Length-weight relationships of fish from the lagoon of New Caledonia

Length-weight relationships of 335 species of fish of New Caledonia, belonging to 65 families of coral reef fishes, were computed (80%) or assembled from the literature (20% of all cases) to facilitate, among other things, estimation of coral reef fish biomass from visual census

Length-weight relationships of fish from the lagoon of New Caledonia

Reef fisheries, Length-weight relationships, Lagoons, New Caledonia,

Attenuation in Rectangular Waveguides with Finite Conductivity Walls

We present a fundamental and accurate approach to compute the attenuation of electromagnetic waves propagating in rectangular waveguides with finite conductivity walls. The wavenumbers kx and ky in the x and y directions respectively, are obtained as roots of a set of transcendental equations derived by matching the tangential component of the electric field (E) and the magnetic field (H) at the surface of the waveguide walls. The electrical properties of the wall material are determined by the complex permittivity ε, permeability μ, and conductivity σ. We have examined the validity of our model by carrying out measurements on the loss arising from the fundamental TE10 mode near the cutoff frequency. We also found good agreement between our results and those obtained by others including Papadopoulos’ perturbation method across a wide range of frequencies, in particular in the vicinity of cutoff. In the presence of degenerate modes however, our method gives higher losses, which we attribute to the coupling between modes as a result of dispersion

Ultimate pH values and bacteriological condition of meat and stress metabolites in blood of transported reindeer bulls

Twenty-three reindeer bulls, aged 2-3 years, fed during two winter months at the Vuolda reindeer research station in Arjeplog, Sweden, were used in the study. The first group of eight reindeer was moved from their feeding corral to a selection corral, captured by lasso and stunned with a captive bolt outside the selection corral. The second group of seven reindeer was moved to the selection corral, captured by lasso and restrained, after which they were loaded onto a lorry- and transported for 1 hour and then slaughtered. The third group of eight reindeer was moved to the selection corral and herded directly onto the lorry, without any manual handling. They were transported for 5 h and then slaughtered. In both transport groups, four reindeer were fitted with pre-programmed automatic blood sampling equipment (ABSE). ABSE sampled blood at predetermined times via a jugular vein catheter. Ultimate pH-values in three muscles (Mm. longissimus, triceps brachii and biceps femoris) were significantly lower in the group carefully handled and transported for 5 h compared with the other two groups. The physiological mechanisms behind these results are discussed. Samples from M. semimembranosus were collected at slaughter and after 2, 6 and 10 days of refrigerated storage (+4 °C). The samples were analysed for total counts of aerobic bacteria (pour-plated in Tryptone Glucose Extract Agar, Difco, incubated at 20 °C and 30 °C, respectively for 72 h), coliform bacteria 37 °C (pour-plated in Violet Red Bile Agar, Oxoid, incubated at 37 °C for 24 h), Enterococci (surface-plated onto Slantez and Bartley Agar, Oxoid, incubated at 44 °C for 48 h) and Bacillus cereus (surface-plated onto Blood Agar Plates (Blood Agar Base, Difco, supplemented with 5% defibrinated horse blood) 30 °C for 24 h). All samples fell in the range 'fit for consumption'. At slaughter, there was no difference in ASAT activity, urea and Cortisol concentrations between the two transported groups. However, the plasma ASAT activity and urea concentrations at slaughter were significantly lower in the non-transported group. In both transport groups, the plasma Cortisol concentrations increased during loading onto and unloading from the lorry. Abomasal lesions were observed in all treatment groups. It was concluded that reindeer showed an acute stress response to manual handling and transport

Checklist of the shore fishes of Europa Island, Mozambique Channel, southwestern Indian Ocean, including 302 new records

Die Checkliste der Fische der Insel Europa (Kanal von Mosambik, südwestlicher Indischer Ozean) enthält 389 Arten in 62 Familien. 302 Arten werden zum ersten Mal von der Insel Europa beobachtet. Alle Fischarten sind authochthon; es wurden keine durch den Menschen eingeführten oder eingeschleppten Arten gefunden. Alle Fischarten sind marin; die artenreichsten Fischfamilien sind die Labridae, Pomacentridae, Serranidae, Gobiidae und Acanthuridae. Die Fischfauna der Insel Europa ist typisch für küstenferne, niedrige Inseln im südwestlichen Indischen Ozean. Zoogeographisch haben 75,1 % der nachgewiesenen Fischarten eine großräumige indo-pazifische Verbreitung, 3,3 % der Arten werden in allen tropischen Meeren gefunden, und 19,5 % der Arten sind im Indischen Ozean endemisch, davon 9,2 % nur im westlichen Indischen Ozean und 2,6 % im südwestlichen Indischen Ozean. Es wurden keine endemischen Fischarten bei der Insel Europa gefunden

