breaking 55 days at a mean altitude of 125,000 feet, the instrument successfully measured the relative elemental abundances of Galactic cosmic ray nuclei having charge (Z) greater than Z=10, showing very well resolved individual element peaks up to Z=40. The instrument measures particle charge and energy through the combined use of two Cherenkov detectors and three scintillation detectors, and determines particle trajectory with a scintillating fiber hodoscope. After cutdown and two years on the ice, SuperTIGER was successfully recovered in January, 2015. Its detectors and hodoscopes are being tested and refurbished, and are expected to be used again for a second flight, SuperTIGER-2. The second flight is aimed at improving SuperTIGER's already excellent charge resolution as well as at accumulating more data to be combined with that of SuperTIGER for improved statistics. In November 2015, a test of the scintillator saturation effect was performed at CERN using a beam of interacted Pb nuclei to help create more accurate charge reconstruction models that will help resolve elements in the range Z=41 to Z=60. This research was supported by NASA under Grants NNX09AC17G, NNX14AB25G, the Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation and the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences at Washington University.

Trophic Ecology and Movement Patters of Tiger Sharks (Galeocerdo Cuvier) off the Western North Atlantic Coastal and Continental Shelf Waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sancho, G.; Edman, R.; Frazier, B.; Bubley, W.

2016-02-01

Understanding the trophic dynamics and habitat utilization of apex predators is central to inferring their influence on different marine landscapes and to help design effective management plans for these animals. Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are abundant in shelf and offshore Gulf Stream waters of the western North Atlantic Ocean, and based on movements from individuals captured in Florida and Bahamas, seem to avoid coastal and shelf waters off South Carolina and Georgia. This contradicts reports of tiger sharks regularly being caught nearshore by anglers in these states, indicating that separate sub-populations may exist in the western North Atlantic. In the present study we captured Tiger Sharks in coastal waters off South Carolina in 2014 and 2015 in order to describe their movement patterns through acoustic and satellite tagging, and trophic dynamics through stable isotope analyses. Movement data show that these tiger sharks repeatedly visit particular inshore areas and mainly travel over the continental shelf, but rarely venture offshore beyond the continental shelf edge. Ongoing C and N stable isotope analyses of muscle, blood and skin tissues from adult and juvenile tiger sharks, as well as from potential prey species and primary producers, will help determine if their diets are based on inshore, shelf or offshore based food webs. Tiger sharks exploiting nearshore environments and shelf waters have much higher probabilities of interacting with humans than individuals occupying far offshore Gulf Stream habitats.

Coexistence between wildlife and humans at fine spatial scales.

PubMed

Carter, Neil H; Shrestha, Binoj K; Karki, Jhamak B; Pradhan, Narendra Man Babu; Liu, Jianguo

2012-09-18

Many wildlife species face imminent extinction because of human impacts, and therefore, a prevailing belief is that some wildlife species, particularly large carnivores and ungulates, cannot coexist with people at fine spatial scales (i.e., cannot regularly use the exact same point locations). This belief provides rationale for various conservation programs, such as resettling human communities outside protected areas. However, quantitative information on the capacity and mechanisms for wildlife to coexist with humans at fine spatial scales is scarce. Such information is vital, because the world is becoming increasingly crowded. Here, we provide empirical information about the capacity and mechanisms for tigers (a globally endangered species) to coexist with humans at fine spatial scales inside and outside Nepal's Chitwan National Park, a flagship protected area for imperiled wildlife. Information obtained from field cameras in 2010 and 2011 indicated that human presence (i.e., people on foot and vehicles) was ubiquitous and abundant throughout the study site; however, tiger density was also high. Surprisingly, even at a fine spatial scale (i.e., camera locations), tigers spatially overlapped with people on foot and vehicles in both years. However, in both years, tigers offset their temporal activity patterns to be much less active during the day when human activity peaked. In addition to temporal displacement, tiger-human coexistence was likely enhanced by abundant tiger prey and low levels of tiger poaching. Incorporating fine-scale spatial and temporal activity patterns into conservation plans can help address a major global challenge-meeting human needs while sustaining wildlife.

Passive bookshelf faulting driven by gravitational spreading as the cause of the tiger-stripe-fracture formation and development in the South Polar Terrain of Enceladus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, A.; Pappalardo, R. T.

2013-12-01

Detailed photogeologic mapping of the tiger-stripe fractures in the South Polar Terrain (SPT) of Enceladus indicates that these structures are left-slip faults and terminate at hook-shaped fold-thrust zones and/or Y-shaped horsetail splay-fault zones. The semi-square-shaped tectonic domain that hosts the tiger-stripe faults is bounded by right-slip and left-slip faults on the north and south edges and fold-thrust and extensional zones on the western and eastern edges. We explain the above observations by a passive bookshelf-faulting model in which individual tiger-stripe faults are bounded by deformable wall rocks accommodating distributed deformation. Based on topographic data, we suggest that gravitational spreading had caused the SPT to spread unevenly from west to east. This process was accommodated by right-slip and left-slip faulting on the north and south sides and thrusting and extension along the eastern and southern margins of the tiger-stripe tectonic domain. The uneven spreading, expressed by a gradual northward increase in the number of extensional faults and thrusts/folds along the western and eastern margins, was accommodated by distributed right-slip simple shear across the whole tiger-stripe tectonic domain. This mode of deformation in turn resulted in the development of a passive bookshelf-fault system characterized by left-slip faulting on individual tiger-stripe fractures.

Tracking changes and preventing loss in critical tiger habitat.

PubMed

Joshi, Anup R; Dinerstein, Eric; Wikramanayake, Eric; Anderson, Michael L; Olson, David; Jones, Benjamin S; Seidensticker, John; Lumpkin, Susan; Hansen, Matthew C; Sizer, Nigel C; Davis, Crystal L; Palminteri, Suzanne; Hahn, Nathan R

2016-04-01

The global population of wild tigers remains dangerously low at fewer than 3500 individuals. Habitat loss, along with poaching, can undermine the international target recovery of doubling the number of wild tigers by 2022. Using a new satellite-based monitoring system, we analyzed 14 years of forest loss data within the 76 landscapes (ranging from 278 to 269,983 km(2)) that have been prioritized for conservation of wild tigers. Our analysis provides an update of the status of tiger habitat and describes new applications of technology to detect precisely where forest loss is occurring in order to curb future habitat loss. Across the 76 landscapes, forest loss was far less than anticipated (79,597 ± 22,629 km(2), 7.7% of remaining habitat) over the 14-year study period (2001-2014). Habitat loss was unevenly distributed within a subset of 29 landscapes deemed most critical for doubling wild tiger populations: 19 showed little change (1.5%), whereas 10 accounted for more than 98% (57,392 ± 16,316 km(2)) of habitat loss. Habitat loss in source population sites within 76 landscapes ranged from no loss to 435 ± 124 km(2) ([Formula: see text], SD = 89, total = 1676 ± 476 km(2)). Doubling the tiger population by 2022 requires moving beyond tracking annual changes in habitat. We highlight near-real-time forest monitoring technologies that provide alerts of forest loss at relevant spatial and temporal scales to prevent further erosion.

[Genetic diversity of microsatellite loci in captive Amur tigers].

PubMed

Zhang, Yu-Gaung; Li, Di-Qiang; Xiao, Qi-Ming; Rao, Li-Qun; Zhang, Xue-Wen

2004-09-01

The tiger is one of the most threatened wildlife species since the abundance and distribution of tiger have decreased dramatically in the last century. The wild Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) only distributed in northeast China, the far east area of Russia and the north Korea and its size of wild population is about 450 in the world and 20 in China. Several hundred captive populations of Amur tigers are the main source to protect gene library of tiger and the source of recovering the wild populations. The Breeding Center for Felidae at Hengdaohezi and Haoerbin Tiger Park in Heilongjiang Province is the biggest captive breeding base in China. How to make clear the genetic pedigree and establish reasonable breeding system is the urgent issues. So we use the microsatellite DNA markers and non-invasive technology to research on the genetic diversity of captive Amur tiger in this study. Ten microsatellite loci (Fca005, Fca075, Fca094, Fca152, Fca161, Fca294, Pti002, Pti003, Pti007 and Pti010), highly variable nuclear markers, were studied their genetic diversity in 113 captive Amur tigers. The PCR amplified products of microsatellite loci were detected by non-denatured polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Allele numbers, allelic frequency, gene heterozygosity(H(e)), polymorphism information content(PIC) and effective number of allele(N(e)) were calculated. 41 alleles were found and their size were ranged from 110bp to 250bp in ten microsatellite loci, Fca152 had 6 alleles, Fca075, Fca094 and Fca294 had 5 alleles, Fca005 and Pti002 had 4 alleles and the others had 3 alleles in all tiger samples, respectively. The allelic frequencies were from 0.009 to 0.767; The He ranged from 0.385 to 0.707, and Fca294 and Pti010 locus had the highest and lowest value; the PIC were from 0.353 to 0.658, Fca294 and Pti010 locus had the highest and lowest value; and N(e) were from 1.626 to 3.409, Fca294 and Pti010 locus had the highest and lowest value, which showed the ten microsatellie loci had high or medium polymorphism in these Amur tigers and had high genetic diversity. At the same time, we only found even bases variability which showed the even bases repeat sequence (CA/GT) maybe the basic unit for length variability of microsatellite in all loci. In this study, the samples were made up of 75 hair specimens, 23 blood specimens and 15 tissue specimens, we obtained the genome DNA from hairs using the non-invasive DNA technology and demonstrated that DNA derived from hair samples is as good as that obtained from blood samples for the analysis of microsatellite polymorphism. These results imply that microsatellite DNA markers and non-invasive DNA technology can help study the genetic diversity of Amur tiger. This method could be used in the captive management of other endangered species.

Earning their stripes: The potential of tiger trout and other salmonids as biological controls of forage fishes in a western reservoir

USGS Publications Warehouse

Winters, Lisa K.; Budy, Phaedra; Thiede, Gary P.

2017-01-01

Maintaining a balance between predator and prey populations can be an ongoing challenge for fisheries managers, especially in managing artificial ecosystems such as reservoirs. In a high-elevation Utah reservoir, the unintentional introduction of the Utah Chub Gila atraria and its subsequent population expansion prompted managers to experimentally shift from exclusively stocking Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss to also stocking tiger trout (female Brown Trout Salmo trutta × male Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis) and Bonneville Cutthroat Trout O. clarkii utah (hereafter, Cutthroat Trout) as potential biological control agents. We measured a combination of diet, growth, temperature, and abundance and used bioenergetic simulations to quantify predator demand versus prey supply. Utah Chub were the predominant prey type for tiger trout, contributing up to 80% of the diet depending on the season. Utah Chub represented up to 70% of the total diet consumed by Cutthroat Trout. Although Utah Chub dominated the fish biomass in the reservoir, we still estimated abundances of 238,000 tiger trout, 214,000 Cutthroat Trout, and 55,000 Rainbow Trout. Consequently, when expanded to the population level of each predator, tiger trout and Cutthroat Trout consumed large quantities of Utah Chub on an annual basis: tiger trout consumed 508,000 kg (2,660 g/predator) of the standing prey population, and Cutthroat Trout consumed an estimated 322,000 kg (1,820 g/predator). The estimated combined consumption by Cutthroat Trout and tiger trout exceeded the estimate of Utah Chub annual production. As such, our results suggest that the high rates of piscivory exhibited by Cutthroat Trout and tiger trout in artificial lentic ecosystems are likely sufficient to effectively reduce the overall abundance of forage fishes and to prevent forage fishes from dominating fish assemblages. Collectively, this research provides the first documented findings on tiger trout ecology and performance, which will aid managers in designing and implementing the best stocking strategy to optimize sport fish performance, control undesirable forage fish, and enhance and maintain angler satisfaction.

TIGER: the universal biosensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofstadler, Steven A.; Sampath, Rangarajan; Blyn, Lawrence B.; Eshoo, Mark W.; Hall, Thomas A.; Jiang, Yun; Drader, Jared J.; Hannis, James C.; Sannes-Lowery, Kristin A.; Cummins, Lendell L.; Libby, Brian; Walcott, Demetrius J.; Schink, Amy; Massire, Christian; Ranken, Raymond; Gutierrez, Jose; Manalili, Sheri; Ivy, Cristina; Melton, Rachael; Levene, Harold; Barrett-Wilt, Greg; Li, Feng; Zapp, Vanessa; White, Neill; Samant, Vivek; McNeil, John A.; Knize, Duane; Robbins, David; Rudnick, Karl; Desai, Anjali; Moradi, Emily; Ecker, David J.

2005-03-01

In this work, we describe a strategy for the detection and characterization of microorganisms associated with a potential biological warfare attack or a natural outbreak of an emerging infectious disease. This approach, termed TIGER (Triangulation Identification for the Genetic Evaluation of Risks), relies on mass spectrometry-derived base composition signatures obtained from PCR amplification of broadly conserved regions of the microbial genome(s) in a sample. The sample can be derived from air filtration devices, clinical samples, or other sources. Core to this approach are "intelligent PCR primers" that target broadly conserved regions of microbial genomes that flank variable regions. This approach requires that high-performance mass measurements be made on PCR products in the 80-140 bp size range in a high-throughput, robust modality. As will be demonstrated, the concept is equally applicable to bacteria and viruses and could be further applied to fungi and protozoa. In addition to describing the fundamental strategy of this approach, several specific examples of TIGER are presented that illustrate the impact this approach could have on the way biological weapons attacks are detected and the way that the etiologies of infectious diseases are determined. The first example illustrates how any bacterial species might be identified, using Bacillus anthracis as the test agent. The second example demonstrates how DNA-genome viruses are identified using five members of Poxviridae family, whose members includes Variola virus, the agent responsible for smallpox. The third example demonstrates how RNA-genome viruses are identified using the Alphaviruses (VEE, WEE, and EEE) as representative examples. These examples illustrate how the TIGER technology can be applied to create a universal identification strategy for all pathogens, including those that infect humans, livestock, and plants.

Summary of Tiger Team Assessment and Technical Safety Appraisal recurring concerns in the Maintenance Area

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-01-01

Tiger Team Assessments and Technical Safety Appraisals (TSA) were reviewed and evaluated for concerns in the Maintenance Area (MA). Two hundred and thirty one (231) maintenance concerns were identified by the Tiger Team Assessments and TSA reports. These recurring concerns appear below. A summary of the Noteworthy Practices that were identified and a compilation of the maintenance concerns for each performance objective that were not considered as recurring are also included. Where the Tiger Team Assessment and TSA identified the operating contractor or facility by name, the concern has been modified to remove the name while retaining the intent ofmore » the comment.« less

Acute lymphocytic cholangitis and liver failure in an Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica).

PubMed

Crook, Erika K; Carpenter, Nancy A

2014-03-01

An adult male Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) with confirmed inflammatory bowel disease developed acute severe icterus, bilirubinuria, bilirubinemia, and elevated bile acids after a diet change. Liver biopsies showed moderate lymphoplasmacytic cholangiohepatitis (lymphocytic cholangitis). The tiger developed neurologic signs including ataxia, tremors, and seizures, as well as epistaxis. Therapy consisted of antibiotics, a steroid anti-inflammatory, vitamins, pro-coagulants, and liver-supportive medicines. The tiger improved from acute liver failure within 3 wk, while the epistaxis began at 3.5 wk and did not resolve until 10.5 wk. The long-term maintenance plan consists of oral prednisolone, metronidazole, ursodiol, and an all muscle-meat beef diet.

The tiger beetles (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) of the southern Levant and adjacent territories: from cybertaxonomy to conservation biology.

PubMed

Assmann, Thorsten; Boutaud, Estève; Buse, Jörn; Gebert, Jörg; Drees, Claudia; Friedman, Ariel-Leib-Leonid; Khoury, Fares; Marcus, Tamar; Orbach, Eylon; Ittai Renan; Schmidt, Constantin; Zumstein, Pascale

2018-01-01

The tiger beetles of the southern Levant (Egypt: Sinai, Israel, Jordan) and adjacent regions of the neighboring countries Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are reviewed in terms of species taxonomy, ecological and distributional traits and conservation biology. An illustrated dichotomous identification key from the species of this region is provided. Based on the classical identification key, we developed a digital identification application for smartphones and tablets. The species status of Calomera aulicoides (J.R. Sahlberg, 1913) is (re-) established (stat. rest.) as this taxon can be found sympatrically and parapatrically together with Calomera littoralis winkleri (Mandl, 1934). Morphological character states are discussed to identify Cicindela javetii Chaudoir, 1861 and C. herbacea Klug, 1832. Calomera aphrodisia (Baudi di Selve, 1864) is recorded for the first time from Israel. The presence of Calomera aulica (Dejean, 1831) and Grammognatha euphratica (Dejean, 1822) is confirmed by new records. At least five taxa are threatened or extinct in Israel. For one of these species, Israel has a national responsibility for the conservation as the main part of the distribution range is within this country. The application TIGER BEETLE ID for Android devices can be freely downloaded at https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.734.21989.suppl1. See also disclaimer of warranties.

The tiger beetles (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) of the southern Levant and adjacent territories: from cybertaxonomy to conservation biology

PubMed Central

Assmann, Thorsten; Boutaud, Estève; Buse, Jörn; Gebert, Jörg; Drees, Claudia; Friedman, Ariel-Leib-Leonid; Khoury, Fares; Marcus, Tamar; Orbach, Eylon; Ittai Renan; Schmidt, Constantin; Zumstein, Pascale

2018-01-01

Abstract The tiger beetles of the southern Levant (Egypt: Sinai, Israel, Jordan) and adjacent regions of the neighboring countries Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are reviewed in terms of species taxonomy, ecological and distributional traits and conservation biology. An illustrated dichotomous identification key from the species of this region is provided. Based on the classical identification key, we developed a digital identification application for smartphones and tablets. The species status of Calomera aulicoides (J.R. Sahlberg, 1913) is (re-) established (stat. rest.) as this taxon can be found sympatrically and parapatrically together with Calomera littoralis winkleri (Mandl, 1934). Morphological character states are discussed to identify Cicindela javetii Chaudoir, 1861 and C. herbacea Klug, 1832. Calomera aphrodisia (Baudi di Selve, 1864) is recorded for the first time from Israel. The presence of Calomera aulica (Dejean, 1831) and Grammognatha euphratica (Dejean, 1822) is confirmed by new records. At least five taxa are threatened or extinct in Israel. For one of these species, Israel has a national responsibility for the conservation as the main part of the distribution range is within this country. Availability: The application TIGER BEETLE ID for Android devices can be freely downloaded at https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.734.21989.suppl1. See also disclaimer of warranties. PMID:29674855

Tiger Team Assessments seventeen through thirty-five: A summary and analysis. Volume 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-12-01

On June 27, 1989, the Secretary of Energy, Admiral James D. Watkins, US Navy (Retired), announced a 10-Point Plan to strengthen environmental, safety, and health (ES&H) programs and waste management activities at the US Department of Energy (DOE). The third initiative called for establishing an independent audit (the Tiger Teams) to assess DOE`s major operating facilities and laboratories. As of November 1992, all 35 Tiger Team Assessments were completed and formally reported to the Secretary. In May 1991 a report providing an analysis and summary of the findings and root causes identified by the first 16 Tiger Team Assessments wasmore » completed and submitted to the Secretary of Energy and to all DOE program managers. This document is intended to provide an easily used and easily understood summary and analysis of the information contained in Tiger Team Assessments numbers 17 through 35 to help DOE achieve ES&H excellence.« less

Accumulation of perfluorinated compounds in captive Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) and African lions (Panthera leo Linnaeus) in China.

PubMed

Li, Xuemei; Yeung, Leo Wai Yin; Taniyasu, Sachi; Lam, Paul K S; Yamashita, Nobuyoshi; Xu, Muqi; Dai, Jiayin

2008-11-01

The accumulation of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in the sera of captive wildlife species Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) and African lions (Panthera leo Linnaeus) from Harbin Wildlife Park, Heilongjiang Province, in China were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) was the predominant contaminant with a mean serum concentration of 1.18 ng mL(-1) in tigers and 2.69 ng mL(-1) in lions. Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) was the second most prevalent contaminant in both species. The composition profiles of the tested PFCs differed between tigers and lions, and the percentages of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) were greater in lions than in tigers, indicating different exposures and/or metabolic capabilities between the two species. Assessments of the risk of PFC contamination to the two species were obtained by comparing measured concentrations to points of departure or toxicity reference values (TRVs). Results suggest no risk of PFOS exposure or toxicity for the two species.

Science deficiency in conservation practice: the monitoring of tiger populations in India

USGS Publications Warehouse

Karanth, K.U.; Nichols, J.D.; Seidensticker, J.; Dinerstein, Eric; Smith, J.L.D.; McDougal, C.; Johnsingh, A.J.T.; Chundawat, Raghunandan S.; Thapar, V.

2003-01-01

Conservation practices are supposed to get refined by advancing scientific knowledge. We study this phenomenon in the context of monitoring tiger populations in India, by evaluating the 'pugmark census method' employed by wildlife managers for three decades. We use an analytical framework of modem animal population sampling to test the efficacy of the pugmark censuses using scientific data on tigers and our field observations. We identify three critical goals for monitoring tiger populations, in order of increasing sophistication: (1) distribution mapping, (2) tracking relative abundance, (3) estimation of absolute abundance. We demonstrate that the present census-based paradigm does not work because it ignores the first two simpler goals, and targets, but fails to achieve, the most difficult third goal. We point out the utility and ready availability of alternative monitoring paradigms that deal with the central problems of spatial sampling and observability. We propose an alternative sampling-based approach that can be tailored to meet practical needs of tiger monitoring at different levels of refinement.

CHEETAH 1.0 user`s manual

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fried, L.E.

1994-06-24

CHEETAH is an effort to bring the TIGER thermochemical code into the 1990s. A wide variety of improvements have been made in Version 1.0, and a host of others will be implemented in the future. In CHEETAH 1.0 I have improved the robustness and ease of use of TIGER. All of TIGER`s solvers have been replaced by new algorithms. I find that CHEETAH solves a wider variety of problems with no user intervention (e.g. no guesses for the C-J state) than TIGER did. CHEETAH has been made simpler to use than TIGER; typical use of the code occurs with themore » new standard run command. I hope that CHEETAH makes the use of thermochemical codes more attractive to practical explosive formulators. In the future I plan to improve the underlying science in CHEETAH. More accurate equations of state will be used in the gas and the condensed phase. A kinetics capability will be added to the code that will predict reaction zone thickness. CHEETAH is currently a numerical implementation of C-J theory. It will,become an implementation of ZND theory. Further ease of use features will eventually be added; an automatic formulator that adjusts concentrations to match desired properties is planned.« less

The superTIGER instrument: Measurement of elemental abundances of ultra-heavy galactic cosmic rays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Binns, W. R.; Bose, R. G.; Braun, D. L.

2014-06-10

The SuperTIGER (Super Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder) instrument was developed to measure the abundances of galactic cosmic-ray elements from {sub 10}Ne to {sub 40}Zr with individual element resolution and the high statistics needed to test models of cosmic-ray origins. SuperTIGER also makes exploratory measurements of the abundances of elements with 40 < Z ≤ 60 and measures the energy spectra of the more abundant elements for Z ≤ 30 from about 0.8 to 10 GeV/nucleon. This instrument is an enlarged and higher resolution version of the earlier TIGER instrument. It was designed to provide the largest geometric acceptance possible andmore » to reach as high an altitude as possible, flying on a standard long-duration 1.11 million m{sup 3} balloon. SuperTIGER was launched from Williams Field, McMurdo Station, Antarctica, on 2012 December 8, and made about 2.7 revolutions around the South Pole in 55 days of flight, returning data on over 50 × 10{sup 6} cosmic-ray nuclei with Z ≥ 10, including ∼1300 with Z > 29 and ∼60 with Z > 49. Here, we describe the instrument, the methods of charge identification employed, the SuperTIGER balloon flight, and the instrument performance.« less

THE SuperTIGER Instrument: Measurement of Elemental Abundances of Ultra-Heavy Galactic Cosmic Rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Binns, W. R.; Bose, R. G.; Braun, D. L.; Brandt, T. J.; Daniels, W. M.; DowKonnt, P. F.; Fitzsimmons, S. P.; Hahne, D. J.; Hams, T.; Israel, M. H.;

Characterization of Degenerative Changes in the Temporomandibular Joint of the Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) and Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)

PubMed Central

Murphy, M. K.; Arzi, B.; Vapniarsky-Arzi, N.; Athanasiou, K. A.

2013-01-01

Summary The articulation of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is composed of the temporal bone dorsally, the mandibular condyle ventrally and a fibrous articular disc. The TMJ disc plays an essential role in distributing load between the two articular surfaces. Degeneration of the disc in the presence of joint pathology has been shown in man; however, TMJ pathology has not been documented previously in tigers (Panthera tigris). The mandibular condyle and TMJ disc of a Bengal tiger (P. tigris tigris) and a Siberian tiger (P. tigris altaica) were evaluated grossly and the TMJ disc was characterized biochemically and mechanically. Characterization of the TMJ disc verified region- and direction-dependent biochemical and mechanical properties, reflective of the functional demands on the joint. Degenerative joint disease was observed in both cases and this was more severe in the Siberian tiger. Simultaneous evaluation of joint pathology, biochemical composition and mechanical properties of the TMJ disc revealed a loss in functional properties (tensile anisotropy) of the disc as joint pathology advanced from moderate to severe. TMJ degeneration may compromise the ability of the animal to eat and thrive and may be a factor contributing to the endangered status of these species. PMID:23809909

Insights into the Galactic Cosmic-ray Source from the TIGER Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Link, Jason T.; Barbier, L. M.; Binns, W. R.; Christian, E. R.; Cummings, J. R.; Geier, S.; Israel, M. H.; Lodders, K.; Mewaldt,R. A.; Mitchell, J. W.;

Perfluorooctanesulfonate and related fluorochemicals in the Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) from China.

PubMed

Li, Xuemei; Yeung, Leo W Y; Taniyasu, Sachi; Li, Ming; Zhang, Hongxia; Liu, Dan; Lam, Paul K S; Yamashita, Nobuyoshi; Dai, Jiayin

2008-10-01

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are used in a variety of industrial applications. We tested the hypothesis that, in Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica), captivity in industrialized areas increases PFC levels, potentially presenting a health risk to these animals. Serum samples were collected from 100 tigers from industrialized or nonindustrialized regions in China with nonpoint sources of PFCs. Mean concentrations of PFCs in these samples ranged from 1.57 +/- 0.83 ng/mL in nonindustrial Hailin to 4.31 +/- 2.90 ng/mL in industrial Beijing. PFC concentrations were significantly higher in tigers from the industrial city of Harbin than those from Hailin (p < 0.05). Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) was the most abundant PFC in all tigers and increased with age, regardless of industrial/ nonindustrial background (p < 0.01). However, PFOS concentrations were 2-4 orders of magnitude less than the current no-observed-effect level. In addition, overall PFC levels in Amur tigers were low compared with various species living in other countries, consistent with the relatively short history of PFC use in China. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that captivity in industrialized areas increases PFC levels in Amurtigers. They also suggestthat PFC accumulation will persist, and even increase, with continued use of PFCs in China.

Identifying Galactic Cosmic Ray Origins With Super-TIGER

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

deNolfo, Georgia; Binns, W. R.; Israel, M. H.; Christian, E. R.; Mitchell, J. W.; Hams, T.; Link, J. T.; Sasaki, M.; Labrador, A. W.; Mewaldt, R. A.;

Characterization of degenerative changes in the temporomandibular joint of the bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) and siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica).

PubMed

Murphy, M K; Arzi, B; Vapniarsky-Arzi, N; Athanasiou, K A

2013-11-01

The articulation of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is composed of the temporal bone dorsally, the mandibular condyle ventrally and a fibrous articular disc. The TMJ disc plays an essential role in distributing load between the two articular surfaces. Degeneration of the disc in the presence of joint pathology has been shown in man; however, TMJ pathology has not been documented previously in tigers (Panthera tigris). The mandibular condyle and TMJ disc of a Bengal tiger (P. tigris tigris) and a Siberian tiger (P. tigris altaica) were evaluated grossly and the TMJ disc was characterized biochemically and mechanically. Characterization of the TMJ disc verified region- and direction-dependent biochemical and mechanical properties, reflective of the functional demands on the joint. Degenerative joint disease was observed in both cases and this was more severe in the Siberian tiger. Simultaneous evaluation of joint pathology, biochemical composition and mechanical properties of the TMJ disc revealed a loss in functional properties (tensile anisotropy) of the disc as joint pathology advanced from moderate to severe. TMJ degeneration may compromise the ability of the animal to eat and thrive and may be a factor contributing to the endangered status of these species. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The tiger beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Cicindelinae) of Israel and adjacent lands

PubMed Central

Matalin, Andrey V.; Chikatunov, Vladimir I.

2016-01-01

Abstract Based on field studies, museums collections and literature sources, the current knowledge of the tiger beetle fauna of Israel and adjacent lands is presented. In Israel eight species occur, one of them with two subspecies, while in the Sinai Peninsula nine species of tiger beetles are now known. In the combined regions seven genera from two tribes were found. The Rift Valley with six cicindelids species is the most specious region of Israel. Cylindera contorta valdenbergi and Cicindela javeti azari have localized distributions and should be considered regional endemics. A similarity analysis of the tiger beetles faunas of different regions of Israel and the Sinai Peninsula reveal two clusters of species. The first includes the Great Rift Valley and most parts of the Sinai Peninsula, and the second incorporates most regions of Israel together with Central Sinai Foothills. Five distinct adult phenological groups of tiger beetles can be distinguished in these two clusters: active all-year (three species), spring-fall (five species), summer (two species), spring-summer (one species) and spring (one species). The likely origins of the tiger beetle fauna of this area are presented. An annotated list and illustrated identification key of the Cicindelinae of Israel and adjacent lands are provided. PMID:27110198

Identifying ecological corridors for Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) and Amur leopards (Panthera pardus orientalis).

