Pyreneplax basaensisnew genus, new species (Decapoda, Brachyura, Vultocinidae) from the Priabonian (Late Eocene) of the Pyrenees of Huesca (Aragón, Spain), and remarks on the genus Lobonotus A. Milne-Edwards, 1863

P. Pyreneplax basaensis nou gènere, nova espècie (Decapoda, Brachyura, Vultocinidae) del Priabonià (Eocè Superior) del Pirineu d’Osca (Aragó, Espanya), i observacions sobre el gènere Lobonotus A. Milne-Edwards, 1863. Els nous braquiürs fòssils trobats a la Formació Margas de Arguís (Priabonià, Eocè superior) dels Pirineus Centrals (Aragó), permeten la descripció d’un nou gènere y una nova espècie ( Pyreneplax basaensis), així com la revisió d’alguns tàxons previament assignats al gènere Lobonotus A. Milne-Edwards, 1863 (Carpilioidea: Tumidocarcinidae). Tenint en compte la gran similitud existent entre Pyreneplax n. gen. i les espècies Lobonotus sandersi(Blow i Manning, 1997), L. granosus(Beschin, Busulini, De Angeli i Tessier, 2002) i L. sommarugai Beschin, Busulini i Tessier, 2009, aquestes són també assignades al nou gènere. A més, un conjunt de caràcters tant dorsals com ventrals, compartits amb la espècie actual Vultocinus anfractusNg i Manuel-Santos, 2007, suggereixen la inclusió del nou gènere dins la família Vultocinidae Ng i Manuel-Santos, 2007 (Goneplacoidea). Al mateix temps es discuteixen alguns aspectes de la posició sistemàtica del gènere Lobonotus A. Milne-Edwards, 1863.New fossil brachyuran finds in the Margas de Arguís Formation (Priabonian, Late Eocene) in the Central Pyrenees of Aragon (Spain), allow the description of a new genus and a new species ( Pyreneplax basaensis), and the revision of some taxa previously assigned to the genus Lobonotus A. Milne-Edwards, 1863 (Carpilioidea: Tumidocarcinidae). According to the close similarity between Pyreneplax n. gen. and Lobonotus sandersi (Blow and Manning, 1997), L. granosus (Beschin, Busulini, De Angeli and Tessier, 2002) and L. sommarugai Beschin, Busulini and Tessier, 2009, these species are here assigned to the new genus. In addition, an important set of dorsal and ventral characters shared with the extant species Vultocinus anfractus Ng and Manuel-Santos, 2007, suggests the inclusion of the new genus in the family Vultocinidae Ng and Manuel-Santos, 2007 (Goneplacoidea). Remarks on the genus Lobonotusare also discussed herein.P. Pyreneplax basaensisnuevo género, nueva especie (Decapoda, Brachyura, Vultocinidae) del Priaboniense (Eoceno Superior) del Pirineo de Huesca (Aragón, España), y observaciones sobre el género Lobonotus A. Milne-Edwards, 1863. Nuevos braquiuros fósiles encontrados en la Formación Margas de Arguís (Priaboniense, Eoceno superior), en los Pirineos Centrales (Aragón), permiten la descripción de un nuevo género y una nueva especie ( Pyreneplax basaensis), así como la revisión de algunos taxones previamente asignados al género Lobonotus A. Milne-Edwards, 1863 (Carpilioidea: Tumidocarcinidae). De acuerdo con la notable similitud entre Pyreneplax n. gen., y las especies Lobonotus sandersi (Blow y Manning, 1997), L. granosus(Beschin, Busulini, De Angeli y Tessier, 2002) y L. sommarugaiBeschin, Busulini y Tessier, 2009, éstas se asignan al nuevo género. Asimismo, un destacado conjunto de caracteres dorsales y ventrales compartidos con la especie actual Vultocinus anfractus Ng y Manuel-Santos, 2007, sugiere la inclusión del nuevo género en la familia Vultocinidae Ng y Manuel-Santos, 2007 (Goneplacoidea). También se efectúan algunas observaciones sobre el género LobonotusA. Milne-Edwards, 1863

