Morphometric, meristics and comparative studies of Chrysichthys nigrodigititus (Lacepede) from Lagos Lekki and Badagry Lagoons, Lagos State, south west Nigeria

Morphometric measurements, meristic counts and comparative studies of Chrysicthys nigrodigitatus samples from Lagos, Lekki, and Badagry Lagoons was carried out to determine the amount of variation among the species from the different locations using seven meristic and two morphometric characters. Significant differences were observed only between the headlength (F==14.02; P<00.05), number of anal rays (F=19.9; P<0.05) and of gill raker counts (F=142.0, 160.94; P<0.05). The differences observed in the meristic characters could be attributed to environmental and climatic differences of the three isolated sites and therefore phenotypic rather than genetic. This study is valuable for the selection of quality strains of fish species for aquaculture production

Propagation of a few-cycle laser pulse in a V-type three-level system

Propagation of a few-cycle laser pulse in a V-type three-level system (fine structure levels of rubidium) is investigated numerically. The full three-level Maxwell-Bloch equations without the rotating wave approximation and the standing slowly varying envelope approximation are solved by using a finite-difference time-domain method. It is shown that, when the usual unequal oscillator strengths are considered, self-induced transparency cannot be recovered and higher spectral components can be produced even for small-area pulses. (c) 2005 Pleiades Publishing, Inc.

高功率半导体激光器线阵列的波长锁定技术

高功率半导体激光器光谱随温度和工作电流的变化比较大，光谱线宽比较宽，这些缺点直接限制了其实际应用。因此，高功率半导体激光器波长稳定技术的研究是激光领域的一个重要研究方向。对波长稳定技术进行研究。实验用体布拉格光栅（VBG）作为反馈元件与高功率半导体激光器线阵列，构成可以对其波长进行锁定的外腔激光器。分析了外腔激光器的波长锁定效果与高功率半导体激光器工作电流、冷却温度、工作电流的占空比和“smile”现象等因素的关系。研究结果表明，高功率半导体激光器的工作电流、冷却温度、工作电流的占空比会影响其激射波长，当激射波长与VBG的布拉格波长差值小于3．0nm时，可以得到较好的波长锁定效果，而阵列本身的“smile”现象对其波长锁定的影响不大。

Effects of process on microstructure and properties of translucent Dy-alpha-SiAlON sintered at lower temperatures

Hot pressing (HP) at higher sintering temperature has been a traditional and prevalent technique for the fabrication of alpha-SiAlON. In order to prepare translucent SiAlON more easily, LiF was used as a non-oxide sintering additive to lower the sintering temperature to <= 1650 degrees C. As a result, all of the samples possessed a good hardness and fracture toughness. At the same time, the lower temperature sintered samples showed a higher optical transmittance in the range of 2.5-5.5 mu m wavelength (0.5 mm in thickness). The maximum infrared transmission reached 68% at a wavelength of 3.3 mu m. The present work shows that the sintering process has a strong effect on microstructure and property of alpha-SiAlON. To be exact, a lower sintering temperature and longer holding time can produce some fully-developed microstrcture, which is beneficial for the optical transmittance. (C) 2008 The Ceramic Society of Japan. All rights reserved.

Escalation in shrimp production in the Sierra Leone industrial fishery

Applying Turkey's jackknife method on MSY estimates from the surplus production models of Schaefer and Fox showed that the optimum yield for shrimps in industrial fishery in Sierra Leone is estimated at 2,686.8 t with 15,822 fishing days. Annual catch for 1996 was 2,788 t, indicating an escalation in exploitation which, if prolonged, could bring reduced productivity as experienced in the fishery some years ago.

Aqui se jaz, aqui se paga : o mercado da morte e do morrer em tempos de imortalidade

Esta tese busca compreender o que os rituais funerários contemporâneos revelam sobre as maneiras com as quais as pessoas têm lidado com a morte e o morrer na atualidade. Desse eixo central se ramificam reflexões sobre a relação dos homens com o tempo, com o envelhecimento e com a finitude. Evidenciando que os modos atuais de lidar com a morte e o morrer envolvem flagrantes processos de mercantilização, patologização, medicalização e espetacularização. O crescente uso de serviços funerários de tanatoestética apontam não somente técnicas de maquiagem dos mortos, mas também estratégias de maquiagem da morte. O investimento financeiro, antes direcionado às preocupações transcendentes com o futuro da alma do morto, se reverte em intervenções físicas no corpo morto, de maneira que ele não emita sinal algum da morte que o tomou e proteja os sobreviventes do contato com a finitude. Essa dissimulação é sinalizada pela redução progressiva do espaço que a sociedade contemporânea tem destinado ao luto e ao sofrimento, categorias com cada vez mais frequência equiparadas a condições patológicas. Utilizando metodologia qualitativa, com pesquisa de campo realizada tanto no Brasil como em Portugal, durante período de doutorado sanduíche no exterior, observou-se um acentuado estreitamento entre as realidades morte e consumo. Indicando uma transposição da lógica comercial de mercado às práticas funerárias tradicionais. Assim, funções simbólicas dos rituais fúnebres vem sendo modificadas e regidas pela lógica do consumo, apresentado na atualidade como alternativa unidimensional para a imperativa vivência initerrupta do prazer e da felicidade. Constatou-se que - apesar da crescente popularização de discussões sobre o tema morte no meio acadêmico, na área da saúde e na mídia - não há aceno de ruptura no seu enquadramento como tabu. Apenas é permitido socialmente que ela ocupe locais determinados: o lugar de espetáculo, de produto, da técnica, da banalização ou mesmo do humor publicitário. As observações e as reflexões realizadas em todo o processo de construção desta tese nos inclinam a considerar que continua vedado o aprofundamento de questões ligadas à expressão de sentimentos de dor e de pesar diante das perdas. Assim como se acentuam os processos de patologização do luto e de distanciamento das demandas existênciais promovidas pela consciência da própria finitude e da passagem do tempo; do tempo de vida de cada um

