248 research outputs found

    Pseudoceros vishnui Dixit, Raghunathan & Chandra, 2017, sp. nov.

    No full text
    Pseudoceros vishnui sp. nov. Figures 6–8; Table. 1 Type material: Holotype: One specimen (20 x 15 mm) as serial sections of reproductive structures (7 Slides), remainder of animal in 70% ethanol. Collected 19.03.2015, subtidally from 10 m depth, Pongibalu (Lat: 11°30.573’N, Long: 92°39.123’E), South Andaman, India (ZSI/ANRC-16841). Paratypes: One specimen (15 x 10 mm) as serial sections of reproductive structures (5 Slides), remainder of animal in 70% ethanol. Same as holotype (ZSI/ANRC-16842). One specimen (11 x 8 mm) in 70% EtOh. Collected 0 8.09.2015, subtidally from 15 m depth, Pongibalu (Lat: 11°30.573’N, Long: 92°39.123’E), South Andaman, India (ZSI/ANRC-16843). One specimen (11 x 8 mm) in 70% EtOh. Collected 15.12.2016, subtidally from 9 m depth, Rutland Island (Lat: 11°30.119’N, Long: 92°37.112’E), South Andaman, India (ZSI/ANRC-16844). Distribution. Pongibalu, South Andaman, India. Additional photographic record from Burma (Newman & Cannon, 2005). Diagnosis. Body colour cream, solid purple to violet spots all over body. Margin made up of non-continuous dark blue spots of various sizes. Etymology. This species is named after Vishnu Kumar Dixit, father of the first author, in acknowledgment of his support throughout his research on marine flatworms. Synonyms. It is likely that it corresponds to Pseudoceros sp. 38, Newman & Cannon (2005), CD-ROM and to Pseudoceros sp., Kuiter & Debelius (2009), see taxonomic remarks below. Description. Live. Body oval and smooth, margin without any ruffles. Many purple to violet coloured spots, of variable sizes, more or less circular are present all over the body (Fig. 6A, B). Blue pseudotentacles, small, formed by simple folds of the anterior margin with scattered eyespots on each pseudotentacle on either side. Cerebral eyespot cluster with 40–43 eyes (Fig. 6 C). Ventral side cream in colour. Margin made up of small blue coloured discontinuous spots of various sizes. Preserved. Holotype 15 mm long and 12 mm wide at central portion. Translucent due to loss of colour on fixation but some faint purple spots visible in paratype specimen. Dorsal epidermis very rough and uneven with thickens 45 to 55 µm and is twice the thickness of ventral epidermis which is 18–22 µm and smooth. Nucleus present at the base while rhabdites near dorsal surface. A distinct basement membrane clearly separates epithelium from underlying muscles. Distance between pharyngeal mouth and sucker is 4.53 mm. Male and female gonopores 1.03 mm apart. Pharynx small and ruffled with 7 folds. Male pore 1.93 mm from pharyngeal mouth and is situated between last pair of pharyngeal folds. Sucker 1.3 mm from female pore. Reproductive characters. Measurements refer to length in a 15 mm long worm, the holotype. Seminal vesicle (Fig. 7 A) elongate and oval (490 x 421 µm), heavily muscularized, parallel to longitudinal body axis. Prostatic vesicle (Fig. 7 A) located anterior to seminal vesicle and just above male atrium. It is slightly tapering in shape downwards (180 x 168 µm) with thickness of inner wall varying from 30 to 50 µm. Male atrium deep with many folds and stylet 197 µm long. Female atrium 188 µm long while vagina is 384 µm long tube curved towards posterior end. Well defined cement pouches with numerous cement glands present (Fig. 7 B & 8). Taxonomic remarks. The presence of this species is recorded on many occasions from Andaman Islands (Sreeraj & Raghunathan 2013; Sreeraj et al. 2015); however, no attempt had been made in the past to make a formal description. To date, only 4 species under the genus Pseudoceros are described from India: Pseudoceros gamblei Laidlaw, 1902; P. tigrinus Laidlaw, 1902; P. galatheensis Dixit et al. 2017 and P. nigropunctatus Dixit et al. 2017. The general spotted pattern of newly described species P. vishnui sp. nov. resembles with P. nigropunctatus described from same geographical area but the difference in appearance and colour of the spots on dorsal surface and background colour distinguish them from one another. In addition, P. laingensis Newman & Cannon, 1998 described from Papua New Guinea is the most resembled species to P. vishnui sp. nov. in terms of margins, background colour and spots. Both species have purple spots on dorsum but the spots in P. laingensis are smaller and more in number in comparison to P. vishnui sp. nov. with bigger and few spots. Border of P. laingensis is made up of numerous purple spots (same colour as that of spots on dorsum) of different sizes (Bolanos et al. 2016) while the border of P. vishnui sp. nov. is characterised by numerous spots of blue colour and never of same colour as of spots on dorsum. Bolanos et al (2016) mentioned that the purple dots on the dorsal surface of P. laingensis were numerous in some individuals but scarce in others while the frequency of spots in P. vishnui sp. nov. remained almost similar in all the studied individuals. There are few more species under the genus Pseudoceros with presence of spots on their body namely Pseudoceros nipponicus Kato, 1944; P. lindae Newman & Cannon, 1994 and P. scintillatus Newman & Cannon, 1994. P. nipponicus have black spots on the dorsum and a russet brown sub marginal band with a black rim while P. lindae is characterised by golden yellow spots on dorsum. In P. scintillatus the spots are very big, differently coloured, clearly outlined and touching the margin. Newman & Cannon, 2005 reported this undescribed species as Pseudoceros sp. 38 from Burma and mentioned colour of spots as red and margins to be made up of purple spots. Kuiter & Debelius (2009) also reported this species as Pseudoceros sp. from Andaman Sea based on photographic record. But the overall appearance and pattern of the species agrees to the newly described species and existence of both in same geographical area led us to assume that both can be same species. Table. 1 is provided with detailed comparisons between newly described species and similarly coloured species. TABLE. 1. Comparison of Pseudoceros vishnui sp. nov. characters with similarly coloured and patterned species.Published as part of Dixit, Sudhanshu, Raghunathan, C. & Chandra, Kailash, 2017, Two new Pseudoceros (Polycladida: Pseudocerotidae) and a Prostheceraeus (Polycladida: Euryleptidae) from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, pp. 495-512 in Zootaxa 4269 (4) on pages 501-503, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4269.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/58274

