Length-weight relationships of five species of the family Sparidae in the Gulf of Guinea

Length-weight relationships are presented by sex and by country for five species of the family Sparidae (Pugrus caeruleostictus, Pagellus bellottii, Dentex canariensis, Dentex congonensis, Dentex angolensis) sampled in April 1990 during the Guinea '90 trawling survey off Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana.

Generating the Sparse Point Cloud of a Civil Infrastructure Scene Using a Single Video Camera under Practical Constraints

Automating the model generation process of infrastructure can substantially reduce the modeling time and cost. This paper presents a method to generate a sparse point cloud of an infrastructure scene using a single video camera under practical constraints. It is the first step towards establishing an automatic framework for object-oriented as-built modeling. Motion blur and key frame selection criteria are considered. Structure from motion and bundle adjustment are explored. The method is demonstrated in a case study where the scene of a reinforced concrete bridge is videotaped, reconstructed, and metrically validated. The result indicates the applicability, efficiency, and accuracy of the proposed method.

Genetic heterogeneity and ploidy level analysis among different gynogenetic clones of the polyploid gibel carp

Background: Some triploid and tetraploid clones have been identified in the gynogenetic gibel carp, Carassius auratus gibelio Bloch, by karyotypic and cytologic analyses over many years. Further, 5-20% males and karyotypic diversity have been found among their natural and artificial populations. However, the DNA contents and the relation to their ploidy level and chromosome numbers have not been ascertained, and whether normal meiosis occurs in spermatogenesis needs to be determined in the different clones. Methods: The sampled blood cells or sperms were mixed with blood cells from chicken or individual gibel carp and fixed in 70% pre-cooled ethanol overnight at 4degreesC. The mixed cell pellets were washed 2-3 times in 1x phosphate buffered saline and then resuspended in the solution containing 0.5% pepsin and 0.1 M HCl. DNA was stained with propidium iodide solution (40 mug/mL) containing 4 kU/ml RNase. The measurements of DNA contents were performed with Phoenix Flow Systems. Results: Triploid clones A, E, F, and P had almost equal DNA content, but triploid clone D had greater DNA content than did the other four triploid clones. DNA content of clone M (7.01 +/- 0.15 pg/nucleus) was almost equal to the DNA content of clone D (5-38 +/- 0.06 pg/nucleus) plus the DNA content of common carp sperm (1.64 +/- 0.02 pg/nucleus). The DNA contents of sperms from clones A, P, and D were half of their blood cells, suggesting that normal meiosis occurs in spermatogenesis. Conclusions: Flow cytometry is a powerful method to analyze genetic heterogeneity and ploidy level among different gynogenetic clones of polyploid gibel carp. Through this study, four questions have been answered. (a) The DNA content correlation among the five triploid clones and one multiple tetraploid clone was revealed in the gibel carp, and the contents increased with not only the ploidy level but also the chromosome number. (b) Mean DNA content was 0.052 pg in six extra chromosomes of clone D, which was higher than that of each chromosome in clones A, E, F, and P (about 0.032 pg/ chromosome). This means that the six extra chromosomes are larger chromosomes. (c) Normal meiosis occurred during spermatogenesis of the gibel carp, because DNA contents of the sperms from clones A, P, and D were almost half of that in their blood cells. (d) Multiple tetraploid clone M (7.01 +/- 0.15 pg/nucleus) contained the complete genome of clone D (5.38 +/- 0.06 pg/nucleus) and the genome of common carp sperm (1.64 +/- 0.02 pg/nucleus). Cytometry Part A 56A:46-52, 2003. (C) 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

工程地质三维可视化技术及其工程应用研究

Study of 3D visualization technology of engineering geology and its application to engineering is a cross subject which includes geosciences, computer, software and information technology. Being an important part of the secondary theme of National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) whose name is Study of Multi-Scale Structure and Occurrence Environment of Complicated Geological Engineering Mass(No.2002CB412701), the dissertation involves the studies of key problems of 3D geological modeling, integrated applications of multi-format geological data, effective modeling methods of complex approximately layered geological mass as well as applications of 3D virtual reality information management technology.The main research findings are listed below:Integrated application method of multi-format geological data is proposed,which has solved the integrated application of drill holes, engineering geology plandrawings, sectional drawings and cutting drawings as well as exploratory trenchsketch. Its application can provide as more as possible fundamental data for 3Dgeological modeling.A 3D surface construction method combined Laplace interpolation points withoriginal points is proposed, so the deformation of 3D model and the crossing error ofupper and lower surface of model resulted from lack of data when constructing alaminated stratum can be eliminated.3D modeling method of approximately layered geological mass is proposed,which has solved the problems of general modeling method based on the sections or points and faces when constructing terrain and concordant strata.The 3D geological model of VII dam site of Xiangjiaba hydropower stationhas been constructed. The applications of 3D geological model to the auto-plotting ofsectional drawing and the converting of numerical analysis model are also discussed.3D virtual reality information integrated platform is developed, whose mostimportant character is that it is a software platform having the functions of 3D virtualreality flying and multi-format data management simultaneously. Therefore, theplatform can load different 3D model so as to satisfy the different engineeringdemands.The relics of Aigong Cave of Longyou Stone Caves are recovered. Thereinforcement plans of 1# and 2# cave in phoenix hill also be expressed. The intuitiveexpression provided decision makers and designers a very good environment.The basic framework and specific functions of 3D geological informationsystem are proposed.The main research findings in the dissertation have been successfully applied to some important engineering such as Xiangjiaba hydropower station, a military airport and Longyou Stone Caves etc.

