Size at maturity in the mud spiny lobster Panulirus polyphagus (Herbst, 1793)

The size at sexual maturity of the mud spiny lobster Panulirus polyphagus was estimated by assessing the sizes at which the animals become morphologically, physiologically and functionally mature, from samples collected from the wild along the Saurashtra coast. The size at physiological maturity was assessed from the condition of the gonad and its stage of development. The size at morphological maturity was assessed by following the development of external indices of maturity. Change in the length of the penile process in relation to the carapace length (CL) was also studied in males. Linear plots of the somatic lengths against the carapace lengths in size groups 50 mm CL were used to assess changes in growth patterns from juvenile phase to sub-adult and adult phases. Comparisons were also made between growth patterns of males and females. The size at functional or physical maturity was assessed from the frequency distribution of males and females with respect to specialised structures which ensure the mating and propagative capabilities of the animals, namely, decalcified windows on the ventral side, well developed setal brush on the dactylii of the fifth pair of walking legs and ovigerous condition in females and penile process in males. Observations made in the study indicated that the size at onset of sexual maturity can be traced to 51–55 mm CL for males and 51–60 mm CL for females. The critical maturation phase extends between 56 and 65 mm CL for males and between 66 and 75 mm CL for females

Effect of diet on growth of the mud spiny lobster Panulirus polyphagus (Herbst, 1793) and the sand lobster Thenus orientalis (Lund, 1793) held in captivity

Experiments were carried out to assess the effects of some natural diets on growth performance of the mudspiny lobster Panulirus polyphagus and the sand lobster Thenus orientalis reared in captivity. Both species showed better response to shelled molluscs. P. polyphagus fed with the gastropod Turbo sp., and T. orientalis fed with the clam Mercia opima showed better growth performance. The average daily growth of male and female P. polyphagus fed on Turbo sp. were 0.14 mm CL (0.47 g) and 0.12 mm CL (0.33 g), respectively. T. orientalis fed on fresh clam showed the highest average daily growth rate of 0.17 mm CL and 0.42 g. Analysis of Variance showed significant difference in growth increments (in terms of Carapace Length and Weight) in lobsters reared on different diets

Evaluation of the Heart of Birmingham teaching Primary Care Trust (HoBtPCT): My Choice Weight Management Programme:report commissioned by Heart of Birmingham teaching Primary Care Trust

This report details an evaluation of the My Choice Weight Management Programme undertaken by a research team from the School of Pharmacy at Aston University. The My Choice Weight Management Programme is delivered through community pharmacies and general practitioners (GPs) contracted to provide services by the Heart of Birmingham teaching Primary Care Trust. It is designed to support individuals who are ‘ready to change’ by enabling the individual to work with a trained healthcare worker (for example, a healthcare assistant, practice nurse or pharmacy assistant) to develop a care plan designed to enable the individual to lose 5-10% of their current weight. The Programme aims to reduce adult obesity levels; improve access to overweight and obesity management services in primary care; improve diet and nutrition; promote healthy weight and increased levels of physical activity in overweight or obese patients; and support patients to make lifestyle changes to enable them to lose weight. The Programme is available for obese patients over 18 years old who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2 (greater than 25 kg/m2 in Asian patients) or greater than 28 kg/m2 (greater than 23.5 kg/m2 in Asian patients) in patients with co-morbidities (diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease). Each participant attends weekly consultations over a twelve session period (the final iteration of these weekly sessions is referred to as ‘session twelve’ in this report). They are then offered up to three follow up appointments for up to six months at two monthly intervals (the final of these follow ups, taking place at approximately nine months post recruitment, is referred to as ‘session fifteen’ in this report). A review of the literature highlights the dearth of published research on the effectiveness of primary care- or community-based weight management interventions. This report may help to address this knowledge deficit. A total of 451 individuals were recruited on to the My Choice Weight Management Programme. More participants were recruited at GP surgeries (n=268) than at community pharmacies (n=183). In total, 204 participants (GP n=102; pharmacy n=102) attended session twelve and 82 participants (GP n=22; pharmacy 60) attended session fifteen. The unique demographic characteristics of My Choice Weight Management Programme participants – participants were recruited from areas with high levels of socioeconomic deprivation and over four-fifths of participants were from Black and Minority Ethnic groups; populations which are traditionally underserved by healthcare interventions – make the achievements of the Programme particularly notable. The mean weight loss at session 12 was 3.8 kg (equivalent to a reduction of 4.0% of initial weight) among GP surgery participants and 2.4 kg (2.8%) among pharmacy participants. At session 15 mean weight loss was 2.3 kg (2.2%) among GP surgery participants and 3.4 kg (4.0%) among pharmacy participants. The My Choice Weight Management Programme improved the general health status of participants between recruitment and session twelve as measured by the validated SF-12 questionnaire. While cost data is presented in this report, it is unclear which provider type delivered the Programme more cost-effectively. Attendance rates on the Programme were consistently better among pharmacy participants than among GP participants. The opinions of programme participants (both those who attended regularly and those who failed to attend as expected) and programme providers were explored via semi-structured interviews and, in the case of the participants, a selfcompletion postal questionnaire. These data suggest that the Programme was almost uniformly popular with both the deliverers of the Programme and participants on the Programme with 83% of questionnaire respondents indicating that they would be happy to recommend the Programme to other people looking to lose weight. Our recommendations, based on the evidence provided in this report, include: a. Any consideration of an extension to the study also giving comparable consideration to an extension of the Programme evaluation. The feasibility of assigning participants to a pharmacy provider or a GP provider via a central allocation system should also be examined. This would address imbalances in participant recruitment levels between provider type and allow for more accurate comparison of the effectiveness in the delivery of the Programme between GP surgeries and community pharmacies by increasing the homogeneity of participants at each type of site and increasing the number of Programme participants overall. b. Widespread dissemination of the findings from this review of the My Choice Weight Management Project should be undertaken through a variety of channels. c. Consideration of the inclusion of the following key aspects of the My Choice Weight Management Project in any extension to the Programme: i. The provision of training to staff in GP surgeries and community pharmacies responsible for delivery of the Programme prior to patient recruitment. ii. Maintaining the level of healthcare staff input to the Programme. iii. The regular schedule of appointments with Programme participants. iv. The provision of an increased variety of printed material. d. A simplification of the data collection method used by the Programme commissioners at the individual Programme delivery sites

