The analysis of finite mixture models for exponential repeated data is considered. The mixture components correspond to different unknown groups of the statistical units. Dependency and variability of repeated data are taken into account through random effects. For each component, an exponential mixed model is thus defined. When considering parameter estimation in this mixture of exponential mixed models, the EM-algorithm cannot be directly used since the marginal distribution of each mixture component cannot be analytically derived. In this paper, we propose two parameter estimation methods. The first one uses a linearisation specific to the exponential distribution hypothesis within each component. The second approach uses a Metropolis–Hastings algorithm as a building block of a general MCEM-algorithm.

Periphyton is an additional food source in African and Asian brackish and freshwater fish ponds. The present study was a preliminary assessment of periphyton development on artificial substrates in temperate marine ponds. The effects of submersion time, substrate type, water depth, and total or partial sampling methods on the quantity and quality of periphyton collected, were evaluated. Four types of substrate (W: wooden poles, S: smooth fiber-glass strips, m: mosquito screen (1 mm-mesh) and M: garden netting (5 mm-mesh)) were deployed in a marine pond, and periphyton was collected 15 and 30 days later. The total amount of periphyton per substrate unit was collected as one sample or as 5 sub-samples. Results showed that (i) periphyton biomass in a marine pond increased between day 15 and day 30, (ii) more periphyton was collected on mosquito screen than on wooden poles, fiberglass strips and garden netting, (iii) periphyton biomass increased with submersion depth, (iv) sub-sampling leads to an underestimate compared to whole unit sampling, and (v) a correction of periphyton weight must be carried out considering the dissolved inorganic salts present in periphyton samples from marine and brackish ponds. Whole substrate unit sampling using a tube and stopper is recommended to avoid underestimation of periphyton development. Finally, the autotrophic fraction in the periphyton communities was very low compared to periphyton developed on biodegradable substrates in fertilized tropical ponds. Studies on fertilization and use of biodegraded substrates (i.e. long-time submerged wood) are recommended to further optimize periphyton development in temperate marine ponds.

Photoacoustic spectroscopy has been used to monitor the photosynthetic activity of the leaves of sugar maple saplings treated by watering the soil with simulated acid rain at different pH levels (2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 and 5.6). We also measured the relative growth rate of the plants and the pigment content of leaves. The results indicated an ambivalent effect of acidity: there was a linear decline (r = 0.92) in the photosynthetic O2 evolution as the pH of the simulated rain was lowered from 5.6 to 3.0 and a jump when it reached 2.5, with a stimulation effect on the relative growth rate at lower pH levels. The photochemical energy storage and the relative growth rate increased from pH 5.6 to pH 4.0-4.5, then decreased at pH 3.0 and increased again at pH 2.5. The pattern of variation of the photochemical energy storage was fairly well correlated with the pigment content of the leaves (r = 0.83). It was concluded that acid rain preferentially affects photosystem II (PSII), inhibiting O2 evolution, and less PSI. The difference between O2 evolution and photochemical energy storage was explained in connection with cyclic electron transport around photosystem I (PSI).

In an attempt to prepare improved biodegradable detergents, the eleven possible isomers of sodium p-(thia-n-dodecyl)benzenesulfonate have been synthesized. Preliminary biodegradability tests of these compounds show that the biodegradability of sodium p-1-thia-n-dodecylbenzenesulfonate is greater than that of LAS.