Temperature and metabolic rate in sedentary fish from the Antarctic,North Sea and Indo-West Pacific Ocean

Resting metabolic rate was measured in demersal stages of the teleostNotothenia neglecta Nybelin from the South Orkney Islands, Antarctica, from 1985 to 1987. The relationship between and body mass (Mb) conformed to the general relationship , wherea is a proportionality constant andb is the scaling exponent. (mg O₂ h^–1) was found to scale toMb ^{(0.82±0.011)} in the summer (November to April, 1.6 to 1 850 g,n=56) and toMb ^{(0.76±0.013)} in the winter (May to October, 0.9 to 1 850 g,n=57) (values ofb are means ± SD). Although the scaling exponents were significantly different (P<0.01), was similar in the juvenile stages of summer- and winter-caught fish matched for body mass. The effects of activity on oxygen consumption was studied using a Brett respirometer. Adult stages had a factorial aerobic scope for activity of 5.7, which is similar to that reported for demersal fish from temperate latitudes. The effects of temperature on resting metabolism was investigated in fish with similar sedentary lifestyles from the North Sea (Agonus cataphractus andMyoxocephalus scorpius) and the Indo-West Pacific (Paracirrhites forsteri, P. arcatus, Neocirrhites armatus andExallias brevis). Extrapolated values of for the tropical species approached zero at 5 to 10°C. For a standard 50 g fish, for the tropical species at 25°C was in the range 3.4 to 4.4 mg O₂ h^–1, compared with 1.3 mg O₂ h^–1 forNotothenia neglecta at its acclimation temperature. Thus, the maximum metabolic rate of sedentary tropical species at 24°C is likely to be 2 to 4 times higher than inN. neglecta at 0°C. This suggests that the energy available for sustained activity is significantly lower in cold- than in warm-water fish.     

Prenatal diagnosis for dystrophia myotonica using the polymerase chain reaction

The polymerase chain reaction has been used to detect an abundant class of short repeat DNA families of the form (dC-dA)n.(dG-dT)n, known as microsatellites. These units are found throughout the human genome and have been characterized for several loci including APOC2 on chromosome 19ql2-ql3.2. The locus APOC2 is linked to the gene for dystrophia myotonica and a microsatellite within this locus was used to derive polymorphisms in a family to predict the inheritance of the disease. Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) was performed at 151/2 weeks' gestation. Following DNA extraction from the CVS material and parental blood samples, microsatellite analysis was carried out by the polymerase chain reaction.     

Evidence for biodegradation and volatilisation of dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons during in situ air sparging in large laboratory columns

Laboratory column experiments run for up to 13 days compared air sparging of groundwater contaminated by dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons in sterile and non-sterile aquifer sediments as well as uncontaminated sediments and groundwater. Loss of dissolved BTEX compounds in the contaminated columns was very rapid, occurring through volatilisation. The majority of the dissolved total organic carbon (TOC) persisted for much longer periods however. A direct comparison between losses from sterile and non-sterile columns suggested a negligible contribution of biodegradation to the removal of TOC. This was difficult to confirm through examination of O₂ utilisation because oxidation of a small amount of reduced sulphur in the aquifer materials was the dominant sink for O₂. Despite this, it was possible to conclude that less than 22% of the removal of TOC was through biodegradation during the first three days of air sparging.     

Using environmental heterogeneity to plan for sea‐level rise

Environmental heterogeneity is increasingly being used to select conservation areas that will provide for future biodiversity under a variety of climate scenarios. This approach, termed conserving nature's stage (CNS), assumes environmental features respond to climate change more slowly than biological communities, but will CNS be effective if the stage were to change as rapidly as the climate? We tested the effectiveness of using CNS to select sites in salt marshes for conservation in coastal Georgia (U.S.A.), where environmental features will change rapidly as sea level rises. We calculated species diversity based on distributions of 7 bird species with a variety of niches in Georgia salt marshes. Environmental heterogeneity was assessed across six landscape gradients (e.g., elevation, salinity, and patch area). We used 2 approaches to select sites with high environmental heterogeneity: site complementarity (environmental diversity [ED]) and local environmental heterogeneity (environmental richness [ER]). Sites selected based on ER predicted present‐day species diversity better than randomly selected sites (up to an 8.1% improvement), were resilient to areal loss from SLR (1.0% average areal loss by 2050 compared with 0.9% loss of randomly selected sites), and provided habitat to a threatened species (0.63 average occupancy compared with 0.6 average occupancy of randomly selected sites). Sites selected based on ED predicted species diversity no better or worse than random and were not resilient to SLR (2.9% average areal loss by 2050). Despite the discrepancy between the 2 approaches, CNS is a viable strategy for conservation site selection in salt marshes because the ER approach was successful. It has potential for application in other coastal areas where SLR will affect environmental features, but its performance may depend on the magnitude of geological changes caused by SLR. Our results indicate that conservation planners that had heretofore excluded low‐lying coasts from CNS planning could include coastal ecosystems in regional conservation strategies.     

