Results of preliminary fishing trials with 15.8m six-seam otter trawl

The paper deals with the results of trawling operations conducted along the Saurashtra Coast of Gujarat State with 15.8 m six-seam otter trawl. Fishing operations carried out from Fishtech No. 8 with this new net were the first of their kind in the country and the results proved to be encouraging. The design in question is passed on to private agencies for commercial operations.

A record production from an integrated farming system utilising sewage enriched water

The results of experiments conducted on a pond dyke (655m²) in the Wastewater Aquaculture Division of the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Rahara, during 1992-93 for maximising production through optimum utilisation of resources are communicated. Round the year intensive cultivation of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), amaranth (Amaranthus gangeticus and A. viridus), water-bind weed (Ipomea aquatica), Indian spinach (Basella rubra), radish (Raphanus sativum), amaranth (Amaranthus viridis), cauliflower (Brassica oleracia var. votrytis), cabbage (Brassica oleracia var. capitota) and papaya (Carica papaya) was undertaken using the treated sewage water from fish ponds for irrigation. The pond dyke yielded 5,626.5 kg vegetable which worked out to 85.9 tons per ha per year. Multiple cropping with these vegetables excluding papaya on a 460 m² dyke recorded a production of 4,926.5 kg at the rate of 107.1t per ha/yr. An improved yearly net return of about 35% over investment could be achieved through the selection of highly productive and pest resistant vegetable crops of longer duration for integration into the system. Introduction of this type of integrated farming would enhance the overall productivity and returns from farming.

Results of the Austrian-Ceylonese hydrobiological mission 1970 of the 1st Zoological Institute of the University of Vienna (Austria) and the Department of Zoology of the University of Ceylon, Vidyalankara Campus, Kelaniya (Sri Lanka). [Pt. 15.] Collection of fishes (Osteichthyes)

A total of 378 specimens from 25 collecting localities belonging to 31 different species of fish collected mainly from the rivers of the hilly and mountain regions of the south-western and southern Ceylon have been identified and recorded. Ecological data and water analyses of these collecting localities are given.

Non-catalytic multi-fuel reformer for syngas production for fuel cell applications

Rich combustion of n-heptane, diesel oil, jet A-1 kerosene, and bio-diesel (rapeseed-oil methyl ester) were studied to produce hydrogen enriched gas, ready for the cleanup stages for fuel cell applications. n-heptane was successfully reformed up to an equivalence ratio of 3:1, reaching a conversion efficiency up to 83% for a packed bed of alumina bead burner. Diesel, kerosene and bio-diesel were reformed to synthesis gas with conversion efficiency up to 65%. At equivalence ratio of 2:1 and P=7 kw, stability, low HC formation, high conversion efficiency, and low soot emission were achieved. A common synthesis gas composition around this condition was 15 and 13% H2, 15 and 17% CO, and 4 and 4.5% CO2 for n-heptane and diesel, jet A-1 and bio-diesel, respectively, for burner A. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 2010 Spring National Meeting (San Antonio, TX 3/21-25/2010).

Enriched environment treatment counteracts enhanced addictive and depressive-like behavior induced by prenatal chronic stress

Prenatal stress can cause many long-term behavior changes in offspring, but whether prenatal stress can alter addictive behavior in offspring and postnatal enriched environment treatment (EE) can restore these changes are unknown. We reported here that pr

MicroRNAs and other small RNAs enriched in the Arabidopsis RNA-dependent RNA polymerase-2 mutant.

The Arabidopsis genome contains a highly complex and abundant population of small RNAs, and many of the endogenous siRNAs are dependent on RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase 2 (RDR2) for their biogenesis. By analyzing an rdr2 loss-of-function mutant using two different parallel sequencing technologies, MPSS and 454, we characterized the complement of miRNAs expressed in Arabidopsis inflorescence to considerable depth. Nearly all known miRNAs were enriched in this mutant and we identified 13 new miRNAs, all of which were relatively low abundance and constitute new families. Trans-acting siRNAs (ta-siRNAs) were even more highly enriched. Computational and gel blot analyses suggested that the minimal number of miRNAs in Arabidopsis is approximately 155. The size profile of small RNAs in rdr2 reflected enrichment of 21-nt miRNAs and other classes of siRNAs like ta-siRNAs, and a significant reduction in 24-nt heterochromatic siRNAs. Other classes of small RNAs were found to be RDR2-independent, particularly those derived from long inverted repeats and a subset of tandem repeats. The small RNA populations in other Arabidopsis small RNA biogenesis mutants were also examined; a dcl2/3/4 triple mutant showed a similar pattern to rdr2, whereas dcl1-7 and rdr6 showed reductions in miRNAs and ta-siRNAs consistent with their activities in the biogenesis of these types of small RNAs. Deep sequencing of mutants provides a genetic approach for the dissection and characterization of diverse small RNA populations and the identification of low abundance miRNAs.

On the performance of otter trawls operated from a 15.4 m trawler off Veraval

Results obtained with three trawl nets namely, 13.7m four seam, 15.8m six seam and 18.3m four seam operated from a 15.4m wooden trawler, are presented. Among the three nets operated, 15.8m six seam trawl and 18.3 four seam trawl were found to be equally effective for the capture of shrimp and during the lean season 15.8m six seam trawl can be successfully operated to exploit demersal as well as semi-pelagic fish resources. The catch data were analysed using analysis of variance and Gulland's method.