A new deep-sea pennatulacean (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Chunellidae) from the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (NE Atlantic)

During the BENGAL cruises, an important collection of deep-sea benthic organisms was sampled. Among the pennatulacean colonies, a previously undescribed species of chunellid was collected. That material is here described as the type species of a new genus, Porcupinella gen. nov. The new genus and species are described based on material collected in the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (NE Atlantic), 4,839–4,847 m in depth. This is the first time that a chunellid is reported from the Atlantic Ocean. The new genus is compared with the other genera in the family, and some phylogenetic remarks about the families Chunellidae and Umbellulidae are also provided

Progress toward scalable tomography of quantum maps using twirling-based methods and information hierarchies

We present in a unified manner the existing methods for scalable partial quantum process tomography. We focus on two main approaches: the one presented in Bendersky et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 190403 (2008)], and the ones described, respectively, in Emerson et al. [Science 317, 1893 (2007)] and L\'{o}pez et al. [Phys. Rev. A 79, 042328 (2009)], which can be combined together. The methods share an essential feature: They are based on the idea that the tomography of a quantum map can be efficiently performed by studying certain properties of a twirling of such a map. From this perspective, in this paper we present extensions, improvements and comparative analyses of the scalable methods for partial quantum process tomography. We also clarify the significance of the extracted information, and we introduce interesting and useful properties of the $\chi$-matrix representation of quantum maps that can be used to establish a clearer path toward achieving full tomography of quantum processes in a scalable way.Comment: Replaced with published version (only minor changes respect to the first version

The effect of environmental changes in the Galician sardine fishery

Annex 6The highest catches of the Iberian sardine stock are taken from the southern part of Galician waters (NW corner of the Iberian Peninsula) and northern Portugal. Landings are mainly composed of younger fish, which reflects the proximity of the main recruitment area to the fishery grounds. Since 1978 there has been an improvement in the knowledge of the biology and stock dynamics of sardine around the Atlantic Iberian waters. In the last decade a consecutive years with poor recruitments result in a depletion of stock below limits previously recorded. The recruitment processes seem to be driven by oceanographic (local) and climatic (global) events, this dependence on both phenomena may explain the fluctuations on the landings in the sardine fisheries in Atlantic Iberian waters. Given the dependence of the fishery in this area on the strength of the recruitment, different relationship between biotic components (spawning stock size, recruitment, landings and recruitment landings) and abiotic: climatic indices (NAO-winter, Gulf Stream and AMO) and local oceanographic coastal events (upwelling and poleward current) were analysed. In the analysis of the abiotic series in the period (1978–2005), there appears to be a shift in the general trend in 1995. In addition at the end of the nineties several consecutive years with poor recruitment result in a depletion of the stock below limits previously recorded as well as changes in the distribution area. Before the shift was observed the recruitment variability could be explain by the environmental variables, but since then the correlation is poor

A case of intoxication due to a highly cytotoxic Bacillus cereus strain isolated from cooked chicken

Outbreaks of Bacillus cereus infection/intoxication are not commonly reported because symptoms are often mild, and the disease is self-limiting. However, hypervirulent strains increase health risks. We report a case, which occurred in Argentina, of severe food The studied strain was highly cytotoxic, showed high ability to detach Caco-2 cells and was positive for the hblA, hblB, and hblC genes of the hbl complex, bceT, entS and ces. As it is considered that B. cereus emetic cluster evolved from a panmictic population of diarrhoeal strains, B. cereus MVL2011 could constitute an intermediate strain between diarrhoeal and emetic strains.Prepint aceptado el 14 de agosto de 2014 para su publicación

Feeding ecology of Elachistocleis bicolor in a riparian locality of the middle Paraná River

Elachistocleis bicolor is a poorly known South American microhylid frog. Although it has been claimed to be an ant specialist, there have been no detailed studies of ontogenetic diet change and prey selectivity in this species. We analysed the diet of 114 individuals of this frog through the post-metamorphic ontogeny. We also studied the anurans’ morphometric relationships to prey size, and compared diet with prey availability, estimating predation tactics. All prey categories were consumed out of proportion relative to their availability in the environment. The results suggest that the three stages of E. bicolor are selective foragers with a strong preference for ants, although the prey spectrum includes other taxa. The diet of subadults was more similar to that of juveniles, and had the widest diet overlap. Juveniles ate smaller prey, and this could be reducing food competition with older stages. Although the three stages are selective ant foragers, as frogs grow up, there is a partial and gradual change in prey category captured.Instituto de Botánica "Dr. Carlos Spegazzini

Depth and spatial distribution of blue whiting juveniles in Bay of Biscay

During March-April 1994 and 1996 two cruises have been performed around Bay of Biscay in order to check movements of blue whiting using acoustic methods. These cruises consisted in a double coverage of an area from 47°30' N, 7°15' W to 43°30' N, 6°30' W along the French and Spanish continental shelf-break (200 m to 1000 m). During these surveys juveniles of blue whiting were found in off-shore pelagic schools. This paper describes the spatial distribution and depth of these schools around the studied area

The supporting role of the teres major muscle, an additional component in glenohumeral stability? An anatomical and radiological study

Muscle coordination plays an important role in glenohumeral stability. The rotator cuff and the long head of the biceps are considered the primary dynamic stabilizers muscles. However, the fact that a subgroup of patients with a massive tear in the rotator cuff were able to keep a normal function, should make us question this traditional view. We hypothesize that the teres major which is also a monoarticular scapulohumeral muscle, although it is not part of the conjoined tendon of the rotator cuff, can play a role in glenohumeral stability by a direct support of the humeral head generated by the particular posteroanterior location of this muscle under the humeral head and which, as far as we know, has not been written up previously. This particular effect could appear while the arm is being lifted and the humeral head could be leaning on against the teres major muscle belly underneath it. An anatomical a radiological study was carried out to substantiate our hypothesis. Two cadaver specimens were used for the anatomical study. Frist body was studied through conventional dissection. The second body was analysed through sectional anatomy. Then a radiological study was carried out using magnetic resonance imaging in a healthy male volunteer. Both anatomically and radiologically, the anteroinferior surface of the humeral head was showed firmly resting against the muscle belly of the teres major, to the point of misshaping it from 110 degrees of arm elevation with external rotation. The specific contribution of this effect to the glenohumeral stability needs to be confirmed by further studies and can help us to prevent the high incidence of glenohumeral dislocations