PubMed

Miquelle, Dale G; Rozhnov, Vyachaslav V; Ermoshin, Victor; Murzin, Andre A; Nikolaev, Igor G; Hernandez-Blanco, Jose A; Naidenko, Sergie V

2015-07-01

The rapid explosion of human populations and the associated development of human-dominated landscapes have drastically reduced and fragmented habitat for tigers (Panthera tigris) and leopards (Panthera pardus) across Asia, resulting in multiple small populations. However, Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) habitat in Russia has remained largely interconnected, except for a break between tigers in southwest Primorye and the southern Sikhote-Alin Mountains. This habitat patch in southwest Primorye also retains the last population of Amur leopards (Panthera pardus orientalis). Genetic differentiation of tigers in southwest Primorye and the Sikhote-Alin Mountains along with survey data suggest that habitat fragmentation is limiting movement of tigers and leopards across the Razdolnaya River basin. We looked at historical and recent survey data on tigers and leopards and mapped existing cover types to examine land-use patterns of both large felids and humans in the development strip along the Razdolnaya River. We then used least-cost distance analyses to identify the most effective potential corridor to retain connectivity for large felids between Land of the Leopard National Park and Ussuriskii Zapovednik (Reserve). We identified a single potential corridor that still exists with a total distance of 62.5 km from Land of the Leopard National Park to Ussuriskii Zapovednik, mostly (93%) through forested habitat. We recommend formal recognition of a Razdolnaya ecological corridor and provide specific recommendations for each of 3 proposed management sections. © 2015 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Cataracts and strabismus associated with hand rearing using artificial milk formulas in Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris spp tigris) cubs

PubMed Central

Lange, Rogério Ribas; Lima, Leandro; Frühvald, Erika; da Silva, Vera Sônia Nunes; de Souza, Aparecida Sônia; Montiani-Ferreira, Fabiano

2017-01-01

The aim of this investigation is to describe the potential contributing nutritional factors involved in the development of ophthalmic and dermatologic changes in four Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris spp tigris) cubs fed an artificial milk formula. The affected animals were compared with two other tiger cubs that had been nursed by their dam naturally. After the first clinical signs appeared, the tiger cubs underwent ophthalmic evaluation. Severe symmetric generalized alopecia over the trunk, sparing the head and distal portion of the front and rear limbs, bilateral cataracts and strabismus were noticed. Milk and blood from the mother, as well as blood from the healthy and affected cubs were collected in order to evaluate complete blood counts, serum chemistry values, and amino acid levels. The amino acid concentrations in the artificial formula were also evaluated for comparison to the milk from the dam. The concentration of taurine, arginine, phenylalanine, tryptophan and histidine were very low in the artificial formulas as compared to the dam´s milk. The tiger cubs that received the artificial formula had lower levels of the amino acids listed previously as compared to those that nursed from the dam naturally. Taurine, as well as arginine, phenylalanine, tryptophan and histidine deficiency appeared to be possible causes of the development of skin problems, cataracts and strabismus in the tiger cubs fed with these particular artificial milk replacers. In the future, special attention should be given in order to make sure that adequate levels of these amino acids are present in artificial milk for tiger cubs. PMID:28210544

Changes in Species Richness and Composition of Tiger Moths (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) among Three Neotropical Ecoregions.

PubMed

Beccacece, Hernán Mario; Zeballos, Sebastián Rodolfo; Zapata, Adriana Inés

Paraná, Yungas and Chaco Serrano ecoregions are among the most species-rich terrestrial habitats at higher latitude. However, the information for tiger moths, one of the most speciose groups of moths, is unknown in these ecoregions. In this study, we assess their species richness and composition in all three of these ecoregions. Also we investigated whether the species composition of tiger moths is influenced by climatic factors and altitude. Tiger moth species were obtained with samples from 71 sites using standardized protocols (21 sites were in Yungas, 19 in Paraná and 31 in Chaco Serrano). Rarefaction-extrapolation curves, non-parametric estimators for incidence and sample coverage indices were performed to assess species richness in the ecoregions studied. Non metric multidimensional scaling and adonis tests were performed to compare the species composition of tiger moths among ecoregions. Permutest analysis and Pearson correlation were used to evaluate the relationship among species composition and annual mean temperature, annual temperature range, annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality and altitude. Among ecoregions Paraná was the richest with 125 species, followed by Yungas with 63 species and Chaco Serrano with 24 species. Species composition differed among these ecoregions, although Yungas and Chaco Serrano were more similar than Paraná. Species composition was significantly influenced by climatic factors and altitude. This study showed that species richness and species composition of tiger moths differed among the three ecoregions assessed. Furthermore, not only climatic factors and altitude influence the species composition of tiger moths among ecoregions, but also climatic seasonality at higher latitude in Neotropical South America becomes an important factor.

Rapid and repeated origin of insular gigantism and dwarfism in Australian tiger snakes.

PubMed

Keogh, J Scott; Scott, Ian A W; Hayes, Christine

2005-01-01

It is a well-known phenomenon that islands can support populations of gigantic or dwarf forms of mainland conspecifics, but the variety of explanatory hypotheses for this phenomenon have been difficult to disentangle. The highly venomous Australian tiger snakes (genus Notechis) represent a well-known and extreme example of insular body size variation. They are of special interest because there are multiple populations of dwarfs and giants and the age of the islands and thus the age of the tiger snake populations are known from detailed sea level studies. Most are 5000-7000 years old and all are less than 10,000 years old. Here we discriminate between two competing hypotheses with a molecular phylogeography dataset comprising approximately 4800 bp of mtDNA and demonstrate that populations of island dwarfs and giants have evolved five times independently. In each case the closest relatives of the giant or dwarf populations are mainland tiger snakes, and in four of the five cases, the closest relatives are also the most geographically proximate mainland tiger snakes. Moreover, these body size shifts have evolved extremely rapidly and this is reflected in the genetic divergence between island body size variants and mainland snakes. Within south eastern Australia, where populations of island giants, populations of island dwarfs, and mainland tiger snakes all occur, the maximum genetic divergence is only 0.38%. Dwarf tiger snakes are restricted to prey items that are much smaller than the prey items of mainland tiger snakes and giant tiger snakes are restricted to seasonally available prey items that are up three times larger than the prey items of mainland tiger snakes. We support the hypotheses that these body size shifts are due to strong selection imposed by the size of available prey items, rather than shared evolutionary history, and our results are consistent with the notion that adaptive plasticity also has played an important role in body size shifts. We suggest that plasticity displayed early on in the occupation of these new islands provided the flexibility necessary as the island's available prey items became more depauperate, but once the size range of available prey items was reduced, strong natural selection followed by genetic assimilation worked to optimize snake body size. The rate of body size divergence in haldanes is similar for dwarfs (h(g) = 0.0010) and giants (h(g) = 0.0020-0.0025) and is in line with other studies of rapid evolution. Our data provide strong evidence for rapid and repeated morphological divergence in the wild due to similar selective pressures acting in different directions.

National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams: How Practical is Cost Saving Reduction?

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-14

investigation is limited by focusing on differences within relavent areas. Reseach design includes two primary disadvantages. The first is researcher...37 Research Design ... designated as Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team (WMD-CST) (DoD Tiger Team 1998). Initial CST team development provided regional response

Area-wide management of Aedes albopictus: choice of study sites based on geospatial characteristics, socioeconomic factors, and mosquito populations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse), the Asian tiger mosquito, is an introduced invasive species in the U.S. responsible for a significant proportion of service requests to local mosquito control programs. This container-utilizing mosquito is refractory to standard mosquito abatement measures in th...

Area-wide management of Aedes albopictus: II. Gauging the efficacy of traditional integrated pest control measures against urban container mosquitoes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse), the Asian tiger mosquito, is an introduced invasive species in the U.S. responsible for a significant proportion of service requests to local mosquito control programs. This container-utilizing mosquito is refractory to standard mosquito abatement measures in th...

Special Operations Research Topics 2016

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

relationships to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)? C10. The campaign against the Tamil Tigers: Does the campaign disprove the old adage...tribal relationships, can/should be leveraged to support this mission? C10. The campaign against the Tamil Tigers: Does the campaign dis- prove the...kill our way to victory,” but the successful campaign against the Tamil Tigers may be an example of that approach working in the past. The campaign

Defending Against Opposed Patterns of Resistant: Can Past Cultural Lessons in Armed Conflict Help U.S. Identify, Defend, Adapt, or Exploit Notions of Resistant With New Adversaries Like ISIS

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

14 Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, 1976-2009...America as well as contemporary case studies of regional insurgent or terrorist groups (i.e. Tamil Tigers and Chechen Separatists). This paper...Contemporary examples focus on local insurgencies that were or are destabilizing a region, specifically the Tamil Tigers, Chechen separatists, and the

Anti-Armor Defense Data Study (A2D2). Volume 2. U.S. Anti-Tank Defense at Mortain, France (August, 1944)

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-09

during the five days of the Battle of Mortain. A reasonable estimate would be at least 24 vehicles, including 3 Mk VI (" Tiger ") tanks , 8 Mk IV tanks...that Tiger tank that was a VI. M: Well, actually you know, there were two of them. There was a Tiger II that 0 they never changed the designation and

Cooling System Design for PEM Fuel Cell Powered Air Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-18

Research Laboratory (NRL) has developed a proton exchange membrane fuel cell ( PEMFC ) powered unmanned air vehicle (UAV) called the Ion Tiger. The Ion Tiger...to design a cooling system for the Ion Tiger and investigate cooling approaches that may be suitable for future PEMFC powered air vehicles. The...modifications) to other PEMFC systems utilizing a CHE for cooling. 18-06-2010 Memorandum Report Unmanned Air Vehicle UAV Fuel cell PEM Cooling Radiator January

Geometry modeling and multi-block grid generation for turbomachinery configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shih, Ming H.; Soni, Bharat K.

1992-01-01

An interactive 3D grid generation code, Turbomachinery Interactive Grid genERation (TIGER), was developed for general turbomachinery configurations. TIGER features the automatic generation of multi-block structured grids around multiple blade rows for either internal, external, or internal-external turbomachinery flow fields. Utilization of the Bezier's curves achieves a smooth grid and better orthogonality. TIGER generates the algebraic grid automatically based on geometric information provided by its built-in pseudo-AI algorithm. However, due to the large variation of turbomachinery configurations, this initial grid may not always be as good as desired. TIGER therefore provides graphical user interactions during the process which allow the user to design, modify, as well as manipulate the grid, including the capability of elliptic surface grid generation.

Screening and analyzing genes associated with Amur tiger placental development.

PubMed

Li, Q; Lu, T F; Liu, D; Hu, P F; Sun, B; Ma, J Z; Wang, W J; Wang, K F; Zhang, W X; Chen, J; Guan, W J; Ma, Y H; Zhang, M H

2014-09-26

The Amur tiger is a unique endangered species in the world, and thus, protection of its genetic resources is extremely important. In this study, an Amur tiger placenta cDNA library was constructed using the SMART cDNA Library Construction kit. A total of 508 colonies were sequenced, in which 205 (76%) genes were annotated and mapped to 74 KEGG pathways, including 29 metabolism, 29 genetic information processing, 4 environmental information processing, 7 cell motility, and 5 organismal system pathways. Additionally, PLAC8, PEG10 and IGF-II were identified after screening genes from the expressed sequence tags, and they were associated with placental development. These findings could lay the foundation for future functional genomic studies of the Amur tiger.

77 FR 5045 - Endangered Species Recovery Permit Applications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-01

... take (survey, capture, handle, and release) the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense..., capture, handle, and release) the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) and arroyo toad...

76 FR 14424 - Endangered Species Recovery Permit Applications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-16

... specimens) the California tiger salamander (Ambystomacaliforniense) in conjunction with surveys, genetic... requests a permit to take (survey, capture, handle, and release) the California tiger salamander...

77 FR 37700 - Endangered Species Recovery Permit Applications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-22

... take (survey, capture, handle, and release) the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense... permit to take (survey, capture, handle, and release) the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma...

76 FR 6490 - Endangered Species Recovery Permit Applications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-04

...) to take (survey, capture, handle and release) the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma... 66668) to take (collect tissue samples) the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) in...

Changes in Species Richness and Composition of Tiger Moths (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) among Three Neotropical Ecoregions

PubMed Central

Beccacece, Hernán Mario; Zeballos, Sebastián Rodolfo; Zapata, Adriana Inés

2016-01-01

Paraná, Yungas and Chaco Serrano ecoregions are among the most species-rich terrestrial habitats at higher latitude. However, the information for tiger moths, one of the most speciose groups of moths, is unknown in these ecoregions. In this study, we assess their species richness and composition in all three of these ecoregions. Also we investigated whether the species composition of tiger moths is influenced by climatic factors and altitude. Tiger moth species were obtained with samples from 71 sites using standardized protocols (21 sites were in Yungas, 19 in Paraná and 31 in Chaco Serrano). Rarefaction-extrapolation curves, non-parametric estimators for incidence and sample coverage indices were performed to assess species richness in the ecoregions studied. Non metric multidimensional scaling and adonis tests were performed to compare the species composition of tiger moths among ecoregions. Permutest analysis and Pearson correlation were used to evaluate the relationship among species composition and annual mean temperature, annual temperature range, annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality and altitude. Among ecoregions Paraná was the richest with 125 species, followed by Yungas with 63 species and Chaco Serrano with 24 species. Species composition differed among these ecoregions, although Yungas and Chaco Serrano were more similar than Paraná. Species composition was significantly influenced by climatic factors and altitude. This study showed that species richness and species composition of tiger moths differed among the three ecoregions assessed. Furthermore, not only climatic factors and altitude influence the species composition of tiger moths among ecoregions, but also climatic seasonality at higher latitude in Neotropical South America becomes an important factor. PMID:27681478

Nutrient digestibility and fecal characteristics are different among captive exotic felids fed a beef-based raw diet.

PubMed

Vester, Brittany M; Burke, Sarah L; Dikeman, Cheryl L; Simmons, Lee G; Swanson, Kelly S

2008-03-01

Nutrient digestibility has not been well characterized in exotic felids. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate differences in nutrient digestibility and fecal characteristics in five large exotic captive felid species, including bobcats, jaguars, cheetahs, Indochinese tigers, and Siberian tigers. All animals were individually housed and adapted to a beef-based raw diet (Nebraska Brand((R)) Special Beef Feline, North Platte, NE) for 16 d. Total fecal collections were conducted from days 17 to 20. Fecal samples were weighed and scored on collection. Diet and fecal samples were evaluated for dry matter, organic matter, protein, fat, and energy to determine total tract digestibility. Fresh fecal samples were collected to determine fecal pH, ammonia, phenol, indole, short-chain fatty acid, and branched-chain fatty acid concentrations. Fecal scores were greater (P<0.01) in Indochinese tigers when compared with all other species, and cheetahs had greater (P<0.01) fecal scores than jaguars and bobcats. Fat digestibility was greater (P<0.01) in Siberian tigers, Indochinese tigers, and bobcats (96%) compared with cheetahs and jaguars (94%). Digestible energy was greater (P<0.05) in bobcats and Indochinese tigers at 93.5 and 92.9%, respectively, compared with cheetahs and jaguars, 91.6%. Fecal pH was greater (P<0.01) in bobcats compared with all other species evaluated. Indole concentrations were greater (P<0.05) in cheetahs and jaguars compared with bobcats and Indochinese tigers. Fecal ammonia concentrations were increased (P<0.05) in cheetahs compared with all other species. The beef-based raw diet was highly digestible; however, differences in fat and digestible energy suggest that species should be considered when determining caloric needs of exotic felids. Zoo Biol 27:126-136, 2008. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

De novo transcriptomic analysis and development of EST-SSR markers in the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica).

PubMed

Lu, Taofeng; Sun, Yujiao; Ma, Qin; Zhu, Minghao; Liu, Dan; Ma, Jianzhang; Ma, Yuehui; Chen, Hongyan; Guan, Weijun

2016-12-01

The Siberian tiger, Panthera tigris altaica, is an endangered species, and much more work is needed to protect this species, which is still vulnerable to extinction. Conservation efforts may be supported by the genetic assessment of wild populations, for which highly specific microsatellite markers are required. However, only a limited amount of genetic sequence data is available for this species. To identify the genes involved in the lung transcriptome and to develop additional simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for the Siberian tiger, we used high-throughput RNA-Seq to characterize the Siberian tiger transcriptome in lung tissue (designated 'PTA-lung') and a pooled tissue sample (designated 'PTA'). Approximately 47.5 % (33,187/69,836) of the lung transcriptome was annotated in four public databases (Nr, Swiss-Prot, KEGG, and COG). The annotated genes formed a potential pool for gene identification in the tiger. An analysis of the genes differentially expressed in the PTA lung, and PTA samples revealed that the tiger may have suffered a series of diseases before death. In total, 1062 non-redundant SSRs were identified in the Siberian tiger transcriptome. Forty-three primer pairs were randomly selected for amplification reactions, and 26 of the 43 pairs were also used to evaluate the levels of genetic polymorphism. Fourteen primer pairs (32.56 %) amplified products that were polymorphic in size in P. tigris altaica. In conclusion, the transcriptome sequences will provide a valuable genomic resource for genetic research, and these new SSR markers comprise a reasonable number of loci for the genetic analysis of wild and captive populations of P. tigris altaica.

Development of tiger habitat suitability model using geospatial tools-a case study in Achankmar Wildlife Sanctuary (AMWLS), Chhattisgarh India.

PubMed

Singh, R; Joshi, P K; Kumar, M; Dash, P P; Joshi, B D

2009-08-01

Geospatial tools supported by ancillary geo-database and extensive fieldwork regarding the distribution of tiger and its prey in Anchankmar Wildlife Sanctuary (AMWLS) were used to build a tiger habitat suitability model. This consists of a quantitative geographical information system (GIS) based approach using field parameters and spatial thematic information. The estimates of tiger sightings, its prey sighting and predicted distribution with the assistance of contextual environmental data including terrain, road network, settlement and drainage surfaces were used to develop the model. Eight variables in the dataset viz., forest cover type, forest cover density, slope, aspect, altitude, and distance from road, settlement and drainage were seen as suitable proxies and were used as independent variables in the analysis. Principal component analysis and binomial multiple logistic regression were used for statistical treatments of collected habitat parameters from field and independent variables respectively. The assessment showed a strong expert agreement between the predicted and observed suitable areas. A combination of the generated information and published literature was also used while building a habitat suitability map for the tiger. The modeling approach has taken the habitat preference parameters of the tiger and potential distribution of prey species into account. For assessing the potential distribution of prey species, independent suitability models were developed and validated with the ground truth. It is envisaged that inclusion of the prey distribution probability strengthens the model when a key species is under question. The results of the analysis indicate that tiger occur throughout the sanctuary. The results have been found to be an important input as baseline information for population modeling and natural resource management in the wildlife sanctuary. The development and application of similar models can help in better management of the protected areas of national interest.

Density and carrying capacity in the forgotten tigerland: Tigers in the understudied Nepalese Churia.

PubMed

Thapa, Kanchan; Kelly, Marcella J

2017-05-01

While there are numerous wildlife ecology studies in lowland areas of Nepal, there are no in-depth studies of the hilly Churia habitat even though it comprises 7642 km 2 of potential wildlife habitat across the Terai Arc. We investigated tiger, leopard and prey densities across this understudied habitat. Our camera trapping survey covered 536 km 2 of Churia and surrounding areas within Chitwan National Park (CNP). We used 161 trapping locations and accumulated 2097 trap-nights in a 60-day survey period during the winter season of 2010-2011. In addition, we walked 136 km over 81 different line transects using distance sampling to estimate prey density. We photographed 31 individual tigers, 28 individual leopards and 25 other mammalian species. Spatial capture-recapture methods resulted in lower density estimates for tigers, ranging from 2.3 to 2.9 tigers per 100 km 2 , than for leopards, which ranged from 3.3 to 5.1 leopards per 100 km 2 . In addition, leopard densities were higher in the core of the Churia compared to surrounding areas. We estimated 62.7 prey animals per 100 km 2 with forest ungulate prey (sambar, chital, barking deer and wild pig), accounting for 47% of the total. Based on prey availability, Churia habitat within CNP could potentially support 5.86 tigers per 100 km 2 but our density estimates were lower, perhaps indicating that the tiger population is below carrying capacity. Our results demonstrate that Churia habitat should not be ignored in conservation initiatives, but rather management efforts should focus on reducing human disturbance to support higher predator numbers. © 2016 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Using Cassini UVIS Data to Constrain Enceladus' Libration State

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hurford, Terry A.; Helfenstein, P.; Hansen, C.

2010-01-01

Given the non-spherical shape of Enceladus, the satellite may experience gravitational torques that will cause it to physically librate as it orbits Saturn. Physical libration would produce a diurnal oscillation in the longitude of Enceladus' tidal bulge, which could have a profound effect on the diurnal stresses experienced by the surface of the satellite. Although Cassini ISS has placed an observational upper limit on Enceladus' libration amplitude, stall amplitude librations may have geologically significant consequences. For example, a physical libration will affect heat production along the tiger stripes as produced by tidal shear heating and a previous study has explored possible libration states that provided better matches to Cassini CIRS observations of heat along the tiger stripes. Cassini UVIS stellar occultations provided measurements of the column density of the Enceladus plume at two different points in Enceladus' orbit and find comparable column density values. This column density may be a reflection of the amount of the tiger stripe rifts in tension and able to vent volatiles and a physical libration will also affect the fraction of tiger stripe in tension at different points in the orbit. We have modeled the expected fraction of tiger stripes in tension under different libration conditions. Without libration the amount of tiger stripe rifts in tension at both paints in the orbit would not be comparable and therefore may not allow comparable amounts of volatiles to escape. However, we identify libration conditions that do allow comparable amounts of the tiger stripes to be in tension at each point in the orbit, which might lead to comparable column densities. The librations identified coincide with possible librations states identified in the earlier study, which used Cassini CIRS observations.

Testing and Fielding of the Panther Tank and Lessons for Force XXI

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-01-01

decided that the following solution be adopted: the construction of the Tiger Tank , a tank of some 60 tons, which had recently been started would...to minimize the German advantages of the Panther. The Russians learned quickly that charging at the new Panthers (and Tiger tanks as well), and then...vehicle powerful enough to pull a Panther was another Panther or a Tiger tank . Without another tank stopping to retrieve the disabled vehicle, the

Experimental infection of several fish species with the causative agent of Kuchijirosho (snout ulcer disease) derived from the tiger puffer Takifugu rubripes.

PubMed

Miyadai, T; Kitamura, S I; Uwaoku, H; Tahara, D

2001-12-05

Kuchijirosho (snout ulcer disease) is a fatal epidemic disease which affects the tiger puffer, Takifugu rubripes, a commercial fish species in Japan and Korea. To assess the possibility that non-tiger puffer fish can serve as reservoirs of infection, 5 fish species were challenged by infection with the extracts of Kuchijirosho-affected brains from cultured tiger puffer: grass puffer T. niphobles, fine-patterned puffer T. poecilonotus, panther puffer T. pardalis, red sea bream Pagrus major, and black rockfish Sebastes schlegeli. When slightly irritated, all these species, especially the puffer fish, exhibited typical signs of Kuchijirosho, i.e., erratic swimming, biting together and bellying out (swelling of belly), as generally observed in tiger puffers affected by Kuchijirosho. Although the mortalities of the 2 non-puffer species were lower, injection of the extracts prepared from the brains of both inoculated fish into tiger puffer resulted in death, indicating that the inoculated fish used in this experiment have the potential to be infected with the Kuchijirosho agent. Condensations of nuclei or chromatin in the large nerve cells, which is a major characteristic of Kuchijirosho, were histopathologically observed to some extent in the brains of all kinds of puffer fish species infected. These findings suggest that the virus can spread horizontally among wild and cultured puffers and even among fishes belonging to different orders.

Sumatran tiger survival threatened by deforestation despite increasing densities in parks.

PubMed

Luskin, Matthew Scott; Albert, Wido Rizki; Tobler, Mathias W

2017-12-05

The continuing development of improved capture-recapture (CR) modeling techniques used to study apex predators has also limited robust temporal and cross-site analyses due to different methods employed. We develop an approach to standardize older non-spatial CR and newer spatial CR density estimates and examine trends for critically endangered Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) using a meta-regression of 17 existing densities and new estimates from our own fieldwork. We find that tiger densities were 47% higher in primary versus degraded forests and, unexpectedly, increased 4.9% per yr from 1996 to 2014, likely indicating a recovery from earlier poaching. However, while tiger numbers may have temporarily risen, the total potential island-wide population declined by 16.6% from 2000 to 2012 due to forest loss and degradation and subpopulations are significantly more fragmented. Thus, despite increasing densities in smaller parks, we conclude that there are only two robust populations left with >30 breeding females, indicating Sumatran tigers still face a high risk of extinction unless deforestation can be controlled.

Tiger LDRD final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Steich, D J; Brugger, S T; Kallman, J S

2000-02-01

This final report describes our efforts on the Three-Dimensional Massively Parallel CEM Technologies LDRD project (97-ERD-009). Significant need exists for more advanced time domain computational electromagnetics modeling. Bookkeeping details and modifying inflexible software constitute a vast majority of the effort required to address such needs. The required effort escalates rapidly as problem complexity increases. For example, hybrid meshes requiring hybrid numerics on massively parallel platforms (MPPs). This project attempts to alleviate the above limitations by investigating flexible abstractions for these numerical algorithms on MPPs using object-oriented methods, providing a programming environment insulating physics from bookkeeping. The three major design iterationsmore » during the project, known as TIGER-I to TIGER-III, are discussed. Each version of TIGER is briefly discussed along with lessons learned during the development and implementation. An Application Programming Interface (API) of the object-oriented interface for Tiger-III is included in three appendices. The three appendices contain the Utilities, Entity-Attribute, and Mesh libraries developed during the project. The API libraries represent a snapshot of our latest attempt at insulated the physics from the bookkeeping.« less

Highly conserved D-loop-like nuclear mitochondrial sequences (Numts) in tiger (Panthera tigris).

PubMed

Zhang, Wenping; Zhang, Zhihe; Shen, Fujun; Hou, Rong; Lv, Xiaoping; Yue, Bisong

2006-08-01

Using oligonucleotide primers designed to match hypervariable segments I (HVS-1) of Panthera tigris mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), we amplified two different PCR products (500 bp and 287 bp) in the tiger (Panthera tigris), but got only one PCR product (287 bp) in the leopard (Panthera pardus). Sequence analyses indicated that the sequence of 287 bp was a D-loop-like nuclear mitochondrial sequence (Numts), indicating a nuclear transfer that occurred approximately 4.8-17 million years ago in the tiger and 4.6-16 million years ago in the leopard. Although the mtDNA D-loop sequence has a rapid rate of evolution, the 287-bp Numts are highly conserved; they are nearly identical in tiger subspecies and only 1.742% different between tiger and leopard. Thus, such sequences represent molecular 'fossils' that can shed light on evolution of the mitochondrial genome and may be the most appropriate outgroup for phylogenetic analysis. This is also proved by comparing the phylogenetic trees reconstructed using the D-loop sequence of snow leopard and the 287-bp Numts as outgroup.

Immobilization of captive tigers (Panthera tigris) with a combination of tiletamine, zolazepam, and detomidine.

PubMed

Laricchiuta, P; De Monte, V; Campolo, M; Grano, F; Crovace, A; Staffieri, F

2015-01-01

The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of the administration of a combination of tiletamine-zolazepam and detomidine (TZD) in 9 tigers (Panthera tigris). Nine captive tigers were immobilized with tiletamine-zolazepam and detomidine administered intramuscularly. At the end of the procedure immobilization was partially reversed with atipamezole. Lateral recumbency was achieved in 15.6 ± 5.9 min. The median induction score [scored 1 (excellent) to 4 (poor)] was 1. The immobilization score [scored 1 (poor) to 6 (too deep)] was 5 (4-5) at all study times. After atipamezole administration, all tigers experienced severe ataxia and incoordination. Median recovery score [scored 1 (excellent) to 4 (poor)] was 2.5 (range 2-3). No neurologic and/or important adverse reactions were noticed within 5 days after recovery. The combination tiletamine-zolazepam with detomidine proved to be effective in immobilizing captive healthy tigers but it maybe associated with hypertension and ataxia during recovery. Zoo Biol. 34:40-45, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals Inc. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cadmium-induced apoptosis of Siberian tiger fibroblasts via disrupted intracellular homeostasis.

PubMed

Wang, Hui; Liu, Zheng; Zhang, Wenxiu; Yuan, Ziao; Yuan, Hongyi; Liu, Xueting; Yang, Chunwen; Guan, Weijun

2016-10-24

Heavy metals can cause great harm to Siberian tigers in the natural environment. Cadmium (Cd 2+ ) is an environmental contaminant that affects multiple cellular processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival. It has been shown to induce apoptosis in a variety of cell types and tissues. We investigated the apoptotic effects of Cd 2+ on Siberian tiger fibroblasts in vitro. Our research revealed the typical signs of apoptosis after Cd 2+ exposure. Apoptosis was dose- (0-4.8 μM) and duration-dependent (12-48 h), and proliferation was strongly inhibited. Cd 2+ increased the activity of caspase-3, -8, and -9 and disrupted calcium homeostasis by causing oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. It also increased K + efflux and altered the mRNA levels of Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3, caspase-8, Fas, and p53. Our results suggest that Cd 2+ triggers the apoptosis of Siberian tiger fibroblasts by disturbing intracellular homeostasis. These results will aid in our understanding of the effects of Cd 2+ on Siberian tigers and in developing interventions to treat and prevent cadmium poisoning.

Isolation and identification of feline herpesvirus type 1 from a South China tiger in China.

PubMed

Sun, Heting; Li, Yuanguo; Jiao, Weiyi; Liu, Cunfa; Liu, Xiujuan; Wang, Haijun; Hua, Fuyou; Dong, Jianxiu; Fan, Shengtao; Yu, Zhijun; Gao, Yuwei; Xia, Xianzhu

2014-02-28

In 2012, an FHV-1-like virus was isolated from a tiger that presented with clinical signs of sialorrhea, sneezing and purulent rhinorrhea. Isolation was performed with the FK81 cell line, and the virus was identified by PCR, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the phylogenetic analysis of the partial thymidine kinase (TK) and glycoprotein B (gB) genes. A total of 253 bp of the TK gene and 566 bp of the gB gene were amplified from the trachea of the tiger by PCR/RT-PCR method. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the isolate belonged to the same cluster with other FHV-1 strains obtained from GenBank. Herpes-like viruses with an envelope and diameters of approximately 200 nm were observed in the culture supernatants of FK81 cells inoculated with samples from the tiger. The FHV-1 infection was confirmed by an animal challenge experiment in a cat model. Our finding extends the host range of FHV-1 and has implications for FHV-1 infection and South China tiger conservation.

Ultrasonographic evaluation of the renal dimensions in captive tigers.

PubMed

Huaijantug, Somkiat; Manatpreprem, Komsan; Manatpreprem, Sukhumarn; Yatmark, Paranee

2017-01-10

Ultrasonographic measurements of kidney size are useful in the practical diagnosis of kidney diseases in animals. In tigers, there is a lack of information regarding the ultrasonography methods used to measure the kidney size of the tiger. Thirty-three healthy captive tigers (Panthera tigris) were placed in lateral recumbency for ultrasonography. The measurements obtained from the ultrasonography were computed, and the results showed that there was a statistically significant difference between genders in terms of body weight and renal length. The length of the right kidney was significantly different from that of the left kidney (10.23 ± 0.76 cm in males versus 9.94 ± 0.80 cm in females; P<0.05). Interestingly, this study demonstrated that kidney length was statistically significantly associated with the body weight, and it also had a positive linear relationship with the body weight. Therefore, ultrasonographic renal dimensions could prove to be beneficial and modality for use in the evaluation of kidneys in unconscious tigers. However, kidney size evaluation must be performed using not only ultrasound but other clinical forms of technology and parameters.

