A new genus and species of the extinct family Saurodontidae (Ichthyodectiformes) is described from the Upper Cretaceous deposits of Dakhla Formation, Western Desert, Egypt. The specimen is identified as Wadiichthys anbaawyi gen. et sp. nov. The holotype comprises complete skull with maxillae, premaxillae, dentaries and predentary. The specimen was embedded in a compacted mudstone layer of the lower part of Dakhla Formation, Western Desert, Egypt. The new taxon Wadiichthys anbaawyi differs from the others saurodontid genera by (i) the dorsal margin of the predentary is longer than the ventral margin. (ii) the longitudinal foramina below each alveolus of the dentary, premaxilla and maxilla; (iii) a small diastema between the teeth; (iv) a convex contact between the rostrodermethmoid and the frontal; (v) the posterior margin of the maxilla is triangular shaped; (vi) the teeth are more deeply embedded in the premaxilla, maxilla and dentary. Wadiichthys anbaawyi represents the first formal description of a saurodontid from Africa that contributes to the increase of the knowledge of the diversity and the paleogeographic distribution of this family. The new taxon sheds light on the taxonomy, morphology and evolutionary history of the Cretaceous marine vertebrates of the Tethys Sea. To preserve and digitally document the fossil, a terrestrial laser scanner Trimble TX6 was employed. Each of the five fossil parts was scanned separately and processed with Trimble RealWorks software. This created a high-resolution 3D point cloud in true color, grayscale, and intensity mode. This method protects the fossil from possible damage or loss. It also allows for remote collaboration and morphometric analysis without physical handling.

The authors describe the morphological and topographical variations displayed by the dentary bone in a large sample of pycnodont fishes, both the more archaic dagger Gyrodontiformes, and the more modern dagger Pycnodontiformes. They demonstrate that in most genera belonging to the order dagger Gyrodontiformes, the dentary bone is bifid, with a posterior end divided into two processes, a dorsal (coronal process) and a ventral one, generally folded under the prearticular bone. This bifid morphology met with great success in the Neopterygii, but was abandoned by representatives of the order dagger Pycnodontiformes, in which the dentary bone has a single, tapered posterior end, arranged to line the external surface of the lower edge of the prearticular bone. However, the bifid morphology reappears sporadically in some individuals of some taxa from the Late Cretaceous ("Nursallia") and the Eocene (Pycnodus), representing an atavistic phenomenon.

The restoration works of the Church of San Giacomo Apostolo in Torricella Peligna (Abruzzo, Italy) have brought to light a mummified body, in a good state of preservation. Studies on the body have dated the burial and highlighted the anthropological and pathological aspects. The mummy dates back to the seventeenth century and belongs to an adult male individual which probably held an administrative position within the Viceroyalty of Naples. The remains of the individuals clothing and the results of the examinations performed provided both cultural and palaeobiological new information for a geographic area in a historical period that is still little studied.

A large sample of pycnodonts, extinct actinopterygians living from the Late Triassic to the Eocene, are studied with the aim of identifying both skeletal and integumental paleopathological conditions. Traces of pathologies are very rare (involving 35 individuals) and mainly concern the skeleton (31 cases), whereas cases involving the dermal scales are exceptional (four cases). It is demonstrated here that congenital anomalies account for 80.6% of paleopathological bone and scale lesions in pycnodonts. Forms of morphological alterations, focal hypotrophy or atrophy are present in the axial and in the fin skeleton, the pectoral girdle and possibly in the skull. Also five cases of traumatic injuries are documented: a single case of fracture, with clear traces of bone repair (fusiform callus) in the skeleton of a dorsal fin and four cases of fin regeneration after bite, concentrated at the posterior tips of the caudal fin. Finally, the existence of a single case of skeletal trace of a soft tissue tumor (chordoma of the notochord) is confirmed. The rarity of the paleopathological lesions indicates that no pathological condition could have encouraged or accelerated the extinction of the pycnodonts; however, it will be necessary to have a wider case series in order to be able to evaluate whether the traces of disease are randomly distributed along the entire period of existence of the pycnodonts or whether they are concentrated in the last stages of their evolution, before their complete extinction.

