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.

Wear of hardfacing white cast irons by solid particle erosion

The response of three commercial weld-hardfacing alloys to erosive wear has been studied. These were high chromium white cast irons, deposited by an open-arc welding process, widely used in the mineral processing and steelmaking industries for wear protection. Erosion tests were carried out with quartz sand, silicon carbide grit and blast furnace sinter of two different sizes, at a velocity of 40 m s-1 and at impact angles in the range 20° to 90°. A monolithic white cast iron and mild steel were also tested for comparison. Little differences were found in the wear rates when silica sand or silicon carbide grit was used as the erodent. Significant differences were found, however, in the rankings of the materials. Susceptibility to fracture of the carbide particles in the white cast irons played an important role in the behaviour of the white cast irons. Sinter particles were unable to cause gross fracture of the carbides and so those materials with a high volume fraction of carbides showed the greatest resistance to erosive wear. Silica and silicon carbide were capable of causing fracture of the primary carbides. Concentration of plastic strain in the matrix then led to a high wear rate for the matrix. At normal impact with silica or silicon carbide erodents mild steel showed a greater resistance to erosive wear than these alloys. © 1995.

Larval rearing and fry raising of Pangasius sutchi(Fowler)

Pangasius sutchi were artificially bred for determining the hatching success and larval growth response to live food in relation to varying stocking densities. The fertilized eggs were hatched out with successful hatching rates ranging between 60 and 63%. Newly hatched larvae of 4.4 mm average length were reared using Tubifex as live food in metallic trays with water temperature of 27 to 29.5°C and dissolved oxygen level of 3.88 to 6.22 mg/1 for 6-day with an average survival rate of75.56±13.25%. The P. sutchifry of9- day old were further reared using Tubifex in the polythene covered metallic trays at the stocking densities of 2-7 fry per litre of water for a period of 14 day. P. sutchi fry raising at 4 individual per litre of water for 14 day gives better results in terms of survival and growth.

Dynamics of in-plane arch rocking: An energy approach

This study employs an analytical model to describe the rocking response of a masonry arch to in-plane seismic loading. Through evaluation of the rate of energy input to the system, the model reveals the ground motions that cause maximum rocking amplification. An experimental investigation of small-scale masonry arches subjected to past earthquake time histories is used to evaluate the analytical model and to explore arch rocking behaviour. The results demonstrate that rocking amplification can occur, but is highly sensitive to slight variations in the ground motion. Thus, the accuracy to which the arch response can be predicted is brought into perspective. The concept that the primary impulse of an expected ground motion is fundamentally important in predicting arch collapse is evaluated in light of the developed energy approach. Finally, a statistical method is proposed for predicting the probability of arch collapse during seismic loading.

无指盘臭蛙免疫调节肽、其基因和变异体及其在制药中的应用

本发明涉及无指盘臭蛙免疫调节肽、基因和变异体及其在制药中的应用，属生物医学技术领域。无指盘臭蛙免疫调节肽是一种环状多肽，分子量1791.12道尔顿，等电点 9.84，无指盘臭蛙免疫调节肽的全序列为：Thr Ser Arg Cys Tyr Ile Gly Tyr Arg Arg Lys Val Val Cys Ser(TSRCYIGYRRKVVCS)，其第4位的半胱氨酸和第14位的半胱氨酸形成分子内二硫键。编码的基因由307个核苷酸组成，其中编码成熟部分的为第 141-186位核苷酸。无指盘臭蛙免疫调节肽原始序列中第4个氨基酸发生替代所产生的变异体，人工合成的无指盘臭蛙免疫调节肽及其变异体具有强烈的免疫调节活性和肿瘤抑制活性，作为制备免疫调节、肿瘤治疗和化疗药物的应用。本发明还具有序列简单、合成方便等优点。

非传粉小蜂的食性及其对榕树- 传粉小蜂系统稳定性的影响

榕树与其传粉小蜂形成了高度专一的互惠共生系统。非传粉小蜂则是该系统的资源掠夺者, 但它与 该系统共存的机制仍不清楚。于2003 年12 月—2004 年4 月在西双版纳以聚果榕( Ficus racemosa L. ) 为材料, 研究了寄生在聚果榕榕果内的5 种非传粉小蜂的食性及相互关系, 以探讨非传粉小蜂与榕树- 传粉小蜂系统共 存的机制。结果表明: 寄生在聚果榕榕果内的5 种非传粉小蜂中, 仅Platyneura testacea Motschulsky 和Platyneu2 ra mayri Rasplus 能刺激子房发育成瘿花, 是造瘿者; Apocrypta sp . , Apocrypta westwoodi Grandi 和Platyneura a2 graensis Joseph 不能刺激子房发育成瘿花, 是拟寄生者。传粉小蜂的拟寄生者和造瘿者对传粉小蜂有负的影响, 但在蚂蚁和造瘿者的拟寄生蜂作用下, 这种负面影响并不显著, 而且它们对榕树繁殖没有显著影响。对小蜂自 然种群的分析表明, 传粉小蜂处于优势地位。说明在自然情况下传粉小蜂的拟寄生者和造瘿者的种群维持在一 个较低水平, 对榕树- 传粉小蜂系统稳定性影响较小, 故能与之长期共存。