75 FR 20857 - Endangered Species Recovery Permit Applications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-21

... 2, 2003, 68 FR 67465) to take (survey, capture, handle, and release) the California tiger salamander... tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) and to take (capture, collect, and kill) the Conservancy...

77 FR 14772 - Combined Notice of Filings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-13

...: Filings Instituting Proceedings Docket Numbers: RP12-470-000. Applicants: ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC. Description: Tiger 2012 Non-Conforming Agreement Amendment-- Chesapeake to be effective 12/1/2010. Filed Date...

A Study of Soviet Use of Field Artillery Weapons in a Direct Fire Role.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-06-06

direct result of the introduction of powerful new weapons fielded by the Germans beginning at the Battle of Kursk (the 60 ton Tiger tank and 70 ton...unit in the Orel-Kursk sector in July of 1943. Intelligence reported the movement of a German unit of twenty Tiger tanks and four Ferdinand self...and Tiger tanks and Ferdinand heavy self-propelled guns. When the engagement was over the Soviet artillery had destroyed forty-five of the German

Considerations for the Distribution of Antiarmor Weapons.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-05-20

German tank, used in mass formations, had been the decisive factor weapon.- The German Threat - "Blitzkrieg" The first German Tiger tank was not...also needed flank or rear shots to penetrate the armor of Panther and Tiger tanks at all but the closest ranges. A third self propelled antitank gun...Armored Threat In June 1944, the German Western Connand had 99 obsolete Pz III, 587 Pz IV, 290 Pz V (Panther) and only 63 Pz VI ( Tiger ) tanks available.20

If You Don’t Like This, You May Resign and Go Home: Commanders’ Considerations in Assaulting a Fortified Position

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-03-01

Panther equipped battalion from the 1st SS Panzer Division (Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler) and two battle groups of infantry and Tiger tanks from the 12th...British left (the eastern side of the box) and its absence gave the German Tiger tanks around Emieville the chance to counterattack into troops who thought... Tiger tank platoon leader. Officer Candidates had to prove themselves in combat prior to commissioning. All subsequent references will be cited as

Reasons to Improve: The Evolution of the U.S. Tank from 1945-1991

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-01

comparable to German Panther and Tiger tanks in armor and firepower. The Korean War experience did two things. First, it ushered in the era of limited war...yards away.21 In July 1943, a Tiger tank near Gela, Sicily quickly destroyed four tanks and hit a fifth from G Company, 67th Armored Regiment.22 During...German adversary in the form of Panther and Tiger tanks retained a significant advantage over the U.S. Sherman tank because of its armored protection

Mine and Countermine Operations in the Battle of Kursk

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-04-25

60 guns could stop a panzer division, although it might lose most of its guns in the process if the Germans used Tiger tanks against the guns.43...Central Front, put it in his inimitable style, "Every soldier must know the vulnerable points of the Tiger tank as well as we used to know the Lord’s...Corps, decided to wait until daylight to breach the minefields. The Tiger tanks provided suppressing fire. With their 88mm guns, they could do this from

The Co-Articulation of National Identity and Interculturalism in the Irish Curriculum: Educating for Democratic Citizenship?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryan, Audrey

2008-01-01

This article considers social and educational policy responses to increasing ethnic diversity in the Republic of Ireland and related concerns about the intensification of racism in Irish society in the "Celtic Tiger" era. Drawing on approaches which emphasise the extent to which discourses on "race" and multiculturalism are…

Panel of polymorphic heterologous microsatellite loci to genotype critically endangered Bengal tiger: a pilot study.

PubMed

Mishra, Sudhanshu; Singh, Sujeet Kumar; Munjal, Ashok Kumar; Aspi, Jouni; Goyal, Surendra Prakash

2014-01-03

In India, six landscapes and source populations that are important for long-term conservation of Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) have been identified. Except for a few studies, nothing is known regarding the genetic structure and extent of gene flow among most of the tiger populations across India as the majority of them are small, fragmented and isolated. Thus, individual-based relationships are required to understand the species ecology and biology for planning effective conservation and genetics-based individual identification has been widely used. But this needs screening and describing characteristics of microsatellite loci from DNA from good-quality sources so that the required number of loci can be selected and the genotyping error rate minimized. In the studies so far conducted on the Bengal tiger, a very small number of loci (n = 35) have been tested with high-quality source of DNA, and information on locus-specific characteristics is lacking. The use of such characteristics has been strongly recommended in the literature to minimize the error rate and by the International Society for Forensic Genetics (ISFG) for forensic purposes. Therefore, we describe for the first time locus-specific genetic and genotyping profile characteristics, crucial for population genetic studies, using high-quality source of DNA of the Bengal tiger. We screened 39 heterologous microsatellite loci (Sumatran tiger, domestic cat, Asiatic lion and snow leopard) in captive individuals (n = 8), of which 21 loci are being reported for the first time in the Bengal tiger, providing an additional choice for selection. The mean relatedness coefficient (R = -0.143) indicates that the selected tigers were unrelated. Thirty-four loci were polymorphic, with the number of alleles ranging from 2 to 7 per locus, and the remaining five loci were monomorphic. Based on the PIC values (> 0.500), and other characteristics, we suggest that 16 loci (3 to 7 alleles) be used for genetic and forensic study purposes. The probabilities of matching genotypes of unrelated individuals (3.692 × 10(-19)) and siblings (4.003 × 10(-6)) are within the values needed for undertaking studies in population genetics, relatedness, sociobiology and forensics.

The Construction and Validation of All-Atom Bulk-Phase Models of Amorphous Polymers Using the TIGER2/TIGER3 Empirical Sampling Method

PubMed Central

Li, Xianfeng; Murthy, Sanjeeva; Latour, Robert A.

2011-01-01

A new empirical sampling method termed “temperature intervals with global exchange of replicas and reduced radii” (TIGER3) is presented and demonstrated to efficiently equilibrate entangled long-chain molecular systems such as amorphous polymers. The TIGER3 algorithm is a replica exchange method in which simulations are run in parallel over a range of temperature levels at and above a designated baseline temperature. The replicas sampled at temperature levels above the baseline are run through a series of cycles with each cycle containing four stages – heating, sampling, quenching, and temperature level reassignment. The method allows chain segments to pass through one another at elevated temperature levels during the sampling stage by reducing the van der Waals radii of the atoms, thus eliminating chain entanglement problems. Atomic radii are then returned to their regular values and re-equilibrated at elevated temperature prior to quenching to the baseline temperature. Following quenching, replicas are compared using a Metropolis Monte Carlo exchange process for the construction of an approximate Boltzmann-weighted ensemble of states and then reassigned to the elevated temperature levels for additional sampling. Further system equilibration is performed by periodic implementation of the previously developed TIGER2 algorithm between cycles of TIGER3, which applies thermal cycling without radii reduction. When coupled with a coarse-grained modeling approach, the combined TIGER2/TIGER3 algorithm yields fast equilibration of bulk-phase models of amorphous polymer, even for polymers with complex, highly branched structures. The developed method was tested by modeling the polyethylene melt. The calculated properties of chain conformation and chain segment packing agreed well with published data. The method was also applied to generate equilibrated structural models of three increasingly complex amorphous polymer systems: poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(butyl methacrylate), and DTB-succinate copolymer. Calculated glass transition temperature (Tg) and structural parameter profile (S(q)) for each resulting polymer model were found to be in close agreement with experimental Tg values and structural measurements obtained by x-ray diffraction, thus validating that the developed methods provide realistic models of amorphous polymer structure. PMID:21769156

75 FR 39231 - Combined Notice of Filings No. 2

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-08

..., 2010. Docket Numbers: CP09-460-001. Applicants: ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC. Description: Amendment to Application of ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC Limited Amendment of Certificate Authority. Filed Date: 06/15/2010...

Marine and Anadromous Fish :: NOAA Fisheries

Science.gov Websites

Conservation Commission bocaccio Bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis) Photo: NOAA sand tiger shark Sand Tiger Shark Updated: June 29, 2017 Fisheries Service Home Information Quality Exit Disclaimer Linking Policy Privacy

Chordoma of the thoracic vertebrae in a Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)

PubMed Central

KURAMOCHI, Mizuki; IZAWA, Takeshi; HORI, Mayuka; KUSUDA, Kayo; SHIMIZU, Junichiro; ISERI, Toshie; AKIYOSHI, Hideo; OHASHI, Fumihito; KUWAMURA, Mitsuru; YAMATE, Jyoji

2015-01-01

A 19-year-old female Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) was presented with hind limb weakness, ataxia and respiratory distress. Computed tomography revealed a mass between the left side of the T7 vertebra and the base of the left 7th rib. The tiger then died, and necropsy was performed. Grossly, the vertebral mass was 6 × 5.7 × 3 cm, and invaded the adjacent vertebral bone and compressed the T7 spinal cord. Histologically, the mass was composed of large, clear, vacuolated and polygonal cells with osteochondral matrix. Cellular and nuclear atypia were moderate. The vacuolated cells stained positively for cytokeratin and vimentin and negatively for S-100. Based on these findings, the present case was diagnosed as a vertebral chordoma; the first report in a tiger. PMID:25766770

Effects of summer microclimates on behavior of lions and tigers in zoos.

PubMed

Young, Tory; Finegan, Esther; Brown, Robert D

2013-05-01

The surrounding thermal environment has a direct influence on the well-being of an animal. However, few studies have investigated the microclimatic conditions that result from outdoor zoo enclosure designs and whether this affects where animals choose to spend time. Two African lions (Panthera leo) and two Siberian/Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) were observed for a total of 18 full days during the summer and fall of 2009. Their activities and locations were recorded to the nearest minute of each test day. Simultaneous on-site microclimate measurements were taken of air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, and wind. Observations indicated that the locations where the animals chose to spend time were influenced by the microclimatic conditions. All subjects spent more time in the shade on their sunny warm days than on other days and differed from one another in their choice of shade source on all days. Temperature-comparable sunny and cloudy days showed a greater use of sun on the cloudy days. Species-specific differences between the lions (whose native habitat is hot) and the tigers (whose native habitat is temperate with cold winters) were observed with the tigers displaying more cooling behaviors than the lions in terms of solar radiation input and evaporative heat loss. The tigers were also more active than the lions. The results of this study provide new insight into how lions and tigers respond to microclimatic conditions in a captive environment.

Effects of summer microclimates on behavior of lions and tigers in zoos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Tory; Finegan, Esther; Brown, Robert D.

2013-05-01

The surrounding thermal environment has a direct influence on the well-being of an animal. However, few studies have investigated the microclimatic conditions that result from outdoor zoo enclosure designs and whether this affects where animals choose to spend time. Two African lions ( Panthera leo) and two Siberian/Amur tigers ( Panthera tigris altaica) were observed for a total of 18 full days during the summer and fall of 2009. Their activities and locations were recorded to the nearest minute of each test day. Simultaneous on-site microclimate measurements were taken of air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, and wind. Observations indicated that the locations where the animals chose to spend time were influenced by the microclimatic conditions. All subjects spent more time in the shade on their sunny warm days than on other days and differed from one another in their choice of shade source on all days. Temperature-comparable sunny and cloudy days showed a greater use of sun on the cloudy days. Species-specific differences between the lions (whose native habitat is hot) and the tigers (whose native habitat is temperate with cold winters) were observed with the tigers displaying more cooling behaviors than the lions in terms of solar radiation input and evaporative heat loss. The tigers were also more active than the lions. The results of this study provide new insight into how lions and tigers respond to microclimatic conditions in a captive environment.

Tigers and their prey: Predicting carnivore densities from prey abundance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Karanth, K.U.; Nichols, J.D.; Kumar, N.S.; Link, W.A.; Hines, J.E.

2004-01-01

The goal of ecology is to understand interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of organisms. In principle, ecologists should be able to identify a small number of limiting resources for a species of interest, estimate densities of these resources at different locations across the landscape, and then use these estimates to predict the density of the focal species at these locations. In practice, however, development of functional relationships between abundances of species and their resources has proven extremely difficult, and examples of such predictive ability are very rare. Ecological studies of prey requirements of tigers Panthera tigris led us to develop a simple mechanistic model for predicting tiger density as a function of prey density. We tested our model using data from a landscape-scale long-term (1995-2003) field study that estimated tiger and prey densities in 11 ecologically diverse sites across India. We used field techniques and analytical methods that specifically addressed sampling and detectability, two issues that frequently present problems in macroecological studies of animal populations. Estimated densities of ungulate prey ranged between 5.3 and 63.8 animals per km2. Estimated tiger densities (3.2-16.8 tigers per 100 km2) were reasonably consistent with model predictions. The results provide evidence of a functional relationship between abundances of large carnivores and their prey under a wide range of ecological conditions. In addition to generating important insights into carnivore ecology and conservation, the study provides a potentially useful model for the rigorous conduct of macroecological science.

A call for tiger management using "reserves" of genetic diversity.

PubMed

Bay, Rachael A; Ramakrishnan, Uma; Hadly, Elizabeth A

2014-01-01

Tigers (Panthera tigris), like many large carnivores, are threatened by anthropogenic impacts, primarily habitat loss and poaching. Current conservation plans for tigers focus on population expansion, with the goal of doubling census size in the next 10 years. Previous studies have shown that because the demographic decline was recent, tiger populations still retain a large amount of genetic diversity. Although maintaining this diversity is extremely important to avoid deleterious effects of inbreeding, management plans have yet to consider predictive genetic models. We used coalescent simulations based on previously sequenced mitochondrial fragments (n = 125) from 5 of 6 extant subspecies to predict the population growth needed to maintain current genetic diversity over the next 150 years. We found that the level of gene flow between populations has a large effect on the local population growth necessary to maintain genetic diversity, without which tigers may face decreases in fitness. In the absence of gene flow, we demonstrate that maintaining genetic diversity is impossible based on known demographic parameters for the species. Thus, managing for the genetic diversity of the species should be prioritized over the riskier preservation of distinct subspecies. These predictive simulations provide unique management insights, hitherto not possible using existing analytical methods.

Density estimation in tiger populations: combining information for strong inference

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gopalaswamy, Arjun M.; Royle, J. Andrew; Delampady, Mohan; Nichols, James D.; Karanth, K. Ullas; Macdonald, David W.

2012-01-01

A productive way forward in studies of animal populations is to efficiently make use of all the information available, either as raw data or as published sources, on critical parameters of interest. In this study, we demonstrate two approaches to the use of multiple sources of information on a parameter of fundamental interest to ecologists: animal density. The first approach produces estimates simultaneously from two different sources of data. The second approach was developed for situations in which initial data collection and analysis are followed up by subsequent data collection and prior knowledge is updated with new data using a stepwise process. Both approaches are used to estimate density of a rare and elusive predator, the tiger, by combining photographic and fecal DNA spatial capture–recapture data. The model, which combined information, provided the most precise estimate of density (8.5 ± 1.95 tigers/100 km2 [posterior mean ± SD]) relative to a model that utilized only one data source (photographic, 12.02 ± 3.02 tigers/100 km2 and fecal DNA, 6.65 ± 2.37 tigers/100 km2). Our study demonstrates that, by accounting for multiple sources of available information, estimates of animal density can be significantly improved.

Density estimation in tiger populations: combining information for strong inference.

PubMed

Gopalaswamy, Arjun M; Royle, J Andrew; Delampady, Mohan; Nichols, James D; Karanth, K Ullas; Macdonald, David W

2012-07-01

A productive way forward in studies of animal populations is to efficiently make use of all the information available, either as raw data or as published sources, on critical parameters of interest. In this study, we demonstrate two approaches to the use of multiple sources of information on a parameter of fundamental interest to ecologists: animal density. The first approach produces estimates simultaneously from two different sources of data. The second approach was developed for situations in which initial data collection and analysis are followed up by subsequent data collection and prior knowledge is updated with new data using a stepwise process. Both approaches are used to estimate density of a rare and elusive predator, the tiger, by combining photographic and fecal DNA spatial capture-recapture data. The model, which combined information, provided the most precise estimate of density (8.5 +/- 1.95 tigers/100 km2 [posterior mean +/- SD]) relative to a model that utilized only one data source (photographic, 12.02 +/- 3.02 tigers/100 km2 and fecal DNA, 6.65 +/- 2.37 tigers/100 km2). Our study demonstrates that, by accounting for multiple sources of available information, estimates of animal density can be significantly improved.

76 FR 20004 - Endangered Species Recovery Permit Applications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-11

... salamander (Ambystoma californiense), the Tipton kangaroo rat (Dipodomys nitratoides nitratoides), giant... biological samples, and release) the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) in conjunction... (survey, capture, handle, identify, measure, and release) the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma...

SpaceWire Tiger Team Findings and Suggestions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ishac, Joseph A.

2011-01-01

This technical report intends to highlight the key findings and recommendations of the SpaceWire Tiger Team for the CoNNeCT project. It covers findings which are technical in nature, covering design concepts and approaches.

78 FR 75554 - Combined Notice of Filings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-12

... p.m. ET 12/9/13. Docket Numbers: RP14-238-000. Applicants: ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC. Description: Tiger Cost and Revenue Study CP09-460. Filed Date: 11/27/13. Accession Number: 20131127-5225. Comments...

Seek, Strike, and Destroy: U.S. Army Tank Destroyer Doctrine in World War II (Leavenworth Papers, Number 12)

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-09-01

velocity 75-mm gun that fired a tungsten carbide antitank round, and the massive Mark VI Tiger tank , which carried a version. of the deadly 88-mm gun...guns would be able to penetrate the frontal armor of the massive Mark VI Tiger tank at a comfortable two thousand yards.27 Prior to the invasion, the...conceived counterattack aimed at recapturing the Sidi-bou-Zid position and. was badly battered in the ensuing German ambush,17 . A damaged Mark VI Tiger

Battle Analysis of the Battle of Sidi Bou Zid, Tunisia, North Africa. Defensive, Encircled Forces, 14 February 1943

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-05-23

was in their tank weapon systems - especially in the Tiger tank . It had a larger caliber main gun which fired a higher velocity round from greater...of a Tiger tank at the ranges being fought. *It’s traverse was so limited that it could only fire in the dirction in which it was facing. More over...battalions and one heavy tank company equipped with Mark VI Tiger tanks With reinforcing antitank and artillery units. ’General von Broich organized

TIGER TM : Intelligent continuous monitoring of gas turbines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McKay, I.; Hibbert, J.; Milne, R.

1998-07-01

The field of condition monitoring has been an area of rapid growth, with many specialized techniques being developed to measure or predict the health of a particular item of plant. Much of the most recent work has gone into the diagnosis of problems on rotating machines through the application of vibration analysis techniques. These techniques though useful can have a number of limiting factors, such as the need to install specialized sensors and measurement equipment, or the limited scope of the type of data measured. It was recognized in 1992, that the surveillance and condition monitoring procedures available for criticalmore » plant, such as gas turbines, were not as comprehensive as they might be and that a novel approach was required to give the operator the necessary holistic view of the health of the plant. This would naturally provide an assessment of the maintenance practices required to yield the highest possible availability without the need to install extensive new instrumentation. From the above objective, the TIGER system was designed which utilizes available data from the gas turbine control system or additionally the plant DCS to measure the behavior of the gas turbine and its associated sub systems. These measured parameters are then compared with an internal model of the turbine system and used to diagnose incorrect responses and therefore the item that is at fault, allowing the operator to quickly restart the turbine after a trip or perform condition based maintenance at the next scheduled outage. This philosophy has been built into the TIGER system and the purpose of this paper is to illustrate its functionality and some of the innovative techniques used in the diagnosis of real gas turbine problems. This is achieved by discussing three case studies where TIGER was integral in returning the plant to operation more quickly than can normally be expected.« less

Exploring crowded trophic niche space in a novel reservoir fish assemblage: how many predators is too many?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Winters, Lisa K.; Budy, Phaedra

2015-01-01

In highly managed reservoir systems, species interactions within novel fish assemblages can be difficult to predict. In high-elevation Scofield Reservoir in Utah the unintentional introduction of Utah Chub Gila atraria and subsequent population expansion prompted a shift from stocking exclusively Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss to include tiger trout (female Brown Trout Salmo trutta × male Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis) and Bonneville Cutthroat Trout O. clarkii utah, which composed a novel suite of top predators and potential competitors. We examined the interspecific interactions among Scofield Reservoir piscivores using a multifaceted approach including gut analyses, stable isotopes, and gape limitation. Large Cutthroat Trout consumed 50–100% Utah Chub and tiger trout consumed 45–80%. In contrast, small and large Rainbow Trout consumed primarily invertebrate prey and exhibited significant overlap with small tiger trout, Cutthroat Trout, and Utah Chub. Large Cutthroat Trout and tiger trout occupy a top piscivore trophic niche and are more littoral, while Rainbow Trout occupy an omnivore niche space and are more pelagic. Both Cutthroat and tiger trout varied in niche space with respect to size-class, demonstrating an ontogenetic shift to piscivory at approximately 350 mm TL. Cutthroat Trout and tiger trout are capable of consuming prey up to 50% of their own size, which is larger than predicted based on their theoretical gape limit. Because it appears food resources (Utah Chub) are not limited, and performance metrics are high, competition is unlikely between Cutthroat Trout and tiger trout. In contrast, apparent survival of Rainbow Trout has recently declined significantly, potentially due to shared food resources with Utah Chub or negative behavioral interactions with other members of the community. Collectively, this research aids in understanding biotic interactions within a top-heavy and novel fish community and assists towards developing and implementing suitable management strategies to control nuisance species.

Spatial Variability in Enceladus' Plume Material: Convergence of Evidence or Coincidence?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhingra, Deepak; Hedman, Matthew M.; Clark, Roger Nelson

2016-10-01

Systematic spatial trends in the properties of the plume material emerging from Enceladus' tiger stripes can be observed in multiple observations from the Cassini mission. Subtle near infrared spectral differences within the plume have been reported across tiger stripes based on Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) observations at high spatial resolution [1]. These spectral differences are likely due to variable water-ice grain size distribution along the source fissures (i.e. tiger stripes) and perhaps by the presence/absence of water vapor emission [2]. We now report a correlation of this spatial trend (along tiger stripes) with several other published results including (a) differences in the ice particle sizes across tiger stripes on Enceladus' surface [3, 4], (b) the surface abundance of organic material [3] and finally, (c) the relative proportion of type II grains (associated with organic/siliceous material) in the plume [5] from Damascus to Alexandria as measured by the Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) instrument.The general trend indicates that at least some of the plume properties (viz. particle size, organic abundance) achieve a peak over Damascus and then become gradually subtle towards Alexandria. The observed differences between tiger stripes eruptions and the nature of correlations (trends from Damascus to Alexandria) hold important clues to the subsurface environment at Enceladus including differences in the geological setting of the individual tiger stripes [6]. The latter is a likely possibility given the large spatial spread of eruptions in Encealdus' South Polar Terrain (SPT).[1] Dhingra et al., (2015) 46th Lunar Planet. Sci. Conf., Abstract#1648[2] Dhingra et al. (2016) Icarus, submitted[3] Brown et al. (2006) Science, 311, 1425-1428[4] Jaumann et al. (2008) Icarus, 193, 407-419[5] Postberg et al. (2011) Nature, doi:10.1038/nature10175[6] Yin and Pappalardo (2015) Icarus, 260, 409-439

A Uniform Approach to National Suicide Bomber Incident Response and Recovery

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

33 D. ELEMENTS OF MOTIVATION.................................................................35 E. THE TAMIL TIGER INFLUENCE...34 Ibid., 11. 35 Ibid., 8-12. 12 support of common objectives. Use of the Incident Command System (ICS) is an important element across multi... elements : • Initial strategic focus: to drive overt and covert United States forces from Muslim lands in the Near and Middle East. Covert American

How unique is the tiger beetle fauna (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) of the Balkan Peninsula?

PubMed Central

Jaskuła, Radomir

2011-01-01

Abstract The tiger beetle fauna of the Balkan Peninsula is one of the richest in Europe and includes 19 species or 41% of the European tiger beetle fauna. Assembled by their biogeographical origins, the Balkan tiger beetle species fall into 14 different groups that include, Mediterranean, Middle Oriental, Central Asiatic, Euro-Siberian, South and East European, Pannonian-Sarmatian, West Palaearctic, Turano-European and Afrotropico Indo-Mediterranean species. The Mediterranean Sclerophyl and the Pontian Steppe are the Balkan biogeographical provinces with the highest species richness, while the Balkan Highlands has the lowest Cicindelidae diversity. Most species are restricted to single habitat types in lowland areas of the Balkan Peninsula and only Calomera aulica aulica and Calomera littoralis nemoralis occur in respectively 3 and 4 different types of habitat. About 60% of all Balkan Cicindelidae species are found in habitats potentially endangered by human activity. PMID:21738429

Multiple myeloma in an Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)

PubMed Central

Lee, Alison M.; Guppy, Naomi; Bainbridge, John; Jahns, Hanne

2017-01-01

The Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is an endangered tiger subspecies. An adult zoo-bred female was found collapsed, and died despite supportive treatment. Hematology and biochemistry showed pancytopenia and hyperglobulinemia, and serum protein electrophoresis revealed a monoclonal band in the β-globulin region. Necropsy demonstrated hemoabdomen, multifocal lytic bone marrow lesions, splenomegaly, and hemorrhagic hepatic nodules, with left medial lobe rupture. There were mutifocal hemorrhages in the subcutis, lung, epicardium, and intestinal mucosa. Histopathology demonstrated plasmacytoid cells infiltrating the bone marrow, liver and spleen, and circulating within blood vessels. On immunohistochemistry, cell infiltrates of the three tissues were positive for λ light chains, bone marrow infiltrates were positive for MUM-1 and bone marrow and spleen infiltrates were positive for CD20. These findings indicate that this animal died of hemoabdomen subsequent to multiple myeloma. This is the first time this disease has been reported in a tiger. PMID:29138744

Multiple myeloma in an Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica).

PubMed

Lee, Alison M; Guppy, Naomi; Bainbridge, John; Jahns, Hanne

2017-01-01

The Amur tiger ( Panthera tigris altaica ) is an endangered tiger subspecies. An adult zoo-bred female was found collapsed, and died despite supportive treatment. Hematology and biochemistry showed pancytopenia and hyperglobulinemia, and serum protein electrophoresis revealed a monoclonal band in the β-globulin region. Necropsy demonstrated hemoabdomen, multifocal lytic bone marrow lesions, splenomegaly, and hemorrhagic hepatic nodules, with left medial lobe rupture. There were mutifocal hemorrhages in the subcutis, lung, epicardium, and intestinal mucosa. Histopathology demonstrated plasmacytoid cells infiltrating the bone marrow, liver and spleen, and circulating within blood vessels. On immunohistochemistry, cell infiltrates of the three tissues were positive for λ light chains, bone marrow infiltrates were positive for MUM-1 and bone marrow and spleen infiltrates were positive for CD20. These findings indicate that this animal died of hemoabdomen subsequent to multiple myeloma. This is the first time this disease has been reported in a tiger.

CHARACTERISTICS AND FERTILITY OF SUMATRAN TIGER SPERMATOZOA CRYOPRESERVED WITH DIFFERENT SUGARS.

PubMed

Wayan Kurniani Karja, Ni; Fahrudin, Mokhamad; Setiadi, Mohamad Agus; Tumbelaka, Ligaya Ita; Sudarwati, Retno; Hastuti, Yohana Tri; Mulia, Bongot Huas; Widianti, Ardyta; Sultan, Keni; Terazono, Tsukasa; Namula, Zhao; Taniguchi, Masayasu; Tanihara, Fuminori; Takemoto, Tatsuya; Kikuchi, Kazuhiro; Sato, Yoko; Otoi, Takeshige

Cryopreservation of semen is one of the most important methods for the preservation of endangered tigers. This study evaluated the effects of sugar supplementation on the cryosurvival of spermatozoa from Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae). The post-thaw characteristics and fertility of spermatozoa cryopreserved with different sugars (glucose, lactose, and trehalose) were evaluated using heterologous in-vitro fertilisation with cat oocytes. All parameters of post-thaw spermatozoa significantly decreased as compared with those of fresh spermatozoa. The index of sperm motility for semen cryopreserved with lactose was significantly higher than that for semen cryopreserved with trehalose. The percentage of total fertilisation for tiger spermatozoa cryopreserved with trehalose was significantly lower than that for control cat spermatozoa. Our findings indicated that supplementation with lactose or glycerol as the main sugar in the egg yolk extender resulted in a better motility and fertility potential for post-thawed spermatozoa.

Defining Tiger Parenting in Chinese Americans

PubMed Central

Kim, Su Yeong

2016-01-01

“Tiger” parenting, as described by Amy Chua [2011], has instigated scholarly discourse on this phenomenon and its possible effects on families. Our eight-year longitudinal study, published in the Asian American Journal of Psychology [Kim, Wang, Orozco-Lapray, Shen, & Murtuza, 2013b], demonstrates that tiger parenting is not a common parenting profile in a sample of 444 Chinese American families. Tiger parenting also does not relate to superior academic performance in children. In fact, the best developmental outcomes were found among children of supportive parents. We examine the complexities around defining tiger parenting by reviewing classical literature on parenting styles and scholarship on Asian American parenting, along with Amy Chua’s own description of her parenting method, to develop, define, and categorize variability in parenting in a sample of Chinese American families. We also provide evidence that supportive parenting is important for the optimal development of Chinese American adolescents. PMID:27182075

Prevalence and determinants of stereotypic behaviours and physiological stress among tigers and leopards in Indian zoos

PubMed Central

Vaz, Janice; Narayan, Edward J.; Dileep Kumar, R.; Thenmozhi, K.; Thiyagesan, Krishnamoorthy

2017-01-01

India’s charismatic wildlife species are facing immense pressure from anthropogenic-induced environmental perturbations. Zoos play a major role in the conservation of threatened species, but their adaptation in captivity is posing a major challenge globally. Stress from inadequate adaptation could lead to suppression of cognitive functioning and increased display of stereotypic behaviour. It is thus necessary to measure biological traits like behaviour, stress physiology, and contextual factors driving the animals maintained at zoos. In this study, we assessed stereotypic behaviour and stress physiology employing standard behaviour scoring, non-invasive stress monitoring, and their contextual drivers in a sub-population of two large felid species managed in six Indian zoos. The prevalence and intensity of stereotypic behaviours and levels of faecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM) were ascertained among 41 Royal Bengal tigers Panthera tigris tigris and 21 Indian leopards Panthera pardus fusca between April 2014 and March 2015. Behavioural observations showed that tigers spent more time stereotyping (12%) than leopards (7%) during daylight hours. Stress levels assessed using FCM revealed that tigers (23.6 ± 1.62 ng/g) had marginally lower level of corticosterone metabolites than leopards (27.2 ±1.36 ng/g). Stereotypic behaviour increased significantly with FCM level when the effect of heath status was controlled in tigers, and the effects tree cover, stone, den and keeper attitude controlled in leopards. Comparison of stereotypes of tigers with various biological and environmental factors using binary logistic regression revealed that stereotypic prevalence decreased with increased enclosure size, and enclosure enrichments like presence of pools and stones, when managed socially with conspecifics, and with positive keeper attitude, these factors accounting for 43% of variations in stereotypic prevalence among tigers. Stereotype among leopards was significantly absent when associated with increased tree cover and presence of pool, and den in the enclosure, age and among zoo-born than wild-born ones. These factors explain 81% of variations in stereotypic prevalence in them. A comparison of FCM levels with context-dependent factors revealed that stress levels among tigers decreased significantly with enclosure size and with individuals from nil to low, and severity of health issues. These factors explain 64% of variations in FCM levels. In leopards, the presence of stones in the enclosure and keepers with positive attitude resulted in significant decrease in FCM levels, these factors together accounting for 94% of variations. Multiple regressions on selected variables based on Factor Analysis of Mixed Data showed that in tigers the intensity of stereotype decreased significantly with enclosure size, sociality and positive keeper attitude and FCM level with health problems. Similarly, analyses in leopards revealed that intensity of stereotype decreased significantly with tree cover, age and FCM level with positive keeper attitude. Overall, our study suggests that to reduce stereotypes and stress level, tigers in captivity should be managed in larger enclosures enriched with pool, and stones, and in appropriate social conditions with adequate veterinary care. Leopards should be managed in enclosures with dense tree cover, pool, stones and den. Positive keeper attitude plays a crucial role in the welfare of both the species in captivity. Our study is promising and is comparable with their natural behaviour in the wild; for example, tigers require larger natural habitats, while leopards can manage even with smaller isolated patches but with dense vegetation cover. PMID:28414723

Prevalence and determinants of stereotypic behaviours and physiological stress among tigers and leopards in Indian zoos.

