The African Lungfish (\u3cem\u3eProtopterus dolloi\u3c/em\u3e): Ionoregulation and Osmoregulation in a Fish out of Water

Although urea production and metabolism in lungish have been thoroughly studied, we have little knowledge of how internal osmotic and electrolyte balance are controlled during estivation or in water. We tested the hypothesis that, compared with the body surface of teleosts, the slender African lungfish (Protopterus dolloi) body surface was relatively impermeable to water, Na+ and Cl- due to its greatly reduced gills. Accordingly, we measured the tritiated water (3H-H2O) flux in P. dolloi in water and during air exposure. In water, 3H-H2O efflux was comparable with the lowest measurements reported in freshwater teleosts, with a rate constant (K) of 17.6% body water h-1. Unidirectional ion fluxes, measured using 22Na+ and 36Cl-, indicated that Na+ and Cl- influx was more than 90% lower than values reported in most freshwater teleosts. During air exposure, a cocoon formed within 1 wk that completely covered the dorsolateral body surface. However, there were no disturbances to blood osmotic or ion (Na+, Cl-) balance, despite seven- to eightfold increases in plasma urea after 20 wk. Up to 13-fold increases in muscle urea (on a dry-weight basis) were the likely explanation for the 56% increase in muscle water content observed after 20 wk of air exposure. The possibility that muscle acted as a “water reservoir” during air exposure was supported by the 20% decline in body mass observed during subsequent reimmersion in water. This decline in body mass was equivalent to 28 mL water in a 100-g animal and was very close to the calculated net water gain (approximately 32 mL) observed during the 20-wk period of air exposure. Tritiated water and unidirectional ion fluxes on air-exposed lungfish revealed that the majority of water and ion exchange was via the ventral body surface at rates that were initially similar to aquatic rates. The 3H-H2O flux declined over time but increased upon reimmersion. We conclude that the slender lungfish body surface, including the gills, has relatively low permeability to water and ions but that the ventral surface is an important site of osmoregulation and ionoregulation. We further propose that an amphibian-like combination of ventral skin water and ion permeability, plus internal urea accumulation during air exposure, allows P. dolloi to extract water from its surroundings and to store water in the muscle when the water supply becomes limited

THE ECONOMIC CONTINENTAL UNIONS OF THE 21ST CENTURY

The present study proposes a display of the forming and developing of the modern economic continental unions within the context of the latest economic evolutions. Also, it presents an amazing parallel between the map of the new post-war world, as it was imagined by the visionary Maurice Gomberg and the latest evolutions regarding new world’s order reconfiguration.continental union, world order, regional integrative organization, economic superpower, supra-state structure, Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Testing Models of the Individual and Cosmological Evolutions of Powerful Radio Galaxies

We seek to develop an essentially analytical model for the evolution of Fanaroff-Riley Class II radio galaxies as they age individually and as their numbers vary with cosmological epoch. Such modeling is required in order to probe in more detail the impact of radio galaxies on the growth of structures in the universe, which appears likely to have been quite significant at z > 1. In this first paper of a series we compare three rather sophisticated analytical models for the evolution of linear size and lobe power of FR II radio galaxies, those of Kaiser, Dennett-Thorpe & Alexander (1997), Blundell, Rawlings & Willott (1999), and Manolakou & Kirk (2002). We perform multi-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations in order to compare the predictions of each model for radio powers, sizes, redshifts and spectral indices with data. The observational samples used here are the low frequency radio surveys, 3CRR, 6CE and 7CRS, which are flux-limited and complete. We search for and describe the best parameters for each model, after doing statistical tests on them. We find that no existing model can give acceptable fits to all the properties of the surveys considered, although the Kaiser, Dennett-Thorpe & Alexander (1997) model gives better overall results than do the Manolakou & Kirk (2002) or Blundell, Rawlings & Willott (1999) models for most of the tests we performed. We suggest ways in which these models may be improved.Comment: 26 pages, 5 figures; substantially improved version, with additional statistical tests; to appear in MNRA

Building knowledge for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remote tourism: key visitor markets and opportunities in remote Australia

