The giant deep-sea octopus Haliphron atlanticus forages on gelatinous fauna

Feeding strategies and predator-prey interactions of many deep-sea pelagic organisms are still unknown. This is also true for pelagic cephalopods, some of which are very abundant in oceanic ecosystems and which are known for their elaborate behaviors and central role in many foodwebs. We report on the first observations of the giant deep-sea octopus Haliphron atlanticus with prey. Using remotely operated vehicles, we saw these giant octopods holding medusae in their arms. One of the medusae could be identified as Phacellophora camtschatica (the egg-yolk jelly). Stomach content analysis confirmed predation on cnidarians and gelatinous organisms. The relationship between medusae and H. atlanticus is discussed, also in comparison with other species of the Argonautoidea, all of which have close relationships with gelatinous zooplankto

Themadag: Balans tussen fokkerij en biodiversiteit bij paarden

Aan kondiging van de themadag:"Balans tussen fokkerij en biodiversiteit bij paarden". Tijdens deze themadag worden basisprincipes van fokkerij en van behoud vangenetische diversiteit binnen een ras uitgelegd. Een goed doordacht fokbeleid op rasniveau is nodig om het ras te behouden of te verbeteren. Daarbij moet ook worden gelet op behoud van genetische diversiteit binnen het ras. Een te sterke inteelttoename kan tot serieuze problemen leiden, zoals bepaalde erfelijke gebreken. Een kleine populatie is kwetsbaarder voor inteelt dan een grote populatie. Tevens geeft een sterke selectie op één of enkele kenmerken een groter risico op inteel

Development of an in vitro setup for flow studies in a stented carotid artery bifurcation

To investigate flow conditions in a double-layered carotid artery stent, a bench-top in vitro flow setup including a bifurcation phantom was designed and fabricated. The geometry of the tissue-mimicking phantom was based on healthy individuals. Two identical phantoms were created using 3D-printing techniques and molding with PVA-gel. In one of them, a clinically available CGuard double-layer stent was inserted. Measurements were performed using both continuous and pulsatile flow conditions. Blood flow studies were performed using echoPIV: a novel ultrasound-based technique combined with particle image velocimetry. A maximum deviation of 3% was visible between desired and measured flow patterns. The echoPIV measurements showed promising results on visualization and quantification of blood flow in and downstream the stent. Further research could demonstrate the effects of a double-layered stent on blood flow patterns in a carotid bifurcation in detail. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.).</p