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Transport Conditions (transport + condition)
Selected AbstractsWave and sediment dynamics along a shallow subtidal sandy beach inhabited by modern stromatolitesGEOBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2008J. E. ECKMAN ABSTRACT To help define the habitat of modern marine stromatolites, wave-dominated flow and sediment transport were studied in the shallow subtidal region (1,2 m depth) along the slightly concave, windward face of Highborne Cay, Exuma, Bahamas , the only face of the cay that includes a population of stromatolites concentrated near the region of highest curvature of the beach. Wave energy impacting this island's most exposed beach was driven by local wind forcing which increases largely in response to the passage of atmospheric disturbances that typically affect the region for periods of a few days. Although some wave energy is almost always noted (maximum horizontal orbital speeds at the bottom are rarely <10 cm s,1), wave conditions remain comparatively calm until local winds increase above speeds of ,3,4 m s,1 at which point maximum wave speeds rapidly increase to 50,80 cm s,1. Stromatolites, which are largely restricted to the shoreward side of a shallow platform reef, are sheltered by the reef beyond which wave speeds are one to four times higher (depending on tidal stage). Moreover, stromatolite populations are predominantly found along a region of this wave-exposed beach that experiences comparatively reduced wave energy because of the curved morphology of the island's face. Maximum wave speeds are 1.4 to 2 times higher along more northern sections of the beach just beyond the locus of stromatolite populations. A quantitative model of sediment transport was developed that accurately predicted accumulation of suspended sediment in sediment traps deployed in the shallow subtidal zone along this beach. This model, coupled with in situ wave records, indicates that gross rates of suspended sediment deposition should be two to three times higher northward of the main stromatolite populations. Regions of the beach containing stromatolites nevertheless should experience significant rates of gross suspended sediment deposition averaging 7,10 g cm,2 day,1 (,4,6 cm day,1). Results suggest that one axis of the habitat of modern marine stromatolites may be defined by a comparatively narrow range of flow energy and sediment transport conditions. [source] Specific gravity as an alternative to creatinine for estimating urine concentration in captive and wild chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) SamplesAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Stephanie F. Anestis Abstract The measurement of hormones in urine has become a widely used technique in primatology. Because urine concentration varies according to fluid intake, concentration must be measured in each sample collected, and hormone values are always expressed per unit of concentration. Traditionally, creatinine has been used as a concentration index, but some studies in humans have shown that creatinine varies among populations and even within and between individuals within a population, and that it begins to degrade after just one freeze,thaw cycle. In addition, creatinine measurement is relatively time-consuming and expensive and creates hazardous waste. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that specific gravity, or the ratio of the density of a sample to that of water, is highly correlated with creatinine measurement in urine samples collected from captive chimpanzees at the New Iberia Research Center in Louisiana and wild chimpanzees at the Ngogo study site in the Kibale National Park, Uganda. We found that specific gravity and creatinine were highly correlated in both captive (N=124) and wild (N=13) chimpanzee samples, and that specific gravity measurement was robust to actual and simulated transport conditions and repeated freeze,thaw cycles. We recommend that researchers consider specific gravity measurement as a preferable alternative to creatinine measurement in their studies of primate endocrinology. Am. J. Primatol. 71:130,135, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Comparative efficacy of MS-222 and benzocaine as anaesthetics under simulated transport conditions of a tropical ornamental fish Puntius filamentosus (Valenciennes)AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 2 2010Padinhare Kattil Pramod Abstract There is a growing commercial interest in the fish, Puntius filamentosus, in the ornamental fish trade in India and elsewhere. The trade is, however, hampered by severe mortalities during transport of the fish owing to insufficient data available on the use of anaesthetics. To resolve this problem, we evaluated the efficacy of two anaesthetics, MS-222 and benzocaine, in sedating P. filamentosus in simulated transportation experiments and used stress response parameters such as cortisol and blood glucose levels to perform assessments. We observed that MS-222 at 40 mg L,1 and benzocaine at 20 mg L,1 were sufficient to induce sedation for 48 h. Above these concentrations, both the anaesthetics adversely affected the fish and resulted in mortalities. Both anaesthetics significantly lowered the blood cortisol and