Broken Shells Research Articles

Outcrop geology, microfacies analysis and depositional environments of Chorgali Formation from Bhattian and Gharaga, Southern Hazara basin Pakistan

In Hazara Basin, Early Eocene is represented by carbonate succession of Chorgali Formation which is mainly composed of limestone with marls and calcareous shale. Limestone is predominantly marly and argillaceous in nature. Two Stratigraphic sections of Chorgali Formation exposed at Gharaga and Bhattian villages have been completely examined and sampled for outcrop characteristics, petrography, microfacies and depositional settings. These sections have both well preserved lower and upper contacts with Early Eocene Margalla Hill limestone and Middle Eocene Kuldana Formation, respectively. The petrographic analyses reveal that Chorgali Formation exposed at Gharaga and Bhattian sections yields abundant Eocene foraminifers along with other fauna and their broken shells. On basis of outcrop data and detailed petrographic analyses, five microfacies are recognized including Nummulites-Lockhartia wackestone to packstone (MF-1), Nummulites- Assilina wackestone to packstone (MF-2), Ostracods-Miliolids packstone (MF-3), Marls Microfacies (MF-4) and Calcareous shale Microfacies (MF-5). Comprehensive microfacies, palaeoecological and outcrop data reveal that deposition of Chorgali Formation was occurred on mid ramp settings with some deposition in attached to partially restricted lagoonal area of inner ramp and proximal part of outer ramp.

Potential utility of bacterial protein nanoreactor for sustainable in-situ biocatalysis in wide range of bioprocess conditions

Bacterial microcompartments (MCPs) are proteinaceous organelles that natively encapsulates the enzymes, substrates, and cofactors within a protein shell. They optimize the reaction rates by enriching the substrate in the vicinity of enzymes to increase the yields of the product and mitigate the outward diffusion of the toxic or volatile intermediates. The shell protein subunits of MCP shell are selectively permeable and have specialized pores for the selective inward diffusion of substrates and products release. Given their attributes, MCPs have been recently explored as potential candidates as subcellular nano-bioreactor for the enhanced production of industrially important molecules by exercising pathway encapsulation. In the current study, MCPs have been shown to sustain enzyme activity for extended periods, emphasizing their durability against a range of physical challenges such as temperature, pH and organic solvents. The significance of an intact shell in conferring maximum protection is highlighted by analyzing the differences in enzyme activities inside the intact and broken shell. Moreover, a minimal synthetic shell was designed with recruitment of a heterologous enzyme cargo to demonstrate the improved durability of the enzyme. The encapsulated enzyme was shown to be more stable than its free counterpart under the aforementioned conditions. Bacterial MCP-mediated encapsulation can serve as a potential strategy to shield the enzymes used under extreme conditions by maintaining the internal microenvironment and enhancing their cycle life, thereby opening new means for stabilizing, and reutilizing the enzymes in several bioprocess industries.

An Improved YOLOv5 Model: Application to Mixed Impurities Detection for Walnut Kernels.

Impurity detection is an important link in the chain of food processing. Taking walnut kernels as an example, it is difficult to accurately detect impurities mixed in walnut kernels before the packaging process. In order to accurately identify the small impurities mixed in walnut kernels, this paper established an improved impurities detection model based on the original YOLOv5 network model. Initially, a small target detection layer was added in the neck part, to improve the detection ability for small impurities, such as broken shells. Secondly, the Tansformer-Encoder (Trans-E) module is proposed to replace some convolution blocks in the original network, which can better capture the global information of the image. Then, the Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) was added to improve the sensitivity of the model to channel features, which make it easy to find the prediction region in dense objects. Finally, the GhostNet module is introduced to make the model lighter and improve the model detection rate. During the test stage, sample photos were randomly chosen to test the model's efficacy using the training and test set, derived from the walnut database that was previously created. The mean average precision can measure the multi-category recognition accuracy of the model. The test results demonstrate that the mean average precision (mAP) of the improved YOLOv5 model reaches 88.9%, which is 6.7% higher than the average accuracy of the original YOLOv5 network, and is also higher than other detection networks. Moreover, the improved YOLOv5 model is significantly better than the original YOLOv5 network in identifying small impurities, and the detection rate is only reduced by 3.9%, which meets the demand of real-time detection of food impurities and provides a technical reference for the detection of small impurities in food.

