Using thermal sensitivity analysis to determine the impact of drainage on the hydrochemistry of a tropical peat soil from Malaysia

Peat from an area of pristine swamp in Malaysia and from an area of that swamp drained 10 years earlier for agriculture was incubated along a temperature gradient from 0 to 20 °C to simulate microbial activity through changes in temperature. With increasing temperature, nitrate availability decreased in the pristine peat but increased in the drained peat, suggesting that drainage has altered the principle nitrate transformation process from denitrification to nitrification. Sulfate concentrations in the pristine peat exhibited a greater proportional decrease with increasing temperature than in the drained peat, suggesting that drainage has decreased the influence of sulfate reduction over sulfate availability at this site. With the exception of phosphate, nutrient concentrations in the drained site were significantly greater (P < 0.05) than in the pristine site. Biogeochemical models should consider that drained peatlands may respond very differently to the temperature change predicted by current climate change models

Vacuum/Compression Valving (VCV) Using Parrafin-Wax on a Centrifugal Microfluidic CD Platform

This paper introduces novel vacuum/compression valves (VCVs) utilizing paraffin wax. A VCV is implemented by sealing the venting channel/hole with wax plugs (for normally-closed valve), or to be sealed by wax (for normally-open valve), and is activated by localized heating on the CD surface. We demonstrate that the VCV provides the advantages of avoiding unnecessary heating of the sample/reagents in the diagnostic process, allowing for vacuum sealing of the CD, and clear separation of the paraffin wax from the sample/reagents in the microfluidic process. As a proof of concept, the microfluidic processes of liquid flow switching and liquid metering is demonstrated with the VCV. Results show that the VCV lowers the required spinning frequency to perform the microfluidic processes with high accuracy and ease of control.open5

Fish species composition and morphological descriptions of five dominant families from inland waters of Kebbi state-Nigeria

A study was conducted on fish species composition and morphological features of five dominant fish families from the inland waters of Kebbi state, Nigeria between January and December 2017. Three major fishing communities (Argungu, Sabiyel and Yauri) were selected for the study. Fish samples were qualitatively collected from the commercial landings of the fishermen using gill nets. The analysis of the distribution of fish species were analyzed using Microsoft Excel software In total 18 fish species belonging to 10 families were identified from the inland waters of Kebbi state. Viz: Bagridae, Cichlidae, Claridae, Mormyridae, Citharacidae, Characidae, Mochokidae, Melaptaruridae, Schilbeidae and Cyprinidae. Among the 10 identified families, Bagridae (22.22%) and Mormyridae (16.66%) which accounted for four and three species respectively, were the most dominant families

Zooplankton research in Malaysia: Current status and future prospects

Malaysia is one of the three mega-diversity countries in the ASEAN region besides Indonesia and the Philippines, making it an important area for marine ecosystem studies. Marine zooplankton research in Malaysia is still comparatively new when viewed globally. In order to identify where the country stands in this field, the scientific developments achieved to date starting from the earliest oceanographic expeditions in the Malaysian waters are introduced. More recent researches span a wide spectrum including taxonomic and biodiversity observations, experiments on the biology and physiology of zooplankton and trophic structure studies in different marine habitats. Research at large and small scales has been limited due mainly to financial and technical difficulties coupled with a critical need to develop expertise in taxonomy. Continued effort in multidisciplinary activities and multilateral collaborations in the region is necessary to enhance communication, outline similar goals and areas of future study, and significantly accelerate the zooplankton research in Malaysia.Proceedings of the Horiba International Conference "New Direction of Ocean Research in the Western Pacific" : Past, Present and Future of UNESCO/IOC/WESTPAC Activity for 50 years and the JSPS Project "Coastal Marine Science"Section II: Historical Review of Coastal Research in Southeast Asi