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The diet of different size groups of Naqim (Pomadasys maculates) ranging in length from 160-400 mm collected from Red Sea coast near Hodeidah City, Yemen was investigated, during the period from Nov. 2000 to May 2001. Contents of 140 stomachs were analyzed using fullness index, percentage of occurrence, volume and relative importance. Crabs, shrimps and other crustacean comprise the most important food source occurred in 59% of the examined stomachs and 26% of the total volume of diet on average. Clams and snails (Molluscs) were the second most important food group (47% & 23% respectively). Other items include worms and algae comprising 5 and 7% only. Detritus and unidentified digested materials occurred in all examined stomachs. Wide variations in feeding habits were noticed among different size groups. Crabs and aquatic plants increased while mollusks decreased with increasing fish length. Diet composition in relation to time period was studied. Autumn months revealed the highest feeding intensity followed by Spring and Winter months, with the lack of Summer samples. Little variations in filling index and food composition between male and females were detected among mediumsized fish, possibly due to state of maturation. The feeding spectrum analysis and relative gut length measurements suggest that Al-Naqim feeds as an active predator feeding just above the bottom, utilizing mainly pelagic or bottom invertebrates and few algae.

In orthopedics and traumatology surgeries, the repair of bone deformities is a concern. Pure and Cobalt (Co) doped Calcium phosphate (CaP) cements were successfully prepared in this study. The particles that had been manufactured were characterized. Three different methods were used to study the structure of the materials: Xray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning electron microscope (SEM). The lattice characteristics, degree of crystallinity, and particle size of pure CaP bone cement were reduced dramatically with the incorporation of Co 2+ ions. The functional groups of CaP bone cements were detected via the FTIR technique. Antibacterial properties of pure and Co doped CaP bone cement were evaluated qualitatively against Escherichia coli (E. Coli, gram -), Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA, gram +). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, gram +), Methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MR-CoNS, gram +), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa, gram -) bacteria for 24 h at 37 ºC. After analyzing the data, it was found that the inclusion of Co 2+ ions inhibited the growth of E. coli and MSSA bacteria. Antibacterial bone cements are potential material for preventing infection-related bone healing failures.

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