Effects of stocking density on growth and survival of Mystus gulio in nursery ponds

A study on the effect of stocking density on growth and survival of nona tengra (Mystus gulio) was carried out in brackishwater earthen nursery ponds (2 decimal each) for a period of 42 days. Five-day old captive bred tengra post-larvae (ABL: 4.53±0.83 mm and ABW:3.33 mg) were stocked at four different densities of 200/m² (Treatment-1), 250/m² (Treatment-2), 350/m² (Treatment-3) and 450/m² (Treatment-4). Fries were fed twice a day with a mixture of fine rice bran, mustard oil cake and fishmeal at the ratio of 2:1:1. The specific growth rate (SGR) of larvae did not vary significantly (p>0.05) between T1 (5.096% mg/day) and T2 (5.08% mg/day), but it was found significantly (p<0.05) higher from T3 (4.98% mg/day) and T4 (4.91% mg/day), respectively. The final survival rates of 89.25±5.41% in T1 and 88.72±6.09% in T2 were found similar (p>0.05), but significantly higher (p<0.05) than those of, 76.20±4.77% in T3 and 70.34±5.71% in T4. The results indicate that 5-day old hatchery bred nona tengra post-larvae can be nursed in earthen pond at a stocking density of 200-250/m².

Can a group elicit duets from its neighbours? A field study on the black-crested gibbon (Nomascus concolor jingdongensis) in Central Yunnan, China

We tested the intergroup spacing hypothesis with a 13-month field study of the interaction of singing behaviour between 3 neighbouring groups of black-crested gibbons (Nomascus concolor jingdongensis) at Mt. Wuliang, Central Yunnan, China. Neighbouring gr

Wetlands and riparian zones as buffers and critical habitats for biotic communities in Lake Victoria

Despite their ecological and socio-economic importance, Lake Victoria's adjoining "swamps" and lake interface are among the least investigated parts of the lake. The "swamps" a term commonly equated to "wastelands" and the difficult working environment they present in comparison to open water, are major factors for the low level of attention accorded to shoreline wetlands. Moreover, definitions of wetlands highlighted for example in the Ramsar Convention as "areas of marsh, fern, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh or brackish, or salt, including areas of marine water, the depth of which does not exceed six metres" (Ramsar, 1971) were designed to protect birds (water fowl) of international importance. The Ramsar definition, which also includes oceans, has till recently been of limited use for Lake Victoria, because itdoes not fully recognise wetlands in relation to other public concerns such as water quality, biodiversity and the tisheries that are of higher socioeconomic priority than waterfowl. Prior to 1992, fishery research on Lake Victoria included studies of inshore shallow habitats of the lake without specific reference to distance or the type of vegetation at the shore. Results of these studies also conveniently relied heavily on trawl and gill net data from the 5-10 m depth zones as the defining boundary of shallow inshore habitats. In Lake Victoria, such a depth range can be at least one kilometre from the lake interface and by the 10m depth contour, habitats are in the sub-littoral range. Findings from these studies could thus not be used to make direct inferences on the then assumed importance of Lake Victoria wetlands in general.

Contribución al conocimiento biológico del calamar argentino Illex illecebrosus argentinus

The present work deals with the biological study of the squid Illex illecebrosus argentinus of the Buenos Aires area (Argentina) in the southwest Atlantic ocean. According to recent research (Voss, pers. comm.) the squid obtained in commercial fishing in the waters off Buenos Aires Province (Castellanos), which in proper of the S.W. Atlantic. The material studied comes from commercial fishing done in in two sectors: one ranging from 36~' to 37~' S, and the other from 39~' to 42~' S in latitude, while both extend from 55~' to 62~' W in longitude. The fishing area varies during the years, being located more towards the North in summer and more towards the South in winter, following the fishing of hake. The number of individuals studied was 186. Their total length ranged from 195 mm to 670 mm for both sexes. The sampling showed that the males had lesser length and weight than the females: that is, a secondary sexual dimorphism was observed. At the length of 240 mm the squid reaches its sexual maturity. Sexual activity is observed the year around, but not simultaneously for the whole population, that is to say, spawning does not take place en masse but, on the contrary, it occurs during a prolonged period. In summer, from December to March, the greatest spawning period is observed. This takes place in the same habitat for the whole squid population. The squid herein studied is a cold water species, the water temperature ranging from 5~' to 12~' C in the sites of the largest catches. The squid is caught at depths ranging from 7 to 250 meters with a trawl net. In Patagonian waters, somewhat smaller individual are caught with 'poteras' at depths ranging from 1 to 8 fathoms.