ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ZEBRA MUSSEL DREISSENA POLYMORPHA (PALLAS, 1771) IN LOUGH NEAGH, NORTHERN IRELAND

Five adult Dreissena polymotpha were found on the hull of a boat moored in Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, in November 2005; this is the first indication of their presence in this large lake. This finding initiated a survey to determine whether the zebra mussel was present throughout Lough Neagh. Forty-four settled juveniles on debris were found at twenty sites around the lough shore. As a result of these findings a more extensive study was undertaken in October 2006 to examine planktonic and settled stages. Veliger larvae were at densities of 0.0211 veligers per m(-3). Spat collectors showed settlement at six out of the seven sites sampled at a mean density of 523.76 juvenile zebra mussels per m(-2). No adult zebra mussels were found on natural substratum in the lough during the shoreline survey. However, 24 adult zebra mussels, 7.5 mm to 24 mm long, were found on the hull of a boat moored in Lough Neagh.

Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 May 2009-31 July 2009

This article documents the addition of 512 microsatellite marker loci and nine pairs of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) sequencing primers to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Alcippe morrisonia morrisonia, Bashania fangiana, Bashania fargesii, Chaetodon vagabundus, Colletes floralis, Coluber constrictor flaviventris, Coptotermes gestroi, Crotophaga major, Cyprinella lutrensis, Danaus plexippus, Fagus grandifolia, Falco tinnunculus, Fletcherimyia fletcheri, Hydrilla verticillata, Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus, Leavenworthia alabamica, Marmosops incanus, Miichthys miiuy, Nasua nasua, Noturus exilis, Odontesthes bonariensis, Quadrula fragosa, Pinctada maxima, Pseudaletia separata, Pseudoperonospora cubensis, Podocarpus elatus, Portunus trituberculatus, Rhagoletis cerasi, Rhinella schneideri, Sarracenia alata, Skeletonema marinoi, Sminthurus viridis, Syngnathus abaster, Uroteuthis (Photololigo) chinensis, Verticillium dahliae, Wasmannia auropunctata, and Zygochlamys patagonica. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Chaetodon baronessa, Falco columbarius, Falco eleonorae, Falco naumanni, Falco peregrinus, Falco subbuteo, Didelphis aurita, Gracilinanus microtarsus, Marmosops paulensis, Monodelphis Americana, Odontesthes hatcheri, Podocarpus grayi, Podocarpus lawrencei, Podocarpus smithii, Portunus pelagicus, Syngnathus acus, Syngnathus typhle,Uroteuthis (Photololigo) edulis, Uroteuthis (Photololigo) duvauceli and Verticillium albo-atrum. This article also documents the addition of nine sequencing primer pairs and sixteen allele specific primers or probes for Oncorhynchus mykiss and Oncorhynchus tshawytscha; these primers and assays were cross-tested in both species.

Analysis of the 3D zone of flow establishment from a ship’s propeller

In the present study an experimental investigation of the time-averaged velocity and turbulence intensity distributions from a ship’s propeller, in “bollard pull” condition (zero speed of advance), is reported. Previous studies have focused mainly on the velocity profile of not a rotating ship propeller but a plain jet. The velocity profile of a propeller is investigated experimentally in this study.
The velocity measurements were performed in laboratory by using a Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA). The measurements demonstrated two-peaked ridges velocity profile with a low velocity core at the centre within the near wake. The two-peaked ridges combined to be one-peaked ridge at 3.68 diameters downstream indicating the end of the zone of flow establishment. The study
provides useful information from a rotating ship’s propeller rather than a simplified plain jet to researchers investigating flow velocity generated from a propeller and probably resulting local scouring.

The establishment of a 3D breast photography service in medical illustration

This paper aims to describe the development of a 3D breast photography service managed by the Medical Illustration Department, in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Northern Ireland. Dedicated 3D breast photography equipment was installed in Medical Illustration for 18 months. Women were referred for a variety of indications including pre- and post-surgical assessment. A dedicated 3D breast photography protocol was developed locally and this requires further refinement to allow reproducibility in other centres. There are image/data artefacts associated with this technology and special techniques are required to reduce these. Specialist software is necessary for clinicians and scientists to use 3D breast photography data in surgical planning and measurement of surgical outcome.

Designing and understanding permanent microporosity in liquids

Standard microporous materials are typically crystalline solids that exhibit a regular array of cavities of uniform size and shape. Packing and directional bonding between molecular building blocks give rise to interstitial pores that confer size and shape-specific sorption properties to the material. In the liquid state interstitial cavities are transient. However, permanent and intrinsic "pores'' can potentially be built into the structure of the molecules that constitute the liquid. With the aid of computer simulations we have designed, synthesised and characterised a series of liquids composed of hollow cage-like molecules, which are functionalised with hydrocarbon chains to make them liquid at accessible temperatures. Experiments and simulations demonstrate that chain length and size of terminal chain substituents can be used to tune, within certain margins, the permanence of intramolecular cavities in such neat liquids. Simulations identify a candidate "porous liquid'' in which 30% of the cages remain empty in the liquid state. Absorbed methane molecules selectively occupy these empty cavities.