The blue shark Prionace glauca is the most abundant species in the artisanal driftnet fishery off the coastal waters of Ivory Coast. The reproductive parameters were investigated with the aim of providing basic information on the reproductive biology for fisheries management. A total of 424 specimens (256 males and 168 females) ranging from 170–330 cm in total length (TL) were sampled between August 2014 and November 2016. Sample for embryonic sex ratio was obtained from 18 litters of 503 individuals (255 males and 248 females). The embryonic sex ratio was not significantly different from 1:1 (χ2 = 0.10, P > 0.05, N = 503). The size at 50% maturity (L50) was 218.1 cm TL for males and 223.3 cm TL for females. The litter size based on the number of embryos varied from 6 to 62, with an average of 30 embryos. Mating started in July whereas ovulation, fertilization and uterine eggs occurred in late October–November. Smallest embryos of 3–5 cm in stretch total length (STL) appeared in uterus from November to January. The embryo size varied widely among months, and well-pigmented embryos were already present in April–May samples, although most of them occurred in August–September, suggesting a gestation period of around 11 months. The absence of neonates in catches, as well as parturition females, does not support a hypothesis that parturition takes place in the Gulf of Guinea.

Continuous, detailed isotope (δD and δ18O) profiles were obtained from eight snow pits dug in the vicinity of Vostok station, Antarctica, during the period 1984– 2000. In addition, snow samples taken along the 1km long accumulation-stake profile were measured to determine spatial variability in isotope composition of recent snow. the stacked δD time series spanning the last 55 years shows only weak correlation with the mean annual air temperature recorded at Vostok station. Significant oscillations of both snow accumulation and snow isotope composition with the periods 2.5, 5, 20 and, possibly, ~102 years observed at single points are interpreted in terms of drift of snow-accumulation waves of various scales on the surface of the ice sheet.

Rapid changes in agricultural systems call for profound changes in agricultural research and extension practices. The Diagnosis, Design, Assessment, Training and Extension (DATE) approach was developed and applied to co-design Conservation Agriculture-based cropping systems in contrasted situations. DATE is a multi-scale, multi-stakeholder participatory approach that integrates scientific and local knowledge. It emerged in response to questions raised by and issues encountered in the design of innovative systems. A key feature of this approach is the high input of innovative systems which are often although not exclusively based on conservation agricultural practices. Prototyping of innovative cropping systems (ICSs) largely relies on a conceptual model of soil–plant–macrofauna–microorganism system functioning. By comparing the implementation of the DATE approach and conservation agriculture-based cropping systems in Madagascar, Lao PDR, and Cambodia, we show that: (i) the DATE approach is flexible enough to be adapted to local conditions; (ii) market conditions need to be taken into account in designing agricultural development scenarios; and (iii) the learning process during the transition to conservation agriculture requires time. The DATE approach not only enables the co-design of ICSs with farmers, but also incorporates training and extension dimensions. It feeds back practitioners’ questions to researchers, and provides a renewed and extended source of innovation to farmers.

Let $\mathcal{A}$ be a ${{C}^{*}}$ -algebra and $E$ be a Banach space with the Radon-Nikodym property. We prove that if $j$ is an embedding of $E$ into an injective Banach space then for every absolutely summing operator $T:\,\mathcal{A}\,\to \,E$ , the composition $j\,\circ \,T$ factors through a diagonal operator from ${{l}^{2}}$ into ${{l}^{1}}$ . In particular, $T$ factors through a Banach space with the Schur property. Similarly, we prove that for $2\,<\,p\,<\,\infty $ , any absolutely summing operator from $\mathcal{A}$ into $E$ factors through a diagonal operator from ${{l}^{p}}$ into ${{l}^{2}}$ .

Let ℳ be a semi-finite von Neumann algebra equipped with a faithful normal trace τ. We prove a Kadec-Pelczyński type dichotomy principle for subspaces of symmetric space of measurable operators of Rademacher type 2. We study subspace structures of non-commutative Lorentz spaces Lp, q, (ℳ, τ), extending some results of Carothers and Dilworth to the non-commutative settings. In particular, we show that, under natural conditions on indices, ℓp cannot be embedded into Lp, q (ℳ, τ). As applications, we prove that for 0 < p < ∞ with p ≠ 2, ℓp cannot be strongly embedded into Lp(ℳ, τ). This provides a non-commutative extension of a result of Kalton for 0 < p < 1 and a result of Rosenthal for 1 ≦ p < 2 on Lp [0, 1].

For a subset $\Lambda$ of the dual group of a compact metrizable abelian group, we introduce the type I-, II-, and III-$\Lambda$-Riemann–Lebesgue property of a Banach space. As an application we use these properties to characterize Rajchman sets.

A new species of the oligochaete family Parvidrilidae Erséus, 1999 is described from several subterranean waterbodies of southern Europe. A comparison with the type species suggests that the so called ‘genital body’ and ‘copulatory organ’ of the latter can be interpreted as the atrium and spermathecae, respectively. A critical analysis of the most important diagnostic features known is made to increase understanding of the real position of the Parvidrilidae in a natural system within the Oligochaeta. The parvidrilids seem to be closely related to the Phreodrilidae. Waiting for the results of molecular and ultrastructural analyses, and considering the dorsal crotchets ‘buried’ in the body wall as an autapomorphy for the phreodrilids, the rank of family for the parvidrilids is maintained on the basis of the three following autapomorphies: the location of the setae in a marked posterior position within the segments; the lateral development of the clitellum, with large clitellar cells in relation to the body diameter; the singular glandular pouches present in the mid-dorsal line of the mesosomial segments.

Let [Mscr ] be a von Neumann algebra (not necessarily semi-finite). We provide a generalization of the classical Kadec–Pełczyński subsequence decomposition of bounded sequences in Lp[0, 1] to the case of the Haagerup Lp-spaces (1 [les ] p < 1 ). In particular, we prove that if { φn}∞n=1 is a bounded sequence in the predual [Mscr ]∗ of [Mscr ], then there exist a subsequence {φnk}∞k=1 of {φn}∞n=1, a decomposition φnk = yk+zk such that {yk, k [ges ] 1} is relatively weakly compact and the support projections supp(zk) ↓k 0 (or similarly mutually disjoint). As an application, we prove that every non-reflexive subspace of the dual of any given C*-algebra (or Jordan triples) contains asymptotically isometric copies of [lscr ]1 and therefore fails the fixed point property for non-expansive mappings. These generalize earlier results for the case of preduals of semi-finite von Neumann algebras.

The concept of a salience map has become important for the development of theories of visual attention and saccade generation. Recent studies have shown that the frontal eye fields have all of the characteristics of a salience map.