3D numerical investigation of thermally assisted high efficiency ductile machining of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite

This study investigates the effects of four different variables (initial workpiece temperature, side rake angle, edge radius/feed rate, and nose radius/depth of cut) on ductile regime machining of a bioceramic material known as nanohydroxyapatite (nano-HAP) using 3D numerical simulation. AdvantEdge FEM Version 5.9 is used to conduct turning simulations of the nano-HAP workpiece. Tecplot 360 is used to analyze the results of the simulations. Because the workpiece is thin, the entire workpiece is set to a uniform initial temperature to simulate laser preheating of the material. Initial workpiece temperature, rake angle (side rake angle), edge radius, and nose radius are varied, and the effects of these operating conditions on critical feed are investigated. It is found that critical feed increases as initial workpiece temperature increases, and also as negativity of rake angle increases. For the edge radius, it is concluded that an initial increase causes an increase in critical feed – however, at some value of edge radius, critical feed shows no further increase; for the nose radius, critical feed appears to show no significant dependence.     

Nuptial coloration of red shiners (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyprinella lutrensis</Emphasis>) is more intense in turbid habitats

Communication is shaped and constrained by the signaling environment. In aquatic habitats, turbidity can reduce both the quantity and quality of ambient light and has been implicated in the breakdown of visual signaling. Here, we examined the relationship between turbidity (quantified with long-term data) and the expression of carotenoid-based nuptial coloration in the red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis), a small-bodied cyprinid. Males in more turbid habitats displayed redder fins, and an experimental manipulation of adult diet suggested that carotenoid intake alone did not explain among-population color differences. These results run counter to similar studies where signal expression decreased in turbid conditions, and may be explained by the non-territorial red shiner mating system, interactions between the mechanism of coloration and the signaling environment, or reduced cost of color expression in turbid habitats (e.g., reduced predation risk). Our results highlight how the behavioral and ecological contexts in which signals function can shape evolutionary responses to the environment.     

Field and laboratory simulations of storm water pulses: behavioural avoidance by marine epifauna

Epifaunal communities associated with macroalgae were exposed to storm water pulses using a custom made irrigation system. Treatments included Millipore freshwater, freshwater spiked with trace metals and seawater controls to allow for the relative importance of freshwater inundation, trace metals and increased flow to be determined. Experimental pulses created conditions similar to those that occur following real storm water events. Brief storm water pulses reduced the abundance of amphipods and gastropods. Freshwater was the causative agent as there were no additional effects of trace metals on the assemblages. Laboratory assays indicated that neither direct nor latent mortality was likely following experimental pulses and that epifauna readily avoid storm water. Indirect effects upon epifauna through salinity-induced changes to algal habitats were not found in field recolonisation experiments. Results demonstrate the importance of examining the effects of pulsed contaminants under realistic exposure conditions and the need to consider ecologically relevant endpoints.     

The impact of the 2004 tsunami on coastal Thai communities: assessing adaptive capacity

The suddenness and scale of the 26 December 2004 tsunami and the challenges posed to affected communities highlighted the benefits of their members having a capacity to confront and adapt to the consequences of such a disaster. Research into adaptive capacity or resilience has been conducted almost exclusively with Western populations. This paper describes an exploratory study of the potential of a measure of collective efficacy developed for Western populations to predict the capacity of members of a collective society, Thai citizens affected by the 2004 tsunami, to confront effectively the recovery demands associated with this disaster. Following a demonstration that this measure could predict adaptive capacity, the role of religious affiliation, ethnicity and place of residence in sustaining collective efficacy is discussed. The implications of the findings for future research on, and intervention to develop, adaptive capacity among Thai citizens in particular and collectivist societies in general are discussed.