Hermit crabs use vision, olfaction, and eavesdropping to detect potentially available gastropod shells on a natural rocky shore

Intertidal marine crustaceans use multimodal cues to find resources, relying most heavily on chemical cues. However, water movement on intertidal shores acts as a sensory stressor, diluting and modifying the direction of waterborne chemicals, which may increase the relative importance of visual cues. We compared the influence of visual cues, chemical cues, and their combination in attracting free-living hermit crabs (Calcinus californiensis) to potentially available shells in shallow natural wave-protected tide pools. We used the tissue of dead gastropods as a chemical cue and clean, varnished shells as a visual cue from the gastropod species whose shell is most preferred by C. californiensis. The visual, chemical, or combined (bimodal) cue was placed in the center of a circular arena. We counted the crabs that entered the arena and classified their behavior into one of three mutually exclusive categories: touching the stimulus, remaining in the arena without reaching the stimulus, or leaving the arena without touching the stimulus. We ranked the quality of each hermit crab's current shell and recorded the time they took to reach the stimulus. Since more than one hermit crab participated in each trial in the field, we explored potential eavesdropping by comparing the time required to reach the stimulus among the first three hermit crabs. Cue type did not affect the number of crabs that entered the arena. However, most hermit crabs that entered the arena reached the chemical and bimodal shell cues; in contrast, with the visual cue alone most crabs remained in the arena without touching the stimulus, and those that touched it took longer to do so. Hermit crabs were more likely to touch the stimuli when a bimodal cue was presented in the arena and when they were in a broken shell (a low-quality refuge). Interestingly, there was only an apparent eavesdropping effect in the unimodal visual cue; subsequent crabs touched the visual stimulus more quickly once a pioneer crab had already touched it. Previous demonstrations that C. californiensis can visually discriminate shells suggest that the reduced number of crabs that touched the visual stimulus and their longer latency to do so was not due to low visual acuity or inability to interpret the image. Rather, it is likely due to the incongruous set of cues (visible shell without odor), which may reduce the perceived value or certainty about the shell, therefore the benefit/risk relationship in the natural environment. Our results highlight the importance of matching chemical sensing with vision as a trigger for decision-making in dynamic and unpredictable environments.

Lithofacies analysis and Depositional Environment of Eocene – Paleocene Sediments of Ewekoro Quarry SW, Nigeria

The genetic relationship between depositional processes and rock properties (like lithofacies) provide a potentially powerful tool for interpreting ancient depositional environments. The study aims at a more detailed lithologic and Petrographic description of the sediments of this formation in other to acertain the chemical characteristics of the limestone so as to better delineate its uses both industrially, agriculturally and other applications. Seven samples were collected from Ewekoro quarry on the Latitude of 60481N- 60531N and Longitude of 30351E-30401E south western part of Nigeria. The sediments were subjected to lithologic description and petrographic analysis. The lithologic description was carried out with the aid of binoculars microscope, this shows the following lithologies are present sandy shale, shale, marl, limestone, and sandstone. Petrographic analysis shows that the limestone consists of 90-99% calcite, 0-2% quartz as its constituent minerals, sample NSA2 is mainly Sparitic limestone and sample SSA1 is mainly Micritic limestone. The sandstone composition are 50- 65% quartz, 0-5% feldspar and the calcite serve as the cement and it is about 10-32% of the rock volume. Microfossils account for 10-18%. The sediments were deposited in shallow environment based on the presence of ichnofossils (burrows), micro gastropod shells and other broken shells. From the mineralogy, the calcite crystals are suggests a fresh water vadoze environment while the Sparry calcite shows evidences of diagenesis within the formation. The relative age of foraminifera present indicate a Palaeocene/Eocene boundary to Lower Eocene and a lagoonal to inner neritic environment with little influence of marine transgression. Ewekoro limestone is well suited as a raw material for fertilizer besides its general usuage for cement manufacturing.

