Studies in Bomb Calorimetry. A New Determination of the Energy of Combustion of Benzoic Acid in Terms of Electrical Units

The Pelagic Species Trait Database, an open data resource to support trait-based ocean research

Trait-based frameworks are increasingly used for predicting how ecological communities respond to ongoing global change. As species range shifts result in novel encounters between predators and prey, identifying prey 'guilds', based on a suite of shared traits, can distill complex species interactions, and aid in predicting food web dynamics. To support advances in trait-based research in open-ocean systems, we present the Pelagic Species Trait Database, an extensive resource documenting functional traits of 529 pelagic fish and invertebrate species in a single, open-source repository. We synthesized literature sources and online resources, conducted morphometric analysis of species images, as well as laboratory analyses of trawl-captured specimens to collate traits describing 1) habitat use and behavior, 2) morphology, 3) nutritional quality, and 4) population status information. Species in the dataset primarily inhabit the California Current system and broader NE Pacific Ocean, but also includes pelagic species known to be consumed by top ocean predators from other ocean basins. The aim of this dataset is to enhance the use of trait-based approaches in marine ecosystems and for predator populations worldwide.

A Multi-kilogram Capacity Calorimeter For Heterogeneous Materials

A large capacity calorimeter was designed and constructed in order to determine the enthalpies of combustion of kilogram-size samples of municipal solid waste (MSW) in flowing oxygen near atmospheric pressure. The combustion of the organic fraction of the samples was complete to greater than 99.9+%. The percent coefficient of variation (100 × standard deviation/average), % CV, of calibration measurements using microcrystalline cellulose was 0.2%. The % CV of the measurements of the enthalpy of combustion of a processed MSW sample was 0.4%. The combined systematic errors due to departure from usual design standards and conventional operating procedures is estimated to be less than 0.4% of the calorific value.