Vortex Dynamics in Percolative Superconductors Containing Fractal Clusters of a Normal Phase

The effect of fractal clusters on magnetic and transport properties of percolative superconductors is studied. The superconductor contains percolative superconducting cluster carrying a transport current and clusters of a normal phase. It is found that normal phase clusters have essential fractal features. The fractal dimension of the boundary of normal phase clusters is estimated. The current-voltage characteristics of superconductors containing fractal clusters are obtained. It is found that the fractality of the cluster boundary intensifies pinning. This feature permits to enhance the current-carrying capability of the superconductors.Comment: Report at 2004 International Applied Superconductivity Conference (ASC'2004), Jacksonville, FL, USA, Oct 3-8 (2004); 5 pages, 3 figures, 20 ref

Two New Species of \u3ci\u3eRhabdias\u3c/i\u3e (Nematoda: Rhabdiasidae) from the Marine Toad, \u3ci\u3eBufo marinus\u3c/i\u3e (L.) (Lissamphibia: Anura: Bufonidae), in Central America

Two new Rhabdias species are described from the lungs of the cane toad Bufo marinus (L.) from Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Rhabdias alabialis n. sp. differs from other known species of the genus by the remarkable morphology of its head end, i.e., the absence of lips or pseudolabia, the slitlike oral opening, and the triangular shape of the buccal capsule in apical view. Rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala n. sp. is identified as a form previously known in Central and South America as Rhabdias sphaerocephala Goodey, 1924, a species initially described from toads in Europe. The new species is differentiated from R. sphaerocephala based on head-end morphology and sequences of nuclear rDNA

Two New Species of \u3ci\u3eRhabdias\u3c/i\u3e (Nematoda: Rhabdiasidae) from the Marine Toad, \u3ci\u3eBufo marinus\u3c/i\u3e (L.) (Lissamphibia: Anura: Bufonidae), in Central America

Two new Rhabdias species are described from the lungs of the cane toad Bufo marinus (L.) from Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Rhabdias alabialis n. sp. differs from other known species of the genus by the remarkable morphology of its head end, i.e., the absence of lips or pseudolabia, the slitlike oral opening, and the triangular shape of the buccal capsule in apical view. Rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala n. sp. is identified as a form previously known in Central and South America as Rhabdias sphaerocephala Goodey, 1924, a species initially described from toads in Europe. The new species is differentiated from R. sphaerocephala based on head-end morphology and sequences of nuclear rDNA

Gearless Micro Hydropower Plant for Small Water-Course

The paper focuses on problem of development of autonomous power-supply systems based on micro hydropower plants, which are using small watercourse power. The design and development of such systems is influenced by a number of conflicting objectives. The power source has to generate ac voltage with steady-state magnitude and frequency and, at the same time, it has to be fairly simple and inexpensive. One of the future-proof designs that provides fulfillment of the above mentioned requirements is a gearless micro hydropower plant with a combined impeller of axial-flow turbine and an electric arc-shape inductor generator. The authors have identified how geometrical parameters of the arcshape inductor generator influences the machine operation factors. In addition, they have found that the air gap impacts the ripple factor significantly. Finally the paper shows functional dependence of the slot chamfer factor on chamfer angle, which simplifies the problem of choosing reasonable, in terms of efficiency, design parameters of the generator for the micro hydropower plan

Helminth Parasites of the Pelophylax esculentus Complex (Anura: Ranidae) in Hortobágy National Park (Hungary)