Hybrid integration and packaging of grating-coupled silicon photonics

This thesis covers both the packaging of silicon photonic devices with fiber inputs and outputs as well as the integration of laser light sources with these same devices. The principal challenge in both of these pursuits is coupling light into the submicrometer waveguides that are the hallmark of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) systems. Previous work on grating couplers is leveraged to design new approaches to bridge the gap between the highly-integrated domain of silicon, the Interconnected world of fiber and the active region of III-V materials. First, a novel process for the planar packaging of grating couplers with fibers is explored in detail. This technology allows the creation of easy-to-use test platforms for laser integration and also stands on its own merits as an enabling technology for next-generation silicon photonics systems. The alignment tolerances of this process are shown to be well-suited to a passive alignment process and for wafer-scale assembly. Furthermore, this technology has already been used to package demonstrators for research partners and is included in the offerings of the ePIXfab silicon photonics foundry and as a design kit for PhoeniX Software’s MaskEngineer product. After this, a process for hybridly integrating a discrete edge-emitting laser with a silicon photonic circuit using near-vertical coupling is developed and characterized. The details of the various steps of the design process are given, including mechanical, thermal, optical and electrical steps. The interrelation of these design domains is also discussed. The construction process for a demonstrator is outlined, and measurements are presented of a series of single-wavelength Fabry-Pérot lasers along with a two-section laser tunable in the telecommunications C-band. The suitability and potential of this technology for mass manufacture is demonstrated, with further opportunities for improvement detailed and discussed in the conclusion.

Ecological homogenization of urban USA

A visually apparent but scientifically untested outcome of land-use change is homogenization across urban areas, where neighborhoods in different parts of the country have similar patterns of roads, residential lots, commercial areas, and aquatic features. We hypothesize that this homogenization extends to ecological structure and also to ecosystem functions such as carbon dynamics and microclimate, with continental-scale implications. Further, we suggest that understanding urban homogenization will provide the basis for understanding the impacts of urban land-use change from local to continental scales. Here, we show how multi-scale, multidisciplinary datasets from six metropolitan areas that cover the major climatic regions of the US (Phoenix, AZ; Miami, FL; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Minneapolis-St Paul, MN; and Los Angeles, CA) can be used to determine how household and neighborhood characteristics correlate with land-management practices, land-cover composition, and landscape structure and ecosystem functions at local, regional, and continental scales. © The Ecological Society of America.

Canary grass : variations in grain yield and other agronomically important features in response to different plant densities

p.43-55

Análisis comparativo del rendimiento de semillas y otras características de interés agronómico en poblaciones locales y cultivares introducidos de alpiste

p.147-154

Canary grass : variations in grain yield and other agronomically important features in response to different plant densities

p.43-55

Contribución al conocimiento de los pinares de la isla de Tenerife

Se presenta un trabajo fitosociológico preliminar de los pinares de Tenerife. Se estudian las siguientes comunidades: Cytiso proliferi-Pinetum canariensis Vogg. 1975 em., con las subass.: cistetosum sympitifolii nov., cistetosum monspeliensis nov., adenocarpetosum foliosi nov., ericetosum arboreae nov. y Adenocarpetosum viscosii Vogg. 1975 em.; y Lotetum campylocladi ass. nov., adjuntándose un esquema sincorológico de las mismas. Por último se hace una discusión y una sinopsis sintaxonómica de los pinares tinerfeños.

Acerca de Lactuca herbanica Burch

Después de estudiar el material original de O. Burchard, se considera que Lactuca herbanica Burch. es un nombre superfluo y debe considerarse como sinónimo pp. de Crepis canariensis (Sch. Bip) Babc. y de Sonchus bourgeaui Sch. Bip.