Maneuverability modeling and trajectory tracking for fish robot

This study develops a 6-DOF mathematical model for a robotic fish that considers surge, sway, heave, roll, pitch, and yaw. The model considers the conditions of a fish swimming in ocean current perturbations similar to the ocean current perturbations of the slender-body autonomous underwater vehicles. For swimming and turning behaviors, a nonlinear, dynamic, carangiform locomotion model is derived by using a planar four-link model. A 2-DOF barycenter mechanism is proposed to provide body stabilization and to serve as an actuating device for active control design. A barycenter control scheme is developed to change the center of gravity of the robot fish body by moving balancing masses along two axes. The projected torque on x and y axes propel pitch and roll angles to the desired settings. A Stabilizing controller, fish-tail mechanism, rigid body dynamics, and kinematics are incorporated to enable the fish robot to move in three dimensional space. Simulation results have demonstrated maneuverability and control system performance of the developed controller which is proposed to conduct path tracking of the robot fish as it swims under current perturbations.     

The determination of the shelf-life of pasteurized and non-pasteurized sardine (Sardina pilchardus) marinades stored at 4 °C

In this study the shelf‐life of sardine marinades was investigated. After the marination process, sardine fillets were packed into glass jars with 2% citric acid, 4% sodium chloride and spices. The effect of pasteurization at 70 °C for 20 min on the shelf‐life of the sardine marinades was determined. At the end of 6 months storage the differences between thiobarbituric acid, free formaldehyde (FA(ex)), free and bound formaldehyde (FA(dest)) and peroxide value of pasteurized and non‐pasteurizated marinades were not significantly (P > 0.05) different, while the difference between total volatile basic nitrogen, trimethylamine, pH, total plate count and lactic acid bacteria count of pasteurized and non‐pasteurized marinades were. The shelf‐life of both pasteurized and non‐pasteurized sardine marinades was found to be 5 months at 4 °C.     

Stabilisation of protein and oil in fish silage for use as a ruminant feed supplement

Fish silage was prepared from 96.5% offal obtained from Atlantic cod fillet processing and 3.5% (by wt) formic acid. The fish silage became an homogeneous liquid of low viscosity in 36–58 h at 20°C; however, the oil and protein components continued to be hydrolysed for several months. Addition of formaldehyde to fish silage (0.25 or 0.39% by wt) after liquefaction was complete, served to prevent continued protein hydrolysis and oxidative rancidity of the oil. It also decreased the development of ‘off-odours’, and the formation of total volatile bases. Fish silage was readily absorbed by hay at a ratio of 1.5 parts silage to 1.0 parts hay by weight; the product is referred to as ‘haylage’. Voluntary intake by wethers of ‘haylage’ prepared from de-oiled, formaldehyde-treated fish silage was better than for ‘haylage’ prepared from untreated fish silage. The crude protein content of ‘haylage’ rations was more than satisfactory for fattening lambs, although the energy content of ‘haylage’ rations may be a limiting factor. Retention of fish oil in the silage to increase the energy content of rations was unsuccessful because voluntary feed intake was depressed. The addition of formaldehyde to fish silage is advantageous when the product is to be fed to ruminant livestock since protein and lipid degradation in the feed, and also possibly in the rumen, are minimised and voluntary intake of ‘haylage’ by sheep is increased.     

Colour measurement of fish minces using hunter L,a, b values

Hunter L, a and b values are used to order fish mince colour according to species or processing parameters. Mince colour difference (ΔE) or statistical examination of L, a and b values are used to establish a 3-dimensional plot to illustrate colour differences between samples.     

