New specimen of the rare requiem shark Eogaleus bolcensis from the Bolca Lagerst\ue4tte, Italy

A rare carcharhinid specimen (slab and counter-slab, MSNPV 24625-24626) from the world-renowned Eocene Bolca locality was recently rediscovered during a restoration project started in 1989 by the Museo di Storia Naturale di Pavia. The individual, the largest Eogaleus bolcensis known from Bolca, is disarticulated and lies in a massive limestone matrix, suggesting its provenience from the Monte Postale site. While assessing its taxonomic status, multiple morphological affinities and ontogenetic trends within the Bolca Carcharhiniformes assemblage where documented. Eogaleus bolcensis is here distinguished from the school shark Galeorhinus cuvieri exclusively according to dermal denticle morphology, suggesting partial overlap of ecologic and trophic niches between the two species. Further, measurements and meristic counts taken on different traits of E. bolcensis (two individuals) and G. cuvieri (five individuals) specimens show high degree of similarities. The ratios "trunk length/total length"and "sum of vertebral centra (head region)/total length"of four complete individuals of the fossil assemblage were averaged and employed to estimates the total length of MSNPV 24625-24626. Here, the total length of MSNPV 24625-24626 is estimated in about 172.1\ub10.1 cm. The same approach is applied to MCSNV T.311 (E. bolcensis, holotype) and MNHN F.Bol.516 (G. cuvieri, holotype), two partially-preserved fossil individuals from Bolca locality. To support the ontogenetic variability among the Bolca shark assemblage, the age of the fossil individuals was estimated following the Von Bertalanffy Growth Function, using the modern chondrichthyans growth parameters as a reference. Data presented here suggest that all G. cuvieri specimens are juvenile individuals, whereas the E. bolcensis specimens were young-adult

The braid groups of the projective plane and the Fadell-Neuwirth short exact sequence

International audienceWe study the pure braid groups $P_n(RP^2)$ of the real projective plane $RP^2$, and in particular the possible splitting of the Fadell-Neuwirth short exact sequence $1 \to P_m(RP^2 \ {x_1,...,x_n} \to P_{n+m}(RP^2) \stackrel{p_{\ast}}{\to} P_n(RP^2) \to 1$, where $n\geq 2$ and $m\geq 1$, and $p_{\ast}$ is the homomorphism which corresponds geometrically to forgetting the last $m$ strings. This problem is equivalent to that of the existence of a section for the associated fibration $p: F_{n+m}(RP^2) \to F_n(RP^2)$ of configuration spaces. Van Buskirk proved in 1966 that $p$ and $p_{\ast}$ admit a section if $n=2$ and $m=1$. Our main result in this paper is to prove that there is no section if $n\geq 3$. As a corollary, it follows that $n=2$ and $m=1$ are the only values for which a section exists. As part of the proof, we derive a presentation of $P_n(RP^2)$: this appears to be the first time that such a presentation has been given in the literature

New specimen of the rare requiem shark Eogaleus bolcensis from the Bolca Lagerstätte, Italy

A rare carcharhinid specimen (slab and counter-slab, MSNPV 24625-24626) from the world-renowned Eocene Bolca locality was recently rediscovered during a restoration project started in 1989 by the Museo di Storia Naturale di Pavia. The individual, the largest Eogaleus bolcensis known from Bolca, is disarticulated and lies in a massive limestone matrix, suggesting its provenience from the Monte Postale site. While assessing its taxonomic status, multiple morphological affinities and ontogenetic trends within the Bolca Carcharhiniformes assemblage where documented. Eogaleus bolcensis is here distinguished from the school shark Galeorhinus cuvieri exclusively according to dermal denticle morphology, suggesting partial overlap of ecologic and trophic niches between the two species. Further, measurements and meristic counts taken on different traits of E. bolcensis (two individuals) and G. cuvieri (five individuals) specimens show high degree of similarities. The ratios “trunk length/total length” and “sum of vertebral centra (head region)/total length” of four complete individuals of the fossil assemblage were averaged and employed to estimates the total length of MSNPV 24625-24626. Here, the total length of MSNPV 24625-24626 is estimated in about 172.1±0.1 cm. The same approach is applied to MCSNV T.311 (E. bolcensis, holotype) and MNHN F.Bol.516 (G. cuvieri, holotype), two partially-preserved fossil individuals from Bolca locality. To support the ontogenetic variability among the Bolca shark assemblage, the age of the fossil individuals was estimated following the Von Bertalanffy Growth Function, using the modern chondrichthyans growth parameters as a reference. Data presented here suggest that all G. cuvieri specimens are juvenile individuals, whereas the E. bolcensis specimens were young-adult

Ricerca di consenso Delphi sugli strumenti per il monitoraggio da parte del medico competente dei principali fattori di rischio individuali per malattie croniche

BACKGROUND: Data on individual risk factors for chronic diseases (smoking, physical activity, body mass) are collected by company physicians in heterogeneous ways. This makes comparisons, researches and evaluations difficult. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to find a consensus on evaluation tools for chronic diseases risk factors and for health promotion programs in workplaces that could be performed by company physicians during their clinical activity. METHODS: A first set of tools, proposed by a working group of occupational physicians in Bergamo, was submitted through the Delphi technique to a national expert panel of 22 persons including recognized national experts in specific fields and occupational physicians skilled in health promotion. RESULTS: In three Delphi rounds, the panel selected a set of tools to monitor the main individual risk factors for chronic diseases (smoking, alcohol, physical activity, nutrition, stress and mental health) as well as general data related to the worker and his job. CONCLUSIONS: The use of these specific tools, collected in a homogeneous format, should be recommended to all Italian company physicians, in particular those who work in WHP-programs, in order to allow analysis, comparison and evaluation of health promotion programs effectiveness at a national level