THE THERMO-HYDRODYNAMICS OF A CONCENTRIC OHMIC HEATER FOR PROCESSING DAIRY FLUIDS

The thermo-hydraulic performance of a 300W concentric annular ohmic heater was investigated. To minimize possible electrochemical reactions and corrosion, a higher frequency was applied and factors of field strength and frequency were studied. 2D computer simulation solving momentum, thermal and electrical energy was performed using the FlexPDE software. A good agreement between experimental and analytical analysis of static heating was obtained. There were significant differences between calculated and measured wall temperature near the entrance. The calculated outlet temperature was however in reasonable agreement with the experiment value

Exploring the action landscape with trial world-lines

The Hamilton action principle, also known as the principle of least action, and Lagrange equations are an integral part of advanced undergraduate mechanics. At present, substantial efforts are ongoing to suitably incorporate the action principle in introductory physics courses. Although the Hamilton principle is oft stated as "the action for any nearby trial world-line is greater than the action for the classical world-line", the landscape of action in the space of world-lines is rarely explored. Here, for three common problems in introductory physics - a free particle, a uniformly accelerating particle, and a simple harmonic oscillator - we present families of trial world-lines, characterized by a few parameters, that evolve continuously from their respective classical world-lines. With explicit analytical expressions available for the action, they permit a graphical visualization of the action landscape in the space of nearby world-lines. Although these trial world-lines form only a subset of the space of all nearby world-lines, they provide a pedagogical tool that complements the traditional Lagrange equation approach and is well-suited for advanced undergraduate students.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, significant structural revisio

Controlled Wetting Test of a Soil Nailed Loose Fill Slope: Case Study

For an in-depth understanding of the failure mechanism of loose fill slopes and the strengthening effect by soil nails, a comprehensive field study program has been carried out at a specially built slope. The test slope was constructed by end-tipping of completely decomposed granitic soils almost without any compaction. The controlled failure test program was mainly composed of surcharge at the crest, wetting with surcharge, and wetting without surcharge. This paper is aimed at a case study of the coupled hydro-mechanical response of the test slope during the recharge process with surcharge. Through a comprehensive instrumentation system, abundant monitoring data with regards to the complex performance of the loose fill and soil nails were collected. It was found that redistribution of water content within the loose fill was well consistent with the recharge program, and nonlinear deformation developed significantly in the loose fill by the reduction of shear strength due to increased pore pressure and diminished suction when subjected to large wetting loads. Also a two-dimensional simplified finite element model is established and some preliminary simulation results are presented

Randomised controlled trial of ranitidine versus omeprazole in combination with antibiotics for eradication of Helicobacter pylori.

This study compared high dose ranitidine versus low dose omeprazole with antibiotics for the eradication of H pylori. 80 patients (mean age 48 years, range 18-75) who had H pylori infection were randomised in an investigator-blind manner to either a two-week regime of omeprazole 20 mg daily, amoxycillin 500 mg tid and metronidazole 400 mg tid (OAM), or ranitidine 600 mg bd, amoxycillin 500 mg tid and metronidazole 400 mg tid (RAM), or omeprazole 20 mg daily and clarithromycin 500 mg tid (OC), or omeprazole 20 mg daily and placebo (OP). H pylori was eradicated in 6 of 19 patients in the OAM group (32%); 8 of 18 in the RAM group (44%), 4 of 15 in the OC group (27%); none of 18 in the OP group (0%). [< P0.005 for OAM, RAM, OC vs OP; P = N.S. between OAM, RAM, OC]. Overall metronidazole resistance was unexpectedly high at 58%. Eradication rates in metronidazole sensitive patients were 71% (5/7) and 100% (3/3) for OAM and RAM respectively. In conclusion, H pylori eradication rates using high dose ranitidine plus amoxycillin and metronidazole may be similar to that of low dose omeprazole in combination with the same antibiotics for omeprazole with clarithromycin. Overall eradication rates were low due to a high incidence of metronidazole resistance but were higher in metronidazole-sensitive patients. Even high dose ranitidine with two antibiotics achieves a relatively low eradication rate. These metronidazole-based regimens cannot be recommended in areas with a high incidence of metronidazole resistance