Grouper culture in floating net cages

The manual describes the culture of groupers (Epinephelus) in floating cages, providing a farming option for grouper growers and also a production alternative to the farmed species being done today, such as shrimp, milkfish and tilapia. The following aspects are covered: species identification for commercially cultured groupers; source of stock; net cage specifications; anchor; hides and shelters; nursery net cage operation; production cages; harvesting; post-harvest; profitability analysis of grouper cage culture; and, cost and return of growing grouper in cages

The Use of Sun Elevation Angle for Stereogrammetric Boreal Forest Height in Open Canopies

Stereogrammetry applied to globally available high resolution spaceborne imagery (HRSI; less than 5 m spatial resolution) yields fine-scaled digital surface models (DSMs) of elevation. These DSMs may represent elevations that range from the ground to the vegetation canopy surface, are produced from stereoscopic image pairs (stereo pairs) that have a variety of acquisition characteristics, and have been coupled with lidar data of forest structure and ground surface elevation to examine forest height. This work explores surface elevations from HRSI DSMs derived from two types of acquisitions in open canopy forests. We (1) apply an automated mass-production stereogrammetry workflow to along-track HRSI stereo pairs, (2) identify multiple spatially coincident DSMs whose stereo pairs were acquired under different solar geometry, (3) vertically co-register these DSMs using coincident spaceborne lidar footprints (from ICESat-GLAS) as reference, and(4) examine differences in surface elevations between the reference lidar and the co-registered HRSI DSMs associated with two general types of acquisitions (DSM types) from different sun elevation angles. We find that these DSM types, distinguished by sun elevation angle at the time of stereo pair acquisition, are associated with different surface elevations estimated from automated stereogrammetry in open canopy forests. For DSM values with corresponding reference ground surface elevation from spaceborne lidar footprints in open canopy northern Siberian Larix forests with slopes less than10, our results show that HRSI DSM acquired with sun elevation angles greater than 35deg and less than 25deg (during snow-free conditions) produced characteristic and consistently distinct distributions of elevation differences from reference lidar. The former include DSMs of near-ground surfaces with root mean square errors less than 0.68 m relative to lidar. The latter, particularly those with angles less than 10deg, show distributions with larger differences from lidar that are associated with open canopy forests whose vegetation surface elevations are captured. Terrain aspect did not have a strong effect on the distribution of vegetation surfaces. Using the two DSM types together, the distribution of DSM-differenced heights in forests (6.0 m, sigma = 1.4 m) was consistent with the distribution of plot-level mean tree heights (6.5m, sigma = 1.2 m). We conclude that the variation in sun elevation angle at time of stereo pair acquisition can create illumination conditions conducive for capturing elevations of surfaces either near the ground or associated with vegetation canopy. Knowledge of HRSI acquisition solar geometry and snow cover can be used to understand and combine stereogrammetric surface elevation estimates to co-register rand difference overlapping DSMs, providing a means to map forest height at fine scales, resolving the vertical structure of groups of trees from spaceborne platforms in open canopy forests

Net cage culture of tilapia in dams and small farm reservoirs

A 14-page manual that details net cage design and cage management after tilapia has been stocked. Some data on operating costs included.The manual describes the net cage of tilapia in dams and small farm reservoirs, which has been found to be a low-cost yet high-income earning farm activity and offers an excellent option as an alternative livelihood for poor inland fisherfolks. The following aspects are covered: 1) Characteristics of a suitable site; 2) Design of the net cages - the floating cage, the stationary/fixed cage; 3) Stocking the net cages - source of juveniles, stocking rate, stocking time, acclimation; 4) Management of the cages - feeds and feeding, monitoring activities; 5) Harvesting - partial harvest, total harvest; and, 6) Profitability analysis