Two specimens of the pycnodont Haquelpycnodus picteti from the Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous) of Lebanon possess small non-dental odontodes flanking the teeth inside the oral cavity. These odontodes are distributed labially with respect to the vomerine and prearticular dentition, corresponding to the internal face of the cheek and in front of the maxilla. They have no relation to any of the bones in the mouth region and were situated in the endo-oral mucosa. This dentition pattern resembles that of the earliest osteichthyans and stem-gnathostomes. SEM-investigation of the non-dental odontodes demonstrates a thick layer of orthodentine covered by two thin outer layers of acrodin. The microchemical composition of these odontodes corresponds to those of the dermal scales (derived from odontodes) that are distributed in the integument of the same examined specimen. Both morphology, ultrastructure, and topographic relationships demonstrate that these structures are dermal and not dental odontodes. The reappearance of dermal odontodes in the dentition of individual specimens of Haquelpycnodus thus reflects the latent capacity of the endo-oral mucosa to form non-dental odontodes. These odontodes probably exerted lateral pressure to the content within the oral cavity, which took place synchronously with the prehensile movements of the incisors.

This study provides the first overview of dental pathologies in pycnodonts, a diverse group of fossil actinopterygians that existed from the end of the Middle Triassic to the end of the Eocene. We considered 100 pathological pycnodont specimens, 71 of which were studied by first-hand examination and 29 by consulting published descriptions. Diagnoses were performed based on macroscopic and microscopic observation and, where necessary, also with the help of radiographic and tomographic examinations. The 100 pathological specimens belong to 27 genera and 57 species, which represent 26.5% of all known genera and 10.2% of all known species. The most frequent anomalies are (i) tooth malpositions, (ii) supernumerary teeth and (iii) shape anomalies of single teeth, including microdotia and exceptional cases of macrodontia. Dental pathologies in pycnodonts are unevenly distributed over geological time: they were much more common in the Late Triassic and Jurassic, while they had become much rarer during the Cretaceous. In a single pycnodont population from the Eocene of Mali, 54.5% of the specimens are affected by dental anomalies, probably as the result of pathogenic drift in an isolated population. The uneven distribution of tooth anomalies over the long period of pycnodont evolution suggests that their dentition was initially not ordered into distinct dental rows; this order was acquired only in the most derived forms. To consolidate these hypotheses it will be necessary to expand the paleopathological statistics with more specimens.

Here, a fossil egg case that contains a well-preserved embryo is described. The embryo is characterised by (i) a rostral cartilage, (ii) some ribs, (iii) and a well-developed stinger; (iv) absence of thoracolumbar synarcual. This represents an unique combination of characters which demonstrate that the batoid that produced the egg case was a completely new form, possibly a stem-Myliobatiformes, which remains undetermined in the absence - to date - of any comparable adult specimen. SEM morphological analysis demonstrates that the wall of the fossil egg case was multilaminate, made up of collagen fibres (with a thickness of 2-4 mu m): an ultrastructure that has been positively compared to the egg case of living Rajiformes (Raja asteria) and Myliobatifirmes (Hemitrygodon akajeri). The egg case also contains a mass that is interpreted as the remains of yolk sac, internally organised in platelets with a diameter of 25-35 mu m. Since in living Myliobatiformes the egg cases disappears from inside the uterus before the end of the embryogenesis, the described fossil is interpreted as an embryo that was prematurely emitted by the pregnant mother, such as an abortion of a batoid dated to the Late Cretaceous.

By comparing the morphological variability of two groups of pycnodonts, the Coccodontoidea and the Nursalliini, the author demonstrates that in the Late Cretaceous these two groups had adopted completely different blauplans. Throughout the Cretaceous and the Eocene, the Nursalliini maintained the typical shape of the pycnodonts, rounded and flattened. The Cocodontoidea expressed 21 new species that belonged to 17 new genera, across which there was extraordinary biodiversity. The typical body plan was almost abandoned, and elongated, and somewhat very tapered, forms emerged (Stenoprotome), which lived alongside very short and very high fish. Indeed, this period produced the shortest and the highest fish that have ever lived (Maraldichthys). Indeed, while the more highly variable groups (Coccodontoidea) represented a punctiform episode in the evolutionary history of pycnodonts, remaining confined to the arm of Tethys (central Lebanon) and to the time period corresponding to the lower upper Cenomanian, the morphologically more conservative groups (Nursalliini) colonised the seas of the entire planet from the Cretaceous to the Eocene, even surviving the great mass extinction period corresponding to the Mesozoic-Cenozoic passage. Thus, the enormous biodiversity of Coccodointoidea did not represent a selective advantage over the environmental crisis at the end of the Cretaceous.

