Daytime habitat selection for juvenile parr brown trout (Salmo trutta) in small lowland streams

Physical habitat is important in determining the carrying capacity of juvenile brown trout, and within freshwater management. Summer daytime physical habitat selection for the parr lifestage (7–20 cm) juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta) was assessed in 6 small lowland streams. Habitat preference was determined for the four variables; water velocity, water depth, substrate and cover, and the preferences for physical habitat selection were expressed in terms of habitat suitability indices (HSI’s). The statistical confidence of HSI’s was evaluated using power analysis. It was found that a minimum of 22 fish observations was needed to have statistical confidence in the HSIs for water depth, and a minimum of 92 fish observations for water velocity during daytime summer conditions. Generally parr were utilising the deeper habitats, indicating preference for deeper water. Cover was also being selected for at all sites, but selection was inconsistent among sites for the variables substrate and velocity. The results indicate that during daytime summer conditions water depth is a significant variable for parr habitat selection in these small lowland streams, with cover also being important. Therefore, daytime refugia may be a critical limiting factor for parr in small lowland streams, and important for stream management actions under the Water Framework Directive

Modelling Social Structures and Hierarchies in Language Evolution

Language evolution might have preferred certain prior social configurations over others. Experiments conducted with models of different social structures (varying subgroup interactions and the role of a dominant interlocutor) suggest that having isolated agent groups rather than an interconnected agent is more advantageous for the emergence of a social communication system. Distinctive groups that are closely connected by communication yield systems less like natural language than fully isolated groups inhabiting the same world. Furthermore, the addition of a dominant male who is asymmetrically favoured as a hearer, and equally likely to be a speaker has no positive influence on the disjoint groups.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. In proceedings of AI-2010, The Thirtieth SGAI International Conference on Innovative Techniques and Applications of Artificial Intelligence, Cambridge, England, UK, 14-16 December 201

Wind Integration into Various Generation Mixtures

A load balance model is used to quantify the economic and environmental effects of integrating wind power into three typical generation mixtures. System operating costs over a specified period are minimized by controlling the operating schedule of existing power generating facilities for a range of wind penetrations. Unlike other studies, variable generator efficiencies, and thus variable fuel costs, are taken into account, as are the ramping constraints on thermal generators. Results indicate that system operating cost will increase by 15% to 110% (pending generation mixture) at a wind penetration of 100% of peak demand. Results also show that some mixtures will exhibit cost reductions on the order of 13% for moderate wind penetrations and high wind farm capacity factors. System emissions also decrease by 13% to 32% (depending on generation mixture) at a wind penetration of 100%. This leads to emission abatement costs in the range of $65 per tonne-CO2e for coal dominated mixtures, but$450 per tonne-CO2e for hydro dominated mixtures. For natural gas dominated mixtures, the introduction of wind power may well be beneficial overall.Wind power integration, generation mixtures, emissions cost

A critical review of high entropy alloys (HEAs) and related concepts

The field of high entropy alloys (HEAs) is barely 10 years old. It has stimulated new ideas and has inspired the exploration of the vast composition space. Here we give a critical review of this body of work, with the intent of summarizing key findings, uncovering major trends and providing guidance for future efforts. Based on detailed analysis, the following major results emerge. An intense focus is apparent on alloys based on first row transition metal elements. These efforts have discovered an extended, single-phase solid solution phase field and are exploring the extent and properties of this phase field. As a result of this focus, the vast range of complex composition space remains relatively unexplored and still offers a compelling motivation for future studies. Seven distinct alloy families have been reported, and the design of alloy families by selecting elements to achieve a specific, intended purpose is becoming established. A major hypothesis is that configurational entropy in HEAs may favor solid solution phases with simple crystal structures. Detailed analysis of current experiments and calculations does not support this hypothesis. Increasing the number of alloy constituents increases configurational entropy slowly, but increases much more rapidly the probability of including a pair of atoms with interaction energies that are sufficiently negative to overcome configurational entropy. The hypothesis that diffusion may be unusually slow in HEAs is also not supported by the current data. Data for mechanical properties of HEAs will be reviewed and suggestions for new research directions will be offered

Impact of nutrition and fish supplementation on the response to anti retroviral therapy, Zambia: a literature review

This work is part of the Regional Programme Fisheries and HIV/AIDS in Africa: Investing in Sustainable Solutions, implemented by the WorldFish Center and funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The research study analyses the effects of a fish supplemented diet on HIV/AIDS patientsÆ response to Anti Retroviral Treatment (ART). This literature review forms the background and basis for the clinical research to be undertaken in selected The Kenneth Kaunda Children of Africa Foundation (KKCAF) centers in Zambia.Fisheries, AIDS, Public health, HIV, Nutritive value

Data for the co-expression and purification of human recombinant CaMKK2 in complex with calmodulin in Escherichia coli

AbstractCalcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2) has been implicated in a range of conditions and pathologies from prostate to hepatic cancer. Here, we describe the expression in Escherichia coli and the purification protocol for the following constructs: full-length CaMKK2 in complex with CaM, CaMKK2 ‘apo’, CaMKK2 (165-501) in complex with CaM, and the CaMKK2 F267G mutant. The protocols described have been optimized for maximum yield and purity with minimal purification steps required and the proteins subsequently used to develop a fluorescence-based assay for drug binding to the kinase, “Using the fluorescent properties of STO-609 as a tool to assist structure-function analyses of recombinant CaMKK2” [1]