Ireland, Literature, and the Coast: Seatangled by Nicholas Allen

<i>Ireland, Literature, and the Coast: Seatangled</i> by Nicholas Allen

Recovery of glucosamine and optimization of chitin extraction with acid and alkali process from shells of sea mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis in Greece

Mussel wastes include byproducts such as seed, barnacles fouling, broken shells, byssus threads, which are associated with serious environmental impacts on aquatic ecosystems. The objective of reducing wastes and to avoid environmental problems can be achieved by establishing alternative methods to valorize mussel wastes converting them into high value-added products. The present study aims to obtain by chemical methods the extraction of chitin and glucosamine from shells of Mytilus galloprovincialis. Chitin, which chemically is a linear polysaccharide of β (1→4) linked N-acetylglucosamine monomers, possesses multifunctional properties and is suitable for various applications mainly in pharmaceutical, biomedical food and packaging fields. Glucosamine (C6H13NO5) is an amino sugar (2-amino-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranose) and is a part of the structure of two polysaccharides, chitosan and chitin. Due to its high aqueous solubility and physical stability is used as a potential solid-dispersion carrier to improve the biopharmaceutical properties of drugs. The influence of temperature, solid/liquid ratio (g/ml), molarity of solutions and agitation on chitin production and acid hydrolysis of chitin was studied to achieve optimum output of chitin and glucosamine. Our results demonstrates that the production of glucosamine and chitin is greatly influenced by the experimental conditions. The best yield for glucosamine was obtained at a solid/liquid ratio of 1:15 at 60°C for 1 hour.

Behavior of Offshore Pile in Calcareous Sand—Case Study

The erosion of limestone and calcarenite ridges that existed parallel to the Mediterranean shoreline forms the calcareous sand (CS) formation at the surface layer of Egypt’s northern coast. The CS is often combined with broken shells which are considered geotechnically problematic due to their possible crushability and relatively high compressibility. In this research, CS samples collected from a site along the northern coast of Egypt are studied to better understand its behavior under normal and shear stresses. Reconstituted CS specimens with different ratios of broken shells (BS) are also investigated to study the effect of BS ratios on the soil mixture strength behavior. The strength is evaluated using laboratory direct-shear and one-dimensional compression tests (oedometer test). The CS specimens are not exposed to significant crushability even under relatively high-stress levels. In addition, a 3D finite element analysis (FEA) is presented in this paper to study the degradation offshore pile capacity in CS having different percentages of BS. The stress–strain results using oedometer tests are compared with a numerical model, and it gave identical matching for most cases. The effects of pile diameter and embedment depth parameters are then studied for the case study on the northern coast. Three different mixing ratios of CS and BS have been used, CS + 10% BS, CS + 30% BS, and CS + 50% BS, which resulted in a decrease of the ultimate vertical compression pile load capacity by 8.8%, 15%, and 16%, respectively.

Spatial-temporal changes of macrophytobenthos in the coastal zone of the Reserve “Karan’sky” (Sevastopol City, Black Sea)

For the first time, a comparative analysis of the specific diversity, changes in the biomass of macrophytobenthos in the reserve “Karan’sky” coastal zone from 1964 to 2016 was performed on the basis of a landscape approach. A landscape map of the underwater coastal slope has been drawn up, three bottom natural complexes (BNC) have been identified. The BNC of psephite deposits dominated by C. crinita and Tr. barbata (up to 89.7–78.6% of the total biomass of macrophytes) is the main one. This complex is characterized by high floristic diversity and maximum values of the biomass of macrophytobenthos. The BNC of psephite deposits with C. crinita and Tr. barbata to predominate and with pebble-gravel deposits with broken shells alternate, where Ph. crispa is the dominant species, is characterized by high floristic diversity and a decreased proportion of C. crinite and Tr. barbata, the contribution of Ph. crispa to the total biomass of macrophytes is 14.4%. The BNC of psammitic deposits with Ph. crispa to predominate and with separately randomly located blocks, where Nereia filiformis and Zanardinia typus predominate, is characterized by low floristic diversity, the predominance of Phyllophora crispa (74.3% of the total biomass of macrophytes), and the preservation of perennial species. For more than 50 years, there was a reorganization and degradation of the plant component in all BNC (depth 0.5–10 m), which was probably due to the intensification of anthropogenic activity in the coastal zone. Eudesme virescens, Dictyota dichotoma, Feldmania irrgularis, Dasya baillouviana and Rhodochorton purpureum, which live in clean, open areas of the coast, have disappeared from the bottom vegetation, and macrophytes (Cladophora laetevirens, Ectocarpus siliculosus and C. virgatum), typical for eutrophic waters, have appeared in the duodenum. The biomass of epiphytes has increased (from 0.1 to 42.6% of the total biomass of macrophytes), and the role of dominant species has decreased: C. crinita, Tr. barbata (from 99.9 to 78.6%) and Ph. crispa (from 52.9 to 14.4% of the total biomass of macrophytes). The organization of the “Karan’sky” Reserve contributed to the preservation and partial restoration of the unique natural complex of marine flora and bottom vegetation, which is confirmed by the increased floristic diversity of algaeindicators of clean waters and the increased proportion of the Red Data Book species.