The Document, Assess, Monitoring, Act (DAMA) protocol details an approach to integrating information about parasites into large-scale studies of biodiversity, climate change, and emerging diseases. This study represents an effort to put the DAMA protocol into practice. We collected 101 individuals of protected ranid frogs belonging to the Pelophylax esculentus complex during 2012 and 2013 in the Hortoba´gy National Park (HNP) in eastern Hungary in an area where an inventory of amphibian helminths had been conducted 40 yr previously. Collecting sites included flowing water, a fish pond system, and a wetland marsh system. We found the following helminth species: Digeneans: Diplodiscus subclavatus, Haematoloechus variegatus, Opisthioglyphe ranae, Pleurogenes claviger, Pleurogenoides medians; Nematodes: Oswaldocruzia filiformis, Rhabdias esculentarum; and Acanthocephala: Acanthocephalus ranae. Rhabdais esculentarum is a new species for the Hungarian fauna and P. ridibundus represents a new host record for R. esculentarum while D. subclavatus, P. claviger, and P. medians are new species for the helminthofauna of the HNP. Our findings showed a significant discrepancy from the results of baseline inventories carried out 40 yr ago, although the reasons for this discrepancy are not clear. We suspect that the previously reported helminth species that we did not encounter are restricted to Pelophylax lessonae, a host we have not yet collected at this location, but factors associated with climate change or anthropogenic impacts cannot be ruled out

Redescription de Setaria graberi Shoho in Troncy, Graber & Thal, 1976 (Nematoda: Filarioidea) base´e sur des spe´cimens de Redunca arundinum (Bovidae) en Afrique du Sud

The filarial onchocercid Setaria graberi Shoho in Troncy, Graber & Thal, 1976 is redescribed from the abdominal cavity of Southern reedbuck, Redunca arundinum (Boddaert), in South Africa, including illustrations and scanning electron micrographs of important morphological features. Morphometric data for this species are provided for the first time. Setaria graberi is characterised by the possession of bifid deirids, and females having a distinctly bulbous tail. The slightly raised peribuccal crown forms a dumbbell-shaped unit with the cephalic elevations in apical view; the dorsal and ventral elevations, spaced 73–115 lm apart in females and 71–93 lm in males, carry two wellseparated tips each. In dorsoventral view, the cephalic elevations appear more or less rectangular with a slightly notched apex and are narrow in comparison to the width of the anterior end. They are triangular in lateral view. Four cephalic and four external labial papillae are arranged in a laterally elongated rectangle each. The species is distinguished from other Setaria Viborg, 1795 species that possess bifid deirids or occur in members of the same host genus. The presence of S. graberi in R. arundinum in South Africa constitutes a new host and geographic record.La filaire Onchocercidae Setaria graberi Shoho in Troncy, Graber & Thal, 1976 est rede´crite a` partir de spe´cimens de la cavite´ abdominale du Grand Cobe des roseaux, Redunca arundinum (Boddaert), en Afrique du Sud, en incluant des illustrations et des images en microscopie e´lectronique a` balayage des aspects morphologiques importants. Des donne´es morphome´triques sont fournies pour la premie`re fois pour cette espe`ce. Setaria graberi est caracte´rise´e par la possession de deirides bifides, et par des femelles ayant une queue distinctement bulbeuse. La couronne pe´ribuccale le´ge`rement e´leve´e forme une unite´ en forme de cloche avec les e´le´vations ce´phaliques en vue apicale ; les e´le´vations dorsales et ventrales, se´pare´es par 73–115 lm chez la femelle et 71–93 lm chez le maˆle, portent chacune deux extre´mite´s bien se´pare´es. En vue dorso-ventrale, les e´le´vations ce´phaliques apparaissent plus ou moins rectangulaires avec un apex le´ge`rement entaille´ et sont e´troites par rapport a` l’e´paisseur de l’extre´mite´ ante´rieure. Elles sont triangulaires en vue late´rale. Quatre papilles ce´phaliques et quatre papilles labiales externes sont arrange´es en des rectangles allonge´s. L’espe`ce est distingue´e des autres espe`ces de Setaria Viborg, 1795 qui posse`de des deirides bifides ou se trouvent chez des hoˆtes membres du meˆme genre. La pre´sence de S. graberi chez R. arundinum en Afrique du Sud repre´sente un nouvel hoˆ te et une nouvelle mention ge´ographique.http://www.parasite-journal.org/am2013ab201