PubMed

Vaz, Janice; Narayan, Edward J; Dileep Kumar, R; Thenmozhi, K; Thiyagesan, Krishnamoorthy; Baskaran, Nagarajan

2017-01-01

India's charismatic wildlife species are facing immense pressure from anthropogenic-induced environmental perturbations. Zoos play a major role in the conservation of threatened species, but their adaptation in captivity is posing a major challenge globally. Stress from inadequate adaptation could lead to suppression of cognitive functioning and increased display of stereotypic behaviour. It is thus necessary to measure biological traits like behaviour, stress physiology, and contextual factors driving the animals maintained at zoos. In this study, we assessed stereotypic behaviour and stress physiology employing standard behaviour scoring, non-invasive stress monitoring, and their contextual drivers in a sub-population of two large felid species managed in six Indian zoos. The prevalence and intensity of stereotypic behaviours and levels of faecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM) were ascertained among 41 Royal Bengal tigers Panthera tigris tigris and 21 Indian leopards Panthera pardus fusca between April 2014 and March 2015. Behavioural observations showed that tigers spent more time stereotyping (12%) than leopards (7%) during daylight hours. Stress levels assessed using FCM revealed that tigers (23.6 ± 1.62 ng/g) had marginally lower level of corticosterone metabolites than leopards (27.2 ±1.36 ng/g). Stereotypic behaviour increased significantly with FCM level when the effect of heath status was controlled in tigers, and the effects tree cover, stone, den and keeper attitude controlled in leopards. Comparison of stereotypes of tigers with various biological and environmental factors using binary logistic regression revealed that stereotypic prevalence decreased with increased enclosure size, and enclosure enrichments like presence of pools and stones, when managed socially with conspecifics, and with positive keeper attitude, these factors accounting for 43% of variations in stereotypic prevalence among tigers. Stereotype among leopards was significantly absent when associated with increased tree cover and presence of pool, and den in the enclosure, age and among zoo-born than wild-born ones. These factors explain 81% of variations in stereotypic prevalence in them. A comparison of FCM levels with context-dependent factors revealed that stress levels among tigers decreased significantly with enclosure size and with individuals from nil to low, and severity of health issues. These factors explain 64% of variations in FCM levels. In leopards, the presence of stones in the enclosure and keepers with positive attitude resulted in significant decrease in FCM levels, these factors together accounting for 94% of variations. Multiple regressions on selected variables based on Factor Analysis of Mixed Data showed that in tigers the intensity of stereotype decreased significantly with enclosure size, sociality and positive keeper attitude and FCM level with health problems. Similarly, analyses in leopards revealed that intensity of stereotype decreased significantly with tree cover, age and FCM level with positive keeper attitude. Overall, our study suggests that to reduce stereotypes and stress level, tigers in captivity should be managed in larger enclosures enriched with pool, and stones, and in appropriate social conditions with adequate veterinary care. Leopards should be managed in enclosures with dense tree cover, pool, stones and den. Positive keeper attitude plays a crucial role in the welfare of both the species in captivity. Our study is promising and is comparable with their natural behaviour in the wild; for example, tigers require larger natural habitats, while leopards can manage even with smaller isolated patches but with dense vegetation cover.

Fatal presumed tiger snake (Notechis scutatus) envenomation in a cat with measurement of venom and antivenom concentration.

PubMed

Padula, Andrew M; Winkel, Kenneth D

2016-04-01

A fatal outcome of a presumed tiger snake (Notechis scutatus) envenomation in a cat is described. Detectable venom components and antivenom concentrations in serum from clotted and centrifuged whole blood and urine were measured using a sensitive and specific ELISA. The cat presented in a paralysed state with a markedly elevated serum CK but with normal clotting times. The cat was treated with intravenous fluids and received two vials of equine whole IgG bivalent (tiger and brown snake) antivenom. Despite treatment the cat's condition did not improve and it died 36 h post-presentation. Serum concentration of detectable tiger snake venom components at initial presentation was 311 ng/mL and urine 832 ng/mL, this declined to non-detectable levels in serum 15-min after intravenous antivenom. Urine concentration of detectable tiger snake venom components declined to 22 ng/mL at post-mortem. Measurement of equine anti-tiger snake venom specific antibody demonstrated a concentration of 7.2 Units/mL in serum at post-mortem which had declined from an initial high of 13 Units/mL at 15-min post-antivenom. The ELISA data demonstrated the complete clearance of detectable venom components from serum with no recurrence in the post-mortem samples. Antivenom concentrations in serum at initial presentation were at least 100-fold higher than theoretically required to neutralise the circulating concentrations of venom. Despite the fatal outcome in this case it was concluded that this was unlikely that is was due to insufficient antivenom. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coexistence between wildlife and humans at fine spatial scales

PubMed Central

Carter, Neil H.; Shrestha, Binoj K.; Karki, Jhamak B.; Pradhan, Narendra Man Babu; Liu, Jianguo

2012-01-01

Many wildlife species face imminent extinction because of human impacts, and therefore, a prevailing belief is that some wildlife species, particularly large carnivores and ungulates, cannot coexist with people at fine spatial scales (i.e., cannot regularly use the exact same point locations). This belief provides rationale for various conservation programs, such as resettling human communities outside protected areas. However, quantitative information on the capacity and mechanisms for wildlife to coexist with humans at fine spatial scales is scarce. Such information is vital, because the world is becoming increasingly crowded. Here, we provide empirical information about the capacity and mechanisms for tigers (a globally endangered species) to coexist with humans at fine spatial scales inside and outside Nepal’s Chitwan National Park, a flagship protected area for imperiled wildlife. Information obtained from field cameras in 2010 and 2011 indicated that human presence (i.e., people on foot and vehicles) was ubiquitous and abundant throughout the study site; however, tiger density was also high. Surprisingly, even at a fine spatial scale (i.e., camera locations), tigers spatially overlapped with people on foot and vehicles in both years. However, in both years, tigers offset their temporal activity patterns to be much less active during the day when human activity peaked. In addition to temporal displacement, tiger–human coexistence was likely enhanced by abundant tiger prey and low levels of tiger poaching. Incorporating fine-scale spatial and temporal activity patterns into conservation plans can help address a major global challenge—meeting human needs while sustaining wildlife. PMID:22949642

The Tiger Team Process in the Rebaselining of the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BAILEY, R.W.

2000-02-01

This paper will describe the integrated, teaming approach and planning process utilized by the Tiger Team in the development of the IPMP. This paper will also serve to document the benefits derived from this implementation process.

78 FR 9727 - Endangered Species Recovery Permit Applications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-11

... California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) (R. aurora d.) and the California tiger salamander (central DPS... salamander (central DPS) (Ambystoma californiense) in conjunction with survey and scientific research...) the California tiger salamander (Santa Barbara County DPS and Sonoma County DPS) (Ambystoma...

SPATIALLY AUTOCORRELATED DEMOGRAPHY AND INTERPOND MIGRATION IN THE CALIFORNIA TIGER SALAMANDER (AMBYSTOME CALIFORNIENSE)

EPA Science Inventory

We investigated the metapopulation structure of the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) using a combination of indirect and direct methods to evaluate two key requirements of modern metapopulation models: 1) that patches support somewhat independent populations ...

A resolution supporting international tiger conservation efforts and the upcoming Global Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA

2010-11-17

Senate - 12/20/2010 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 721. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

The complete mitochondrial genome of the tiger tail seahorse, Hippocampus comes (Teleostei, Syngnathidae).

PubMed

Chang, Chia-Hao; Lin, Han-Yang; Jang-Liaw, Nian-Hong; Shao, Kwang-Tsao; Lin, Yeong-Shin; Ho, Hsuan-Ching

2013-06-01

The complete mitochondrial genome of the tiger tail seahorse was sequenced using a polymerase chain reaction-based method. The total length of mitochondrial DNA is 16,525 bp and includes 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA, 22 transfer RNA genes, and a control region. The mitochondrial gene arrangement of the tiger tail seahorse is also matching the one observed in the most vertebrate creatures. Base composition of the genome is A (32.8%), T (29.8%), C (23.0%), and G (14.4%) with an A+T-rich hallmark as that of other vertebrate mitochondrial genomes.

Commercial production of tiger puffer ( Takifugu rubripes) in winter using a recirculating aquaculture system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Zhongling; Wang, Hua; Yu, Chunyan; Lv, Fenghe; Liu, Hengming; Zhang, Tao

2017-02-01

Tiger puffer ( Takifugu rubripes) is a promising species for aquaculture production because of its high value and limited supply. However, in the north of China, using sea cages to culture this species in winter is hampered by the fact that the seawater temperature is extremely low. Here, a large scale commercial production of tiger puffer has been successfully realized using a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) from 3 October 2012 to 31 May 2013. The RAS was comprised of nine culture tanks (total water volume 200 m3) and stocked with approximately a total of 14400 fish (initial mean weight 160 g). The tiger puffer was hand-fed at a rate of 0.7% of total body weight per day, and the feed conversion rate was (1.21 ± 0.3) kg kg-1. The recycle water in RAS was treated by a sieve bend screen, a foam fractionator, a submerged biofilter, an UV sterilizer and a submersible aerator. During the whole culture period, an excellent water quality control was achieved in RAS. At the end of this experiment, the survival rate of tiger puffer was more than 98%. The final tank densities averaged 31.2 kg m-3, and the final individual mean weight was 440 g.

A comparison of reproductive parameters of female Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) in the wild and captivity.

PubMed

Gu, Jiayin; Guo, Yurong; Stott, Philip; Jiang, Guangshun; Ma, Jianzhang

2016-01-01

A healthy population of captive Amur tigers might assist recovery of the wild population in Northeast China if individuals were properly prepared and considered suitable for release in the wild. We analyzed the breeding records of 68 female Amur tigers from 1995 to 2010 in the Hengdaohezi Felid Breeding Center of China and compared the reproductive parameters of this population to wild female Amur tigers. We found that the reproductive parameters of the captive population (the age of first parturition, length of gestation and litter survival rate) were not significantly different from those of wild Amur tigers. Differences in birth date and litter size between wild and captive populations may be caused by management protocols for the captive population or insufficient field data from the wild population. Reproductive parameters of females giving birth after losing a litter were similar to parameters of females that did not lose a litter, except for birth date. These results provide no indication of major problems in using captive females for a breeding program for release of cubs into the wild, but additional information is still needed to assess their suitability. © 2015 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Review of research methodologies for tigers: telemetry.

PubMed

Miller, Clayton S; Hebblewhite, Mark; Goodrich, John M; Miquelle, Dale G

2010-12-01

Over the past half century, wildlife research has relied on technological advances to gain additional insight into the secretive lives of animals. This revolution started in the 1960s with the development of radio telemetry and continues today with the use of Global Positioning System (GPS)-based research techniques. In the present paper we review the history of radio telemetry from its origins with grizzly bears in Yellowstone to its early applications in tiger research and conservation in Asia. We address the different types of data that are available using radio telemetry as opposed to using other research techniques, such as behavioral observations, camera trapping, DNA analysis and scat analysis. In the late 1990s, the rapid development of GPS collar technology revolutionized wildlife research. This new technology has enabled researchers to dramatically improve their ability to gather data on animal movements and ecology. Despite the ecological and conservation benefits of radio telemetry, there have been few telemetry studies of tigers in the wild, and most have been on the Bengal or Amur subspecies. We close with an assessment of the current tiger conservation efforts using GPS technology and discuss how this new information can help to preserve tigers for future generations. © 2010 ISZS, Blackwell Publishing and IOZ/CAS.

Feeding live prey to zoo animals: response of zoo visitors in Switzerland.

PubMed

Cottle, Lauren; Tamir, Dan; Hyseni, Mimoza; Bühler, Dominique; Lindemann-Matthies, Petra

2010-01-01

In summer 2007, with the help of a written questionnaire, the attitudes of more than 400 visitors to the zoological garden of Zurich, Switzerland, toward the idea of feeding live insects to lizards, live fish to otters, and live rabbits to tigers were investigated. The majority of Swiss zoo visitors agreed with the idea of feeding live prey (invertebrates and vertebrates) to zoo animals, both off- and on-exhibit, except in the case of feeding live rabbits to tigers on-exhibit. Women and frequent visitors of the zoo disagreed more often with the on-exhibit feeding of live rabbits to tigers. Study participants with a higher level of education were more likely to agree with the idea of feeding live invertebrates and vertebrates to zoo animals off-exhibit. In comparison to an earlier study undertaken in Scotland, zoo visitors in Switzerland were more often in favor of the live feeding of vertebrates. Feeding live prey can counter the loss of hunting skills of carnivores and improve the animals' well-being. However, feeding enrichments have to strike a balance between optimal living conditions of animals and the quality of visitor experience. Our results show that such a balance can be found, especially when live feeding of mammals is carried out off-exhibit. A good interpretation of food enrichment might help zoos to win more support for the issue, and for re-introduction programs and conservation. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Mangifera indica L. Leaf Extract in Combination With Luteolin or Quercetin Enhances VO2peak and Peak Power Output, and Preserves Skeletal Muscle Function During Ischemia-Reperfusion in Humans.

PubMed

Gelabert-Rebato, Miriam; Wiebe, Julia C; Martin-Rincon, Marcos; Gericke, Nigel; Perez-Valera, Mario; Curtelin, David; Galvan-Alvarez, Victor; Lopez-Rios, Laura; Morales-Alamo, David; Calbet, Jose A L

2018-01-01

It remains unknown whether polyphenols such as luteolin (Lut), mangiferin and quercetin (Q) have ergogenic effects during repeated all-out prolonged sprints. Here we tested the effect of Mangifera indica L. leaf extract (MLE) rich in mangiferin (Zynamite®) administered with either quercetin (Q) and tiger nut extract (TNE), or with luteolin (Lut) on sprint performance and recovery from ischemia-reperfusion. Thirty young volunteers were randomly assigned to three treatments 48 h before exercise. Treatment A: placebo (500 mg of maltodextrin/day); B: 140 mg of MLE (60% mangiferin) and 50 mg of Lut/day; and C: 140 mg of MLE, 600 mg of Q and 350 mg of TNE/day. After warm-up, subjects performed two 30 s Wingate tests and a 60 s all-out sprint interspaced by 4 min recovery periods. At the end of the 60 s sprint the circulation of both legs was instantaneously occluded for 20 s. Then, the circulation was re-opened and a 15 s sprint performed, followed by 10 s recovery with open circulation, and another 15 s final sprint. MLE supplements enhanced peak (Wpeak) and mean (Wmean) power output by 5.0-7.0% ( P < 0.01). After ischemia, MLE+Q+TNE increased Wpeak by 19.4 and 10.2% compared with the placebo ( P < 0.001) and MLE+Lut ( P < 0.05), respectively. MLE+Q+TNE increased Wmean post-ischemia by 11.2 and 6.7% compared with the placebo ( P < 0.001) and MLE+Lut ( P = 0.012). Mean VO 2 during the sprints was unchanged, suggesting increased efficiency or recruitment of the anaerobic capacity after MLE ingestion. In women, peak VO 2 during the repeated sprints was 5.8% greater after the administration of MLE, coinciding with better brain oxygenation. MLE attenuated the metaboreflex hyperpneic response post-ischemia, may have improved O 2 extraction by the Vastus Lateralis (MLE+Q+TNE vs. placebo, P = 0.056), and reduced pain during ischemia ( P = 0.068). Blood lactate, acid-base balance, and plasma electrolytes responses were not altered by the supplements. In conclusion, a MLE extract rich in mangiferin combined with either quercetin and tiger nut extract or luteolin exerts a remarkable ergogenic effect, increasing muscle power in fatigued subjects and enhancing peak VO 2 and brain oxygenation in women during prolonged sprinting. Importantly, the combination of MLE+Q+TNE improves skeletal muscle contractile function during ischemia/reperfusion.

Responsiveness of cats (Felidae) to silver vine (Actinidia polygama), Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica), valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and catnip (Nepeta cataria).

PubMed

Bol, Sebastiaan; Caspers, Jana; Buckingham, Lauren; Anderson-Shelton, Gail Denise; Ridgway, Carrie; Buffington, C A Tony; Schulz, Stefan; Bunnik, Evelien M

2017-03-16

Olfactory stimulation is an often overlooked method of environmental enrichment for cats in captivity. The best known example of olfactory enrichment is the use of catnip, a plant that can cause an apparently euphoric reaction in domestic cats and most of the Pantherinae. It has long been known that some domestic cats and most tigers do not respond to catnip. Although many anecdotes exist of other plants with similar effects, data are lacking about the number of cats that respond to these plants, and if cats that do not respond to catnip respond to any of them. Furthermore, much is still unknown about which chemicals in these plants cause this response. We tested catnip, silver vine, Tatarian honeysuckle and valerian root on 100 domestic cats and observed their response. Each cat was offered all four plant materials and a control, multiple times. Catnip and silver vine also were offered to nine tigers. The plant materials were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry to quantify concentrations of compounds believed to exert stimulating effects on cats. Nearly all domestic cats responded positively to olfactory enrichment. In agreement with previous studies, one out of every three cats did not respond to catnip. Almost 80% of the domestic cats responded to silver vine and about 50% to Tatarian honeysuckle and valerian root. Although cats predominantly responded to fruit galls of the silver vine plant, some also responded positively to its wood. Of the cats that did not respond to catnip, almost 75% did respond to silver vine and about one out of three to Tatarian honeysuckle. Unlike domestic cats, tigers were either not interested in silver vine or responded disapprovingly. The amount of nepetalactone was highest in catnip and only present at marginal levels in the other plants. Silver vine contained the highest concentrations of all other compounds tested. Olfactory enrichment for cats may have great potential. Silver vine powder from dried fruit galls and catnip were most popular among domestic cats. Silver vine and Tatarian honeysuckle appear to be good alternatives to catnip for domestic cats that do not respond to catnip.

3. VIEW OF WATER TANKS FROM ACCESS ROAD TO HATCH ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

3. VIEW OF WATER TANKS FROM ACCESS ROAD TO HATCH ADIT. VIEW NORTH. LUCKY TIGER MILL OFFICE (FEATURE B-I) IN DISTANCE. (OCTOBER, 1995) - Nevada Lucky Tiger Mill & Mine, Water Tanks, East slope of Buckskin Mountain, Paradise Valley, Humboldt County, NV

Sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein: identification as a new allergen of the black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon.

PubMed

Shiomi, Kazuo; Sato, Yuichiro; Hamamoto, Shohei; Mita, Hajime; Shimakura, Kuniyoshi

2008-01-01

Tropomyosin and arginine kinase have been identified as crustacean allergens. During purification of arginine kinase from black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon, we found a new allergen of 20-kDa. A 20-kDa allergen was purified from the abdominal muscle of black tiger shrimp by salting-out, anion-exchange HPLC and reverse-phase HPLC. Following digestion of the 20-kDa allergen with lysyl endopeptidase, peptide fragments were isolated by reverse-phase HPLC, and 2 of them were sequenced. The 20-kDa allergen, together with tropomyosin and arginine kinase purified from black tiger shrimp, was evaluated for IgE reactivity by ELISA. Five species of crustaceans (kuruma shrimp, American lobster, pink shrimp, king crab and snow crab) were surveyed for the 20-kDa allergen by immunoblotting. The 20-kDa allergen was purified from black tiger shrimp and identified as a sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein (SCP) based on the determined amino acid sequences of 2 enzymatic fragments. Of 16 sera from crustacean-allergic patients, 8 and 13 reacted to SCP and tropomyosin, respectively; the reactivity to arginine kinase was weakly recognized with 10 sera. In immunoblotting, an IgE-reactive 20-kDa protein was also detected in kuruma shrimp, American lobster and pink shrimp but not in 2 species of crab. Preadsorption of the sera with black tiger shrimp SCP abolished the IgE reactivity of the 20-kDa protein, suggesting the 20-kDa protein to be an SCP. SCP is a new crustacean allergen, and distribution of IgE-reactive SCP is probably limited to shrimp and crayfish. (c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Internal Waves and Wave Attractors in Enceladus' Subsurface Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Oers, A. M.; Maas, L. R.; Vermeersen, B. L. A.

2016-12-01

One of the most peculiar features on Saturn moon Enceladus is its so-called tiger stripe pattern at the geologically active South Polar Terrain (SPT), as first observed in detail by the Cassini spacecraft early 2005. It is generally assumed that the four almost parallel surface lines that constitute this pattern are faults in the icy surface overlying a confined salty water reservoir. In 2013, we formulated the original idea [Vermeersen et al., AGU Fall Meeting 2013, abstract #P53B-1848] that the tiger stripe pattern is formed and maintained by induced, tidally and rotationally driven, wave-attractor motions in the ocean underneath the icy surface of the tiger-stripe region. Such wave-attractor motions are observed in water tank experiments in laboratories on Earth and in numerical experiments [Maas et al., Nature, 338, 557-561, 1997; Drijfhout and Maas, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 37, 2740-2763, 2007; Hazewinkel et al., Phys. Fluids, 22, 107102, 2010]. Numerical simulations show the persistence of wave attractors for a range of ocean shapes and stratifications. The intensification of the wave field near the location of the surface reflections of wave attractors has been numerically and experimentally confirmed. We measured the forces a wave attractor exerts on a solid surface, near a reflection point. These reflection points would correspond to the location of the tiger stripes. Combining experiments and numerical simulations we conclude that (1) wave attractors can exist in Enceladus' subsurface sea, (2) their shape can be matched to the tiger stripes, (3) the wave attractors cause a localized force at the water-ice boundaries, (4) this force could have been large enough to contribute to fracturing the ice and (5) the wave attractors localize energy (and particles) and cause dissipation along its path, helping explain Enceladus' enigmatic heat output at the tiger stripes.

Vertical Movement Patterns and Ontogenetic Niche Expansion in the Tiger Shark, Galeocerdo cuvier

PubMed Central

Afonso, André S.; Hazin, Fábio H. V.

2015-01-01

Sharks are top predators in many marine ecosystems and can impact community dynamics, yet many shark populations are undergoing severe declines primarily due to overfishing. Obtaining species-specific knowledge on shark spatial ecology is important to implement adequate management strategies for the effective conservation of these taxa. This is particularly relevant concerning highly-mobile species that use wide home ranges comprising coastal and oceanic habitats, such as tiger sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier. We deployed satellite tags in 20 juvenile tiger sharks off northeastern Brazil to assess the effect of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on depth and temperature usage. Sharks were tracked for a total of 1184 d and used waters up to 1112 m in depth. The minimum temperature recorded equaled 4°C. All sharks had a clear preference for surface (< 5 m) waters but variability in depth usage was observed as some sharks used mostly shallow (< 60 m) waters whereas others made frequent incursions into greater depths. A diel behavioral shift was detected, with sharks spending considerably more time in surface (< 10 m) waters during the night. Moreover, a clear ontogenetic expansion in the vertical range of tiger shark habitat was observed, with generalized linear models estimating a ~4-fold increase in maximum diving depth from 150- to 300-cm size-classes. The time spent in the upper 5 m of the water column did not vary ontogenetically but shark size was the most important factor explaining the utilization of deeper water layers. Young-of-the-year tiger sharks seem to associate with shallow, neritic habitats but they progressively move into deeper oceanic habitats as they grow larger. Such an early plasticity in habitat use could endow tiger sharks with access to previously unavailable prey, thus contributing to a wider ecological niche. PMID:25629732

Opportunities of habitat connectivity for tiger (Panthera tigris) between Kanha and Pench National Parks in Madhya Pradesh, India.

PubMed

Rathore, Chinmaya S; Dubey, Yogesh; Shrivastava, Anurag; Pathak, Prasad; Patil, Vinayak

2012-01-01

The Tiger (Panthera tigris) population in India has undergone a sharp decline during the last few years. Of the number of factors attributed to this decline, habitat fragmentation has been the most worrisome. Wildlife corridors have long been a subject of discussion amongst wildlife biologists and conservationists with contrasting schools of thought arguing their merits and demerits. However, it is largely believed that wildlife corridors can help minimize genetic isolation, offset fragmentation problems, improve animal dispersal, restore ecological processes and reduce man animal conflict. This study attempted to evaluate the possibilities of identifying a suitable wildlife corridor between two very important wildlife areas of central India--the Kanha National Park and the Pench National Park--with tiger as the focal species. Geographic Information System (GIS) centric Least Cost Path modeling was used to identify likely routes for movement of tigers. Habitat suitability, perennial water bodies, road density, railway tracks, human settlement density and total forest edge were considered as key variables influencing tiger movement across the Kanha-Pench landscape. Each of these variables was weighted in terms of relative importance through an expert consultation process. Using different importance scenarios, three alternate corridor routes were generated of which one was identified as the most promising for tiger dispersal. Weak links--where cover and habitat conditions are currently sub-optimal--were flagged on the corridor route. Interventions aimed at augmenting the identified corridor route have been suggested using accepted wildlife corridor design principles. The involvement of local communities through initiatives such as ecotourism has been stressed as a crucial long term strategy for conservation of the Kanha-Pench wildlife corridor. The results of the study indicate that restoration of the identified wildlife corridors between the two protected areas is technically feasible.

A comparison of the seasonal movements of tiger sharks and green turtles provides insight into their predator-prey relationship.

PubMed

Fitzpatrick, Richard; Thums, Michele; Bell, Ian; Meekan, Mark G; Stevens, John D; Barnett, Adam

2012-01-01

During the reproductive season, sea turtles use a restricted area in the vicinity of their nesting beaches, making them vulnerable to predation. At Raine Island (Australia), the highest density green turtle Chelonia mydas rookery in the world, tiger sharks Galeocerdo cuvier have been observed to feed on green turtles, and it has been suggested that they may specialise on such air-breathing prey. However there is little information with which to examine this hypothesis. We compared the spatial and temporal components of movement behaviour of these two potentially interacting species in order to provide insight into the predator-prey relationship. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that tiger shark movements are more concentrated at Raine Island during the green turtle nesting season than outside the turtle nesting season when turtles are not concentrated at Raine Island. Turtles showed area-restricted search behaviour around Raine Island for ∼3-4 months during the nesting period (November-February). This was followed by direct movement (transit) to putative foraging grounds mostly in the Torres Straight where they switched to area-restricted search mode again, and remained resident for the remainder of the deployment (53-304 days). In contrast, tiger sharks displayed high spatial and temporal variation in movement behaviour which was not closely linked to the movement behaviour of green turtles or recognised turtle foraging grounds. On average, tiger sharks were concentrated around Raine Island throughout the year. While information on diet is required to determine whether tiger sharks are turtle specialists our results support the hypothesis that they target this predictable and plentiful prey during turtle nesting season, but they might not focus on this less predictable food source outside the nesting season.

Cloning, characterization and tissue specific expression of Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) IGF-I.

PubMed

Hu, Xi-Lian; Zhu, Mu-Yuan; Zhang, Zhi-He; Hou, Rong; Shen, Fu-Jun; Li, Fu-Zhen; Zhang, An-Ju

2006-08-01

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) plays an important role in regulating gonad function, which is essential for normal reproduction in animals, especially in sexual receptivity and reproductive behavior. In this study, a cDNA encoding Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) IGF-I was isolated from liver total RNA using RT-PCR. The IGF-I cDNA of Amur tiger (ATIGF-I) was highly homologous to that of other animals, 84.8% to rat, 93.7% to human and horse. Alignment analysis showed that the cysteine residues and many amino acid residues of putative mature ATIGF-I are highly conserved in mammalian species, confirming the high sequence homology observed in other species. DNA encoding the mature ATIGF-I peptide was ligated with pET-DsbA expression vector and highly expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 with IPTG induction. The recombinant proteins expressed existed mostly in the soluble protein fraction, and were purified with metal affinity resins. Western blotting confirmed that the recombinant proteins reacted with antibodies against IGF-I. The results obtained here should be useful for large-scale production of biological active ATIGF-I protein, as well as for further research on growth, development, and reproduction in the Amur tiger. Tissue specific expression of ATIGF-I mRNA in the Amur tiger was examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), The major ATIGF-I mRNA expression tissue was the liver, while medium signals were found in the uterus, ovary, and pituitary, and minor signals were detected in various tissues including the heart, spleen, pancreas, and kidney. The results indicate that IGF-I might play an important role in the reproductive system and in cub development in the Amur tiger.

Vertical movement patterns and ontogenetic niche expansion in the tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier.