glucose levels compared with the unsedated controls. Importantly, the anaesthetics treatment significantly lowered the post-transport mortality in the fish. The results of the study show that MS-222 and benzocaine could be used as sedatives to alleviate transport-related stress in P. filamentosus to improve their post-transport survival and hence reduce economic loss. [source] An analysis of refractometry as a method of determining blood total protein concentration in the American lobster Homarus americanus (Milne Edwards)AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 8 2002G Ozbay Abstract Given the high unit value of live American lobsters (Homarus americanus), a non-destructive field method to assess physiological state is desirable during out-of-water transport conditions. This study compared an Uricon® specific gravity refractometer, with a commercial veterinary blood analyser (Vet-Test), as a method for determining the blood total protein concentration in live, out-of-water individuals. Regression analysis of R2 = 0.8641 (n = 64) was observed in determination of blood total protein concentration, y = 0.0036x + 1.0163 where x is the protein concentration in mg dL,1 in Vet-Test. Our results (R2 = 0.864, SE ± 0.003) support the results (R2 = 0.985) of the previous study conducted by Leavitt & Bayer (1977) in which serum total protein was compared with the refractometric method. We therefore confirm that the refractometric method can be used as a reliable method to indicate health of a lobster by measuring the blood total protein concentration. The results show good correlation between the protein concentrations observed using the refractometric method and a Vet-Test blood chemistry analyser. anova analysis was significant between the protein refractometer and the Vet-Test (P < 0.05). Although protein concentration units obtained from both methods were different the results followed the same trends. Refractometry as a method is reliable to determine blood total protein concentrations in the American lobster. Consequently, a refractometric method can be used directly by commercial growers and distributors to assess responses to holding facility conditions and to feeding regimes. Whole blood protein concentrations may provide more information than serum protein concentrations as measured in the study of Leavitt & Bayer (1977). [source] How does alluvial sedimentation at range fronts modify the erosional dynamics of mountain catchments?BASIN RESEARCH, Issue 3 2005S. Carretier At the geological time scale, the way in which the erosion of drainage catchments responds to tectonic uplift and climate changes depends on boundary conditions. In particular, sediment accumulation and erosion occurring at the edge of mountain ranges should influence the base level of mountain catchments, as well as sediment and water discharges. In this paper, we use a landform evolution model (LEM) to investigate how the presence of alluvial sedimentation at range fronts affects catchment responses to climatic or tectonic changes. This approach is applied to a 25 km × 50 km domain, in which the central part is uplifted progressively to simulate the growth of a small mountain range. The LEM includes different slope and river processes that can compete with each other. This competition leads to ,transport-limited', ,detachment-limited' or ,mixed' transport conditions in mountains at dynamic equilibrium. In addition, two end-member algorithms (the channellized-flow and the sheet-flow regimes) have been included for the alluvial fan-flow regime. The three transport conditions and the two flow algorithms represent six different models for which the responses to increase of rock uplift rate and/or cyclic variation of the precipitation rate are investigated. Our results indicate that addition of an alluvial apron increases the long-term mountain denudation. In response to uplift, mountain rivers adapt their profile in two successive stages; first by propagation of an erosion wave and then by slowly increasing their channel gradients. During the second stage, the erosion rate is almost uniform across the catchment area at any one time, which suggests that dynamic equilibrium has been reached, although the balance between erosion and rock uplift rates has not yet been achieved. This second stage is initiated by the uplift of the mountain river outlets because of sedimentation aggradation at the mountain front. The response time depends on the type of water flow imposed on the alluvial fans domains (× by 1.5 for channelized flow regime and by 10 for the sheet flow one). Cyclic variations of precipitation rate generate cyclic incisions in the alluvial apron. These incision pulses create knick-points in the river profile in the case of ,detachment-limited' and ,mixed' river conditions, which could be mistaken for tectonically induced knick-points. ,Transport-limited' conditions do not create such knick-points, but nevertheless trigger erosion in catchments. The feedbacks linked to sedimentation and erosion at range front can therefore control catchment incision or aggradation. In addition, random river captures in the range front trigger auto-cyclic erosion pulses in the catchment, capable of generating incision,aggradation cycles. [source] | ||||||||||