Trackways Produced by Lungfish During Terrestrial Locomotion

Some primarily aquatic vertebrates make brief forays onto land, creating traces as they do. A lack of studies on aquatic trackmakers raises the possibility that such traces may be ignored or misidentified in the fossil record. Several terrestrial Actinopterygian and Sarcopterygian species have previously been proposed as possible models for ancestral tetrapod locomotion, despite extant fishes being quite distinct from Devonian fishes, both morphologically and phylogenetically. Although locomotion has been well-studied in some of these taxa, trackway production has not. We recorded terrestrial locomotion of a 35 cm African lungfish (Protopterus annectens; Dipnoi: Sarcopterygii) on compliant sediment. Terrestrial movement in the lungfish is accomplished by planting the head and then pivoting the trunk. Impressions are formed where the head impacts the substrate, while the body and fins produce few traces. The head leaves a series of alternating left-right impressions, where each impact can appear as two separate semi-circular impressions created by the upper and lower jaws, bearing some similarity to fossil traces interpreted as footprints. Further studies of trackways of extant terrestrial fishes are necessary to understand the behavioural repertoire that may be represented in the fossil track record

Synthesis, magnetic and optical properties of core/shell Co1-xZnxFe2O4/SiO2 nanoparticles

The optical properties of multi-functionalized cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4), cobalt zinc ferrite (Co0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4), and zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) nanoparticles have been enhanced by coating them with silica shell using a modified Stöber method. The ferrites nanoparticles were prepared by a modified citrate gel technique. These core/shell ferrites nanoparticles have been fired at temperatures: 400°C, 600°C and 800°C, respectively, for 2 h. The composition, phase, and morphology of the prepared core/shell ferrites nanoparticles were determined by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The diffuse reflectance and magnetic properties of the core/shell ferrites nanoparticles at room temperature were investigated using UV/VIS double-beam spectrophotometer and vibrating sample magnetometer, respectively. It was found that, by increasing the firing temperature from 400°C to 800°C, the average crystallite size of the core/shell ferrites nanoparticles increases. The cobalt ferrite nanoparticles fired at temperature 800°C; show the highest saturation magnetization while the zinc ferrite nanoparticles coated with silica shell shows the highest diffuse reflectance. On the other hand, core/shell zinc ferrite/silica nanoparticles fired at 400°C show a ferromagnetic behavior and high diffuse reflectance when compared with all the uncoated or coated ferrites nanoparticles. These characteristics of core/shell zinc ferrite/silica nanostructures make them promising candidates for magneto-optical nanodevice applications

Morphological, physiological and behavioural evaluation of a ‘Mice in Space’ housing system

Environmental conditions likely affect physiology and behaviour of mice used for life sciences research on Earth or in Space. Here, we analysed the effects of cage confinement on the weightbearing musculoskeletal system, behaviour and stress of wild-type mice (C57BL/6JRj, 30 g b.wt., total n = 24) housed for 25 days in a prototypical ground-based and fully automated life support habitat device called “Mice in Space” (MIS). Compared with control housing (individually ventilated cages) the MIS mice revealed no significant changes in soleus muscle size and myofiber distribution (type I vs. II) and quality of bone (3-D microarchitecture and mineralisation of calvaria, spine and femur) determined by confocal and micro-computed tomography. Corticosterone metabolism measured non-invasively (faeces) monitored elevated adrenocortical activity at only start of the MIS cage confinement (day 1). Behavioural tests (i.e., grip strength, rotarod, L/D box, elevated plus-maze, open field, aggressiveness) performed subsequently revealed only minor changes in motor performance (MIS vs. controls). The MIS habitat will not, on its own, produce major effects that could confound interpretation of data induced by microgravity exposure during spaceflight. Our results may be even more helpful in developing multidisciplinary protocols with adequate scenarios addressing molecular to systems levels using mice of various genetic phenotypes in many laboratories

Spatial representation for navigation in animats

This article considers the problem of spatial representation for animat navigation systems. It is proposed that the global navigation task, or "wayfinding, " is best supported by multiple interacting subsystems, each of which builds its own partial representation of relevant world knowledge. Evidence from the study of animal navigation is reviewed to demonstrate that similar principles underlie the wayfinding behavior of animals, including humans. A simulated wayfinding system is described that embodies and illustrates several of the themes identified with animat navigation. This system constructs a network of partial models of the quantitative spatial relations between groups of salient landmarks. Navigation tasks are solved by propagating egocentric view information through this network, using a simple but effective heuristic to arbitrate between multiple solutions