PubMed

Afonso, André S; Hazin, Fábio H V

2015-01-01

Sharks are top predators in many marine ecosystems and can impact community dynamics, yet many shark populations are undergoing severe declines primarily due to overfishing. Obtaining species-specific knowledge on shark spatial ecology is important to implement adequate management strategies for the effective conservation of these taxa. This is particularly relevant concerning highly-mobile species that use wide home ranges comprising coastal and oceanic habitats, such as tiger sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier. We deployed satellite tags in 20 juvenile tiger sharks off northeastern Brazil to assess the effect of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on depth and temperature usage. Sharks were tracked for a total of 1184 d and used waters up to 1112 m in depth. The minimum temperature recorded equaled 4°C. All sharks had a clear preference for surface (< 5 m) waters but variability in depth usage was observed as some sharks used mostly shallow (< 60 m) waters whereas others made frequent incursions into greater depths. A diel behavioral shift was detected, with sharks spending considerably more time in surface (< 10 m) waters during the night. Moreover, a clear ontogenetic expansion in the vertical range of tiger shark habitat was observed, with generalized linear models estimating a ~4-fold increase in maximum diving depth from 150- to 300-cm size-classes. The time spent in the upper 5 m of the water column did not vary ontogenetically but shark size was the most important factor explaining the utilization of deeper water layers. Young-of-the-year tiger sharks seem to associate with shallow, neritic habitats but they progressively move into deeper oceanic habitats as they grow larger. Such an early plasticity in habitat use could endow tiger sharks with access to previously unavailable prey, thus contributing to a wider ecological niche.

Sustained eruptions on Enceladus explained by turbulent dissipation in tiger stripes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kite, Edwin S.; Rubin, Allan M.

2016-04-01

Spacecraft observations suggest that the plumes of Saturn’s moon Enceladus draw water from a subsurface ocean, but the sustainability of conduits linking ocean and surface is not understood. Observations show eruptions from “tiger stripe” fissures that are sustained (although tidally modulated) throughout each orbit, and since the 2005 discovery of the plumes. Peak plume flux lags peak tidal extension by ˜1 rad, suggestive of resonance. Here, we show that a model of the tiger stripes as tidally flexed slots that puncture the ice shell can simultaneously explain the persistence of the eruptions through the tidal cycle, the phase lag, and the total power output of the tiger stripe terrain, while suggesting that eruptions are maintained over geological timescales. The delay associated with flushing and refilling of O(1)-m-wide slots with ocean water causes erupted flux to lag tidal forcing and helps to buttress slots against closure, while tidally pumped in-slot flow leads to heating and mechanical disruption that staves off slot freezeout. Much narrower and much wider slots cannot be sustained. In the presence of long-lived slots, the 106-y average power output of the tiger stripes is buffered by a feedback between ice melt-back and subsidence to O(1010) W, which is similar to observed power output, suggesting long-term stability. Turbulent dissipation makes testable predictions for the final flybys of Enceladus by Cassini. Our model shows how open connections to an ocean can be reconciled with, and sustain, long-lived eruptions. Turbulent dissipation in long-lived slots helps maintain the ocean against freezing, maintains access by future Enceladus missions to ocean materials, and is plausibly the major energy source for tiger stripe activity.

A Comparison of the Seasonal Movements of Tiger Sharks and Green Turtles Provides Insight into Their Predator-Prey Relationship

PubMed Central

Fitzpatrick, Richard; Thums, Michele; Bell, Ian; Meekan, Mark G.; Stevens, John D.; Barnett, Adam

2012-01-01

During the reproductive season, sea turtles use a restricted area in the vicinity of their nesting beaches, making them vulnerable to predation. At Raine Island (Australia), the highest density green turtle Chelonia mydas rookery in the world, tiger sharks Galeocerdo cuvier have been observed to feed on green turtles, and it has been suggested that they may specialise on such air-breathing prey. However there is little information with which to examine this hypothesis. We compared the spatial and temporal components of movement behaviour of these two potentially interacting species in order to provide insight into the predator-prey relationship. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that tiger shark movements are more concentrated at Raine Island during the green turtle nesting season than outside the turtle nesting season when turtles are not concentrated at Raine Island. Turtles showed area-restricted search behaviour around Raine Island for ∼3–4 months during the nesting period (November–February). This was followed by direct movement (transit) to putative foraging grounds mostly in the Torres Straight where they switched to area-restricted search mode again, and remained resident for the remainder of the deployment (53–304 days). In contrast, tiger sharks displayed high spatial and temporal variation in movement behaviour which was not closely linked to the movement behaviour of green turtles or recognised turtle foraging grounds. On average, tiger sharks were concentrated around Raine Island throughout the year. While information on diet is required to determine whether tiger sharks are turtle specialists our results support the hypothesis that they target this predictable and plentiful prey during turtle nesting season, but they might not focus on this less predictable food source outside the nesting season. PMID:23284819

505 Parachute Infantry Regiment (A Legacy of Lessons)

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-20

area being the critical choke point for a German counterattack of the invasion force. However, they had failed to predict the presence of Tiger tanks from...ineffective against the heavier Tiger tank and the paratroopers desperately improvised with captured German Eighty-eights and panzerfausts. Naval

78 FR 27249 - Endangered Species Recovery Permit Applications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-09

... samples, and release) the California tiger salamander (Santa Barbara County DPS and Sonoma County DPS... renewal to take (harass by survey, capture, handle, mark, and release) the California tiger salamander..., mark, release, and collect) the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum), in...

EPA Registers the Wolbachia ZAP Strain in Live Male Asian Tiger Mosquitoes

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA registered a new mosquito biopesticide – ZAP Males® - that can reduce local populations of the type of mosquito (Aedes albopictus, or Asian Tiger Mosquitoes) that can spread numerous diseases of significant human health concern, including the Zika viru

Tiger Team Assessments seventeen through thirty-five: A summary and analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-12-01

This report provides a summary and analysis of the Department of Energy's (DOE'S) 19 Tiger Team Assessments that were conducted from October 1990 to July 1992. The sites are listed in the box below, along with their respective program offices and assessment completion dates. This analysis relied solely on the information contained in the Tiger Team Assessment Reports. The findings and concerns documented by the Tiger Teams provide a database of information about the then-current ES H programs and practice. Program Secretarial Officers (PSOS) and field managers may use this information, along with other sources (such as the Corrective Actionmore » Plans, Progress Assessments, and Self-Assessments), to address the ES H deficiencies found, prioritize and plan appropriate corrective actions, measure progress toward solving the problems, strengthen and transfer knowledge about areas where site performance exemplified the ES H mindset, and so forth. Further analyses may be suggested by the analysis presented in this report.« less

Tiger Team Assessments seventeen through thirty-five: A summary and analysis. Volume 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-12-01

This report provides a summary and analysis of the Department of Energy`s (DOE`S) 19 Tiger Team Assessments that were conducted from October 1990 to July 1992. The sites are listed in the box below, along with their respective program offices and assessment completion dates. This analysis relied solely on the information contained in the Tiger Team Assessment Reports. The findings and concerns documented by the Tiger Teams provide a database of information about the then-current ES&H programs and practice. Program Secretarial Officers (PSOS) and field managers may use this information, along with other sources (such as the Corrective Action Plans,more » Progress Assessments, and Self-Assessments), to address the ES&H deficiencies found, prioritize and plan appropriate corrective actions, measure progress toward solving the problems, strengthen and transfer knowledge about areas where site performance exemplified the ES&H mindset, and so forth. Further analyses may be suggested by the analysis presented in this report.« less

TIGER: Development of Thermal Gradient Compensation Algorithms and Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hereford, James; Parker, Peter A.; Rhew, Ray D.

2004-01-01

In a wind tunnel facility, the direct measurement of forces and moments induced on the model are performed by a force measurement balance. The measurement balance is a precision-machined device that has strain gages at strategic locations to measure the strain (i.e., deformations) due to applied forces and moments. The strain gages convert the strain (and hence the applied force) to an electrical voltage that is measured by external instruments. To address the problem of thermal gradients on the force measurement balance NASA-LaRC has initiated a research program called TIGER - Thermally-Induced Gradients Effects Research. The ultimate goals of the TIGER program are to: (a) understand the physics of the thermally-induced strain and its subsequent impact on load measurements and (b) develop a robust thermal gradient compensation technique. This paper will discuss the impact of thermal gradients on force measurement balances, specific aspects of the TIGER program (the design of a special-purpose balance, data acquisition and data analysis challenges), and give an overall summary.

Sequence Analysis of Mitochondrial Genome of Toxascaris leonina from a South China Tiger.

PubMed

Li, Kangxin; Yang, Fang; Abdullahi, A Y; Song, Meiran; Shi, Xianli; Wang, Minwei; Fu, Yeqi; Pan, Weida; Shan, Fang; Chen, Wu; Li, Guoqing

2016-12-01

Toxascaris leonina is a common parasitic nematode of wild mammals and has significant impacts on the protection of rare wild animals. To analyze population genetic characteristics of T. leonina from South China tiger, its mitochondrial (mt) genome was sequenced. Its complete circular mt genome was 14,277 bp in length, including 12 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 2 non-coding regions. The nucleotide composition was biased toward A and T. The most common start codon and stop codon were TTG and TAG, and 4 genes ended with an incomplete stop codon. There were 13 intergenic regions ranging 1 to 10 bp in size. Phylogenetically, T. leonina from a South China tiger was close to canine T. leonina . This study reports for the first time a complete mt genome sequence of T. leonina from the South China tiger, and provides a scientific basis for studying the genetic diversity of nematodes between different hosts.

Population structure and connectivity of tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) across the Indo-Pacific Ocean basin

PubMed Central

Williams, Samuel M.; Otway, Nicholas M.; Nielsen, Einar E.; Maher, Safia L.; Bennett, Mike B.; Ovenden, Jennifer R.

2017-01-01

Population genetic structure using nine polymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci was assessed for the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) at seven locations across the Indo-Pacific, and one location in the southern Atlantic. Genetic analyses revealed considerable genetic structuring (FST > 0.14, p < 0.001) between all Indo-Pacific locations and Brazil. By contrast, no significant genetic differences were observed between locations from within the Pacific or Indian Oceans, identifying an apparent large, single Indo-Pacific population. A lack of differentiation between tiger sharks sampled in Hawaii and other Indo-Pacific locations identified herein is in contrast to an earlier global tiger shark nDNA study. The results of our power analysis provide evidence to suggest that the larger sample sizes used here negated any weak population subdivision observed previously. These results further highlight the need for cross-jurisdictional efforts to manage the sustainable exploitation of large migratory sharks like G. cuvier. PMID:28791159

Population structure and connectivity of tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) across the Indo-Pacific Ocean basin.

PubMed

Holmes, Bonnie J; Williams, Samuel M; Otway, Nicholas M; Nielsen, Einar E; Maher, Safia L; Bennett, Mike B; Ovenden, Jennifer R

2017-07-01

Population genetic structure using nine polymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci was assessed for the tiger shark ( Galeocerdo cuvier ) at seven locations across the Indo-Pacific, and one location in the southern Atlantic. Genetic analyses revealed considerable genetic structuring ( F ST  > 0.14, p  < 0.001) between all Indo-Pacific locations and Brazil. By contrast, no significant genetic differences were observed between locations from within the Pacific or Indian Oceans, identifying an apparent large, single Indo-Pacific population. A lack of differentiation between tiger sharks sampled in Hawaii and other Indo-Pacific locations identified herein is in contrast to an earlier global tiger shark nDNA study. The results of our power analysis provide evidence to suggest that the larger sample sizes used here negated any weak population subdivision observed previously. These results further highlight the need for cross-jurisdictional efforts to manage the sustainable exploitation of large migratory sharks like G. cuvier .

Exploring Ultra-Heavy Cosmic Rays with the Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder (TIGER)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Link, Jason; Supertiger Collaboration

2017-01-01

Elements heavier than iron are primarily synthesized by neutron capture. These elements can be accelerated as cosmic-rays and measuring their abundances at Earth can yield information about galactic cosmic-rays' sources, the acceleration processes and the composition of the universe beyond the boundaries of our solar system. The Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder (TIGER) and its larger successor SuperTIGER was designed to measure the abundance of these ultra-heavy cosmic rays between Z=10 and Z=60. These detectors utilize scintillators with a wavelength shifter bar and PMT readout system as well as aerogel and acrylic Cherenkov detectors to identify the charge and energy of a particle and utilize a scintillating fiber hodoscope to provide trajectory information. In this talk I will review the results from this highly successful program, give the status for the next SuperTIGER flight planned for a December 2017 launch from Antarctica, and discuss the future direction of the program.

Abdominal pythiosis in a Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris).

PubMed

Buergelt, Claus; Powe, Joshua; White, Tamara

2006-06-01

An adult Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) housed in an outdoor sanctuary in Florida exhibited vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss. A clinical workup did not reveal the source of the clinical signs and antibiotic therapy was unrewarding. Radiographs revealed the presence of an abdominal mass. The tiger died during an immobilization for a follow-up clinical examination. A necropsy was performed and tissue samples of intestine and mesenteric lymph nodes were submitted for histopathologic diagnosis. A pyogranulomatous panenteritis and lymphadenitis with intralesional hyphae led to a presumptive etiologic diagnosis of intestinal/abdominal pythiosis. The diagnosis of pythiosis was confirmed by serology and immunoblotting.

Scale dependence of felid predation risk: Identifying predictors of livestock kills by tiger and leopard in Bhutan

Treesearch

Susana Rostro-Garcia; Lhendup Tharchen; Leandro Abade; Christos Astaras; Samuel A. Cushman; David W. Macdonald

2016-01-01

Livestock predation by tiger and leopard in Bhutan is a major threat to the conservation of these felids. Conflict mitigation planning would benefit from an improved understanding of the spatial pattern of livestock kills by the two predators.

Myosin heavy chain composition of tiger (Panthera tigris) and cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) hindlimb muscles.

PubMed

Hyatt, Jon-Philippe K; Roy, Roland R; Rugg, Stuart; Talmadge, Robert J

2010-01-01

Felids have a wide range of locomotor activity patterns and maximal running speeds, including the very fast cheetah (Acinonyx jubatas), the roaming tiger (Panthera tigris), and the relatively sedentary domestic cat (Felis catus). As previous studies have suggested a relationship between the amount and type of activity and the myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform composition of a muscle, we assessed the MHC isoform composition of selected hindlimb muscles from these three felid species with differing activity regimens. Using gel electrophoresis, western blotting, histochemistry, and immunohistochemistry with MHC isoform-specific antibodies, we compared the MHC composition in the tibialis anterior, medial gastrocnemius (MG), plantaris (Plt), and soleus muscles of the tiger, cheetah, and domestic cat. The soleus muscle was absent in the cheetah. At least one slow (type I) and three fast (types IIa, IIx, and IIb) MHC isoforms were present in the muscles of each felid. The tiger had a high combined percentage of the characteristically slower isoforms (MHCs I and IIa) in the MG (62%) and the Plt (86%), whereas these percentages were relatively low in the MG (44%) and Plt (55%) of the cheetah. In general, the MHC isoform characteristics of the hindlimb muscles matched the daily activity patterns of these felids: the tiger has daily demands for covering long distances, whereas the cheetah has requirements for speed and power. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Microbiological stabilization of tiger nuts' milk beverage using ultra-high pressure homogenization. A preliminary study on microbial shelf-life extension.

PubMed

Codina-Torrella, I; Guamis, B; Zamora, A; Quevedo, J M; Trujillo, A J

2018-02-01

Tiger nuts' milk beverages are highly perishable products. For this reason, the interest of food industry for their commercialization makes necessary the application of preservation treatments to prolong their shelf-life. In the current study, the effect of ultra-high pressure homogenization (UHPH) on the microbiological and sensory qualities of tiger nuts' milk beverage was evaluated. Characteristics of UHPH-treated products (at 200 and 300 MPa, with inlet temperature of 40 °C) were compared with those of raw (RP) and conventionally homogenized-pasteurized (H-P) beverages, after treatment and during cold storage at 4 °C. Microbiological quality of beverages was studied by enumerating total counts, psychrotrophic bacteria, lactobacilli, enterobacteria, molds and yeasts, and mesophilic spores. Evolution of color and sensory characteristics of beverages were also determined. Microbiological shelf-life of the tiger nuts' milk beverages was extended from 3 to 25, 30 and 57 days by applying H-P and UHPH treatments at 200 and 300 MPa, respectively. Color of beverages was the only attribute that differentiated UHPH samples from the others, with greater luminosity and whiteness. Hence, UHPH treatments showed to be an alternative to the conventional H-P for obtaining tiger nuts' milk beverages with an improved microbiological shelf-life and good sensorial characteristics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regional movements of the tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier, off Northeastern Brazil: inferences regarding shark attack hazard.

PubMed

Hazin, Fábio H V; Afonso, André S; De Castilho, Pedro C; Ferreira, Luciana C; Rocha, Bruno C L M

2013-09-01

An abnormally high shark attack rate verified off Recife could be related to migratory behavior of tiger sharks. This situation started after the construction of the Suape port to the south of Recife. A previous study suggested that attacking sharks could be following northward currents and that they were being attracted shoreward by approaching vessels. In this scenario, such northward movement pattern could imply a higher probability of sharks accessing the littoral area of Recife after leaving Suape. Pop-up satellite archival tags were deployed on five tiger sharks caught off Recife to assess their movement patterns off northeastern Brazil. All tags transmitted from northward latitudes after 7-74 days of freedom. The shorter, soak distance between deployment and pop-up locations ranged between 33-209 km and implied minimum average speeds of 0.02-0.98 km.h-1. Both pop-up locations and depth data suggest that tiger shark movements were conducted mostly over the continental shelf. The smaller sharks moved to deeper waters within 24 hours after releasing, but they assumed a shallower (< 50 m) vertical distribution for most of the monitoring period. While presenting the first data on tiger shark movements in the South Atlantic, this study also adds new information for the reasoning of the high shark attack rate verified in this region.

Various Characteristics of Hybrid between River Puffer, Takifugu obscurus and Tiger Puffer, T. rubripes, and Their Hybrid Triploid

PubMed Central

Park, In-Seok; Lim, Sung Young; Lee, Tae Ho; Gil, Hyun Woo; Yoo, Gwang Yeol

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT A comparison of the growth, hematological values, fatty acids, and gonadal and growth hormonal changes of river puffer, Takifugu obscurus, tiger puffer, T. rubripes, their hybrids (river puffer × tiger puffer) and hybrid triploids was performed during 3 months of their early growth period. Several features were observed during these 3 months: hybrids showed the highest levels of specific growth rate, 1.48%; hybrid triploids showed the smallest change in viscera fat (P<0.05), but GSI was not significantly different among groups (P>0.05). Considering hematological parameters, hybrid triploids had increased mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (P<0.05), but other parameters were not significantly different between groups (P>0.05). With respect to fatty acids, puffer fish, hybrids and hybrid triploids contained fatty acids such as SFAs, MUFAs, n-3 PUFAs and n-6 PUFAs. There were significantly different amounts of total fatty acids between groups (P<0.05), however, rates of changes in fatty acids did not differ significantly between groups (P>0.05). Gonadal hormone (estradiol and testosterone) changes in the river puffer and tiger puffer were significantly higher than that observed in hybrids and hybrid triploids. The hybrids and tiger puffers had higher amounts of growth hormone (thyroid stimulating hormone and thyroxine) than the hybrid triploids and river puffers (P<0.05). PMID:28785739

An outbreak of canine distemper virus in tigers (Panthera tigris): possible transmission from wild animals to zoo animals.

PubMed

Nagao, Yumiko; Nishio, Yohei; Shiomoda, Hiroshi; Tamaru, Seiji; Shimojima, Masayuki; Goto, Megumi; Une, Yumi; Sato, Azusa; Ikebe, Yusuke; Maeda, Ken

2012-06-01

Canine distemper virus (CDV), a morbillivirus that causes one of the most contagious and lethal viral diseases known in canids, has an expanding host range, including wild animals. Since December 2009, several dead or dying wild raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) were found in and around one safari-style zoo in Japan, and CDV was isolated from four of these animals. In the subsequent months (January to February 2010), 12 tigers (Panthera tigris) in the zoo developed respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, and CDV RNA was detected in fecal samples of the examined tigers. In March 2010, one of the tigers developed a neurological disorder and died; CDV was isolated from the lung of this animal. Sequence analysis of the complete hemagglutinin (H) gene and the signal peptide region of the fusion (F) gene showed high homology among these isolates (99.8-100%), indicating that CDV might have been transmitted from raccoon dog to tiger. In addition, these isolates belonged to genotype Asia-1 and had lower homology (<90%) to the vaccine strain (Onderstepoort). Seropositivity of lions (Panthera leo) in the zoo and wild bears (Ursus thibetanus) captured around this area supported the theory that a CDV epidemic had occurred in many mammal species in and around the zoo. These results indicate a risk of CDV transmission among many animal species, including large felids and endangered species.

Project CHECO Southeast Asia Report. Tiger Hound

DTIC Science & Technology

1966-09-06

information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and...NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) HQ PACA Directorate, Tactical Evaluation CHECO Division 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING...the special zone east of a line from the intersection of Cambodia, Laos, and South Vietnam to XD 8716 as shown on the map on ll/ page 12. Colonel

Rallying Potential among the North Vietnamese Armed Forces

DTIC Science & Technology

1970-12-01

overwhelmingly important. Thus, though everyone complains about the mosquitoes and very few about the tigers , it is the fear of tigers that drives... Asthma Stomachache Other disease Rheumatism Not sick captured?) 26. What did you think of most when you were sick? 27. Did you think about rallying

TigerShark UAS noise flight test at Griffiss Airport : letter report to Dr. Mehmet Marsan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-05-27

"This memorandum documents preliminary results of the noise flight test conducted on the Navmar TigerShark UAS at Griffiss International Airport (KRME, http://www.ocgov.net/airport) in Rome, New York on May 17, 2016. This memorandum is intended to pr...

A Practical Variation of a Multiple-Schedule Procedure: Brief Schedule-Correlated Stimuli

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tiger, Jeffrey H.; Hanley, Gregory P.; Larsen, Kylie M.

2008-01-01

Multiple schedules using continuous discriminative stimuli have been used to minimize children's disruptive requesting for teacher attention (e.g., colored floral leis; Tiger & Hanley, 2004; Tiger, Hanley, & Heal, 2006). The present study evaluated the effectiveness of, and children's preferences for, two multiple-schedule arrangements in which…

Registration of 'Tiger' wheat

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

‘Tiger’ hard white winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was developed at Research Center-Hays, Kansas State University and released by Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station in 2010. Tiger was selected from a three-way cross KS98H245/’Trego’//KS98HW518 made in 1999 at Hays, KS. The objective of this ...

75 FR 33811 - Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; HIT Policy Committee's...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-15

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; HIT Policy Committee's Privacy & Security Tiger Team Meeting; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Office of... of Committee: HIT Policy Committee's Privacy & Security Tiger Team. General Function of the Committee...

Endogenous lipid (cholesterol) pneumonia in three captive Siberian tigers (Panthera tigris altaica).

PubMed

Bollo, Enrico; Scaglione, Frine Eleonora; Chiappino, Laura; Sereno, Alessandra; Triberti, Orfeo; Schröder, Cathrin

2012-05-01

During the years 2009-2011, 7 Siberian tigers (Panthera tigris altaica), aged between 2 and 14 years, from the Safaripark of Pombia were referred for necropsy to the Department of Animal Pathology of the University of Turin (Italy). Three tigers, aged 10 (2 animals) and 14 years, had multifocal, irregularly distributed, white, soft, subpleural, 3-mm nodules scattered throughout the lungs. Histologically, there was a marked infiltration of macrophages, with foamy cytoplasm, and multinucleate giant cells interspersed with numerous clusters of cholesterol clefts. A mild lymphocytic infiltration was localized around the lesion. The findings were consistent with endogenous lipid pneumonia, which was considered an incidental finding of no clinical significance.

Self-Paced Exercise, Affective Response, and Exercise Adherence: A Preliminary Investigation Using Ecological Momentary Assessment.

PubMed

Williams, David M; Dunsiger, Shira; Emerson, Jessica A; Gwaltney, Chad J; Monti, Peter M; Miranda, Robert

2016-06-01

Affective response to exercise may mediate the effects of self-paced exercise on exercise adherence. Fiftynine low-active (exercise <60 min/week), overweight (body mass index: 25.0-39.9) adults (ages 18-65) were randomly assigned to self-paced (but not to exceed 76% maximum heart rate) or prescribed moderate intensity exercise (64-76% maximum heart rate) in the context of otherwise identical 6-month print-based exercise promotion programs. Frequency and duration of exercise sessions and affective responses (good/bad) to exercise were assessed via ecological momentary assessment throughout the 6-month program. A regression-based mediation model was used to estimate (a) effects of experimental condition on affective response to exercise (path a = 0.20, SE = 0.28, f 2 = 0.02); (b) effects of affective response on duration/latency of the next exercise session (path b = 0.47, SE = 0.25, f 2 = 0.04); and (c) indirect effects of experimental condition on exercise outcomes via affective response (path ab = 0.11, SE = 0.06, f 2 = 0.10). Results provide modest preliminary support for a mediational pathway linking self-paced exercise, affective response, and exercise adherence.

The De Havilland "Tiger Moth"a low wing monoplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1927-01-01

With a speed of 186.5 M.P.H. and an operational altitude of 20,000 feet the De Havilland Tiger Moth has caused comment as it was introduced just before the King's Cup race of 1927. It is a single seater with unusual control configuration due to the cramped cockpit area.

On the identity of the tiger beetle Cicindela philippinensis Mandl, 1956 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae).

PubMed

Zettel, Herbert; Pangantihon, Clister V

2015-04-02

In the course of preparing a key to the Philippine tiger beetle genera (Pangantihon & Zettel, in prep.) it became necessary to examine the holotype of Cicindela philippinensis Mandl, 1956, the only specimen from the Philippines that has been tentatively assigned to the genus Myriochila Motschulsky, 1857.

Catching the Celtic Tiger by Its Tail

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferreira, M. Luisa; VanHoudt, Patrick

2004-01-01

The article attempts to assess the major sources behind the exceptional Irish growth performance in the 1990s. Unlike other Tigers, Ireland's growth is due to efficiency gains, rather than capital deepening, but the causes for the swift growth in total factor productivity cannot be pinned down to a single factor. Human capital, foreign direct…

Willingness-to-pay for an area-wide integrated Pest Managment Program to control the Asian Tiger Mosquito in New Jersey.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Using contingent valuation, the perceived value of an area-wide, integrated pest management program for the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, implemented in Monmouth and Mercer Counties, New Jersey, was estimated. The residents’ maximum willingness-to-pay (WTP) and payment modality was estimat...

Generic Language and Judgements about Category Membership: Can Generics Highlight Properties as Central?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollander, Michelle A.; Gelman, Susan A.; Raman, Lakshmi

2009-01-01

Many languages distinguish generic utterances (e.g., "Tigers are ferocious") from non-generic utterances (e.g., "Those tigers are ferocious"). Two studies examined how generic language specially links properties and categories. We used a novel-word extension task to ask if 4- to 5-year-old children and adults distinguish…

Children Prefer Diverse Samples for Inductive Reasoning in the Social Domain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noyes, Alexander; Christie, Stella

2016-01-01

Not all samples of evidence are equally conclusive: Diverse evidence is more representative than narrow evidence. Prior research showed that children did not use sample diversity in evidence selection tasks, indiscriminately choosing diverse or narrow sets (tiger-mouse; tiger-lion) to learn about animals. This failure is not due to a general…

Celtic Tiger Found in Education Jungle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooney, Thomas M.

2008-01-01

Purpose: While the growth of the Irish economy ("Celtic Tiger") has been well documented, not enough attention has been given to the role of education as a cornerstone for the success. This paper seeks to review education policy in Ireland over the past 50 years and to identify the significant educational initiatives that helped shape…

Scott Morgan Johnson Middle School: Personalization Leads to Unlimited Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Principal Leadership, 2013

2013-01-01

The well-known lyrics may be "The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You," but at Scott Morgan Johnson Middle School in McKinney, TX, it's definitely the "eye of the tiger" that sets the bar for Tiger PRIDE (perseverance, respect, integrity, determination, and excellence). This article describes how those ideals have been infused…

The USDA-ARS area-wide project for management of the asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is among the most invasive species in the world. Established in the U.S. since 1985, this species now infests 30 states and continues to spread internationally. Concerned public health officials recognize this species as an important vector of chikunguny...

NAEP and Policy: Chasing the Tail of the Assessment Tiger

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diket, Read M.; Brewer, Thomas M.

2011-01-01

This paper grabs hold of the "assessment tiger" by considering the history of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) "Arts Report Cards" for the visual arts, which were constructed and have been administered four times within thirty-five years. Two purposes of the NAEP have persisted since its founding: (1)…

Quantified Statements Are Recalled as Generics: Evidence from Preschool Children and Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leslie, Sarah-Jane; Gelman, Susan A.

2012-01-01

Generics are sentences such as "ravens are black" and "tigers are striped", which express generalizations concerning kinds. Quantified statements such as "all tigers are striped" or "most ravens are black" also express generalizations, but unlike generics, they specify how many members of the kind have the property in question. Recently, some…

More than Just a Tiger Mom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lum, Lydia

2011-01-01

Mention "best-seller" and author Amy Chua in the same breath and, chances are, a person's thoughts turn immediately to her controversial parenting memoir, "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother." Indeed, national backlash has shadowed Chua for months since publication of the book, which describes her rigid parenting style in what she loosely calls "the…

Congenital deformity of the paw in a captive tiger: case report

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The aim of this report was to describe the clinical signs, diagnostic approach, treatment and outcome in the case of a tiger with a deformity of the paw. Case presentation A 1.5-year-old tiger (Panthera tigris) was presented with lameness of the left thoracic limb. A deformity involving the first and second metacarpal bones, and a soft tissue separation between the second and third metacarpal bones of the left front paw were observed. The second digit constantly struck the ground during locomotion. Based on the physical and radiographic evaluations, a diagnosis of ectrodactyly was made. A soft tissue reconstruction of the cleft with excision of both the second digit and distal portion of the second metacarpal bone was performed. Marked improvement of the locomotion was observed after surgical treatment, although the tiger showed a low degree of lameness probably associated with the discrepancy in length between the thoracic limbs. Conclusion This report shows a rare deformity in an exotic feline that it is compatible to ectrodactyly. Reconstructive surgery of the cleft resulted in significant improvement of limb function. PMID:22747639

Systemic calicivirus epidemic in captive exotic felids.

PubMed

Harrison, Tara M; Sikarskie, James; Kruger, John; Wise, Annabel; Mullaney, Thomas P; Kiupel, Matti; Maes, Roger K

2007-06-01

A 5-day-old, mother-raised, Amur tiger cub (Panthera tigris altaica) presented with tongue ulcerations. Identical lesions appeared and progressed to sloughing of the tongue in the three littermates of this cub the following day. The lesions progressed in all cubs to include sloughing of the carpal, tarsal, metacarpal, and metatarsal foot pad epithelium. Oral ulcerations were also noted in adult African lions (Panthera leo) and Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica), but not in two adult snow leopards (Panthera uncia) housed in the same building. All adult cats had been previously vaccinated for common feline diseases including feline calicivirus (FCV). Detection of FCV RNA in oral secretions by a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay (RRT-PCR) confirmed FCV infection in the tiger cubs and one lion. A male lion and a male tiger cub died during the disease outbreak. RRT-PCR confirmed FCV in multiple tissues in both of these animals. A stray cat live-trapped outside the feline building during the epidemic was found to be positive for FCV by virus isolation and was thought to be the source of infection.

