Bycatch weight, composition and preliminary estimates of the impact of bycatch reduction devices in Queensland's trawl fishery

This report provides quantitative information on the effects of turtle excluder devices (TEDs) and bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) on the catch rates of bycatch, prawns, scallops and byproduct species, such as Moreton Bay bugs and Balmain bugs, in Queensland’s major trawl fishing sectors. It also provides biological information on, and management advice for several species referred to in the Fishery Management Plan as the permitted species. Several recommendations are included for reducing bycatch in the trawl fishery and for sustaining stocks of the permitted species

Stresses in the lunar interior: insights from slip directions in the A01 deep moonquake nest

We probe the present-day stresses in the lunar interior by examining the slip directions of moonquakes in the A01 nest. In this nest, some deep moonquakes appear to slip “backwards,” in the opposite direction to other events. We assess whether these changes in slip direction result from a spatial variation in the tectonic stress or from a temporal variation in the tidal stress. To test these two options, we first show that a dominant tectonic stress implies deep moonquakes can only slip in one direction: forwards and backwards, while a dominant tidal stress could allow moonquakes to slip in more directions: any combination of forwards, backwards, left, and right. Then we look for the number of slip directions; we separate the deep moonquake waveforms into slip directions using a principal component analysis technique. We find two slip directions present in the A01 deep moonquake nest. The moonquakes slip in a variety of directions as time evolves. This observation implies that the tidal stresses drive deep moonquakes. Additionally, these results place a new constraint on the magnitude of the tectonic stresses at depth; they must be smaller than the modeled tidal stress of ∼0.1 MPa

Self-Healing Textile: Enzyme Encapsulated Layer-by-Layer Structural Proteins

Self-healing materials, which enable an autonomous repair response to damage, are highly desirable for the long-term reliability of woven or nonwoven textiles. Polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer (LbL) films are of considerable interest as self-healing coatings due to the mobility of the components comprising the film. In this work mechanically stable self-healing films were fabricated through construction of a polyelectrolyte LbL film containing squid ring teeth (SRT) proteins. SRTs are structural proteins with unique self-healing properties and high elastic modulus in both dry and wet conditions (>2 GPa) due to their semicrystalline architecture. We demonstrate LbL construction of multilayers containing native and recombinant SRT proteins capable of self-healing defects. Additionally, we show these films are capable of utilizing functional biomolecules by incorporating an enzyme into the SRT multilayer. Urease was chosen as a model enzyme of interest to test its activity via fluorescence assay. Successful construction of the SRT films demonstrates the use of mechanically stable self-healing coatings, which can incorporate biomolecules for more complex protective functionalities for advanced functional fabrics

Anti-terrorism laws in the Maghreb countries: the mirror of a transition that never was

This article sheds light on the counter-terrorism measures enacted by the Maghreb countries, with a comparative approach of the laws in Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. Carried out by comparing the Arabic and French original versions, the analysis revealed a common attitude that tended to preserve national security at the expenses of civil freedoms and human rights. In almost all cases, anti-terrorism laws strayed away from their supposed initial finality, fighting terrorism, tackling other issues such as the maintenance of public order or indirectly the control of dissidence and political opposition, with no or scarce legal checks and balances that could restrict possible police or judiciary abuses towards civil and political rights. The legal measures significantly delayed both the first transition to democracyin the region in the 2000s as well as the promising development after the 'Arab spring