Anchorage of air bladder with the interspinous bone of the anal fin in Lactarius lactarius (Bloch and Schneider, 1801)

Specimens of the false trevally (Lactarius lactarius ), 127 to 221 mm in total length, were studied for the mode of anchorage of the air-bladder with the interspinous bone of the anal fin. The 1st and 2nd interspinous bones are fused together into a single piece (named here as the anchor bone) which pierces through the air-bladder, dividing it into two intercommunicating chambers at its upper end, and ultimately articulates with the 10th vertebral bone. The lower end of the bone is broad, fan like with one side affording articulation with the 1st and 2nd anal spines. This is an unique feature of great taxonomical importance to L. lactarius, the only species in the family Lactariidae. The anal fin counts (23-27) and vertebral counts (23) are also given.

Centrifuge modelling and dynamic testing of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills

An investigation into the seismic behaviour of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills by dynamic centrifuge testing was undertaken. This paper presents physical modelling of MSW landfills for dynamic centrifuge testing, with regard to the following research areas: 1. amplification characteristics of municipal solid waste; 2. tension induced in geomembranes placed on landfill slopes due to earthquake loading; 3. damage to landfill liners due to liquefaction of foundation soil. A model waste, that has engineering properties similar to MSW, is presented. A model geomembrane that can be used in centrifuge tests is also presented. Results of dynamic centrifuge tests with the model geomembrane showed that an earthquake loading induces additional permanent tension (∼25%) in the geomembrane. © 2006 Taylor & Francis Group.

Contact and channel modelling using part and function libraries in a function-based design approach

To support the development and analysis of engineering designs at the embodiment stage, designers work iteratively with representations of those designs as they consider the function and form of their constituent parts. Detailed descriptions of "what a machine does" usually include flows of forces and active principles within the technical system, and their localization within parts and across the interfaces between them. This means that a representation should assist a designer in considering form and function at the same time and at different levels of abstraction. This paper describes a design modelling approach that enables designers to break down a system architecture into its subsystems and parts, while assigning functions and flows to parts and the interfaces between them. In turn, this may reveal further requirements to fulfil functions in order to complete the design. The approach is implemented in a software tool which provides a uniform, computable language allowing the user to describe functions and flows as they are iteratively discovered, created and embodied. A database of parts allows the user to search for existing design solutions. The approach is illustrated through an example: modelling the complex mechanisms within a humanoid robot. Copyright © 2010 by ASME.

Centrifuge modelling and dynamic testing of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills

An investigation into the seismic behaviour of municipal solidwaste (MSW) landfills by dynamic centrifuge testing was undertaken. This paper presents physical modelling of MSW landfills for dynamic centrifuge testing, with regard to the following research areas: 1. amplification characteristics of municipal solid waste; 2. tension induced in geomembranes placed on landfill slopes due to earthquake loading; 3. damage to landfill liners due to liquefaction of foundation soil. A model waste, that has engineering properties similar to MSW, is presented. A model geomembrane that can be used in centrifuge tests is also presented. Results of dynamic centrifuge tests with the model geomembrane showed that an earthquake loading induces additional permanent tension (∼25%) in the geomembrane. © 2006 Taylor & Francis Group, London.

Seasonal variations of estrogenic compounds and their estrogenicities in influent and effluent from a municipal sewage treatment plant in China

The seasonal variations of estrogenic compounds and the estrogenicities of influent and effluent were investigated by OF chemical analysis and in vitro assay in a municipal sewage treatment plant in Wuhan (China). The levels of eight estrogenic compounds, including 17 beta-estradiol (E-2) estrone (E-1), estriol (E-3) diethylstilbestrol (DES), 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol, nonylphenol (NP), 4-tert-octylphenol (OP), and bisphenol A (BPA), were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Total estrogenic activity of sewage was quantitatively assessed using primary cultured hepatocytes of male Megalobrama amblycephala Yih using vitellogenin as a biomarker. The E-2 equivalents (EEQs) obtained from the chemical analysis were consistent with those measured by bioassay. The natural (E-1, E-2, and E-3) and synthetic (DES) estrogens, as well as NP, were the main contributors of the total EEQs of influent and effluent in the present study. The levels of natural estrogens E-1 and E-3 in the influent and effluent were higher in winter than in summer, whereas the situation for NP and OP was the reverse. The levels of E-2, DES, and BPA varied little among different seasons. 17 alpha-Ethinylestradiol was not detected in the influent and effluent. The estrogenicities of the influent and of the primary and secondary effluents were all higher in summer than in winter. Estrogenic activities in winter mainly originated from natural (E-1, E-2, and E-3) and synthetic (DES) estrogens, whereas the increase of EEQs in summer was contributed by NP The results from chemical analysis and bioassay demonstrate that estrogenic compounds cannot be entirely removed by the existing sewage treatment process, which should be further improved to protect aquatic ecosystems and human health.

Polymorphic microsatellites in largemouth bronze gudgeon (Coreius guichenoti) developed from repeat-enriched libraries and cross-species amplifications

Largemouth bronze gudgeon (Coreius guichenoti) is a medium-sized fish endemic from the upper Yangtze River of China and its survival is threatened by the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. This study reports 20 new polymorphic microsatellites from a repeat-enriched genomic library with a mean number allele of 5.2, and observed and expected heterozygosities ranging from 0.035 to 1, and from 0.13 to 0.917, respectively. In a cross-species amplification test, nine of the 37 tested loci were found to be also polymorphic in a congeneric species, brass gudgeon (C. heterodon). In addition, other four loci from common carp (Cyprinus carpio) were also polymorphic in C. guichenoti. Out of these 24 polymorphic microsatellites, only three loci significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the sampled population (P < 0.0025), and all pairwise tests for linkage disequilibrium among loci were nonsignificant after applying sequential Bonferroni correction (P > 0.0026). These novel microsatellites provide sufficient levels of polymorphism for studies on population genetics and conservation in C. guichenoti and its related species.

Hydrogen production characteristics of the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes by anaerobic mixed culture fermentation

The hydrogen production from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) by anaerobic mixed culture fermentation was investigated using batch experiments at 37 degrees C. Seven varieties of typical individual components of OFMSW including rice, potato, lettuce, lean meat, oil, fat and banyan leaves were selected to estimate the hydrogen production potential. Experimental results showed that the boiling treated anaerobic sludge was effective mixed inoculum for fermentative hydrogen production from OFMSW. Mechanism of fermentative hydrogen production indicates that, among the OFMSW, carbohydrates is the most optimal substrate for fermentative hydrogen production compared with proteins, lipids and lignocelluloses. This conclusion was also substantiated by experimental results of this study. The hydrogen production potentials of rice, potato and lettuce were 134 mL/g-VS, 106 mL/g-VS, and 50 mL/g-VS respectively. The hydrogen percentages of the total gas produced from rice, potato and lettuce were 57-70%, 41-55% and 37-67%. 2008 International Association for Hydrogen Energy.