Monitoring of Unhatched Eggs in Hermann's Tortoise (Testudo hermanni) after Artificial Incubation and Possible Improvements in Hatching.

Simple SummaryHermann’s tortoises (Testudo hermanni) are common and popular pets. Their life expectancy is over 80 years. The major threats to these tortoises include loss of natural habitat, pollution, urbanization, tourism, road deaths, the pet trade, and possible transmission of various infectious diseases. Health problems can begin during artificial incubation and last a lifetime. For this reason, it is necessary to breed healthy hatchlings, and tortoise welfare will increase in parallel. Conditions for hatching and control of egg failure must be controlled. The presence of unfertilized and infected eggs in the lowest possible numbers is important for successful hatching. These parameters can be improved by monitoring breeding parents. Proper hatching will keep many tortoises alive and allow them to live long healthy lives and is essential for tortoise welfare allowing a more economical method of breeding. In this study, the causes of embryonic mortality in Hermann’s tortoises (Testudo hermanni) during artificial incubation on a large farm in Slovenia were determined. Possible improvements in Hermann’s tortoise hatching and methods to increase animal welfare were described.The causes of embryonic mortality in Hermann’s tortoises (Testudo hermanni) during artificial incubation were determined. Total egg failure at the end of the hatching period was investigated. The hatching artefacts represented 19.2% (N = 3557) of all eggs (N = 18,520). The viability rate of incubated eggs was 80.8%. The eggs, i.e., embryos, were sorted according to the cause of unsuccessful hatching and subsequently analyzed. Some of the eggs were divided into two or more groups. Unfertilized eggs were confirmed in 61.0%, infected eggs in 52.5%, and eggs in various stages of desiccation in 19.1%. This group also included mummified embryos. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus sp., Purpureocillium lilacinum, and Escherichia coli were frequently confirmed in infected eggs. Embryos were divided into three groups: embryos up to 1.0 cm—group 1 (2.2%), embryos from 1.0 cm to 1.5 cm—group 2 (5.4%) and embryos longer than 1.5 cm—group 3 (7.3%) of all unhatched eggs. Inability of embryos to peck the shell was found in 1.3%. These tortoises died shortly before hatching. Embryos still alive from the group 2 and group 3 were confirmed in 0.7% of cases. Dead and alive deformed embryos and twins were detected in the group 3 in 0.5% and 0.1% of cases, respectively. For successful artificial hatching, it is important to establish fumigation with disinfectants prior to incubation and elimination of eggs with different shapes, eggs with broken shells, and eggs weighted under 10 g. Eggs should be candled before and periodically during artificial incubation, and all unfertilized and dead embryos must be removed. Heartbeat monitor is recommended. Proper temperature and humidity, incubation of “clean” eggs on sterile substrate and control for the presence of mites is essential. Monitoring of the parent tortoises is also necessary.