New hermit crabs (Paguroidea, Anomura) from the Eocene of Huesca, Spain

A new genus and two new species of fossil hermit crabs (Anomura, Paguroidea) are described from the southern Pyrenean basins (Huesca, NE Spain). Parapetrochirus nov. with P. robustus n. gen., n. sp., as type species, comes from the lower Eocene (Ypresian) Roda Formation. It preserves both chelipeds exhibiting a notable heterochely, a larger left cheliped and a concavity without granulation in the inner upper portions. Eocalcinus gerardbretoni n. sp. comes from the highest levels of the Arguis Formation (Priabonian) in Yeste locality. This species is characterized by a hemispherical outline and a sinuous lower margin of the chela, which differs from the type species of the genus. The cheliped morphology of such species allows inclusion in the families Diogenidae and Calcinidae, respectively. Fossil paguroids are relatively rare in the Eocene of Spain, therefore, the description of these two new taxa increases the known diversity of this group. Parapetrochirus robustus n. gen., n. sp. inhabited siliciclastic substrates within a prodelta environment and E. gerardbretoni n. sp. was collected from the last levels of coral rudstones just below the continental influence of Yeste-Arrés Formation. En este trabajo se describe un nuevo género y dos nuevas especies de cangrejos ermitaños fósiles (Anomura, Paguroidea) correspondientes a las cuencas del sur de los Pirineos en la Huesca, noreste de España. Parapetrochirus nov., con P. robustus n. gen., n. sp. como especie tipo procede del Eoceno inferior (Ypresiano) de la Formación Roda. Este fósil preserva ambos quelípedos con una notable heteroquelia, un quelípedo izquierdo más grande y una superficie cóncava sin granulaciones en las porciones superiores internas. Eocalcinus gerardbretoni n. sp., procede de los niveles más altos de la Formación Arguis (Priaboniano) en la localidad de Yeste. Éste se caracteriza por su forma hemisférica y un margen inferior sinuoso de la quela, lo cual difiere de la especie tipo del género. La morfología del quelípedo de estas especies permite su inclusión en las familias Diogenidae y Calcinidae, respectivamente. Los paguroideos fósiles son relativamente raros en el Eoceno de España, por tanto, la descripción de estos dos nuevos taxones fósiles incrementa la diversidad conocida del grupo. Parapetrochirus robustus n. gen., n. sp. habitaba en los sustratos siliciclásticos de ambiente prodelta y E. gerardbretoni n. sp. fue recolectado en los últimos niveles de los rudstones coralinos, justo debajo de la influencia continental de la Formación Yeste-Arrés

Intraocular scattering compensation in retinal imaging

Intraocular scattering affects fundus imaging in a similar way that affects vision; it causes a decrease in contrast which depends on both the intrinsic scattering of the eye but also on the dynamic range of the image. Consequently, in cases where the absolute intensity in the fundus image is important, scattering can lead to a wrong estimation. In this paper, a setup capable of acquiring fundus images and estimating objectively intraocular scattering was built, and the acquired images were then used for scattering compensation in fundus imaging. The method consists of two parts: first, reconstruct the individual’s wide-angle Point Spread Function (PSF) at a specific wavelength to be used within an enhancement algorithm on an acquired fundus image to compensate for scattering. As a proof of concept, a single pass measurement with a scatter filter was carried out first and the complete algorithm of the PSF reconstruction and the scattering compensation was applied. The advantage of the single pass test is that one can compare the reconstructed image with the original one and see the validity, thus testing the efficiency of the method. Following the test, the algorithm was applied in actual fundus images in human eyes and the effect on the contrast of the image before and after the compensation was compared. The comparison showed that depending on the wavelength, contrast can be reduced by 8.6% under certain conditions

Effect of intraocular scattering in macular pigment optical density measurements

Fundus reflectometry is a common in-vivo, noninvasive method to estimate the macular pigment optical density (MPOD). The measured density, however, can be affected by the individual’s intraocular scattering. Scattering causes a reduction in the contrast of the fundus image, which in turn leads to an underestimation of the measured density. Intraocular scattering was measured optically in a group of seven young, healthy subjects using the method of optical integration and was subsequently used to correctly estimate the MPOD from fundus images. It was shown that when scattering is not considered, the measured optical density using fundus reflectometry can be underestimated by as high as 16% for our group of subjects

A new Early Oligocene crab (Decapoda, Brachyura, Dromiacea) from northwest Belgium, with comments on its palaeobiology