The Changing Landscape for Stroke\ua0Prevention in AF: Findings From the GLORIA-AF Registry Phase 2

Background GLORIA-AF (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) is a prospective, global registry program describing antithrombotic treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke. Phase 2 began when dabigatran, the first non\u2013vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC), became available. Objectives This study sought to describe phase 2 baseline data and compare these with the pre-NOAC era collected during phase 1. Methods During phase 2, 15,641 consenting patients were enrolled (November 2011 to December 2014); 15,092 were eligible. This pre-specified cross-sectional analysis describes eligible patients\u2019 baseline characteristics. Atrial fibrillation disease characteristics, medical outcomes, and concomitant diseases and medications were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Of the total patients, 45.5% were female; median age was 71 (interquartile range: 64, 78) years. Patients were from Europe (47.1%), North America (22.5%), Asia (20.3%), Latin America (6.0%), and the Middle East/Africa (4.0%). Most had high stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc [Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age  6575 years, Diabetes mellitus, previous Stroke, Vascular disease, Age 65 to 74 years, Sex category] score  652; 86.1%); 13.9% had moderate risk (CHA2DS2-VASc = 1). Overall, 79.9% received oral anticoagulants, of whom 47.6% received NOAC and 32.3% vitamin K antagonists (VKA); 12.1% received antiplatelet agents; 7.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. For comparison, the proportion of phase 1 patients (of N = 1,063 all eligible) prescribed VKA was 32.8%, acetylsalicylic acid 41.7%, and no therapy 20.2%. In Europe in phase 2, treatment with NOAC was more common than VKA (52.3% and 37.8%, respectively); 6.0% of patients received antiplatelet treatment; and 3.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. In North America, 52.1%, 26.2%, and 14.0% of patients received NOAC, VKA, and antiplatelet drugs, respectively; 7.5% received no antithrombotic treatment. NOAC use was less common in Asia (27.7%), where 27.5% of patients received VKA, 25.0% antiplatelet drugs, and 19.8% no antithrombotic treatment. Conclusions The baseline data from GLORIA-AF phase 2 demonstrate that in newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients, NOAC have been highly adopted into practice, becoming more frequently prescribed than VKA in Europe and North America. Worldwide, however, a large proportion of patients remain undertreated, particularly in Asia and North America. (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation [GLORIA-AF]; NCT01468701

The relationship between leg stepping pattern and yaw torque oscillations in curve walking of two crayfish species

Domenici P, Schmitz J, Jamon M. The relationship between leg stepping pattern and yaw torque oscillations in curve walking of two crayfish species. Journal of Experimental Biology. 1999;202(22):3069-3080.Curve walking in two species of crayfish, Procambarus clarkii and Astacus leptodactylus , was investigated to test whether the mechanism underlying curve walking is the synchronous action of a centrally pre-programmed leg tripod or whether it is the action of one principal leg that produces the main body yaw torque. Curve walking was induced by an optomotor visual stimulus, and the yaw torque produced by the tethered animals was measured in open-loop conditions. Our main results suggest that the yaw torque oscillations in both P. clarkii and A. leptodactylus are related to the movement of outer leg 4 (i.e. leg 4 on the outside of the turn). That is, the peaks in the yaw torque occur, on average, in synchrony with the power stroke of outer leg 4. When comparing the results of this open-loop experiment on P. clarkii with results previously obtained for curve walking in untethered individuals of the same species, we found a much higher variability in leg coordination in the open-loop situation. Similarly, here we did not find the same level of synchrony in the tripod (formed by outer leg 4 and inner legs 2 and 5) observed during untethered free walking. Therefore, we suggest that tethered conditions may diminish the need for stability and thus allow outer leg 4 to produce a body rotation regardless of the leg stepping configuration. The characteristics of leg 4 are in line with its major role in turning. According to previous studies, legs 4 provide the largest force and the largest step amplitude during walking, and their force includes both a pulling and a pushing component which can facilitate the control of turning. Although it is apparent that outer leg 4 is not the only leg that can produce an inward yaw torque, its major role in modulating the yaw torque suggests that there may be a specific, centrally generated control of outer leg 4 during curve walking in crayfish