No detection of chytrid in first systematic screening of Bombina variegata pachypus (Anura: Bombinatoridae) in Liguria, northern Italy

The Apennine Yellow-bellied toad Bombina variegata pachypus, a small anuran endemic to peninsular Italy, has been declining throughout its range over the last 30 years. Although mortality by chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, was first reported for the species in 2004, its role in the decline has not yet been assessed. Between 2011 and 2012 we sampled eight populations of B. v. pachypus in Liguria, northern Italy, swabbing 86 and 143 individuals respectively, corresponding to between 24 and 80% of the estimated individuals within each population. We did not detect chytrid in any the samples collected. For the three largest populations in the region, we can rule out infections of prevalence greater than 10% with at least 98% confidence. Research at a larger scale is urgently needed to clarify the role of B. dendrobatidis in the decline of this and other amphibians in Italy

When maize is not the first choice: advances in paleodietary studies in the Archaeological Site Río Doncellas (Jujuy, Argentina)

In this work we present new values of stable isotopes of carbon (δ13Cco and δ13Cap) and nitrogen (δ15N) measured in a sample of 13 human individuals found in the Río Doncellas Archaeological Site (Late Period or Regional Developments, ca. 1000 AD-1450 AD) located in the Puna of Jujuy, Northwest of Argentina. The skeletal series belong to the collection of Museo E. Casanova, FFyL - UBA and the Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano, being the result of investigations carried out during the decades of 1940 and 1970, respectively. In addition, in this work we present isotopic compositions of food resources (vegetal and fauna) found in the archaeological record as well as gathered in modern farms located in the study area (Abra Pampa, Cochinoca, Jujuy). This information was used for paleodietary inference, allowing us to establish a hierarchy of the resources that were consumed. The results indicate that maize (Zea mays) is less important than other vegetal resources in the diet, which contradicts the expectations generated from the macrobotanical evidence of the site and the cultivated terraces that surround it. On the other hand, camelids seemed to be widely exploited, which is coherent with the current importance of meat production within the region. These results allow us to assert that the growth of cereals did not have a progressive relevance over other resources.Fil: Killian Galván, Violeta Anahí. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Geocronología y Geología Isotopica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geocronología y Geología Isotópica; ArgentinaFil: Samec, Celeste Tamara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Geocronología y Geología Isotopica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geocronología y Geología Isotópica; ArgentinaFil: Panarello, Hector Osvaldo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Geocronología y Geología Isotopica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geocronología y Geología Isotópica; Argentin

What is a quantum really like?

The hypothesis of quantum self-interference is not directly observable, but has at least three necessary implications. First, a quantum entity must have no less than two open paths. Second, the size of the interval between any two consecutive quanta must be irrelevant. Third, which-path information must not be available to any observer. All of these predictions have been tested and found to be false. A similar demonstration is provided for the hypothesis of quantum erasure. In contrast, if quanta are treated as real particles, acting as sources of real waves, then all types of interference can be explained with a single causal mechanism, without logical or experimental inconsistencies.Comment: Forthcoming in "Quantum Theory: Reconsideration of Foundations - 3", Vaxjo, Sweden, June 2005, AIP Proceedings (vol. no. tbd

Thirty years of invasion: the distribution of the invasive crayfish Procambarus clarkii in Italy

The presence of the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii in Italy is documented since 1989, but no comprehensive data are available on its spread through time at the national scale. New confirmed records for Procambarus clarkii are continuously arising in recent years across the country. By reviewing the scientific and grey literature, we obtained an up-to-date map of the species invasion in Italy. This information can help to monitor and understand the spread of this highly invasive crayfish and to implement more effective management measures.

So close so different: what makes the difference?

The introduction of alien fish species in wetland ecosystems could have a great impact on freshwater communities and ecological processes. Despite fish introduction has been noticed as one of the principal cause of freshwater extinctions, ecosystem processes alteration, and change in aquatic community assemblage, very few data about impact on freshwater reptiles are available. As study model we used two neighbour sub-populations of the endangered Sicilian pond turtle, Emys trinacris, inhabiting two small, close each other and very similar lakes, except for the presence of allocthonous fish, Cyprinus carpio and Gambusia hoolbroki in one of the two. The multi-year study allowed highlighting significant differences in abundance, growth and reproductive output between the two freshwater turtle sub-populations, suggesting their influence on phenotypic plasticity of the studied population. These results are discussed in the light of previous evidence about the impact of these alien species on abundance and assemblage of the invertebrate community with an evident impact on niche width, diet composition and therefore energy intake by Emys trinacris. These data may provide important information to address management strategies and conservation actions of small wetland areas inhabited by pond turtles, pointing out a threats never highlighted up to now

A general moment NRIXS approach to the determination of equilibrium Fe isotopic fractionation factors: application to goethite and jarosite

We measured the reduced partition function ratios for iron isotopes in goethite FeO(OH), potassium-jarosite KFe3(SO4)2(OH)6, and hydronium-jarosite (H3O)Fe3(SO4)2(OH)6, by Nuclear Resonant Inelastic X-Ray Scattering (NRIXS, also known as Nuclear Resonance Vibrational Spectroscopy -NRVS- or Nuclear Inelastic Scattering -NIS) at the Advanced Photon Source. These measurements were made on synthetic minerals enriched in 57Fe. A new method (i.e., the general moment approach) is presented to calculate {\beta}-factors from the moments of the NRIXS spectrum S(E). The first term in the moment expansion controls iron isotopic fractionation at high temperature and corresponds to the mean force constant of the iron bonds, a quantity that is readily measured and often reported in NRIXS studies.Comment: 38 pages, 2 tables, 8 figures. In press at Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. Appendix C contains new derivations relating the moments of the iron PDOS to the moments of the excitation probability function measured in Nuclear Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scatterin

Interpreting Negative Probabilities in the Context of Double-Slit Interferometry

Negative probabilities emerged at intermediate steps in various attempts to predict the distributions of quantum interference. There is no consensus on their meaning yet. It has been suggested (Khrennikov, 1998) that negative probabilities require the existence of unsuspected correlations between detection events.We evaluate this claim in light of several representative experiments. In our assessment, some of its implications are in good agreement with the data.Comment: 9 pages. Abridged version forthcoming in "Foundations of Probability and Physics - 4", AIP Conf. Proc. (vol. no. tbd

A Minimum Principle in Codon-Anticodon Interaction

Imposing a minimum principle in the framework of the so called crystal basis model of the genetic code, we determine the structure of the minimum set of anticodons which allows the translational-transcription for animal mitochondrial code. The results are in very good agreement with the observed anticodons.Comment: 13 pages, 6 Tables, to appear in Biosystem