Rapa Whelk Rapana Venosa (Valenciennes, 1846) Predation Rates On Hard Clams Mercenaria Mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758)

The recent discovery of adult veined rapa whelks Rapana venosa (Valenciennes, 1846) in the Lower Chesapeake Bay, U.S.A. offers cause for both ecological and economic concern. Adult rapa whelks are large predatory gastropods that consume bivalves including commercially valuable species such as hard clams, Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758). Laboratory feeding experiments were used to estimate daily consumption rates of two sizes of whelks feeding on two size classes of hard clams. Large rapa whelks (shell length, SL \u3e 101 mm) are capable of consuming up to 2.7 g wet weight of clam tissue daily, equivalent to 0.8% of their body weight. Small whelks (60-100 mm SL) ingest an average of 3.6% of their body weight per day

European Non-native Species in Aquaculture Risk Analysis Scheme - a summary of assessment protocols and decision support tools for use of alien species in aquaculture

The European Non-native Species in Aquaculture Risk Analysis Scheme (ENSARS) was developed in response to European 'Council Regulation No. 708/2007 of 11 June 2007 concerning use of alien and locally absent species in aquaculture' to provide protocols for identifying and evaluating the potential risks of using non-native species in aquaculture. ENSARS is modular in structure and adapted from non-native species risk assessment schemes developed by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation and for the UK. Seven of the eight ENSARS modules contain protocols for evaluating the risks of escape, introduction to and establishment in open waters, of any non-native aquatic organism being used (or associated with those used) in aquaculture, that is, transport pathways, rearing facilities, infectious agents, and the potential organism, ecosystem and socio-economic impacts. A concluding module is designed to summarise the risks and consider management options. During the assessments, each question requires the assessor to provide a response and confidence ranking for that response based on expert opinion. Each module can also be used individually, and each requires a specific form of expertise. Therefore, a multidisciplinary assessment team is recommended for its completion

Subacute pericardial abscess after aortic valve replacement: a case report

BACKGROUND: Purulent pericarditis is an infectious disease, frequently caused by gram-positive bacteria, that is rarely observed in healthy individuals, and is often associated with predisposing conditions. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we present the case of an Escherichia coli post-surgical localized purulent pericarditis complicated by transient constrictive pericarditis and its diagnostic and therapeutic management. CONCLUSIONS: Our case report focuses on the importance of imaging-guided treatment of purulent pericardial diseases, in particular on the emerging role of 18\u2009F-labelled 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in pericardial diseases and on the management of transient constrictive pericarditis, often seen after thoracic surgery

(Z)-2-[2-(4-Methyl­benzyl­idene)hydrazin­yl]pyridine

Mol­ecules of the title compound, C13H13N3, are essentially planar (r.m.s. deviation for all non-H atoms = 0.054 Å). The dihedral angle between the two aromatic rings is 6.33 (5)°. In the crystal, pairs of centrosymmetrically related mol­ecules are linked through N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming N—H⋯N dimers with graph-set motif R22(8)

Monte Carlo Transmission Line Modeling of Multilayer Optical Coatings for Performance Sensitivity of a Dichroic Filter for the ARIEL Space Telescope

Dichroic beamsplitters, or dichroics, are filters that rely on the optical interference that occurs within thin layers to ensure the transmission and reflection of selective wavelengths of an incident beam of light. These optical components consist of a substrate coated on one or both surfaces with multiple layers of thin films, the spectral design and construction of which determine the isolation of particular wavebands. Discrepancies between the measured and expected spectral performance of optical elements with such coatings can largely be attributed to depositions errors and uncertainties in the refractive indices of the materials. Our model uses two-dimensional transmission line modeling to evaluate the transmittance of light through multilayer coatings deposited on a substrate material for given materials, angle of incidence and polarisation. This model allows us to perform Monte Carlo simulations to obtain statistical information about the tolerance of the coating performance to systematic and random uncertainties from the manufacturing process, as well as from environmental changes in space. With the aid of accurate manufacturing recipes and uncertainty amplitudes from commercial manufacturers, this tool can predict variations in the optical performance that result from the propagation of each of these uncertainties for various hypothetical scenarios. One particular application of this study are the dichroics of the ARIEL space telescope. We compare the predicted optical performance with transmission measurements at cryogenic temperatures for one of the ARIEL dichroics, which show the specification compliance of this prototype after many thermal cycles

Primary malignant pericardial tumour in Lynch syndrome

Background: This case represents the first report of malignant primary cardiac tumour in a patient with Lynch Syndrome associated with MSH2 pathogenic variant. Case presentation: A 57-year-old woman with previous ovarian cystadenocarcinoma was admitted to the emergency room for hematic pericardial effusion. Multimodal diagnostic imaging revealed two solid pericardial vascularized masses. After pericardiectomy, the final histological diagnosis was poorly differentiated pleomorphic sarcomatoid carcinoma. During follow-up she developed an ampulla of Vater adenocarcinoma. Genetic analysis identified an MSH2 pathogenic variant. Conclusion: This case contributes to expand the tumour spectrum of Lynch syndrome, suggesting that MSH2 pathogenic variants cause a more complex multi-tumour cancer syndrome than the classic Lynch Syndrome. In MSH2 variant carriers, symptoms such as dyspnoea and chest discomfort might alert for rare tumours and a focused cardiac evaluation should be considered

First evidence of diffuse ultra-steep-spectrum radio emission surrounding the cool core of a cluster

Diffuse synchrotron radio emission from cosmic-ray electrons is observed at the center of a number of galaxy clusters. These sources can be classified either as giant radio halos, which occur in merging clusters, or as mini halos, which are found only in cool-core clusters. In this paper, we present the first discovery of a cool-core cluster with an associated mini halo that also shows ultra-steep-spectrum emission extending well beyond the core that resembles radio halo emission. The large-scale component is discovered thanks to LOFAR observations at 144 MHz. We also analyse GMRT observations at 610 MHz to characterise the spectrum of the radio emission. An X-ray analysis reveals that the cluster is slightly disturbed, and we suggest that the steep-spectrum radio emission outside the core could be produced by a minor merger that powers electron re-acceleration without disrupting the cool core. This discovery suggests that, under particular circumstances, both a mini and giant halo could co-exist in a single cluster, opening new perspectives for particle acceleration mechanisms in galaxy clusters

International overview of somatic dysfunction assessment and treatment in osteopathic research: A scoping review

Background: Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is a patient-centred, whole-body intervention aimed at enhance the person’s self-regulation. OMT interventions are focused on somatic dysfunctions (SD) that can be defined as an altered regulative function associated with inflammatory signs palpable in the body framework in different body regions. The conceptual model that sustains SD, as well as its usefulness for the osteopathic profession, is still being discussed by the osteopathic community. Understanding the role and the application of SD is the aim of this scoping review. Methods: A literature search was carried out through the main biomedical databases: Pubmed (Medline), Cochrane, Central (Cochrane), Embase, PEDro and Scopus. Grey literature was considered via Google Scholar and the Osteopathic Research Web. The review was prepared by referring to the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews” (PRISMA-ScR). Results: A total of 37,279 records were identified through database searching and other sources. After the duplicates were removed, 27,023 titles and abstracts were screened. A total of 1495 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. The qualitative synthesis included 280 studies. Conclusions: Treating SD is an important part of osteopathic practice that varies from country to country. SD should be considered as a clinical value that assists in the clinical assessment and guides the decision-making process of osteopathic practitioners. Further studies should be designed to better understand why and how to choose the different assessment and intervention modalities to approach SD and to evaluate new osteopathic models