    Electrochemically Impregnated Aluminum-Stabilized α-Nickel Hydroxide Electrodes

    Get PDF
    Nickel-positive electrodes obtained by electrochemical impregnation of aluminum-substituted α-nickel hydroxide are found to deliver a reversible discharge capacity of ca. 450 mAh/g. This is much higher than the capacity of β-nickel hydroxide electrodes 200 mAh/g: this work; 225 mAh/g: Dixit et al., J. Power Sources, 63, 167 (1996) prepared under identical conditions and pasted electrodes comprising cobalt-doped nickel hydroxide 345 mAh/g: Faure et al., J. Power Sources, 36, 497 (1991). These observations suggest that the theoretical target-capacity for high-performance nickel-positive electrodes must be revised from the currently accepted value of 289 mAh/g (1e exchange) to 491 mAh/g 1.7e exchange: Corrigan and Knight, J. Electrochem. Soc., 136, 613 (1989). © 1999 The Electrochemical Society. S1099-0062(98)08-044-4. All rights reserved

    Complex Projects-Border Studio: Mexicali Calexico Border

    No full text
    Project deals with different aspects of the US-Mexican border, from spatial to political and economical, and finally tries to reexamine the existence of the physical border.Complex ProjectsArchitectureArchitecture and The Built Environmen

    The Open Ended City

    No full text
    Masterplan for YongSan(Seoul) and the design of a learning centreMaterialisation - Vertical Cities AsiaArchitectureArchitectur