Isolation, molecular characterization, and phylogenetic analysis of encephalomyocarditis virus from South China tigers in China.

PubMed

Liu, Huimin; Yan, Qi; Zhao, Bo; Luo, Jing; Wang, Chengmin; Du, Yingchun; Yan, Jing; He, Hongxuan

2013-10-01

Although encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) can infect many host species and cause myocarditis and sudden death in many species, little is known about EMCV infection in tigers. A virus was isolated from organs of dead South China tigers with sudden death in southern China. The production of cytopathic effect on BHK cells, and the results of PCR, electron microscopy (EM), and whole genome sequencing indicated that the pathogen was EMCV, the strain was named FJ13. Other pathogenic agents were excluded as possible pathogenic agents. Phylogenetic analyses of the whole genome, ORF (open reading frame) and CCR (capsid coding region) using the neighbour-joining method revealed that EMCV isolates cluster into two groups (group 1 and 2) with two sub-clusters within group 1 (group 1a and 1b), and FJ13 belongs to group 1a. Animal experiment showed that the isolated strain FJ13 could cause clinical symptoms and pathological changes. The results of this study indicated that FJ13 caused myocarditis of tigers and provided new epidemiologic data on EMCV in China. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of integron-mediated antimicrobial resistance among Escherichia coli strains isolated from a captive population of Amur tigers in China.

PubMed

Xue, Yuan; Chen, Jianfei; Wang, Yulong; Zhang, Yanlong; Liu, Dan; Hua, Yuping

2013-12-01

The present study was undertaken to identify and characterize integrons and integrated resistance gene cassettes among multidrug resistant Escherichia coli isolates from a captive population of Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) in China. In addition, the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance and class I integrons was assessed in E. coli strains (n = 61) isolated from a captive population of Amur tigers in Heilongjiang Amur Tiger Park, China. Among the isolates, 52.46% (32 of 61) were positive for intI1, but no isolates carried intI2 or intI3. Most isolates were susceptible to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, aztreonam, and polymyxin B, while they also exhibited high incidence rates of resistance to ampicillin, doxycycline, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and dihydrofolate reductase. Sequencing analysis revealed three gene cassettes, which encoded resistance to dihydrofolate reductase (dfrA15), dihydrofolate reductase (dfrA12), and adenyltransferase (aadA2). The gene cassette arrays dfrA15 (31%) and dfrA12-aadA2 (19%) were most prevalent among these isolates.

Blood Pressure Response to Exercise and Cardiovascular Disease.

PubMed

Schultz, Martin G; La Gerche, Andre; Sharman, James E

2017-10-18

This review aimed to provide a clinical update on exercise blood pressure (BP) and its relationship to cardiovascular disease (CVD), outlining key determinants of abnormal exercise BP responses. We also highlight current evidence gaps that need addressing in order to optimise the relevance of exercise BP as clinical CVD risk factor. Abnormal exercise BP manifests as either exercise hypotension (low BP response) or as exaggerated exercise BP (high BP response). Exercise hypotension is an established sign of existing and likely severe CVD, but exaggerated exercise BP also carries elevated CVD risk due to its association with sub-clinical hypertension. Although exaggerated exercise BP is related to heightened CVD risk at any exercise intensity, recent data suggest that the BP response to submaximal intensity exercise holds greater prognostic and clinical significance than BP achieved at peak/maximal intensity exercise. Cardiorespiratory fitness is a strong modifier of the exercise BP response, and should be taken into consideration when assessing the association with CVD. Both exercise hypotension and exaggerated exercise BP serve as markers that should prompt evaluation for potential underlying CVD. However, the clinical utility of these markers is currently inhibited by the lack of consensus informing the definitions and thresholds for abnormalities in exercise BP.

Do developmental initiatives influence local attitudes toward conservation? A case study from the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, India.

PubMed

Arjunan, M; Holmes, Christopher; Puyravaud, Jean-Philippe; Davidar, Priya

2006-04-01

We evaluated the conservation attitudes of the local villagers living adjacent to the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in southern India 6 years after implementation of a World Bank funded eco-development project. We assessed attitudes towards three facets of conservation: the tiger, an emblematic species signifying India's commitment to wildlife conservation; the forest, a principle source of fuel-wood and other products; and the Forest Department, which manages the forest. More specifically we predicted that (i) attitudes would be an effective predictor of resource use interest in the forest and (ii) benefits obtained from the EDP would create more favorable attitudes towards conservation and the protected area employees. Twelve villages located within 3 km from the reserve boundary were chosen and 2-3% of the households interviewed with regard to their attitudes towards these three facets of conservation, their household resource use patterns, wealth, sex, age and length of residency. We found significant associations between wealth, sex, age and both tiger and forest conservation. Providing benefits has not changed the underlying attitudes of the communities. The poorer sections of society, whether receiving benefits or not, tended to support tiger conservation because conserving wildlife did not affect their livelihood in any way, whereas both the rich and poor had misgivings about forest conservation due to dependency on forest products. We conclude that the eco-development project has not effectively addressed the most important of the local concerns.

Construction and Analysis of Siberian Tiger Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Library with Approximately 6.5-Fold Genome Equivalent Coverage

PubMed Central

Liu, Changqing; Bai, Chunyu; Guo, Yu; Liu, Dan; Lu, Taofeng; Li, Xiangchen; Ma, Jianzhang; Ma, Yuehui; Guan, Weijun

2014-01-01

Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries are extremely valuable for the genome-wide genetic dissection of complex organisms. The Siberian tiger, one of the most well-known wild primitive carnivores in China, is an endangered animal. In order to promote research on its genome, a high-redundancy BAC library of the Siberian tiger was constructed and characterized. The library is divided into two sub-libraries prepared from blood cells and two sub-libraries prepared from fibroblasts. This BAC library contains 153,600 individually archived clones; for PCR-based screening of the library, BACs were placed into 40 superpools of 10 × 384-deep well microplates. The average insert size of BAC clones was estimated to be 116.5 kb, representing approximately 6.46 genome equivalents of the haploid genome and affording a 98.86% statistical probability of obtaining at least one clone containing a unique DNA sequence. Screening the library with 19 microsatellite markers and a SRY sequence revealed that each of these markers were present in the library; the average number of positive clones per marker was 6.74 (range 2 to 12), consistent with 6.46 coverage of the tiger genome. Additionally, we identified 72 microsatellite markers that could potentially be used as genetic markers. This BAC library will serve as a valuable resource for physical mapping, comparative genomic study and large-scale genome sequencing in the tiger. PMID:24608928

Internal Acoustic Transceivers Reveal the Annual Social Network Patterns in a Coastal Top Predator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haulsee, D.; Fox, D. A.; Breece, M.; Wetherbee, B.; Brown, L.; Kneebone, J.; Skomal, G.; Oliver, M. J.

2016-02-01

Sand Tigers (Carcharias taurus) are large apex predators resident in the coastal ocean along the Eastern US Coast. Although Delaware Bay and surrounding coastal waters are known summer "hot spots" for Sand Tigers, our understanding of their seasonal movements is less well known. Since 2007, we have implanted more than 300 VEMCO acoustic transmitters in Sand Tigers, which have been detected from Cape Canaveral, Florida to Long Island, New York by collaborators in the Atlantic Cooperative Telemetry (ACT) Network. During the summer of 2012, 20 Sand Tigers were implanted with VEMCO Mobile Transceivers (VMTs), which are capable of both transmitting and receiving coded acoustic pings. To date, two of the 20 sharks have been recaptured, and their VMTs recovered. VMTs recorded detections of 350 individuals, from 8 different species. We analyzed their intra- and interspecific social network, which allowed us to reconstruct the approximate locations of Sand Tigers throughout the year. Changes in the interspecific population dynamics throughout the year revealed evidence of fission-fusion social behavior, which is common in mammals, but rarely documented in non-mammalian species. This project is a unique look at the social network of an apex predator and is a useful model for studies quantifying the social structures of marine animals. In addition, understanding how the aggregations of this species changes (in terms of sex and size class segregation) on spatiotemporal scales is critical for effective protection of the species and will be useful as managers develop conservation plans along the East Coast.

Physiological and biochemical variables in captive tigers (Panthera tigris) immobilised with dexmedetomidine and ketamine or dexmedetomidine, midazolam and ketamine.

PubMed

Clark-Price, S C; Lascola, K M; Schaeffer, D J

2015-12-05

Physiological and biochemical variables in captive tigers (Panthera tigris) immobilised with dexmedetomidine and ketamine or dexmedetomidine, midazolam and ketamine were evaluated. Thirty tigers received either dexmedetomidine (0.025 mg/kg) and ketamine (3 mg/kg) (group DK) or dexmedetomidine (0.0125 mg/kg), midazolam (0.1 mg/kg) and ketamine (3 mg/kg) (group DMK). Heart rate, SPO2 and blood pressure were measured at five-minute intervals. Arterial pH, PO2, PCO2, glucose, K+ and arterial and venous lactate were measured at 15 and 45 minutes after immobilisation. A generalised linear mixed model was used for statistical comparison. There was no difference within or between groups at any time point for any measured variable. Measured PO2 was 73.2±17.5 mm Hg and SPO2 was 88.9±10.8 per cent. Systolic, mean and diastolic blood pressures were 170.5±48.4, 138.9±41.8 and 121.8±37.2 mm Hg, respectively. Venous lactate was higher than arterial lactate within groups at each time point. Seizure-like behaviour was observed in 25 per cent of tigers in group DK but not in group DMK. The addition of midazolam into a protocol for immobilisation of tigers did not result in a difference in any of the measured variables but may have prevented the development of seizure-like behaviour. British Veterinary Association.

Factors influencing breeding success, ovarian cyclicity, and cub survival in zoo-managed tigers (Panthera tigris).

PubMed

Saunders, Sarah P; Harris, Tara; Traylor-Holzer, Kathy; Beck, Karen Goodrowe

2014-01-10

Understanding factors that influence reproduction and offspring survival in zoo populations is critical for management of threatened and endangered species. Examination of long-term data (1989-2011) compiled from the Association of Zoos and Aquarium's zoo-managed tiger breeding program provides the basis for a more thorough understanding of reproduction and scientifically based decisions for effective population management in this endangered felid. Biological and management-related factors that could influence tiger breeding success and cub survival were evaluated using logistic mixed models. Breeding success improved with female age until approximately age five, then declined thereafter. Experienced female breeders had greater breeding success than inexperienced females. Litter size was most predictive of cub survival, with average-sized litters (3-4 cubs) experiencing the highest proportional survival. Management-related factors, such as whether the breeding institution had a recent tiger litter and whether both animals were already located at the same institution, also influenced breeding success and cub survival. These results highlight the importance of institutional husbandry experience and the need to retain knowledge through staff turnovers to achieve optimal reproductive success. Using fecal estrogen data, frequency of ovarian cyclicity and mean cycle length did not differ by female age or parity; thus, lack of cyclicity and/or increased cycle duration are not likely explanations for declining breeding success with age. These results provide valuable reproductive information that should improve scientific management of zoo-based tiger populations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Opportunities of Habitat Connectivity for Tiger (Panthera tigris) between Kanha and Pench National Parks in Madhya Pradesh, India

PubMed Central

Rathore, Chinmaya S.; Dubey, Yogesh; Shrivastava, Anurag; Pathak, Prasad; Patil, Vinayak

2012-01-01

The Tiger (Panthera tigris) population in India has undergone a sharp decline during the last few years. Of the number of factors attributed to this decline, habitat fragmentation has been the most worrisome. Wildlife corridors have long been a subject of discussion amongst wildlife biologists and conservationists with contrasting schools of thought arguing their merits and demerits. However, it is largely believed that wildlife corridors can help minimize genetic isolation, offset fragmentation problems, improve animal dispersal, restore ecological processes and reduce man animal conflict. This study attempted to evaluate the possibilities of identifying a suitable wildlife corridor between two very important wildlife areas of central India – the Kanha National Park and the Pench National Park – with tiger as the focal species. Geographic Information System (GIS) centric Least Cost Path modeling was used to identify likely routes for movement of tigers. Habitat suitability, perennial water bodies, road density, railway tracks, human settlement density and total forest edge were considered as key variables influencing tiger movement across the Kanha-Pench landscape. Each of these variables was weighted in terms of relative importance through an expert consultation process. Using different importance scenarios, three alternate corridor routes were generated of which one was identified as the most promising for tiger dispersal. Weak links – where cover and habitat conditions are currently sub-optimal – were flagged on the corridor route. Interventions aimed at augmenting the identified corridor route have been suggested using accepted wildlife corridor design principles. The involvement of local communities through initiatives such as ecotourism has been stressed as a crucial long term strategy for conservation of the Kanha-Pench wildlife corridor. The results of the study indicate that restoration of the identified wildlife corridors between the two protected areas is technically feasible. PMID:22815720

Landscape-scale accessibility of livestock to tigers: implications of spatial grain for modeling predation risk to mitigate human-carnivore conflict.

PubMed

Miller, Jennifer R B; Jhala, Yadvendradev V; Jena, Jyotirmay; Schmitz, Oswald J

2015-03-01

Innovative conservation tools are greatly needed to reduce livelihood losses and wildlife declines resulting from human-carnivore conflict. Spatial risk modeling is an emerging method for assessing the spatial patterns of predator-prey interactions, with applications for mitigating carnivore attacks on livestock. Large carnivores that ambush prey attack and kill over small areas, requiring models at fine spatial grains to predict livestock depredation hot spots. To detect the best resolution for predicting where carnivores access livestock, we examined the spatial attributes associated with livestock killed by tigers in Kanha Tiger Reserve, India, using risk models generated at 20, 100, and 200-m spatial grains. We analyzed land-use, human presence, and vegetation structure variables at 138 kill sites and 439 random sites to identify key landscape attributes where livestock were vulnerable to tigers. Land-use and human presence variables contributed strongly to predation risk models, with most variables showing high relative importance (≥0.85) at all spatial grains. The risk of a tiger killing livestock increased near dense forests and near the boundary of the park core zone where human presence is restricted. Risk was nonlinearly related to human infrastructure and open vegetation, with the greatest risk occurring 1.2 km from roads, 1.1 km from villages, and 8.0 km from scrubland. Kill sites were characterized by denser, patchier, and more complex vegetation with lower visibility than random sites. Risk maps revealed high-risk hot spots inside of the core zone boundary and in several patches in the human-dominated buffer zone. Validation against known kills revealed predictive accuracy for only the 20 m model, the resolution best representing the kill stage of hunting for large carnivores that ambush prey, like the tiger. Results demonstrate that risk models developed at fine spatial grains can offer accurate guidance on landscape attributes livestock should avoid to minimize human-carnivore conflict.

Joint Battlespace Infosphere: Information Management Within a C2 Enterprise

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-01

using. In version 1.2, we support both MySQL and Oracle as underlying implementations where the XML metadata schema is mapped into relational tables in...Identity Servers, Role-Based Access Control, and Policy Representation – Databases: Oracle , MySQL , TigerLogic, Berkeley XML DB 15 Instrumentation Services...converted to SQL for execution. Invocations are then forwarded to the appropriate underlying IOR core components that have the responsibility of issuing

Japan’s Decision for War in 1941: Some Enduring Lessons

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-01

belief in the superiority of the white race. Americans looked upon Japanese as bucktoothed, bespectacled little yellow men, forever photographing...steel and scrap iron, and some lubricants. In September the White House imposed a ban on all scrap iron exports to Japan. Because the Japanese...Division, they believed that Japan was a paper tiger that would collapse in response to strong U.S. pressure, and they sought to threaten Japan’s

Affective response to exercise as a component of exercise motivation: Attitudes, norms, self-efficacy, and temporal stability of intentions

PubMed Central

Kwan, Bethany M.; Bryan, Angela D.

2009-01-01

Problem: A positive affective response is associated with increased participation in voluntary exercise, but the mechanisms by which this occurs are not well known. Consistent with a Theory of Planned Behaviour perspective, we tested whether affective response to exercise leads to greater motivation in terms of attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy and intentions to exercise. We were also specifically interested in whether a positive affective response leads to more temporally stable intentions. Method: Participants (N = 127) self-reported Theory of Planned Behaviour constructs and exercise behavior at baseline and three months later, and provided reports of exercise-related affect during a 30-minute bout of moderate intensity treadmill exercise at baseline. Results: We show that participants who experience greater improvements in positive affect, negative affect and fatigue during exercise tended to report more positive attitudes, exercise self-efficacy and intentions to exercise three months later. Affective response was not predictive of subjective norms. As hypothesized, positive affective response was associated with more stable intentions over time. Conclusions: We conclude that a positive affective response to acute bouts of exercise can aid in building and sustaining exercise motivation over time. PMID:20161385

Improving the United States Efforts in Countering Violent Extremist Organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-06

used against Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers and UNITAS will likely bring an end to the Lord’s Resistance Army. Because the leader of the LRA, Joseph Kony... Tamil Tigers and Angola’s UNITAS. The level of violence between the three organizations is comparable. The lone or hierarchical organization may be

76 FR 52297 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; U.S. Captive-Bred Inter-Subspecific Crossed or...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-22

...-ground tiger conservation efforts, such as anti-poaching programs, habitat and ecosystem management... protect wild tiger populations from poaching and illegal trade, but also the implementation of measures to... the head of an agency certifies that the rule would not have a significant economic impact on a...

Summary of lessons learned from USDA-ARS Area-Wide Asian Tiger Mosquito Management Project

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, is the principal vector of chikungunya and a critical vector of dengue viruses. This daytime biting pest is now distributed over much of the eastern quadrant of the continental U.S. all the way north to coastal New York, and often causes the majority of se...

The Five Ancestors--Book 1: Tiger

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Jeff

2004-01-01

Losing a job is an awfully low point--until it turns into the opportunity to pursue writing full time, and a book like "The Five Ancestors: Tiger" results. Jeff Stone looks back to his own experience as a young reader and taps that experience to help frame his own writing. An intriguing snapshot of his new book follows.

Tiger in Focus--A National Survey of ICT in Estonian Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toots, Anu; Laanpere, Mart

2004-01-01

Estonia has not participated in international studies of ICT in education, nor have there been any similar studies at the national level up until the year 2000. The first survey of ICT in Estonian schools was conducted after completion of the national school computerization programme called Tiger Leap. This paper focuses on the targeted responses…

Outcomes from the USDA/ARS area-wide project for management of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, became established in the continental US in 1985 and now infests 30 states. In 2007 the USDA Agricultural Research Service funded an “area-wide” project focused on the management of this species. The project was a unique federal, state, local collaborati...

A Bidirectional Study on the Acquisition of Plural Noun Phrase Interpretation in English and Spanish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ionin, Tania; Montrul, Silvina; Crivos, Monica

2013-01-01

This paper investigates how learners interpret definite plural noun phrases (e.g., "the tigers") and bare (article-less) plural noun phrases (e.g., "tigers") in their second language. Whereas Spanish allows definite plurals to have both generic and specific readings, English requires definite plurals to have specific, nongeneric readings. Generic…

Cost-benefit analysis of an area-wide pest management program to control Asian tiger mosquito in New Jersey

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Area-wide pest management (AWPM) is recommended to control urban mosquitoes, such as Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito), which limit outdoor activities. We conducted a cost-benefit analysis for an AWPM in Mercer and Monmouth counties, New Jersey, as part of a controlled design with matched area...

Tetralogy of Fallot and atrial septal defect in a white Bengal Tiger cub (Panthera tigris tigris)

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

A 3-week-old female white Bengal Tiger cub (Panthera tigris tigris) presented with acute onset tachypnoea, cyanosis and hypothermia. The cub was severely hypoxaemic with a mixed acid–base disturbance. Echocardiography revealed severe pulmonic stenosis, right ventricular hypertrophy, high membranous ventricular septal defect and an overriding aorta. Additionally, an atrial septal defect was found on necropsy, resulting in the final diagnosis of Tetralogy of Fallot with an atrial septal defect (a subclass of Pentalogy of Fallot). This report is the first to encompass arterial blood gas analysis, thoracic radiographs, echocardiography and necropsy findings in a white Bengal Tiger cub diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot with an atrial septal defect. PMID:24594084

Continuous lumbar hemilaminectomy for intervertebral disc disease in an Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica).

PubMed

Flegel, Thomas; Böttcher, Peter; Alef, Michaele; Kiefer, Ingmar; Ludewig, Eberhard; Thielebein, Jens; Grevel, Vera

2008-09-01

A 13-yr-old Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) was presented for an acute onset of paraplegia. Spinal imaging that included plain radiographs, myelography, and computed tomography performed under general anesthesia revealed lateralized spinal cord compression at the intervertebral disc space L4-5 caused by intervertebral disc extrusion. This extrusion was accompanied by an extensive epidural hemorrhage from L3 to L6. Therefore, a continuous hemilaminectomy from L3 to L6 was performed, resulting in complete decompression of the spinal cord. The tiger was ambulatory again 10 days after the surgery. This case suggests that the potential benefit of complete spinal cord decompression may outweigh the risk of causing clinically significant spinal instability after extensive decompression.

Psychophysiological Responses to Group Exercise Training Sessions: Does Exercise Intensity Matter?

PubMed

Vandoni, Matteo; Codrons, Erwan; Marin, Luca; Correale, Luca; Bigliassi, Marcelo; Buzzachera, Cosme Franklim

2016-01-01

Group exercise training programs were introduced as a strategy for improving health and fitness and potentially reducing dropout rates. This study examined the psychophysiological responses to group exercise training sessions. Twenty-seven adults completed two group exercise training sessions of moderate and vigorous exercise intensities in a random and counterbalanced order. The %HRR and the exertional and arousal responses to vigorous session were higher than those during the moderate session (p<0.05). Consequently, the affective responses to vigorous session were less pleasant than those during moderate session (p<0.05). These results suggest that the psychophysiological responses to group exercise training sessions are intensity-dependent. From an adherence perspective, interventionists are encouraged to emphasize group exercise training sessions at a moderate intensity to maximize affective responses and to minimize exertional responses, which in turn may positively affect future exercise behavior.

Perceiving Cardiac Rehabilitation Staff as Mainly Responsible for Exercise: A Dilemma for Future Self-Management.

PubMed

Flora, Parminder K; McMahon, Casey J; Locke, Sean R; Brawley, Lawrence R

2018-03-01

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) exercise therapy facilitates patient recovery and better health following a cardiovascular event. However, post-CR adherence to self-managed (SM)-exercise is suboptimal. Part of this problem may be participants' view of CR staff as mainly responsible for help and program structure. Does post-CR exercise adherence for those perceiving high CR staff responsibility suffer as a consequence? Participants in this prospective, observational study were followed over 12 weeks of CR and one month afterward. High perceived staff responsibility individuals were examined for a decline in the strength of adherence-related social cognitions and exercise. Those high and low in perceived staff responsibility were also compared. High perceived staff responsibility individuals reported significant declines in anticipated exercise persistence (d = .58) and number of different SM-exercise options (d = .44). High versus low responsibility comparisons revealed a significant difference in one-month post-CR SM-exercise volume (d = .67). High perceived staff responsibility individuals exercised half of the amount of low responsibility counterparts at one month post-CR. Perceived staff responsibility and CR SRE significantly predicted SM-exercise volume, R 2 adj = .10, and persistence, R 2 adj = .18, one month post-CR. Viewing helpful well-trained CR staff as mainly responsible for participant behavior may be problematic for post-CR exercise maintenance among those more staff dependent. © 2017 The International Association of Applied Psychology.

CHEETAH: A fast thermochemical code for detonation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fried, L.E.

1993-11-01

For more than 20 years, TIGER has been the benchmark thermochemical code in the energetic materials community. TIGER has been widely used because it gives good detonation parameters in a very short period of time. Despite its success, TIGER is beginning to show its age. The program`s chemical equilibrium solver frequently crashes, especially when dealing with many chemical species. It often fails to find the C-J point. Finally, there are many inconveniences for the user stemming from the programs roots in pre-modern FORTRAN. These inconveniences often lead to mistakes in preparing input files and thus erroneous results. We are producingmore » a modern version of TIGER, which combines the best features of the old program with new capabilities, better computational algorithms, and improved packaging. The new code, which will evolve out of TIGER in the next few years, will be called ``CHEETAH.`` Many of the capabilities that will be put into CHEETAH are inspired by the thermochemical code CHEQ. The new capabilities of CHEETAH are: calculate trace levels of chemical compounds for environmental analysis; kinetics capability: CHEETAH will predict chemical compositions as a function of time given individual chemical reaction rates. Initial application: carbon condensation; CHEETAH will incorporate partial reactions; CHEETAH will be based on computer-optimized JCZ3 and BKW parameters. These parameters will be fit to over 20 years of data collected at LLNL. We will run CHEETAH thousands of times to determine the best possible parameter sets; CHEETAH will fit C-J data to JWL`s,and also predict full-wall and half-wall cylinder velocities.« less

Hyoid apparatus and pharynx in the lion (Panthera leo), jaguar (Panthera onca), tiger (Panthera tigris), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and domestic cat (Felis silvestris f. catus)

PubMed Central

Weissengruber, GE; Forstenpointner, G; Peters, G; Kübber-Heiss, A; Fitch, WT

2002-01-01

Structures of the hyoid apparatus, the pharynx and their topographical positions in the lion, tiger, jaguar, cheetah and domestic cat were described in order to determine morphological differences between species or subfamilies of the Felidae. In the lion, tiger and jaguar (species of the subfamily Pantherinae) the Epihyoideum is an elastic ligament lying between the lateral pharyngeal muscles and the Musculus (M.) thyroglossus rather than a bony element like in the cheetah or the domestic cat. The M. thyroglossus was only present in the species of the Pantherinae studied. In the lion and the jaguar the Thyrohyoideum and the thyroid cartilage are connected by an elastic ligament, whereas in the tiger there is a synovial articulation. In adult individuals of the lion, tiger and jaguar the ventral end of the tympanohyal cartilage is rotated and therefore the ventral end of the attached Stylohyoideum lies caudal to the Tympanohyoideum and the cranial base. In newborn jaguars the Apparatus hyoideus shows a similar topographical position as in adult cheetahs or domestic cats. In adult Pantherinae, the Basihyoideum and the attached larynx occupy a descended position: they are situated near the cranial thoracic aperture, the pharyngeal wall and the soft palate are caudally elongated accordingly. In the Pantherinae examined the caudal end of the soft palate lies dorsal to the glottis. Differences in these morphological features between the subfamilies of the Felidae have an influence on specific structural characters of their vocalizations. PMID:12363272

A non-surgical uterine lavage technique in large cats intended for treatment of uterine infection-induced infertility.

PubMed

Hildebrandt, T B; Göritz, F; Boardman, W; Strike, T; Strauss, G; Jewgenow, K

2006-10-01

This paper presents the successful use of a non-surgical, transcervical uterine lavage technique for the treatment of uterine infection-induced infertility in three female large cats. We developed a non-surgical uterine lavage technique, which allowed repeated flushing of the uterine lumen and installation of therapeutic antibiotics. The entire procedure was performed under general anaesthesia (duration of anesthesia ranged from 40 to 70 min). It was successfully applied in a Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), a Corbett tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) and an Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis). The tigers were treated only once, whereas the leopard received four uterine treatments, due to re-infection after mating. Decisions to conduct uterine treatments were based on detection of uterine fluid during previous transrectal ultrasound examinations. The catheter was guided into the vagina, with the aid of an endoscope, passing the urethra, and then into the uterus, with the aid of transrectal ultrasonography. Both uterine horns were separately flushed with approximately 300 mL of cell medium M199, followed by an antibiotic infusion. Upon ultrasonographic re-examination, the topical uterine treatments resulted in an apparent decline in the inflammatory and/or degenerative processes. The Corbett tiger had the most severe uterine alterations, in addition to an aseptic pyometra. As a result, she was treated 1 month prior to ovariohysterectomy (in order to reduce the surgical risk). The Sumatran tiger was artificially inseminated twice after hormone-induced estrus, and the Amur leopard expressed a spontaneous estrus and re-initiated mating behaviour.

12 CFR 150.150 - Who is responsible for the exercise of fiduciary powers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Who is responsible for the exercise of... and Facilities § 150.150 Who is responsible for the exercise of fiduciary powers? The exercise of your... responsibilities, the board may assign any function related to the exercise of fiduciary powers to any director...

12 CFR 150.150 - Who is responsible for the exercise of fiduciary powers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Who is responsible for the exercise of... and Facilities § 150.150 Who is responsible for the exercise of fiduciary powers? The exercise of your... responsibilities, the board may assign any function related to the exercise of fiduciary powers to any director...

12 CFR 550.150 - Who is responsible for the exercise of fiduciary powers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Who is responsible for the exercise of... Facilities § 550.150 Who is responsible for the exercise of fiduciary powers? The exercise of your fiduciary... responsibilities, the board may assign any function related to the exercise of fiduciary powers to any director...

12 CFR 550.150 - Who is responsible for the exercise of fiduciary powers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Who is responsible for the exercise of... Facilities § 550.150 Who is responsible for the exercise of fiduciary powers? The exercise of your fiduciary... responsibilities, the board may assign any function related to the exercise of fiduciary powers to any director...

12 CFR 150.150 - Who is responsible for the exercise of fiduciary powers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Who is responsible for the exercise of... and Facilities § 150.150 Who is responsible for the exercise of fiduciary powers? The exercise of your... responsibilities, the board may assign any function related to the exercise of fiduciary powers to any director...

Antitank Warfare Seminar Held in Washington, DC on 14-15 October 1976.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-10-01

missed, and the guy jumped out of the tank and waved at him. It was a Tiger ( tank ) and the guy, very shocked and frightened, popped open the hatch and...is not clear enough. Something about the Tiger - tank , opening of the hatch... and the guy waving at Rudel. The question directed to Col. Rudel by the

The Ardennes: The Battle of the Bulge: Winter Defense and Counterattack, 16 December 1944 - 3 January 1945

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-05-01

On 30 November U.S. reconnaissance aircraft reported greatly increased rail activity west of the Rhine. Additional rail loading of Tiger tanks , and...superiority permitted a rear or flanki-.g engagement. Againut the German Tiger tank the Sherman had to be quick and very lucky or more often than not there

Deploying Electric Vehicles and Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment: Tiger Teams Offer Project Assistance for Federal Fleets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

To assist federal agencies with the transition to plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), including battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), FEMP offers technical guidance on electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) installations and site-specific planning through partnerships with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s EVSE Tiger Teams.

Undoing Quantitative Easing: Janet Yellen's Tiger Ride

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niederjohn, M. Scott; Schug, Mark C.; Wood, William C.

