Comparing the effects of swimming exercise and dissolved oxygen on important performance parameters of early-rearing Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss.

Swimming exercise (bodylenghts/sec), and dissolved oxygen (DO), are important environmental variables in aquaculture. While there is an obvious physiological association between these two parameters, their interaction has not been adequately studied in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar and Rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Since both variables can be easily manipulated in modern aquaculture systems, we sought to assess the impact of these parameters, alone and in combination, on the performance, health, and welfare parameters of the two species. Atlantic salmon and Rainbow trout were stocked into twelve circular 0.5 m3 tanks and exposed to either high (1.5-2 BL/s) or low

An Exploratory Study of Value Added Services

Purpose: Using data from 104 countries over a six-year period (2009-2014), this study proposes a value-added predictor in service industries based on the eight indicators of the prosperity index, namely economy, entrepreneurship and opportunity, governance, education, health, safety and security, personal freedom, and social capital. Design/methodology/approach: The fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and complexity theory, a relatively novel approach for developing and testing the conceptual model, are used for asymmetric modelling of value added in service industries, and the predictive validity of the proposed configural model is tested. Findings: Apart from advancing method and theory, this study simulates causal conditions (i.e., recipes) leading to both high and low scores of the value added of services. The configural conditions indicating a high/low level of value added in service industries can be used as a guiding strategy for marketers, investors and policy makers. Originality/value: An analysis of worldwide data provides complex models demonstrating both how to regulate country conditions to achieve a high value-added score and select a foreign country for investment that offers a high level of value added service

The Mountain Model for Evidence-Based Practice Quality Improvement (EBPQI) initiatives

This webinar introduces the first conceptual model for Evidence-Based Practice Quality Improvement (EBPQI) initiatives. The mountain model couples with EBP and QI paradigm principles into a unified conceptual framework for all nurses with the summative goal of disseminating and sustaining EBPQI across health care and related settings. Learning Outcome: - Describe how the mountain model differs from other evidence-based practice (EBP) and quality improvement (QI) framework

Perceptions of Body Size in Mothers and Their Young Children in the Galapagos Islands

Little specific information has been published about the health of people who live in the Galapagos Islands. As part of determining the status of the nutrition transition that may be occurring in the islands mothers of young children in the Galapagos perceptions of their child’s body size and therefore health status was evaluated along with actual body size

Competition-based model of pheromone component ratio detection in the moth

For some moth species, especially those closely interrelated and sympatric, recognizing a specific pheromone component concentration ratio is essential for males to successfully locate conspecific females. We propose and determine the properties of a minimalist competition-based feed-forward neuronal model capable of detecting a certain ratio of pheromone components independently of overall concentration. This model represents an elementary recognition unit for the ratio of binary mixtures which we propose is entirely contained in the macroglomerular complex (MGC) of the male moth. A set of such units, along with projection neurons (PNs), can provide the input to higher brain centres. We found that (1) accuracy is mainly achieved by maintaining a certain ratio of connection strengths between olfactory receptor neurons (ORN) and local neurons (LN), much less by properties of the interconnections between the competing LNs proper. An exception to this rule is that it is beneficial if connections between generalist LNs (i.e. excited by either pheromone component) and specialist LNs (i.e. excited by one component only) have the same strength as the reciprocal specialist to generalist connections. (2) successful ratio recognition is achieved using latency-to-first-spike in the LN populations which, in contrast to expectations with a population rate code, leads to a broadening of responses for higher overall concentrations consistent with experimental observations. (3) when longer durations of the competition between LNs were observed it did not lead to higher recognition accuracy

Frontiers, Opportunities, and Challenges in Biochemical and Chemical Catalysis of CO_2 Fixation

Two major energy-related problems confront the world in the next 50 years. First, increased worldwide competition for gradually depleting fossil fuel reserves (derived from past photosynthesis) will lead to higher costs, both monetarily and politically. Second, atmospheric CO_2 levels are at their highest recorded level since records began. Further increases are predicted to produce large and uncontrollable impacts on the world climate. These projected impacts extend beyond climate to ocean acidification, because the ocean is a major sink for atmospheric CO2.1 Providing a future energy supply that is secure and CO_2-neutral will require switching to nonfossil energy sources such as wind, solar, nuclear, and geothermal energy and developing methods for transforming the energy produced by these new sources into forms that can be stored, transported, and used upon demand

1940: Abilene Christian College Bible Lectures - Full Text

Delivered in the Auditorium of Abilene Christian College, February, 1940, Abilene, Texas. Published April, 1940 PRICE, $1.00 FIRM FOUNDATION PUBLISHING HOUSE Austin, Texas

Curvilinear grids for sinuous river channels

In order to effectively analyze the flow in sinuous river channels, a curvilinear grid system was developed for use in the appropriate hydrodynamic code. The CENTERLINE program was designed to generate a two dimensional grid for this purpose. The Cartesian coordinates of a series of points along the boundaries of the sinuous channel represent the primary input to CENTERLINE. The program calculates the location of the river centerline, the distance downstream along the centerline, and both radius of curvature and channel width as a function of such distance downstream. These parameters form the basis for the generation of the curvilinear grid. Based on input values for longitudinal and lateral grid spacing, the corresponding grid system is generated and a file is created containing the appropriate parameters for use in the associated explicit finite difference hydrodynamic programs. Because of the option for a nonuniform grid, grid spacing can be concentrated in areas containing the largest flow gradients

The psychology of dynamic balance and peak performance in sport: correction theory

This article introduces a new approach to understanding peak performance and dysfunctional performance in sport, correction theory. Correction theory, based within a control theory and dynamical systems perspective, assumes that dynamic balance (a state in which a robust complex system will self-correct in response to imbalance) underwrites individual functioning. The central thesis presented in this article is that an interdependent relationship exists between peak performance and dysfunctional performance in sport. Peak performance is, in part, a (corrective) response to dysfunctional performance and vice versa. An overview of correction theory is presented, based on two propositions relating to balance. Implications of correction theory for understanding sporting performance are briefly considered.N/

Effects of nutrient addition and soil drainage on germination of N-fixing and non-N-fixing tropical dry forest tree species

To develop generalised predictions regarding the effects of atmospheric nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) deposition on vegetation communities, it is necessary to account for the impacts of increased nutrient availability on the early life history stages of plants. Additionally, it is important to determine if these responses (a) differ between plant functional groups and (b) are modulated by soil drainage, which may affect the persistence of added nutrients. We experimentally assessed seed germination responses (germination proportion and germination energy, i.e. time to germination) of commonly occurring N-fixing and non-N-fixing tropical dry forest tree species found in India to simulated N and P deposition in well-drained soils, as well as soils with impeded drainage. When soils were not allowed to drain, germination proportion declined with nutrient addition, while germination energy remained unchanged. Stronger declines in germination proportion were observed for N-fixing species. In free-draining soils, nutrient addition did not affect germination proportion in either functional group. However, we detected a trend of delayed germination with nutrient addition, especially in N-fixers. Our results suggest that nutrient deposition can lead to potential shifts in functional dominance and tree community composition of tropical dry forests in the long term through its effects on early life stages of trees, although the mechanisms underlying the observed germination responses remain unclear. Further, such effects are likely to be spatially variable across the geographic range in which tropical dry forests occur depending on soil drainage properties