Coccidioidomycosis is an infectious fungal disease endemic in Bolivia's Gran Chaco region that is caused by inspiration of the spores of Coccidiodes species. It is a respiratory pathology that can spread to the skeleton and produce diffuse lytic lesions in different parts of the body. This disease has rarely been described in historic populations, and we present here a new case of coccidioidomycosis in a mummified human individual. It corresponds to a female individual with an age at death of 25–35 years, dated to the Tiwanaku epoch of the thirteenth century AD. It was found inside a sepulchral cave near the city of Ulloma in western Bolivia. Radiographic examination shows numerous osseous lytic lesions with central cavitation concentrated on the cranial table and vertebral bodies. The observed condition could correspond to the secondary phase of coccidioidomycosis. This diagnosis is noteworthy because coccidioidomycosis was mainly described as a male work-related disease and has never been found in ancient western Bolivia.

This paper presents the first analytical examination of the evidence of growth and aging in pycnodonts. Preliminarily, the author discusses the difficulties of evaluating auxological phenomena in animals that do not have current descendants and in which the anatomical traits typical of juveniles persist in adults (neoteny), as an evolutionary strategy. The author collected biometric data on juvenile and corresponding adult subjects of only 15 pycnodont species. Despite this scarcity of species, the author demonstrates that there does not seem to exist a single pattern of somatic growth. However, at least two characters (one skeletal and one dental) seem common to all the examined species: (i) the relative dimensions of the orbit decrease in a constant, sometimes conspicuous manner with respect to the total body dimensions, and (ii) the width of the interdental diastemas is noticeably reduced during growth. At least two phenomena seem to be present also in aging: (i) bone hypotrophy (detectable only through radiological means) and (ii) the depletion of ameloblastic activity leading to the cessation of polyphyodontia. However, the inability to replace worn teeth may have played a role in causing natural death in aged pycnodonts by interfering with their ability to feed themselves.

We appreciate the comments of Schimmelbusch et al. [...]

Glaucoma causes the degeneration of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons, inducing a tissue reshaping that affects both the retina and the optic nerve head. Glaucoma care especially focuses on reducing intraocular pressure, a significant risk factor for progressive damage to the optic nerve. The use of natural treatments, such as herbs, vitamins, and minerals, is becoming increasingly popular today. While plants are a rich source of novel biologically active compounds, only a small percentage of them have been phytochemically examined and evaluated for their medicinal potential. It is necessary for eye care professionals to inform their glaucoma patients about the therapy, protection, and efficacy of commonly used herbal medicines, considering the widespread use of herbal medicines. The purpose of this review is to examine evidence related to the most widely used herbal medicines for the management and treatment of glaucoma, to better understand the potential benefits of these natural compounds as supplementary therapy.

This retrospective comparative study proposes a multi-formula approach by comparing no-history IOL power calculation methods after myopic laser-refractive-surgery (LRS). One-hundred-thirty-two eyes of 132 patients who had myopic-LRS and cataract surgery were examined. ALMA, Barrett True-K (TK), Ferrara, Jin, Kim, Latkany and Shammas methods were evaluated in order to back-calculate refractive prediction error (PE). To eliminate any systematic error, constant optimization through zeroing-out the mean error (ME) was performed for each formula. Median absolute error (MedAE) and percentage of eyes within ±0.50 and ±1.00 diopters (D) of PE were analyzed. PEs were plotted with corresponding mean keratometry (K), axial length (AL), and AL/K ratio; then, different ranges were evaluated. With optimized constants through zeroing-out ME (90 eyes), ALMA was better when K ≤ 38.00 D-AL > 28.00 mm and when 38.00 D < K ≤ 40.00 D-26.50 mm < AL ≤ 29.50 mm; Barrett-TK was better when K ≤ 38.00 D-AL ≤ 26.50 mm and when K > 40.00 D-AL ≤ 28.00 mm or AL > 29.50 mm; and both ALMA and Barrett-TK were better in other ranges. (p < 0.05) Without modified constants (132 eyes), ALMA was better when K > 38.00 D-AL ≤ 29.50 mm and when 36.00 < K ≤ 38.00 D-AL ≤ 26.50 mm; Barrett-TK was better when K ≤ 36.00 D and when K ≤ 38.00 D with AL > 29.50 mm; and both ALMA and Barrett-TK were better in other ranges (p < 0.05). A multi-formula approach, according to different ranges of K and AL, could improve refractive outcomes in post-myopic-LRS eyes.