2014-01-01

"One who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount," says a colorful proverb from an earlier time. This may be an apt saying for the situation facing the new head of the Federal Reserve, Janet L. Yellen, who takes over at a time when successive rounds of Fed policy have taken the central bank into uncharted territory. By historical standards,…

Common Molecular Subtypes Among Asian Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Cholangiocarcinoma | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

About the Cover:  The Thailand Initiative in Genomics and Expression Research for Liver Cancer (TIGER-LC) Consortium (depicted as a tiger) emerges from foliage, representing molecular, clinical, and epidemiological studies from teams in the United States, Thailand, and Japan, to generate a multilayered genomic and genetic liver cancer data ecosystem (represented by the tiger’s

The TIGER system: a Census Bureau innovation serving data analysts.

PubMed

Carbaugh, L W; Marx, R W

1990-01-01

This article describes the U.S. Census Bureau's TIGER (Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing) system, an automated geographic data base. The emphasis is on the availability of file extracts and their usefulness to data analysts. In addition to describing the available files, it mentions various applications for the data, explains the data limitations, and notes problems encountered to date.

Spatial Reflexivity and Undergraduate Transitions in the Republic of Ireland after the Celtic Tiger

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cairns, David; Growiec, Katarzyna; Smyth, Jim

2012-01-01

This article explores the geographical mobility intentions of students aged between 18 and 24 years in the Republic of Ireland after the end of the economic boom commonly referred to as the "Celtic Tiger". Focusing upon a sample of undergraduates in Dublin and Cork, the article looks at how many respondents intend to move abroad in the…

Blue Tigers, Black Tapirs, & the Pied Raven of the Faroe Islands: Teaching Genetic Drift Using Real-Life Animal Examples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robischon, Marcel

2015-01-01

Genetic drift is a concept of population genetics that is central to understanding evolutionary processes and aspects of conservation biology. It is frequently taught using rather abstract representations. I introduce three real-life zoological examples, based on historical and recent color morphs of tigers, tapirs, and ravens, that can complement…

An overview of the lesson learned in almost 20 years of fight against the "tiger" mosquito.

PubMed

Romi, R; Majori, G

2008-06-01

Since its introduction in Italy in 1990, Aedes albopictus has spread quickly across the country, being at present reported in scattered foci in all regions below 600 m of altitude. The most important items of the lesson learned in almost 20 years of fight against the "Tiger" in Italy are here reported and discussed.

GIS as a Sketch-Plan Tool to Replace Traditional Transit Route Planning Practice for College and University Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chaudhari, Jaydeep; Ye, Zhirui

2010-01-01

Auburn University--a prominent land-grant and comprehensive research institute in Alabama--is no exception to the need to grapple with transportation planning. Auburn launched its transit system (called "Tiger Transit") in 1997 to address the needs of student commuters and a shrinking parking supply. However, by 2007 Tiger Transit faced…

Using Geological Implications of a Physical Libration to Constrain Enceladus' Libration State

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hurford, T. A.; Bills, B. G.; Helfenstein, P.; Greenberg, R.; Hoppa, G. V.; Hamilton, D. P.

2009-01-01

Observations of Enceladus' south pole revealed large rifts in the crust, called "tiger stripes", which exhibit higher temperatures than the surrounding terrain and are likely sources of observed eruptions. Tidal stress may periodically open the tiger stripe rifts, controlling the timing and location of eruptions. Moreover, shear motion along rifts may produce the heat to drive eruptions.

Nursing informatics and nursing ethics: addressing their disconnect through an enhanced TIGER-vision.

PubMed

Kaltoft, Mette Kjer

2013-01-01

All healthcare visions, including that of The TIGER (Technology-Informatics-Guiding-Educational-Reform) Initiative envisage a crucial role for nursing. However, its 7 descriptive pillars do not address the disconnect between Nursing Informatics and Nursing Ethics and their distinct communities in the clinical-disciplinary landscape. Each sees itself as providing decision support by way of information inputs and ethical insights, respectively. Both have reasons - ideological, professional, institutional - for their task construction, but this simultaneously disables each from engaging fully in the point-of-(care)-decision. Increased pressure for translating 'evidence-based' research findings into 'ethically-sound', 'value-based' and 'patient-centered' practice requires rethinking the model implicit in conventional knowledge translation and informatics practice in all disciplines, including nursing. The aim is to aid 'how nurses and other health care scientists more clearly identify clinical and other relevant data that can be captured to inform future comparative effectiveness research. 'A prescriptive, theory-based discipline of '(Nursing) Decisionics' expands the Grid for Volunteer Development of TIGER's newly launched virtual learning environment (VLE). This provides an enhanced TIGER-vision for educational reform to deliver ethically coherent, person-centered care transparently.

Tiger Team assessment of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Washington, DC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-02-01

This report documents the results of the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Tiger Team Assessment of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) conducted from January 14 through February 15, 1991. The purpose of the assessment was to provide the Secretary of Energy with the status of environment, safety, and health (ES H) programs at LBL. The Tiger Team concluded that curtailment of cessation of any operations at LBL is not warranted. However, the number and breadth of findings and concerns from this assessment reflect a serious condition at this site. In spite of its late start, LBL has recently made progress inmore » increasing ES H awareness at all staff levels and in identifying ES H deficiencies. Corrective action plans are inadequate, however, many compensatory actions are underway. Also, LBL does not have the technical expertise or training programs nor the tracking and followup to effectively direct and control sitewide guidance and oversight by DOE of ES H activities at LBL. As a result of these deficiencies, the Tiger Team has reservations about LBL's ability to implement effective actions in a timely manner and, thereby, achieve excellence in their ES H program. 4 figs., 24 tabs.« less

Persistent right aortic arch and aberrant left subclavian artery in a white Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris).

PubMed

Ketz, C J; Radlinsky, M; Armbrust, L; Carpenter, J W; Isaza, R

2001-06-01

A 3-mo-old male white Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris) presented with the chief complaint of regurgitation of solid food since weaning at 2 mo of age. Compared with its littermates, the tiger was in poor body condition and weighed only 10.3 kg when its littermates were estimated at 20-25 kg. Thoracic radiographs showed a megaesophagus cranial to the heart base. A contrast esophagram more clearly outlined the megaesophagus, and fluoroscopy demonstrated normal motility of the caudal esophagus. Endoscopic examination revealed a structure coursing dorsally from right to left over the esophagus and a constrictive band on the left of the esophagus at the heart base. Nonselective angiography confirmed the presence of a persistent right aortic arch, as well as an aberrant left subclavian artery. A left fourth intercostal thoracotomy was performed, and the ligamentum arteriosum was double ligated and divided. The left subclavian artery did not cause significant compromise of the esophagus and was not manipulated at surgery. The tiger recovered well from anesthesia and surgery. Solid food was slowly introduced over a 2-mo period without any regurgitation. The cub gained weight rapidly after surgery.

TIGER: Turbomachinery interactive grid generation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soni, Bharat K.; Shih, Ming-Hsin; Janus, J. Mark

1992-01-01

A three dimensional, interactive grid generation code, TIGER, is being developed for analysis of flows around ducted or unducted propellers. TIGER is a customized grid generator that combines new technology with methods from general grid generation codes. The code generates multiple block, structured grids around multiple blade rows with a hub and shroud for either C grid or H grid topologies. The code is intended for use with a Euler/Navier-Stokes solver also being developed, but is general enough for use with other flow solvers. TIGER features a silicon graphics interactive graphics environment that displays a pop-up window, graphics window, and text window. The geometry is read as a discrete set of points with options for several industrial standard formats and NASA standard formats. Various splines are available for defining the surface geometries. Grid generation is done either interactively or through a batch mode operation using history files from a previously generated grid. The batch mode operation can be done either with a graphical display of the interactive session or with no graphics so that the code can be run on another computer system. Run time can be significantly reduced by running on a Cray-YMP.

Ultra-Heavy Galactic Cosmic Ray Abundances from the SuperTIGER Instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Ryan; Binns, W. R.; Bose, R. G.; Dowkontt, P. F.; Israel, M. H.; Rauch, B. F.; Ward, J. E.; Brandt, T. J.; de Nolfo, G. A.; Hams, T.; Link, J. T.; Mitchell, J. W.; Sakai, K.; Sasaki, M.; Labrador, A. W.; Mewaldt, R. A.; Stone, E. C.; Waddington, C. J.; Wiedenbeck, M. E.

2015-04-01

The SuperTIGER (Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder) experiment was launched on a long-duration balloon flight from Williams Field, Antarctica, on December 8, 2012. SuperTIGER flew for a total of 55 days at a mean atmospheric depth of 4.4 g/cm2. The instrument measured the abundances of galactic cosmic rays in the charge (Z) range Z = 10 to Z = 40 with high statistical precision and excellent charge resolution, displaying well-resolved individual-element peaks at every charge up to and including Z = 40. We will describe the instrument, data analysis techniques used, balloon flight, and payload recovery. The data that will be presented contain more than 600 events in the charge range from Z = 30 to Z = 40, with charge resolution at iron of <0.18 cu. Our results confirm with improved statistics the earlier results from TIGER supporting a model of cosmic-ray origin in OB associations, with preferential acceleration of refractory elements over volatile elements. This research was supported by NASA under grants NNX09AC17G, NNX14AB25G, the Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation, and the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences at Washington University.

Does Physical Loading Affect The Speed and Accuracy of Tactical Decision-Making in Elite Junior Soccer Players?

PubMed

Frýbort, Pavel; Kokštejn, Jakub; Musálek, Martin; Süss, Vladimír

2016-06-01

A soccer player's capability to control and manage his behaviour in a game situation is a prerequisite, reflecting not only swift and accurate tactical decision-making, but also prompt implementation of a motor task during intermittent exercise conditions. The purpose of this study was to analyse the relationship between varying exercise intensity and the visual-motor response time and the accuracy of motor response in an offensive game situation in soccer. The participants (n = 42) were male, semi-professional, soccer players (M age 18.0 ± 0.9 years) and trained five times a week. Each player performed four different modes of exercise intensity on the treadmill (motor inactivity, aerobic, intermittent and anaerobic activity). After the end of each exercise, visual-motor response time and accuracy of motor response were assessed. Players' motion was captured by digital video camera. ANOVA indicated no significant difference (p = 0.090) in the accuracy of motor response between the four exercise intensity modes. Practical significance (Z-test = 0.31) was found in visual-motor response time between exercise with dominant involvement of aerobic metabolism, and intense intermittent exercise. A medium size effect (Z-test = 0.34) was also found in visual-motor response time between exercise with dominant involvement of aerobic metabolism and exercise with dominant involvement of anaerobic metabolism, which was confirmed by ANOVA (897.02 ± 57.46 vs. 940.95 ± 71.14; p = 0.002). The results showed that different modes of exercise intensity do not adversely affect the accuracy of motor responses; however, high-intensity exercise has a negative effect on visual-motor response time in comparison to moderate intensity exercise. Key pointsDifferent exercise intensity modes did not affect the accuracy of motor response.Anaerobic, highly intensive short-term exercise significantly decreased the visual-motor response time in comparison with aerobic exercise.Further research should focus on the assessment of VMRT from a player's real - field position view rather than a perspective view.

Influence of Exercise Intensity for Improving Depressed Mood in Depression: A Dose-Response Study.

PubMed

Meyer, Jacob D; Koltyn, Kelli F; Stegner, Aaron J; Kim, Jee-Seon; Cook, Dane B

2016-07-01

Exercise effectively improves mood in major depressive disorder (MDD), but the optimal exercise stimulus to improve depressed mood is unknown. To determine the dose-response relationship of acute exercise intensity with depressed mood responses to exercise in MDD. We hypothesized that the acute response to exercise would differ between light, moderate, and hard intensity exercise with higher intensities yielding more beneficial responses. Once weekly, 24 women (age: 38.6±14.0) diagnosed with MDD underwent a 30-minute session at one of three steady-state exercise intensities (light, moderate, hard; rating of perceived exertion 11, 13 or 15) or quiet rest on a stationary bicycle. Depressed mood was evaluated with the Profile of Mood States before, 10 and 30 minutes post-exercise. Exercise reduced depressed mood 10 and 30 minutes following exercise, but this effect was not influenced by exercise intensity. Participants not currently taking antidepressants (n=10) had higher baseline depression scores, but did not demonstrate a different antidepressant response to exercise compared to those taking antidepressants. To acutely improve depressed mood, exercise of any intensity significantly improved feelings of depression with no differential effect following light, moderate, or hard exercise. Pharmacological antidepressant usage did not limit the mood-enhancing effect of acute exercise. Acute exercise should be used as a symptom management tool to improve mood in depression, with even light exercise an effective recommendation. These results need to be replicated and extended to other components of exercise prescription (e.g., duration, frequency, mode) to optimize exercise guidelines for improving depression. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

First report in Italy of the exotic mosquito species Aedes (Finlaya) koreicus, a potential vector of arboviruses and filariae.

PubMed

Capelli, Gioia; Drago, Andrea; Martini, Simone; Montarsi, Fabrizio; Soppelsa, Mauro; Delai, Nicola; Ravagnan, Silvia; Mazzon, Luca; Schaffner, Francis; Mathis, Alexander; Di Luca, Marco; Romi, Roberto; Russo, Francesca

2011-09-28

In the Veneto region (north-eastern Italy) an entomological surveillance system has been implemented since the introduction of the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) in 1991. During the routine monitoring activity in a tiger mosquito-free area, an unexpected mosquito was noticed, which clearly did not belong to the recorded Italian fauna. At the end of May 2011, twelve larvae and pupae were collected in a small village in Belluno province (Veneto region) from a single manhole. Ten adults reared in the laboratory were morphologically and genetically identified as Aedes (Finlaya) koreicus (Edwards, 1917), a species native to Southeast Asia. The subsequent investigations carried out in the following months in the same village provided evidence that this species had become established locally. Entomological and epidemiological investigations are currently ongoing in the surrounding area, to verify the eventual extension of the species outside the village and to trace back the route of entry into Italy. This is the first report in Italy of the introduction of the exotic mosquito Ae. koreicus. This species has been shown experimentally to be competent in the transmission of the Japanese encephalitis virus and of the dog heartworm Dirofilaria immitis and is considered a potential vector of other arboviruses. Thus, the establishment of this species may increase the current risk or pose new potential threats, for human and animal health. This finding considerably complicates the entomological monitoring of the Asian tiger mosquito Ae. albopictus in Italy and stresses the importance of implementing the entomological surveillance for the early detection of and the rapid response against invasive mosquito species.

Ascorbic Acid Alleviates Water Stress in Young Peach Trees and Improves Their Performance after Rewatering.

PubMed

Penella, Consuelo; Calatayud, Ángeles; Melgar, Juan C

2017-01-01

Exogenous application of biochemicals has been found to improve water stress tolerance in herbaceous crops but there are limited studies on deciduous fruit trees. The goal of this research was to study if ascorbic acid applications could improve physiological mechanisms associated with water stress tolerance in young fruit trees. Ascorbic acid was foliarly applied at a concentration of 250 ppm to water-stressed and well-watered peach trees (control) of two cultivars ('Scarletprince' and 'CaroTiger'). Trees received either one or two applications, and 1 week after the second application all trees were rewatered to field capacity. Upon rewatering, CO 2 assimilation and stomatal conductance of water-stressed 'Scarletprince' trees sprayed with ascorbic acid (one or two applications) were similar to those of well-irrigated trees, but water-stressed trees that had not received ascorbic acid did not recover photosynthetical functions. Also, water status in sprayed water-stressed 'Scarletprince' trees was improved to values similar to control trees. On the other hand, water-stressed 'CaroTiger' trees needed two applications of ascorbic acid to reach values of CO 2 assimilation similar to control trees but these applications did not improve their water status. In general terms, different response mechanisms to cope with water stress in presence of ascorbic acid were found in each cultivar, with 'Scarletprince' trees preferentially using proline as compatible solute and 'CaroTiger' trees relying on stomatal regulation. The application of ascorbic acid reduced cell membrane damage and increased catalase activity in water-stressed trees of both cultivars. These results suggest that foliar applications of ascorbic acid could be used as a management practice for improving water stress tolerance of young trees under suboptimal water regimes.

Gene expression profiling in gill tissues of White spot syndrome virus infected black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon by DNA microarray.

PubMed

Shekhar, M S; Gomathi, A; Gopikrishna, G; Ponniah, A G

2015-06-01

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) continues to be the most devastating viral pathogen infecting penaeid shrimp the world over. The genome of WSSV has been deciphered and characterized from three geographical isolates and significant progress has been made in developing various molecular diagnostic methods to detect the virus. However, the information on host immune gene response to WSSV pathogenesis is limited. Microarray analysis was carried out as an approach to analyse the gene expression in black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon in response to WSSV infection. Gill tissues collected from the WSSV infected shrimp at 6, 24, 48 h and moribund stage were analysed for differential gene expression. Shrimp cDNAs of 40,059 unique sequences were considered for designing the microarray chip. The Cy3-labeled cRNA derived from healthy and WSSV-infected shrimp was subjected to hybridization with all the DNA spots in the microarray which revealed 8,633 and 11,147 as up- and down-regulated genes respectively at different time intervals post infection. The altered expression of these numerous genes represented diverse functions such as immune response, osmoregulation, apoptosis, nucleic acid binding, energy and metabolism, signal transduction, stress response and molting. The changes in gene expression profiles observed by microarray analysis provides molecular insights and framework of genes which are up- and down-regulated at different time intervals during WSSV infection in shrimp. The microarray data was validated by Real Time analysis of four differentially expressed genes involved in apoptosis (translationally controlled tumor protein, inhibitor of apoptosis protein, ubiquitin conjugated enzyme E2 and caspase) for gene expression levels. The role of apoptosis related genes in WSSV infected shrimp is discussed herein.

Detection of Hepatozoon felis in Ticks Collected from Free-Ranging Amur Tigers ( Panthera tigris altaica), Russian Far East, 2002-12.

PubMed

Thomas, Lindsay H; Seryodkin, Ivan V; Goodrich, John M; Miquelle, Dale G; Birtles, Richard J; Lewis, John C M

2016-07-01

We collected 69 ticks from nine, free-ranging Amur tigers ( Panthera tigris altaica) between 2002 and 2011 and investigated them for tick-borne pathogens. DNA was extracted using alkaline digestion and PCR was performed to detect apicomplexan organisms. Partial 18S rDNA amplification products were obtained from 14 ticks from four tigers, of which 13 yielded unambiguous nucleotide sequence data. Comparative sequence analysis revealed all 13 partial 18S rDNA sequences were most similar to those belonging to strains of Hepatozoon felis (>564/572 base-pair identity, >99% sequence similarity). Although this tick-borne protozoon pathogen has been detected in wild felids from many parts of the world, this is the first record from the Russian Far East.

Meloxicam and surgical denervation of the coxofemoral joint for the treatment of degenerative osteoarthritis in a Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris).

PubMed

Whiteside, Douglas P; Remedios, Audrey M; Black, Sandra R; Finn-Bodner, Susan T

2006-09-01

An adult male white Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) with pronounced atrophy of the pelvic musculature was diagnosed with degenerative osteoarthritis of the coxofemoral joints. Initial management with the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam and a semisynthetic sodium pentosan polysulfate resulted in clinical improvement and radiographic stabilization of the arthritic condition over several months. However, because pain was still evident, bilateral denervation of the coxofemoral joints was performed, successfully ameliorating the signs of osteoarthritic pain in the tiger. Meloxicam has shown good clinical efficacy for the treatment of osteoarthritis and other painful conditions in large felids. Coxofemoral joint denervation offers many advantages for the treatment of osteoarthritis in exotic carnivore species, and should be considered a viable treatment modality.

Benchmark study for charge deposition by high energy electrons in thick slabs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jun, I.

2002-01-01

The charge deposition profiles created when highenergy (1, 10, and 100 MeV) electrons impinge ona thick slab of elemental aluminum, copper, andtungsten are presented in this paper. The chargedeposition profiles were computed using existing representative Monte Carlo codes: TIGER3.0 (1D module of ITS3.0) and MCNP version 4B. The results showed that TIGER3.0 and MCNP4B agree very well (within 20% of each other) in the majority of the problem geometry. The TIGER results were considered to be accurate based on previous studies. Thus, it was demonstrated that MCNP, with its powerful geometry capability and flexible source and tally options, could be used in calculations of electron charging in high energy electron-rich space radiation environments.

Upright exercise or supine lower body negative pressure exercise maintains exercise responses after bed rest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, S. M.; Bennett, B. S.; Hargens, A. R.; Watenpaugh, D. E.; Ballard, R. E.; Murthy, G.; Ford, S. R.; Fortney, S. M.

1997-01-01

Adaptation to bed rest or space flight is accompanied by an impaired ability to exercise in an upright position. We hypothesized that a daily, 30-min bout of intense, interval exercise in upright posture or supine against lower body negative pressure (LBNP) would maintain upright exercise heart rate and respiratory responses after bed rest. Twenty-four men (31 +/- 3 yr) underwent 5 d of 6 degree head-down tilt: eight performed no exercise (CON), eight performed upright treadmill exercise (UPex), and eight performed supine treadmill exercise against LBNP at -51.3 +/- 0.4 mm Hg (LBNPex). Submaximal treadmill exercise responses (56, 74, and 85% of VO2peak) were measured pre- and post-bed rest. In CON, submaximal heart rate, respiratory exchange ratio, and ventilation were significantly greater (P < or = 0.05) after bed rest. In UPex and LBNPex, submaximal exercise responses were similar pre- and post-bed rest. Our results indicate that a daily 30-min bout of intense, interval upright exercise training or supine exercise training against LBNP is sufficient to maintain upright exercise responses after 5 d of bed rest. These results may have important implications for the development of exercise countermeasures during space flight.

12 CFR 550.150 - Who is responsible for the exercise of fiduciary powers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2014-01-01 2012-01-01 true Who is responsible for the exercise of fiduciary... Facilities § 550.150 Who is responsible for the exercise of fiduciary powers? The exercise of your fiduciary... responsibilities, the board may assign any function related to the exercise of fiduciary powers to any director...

12 CFR 550.150 - Who is responsible for the exercise of fiduciary powers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2013-01-01 2012-01-01 true Who is responsible for the exercise of fiduciary... Facilities § 550.150 Who is responsible for the exercise of fiduciary powers? The exercise of your fiduciary... responsibilities, the board may assign any function related to the exercise of fiduciary powers to any director...

Increasing blood flow to exercising muscle attenuates systemic cardiovascular responses during dynamic exercise in humans

PubMed Central

Ichinose-Kuwahara, Tomoko; Kondo, Narihiko; Nishiyasu, Takeshi

2015-01-01

Reducing blood flow to working muscles during dynamic exercise causes metabolites to accumulate within the active muscles and evokes systemic pressor responses. Whether a similar cardiovascular response is elicited with normal blood flow to exercising muscles during dynamic exercise remains unknown, however. To address that issue, we tested whether cardiovascular responses are affected by increases in blood flow to active muscles. Thirteen healthy subjects performed dynamic plantarflexion exercise for 12 min at 20%, 40%, and 60% of peak workload (EX20, EX40, and EX60) with their lower thigh enclosed in a negative pressure box. Under control conditions, the box pressure was the same as the ambient air pressure. Under negative pressure conditions, beginning 3 min after the start of the exercise, the box pressure was decreased by 20, 45, and then 70 mmHg in stepwise fashion with 3-min step durations. During EX20, the negative pressure had no effect on blood flow or the cardiovascular responses measured. However, application of negative pressure increased blood flow to the exercising leg during EX40 and EX60. This increase in blood flow had no significant effect on systemic cardiovascular responses during EX40, but it markedly attenuated the pressor responses otherwise seen during EX60. These results demonstrate that during mild exercise, normal blood flow to exercising muscle is not a factor eliciting cardiovascular responses, whereas it elicits an important pressor effect during moderate exercise. This suggests blood flow to exercising muscle is a major determinant of cardiovascular responses during dynamic exercise at higher than moderate intensity. PMID:26377556

Tigers on trails: occupancy modeling for cluster sampling.

PubMed

Hines, J E; Nichols, J D; Royle, J A; MacKenzie, D I; Gopalaswamy, A M; Kumar, N Samba; Karanth, K U

2010-07-01

Occupancy modeling focuses on inference about the distribution of organisms over space, using temporal or spatial replication to allow inference about the detection process. Inference based on spatial replication strictly requires that replicates be selected randomly and with replacement, but the importance of these design requirements is not well understood. This paper focuses on an increasingly popular sampling design based on spatial replicates that are not selected randomly and that are expected to exhibit Markovian dependence. We develop two new occupancy models for data collected under this sort of design, one based on an underlying Markov model for spatial dependence and the other based on a trap response model with Markovian detections. We then simulated data under the model for Markovian spatial dependence and fit the data to standard occupancy models and to the two new models. Bias of occupancy estimates was substantial for the standard models, smaller for the new trap response model, and negligible for the new spatial process model. We also fit these models to data from a large-scale tiger occupancy survey recently conducted in Karnataka State, southwestern India. In addition to providing evidence of a positive relationship between tiger occupancy and habitat, model selection statistics and estimates strongly supported the use of the model with Markovian spatial dependence. This new model provides another tool for the decomposition of the detection process, which is sometimes needed for proper estimation and which may also permit interesting biological inferences. In addition to designs employing spatial replication, we note the likely existence of temporal Markovian dependence in many designs using temporal replication. The models developed here will be useful either directly, or with minor extensions, for these designs as well. We believe that these new models represent important additions to the suite of modeling tools now available for occupancy estimation in conservation monitoring. More generally, this work represents a contribution to the topic of cluster sampling for situations in which there is a need for specific modeling (e.g., reflecting dependence) for the distribution of the variable(s) of interest among subunits.

Cardiovascular responses to static exercise in distance runners and weight lifters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Longhurst, J. C.; Kelly, A. R.; Gonyea, W. J.; Mitchell, J. H.

1980-01-01

Three groups of athletes including long-distance runners, competitive and amateur weight lifters, and age- and sex-matched control subjects have been studied by hemodynamic and echocardiographic methods in order to determine the effect of the training programs on the cardiovascular response to static exercise. Blood pressure, heart rate, and double product data at rest and at fatigue suggest that competitive endurance (dynamic exercise) training alters the cardiovascular response to static exercise. In contrast to endurance exercise, weight lifting (static exercise) training does not alter the cardiovascular response to static exercise: weight lifters responded to static exercise in a manner very similar to that of the control subjects.

Comparable Neutrophil Responses for Arm and Intensity-matched Leg Exercise.

PubMed

Leicht, Christof A; Goosey-Tolfrey, Victoria L; Bishop, Nicolette C

2017-08-01

Arm exercise is performed at lower absolute intensities than lower body exercise. This may impact on intensity-dependent neutrophil responses, and it is unknown whether individuals restricted to arm exercise experience the same changes in the neutrophil response as found for lower body exercise. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the importance of exercise modality and relative exercise intensity on the neutrophil response. Twelve moderately trained men performed three 45-min constant load exercise trials after determination of peak oxygen uptake for arm exercise (V˙O2peak arms) and cycling (V˙O2peak legs): 1) arm cranking exercise at 60% V˙O2peak arms, 2) moderate cycling at 60% V˙O2peak legs, and 3) easy cycling at 60% V˙O2peak arms. Neutrophil numbers in the circulation increased for all exercise trials, but were significantly lower for easy cycling when compared with arm exercise (P = 0.009), mirroring the blunted increase in HR and epinephrine during easy cycling. For all trials, exercising HR explained some of the variation of the neutrophil number 2 h postexercise (R = 0.51-0.69), epinephrine explaining less of this variation (R = 0.21-0.34). The number of neutrophils expressing CXCR2 decreased in the recovery from exercise in all trials (P < 0.05). Arm and leg exercise elicits the same neutrophil response when performed at the same relative intensity, implying that populations restricted to arm exercise might achieve a similar exercise induced neutrophil response as those performing lower body exercise. A likely explanation for this is the higher sympathetic activation and cardiac output for arm and relative intensity-matched leg exercise when compared with easy cycling, which is partly reflected in HR. This study further shows that the downregulation of CXCR2 may be implicated in exercise-induced neutrophilia.

Maritime Improvised Explosive Devices: A Threat Based Technology Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-12

Key Resources LTTE Tigers of Tamil Eelam MCM Mine Countermeasures MIED Maritime Improvised Explosive Device MMS Marine Mammal System MOTR... Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are considered experts in the maritime environment and provide the majority of historical examples of successful MIED attacks (Martin...Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) 2000 USS Sullivans (attempted) Small boat (suicide) Al Qaeda 2000 USS Cole bombing Small boat (suicide) Al Qaeda

International Illegal Trade in Wildlife: Threats and U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-03

Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB), are reportedly sponsoring elephant and rhino poaching for profit, according to a British news article.99 CRS-21 Sources...include tiger parts, caviar, elephant ivory, rhino horn, and exotic birds and reptiles. Demand for illegally obtained wildlife is ubiquitous, and...law enforcement officials, some of the most lucrative illicit wildlife commodities include tiger parts, caviar, elephant ivory, rhino horn, and exotic

Role of Linguistic Input in Third Person Singular -"s" Use in the Speech of Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finneran, Denise A.; Leonard, Laurence B.

2010-01-01

Purpose: To examine the role of linguistic input in how young, typically developing children use the 3rd person singular -"s" (3S) inflection. Method: Novel verbs were presented to 16 young children in either 3S contexts (e.g., "The tiger heens") or nonfinite (NF) contexts (e.g., "Will the tiger heen?"). The input was further manipulated for…

Rethinking the Pattern of External Policy Referencing: Media Discourses over the "Asian Tigers" PISA Success in Australia, Germany and South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waldow, Florian; Takayama, Keita; Sung, Youl-Kwan

2014-01-01

The article compares how the success of the "Asian Tiger" countries in PISA, especially PISA 2009, was depicted in the media discussion in Australia, Germany and South Korea. It argues that even in the times of today's "globalised education policy field", local factors are important in determining whether or not a country…

Sharon M. Draper: Embracing Literacy. Scarecrow Studies in Young Adult Literature #31

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinton, KaaVonia

2008-01-01

Known for her commitment to excellence in education, Sharon Draper was named National Teacher of the Year in 1997. In 1994 her first novel, "Tears of a Tiger", was published, and since then she has written more than fifteen books for middle and high school readers. "Tears of a Tiger" received the John Steptoe Award for New Talent, and her novels…

How Necessary Are the Stripes of a Tiger? Diagnostic and Characteristic Features in an fMRI Study of Word Meaning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grossman, Murray; Troiani, Vanessa; Koenig, Phyllis; Work, Melissa; Moore, Peachie

2007-01-01

This study contrasted two approaches to word meaning: the statistically determined role of high-contribution features like "striped" in the meaning of complex nouns like "tiger" typically used in studies of semantic memory, and the contribution of diagnostic features like "parent's brother" that play a critical role in the meaning of nominal kinds…

Buffalo Tiger, Bobo Dean, and the "Young Turks": A Miccosukee Prelude to the 1975 Indian Self-Determination Act

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kersey, Harry A., Jr.