Fenestration of the Proximal Left Ovarian Vein.

A fenestration in the left ovarian vein was found in a fresh-frozen female cadaver. The opening did not have any vessels or additional anatomical structures passing through it. The ovarian vein is also referred to as the female gonadal vein. This type of anatomical variation is clinically relevant in procedures that deal with the manipulation of the gonadal veins, specifically conditions such as ovarian vein thrombosis, ovarian vein stenosis, and pelvic congestion syndrome

Steam Turbine Design, Operation, and Maintenance

Discussion GroupOverhaul intervals Maintenance practices Solid particle erosion Contract versus in-house maintenance Mechanical driver turbine issues - design et al Steam path repairs Turbine casing and alignment issues Steam turbine performance, degradation, etc. Reliability/availabilit

Variant Distal Ulnar Nerve Loop: A Previously Undescribed Anatomical Finding.

A previously undescribed variant ulnar nerve loop was discovered during the routine anatomic forearm and hand dissection of an adult female. The major finding was that of a large loop traveling around the distal tendon of the flexor carpi ulnaris. The variation presented here appears to be unique. The exact function of such derailed anatomy is not clear but, if found during surgery, might confound normal dissection methods or, when present, could result in varied clinical presentations regarding the sensory or motor examination of the hand

An Unusual Back Muscle Identified Bilaterally: Case Report.

Most muscular structures in the human body are named based on their function, origin/insertion, or shape. During routine dissection of the back, an unusual muscle was found deep to the rhomboid muscles. The details of this case and a review of the extant literature are provided

Variant anatomy of the buccal nerve.

Knowledge of the anatomy and variations of the nerves of the oral cavity is important to surgeons who operate this region. Herein, we report a rare case of a buccal nerve with two distinct roots. The anatomy of this case and its clinical applications is discussed

Growth and moulting in the mud spiny lobster, Panulirus polyphagus (Herbst, 1793)

Growth rates in the mud spiny lobster, Panulirus polyphagus held in captivity were assessed and compared with growth estimates derived from length composition of these lobsters in trawl landings at Veraval, north-west coast of India. The von Bertalanffy‘s growth parameters ‘L∞’ and ‘K’ derived for male P. polyphagus were 135 mm (carapace length, CL) and 0.46 y-1 in the wild and 144.8 mm (CL) and 0.51 y-1 in captivity. The values derived for female P. polyphagus were 124.7 mm (CL) and 0.38 y-1 in the wild and 119 mm (CL) and 0.43 y-1 in captivity. There was a clear difference in the growth curves of males and females in captivity and in the natural habitat. The VBGF curves indicated that males had a better growth output than females, both in the wild and in captivity. Juvenile lobsters exhibited higher moulting frequency, with the intermoult period increasing steadily as CL increased. Increments in CL at each moult showed significant correlation with increasing CL in both males and females. The rate of growth was found to decrease with age in both sexes. In males there was renewed burst of growth after the attainment of sexual maturity (65-75 mm CL) but beyond 80 mm CL, the growth was steady. In females however, there was drastic reduction in growth rates in the 63-68 mm CL range, and it steadied at 70-80 mm CL when the breeding and rematuration processes are more prominent in its life cycle

Steam Turbine Design, Operation, and Maintenance

Discussion Grou