Developing habitat associations for fishes in Lake Winnipeg by linking large scale bathymetric and substrate data with fish telemetry detections

Understanding relationships between freshwater fishes and habitat is critical for effective fisheries and habitat management. Habitat suitability indices (HSI) are commonly used to describe fish–habitat associations in rivers and other freshwater ecosystems. When applied to large lakes however, standard sampling procedures are inadequate because of larger sampling areas and an increased risk of fish collection bias through one-time observations. Here, we use lake bathymetry, substrate, and multiple fish telemetry detections collected from a systematically deployed receiver grid to develop HSI for four fish species (lake sturgeon, freshwater drum, common carp, and walleye) in Lake Winnipeg. Seasonal variations in habitat use based on water depth and substrate were observed in three of four species. Lake sturgeon remained in shallow locations with predominantly gravel substrate near the mouth of the Winnipeg River regardless of season. Freshwater drum persisted over fine substrate in both summer and winter but had a broader depth range in the summer compared to winter. Common carp shifted from mid-range depths and silt substrate in the summer to shallow depths and gravel substrate in the winter. Walleye showed an unchanging association to fine substrate but expanded from primarily mid-range depths in the summer to include shallower depths in the winter. These findings show how multiple telemetry detections per fish can be combined with hydroacoustic data to provide informative habitat associations for fishes in a large lacustrine ecosystem.     

Selectivity of Supercritical CO<Subscript>2 </Subscript>in the Fractionation of Hake Liver Oil Ethyl Esters

The solubility of different ethyl esters derivatized from hake liver oil in supercritical carbon dioxide was studied. A selectivity factor was used to determine optimal conditions to fractionate the ethyl ester mixture. A strong influence of solvent pressure and temperature was observed within 8.63–18.04 MPa and 40–70 °C. The lowest total solubility of the ethyl ester mixture was obtained when using supercritical carbon dioxide at the lowest density (the lowest pressure and the highest temperatures value tested). The highest discrimination against long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (e.g. EPA and DHA) was also obtained at these above conditions. Conversely, higher solubility and lower selectivity were obtained when solvent density increased. Considering this inverse correlation between selectivity and solubility, a single-step batch-fractionation process was designed to increase the 22:6 ethyl ester content from an initial value of 17.5% in the starting material to 55% in the final extract.     

Research Progress in the Application of Chinese Herbal Medicines in Aquaculture: A Review

Due to increasing safety concerns regarding human consumption of fish products, an increasing number of medicinal chemicals are prohibited from use in aquaculture. As a result, Chinese herbal medicines are being increasingly used, coining the use of the term “green medicine.” Research shows that Chinese herbal medicines have many beneficial effects on fish, including growth promotion, enhancement of disease resistance, and improvement in meat quality. Many effective ingredients have been discovered in Chinese herbal medicines, which function to promote feed intake, improve meat flavor, and increase digestive enzyme activity. They also regulate and participate in processes that improve the specific and non-specific immunity of fish; however, the composition of Chinese herbal medicines is very complex and it is often difficult to identify the effective ingredients. This article reviews the latest research and application progress in Chinese herbal medicines regarding growth and feed utilization, immunity and disease resistance, and the meat quality of cultured fish. It also discusses research on the chemical constituents of classical Chinese medicinal herbs and problems with the application of Chinese herbal medicines in fish culture. This article concludes by proposing that future studies on Chinese herbal medicines should focus on how to cheaply refine and extract the effective ingredients in classical Chinese medicinal herbs, as well as how to use them efficiently in aquaculture.     

交通网络设计问题的人工鱼群算法

人工鱼群算法是一种新的群体智能优化算法,可较好地避免局部极值并取得全局极值,但针对离散优化问题却存在开发平衡及探索能力差等缺点。为此,设计一种自适应变异的人工鱼群算法,在迭代过程中添加变异算子并自动调节视野范围和拥挤度因子。将该算法应用于多等级选择的离散型交通网络二层规划模型设计中,上下层模型分别采用人工鱼群算法及Frank-Wolfe算法进行求解,从而为求解这类模型提供新方法。仿真结果表明,该算法具有较好的稳定性和收敛速度,能够应用于大型城市交通网络设计中。