Taxonomy of some Galeommatoidea (Mollusca, Bivalvia) associated with deep-sea echinoids: A reassessment of the bivalve genera Axinodon Verrill & Bush, 1898 and Kelliola Dall, 1899 with descriptions of new genera Syssitomya gen. nov. and Ptilomyax gen. nov.

The type species of Axinodon ellipticus Verrill & Bush, 1898 and Kellia symmetros Jeffreys, 1876 are re-described. It is concluded that the two species are not conspecific and that K. symmetros cannot be placed in the genus Axinodon. The family affinity of Axinodon is not resolved, although it is probable that this genus belongs to the Thyasiridae. Kellia symmetros is the type species of Kelliola and is placed in the Montacutidae. Kelliola symmetros is most probably associated with the echinoid Aeropsis rostrata and is not the species previously recorded from North Atlantic Pourtalesia echinoids under the name of Axinodon symmetros. This commensal associated with the North Atlantic Pourtalesia is here described as new and placed in the new genus as Syssitomya pourtalesiana gen. nov. sp. nov., Syssitomya gen. nov. differs from all other genera in the Montacutidae by having laminar gill filaments modified for harbouring symbiotic bacteria and it is thus assumed to be chemosymbiotic. A montacutid associated with the hadal Pourtalesia heptneri is described as Ptilomyax hadalis gen. nov. sp. nov

A combined HST/CFH12k/XMM survey of X-ray luminous clusters of galaxies at z~0.2

We describe a project to study a sample of X-ray luminous clusters of galaxies at redshift z~0.2 at several scales (with HST/WFPC2 and CFHT/CFH12k) and wavebands (optical and X-ray). The main aims of the project are (i) to determine the mass profiles of the clusters on scales ranging from ~10 kpc/h to >1.5 Mpc/h using weak and strong lensing, thereby testing theoretical predictions of a ``universal mass profile'', and (ii) to calibrate the M_tot - T_X relation in view of future application in the study of the evolution of the cluster mass function at higher redshift.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, Proceedings of the XXth Moriond Astrophysics Meeting ``Cosmological Physics with Gravitational Lensing'', J.-P. Kneib, Y. Mellier, M. Moniez and J. Tran Thanh Van eds., 200

Ready for a paradigm shift? Part 2: Introducing qualitative research methodologies and methods

This paper explores a number of commonly used methodologies and methods in qualitative research, namely grounded theory, case study, phenomenology, ethnography and narrative research. For each methodology a brief history of its development and variants is given, followed by typical methods of data collection and analysis. Examples of manual therapy qualitative research studies are highlighted for each methodology. Data collection methods are then discussed and include individual interviews, focus groups, observation and documentary analysis. A frequently used method of data analysis, thematic analysis, is briefly explained. Finally, the strategies to enhance the quality of qualitative research is explored and compared to those of quantitative research. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd

Intersubject Regularity in the Intrinsic Shape of Human V1

Previous studies have reported considerable intersubject variability in the three-dimensional geometry of the human primary visual cortex (V1). Here we demonstrate that much of this variability is due to extrinsic geometric features of the cortical folds, and that the intrinsic shape of V1 is similar across individuals. V1 was imaged in ten ex vivo human hemispheres using high-resolution (200 μm) structural magnetic resonance imaging at high field strength (7 T). Manual tracings of the stria of Gennari were used to construct a surface representation, which was computationally flattened into the plane with minimal metric distortion. The instrinsic shape of V1 was determined from the boundary of the planar representation of the stria. An ellipse provided a simple parametric shape model that was a good approximation to the boundary of flattened V1. The aspect ration of the best-fitting ellipse was found to be consistent across subject, with a mean of 1.85 and standard deviation of 0.12. Optimal rigid alignment of size-normalized V1 produced greater overlap than that achieved by previous studies using different registration methods. A shape analysis of published macaque data indicated that the intrinsic shape of macaque V1 is also stereotyped, and similar to the human V1 shape. Previoud measurements of the functional boundary of V1 in human and macaque are in close agreement with these results

Spinaxinus (Bivalvia: Thyasiroidea) from sulfide biogenerators in the Gulf of Mexico and hydrothermal vents in the Fiji Back Arc: Chemosymbiosis and Taxonomy

