The southernmost range limit for the hidden angelshark Squatina occulta

Background: Angelsharks (Genus Squatina) are distributed in the southern Southwest Atlantic Ocean between southeastern Brazil and central Patagonia. The endangered hidden angelshark Squatina occulta is reported in the literature as ranging from Espírito Santo, Brazil to Southern Uruguay. Its presence in Argentine waters has been suspected but not verified so far. This study describes and analyzes a specimen of S. occulta found in Puerto Quequén 38° 40′S - 58° 50′W, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Results: An immature male of 578 mm total length and 1,450 g was collected from commercial landings of the bottom trawl fishery of Puerto Quequén. The specimen exhibited the coloration pattern, dermal denticle distribution, and tooth formula characteristic of S. occulta. Conclusions: Squatina guggenheim and S. argentina are already known to occur off Puerto Quequén. The present finding confirms the presence of a third species of angelshark in Argentina and constitutes the southernmost record of S. occulta.Fil: Estalles, María Lourdes. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencia Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ; ArgentinaFil: Chiaramonte, Gustavo Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ; ArgentinaFil: Faria, Vicente V.. Universidade Federal do Ceará; BrasilFil: Luzzatto, Diego. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencia Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Díaz de Astarloa, Juan Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencia Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentin

A review of studies investigating the dielectric properties of biological tissues for application in hyperthermia and microwave thermal ablation

Heating of biological tissues beyond 40 C has become an established method of treating a number of diseases, most notably tumours, where hyperthermia and thermal ablation are important modalities. In some interventions, tissue temperatures reached can even go beyond 100 C, and demand precise knowledge of tissue dielectric properties and how these vary with frequency and temperature in order to facilitate accurate computational simulations for preclinical planning. This paper reviews the available literature concerning dielectric properties of biological tissues and their temperature dependence, focusing on the frequencies of 915 MHz and 2.45 GHz, at which most of the studies reviewed investigate predominantly liver tissue. In this review a comparative analysis of the results obtained by different research groups are presented in the different studies is also made, indicating possible limiting factors in the different studies. These studies propose a number of different models which could be used to describe temperature dependence. Due to the prevalence of liver investigations, it would be ideal to conduct further studies on different biological tissues.peer-reviewe

A Comparison of Macroepifauna Among Vegetated and Unvegetated Habitats in a South Florida Estuary Using a Passive Sampling Gear

We compared abundance, richness, diversity, and community structure of macroepifauna among the seagrasses Halodule wrightii, Thalassia testudinum, and Syringodium filiforme, and unvegetated substrate in Tarpon Bay, Caloosahatchee River estuary, Florida. Sampling was conducted using wire-mesh minnow traps deployed over fifty-six 24-h periods from Jan. 1999 to Jan. 2000. A total of 36, 35, 28, and 28 species were identified from Halodule, Thalassia, Syringodium, and unvegetated samples, respectively. The gastropod Nassarius vibex was the most abundant species from Halodule and unvegetated substrate, whereas the pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides) was the most abundant species from Thalassia and Syringodium. Abundance of these codominant species varied seasonally throughout the study. For all taxa combined and for codominants, each seagrass contained greater averages than unvegetated substrate in each season. Seagrasses typically had higher average species richness and diversity than unvegetated substrate in each season. Results indicate that Tarpon Bay typifies subtropical estuaries in that its epifaunal community is dominated by few species, faunal abundances vary seasonally, and more organisms are found in seagrasses than in unvegetated areas. Our results serve as a foundation to compare against future research in an understudied system

A Compendium of Existing Mechanisms for Meeting Health Needs in the Philippines

health sector, health management, health service delivery

A Monolithic Compliant Continuum Manipulator: a Proof-of-Concept Study

Continuum robots have the potential to form an effective interface between the patient and surgeon in minimally invasive procedures. Magnetic actuation has the potential for accurate catheter steering, reducing tissue trauma and decreasing radiation exposure. In this paper, a new design of a monolithic metallic compliant continuum manipulator is presented, with flexures for precise motion. Contactless actuation is achieved using time-varying magnetic fields generated by an array of electromagnetic coils. The motion of the manipulator under magnetic actuation for planar deflection is studied. The mean errors of the theoretical model compared to experiments over three designs are found to be 1.9 mm and 5.1degrees in estimating the in-plane position and orientation of the tip of the manipulator, respectively and 1.2 mm for the whole shape of the manipulator. Maneuverability of the manipulator is demonstrated by steering it along a path of known curvature and also through a gelatin phantom which is visualized in real time using ultrasound imaging, substantiating its application as a steerable surgical manipulator