Understanding the final surface state of self-healing microcapsules containing rejuvenator in bituminous binder of asphalt

Self-healing microcapsules containing rejuvenator now is an environmental- friendly and energy saving commercial product for long-life asphalt pavement successfully applied in China. The results of basic research and practical application are very excellent, which makes it as an ideal way to extend the service life of the asphalt pavement. However, little knowledge is reported about the final state of broken microcapsules still existing in bitumen binder after a self-healing process, which causes users' doubts and concerns. The purpose of this work was to observe and determine the final state of microcapsules in bituminous binder of asphalt after completing a whole self-healing process. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) morphology showed that that microcapsules were dispersed in bituminous binders homogeneously. At the same time, transmission electron microscope (TEM) result indicated that the mixture of rejuvenator and bitumen was back-filled with empty microcapsules. FTIR-ART result also confirmed that the broken microcapsules were not empty holes in bitumen, but solid particles full of mixture substances of bitumen and rejuvenator. Broken shells in bitumen binder kept a stable state without particle aggregation. FT-IR analysis also proved bituminous molecules had moved into the broken rejuvenator under the diffusion power of concentration difference. Mechanical analysis also showed that broken shells in bitumen did not damage the original property of bitumen because the shell was full of substances. All the above results show that the final microcapsules are not holes, which do not destroy the mechanical property of bitumen binder of asphalt.

ЛАНДШАФТНАЯ СТРУКТУРА ЗАПАДНОГО ПРИБРЕЖЬЯ ГОРОДА СЕВАСТОПОЛЯ

The information about the landscape structure of the western coast of Sevastopol. Landscape studies (summer 2020) were conducted by detailed study of key sites using landscape profiling. In the landscape structure of the study area identified 8 bottom natural complexes (BCN). The capes at a depth of 0.5-5 m are characterized by underwater slope landscapes with boulder and boulder heaps and bedrock outcrops dominated by Carpodesmia crinita and Treptacantha barbata. Between the capes at these depths, underwater slope landscapes formed by sandy sediments, devoid of benthic vegetation, where individual clumps are also dominated by Carpodesmia crinita and Treptacantha barbata. An underwater coastal slope composed of coarse-clastic sediments dominated by Treptacantha barbata, and with alternating pebble-gravel with battered shell sediments dominated by Phyllophora crispa, was recorded at a depth of 5–10 m. A weakly sloping plain composed of gravel-sandy sediments with broken shells, dominated by Phyllophora crispa, can be traced at a depth of 10–15 m. The formation of its landscape structure is influenced by both the natural features of the coastal zone and economic activities in the adjacent territory.

Geological evidence of high-energy marine flooding events on the Tangier coastal plain, Morocco

The coastal sedimentary record is currently being studied to investigate evidence of past extreme coastal flooding events. Extreme marine inundations along Morocco's coasts are described in historical documents. In this work, evidence of high-energy marine flooding events on the Tangier coastal plain (the Ain Guemout area) was obtained by studying the size and mineralogy of quartz grains, performing exoscopy of the grains, and reconstructing their possible source sediments. In Ain Guemout, the inundation had run-up heights of more than 10 m and deposited distinct metric boulders, broken shells, sand, and lithic clasts 1 km inland. These unusual deposits typically underwent abrupt basal contact with a paleosoil. The deposits were found to thin and fine landward and present major structural and significant lateral variation. Textural analysis showed that clay and coarse sand are the most abundant grain populations in the sediments. The sand fraction is moderately or poorly sorted with a few well-sorted sandy deposits. In contrast to possible source sediments (coastal dune and beach sand), microtextural analysis indicated the recurrent presence of fresh surfaces and percussion marks. The deposits showed similarities to beach and coastal dune materials in their assemblages of heavy minerals, and presented a decreasing trend in such assemblages up-unit. The altitude reached by the sand layers, the increased boulder size inland, and the abundance of rip-up clasts in the sediments demonstrate the tsunamigenic origin of the Ain Guemout deposits. These results improve our understanding of marine floods, and should aid the development of strategies to protect coastal environments.

