Fetal growth, birth size and energetic cost of gestation in southern right whales

The cost of reproduction greatly affects a species’ life history strategy. Baleen whales exhibit some of the fastest offspring growth rates in the animal kingdom. We quantified the energetic cost of gestation for southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) by combining whaling catch records of pregnant females with photogrammetry data on southern right whale mothers and calves from two breeding grounds in Argentina and Australia. The relationship between calf birth size and maternal length was determined from repeated measurements of individual females before and after giving birth. Fetal growth was determined from generalized linear models fitted to fetal length data from whaling operations between 1961 and 1967. Fetal length was converted to volume and mass, using the volume-to-length relationship of newborn southern right whales calves, and published tissue composition and energy content estimates. Fetal maintenance costs (heat of gestation) and the energy content of the placenta were predicted from published relationships and added to the fetal growth cost to calculate the total cost of gestation. Our findings showed that fetal growth rates and birth size increased linearly with maternal length, with calves being born at ∼35% maternal length. Fetal length increased curvilinearly through gestation, which resulted in an exponential increase in fetal volume and mass. Consequently, the cost of gestation was very low during the first (0.1% of total cost) and second trimester (4.9%), but increased rapidly during the last trimester (95.0%). The heat of gestation incurred the highest cost for pregnant females (73.8%), followed by fetal growth (21.2%) and the placental energy content (5.0%)

Smoothing cubic spline approximation of silicon diode temperature sensors thermometric characteristics

Shown in this paper is the efficiency of a smoothing cubic spline approximation for temperature response curves (TRC) of wide range silicon diode thermometers (SDTs). The offered calculation algorithm allows to describe TRC with a high accuracy and receive the interpolation tables with any temperature step. It allows essentially to expand SDT field of application

Structural and optical characteristics of ZnSe and CdSe films condensed on non-oriented substrates

In this work, the complex investigation of structural and optical properties of zinc and cadmium selenide semiconductor films deposited by close-spaced vacuum sublimation method using thermal evaporation on non-oriented substrates was carried out. The structural and phase analyses of the layers condensed at different substrate temperatures were performed. The transmission and reflection spectra of the investigated films have been measured and their main optical characteristics have been calculated

Optimized calibration of cryogenic silicon thermodiodes

Shown in this paper is the efficiency of smoothing cubic spline approximation aimed at optimization of calibration of cryogenic silicon diode thermometers (SDTs). The proposed algorithm allows to significantly reduce time and material costs associated with calibration of SDTs

Composition of Fluids Responsible for Gold Mineralization in the Pechenga Structure-Imandra-Varzuga Greenstone Belt, Kola Peninsula, Russia.

This study presents the first fluid inclusion data from quartz of albite–carbonate–quartz altered rocks and metasomatic quartzite hosting gold mineralization in the Pechenga structure of the Pechenga– Imandra–Varzuga greenstone belt. A temperature of 275–370°C, pressure of 1.2–4.5 kbar, and the fluid composition of gold-bearing fluid are estimated by microthermometry, Raman spectroscopy, and LA-ICP-MS of individual fluid inclusions, as well as by bulk chemical analyses of fluid inclusions. In particular, the Au and Ag concentrations have been determined in fluid inclusions. It is shown that albite–carbonate–quartz altered rocks and metasomatic quartzite interacted with fluids of similar chemical composition but under different physicochemical conditions. It is concluded that the gold-bearing fluid in the Pechenga structure is similar to that of orogenic gold deposits

Optical investigation of zinc selenide films

As results we can said that were investigated optical properties of ZnSe thin films, deposited by CSVS method at different physical and technological condensation regimes. Established physical and technological deposition regimes with optimal parameters for using as window layers of the heterojunction tandem solar cells and in optoelectronic devices. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/407