This report  provides an overview of various visitor markets relevant to remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people involved in tourism. The report accumulates this information for CRC-REP stakeholders to update existing market knowledge and stimulate remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to consider broad development opportunities based on accessible visitor segments. The report divides the market descriptions into two categories: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism, and remote tourism. The third section of the report provides a snapshot of visitor segments in three different destination regions of remote Australia.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism market segments include international and domestic visitors, with the key international visitor markets including Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and South Korea. Visitor numbers from many of these countries have reduced in recent years, and overall international Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism visitor numbers have also declined. However, there has been growth in visitors from China. Statistics and research about domestic markets for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism show that this segment has also recorded a downward trend in recent years. Other challenges for the domestic market include matching Aboriginal tourism experiences with domestic visitor expectations.The report also draws attention to a range of remote tourism visitor segments, including four-wheel drivers, caravanners and campers, grey nomads, volunteers, wildlife visitors, fishing enthusiasts and ecotourists. The needs of each segment offer diverse tourism development opportunities, and the information in this report may stimulate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people involved in tourism to cater to segments accessible in their regions. Finally, the report discusses visitor segments in three destination regions of remote Australia. It highlights that while different regions can share some visitor segments, the diversity of remote Australia requires decision making that combines localised insight with an understanding of remote tourism.Although it presents a brief outline of many remote visitor segments, this report is unable to specify visitor segments and tourism initiatives relevant to every destination region of remote Australia, because decision makers must determine the unique tourism potential specific to their region

Neutrino oscillation studies with laser-driven beam dump facilities

A new mechanism is suggested for efficient proton acceleration in the GeV energy range; applications to non-conventional high intensity proton drivers and, hence, to low-energy (10-200 MeV) neutrino sources are discussed. In particular we investigate possible uses to explore subdominant $\bar{\nu}_\mu \to \bar{\nu}_e$ oscillations at the atmospheric scale and their CP conjugate. We emphasize the opportunity to develop these facilities in conjunction with projects for inertial confined nuclear fusion and neutron spallation sources.Comment: 30 pages, 9 figures, minor changes, version to appear in Nucl.Instrum.Meth.

Tubercular abdominal cocoon in a young girl

Tubercular abdominal cocoon, is a rare acquired condition in which small bowel is encapsulated by a thick fibro-collaginous membrane. The formation of a cocoon is probably due to sub-clinical peritonitis. Diagnosis is usually incidental and a "surprise" upon laparotomy1,10. Preoperative diagnosis is a challenge because biochemical investigations are usually normal, and imaging findings are nonspecific. CT scan gives a more complete picture and can clinch the diagnosis. We present a case of tubercular abdominal cocoon in a 16 years old young girl diagnosed only at laparotomy. The tubercular origin may be speculated here on the basis of her strongly positive TB ELISA for both IgG and IgM and raised ESR

Reconnecting the Urban Dwelling to the Urban Fabric with Wearable Architecture: Reshaping Urban Living

The purpose of this research is to take architecture to a more human scale, redefining how we interact with our built environment. As density levels begin to increase in cities such as New York, London, and Tokyo, our way of living is slowly adapting to that fast-paced intense urban‐lifestyle redefining what makes a “home”, a home. Urban identities, cultures, and sociologies are beginning to form and take shape. This is where my thesis will play an important role in our congested built environment – reconnecting our urban dwelling to the urban fabric. As one of the early designers of minimal spaces, with the technological advancements we have today, the Metabolist Movement that was established 50 years ago could play a key role on how we design for the future. It is there where we can reconnect our urban dwelling to the urban fabric

An unusual and difficult diagnosis of intestinal obstruction: The abdominal cocoon. Case report and review of the literature

Abdominal cocoon is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction. The abdominal cocoon is probably a developmental abnormality, largely asymptomatic, and is found incidentally at laparotomy or autopsy. Pre-operative diagnosis cannot be often made correctly. This rare entity of intestinal obstruction has been described in the whole literature as a thick fibrotic sac covering the small bowel partially or completely. The etiology of abdominal cocoon is unknown and most often it is found in adolescent girls from tropical or subtropical countries. Complete recovery is generally expected after the removal of the membrane surgically. This paper reports a male patient who has had intestinal obstruction symptoms and has per-operatively been diagnosed as abdominal cocoon