Auscultation in mild mitral regurgitation in dogs: observer variation, effects of physical maneuvers, and agreement with color Doppler echocardiography and phonocardiography

Observer variation in diagnosing mild mitral regurgitation in dogs by cardiac auscultation was assessed by having 6 veterinarians with different levels of experience examine 57 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Comparisons with color Doppler echocardiography and phonocardiography were made, and the effects of 2 physical maneuvers on the auscultatory findings were evaluated. Using mildly diseased dogs, interobserver agreement in diagnosing the presence or absence of left-sided murmurs ranged from 63% to 88%. The agreement with phonocardiography (range, 53-91%) increased with the amount of observer experience. The 2 most experienced observers could discern soft ejection murmurs from regurgitant murmurs and were able to diagnose 89% of the dogs with regurgitant jets larger than 30% of the left atrial area. In general, less experienced observers diagnosed most jets larger than 50%. In many dogs with small jets, no murmur was found by auscultation and phonocardiography. The audibility of mild regurgitation was significantly reduced in dogs that were difficult to auscultate. Early systolic murmurs were typical of mild regurgitation, whereas holosystolic murmurs typified severe regurgitation. In a few dogs, late systolic murmurs alternated with holosystolic murmurs. Systolic clicks were found phonocardiographically in 18 dogs with mild to moderate regurgitation, but the audibility apparently was low. In many mildly affected dogs, physical maneuvers increased murmur intensity. Thus, some form of dynamic auscultation might facilitate the diagnosis of mild regurgitation. Auscultatory findings in mild regurgitation appear to depend on observer experience, circulatory status, and how difficult the dog is to auscultate.     

基于卡尔曼滤波器的半主动悬架仿真和试验

设计了Kalman滤波器来估计悬架的相对速度和绝对速度,采用天棚控制算法,建立了基于观测器的1/4车辆半主动悬架天棚控制器。仿真结果表明,所设计的Kalman滤波器能较好地估计被控悬架的绝对速度和相对速度。建立了1/4车辆半主动悬架测控试验系统,对基于观测器的半主动悬架天棚阻尼控制进行了试验验证。试验表明,观测器可以较好地估计悬架的状态,对比被动悬架,基于观测器的磁流变半主动悬架天棚控制器提高了行驶的平顺性。     

美国渔业观察员计划对我国的启示

介绍美国渔业逐步发展、完善的过程及未来发展的趋势,并总结在完善培训系统、提高有经验观察员的保留率、制定法律规范、完善管理机制、改善数据收集和传输技术等方面对我国的启示。     

基于扩展卡尔曼方法的无速度传感器直接转矩控制

由于无速度传感器感应电机在农业生产、交通运输等方面的应用日益广泛,针对传统直接转矩控制(DTC)存在低频脉动和控制精度差等问题,提出利用扩展卡尔曼滤波器对感应电机控制系统进行状态估计的方法,从而实现无速度传感器直接转矩控制。首先分析应用于感应电机的扩展卡尔曼滤波(EKF)算法,设计了一种基于EKF的观测器,用于同时估计感应电机的转速和负载转矩,由此建立无速度传感器EKF-DTC控制系统。仿真实验结果表明,系统具有较强的鲁棒性。相比传统DTC控制,EKF-DTC控制系统在低频脉动抑制和随动控制性能上有明显改善。     

Fish aggregating devices in the eastern tropical Pacific marine corridor,according to the Colombian Fisheries Observer Program

1. Fish aggregating devices (FADs) are floating objects that facilitate the aggregation of fish; those that aggregate pelagic species such as tunas are of particular interest for artisanal and industrial fisheries.
2. Due to the increasing use of these devices worldwide, bodies responsible for the administration and management of fishery resources have proposed control and surveillance activities focused on the use of such devices. To achieve this, it is essential to have access to quality information, which is usually obtained through on-board observer programmes such as the Colombian Fisheries Observer Program.
3. Based on the historical records of this programme, and for the first time, the spatial–temporal distribution of the FADs in the eastern tropical sector of the Eastern Pacific Ocean is presented, analysing 166 records of tuna fishing operations carried out between 2009 and 2015. Of the 2,328 sets identified in the records, 957 corresponded to sets on FADs, of which 80.56% were effective and caught 12,246 tons of tuna.
4. The number of sets of FADs increased over time, representing approximately 86.9% of the sets recorded in 2015, compared to 4.8% of this type of set recorded in 2009, with the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor being the area of greatest concentration of sets.
5. Considering that the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor was designed to promote the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, this study highlights the need to include as a research priority, the potential effect that aggregation devices may have on the biological connectivity processes present in the corridor, as well as on the dynamics of large pelagic fish populations of commercial interest.
6. In terms of management of FADs, it is recommended that a precautionary approach be adopted and that regulations related to the maximum number of FADs per vessel be adjusted according to their Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission class, in addition to assigning a maximum number of sets per vessel.