Characterisation of Seasonal Mytilus edulis By-Products and Generation of Bioactive Hydrolysates

Mussel cultivation results in tons of by-product, with 27% of the harvest considered as reject material. In this study, mussel by-products considered to be undersized (mussels with a cooked meat yield &lt;30%), mussels with broken shells and barnacle-fouled mussels were collected from three different locations in the west, north-west and south-west of Ireland. Samples were hydrolysed using controlled temperatures and agitation, and the proteolytic enzyme Protamex® was added at an enzyme:substrate ratio of 1:50 (w:v). The hydrolysates were freeze-dried and analysed for protein content and amino acid composition, lipid content and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) composition, ash and techno-functional and bioactive activities. The degree of hydrolysis was determined using the Adler-Nissen pH stat method and was found to be between 2.41% ± 0% and 7.55% ± 0.6%. Mussel by-products harvested between February and May 2019 had protein contents ranging from 36.76% ± 0.41% to 52.19% ± 1.78%. The protein content of mussels collected from July to October (the spawning season) ranged from 59.07% ± 1.375% to 68.31% ± 3.42%. The ratio of essential to nonessential amino acids varied from 0.68–0.96 and it was highest for a sample collected in November from the west of Ireland. All the hydrolysate samples contained omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are known anti-inflammatory agents. Selected hydrolysates which had angiotensin-converting enzyme I (ACE-I; EC 3.4.15.1) and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV; EC 3.4.14.5) inhibitory activities were filtered using 3-kDa membrane filtration and the permeate fraction was sequenced using mass spectrometry (MS). Identified peptides were &gt;7 amino acids in length. Following BIOPEP database mining, 91% of the by-product mussel peptides identified were found to be previously identified DPP-IV and ACE-I inhibitory peptides, and this was confirmed using in vitro bioassays. The ACE-I inhibitory activity of the by-product mussel hydrolysates ranged from 22.23% ± 1.79% to 86.08% ± 1.59% and the most active hydrolysate had an ACE-I inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 0.2944 mg/mL compared to the positive control, captopril. This work demonstrates that by-product mussel hydrolysates have potential for use as health-promoting ingredients.

Impact of operating conditions on a single droplet and spray drying of hydroxypropylated pea starch: Process performance and final powder properties

AbstractFor an efficient production of spray‐dried fine powders having controllable properties (size, size distribution, and morphology), finding suitable operating conditions and an appropriate initial composition of the fluid material is important. For this purpose, a suspension device is employed to investigate the drying kinetics of a single droplet of hydroxypropylated pea starch (HPS). In the current work, the effect of the drying air temperature (80–160°C) and of the initial solid content of the agent (15–30%w/w) on the drying kinetics, shrinkage, and locking point of a single droplet was systematically investigated to acquire the optimal conditions required for producing HPS powder using a pilot‐scale spray dryer. In addition to the previously mentioned parameters, the atomization pressure effect (2–3 bars) on the spray‐drying process yield, thermal efficiency, and final powder properties were also considered. A laboratory‐scale X‐ray microtomograph and a camsizer‐XT were employed for the acquisition of three‐dimensional images and surface morphology of single dried particles and spray‐dried powder, respectively. Hollow particles were obtained in all single droplet experiments. The drying kinetic study results were supported by those obtained by the spray drying of HPS. An increased temperature of the drying air and the initial solid content of the solution results in higher powder recovery, lower residual moisture content, and larger particle size. Otherwise, the final particles are larger at a decreased atomization pressure. The optimized parameters for the high spray‐drying process yield (24.54%; 3 bars, 140°C, 25 wt%) and better powder homogeneity (span = 2.31; 3 bars, 140°C, 20 wt%) were defined. A mixture of particle morphologies was observed among the different final powders. A broken shell corresponding to rigid particles was obtained at a drying temperature of 140°C and an initial solid content of 25 wt%. A nonbroken particle refers to a pliable particle that corresponds to inflated and collapsed particles dried at high and low drying temperatures.

Paleotsunami deposits along the coast of Egypt correlate with historical earthquake records of eastern Mediterranean