Two new species of the thyasirid genus Spinaxinus (S. emicatus Oliver n. sp. and S. phrixicus Oliver n. sp.) are described from the Gulf of Mexico and the southwest Pacific, respectively. Both are compared with the type species of the genus, the eastern Atlantic S. sentosus Oliver and Holmes, 2006. Living specimens from the Gulf of Mexico were retrieved from artificial sulfide bio-generators on the upper Louisiana Slope. Gill morphology and molecular markers from the symbiotic bacteria confirm that Spinaxinus is chemosynthetic and that the chemoautotrophic bacteria are related to sulfide oxidizing Gammaproteobacteria. Living specimens from the southwest Pacific were retrieved from hydrothermal vent sites in the Fiji and Lau Back Arc Basins. In the Atlantic Spinaxinus is now recorded from two anthropogenic situations and appears to be generally absent from natural cold seep sites and not yet recorded at any hydrothermal sites. The primarily anthropogenic distribution of Spinaxinus in the Atlantic is discussed with reference to the natural hydrothermal vent habitat of the Pacific S. phrixicus.Spinaxinus (Bivalvia: Thyasiroidea) de bio-generadores artificiales de sulfuro situados en el Golfo de Méjico y en fuentes hidrotermales de las Islas Fiji: quimiosimbiosis y taxonomía. – En este trabajo se describen dos especies nuevas de tisárido del género Spinaxinus (S. emcatus Oliver n. sp. y S. phrixicus Oliver n. sp.) encontradas res- pectivamente en el Golfo de Méjico y en el sureste del Pacífico. Se comparan estas dos especies nuevas con la especie tipo del género, S. sentous Oliver y Holmes, 2006 descrita en el Este del Atlántico. Para describir estas dos especies, se observaron ejemplares vivos recolectados sobre bio-generadores artificiales de sulfuro situados en la parte alta de la plataforma conti- nental de Louisiana, en el Golfo de Méjico. Las observaciones realizadas de las branquias de Spinaxinus y la caracterización genética de las bacterias simbiontes en estos ejemplares confirmaron que Spinaxinus es un género quimiosintético que con- tiene bacterias quimioautótrofas cercanas a las Gammaproteobacterias responsables de la oxidación del sulfuro. También se recolectaron ejemplares vivos de fuentes hidrotermales situadas en las Islas Fiji y en ‘Lau Back Arc Basins’ ambas localiza- das en el Pacífico suroccidental. La especie atlántica de Spinaxinus se encontró en dos tipos de sustratos artificiales mientras que parece que esta especie no se encuentra en ambientes naturales equivalentes como serían las surgencias frías y las fuentes hidrotermales. La distribución aparentemente limitada de la especie atlántica se discute en relación con la distribución de S. phrixicus en las fuentes hidrotermales del Pacífico

Ready for a paradigm shift? Part 1: Introducing the philosophy of qualitative research

The manual therapy professions have almost exclusively focused on the use of quantitative research to help inform their practices. This paper argues that a greater use of qualitative research will help develop a more robust and comprehensive knowledge base in manual therapy. The types of knowledge used in practice and generated from the two research paradigms are explored. It is hoped that an understanding of the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of qualitative research may encourage more manual therapists to value and use this approach to help further inform their practice; for some, this may involve a paradigm shift in thinking. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd

Direct observation of yield in films by flat punch indentation

In regular indentation many strain states are simultaneously present in the indented region, so measured parameters such as hardness and modulus are average values over a wide range of strains. Testing of structures such as pillars, levers or film bulges enables determination of yield point and modulus with uniform strains in the sample, but requires specialised sample preparation and can be significantly affected by surface condition. Here we show how in-situ indentation with a flat punch allows direct observation of a discrete yield point in soft films on more rigid substrates. The yield point is clearly observable from the load displacement behaviour and from post indent AFM imaging. The film is in uniform uniaxial strain. Finite element simulations show that effective self-confinement by surrounding film material leads to uniformity throughout the film material down to surprisingly low aspect ratios around 4:1. This occurs for a significant range of stresses above the yield point. Eventually at even higher stresses the film material is extruded laterally. The characteristics of the yield event will be described as a function of temperature and film thickness for thin to ultrathin films. At higher aspect ratio and with sufficient stiffness of punch and substrate, quantitative, in-situ measurement of intrinsic stress vs. strain to well beyond the elastic limit becomes possible for thin films. The extent to which full constitutive relations for polymer films can be determied will be discussed, along with limitations of the technique

Excited state non-adiabatic dynamics of pyrrole:A time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum dynamics study

The dynamics of pyrrole excited at wavelengths in the range 242-217 nm are studied using a combination of time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and wavepacket propagations performed using the multi-configurational time-dependent Hartree method. Excitation close to the origin of pyrrole's electronic spectrum, at 242 and 236 nm, is found to result in an ultrafast decay of the system from the ionization window on a single timescale of less than 20 fs. This behaviour is explained fully by assuming the system to be excited to the A2(\u3c0\u3c3 17) state, in accord with previous experimental and theoretical studies. Excitation at shorter wavelengths has previously been assumed to result predominantly in population of the bright A1(\u3c0\u3c0 17) and B2(\u3c0\u3c0 17) states. We here present time-resolved photoelectron spectra at a pump wavelength of 217 nm alongside detailed quantum dynamics calculations that, together with a recent reinterpretation of pyrrole's electronic spectrum [S. P. Neville and G. A. Worth, J. Chem. Phys. 140, 034317 (2014)], suggest that population of the B1(\u3c0\u3c3 17) state (hitherto assumed to be optically dark) may occur directly when pyrrole is excited at energies in the near UV part of its electronic spectrum. The B1(\u3c0\u3c3 17) state is found to decay on a timescale of less than 20 fs by both N-H dissociation and internal conversion to the A2(\u3c0\u3c3 17) state.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

Unpredictable movement as an anti-predator strategy

Prey animals have evolved a wide variety of behaviours to combat the threat of predation, and these have been generally well studied. However, one of the most common and taxonomically widespread antipredator behaviours of all has, remarkably, received almost no experimental attention: so-called ‘protean’ behaviour. This is behaviour which is sufficiently unpredictable to prevent a predator anticipating in detail the future position or actions of its prey. In this study, we used human ‘predators’ participating in 3D virtual reality simulations to test how protean (i.e. unpredictable) variation in prey movement affects participants’ ability to visually target them as they move (a key determinant of successful predation). We found that targeting accuracy was significantly predicted by prey movement path complexity, although, surprisingly, there was little evidence that high levels of unpredictability in the underlying movement rules equated directly to decreased predator performance. Instead, the specific movement rules differed in how they impacted on targeting accuracy, with the efficacy of protean variation in one element depending on the values of the remaining elements. These findings provide important insights into the understudied phenomenon of protean antipredator behaviour, which are directly applicable to predator-prey dynamics within a broad range of taxa