     

Winter distribution and movements of northern Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) along the Newfoundland—Labrador continental shelf edge derived from observations on commercial trawlers

Catch-effort data recorded by observers aboard commercial trawlers fishing the Newfoundland-Labrador continental shelf during the winters of 1980–1991 were used to define the distribution and movements of pre-spawning and spanning Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua. Although cod were widely distributed over the outer continental shelf in the months of January to April, commercial concentrations were consistently located in three areas along the shelf edge. These three areas, constituting only 16% of the 190000 km² fishing ground for northern cod, were centred north-east of Belle Isle Bank, north-east of Funk Island Bank, and between Funk Island Bank and the northern Grand Bank Tow positions with catch rates 5000 kg h^-1 were plotted on a weekly basis to define movements of cod schools during the winters of 1986–1988. It was assumed that change in the collective position of trawlers taking large quantities of cod reflected shoal movements. Analyses indicate that cod moved southeast along the shelf edge in January and February of each year, crossing from NAFO Division 2J into 3K Each March, cod in Division 3K apparently moved northwest against prevailing ocean currents into the Hamilton Bank region of 2J. These movements do not appear to be a direct response to ocean temperature or pack ice conditions, although cod moving along the shelf break were generally in bottom waters of 24°C. We suggest these patterns reflect the migratory behaviour of pre-spawning and spawning cod.     

三穗鸭雏鸭行为观察分析

通过Media record软件对三穗鸭雏鸭进行跟踪记录,并用Observer XT(11.5)行为学软件对三穗鸭雏鸭的行为进行编码分析,对行为时间分配和持续时间进行统计分析。结果表明:三穗鸭雏鸭白天时间主要以卧立(64.48%)为主,其次是站立行为(14.80%)和饮水行为(6.27%),其他行为所占比例较少。三穗鸭雏鸭休息时间所占比例最大,全天活动最高峰出现在9:00—10:00和15:00—16:00;理羽行为高峰期出现在12:00—13:00和16:00—17:00;饮水行为和采食行为的高峰期基本一致都出现在9:00—10:00和11:00—12:00以及15:00—16:00;行走行为的高峰期出现在15:00—16:00。各种行为高峰走向说明理羽行为和采食饮水行为存在关联性,行走行为和采食饮水行为存在关联性。在观察分析过程中发现三穗鸭雏鸭一种很特别的行为,将其定义为仰头张嘴行为,表现是雏鸭持续仰着头张嘴。     

Retained and discarded catches from commercial beach-seining in Botany Bay, Australia

Observer-based estimates of the quantities and size compositions of discarded and retained catches from the commercial beach-seine fishery in Botany Bay, NSW, Australia are presented. A total of 71 finfish and 10 invertebrate taxa were identified in catches sampled between February 1998 and February 1999, with 39 taxa being retained by fishers and 77 taxa discarded. Gerres subfasciatus, Pseudocaranx dentex, Sillago ciliata, Acanthopagrus australis and Rhabdosargus sarba dominated retained catches. Discards included small individuals of many retained species that are also important in other commercial and recreational fisheries, including S. ciliata, A. australis, R. sarba, Pagrus auratus, Meuschenia freycineti and Scobinichthys granulatus, as well as some non-monetary valued species such as Dicotylichthys punctulatus, Anoplocapros inermis and several tetraodontids. The estimated monthly ratio of retained to discarded catch (kg) ranged from 1:0.26 to 1:2.48. An estimated 44% of total individuals and 38% of the total weight of catches were discarded. It was estimated that this fishery annually discarded 93 t of fish and invertebrates, which included hundreds of, thousands of commercially and recreationally important species. The results are discussed in terms of their consequences for interactions with other fisheries.     

Measurement, management and mitigation of operational interactions between the South Australian Sardine Fishery and short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis)

This study arose from recommendations given in response to a legislated ecological assessment of the South Australian Sardine Fishery in 2004, urging it to: (i) attempt to mitigate operational interactions with marine mammals if excessive levels were detected; and (ii) improve the accuracy of their reporting of these events.An initial observer program revealed high rates of encirclement and mortality (1.78 and 0.39 dolphins per net-set, respectively) of short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). This equated to an estimate of 1728 encirclements and 377 mortalities across the entire fleet over the same period. The average time taken for fishers to respond to encirclements was 135.93 ± 3.72 min and 21.3% of encircled animals subsequently died. During that time, fishers only reported 3.6% of encirclements and 1.9% of mortalities recorded by observers.A code of practice (CoP) was subsequently introduced aimed at mitigating operational interactions. A second observer program revealed a significant reductions in the observed rates of dolphin encirclement (0.22; down 87.3%) and mortality (0.01; down 97.1%) with an estimate of 169 and eight, respectively. The average time taken for fishers to respond to dolphin encirclements also reduced to 16.33 ± 4.67 min (down 76.9%) and the proportion of encircled animals that subsequently died reduced to 5.0%. Agreement between industry reports and observer records improved, with the fishery reporting 57.9% and 58.9% of the rate of encirclements and mortalities, respectively, recorded by observers.A number of avoidance and release strategies in the CoP may have been responsible for these improvements. In particular, fishers were required to delay or relocate their activities if dolphins were observed prior to fishing and to release encircled dolphins immediately or abort the fishing event if release procedures were unsuccessful. Future improvements to the CoP include: (i) improved response times when an encircled dolphin is detected; (ii) better use of behavioural cues for deciding when to abort a net-set; (iii) ceasing fishing during rough weather; and (iv) continuing to increase reporting accuracy by fishers. It is also recommended that the abundance, movements and boundaries of the common dolphin population in the region be determined, so that the impact of fishing activities on their status can be established.