Abstract. We study the sedimentary record of past tsunamis along the coastal area west of Alexandria (NW Egypt) taking into account the occurrence of major historical earthquakes in the eastern Mediterranean. The two selected sites at Kefr Saber (∼32 km west of Marsa-Matrouh city) and ∼ 10 km northwest of El Alamein village are coastal lagoons protected by 2–20 m-high dunes parallel to the shoreline. Field data were collected by (1) coastal geomorphology along estuaries, wedge-protected and dune-protected lagoons; and (2) identification and spatial distribution of paleotsunamis deposits using five trenches (1.5 m-depth) at Kefr Saber and twelve cores (1 to 2.5 m-depth) at El Alamein. Detailed logging of sedimentary sections was conducted using X-rays, grain size and sorting, total organic and inorganic matter, bulk mineralogy, magnetic susceptibility, and radiocarbon dating to identify past tsunamis records. Generally of low energy, the stratigraphic succession made of coastal lagoon and alluvial deposits includes intercalated high-energy deposits made of mixed fine and coarse sand with broken shells, interpreted as catastrophic layers correlated with tsunami deposits. Radiocarbon dating of 46 samples consist in mixed old (&gt;13 000 BP) and young (&lt;5500 BP), dated charcoal and shells in sedimentary units correlate with the 24 June AD 1870 (Mw 7.5), 8 August AD 1303 (Mw ∼ 8) and 21 July AD 365 (Mw 8–8.5) large tsunamigenic earthquakes that caused inundation along the Alexandria and northern Egyptian shoreline. Our results point out the size and recurrence of past tsunamis and the potential for future tsunami hazards on the Egyptian coastline and the eastern Mediterranean regions.

Dense medium machine processing method for palm kernel/ shell separation

A machine processing method for the separation of cracked palm kernel from the shells using dense medium is presented. Cracked palm kernel is a mixture of kernels, broken shells, dusts and other impurities. In order to produce quality palm kernel oil, clean palm kernel nuts must be used, therefore the need for the separation of the palm kernel nuts from the shells. Several methods are used in the separation. The handpicking method yields good quality kernels but the method is slow, laborious and unsuitable for large scale productions. Salt solution method is unsuitable because of acidity of concentrated solution of salt used which affects the palm kernel as well as the quality of the oil produced. The clay suspension method is time consuming, laborious and cumbersome. The limitations of the above-stated methods of separation gave rise to the need for alternative methods of separation. A machine processing method using dense medium, a separator, a shell collector and a kernel collector was proposed. A machine was developed which produced kernels that contain 6.5% moisture content, 51% fat, 8.9% protein, 7% free fatty acid and 1.9% ash content. The kernels from the machine separation method were compared with the kernels produced by the other methods. The results revealed that the kernels obtained by hand picking method contains 7% moisture content, 52% fat, 9% protein, 7% free fatty acid and 2% ash content. The ones obtained using salt solution bath method contain 6% moisture content, 45% fat, 8% protein, 4.5% free fatty acid and 1.7% ash content. The ones obtained using conventional clay bath method contain 8% moisture content, 48% fat, 8.5% protein, 5.5% free fatty acid and 1.8% ash content. From the results obtained, the dense medium separation and clay suspension methods provide a better and cleaner means of palm kernel nut and shell separation because of the low moisture content and high fat, protein and ash contents among the methods of separation used. Keywords: Palm Kernel, Shell, Separation, Machine Processing Method, Dense Medium

On Razorʼs Edge: (S)Hell of a Mussell Impaction With Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Esophageal seafood shell impactions have been reported to cause erosions, tears, perforations and fistulae due to sharp broken edges. Severe upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage as an initial presentation can very rarely occur due to tears and lacerations by razor sharp edges, particularly if lodged for prolonged period due to esophageal peristalsis. They require early recognition and removal, which may be very difficult. We report a rare case of such a challenging broken mussel shell impaction with delayed presentation causing severe pain and hemorrhage and discuss the methodology employed for successful retrieval and management of such difficult shell ingestions.Figure: Impacted broken (umbo/dorsal) edge in crico-pharynx.Figure: Retrieved mussel shell with broken sharp (umbo/dorsal) edge and intact ventral beveled egde.Figure: Lacerations in the upper esophagus with bleeding.A 79 year old woman presented to ED with neck pain and spitting up blood after consumption of Italian seafood pasta 2 hours post consumption. She signed out against medical advice after initial ED presentation as she felt better and again presented to the ED 8 hours later with immense throat and neck pain and intermittent hematemesis. An urgent endoscopy revealed an impacted broken mussel shell in the upper esophagus with the broken beak/umbo/dorsal margin in the oropharyngeal sphincter (Image 1). This was grabbed with an alligator forceps and broken edge was snugged with the tip of scope to avoid lacerations and pushed down into the stomach. The shell was released in the fundus and subsequently grabbed with a Roth net. The broken sharp umbo/dorsal edge was snugged with the scope tip with ventrally beveled margins facing away to avoid trauma/laceration during withdrawal. The mesh of the net afforded some level of protection as well. Additionally, plenty of lubricant was applied on the scope externally and the scope was inserted all the way further down to pylorus to enable sufficient lubrication of esophagus prior to withdrawal of the Roth net with the broken shell. The shell was successfully withdrawn. Esophageal reintubation revealed lacerations akin to Mallory-Weiss tear in the upper esophagus (Image 3). This is a unique case presenting with hematemesis after consumption of Italian seafood pasta. Sea shell impaction should be suspected in such cases and our technique of grabbing the broken sharp (dorsal/umbo) edge and moving it down to stomach and providing enough esophageal lubrication and withdrawing in a Roth net, with the beveled ventral shell edge (Image 2) facing away from the scope, ensured a safe procedural outcome.