    KTT 2.0 - Vietnamese Soviet Housing District, Hanoi, Vietnam

    No full text
    The KTT (‘Khu Tap The’; Dormitory Region) district is a housing district based on the Soviet microrayon (microdistrict). In contrast to other former or current communist countries, the microrayons in Hanoi have transformed greatly. This occurred from 1986 when Vietnam entered a free market economy by setting up its Doi-Moi (reformation) policy. Ever since Vietnam finds itself in a paradoxical situation: “a one party communist regime overseeing a Wild-West style of capitalism” (World Crunch News, 2013). Today the public spaces in between the KTT housing blocks have been filled up with slum-like developments due to overcrowding and lack of buildings regulations. The paradoxical situation of contemporary Vietnam is the starting point for a new type of housing district: the KTT 2.0. This housing district is more flexible and open to the rapid changes in culture, economy and politics that are taking place in Vietnam today. At the same time it partly preserves the ideals with which these microrayons were designed. The new design is worked out from bottom-up in one of the existing KTT districts: The KTT Kim Lien. Based on thorough research and analyses, requirements were set up to create a type of housing block which is able to meet the variable demands of its inhabitants. This housing block replaces the existing ones and is part of three different types of blocks which, together with various street section designs, form the tools to the creation of new types of (smaller) KTT districts.Vertical Cities AsiaArchitectureArchitecture and The Built Environmen

    Yongsan social housing project

    No full text
    A social housing project in the city center of Seoul, which reacts against the social gentrification of the city and empowers people to redesign the masterplan and thus the urban landscape.Vertical Cities AsiaMaterializationArchitectur

    The wall - Preparing for China's urban billion

    No full text
    The Chinese cities grew enormously last decades, spreading to nearly infinity. Almost a billion people will live in the cities by 2025. A sharp, radical and significant course change to a new urban model is necessary to guide China towards a balanced future. The Wall can be this guide. Chengdu forms the perfect study-case for this challenge.Materialization - TALL (Vertical Cities Asia)ArchitectureArchitectur

    South Works Playful Learning Environment

    No full text
    The design combines 2 programs with the main idea of PLAY which is connecting them: Learning through PLAY and Recreation through PLAY. This programmatic combination of learning and recreation addresses the low educational level and the demographic homogeneity of the South Chicago neighborhood as well as deals with the reduced quality of life which comes as a result of the overall lack of programmatic and spatial diversity. The existing site features such as the ore walls and the existing water slip are incorporated into design. Additionally, the project is confirming the large-scale masterplan solution by establishing a spatial tension with other buildings located close by. Project operates simultaneously on the local level of the neighborhood, integrating the existing community within the new development, and on the global level, establishing the interaction between the site and the city center.Complex ProjectsArchitectureArchitecture and The Built Environmen

    The Wall: Preparing for China's urban billion

    No full text
    In an age of ever increasing urbanization with massive migrations from the countryside to the city, Asia is at a cross roads. 'The Wall' is a masterplan for the city Chengdu in the West of China. It is based on public transport. It is an urban strategy which densifies the existing city edge, thereby re-establishing the contrast between city and countryside. This leaves open spaces to act as green lungs for the city. To prove the masterplan one building in the masterplan is developed as an case-study. This building; 'The Eroded Block' is a mixed-use building with focus on public space. It is an extrusion of a triangle plot with big openings eroded in the volume.Vertical cities Asia | TALL studioMaterialisationArchitectur

    Risk - adjusted rates of return for project appraisal

    Get PDF
    Incorporating risk assessment into public project appraisal makes sense when project risk is significantly correlated with uncertainty about national income. It is especially important in countries that specialize in particular agricultural or resource sectors. This report presents the following conclusions: (a) risk corrections can be substantial; (b) the intuition that risk is great for further investment in a crop or sector that constitutes a large part of a country's GNP is not invalid, but the effect may be offset by other forces in operation; (c) risk corrections can be negative because of a negative correlation between project return and GNP; (d) risk premia vary greatly across countries and sectors - so recognizing the risk correction needed for each project on its own merits makes more sense than including a common general risk premium in the rate of return required for all lending; (e) risk corrections are small for many sectors and countries - so efforts can be concentrated on the other categories, where the proposed treatment of risk makes a big difference; (f) risk affects investment projects in many different, subtle ways; and (g) resource requirements for this are not great.Environmental Economics&Policies,Health Economics&Finance,Banks&Banking Reform,Statistical&Mathematical Sciences,Crops&Crop Management Systems
    corecore