小麦-多枝赖草抗性纯合易位系统的培育及其遗传标记

本研究以小麦与多枝赖草属间杂种后代BC_2F_3-F_6为基本材料，首先对其进行抗性鉴定和细胞学分析，从中选出一些抗性较好且体细胞染色体数2n = 42、PMC减数分裂期染色体配对比较正常的株系，进而以此为试材进行花药培养。研究过程中，解决了小麦远缘杂种后代花药培养愈伤组织诱导出愈率、绿苗分化率、最终绿苗得率、移栽成活率以及自然加倍率低等一个个障碍着小麦远缘杂种后代花药培养的关键性技术难题，获得了小麦与多枝赖草杂种后代花药培养的成功，共得到了150多个后代纯系的种子。 对这些后代纯系进行遗传标记技术鉴定。形态标记结果表明，后代材料中带有多枝赖草的标记性状，如耐盐、抗旱、抗黄矮、白粉病等;细胞学分析发现加倍单倍体（H_1）植株减数分裂染色体配对出现环形四价体、测交检测发现棒状二价体增加，初步鉴定选择出小麦与多枝赖草的纯合易位系。进一步利用现代分子生物学技术，进行分子标记、染色体原位杂交，结果表明材料中有外源（多枝赖草）染色体片段的存在。RFLP分析结果不仅证实外源基因的存在，而且初步实现了外源染色体片段的定位。RAPD分析结果，筛选出22个在多枝赖草与普通小麦间有多态性的引物，可以用来对多枝赖草的杂交后代进行分析。所鉴定的三个后代材料中，均扩增出了多枝赖草的同源特性征带，其中“82”2条、“87”2条、“116”6条。进一步说明这些材料中含有多枝赖草的染色体片段。从分子水平上分析证实已将多枝赖草的染色体片段或基因导入普通小麦，获得了纯合易位系。结合综合农艺性状调查、小区产量比较试验以及田间筛选试验等方面的工作，从中筛选鉴定出了一批既有外源基因（如抗黄矮病、抗旱、耐盐等）导人，且农艺性状好的小麦易位系新种质。同时，结合以往的研究工作，建立起一套小麦属间杂种通过花药培养快速获得纯合易位系的技术体系和相应的操作程序。

Fecundity and spawning season of striped mullet (Mugil cephalus L.) in South Carolina estuaries

Fecundity in striped mullet (Mugil cephalus) from South Carolina correlated highly with length and weight, but not with age. Oocyte counts ranged from 4.47 × 105 to 2.52 × 106 in 1998 for fish ranging in size from 331 mm to 600 mm total length, 2.13 × 105to 3.89 × 106in 1999 for fish ranging in size from 332 mm to 588 mm total length, and 3.89 × 105 to 3.01 × 106 in 2000 for fish ranging in size from 325 mm to 592 mm total length. The striped mullet in this study had a high degree of variability in the size-at-age relation-ship; this variability was indicative of varied growth rates and compounded the errors in estimating fecundity at age. The stronger relationship of fecundity to fish size allowed a much better predictive model for potential fecundity in striped mullet. By comparing fecundity with other measures of reproductive activity, such as the gonadosomatic index, histological examination, and the measurement of mean oocyte diameters, we determined that none of these methods by themselves were adequate to determine the extent of reproductive development. Histological examinations and oocyte diameter measurements revealed that fecundity counts could be made once developing oocytes reached 0.400 μm or larger. Striped mullet are isochronal spawners; therefore fecundity estimates for this species are easier to determine because oocytes develop at approximately the same rate upon reaching 400 μm. This uniform development made oocytes that were to be spawned easier to count. When fecundity counts were used in conjunction with histological examination, oocyte diameter measurements, and gonadosomatic index, a more complete measure of reproductive potential and the timing of the spawning season was possible. In addition, it was determined that striped mullet that recruit into South Carolina estuaries spawn from October through April.

Age and growth of the swordfish (Xiphias gladius L.) in the waters around Taiwan determined from anal-fin rays

Age and growth of the swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in Taiwan waters was studied from counts of growth bands on cross sections of the second ray of the first anal fin. Data on lower jaw fork length and weight, and samples of the anal fin of male and female swordfish were collected from three offshore and coastal tuna longline fishing ports on a monthly basis between September 1997 and March 1999. In total, 685 anal fins were collected and 627 of them (293 males and 334 females) were aged successfully. The lower jaw fork lengths of the aged individuals ranged from 83.4 to 246.6 cm for the females and from 83.3 to 206 cm for the males. The radii of the fin rays and growth bands on the cross sections were measured under a dissecting microscope equipped with an image analysis system. Trends in the monthly marginal increment ratio indicated that growth bands formed once a year. Thus, the age of each fish was deter-mined from the number of visible growth bands. Two methods were used to estimate and compare the standard and the generalized von Bertalanffy growth parameters for both males and females. The nonlinear least square estimates of the generalized von Bertalanffy growth parameters in method II, in which a power function was used to describe the relationship between ray radius and LJFL, were recommended as most acceptable. There were significant differences in growth parameters between males and females. The growth parameters estimated for females were the following: asymptotic length (L∞) = 300.66 cm, growth coefficient (K) = 0.040/yr, age at zero length (t0) = –0.75 yr, and the fitted fourth parameter (m) = –0.785. The growth parameters estimated for males were the following: asymptotic length (L∞) = 213.05 cm, growth coefficient (K) = 0.086/yr, age at zero length (t0) = –0.626 yr, and the fitted fourth parameter (m) = –0.768.