Morphology, Systematics and Paleoecology ofShikamaia, Aberrant Permian Bivalves (Alatoconchidae: Ambonychioidea) from Japan

The extraordinarily large and aberrantly shaped shells of the Permian bivalve family Alatoconchidae (Ambonychioidea), thought to have a photosymbiotic mode of life like the modern fragine bivalve Corculum, are difficult to extract from their host limestone bodies; therefore, their morphologies have been reconstructed mostly based on broken shell pieces. The alatoconchid Shikamaia akasakaensis Ozaki, the type species of the genus from the middle Permian Akasaka Limestone of central Japan, was described based on only three fragmentary specimens; its shell characters were later reassessed from specimens from the Neo area, ca. 30 km NNE of the type locality. Because of the fragmentary nature of the type specimens of S. akasakaensis, this species is difficult to diagnose and cannot be compared taxonomically to the specimens from the Neo area or other known species. A shell reconstruction based on 19 specimens from the type locality shows that S. akasakaensis exhibits a very large, elongated elliptical shell form but clearly differs from the Neo specimens in its higher and longer dorsal crests and more dorsally reflected shell wings in the anterior portion, rendering the establishment of a new species (Shikamaia ozakii Asato and Kase sp. nov.) for the latter specimens. The outer shell consists of a very thin outermost prismatic layer that is underlain by thick layers of granular crystals in both species of Shikamaia, which suggests that the shell did not allow sufficient sunlight penetration to culture symbiotic microbes in the soft tissues of these animals. The “Corculum model” of photosymbiosis therefore is unlikely for the two species of Shikamaia. The discovery of the presence of a ventral gape, a previously unreported shell character, suggests extension of the soft body into the sediment through this opening during life. Three possible modes of life (fragine-like photosymbiosis, lucinid-like chemosymbiosis and normal suspension feeding) are discussed.

Conditioning reduces kernel damage when impact shelling almonds

Abstract Almonds can be classified based on their shell characteristics from soft to hard shell varieties. The majority of Australian and Californian varieties have soft shell properties. Most Spanish almond varieties have hard shells. Although having a hard sealed shell protects the kernel from insect damage it affects their processability. Common commercial almond processing equipment simultaneously compresses and shears the almonds and this creates a high percentage of damaged kernels from the broken shell being forced into the kernel, particularly for hard shell varieties. This paper shows that for the soft shell variety ‘Nonpareil’ and the three hard shell varieties of ‘Marcona’, ‘Tarraco’ and ‘Vyro’ that conditioning by soaking in water and resting before processing improves the recovery of undamaged kernel when shelling using impact. The impacts were applied by feeding the almonds into a rotating impellor and throwing them onto a stationary outer wall. An effective conditioning process resulted in the kernel moisture content increasing from 6% to 14% for hard shell and to 11% for ‘Nonpareil’ varieties. The conditioning process was measured to reduce the amount of scratched, chipped and broken kernel, and hence increased the recovery of undamaged kernel. After shelling, the conditioned kernel needed to be dried back to a 6% moisture content to be suitable for storage. Hence, the industry would be able to increase its recovery of undamaged kernel by changing to an impact shelling process using suitably conditioned almonds.