2005-01-01

An account of the Miccosukees' struggle to wrest control over their own economic destiny from conservative elements within the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Department of the Interior is provided. The tenacity of Buffalo Tiger and his tribe with the support of Bobo Dean, Commissioner Bruce and the "Young Turks", helped pave the way for…

Effects of Hand-Rearing on Reproductive Success in Captive Large Cats Panthera tigris altaica, Uncia uncia, Acinonyx jubatus and Neofelis nebulosa.

PubMed

Hampson, Maja Coulthard; Schwitzer, Christoph

2016-01-01

Species Survival Plans and European Endangered Species Programmes have been developed for several species of endangered felids in order to build up captive reserve populations and support their conservation in the wild. The Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), snow leopard (Uncia uncia), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) are managed in such ex situ conservation programmes. Many zoological institutions hand-rear offspring if rearing by the mother fails. Hand-rearing can cause behavioural problems, resulting in decreased copulation and lower breeding success in some species. In this study, studbook data subsets were examined: from 1901 to 2011; and 2000 to 2011. We analysed records from 4273 Siberian tigers, 2045 snow leopards, 3435 cheetahs, and 804 clouded leopards. We assessed the number of offspring produced, litter size, age at first reproduction, longevity, infant mortality and generational rearing of hand-reared versus parent-reared individuals. Hand-reared Siberian tigers (p<0.01; p = 0.0113), snow leopards (p<0.01), male cheetahs (p<0.01) and female clouded leopards (p<0.01) produced fewer offspring than parent-reared individuals. Hand-reared snow leopard breeding pairs had larger litters than parent-reared pairs (p = 0.0404). Hand-reared snow leopard females reproduced later in life (p<0.01). Hand-reared female Siberian tigers lived shorter lives, while hand-reared cheetahs lived longer (p<0.01; p = 0.0107). Infant mortality was higher in hand-reared snow leopards (p<0.01) and male cheetahs (p = 0.0395) in the 1901-2011 dataset and lower in hand-reared female Siberian tiger and male snow leopard cubs (p = 0.0404; p = 0.0349) in the 2000-2011 dataset. The rearing of the mother and subsequent rearing of offspring showed a significant relationship for all species (p<0.01 for Siberian tiger and snow leopard cubs; p<0.001 for cheetah and snow leopard cubs). Taking into account the limited carrying capacity of zoos, the results of this study highlight that careful consideration should be taken when deciding whether or not to hand-rear individuals that are part of Species Survival Plans and European Endangered Species Programmes.

‘Skullduggery’: Lions Align and Their Mandibles Rock!

PubMed Central

Williams, Vivienne L.; Loveridge, Andrew J.; Newton, David J.; Macdonald, David W.

2015-01-01

South Africa has legally exported substantial quantities of lion bones to Southeast Asia and China since 2008, apparently as part of the multinational trade substituting bones and body parts of other large cats for those of the tiger in wine and other health tonics. The legal sale of lion bones may mask an illegal trade, the size of which is only partially known. An observed component of the illegal trade is that quantities of skeletons are sometimes declared falsely/fraudulently on CITES export permits. Furthermore, there are emerging concerns that bones from tigers reared in captivity in South Africa and elsewhere are being laundered as lion bones using CITES Appendix II permits. There is therefore a need for tools to monitor the trade in lion body parts and to distinguish between lions and tigers. Our research indicates that it is possible to use skeletons, skulls and cranial sutures to detect misdeclarations in the lion bone trade. It is also possible to use the average mass of a lion skeleton to corroborate the numbers of skeletons declared on CITES permits, relative to the weight of the consolidated consignments stated on the air waybills. When the mass of consolidated consignments of skeletons destined for export was regressed against the number of skeletons in that consignment, there was a strong correlation between the variables (r2 = 0.992) that can be used as a predictor of the accuracy of a declaration on a CITES permit. Additionally, the skulls of lions and tigers differ: two cranial sutures of lions align and their mandibles rock when placed on a flat surface, whereas the cranial sutures of tigers are not aligned and their mandibles rest naturally on two contact points. These two morphological differences between the skulls of tigers and lions are easy to observe at a glance and provide a method for distinguishing between the species if illegal trade in the bones is suspected and the skulls are present. These identifications should ideally be confirmed by a DNA test to provide rigorous evidence to prosecute offenders violating CITES regulations. PMID:26536601

'Skullduggery': Lions Align and Their Mandibles Rock!

PubMed

Williams, Vivienne L; Loveridge, Andrew J; Newton, David J; Macdonald, David W

2015-01-01

South Africa has legally exported substantial quantities of lion bones to Southeast Asia and China since 2008, apparently as part of the multinational trade substituting bones and body parts of other large cats for those of the tiger in wine and other health tonics. The legal sale of lion bones may mask an illegal trade, the size of which is only partially known. An observed component of the illegal trade is that quantities of skeletons are sometimes declared falsely/fraudulently on CITES export permits. Furthermore, there are emerging concerns that bones from tigers reared in captivity in South Africa and elsewhere are being laundered as lion bones using CITES Appendix II permits. There is therefore a need for tools to monitor the trade in lion body parts and to distinguish between lions and tigers. Our research indicates that it is possible to use skeletons, skulls and cranial sutures to detect misdeclarations in the lion bone trade. It is also possible to use the average mass of a lion skeleton to corroborate the numbers of skeletons declared on CITES permits, relative to the weight of the consolidated consignments stated on the air waybills. When the mass of consolidated consignments of skeletons destined for export was regressed against the number of skeletons in that consignment, there was a strong correlation between the variables (r2 = 0.992) that can be used as a predictor of the accuracy of a declaration on a CITES permit. Additionally, the skulls of lions and tigers differ: two cranial sutures of lions align and their mandibles rock when placed on a flat surface, whereas the cranial sutures of tigers are not aligned and their mandibles rest naturally on two contact points. These two morphological differences between the skulls of tigers and lions are easy to observe at a glance and provide a method for distinguishing between the species if illegal trade in the bones is suspected and the skulls are present. These identifications should ideally be confirmed by a DNA test to provide rigorous evidence to prosecute offenders violating CITES regulations.

Resistance to the beneficial effects of exercise in type 2 diabetes: are some individuals programmed to fail?

PubMed

Stephens, Natalie A; Sparks, Lauren M

2015-01-01

Exercise benefits most, but not all, individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The beneficial effects are well studied, but why some individuals do not respond favorably to exercise training is largely unexplored. It is critical to treatment and prevention strategies to identify individuals with T2D that have a blunted metabolic response to exercise and investigate the underlying mechanisms that might predict this "programmed response to fail." We carried out a systematic review of classic and contemporary primary reports on clinical human and animal exercise studies. We also referenced unpublished data from our previous studies, as well those of collaborators. Genetic and epigenetic components and their associations with the exercise response were also examined. As evidence of the exercise resistance premise, we and others found that supervised exercise training results in substantial response variations in glucose homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, and muscle mitochondrial density, wherein approximately 15-20% of individuals fail to improve their metabolic health with exercise. Classic genetic studies have shown that the extent of the exercise training response is largely heritable, whereas new evidence demonstrates that DNA hypomethylation is linked to the exercise response in skeletal muscle. DNA sequence variation and/or epigenetic modifications may, therefore, dictate the exercise training response. Studies dedicated to uncovering the mechanisms of exercise resistance will advance the field of exercise and T2D, allowing interventions to be targeted to those most likely to benefit and identify novel approaches to treat those who do not experience metabolic improvements after exercise training.

Automatic activation of exercise and sedentary stereotypes.

PubMed

Berry, Tanya; Spence, John C

2009-09-01

We examined the automatic activation of "sedentary" and "exerciser" stereotypes using a social prime Stroop task. Results showed significantly slower response times between the exercise words and the exercise control words and between the sedentary words and the exercise control words when preceded by an attractive exerciser prime. Words preceded by a normal-weight exerciser prime showed significantly slower response times for sedentary words over sedentary control words and exercise words. An overweight sedentary prime resulted in significantly slower response times for sedentary words over exercise words and exercise control words. These results highlight the need for increased awareness of how active and sedentary lifestyles are portrayed in the media.

The effects of in-flight treadmill exercise on postflight orthostatic tolerance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siconolfi, Steven F.; Charles, John B.

1992-01-01

In-flight aerobic exercise is thought to decrease the deconditioning effects of microgravity. Two deconditioning characteristics are the decreases in aerobic capacity (maximum O2 uptake) and an increased cardiovascular response to orthostatic stress (supine to standing). Changes in both parameters were examined after Shuttle flights of 8 to 11 days in astronauts who performed no in-flight exercise, a lower than normal volume of exercise, and a near-normal volume of exercise. The exercise regimen was a traditional continuous protocol. Maximum O2 uptake was maintained in astronauts who completed a near-normal exercise volume of in-flight exercise. Cardiovascular responses to stand test were equivocal among the groups. The use of the traditional exercise regimen as a means to maintain adequate orthostatic responses produced equivocal responses. A different exercise prescription may be more effective in maintaining both exercise capacity and orthostatic tolerance.

Time for TIGER to ROAR! Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform.

PubMed

O'Connor, Siobhan; Hubner, Ursula; Shaw, Toria; Blake, Rachelle; Ball, Marion

2017-11-01

Information Technology (IT) continues to evolve and develop with electronic devices and systems becoming integral to healthcare in every country. This has led to an urgent need for all professions working in healthcare to be knowledgeable and skilled in informatics. The Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER) Initiative was established in 2006 in the United States to develop key areas of informatics in nursing. One of these was to integrate informatics competencies into nursing curricula and life-long learning. In 2009, TIGER developed an informatics competency framework which outlines numerous IT competencies required for professional practice and this work helped increase the emphasis of informatics in nursing education standards in the United States. In 2012, TIGER expanded to the international community to help synthesise informatics competencies for nurses and pool educational resources in health IT. This transition led to a new interprofessional, interdisciplinary approach, as health informatics education needs to expand to other clinical fields and beyond. In tandem, a European Union (EU) - United States (US) Collaboration on eHealth began a strand of work which focuses on developing the IT skills of the health workforce to ensure technology can be adopted and applied in healthcare. One initiative within this is the EU*US eHealth Work Project, which started in 2016 and is mapping the current structure and gaps in health IT skills and training needs globally. It aims to increase educational opportunities by developing a model for open and scalable access to eHealth training programmes. With this renewed initiative to incorporate informatics into the education and training of nurses and other health professionals globally, it is time for educators, researchers, practitioners and policy makers to join in and ROAR with TIGER. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tiger Team Assessment of the Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-08-01

This report provides the results of the Tiger Team Assessment of the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) in Livermore, California, conducted from April 30 to May 18, 1990. The purpose of the assessment was to provide the Secretary of Energy with the status of environment, safety and health (ES H) activities at SNL, Livermore. The assessment was conducted by a team consisting of three subteams of federal and private sector technical specialists in the disciplines of environment, safety and health, and management. On-site activities for the assessment included document reviews, observation of site operations, and discussions and interviews with DOE personnel,more » site contractor personnel, and regulators. Using these sources of information and data, the Tiger Team identified a significant number of findings and concerns having to do with the environment, safety and health, and management, as well as concerns regarding noncompliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards. Although the Tiger Team concluded that none of the findings or concerns necessitated immediate cessation of any operations at SNL, Livermore, it does believe that a sizable number of them require prompt management attention. A special area of concern identified for the near-term health and safety of on-site personnel pertained to the on-site Trudell Auto Repair Shop site. Several significant OSHA concerns and environmental findings relating to this site prompted the Tiger Team Leader to immediately advise SNL, Livermore and AL management of the situation. A case study was prepared by the Team, because the root causes of the problems associated with this site were believed to reflect the overall root causes for the areas of ES H noncompliance at SNL, Livermore. 4 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Schrodinger's scat: a critical review of the currently available tiger (Panthera Tigris) and leopard (Panthera pardus) specific primers in India, and a novel leopard specific primer.

PubMed

Maroju, Pranay Amruth; Yadav, Sonu; Kolipakam, Vishnupriya; Singh, Shweta; Qureshi, Qamar; Jhala, Yadvendradev

2016-02-09

Non-invasive sampling has opened avenues for the genetic study of elusive species, which has contributed significantly to their conservation. Where field based identity of non-invasive sample is ambiguous (e.g. carnivore scats), it is essential to establish identity of the species through molecular approaches. A cost effective procedure to ascertain species identity is to use species specific primers (SSP) for PCR amplification and subsequent resolution through agarose gel electrophoresis. However, SSPs if ill designed can often cross amplify non-target sympatric species. Herein we report the problem of cross amplification with currently published SSPs, which have been used in several recent scientific articles on tigers (Panthera tigris) and leopards (Panthera pardus) in India. Since these papers form pioneering research on which future work will be based, an early rectification is required so as to not propagate this error further. We conclusively show cross amplification of three of the four SSPs, in sympatric non-target species like tiger SSP amplifying leopard and striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), and leopard SSP amplifying tiger, lion (Panthera leo persica) and clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), with the same product size. We develop and test a non-cross-amplifying leopard specific primer pair within the mitochondrial cytochrome b region. We also standardize a duplex PCR method to screen tiger and leopard samples simultaneously in one PCR reaction to reduce cost and time. These findings suggest the importance of an often overlooked preliminary protocol of conclusive identification of species from non-invasive samples. The cross amplification of published primers in conspecifics suggests the need to revisit inferences drawn by earlier work.

Electron microscopic, genetic and protein expression analyses of Helicobacter acinonychis strains from a Bengal tiger.

PubMed

Tegtmeyer, Nicole; Rivas Traverso, Francisco; Rohde, Manfred; Oyarzabal, Omar A; Lehn, Norbert; Schneider-Brachert, Wulf; Ferrero, Richard L; Fox, James G; Berg, Douglas E; Backert, Steffen

2013-01-01

Colonization by Helicobacter species is commonly noted in many mammals. These infections often remain unrecognized, but can cause severe health complications or more subtle host immune perturbations. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize putative novel Helicobacter spp. from Bengal tigers in Thailand. Morphological investigation (Gram-staining and electron microscopy) and genetic studies (16SrRNA, 23SrRNA, flagellin, urease and prophage gene analyses, RAPD DNA fingerprinting and restriction fragment polymorphisms) as well as Western blotting were used to characterize the isolated Helicobacters. Electron microscopy revealed spiral-shaped bacteria, which varied in length (2.5-6 µm) and contained up to four monopolar sheathed flagella. The 16SrRNA, 23SrRNA, sequencing and protein expression analyses identified novel H. acinonychis isolates closely related to H. pylori. These Asian isolates are genetically very similar to H. acinonychis strains of other big cats (cheetahs, lions, lion-tiger hybrid and other tigers) from North America and Europe, which is remarkable in the context of the great genetic diversity among worldwide H. pylori strains. We also found by immunoblotting that the Bengal tiger isolates express UreaseA/B, flagellin, BabA adhesin, neutrophil-activating protein NapA, HtrA protease, γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase GGT, Slt lytic transglycosylase and two DNA transfer relaxase orthologs that were known from H. pylori, but not the cag pathogenicity island, nor CagA, VacA, SabA, DupA or OipA proteins. These results give fresh insights into H. acinonychis genetics and the expression of potential pathogenicity-associated factors and their possible pathophysiological relevance in related gastric infections.

Electron Microscopic, Genetic and Protein Expression Analyses of Helicobacter acinonychis Strains from a Bengal Tiger

PubMed Central

Tegtmeyer, Nicole; Rivas Traverso, Francisco; Rohde, Manfred; Oyarzabal, Omar A.; Lehn, Norbert; Schneider-Brachert, Wulf; Ferrero, Richard L.; Fox, James G.; Berg, Douglas E.; Backert, Steffen

2013-01-01

Colonization by Helicobacter species is commonly noted in many mammals. These infections often remain unrecognized, but can cause severe health complications or more subtle host immune perturbations. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize putative novel Helicobacter spp. from Bengal tigers in Thailand. Morphological investigation (Gram-staining and electron microscopy) and genetic studies (16SrRNA, 23SrRNA, flagellin, urease and prophage gene analyses, RAPD DNA fingerprinting and restriction fragment polymorphisms) as well as Western blotting were used to characterize the isolated Helicobacters. Electron microscopy revealed spiral-shaped bacteria, which varied in length (2.5–6 µm) and contained up to four monopolar sheathed flagella. The 16SrRNA, 23SrRNA, sequencing and protein expression analyses identified novel H. acinonychis isolates closely related to H. pylori. These Asian isolates are genetically very similar to H. acinonychis strains of other big cats (cheetahs, lions, lion-tiger hybrid and other tigers) from North America and Europe, which is remarkable in the context of the great genetic diversity among worldwide H. pylori strains. We also found by immunoblotting that the Bengal tiger isolates express UreaseA/B, flagellin, BabA adhesin, neutrophil-activating protein NapA, HtrA protease, γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase GGT, Slt lytic transglycosylase and two DNA transfer relaxase orthologs that were known from H. pylori, but not the cag pathogenicity island, nor CagA, VacA, SabA, DupA or OipA proteins. These results give fresh insights into H. acinonychis genetics and the expression of potential pathogenicity-associated factors and their possible pathophysiological relevance in related gastric infections. PMID:23940723

Neocortical neuronal morphology in the Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) and the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa).

PubMed

Johnson, Cameron B; Schall, Matthew; Tennison, Mackenzie E; Garcia, Madeleine E; Shea-Shumsky, Noah B; Raghanti, Mary Ann; Lewandowski, Albert H; Bertelsen, Mads F; Waller, Leona C; Walsh, Timothy; Roberts, John F; Hof, Patrick R; Sherwood, Chet C; Manger, Paul R; Jacobs, Bob

2016-12-01

Despite extensive investigations of the neocortex in the domestic cat, little is known about neuronal morphology in larger felids. To this end, the present study characterized and quantified the somatodendritic morphology of neocortical neurons in prefrontal, motor, and visual cortices of the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) and clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa). After neurons were stained with a modified Golgi technique (N = 194), dendritic branching and spine distributions were analyzed using computer-assisted morphometry. Qualitatively, aspiny and spiny neurons in both species appeared morphologically similar to those observed in the domestic cat. Although the morphology of spiny neurons was diverse, with the presence of extraverted, inverted, horizontal, and multiapical pyramidal neurons, the most common variant was the typical pyramidal neuron. Gigantopyramidal neurons in the motor cortex were extremely large, confirming the observation of Brodmann ([1909] Vergleichende Lokalisationlehre der Grosshirnrinde in ihren Prinzipien dargestellt auf Grund des Zellenbaues. Leipzig, Germany: J.A. Barth), who found large somata for these neurons in carnivores in general, and felids in particular. Quantitatively, a MARSplines analysis of dendritic measures differentiated typical pyramidal neurons between the Siberian tiger and the clouded leopard with 93% accuracy. In general, the dendrites of typical pyramidal neurons were more complex in the tiger than in the leopards. Moreover, dendritic measures in tiger pyramidal neurons were disproportionally large relative to body/brain size insofar as they were nearly as extensive as those observed in much larger mammals (e.g., African elephant). Comparison of neuronal morphology in a more diverse collection of larger felids may elucidate the comparative context for the relatively large size of the pyramidal neurons observed in the present study. J. Comp. Neurol. 524:3641-3665, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Increasing blood flow to exercising muscle attenuates systemic cardiovascular responses during dynamic exercise in humans.

PubMed

Ichinose, Masashi; Ichinose-Kuwahara, Tomoko; Kondo, Narihiko; Nishiyasu, Takeshi

2015-11-15

Reducing blood flow to working muscles during dynamic exercise causes metabolites to accumulate within the active muscles and evokes systemic pressor responses. Whether a similar cardiovascular response is elicited with normal blood flow to exercising muscles during dynamic exercise remains unknown, however. To address that issue, we tested whether cardiovascular responses are affected by increases in blood flow to active muscles. Thirteen healthy subjects performed dynamic plantarflexion exercise for 12 min at 20%, 40%, and 60% of peak workload (EX20, EX40, and EX60) with their lower thigh enclosed in a negative pressure box. Under control conditions, the box pressure was the same as the ambient air pressure. Under negative pressure conditions, beginning 3 min after the start of the exercise, the box pressure was decreased by 20, 45, and then 70 mmHg in stepwise fashion with 3-min step durations. During EX20, the negative pressure had no effect on blood flow or the cardiovascular responses measured. However, application of negative pressure increased blood flow to the exercising leg during EX40 and EX60. This increase in blood flow had no significant effect on systemic cardiovascular responses during EX40, but it markedly attenuated the pressor responses otherwise seen during EX60. These results demonstrate that during mild exercise, normal blood flow to exercising muscle is not a factor eliciting cardiovascular responses, whereas it elicits an important pressor effect during moderate exercise. This suggests blood flow to exercising muscle is a major determinant of cardiovascular responses during dynamic exercise at higher than moderate intensity. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Sex-related differences in fuel utilization and hormonal response to exercise: implications for individuals with type 1 diabetes.

PubMed

Brockman, Nicole K; Yardley, Jane E

2018-06-01

Sex-related differences in metabolic and neuroendocrine response to exercise in individuals without diabetes have been well established. Men and women differ in fuel selection during exercise, in which women rely to a greater extent on fat oxidation, whereas males rely mostly on carbohydrate oxidation for energy production. The difference in fuel selection appears to be mediated by sex-related differences in hormonal (including catecholamines, growth hormone, and estrogen) response to different types and intensities of exercise. In general, men exhibit an amplified counter-regulatory response to exercise, with elevated levels of catecholamines compared with women. However, women exhibit greater sensitivity to the lipolytic action of the catecholamines and deplete less of their glycogen stores than men during exercise, which suggests that women may experience a greater defense in blood glucose control after exercise than men. Conversely, little is known about sex-related differences in response to exercise in individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D). A single study investigating sex-related differences in response to moderate aerobic exercise in individuals with T1D found sex-related differences in catecholamine response and fuel selection, but changes in blood glucose were not measured. To our knowledge, there are no studies investigating sex-related differences in blood glucose responses to different types and intensities of exercise in individuals with T1D. This review summarizes sex-related differences in exercise responses that could potentially impact blood glucose levels during exercise in individuals with T1D and highlights the need for further research.

Does Physical Loading Affect The Speed and Accuracy of Tactical Decision-Making in Elite Junior Soccer Players?

PubMed Central

Frýbort, Pavel; Kokštejn, Jakub; Musálek, Martin; Süss, Vladimír

2016-01-01

A soccer player’s capability to control and manage his behaviour in a game situation is a prerequisite, reflecting not only swift and accurate tactical decision-making, but also prompt implementation of a motor task during intermittent exercise conditions. The purpose of this study was to analyse the relationship between varying exercise intensity and the visual-motor response time and the accuracy of motor response in an offensive game situation in soccer. The participants (n = 42) were male, semi-professional, soccer players (M age 18.0 ± 0.9 years) and trained five times a week. Each player performed four different modes of exercise intensity on the treadmill (motor inactivity, aerobic, intermittent and anaerobic activity). After the end of each exercise, visual-motor response time and accuracy of motor response were assessed. Players’ motion was captured by digital video camera. ANOVA indicated no significant difference (p = 0.090) in the accuracy of motor response between the four exercise intensity modes. Practical significance (Z-test = 0.31) was found in visual-motor response time between exercise with dominant involvement of aerobic metabolism, and intense intermittent exercise. A medium size effect (Z-test = 0.34) was also found in visual-motor response time between exercise with dominant involvement of aerobic metabolism and exercise with dominant involvement of anaerobic metabolism, which was confirmed by ANOVA (897.02 ± 57.46 vs. 940.95 ± 71.14; p = 0.002). The results showed that different modes of exercise intensity do not adversely affect the accuracy of motor responses; however, high-intensity exercise has a negative effect on visual-motor response time in comparison to moderate intensity exercise. Key points Different exercise intensity modes did not affect the accuracy of motor response. Anaerobic, highly intensive short-term exercise significantly decreased the visual-motor response time in comparison with aerobic exercise. Further research should focus on the assessment of VMRT from a player’s real - field position view rather than a perspective view. PMID:27274671

Exercise, Affect, and Adherence: An Integrated Model and a Case for Self-Paced Exercise

PubMed Central

Williams, David M.

2014-01-01

This paper reviews research relevant to a proposed conceptual model of exercise adherence that integrates the dual mode model and hedonic theory. Exercise intensity is posited to influence affective response to exercise via interoceptive (e.g., ventilatory drive) and cognitive (e.g., perceived autonomy) pathways; affective response to exercise is posited to influence exercise adherence via anticipated affective response to future exercise. The potential for self-paced exercise to enhance exercise adherence is examined in the context of the proposed model and suggestions are given for future research. Further evidence in support of self-paced exercise could have implications for exercise prescription, especially among overweight, sedentary adults, who are most in need of interventions that enhance adherence to exercise programs. PMID:18971508

Responses to Exercise Differ For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients with Fibromyalgia

PubMed Central

Cook, Dane B.; Stegner, Aaron J.; Nagelkirk, Paul R.; Meyer, Jacob D.; Togo, Fumiharu; Natelson, Benjamin H.

2011-01-01

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM) are chronic multisymptom illnesses with substantial clinical and diagnostic overlap. We have previously shown that when controlling for aerobic fitness and accounting for comorbid FM, CFS patients do not exhibit abnormal cardiorespiratory responses during maximal aerobic exercise compared to healthy controls, despite differences in pain and exertion. Purpose The purpose of the present study was to examine cardiac and perceptual responses to steady-state, submaximal exercise in CFS patients and healthy controls. Methods Twenty-one CFS patients [13 CFS with comorbid FM (CFS+FM)] and 14 controls completed 20 minutes of submaximal cycling exercise. Impedance cardiography was used to determine cardiac responses during exercise. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), perceived exertion (RPE) and leg-muscle pain were also measured. Data were analyzed using a doubly-multivariate, repeated-measures MANOVA to model the exercise response. Results There was a significant multivariate Time by Group interaction (p < 0.05). The CFS+FM group exhibited an exercise response characterized by higher stoke index, ventilatory equivalents for oxygen and carbon dioxide and RPE, lower SBP and similar HR responses. Conclusions The present results extend upon our previous work with maximal exercise and show that CFS and CFS+FM differ in their responses to steady-state exercise. These results highlight the importance of accounting for comorbid conditions when conducting CFS research, particularly when examining psychophysiological responses to exercise. PMID:22157881

Distribution of the Sonora Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma mavortium stebbinsi) in Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hossack, Blake R.; Muths, Erin L.; Rorabaugh, James C.; Lemos Espinal, Julio A.; Sigafus, Brent H.; Chambert, Thierry A.; Carreon Arroyo, Gerardo; Hurtado Felix, David; Toyos Martinez, Daniel; Jones, Thomas R.

2016-01-01

The Sonoran Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma mavortium stebbinsi Lowe, 1954) was listed as federally endangered in the USA in 1997 (USFWS 1997). In the USA, the distribution of A. mavortium stebbinsi is limited to the San Rafael Valley (approximately 567 km2), between the Sierra San Antonio (called the Patagonia Mountains in Arizona) and Huachuca Mountains, and south of the Canelo Hills, Arizona (Fig. 1). The USA listing was triggered by loss of natural wetland habitats, threats from invasive predators, frequent die-offs from disease, introgression with the introduced Barred Tiger Salamander (A. mavortium mavortium), and small range and number of breeding sites that increases susceptibility to stochastic events (USFWS 1997). Small population sizes and limited gene flow have caused inbreeding, which may further reduce population viability and the potential for recovery (Jones et al. 1988; Storfer et al. 2014). 

An electron-beam dose deposition experiment: TIGER 1-D simulation code versus thermoluminescent dosimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murrill, Steven R.; Tipton, Charles W.; Self, Charles T.

1991-03-01

The dose absorbed in an integrated circuit (IC) die exposed to a pulse of low-energy electrons is a strong function of both electron energy and surrounding packaging materials. This report describes an experiment designed to measure how well the Integrated TIGER Series one-dimensional (1-D) electron transport simulation program predicts dose correction factors for a state-of-the-art IC package and package/printed circuit board (PCB) combination. These derived factors are compared with data obtained experimentally using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD's) and the FX-45 flash x-ray machine (operated in electron-beam (e-beam) mode). The results of this experiment show that the TIGER 1-D simulation code can be used to accurately predict FX-45 e-beam dose deposition correction factors for reasonably complex IC packaging configurations.

Effect of alkaloids derived from jellyfish (Aeginura sp.) on the intestinal histopathology and relative percentage survival (RPS) of tiger grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) infected by Vibrio harveyi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andayani, S.; Fajar, M.; Rahman, M. F.

2018-04-01

The purposes of this research were to determine the effect of alkaloid jellyfish compounds on intestinal histopathology of tiger grouper and to determine the best doses to the relative percent survival (RPS) of tiger grouper. The method of this research was descriptive with completely randomized design. The treatment of active alkaloid compound on feed was investigated for 28 days. The fish were then challenged with Vibrio harveyi at 105 CFU/cell for 7 days. Alkaloids were added to the feed with the doses (g alkaloid/kg feed) of 0 (control); A = 0.5; B = 0.75; C = 1.0; and D = 1.25. The intestinal histopathology and RPS were observed. The best RPS was found at a treatment of C with the value of 100 %.

30 CFR 254.42 - Exercises for your response personnel and equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Exercises for your response personnel and... COAST LINE Related Requirements for Outer Continental Shelf Facilities § 254.42 Exercises for your response personnel and equipment. (a) You must exercise your entire response plan at least once every 3...

Irisin in response to exercise in humans with and without metabolic syndrome.

PubMed

Huh, Joo Young; Siopi, Aikaterina; Mougios, Vassilis; Park, Kyung Hee; Mantzoros, Christos S

2015-03-01

Irisin is a recently identified exercise-induced myokine. However, the circulating levels of irisin in response to different types of exercise in subjects with metabolic syndrome are unknown. This study aimed to study the levels of irisin in healthy males and subjects with metabolic syndrome at baseline and in response to exercise. Each individual completed high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE), continuous moderate-intensity exercise (CME), and resistance exercise (RE) sessions in a random, crossover design. Percentage change in circulating irisin levels was examined. Two different irisin assays were used to compare the results of the RE study. Circulating irisin increased immediately after HIIE, CME, and RE and declined 1 hour later. The increase was greater in response to resistance compared with either high-intensity intermittent exercise or CME. Change in irisin in response to exercise did not differ between individuals with and without metabolic syndrome. Exercise is able to increase circulating irisin levels in individuals with the metabolic syndrome as well as healthy individuals. Whether this increase may contribute to the beneficial effects of exercise on patients with the metabolic syndrome remains to be studied further.