A relic (from the Latin reliquiae: remains) is the body (or part) of a deceased holy person or belongings kept as an object of reverence. The long-term preservation of relics is a priority for many religious and secular communities and often anthropologists, involved in their restoration for conservative purposes, collect anthropological and paleopathological data of scientific interest. In this context, the Authors present the case of Blessed Maria Felicia Guggiari Echeverria (1925-1959), the most revered Catholic figure in Paraguay, whose remains consist of a complete and well preserved skeleton, fragments of adipocere, and complete " solidified " brain and cerebellum. The brain and the cerebellum have a reduced volume of about 85 cm3, and a hard and friable consistency. Microscopic analyses have shown the presence of still distinguishable histological structures (e.g. the stratification of the cerebral cortex, meninges, residual vessels, and probable nerve bundles). Microanalysis showed the presence of uniformly distributed carbon (C), oxygen (O) and other chemical elements (e.g. Na, Ca, Mg, K) variably distributed. The FTIR analysis highlighted the presence of proteins. The brain probably underwent a process of carbonization, which involves a reduction in volume due to loss of O and H and the consequent concentration of C in low-oxygen conditions. The presence of adipocere, which is formed in environmental conditions similar to those of carbonization, supports this hypothesis. The "solidified" brain of Blessed Maria Felicia Guggiari Echeverria (1925-1959) represents today a unique case.

EDITORIAL article Front. Med., 17 April 2023Sec. Ophthalmology Volume 10 - 2023 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2023.1181810

Pycnodontiformes are a well -known family of Actinopterygii that lived from the Triassic to the Eocene. While there are many convergences with modern -day reef-dwelling teleosts, there are also many unanswered questions about their ecological niche and role in the food web, e.g., because Mesozoic reefs were fundamentally different from present -day coral reefs. This article documents pycnodontiform fossils in their role as prey. Palaeontological evidence for predation consists of the remains of a predator's meal outside the body in the form of coprolites and regurgitalites; the remains of bones and teeth of pycnodontiforms found as stomach and gut content (cololites and gastrolites) of predators; traces of predation in the form of bite injuries to the fins and to the proximal parts of bodies of the pycnodontiforms, and pycnodontiform body fossils partially eaten by scavengers. Since fish, specialised for a reef environment rarely have the chance to enter the fossil record, taphonomic factors are decisive to inform our view of Pycnodontiformes in their role as prey. Evidence is more complete for more generalist forms such as Gyrodus from the Solnhofen Archipelago, which seems to have ventured regularly into the deeper Plattenkalk basins, where they are the most common Pycno donti-formes. Evidence is sparser for the highly manoeuvrable reef specialists among Pycnodontiformes, which are allochthonous to the Plattenkalk basins.

The Tombs of the Nobles are located in ancient Thebes (modern Luxor, Egypt) and are primarily the site of elite burials. One such is the monumental funerary complex of Neferhotep, which is characterised by several tombs arranged around a central court: TT49, TT187, TT362, TT363, and TT347, which have been already excavated, while TT348 is still closed. They are dated from the end of the XVIII Dynasty (fourteenth–thirteenth century BC) to the Ramessid Period (twelfth–eleventh century BC), with phases of reuse mainly in the Third Intermediate Period and in the Ptolemaic age. From the late eighteenth century, they functioned as storerooms and stables for the houses built above them in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. A large number of artefacts, such as pottery, shabtis, fragments of cartonnage, amulets, offerings have been found, as well as human remains belonging to at least 136 individuals. Among these finds 112 specimens of animal bones have also been attested. The remains seem to belong to three different groups: ancient votive mummies, linked to the cult of the god Amun-Ra; modern domestic animals dated to the modern phases of reuse of the tombs; and scavengers, which entered the tombs in search for food. The zooarchaeological studies complete the multidisciplinary analysis of the Neferhotep complex and provide new information about the use and reuse of the Theban tomb from ancient to modern times.

In recent years, the measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter with ultrasound to detect the presence of increased intracranial pressure has widely spread. It can be qualitatively and effectively used to identify intracranial hypertension. Intracranial pressure can rise due to acute injury, cerebral bleeding, hydrocephalus, brain tumors and other space-occupying abnormalities, and it is linked to a high death rate. The purpose of this review is to give a general overview of the most relevant scientific publications on ultrasonographic evaluation of the optic nerve in case of brain injuries published in the last 30 years, as well as to analyze the limits of the most extensively used B-scan approach. Fifty-two papers chosen from the PubMed medical database were analyzed in this review. Our findings revealed that ocular ultrasound is an useful diagnostic tool in the management of intracranial hypertension when it exceeds a certain value or after head trauma. As a result, an ultrasound of the optic nerve can be extremely helpful in guiding diagnosis and treatment. The blooming effect is one of the most critical restrictions to consider when using B-scan ultrasonography. Since amplitude-scan ultrasound, also known as A-scan, does not have this limit, these two diagnostic techniques should always be used together for a more full, accurate, and trustworthy ultrasound examination, ensuring more data objectivity.