A new genus and species of dromiacean crab, Lucanthonisia praemium, is recorded from the basal Belsele- Waas Clay Member (Boom Clay Formation; Rupelian, lower Oligocene) as formerly exposed at the Scheerders van Kerchove (SVK) clay pit near Sint-Niklaas, province of Oost-Vlaanderen (northwest Belgium). Extant dromioid crabs either carry foreign objects for camouflage (Dromiidae, Homolodromiidae) or are associated with corals (Dynomenidae). Although having been collected from the basal portion of the Belsele-Waas Clay Member which is rich in phosphatic nodules, preservation of the new form is such that long-term transport is unlikely. Therefore, the species is assumed to have lived hidden amongst and below such nodules, but it cannot be ruled out that it also carried sponges for defence. To our knowledge, representatives of such biota have not yet been recorded from the Boom Clay Formation. Dromilites eotvoesi from middle Miocene (‘upper Badenian’, Serravallian) strata in the Budapest area (central Hungary) is transferred to the new genus, Lucanthonisia. Lucanthonisia eotvoesi n. comb. differs from L. praemium, the type species, in having shorter, more anteriorly directed lateral spines, more closely spaced and less divergent rostral horns, better-developed epigastric nodes and a less convex carapace longitudinally. Preservation of a partial thoracic sternum in L. praemium gen. nov., sp. nov. allows comparison with dromioid families and tentative placement of the new genus, as well as the allied Basinotopus, in the Dynomenidae

An Objective Scatter Index Based on Double-Pass Retinal Images of a Point Source to Classify Cataracts

PURPOSE: To propose a new objective scatter index (OSI) based in the analysis of double-pass images of a point source to rank and classify cataract patients. This classification scheme is compared with a current subjective system. METHODS: We selected a population including a group of normal young eyes as control and patients diagnosed with cataract (grades NO2, NO3 and NO4) according to the Lens Opacities Classification System (LOCS III). For each eye, we recorded double-pass retinal images of a point source. In each patient, we determined an objective scatter index (OSI) as the ratio of the intensity at an eccentric location in the image and the central part. This index provides information on the relevant forward scatter affecting vision. Since the double-pass retinal images are affected by both ocular aberrations and intraocular scattering, an analysis was performed to show the ranges of contributions of aberrations to the OSI. RESULTS: We used the OSI values to classify each eye according to the degree of scatter. The young normal eyes of the control group had OSI values below 1, while the OSI for subjects in LOCS grade II were around 1 to 2. The use of the objective index showed some of the weakness of subjective classification schemes. In particular, several subjects initially classified independently as grade NO2 or NO3 had similar OSI values, and in some cases even higher than subjects classified as grade NO4. A new classification scheme based in OSI is proposed. CONCLUSIONS: We introduced an objective index based in the analysis of double-pass retinal images to classify cataract patients. The method is robust and fully based in objective measurements; i.e., not depending on subjective decisions. This procedure could be used in combination with standard current methods to improve cataract patient surgery scheduling

Objective method for measuring the macular pigment optical density in the eye

Macular pigment is a yellowish pigment of purely dietary origin, which is thought to have a protective role in the retina. Recently, it was linked to age-related macular degeneration and improved visual function. In this work, we present a method and a corresponding optical instrument for the rapid measurement of its optical density. The method is based on fundus reflectometry and features a photodetector for the measurement of reflectance at different wavelengths and retinal locations. The method has been tested against a commercially available instrument on a group of healthy volunteers and has shown good correlation. The proposed instrument can serve as a rapid, non-midriatic, low-cost tool for the measurement of macular pigment optical density

Night Myopia Studied with an Adaptive Optics Visual Analyzer

PURPOSE: Eyes with distant objects in focus in daylight are thought to become myopic in dim light. This phenomenon, often called "night myopia" has been studied extensively for several decades. However, despite its general acceptance, its magnitude and causes are still controversial. A series of experiments were performed to understand night myopia in greater detail. METHODS: We used an adaptive optics instrument operating in invisible infrared light to elucidate the actual magnitude of night myopia and its main causes. The experimental setup allowed the manipulation of the eye's aberrations (and particularly spherical aberration) as well as the use of monochromatic and polychromatic stimuli. Eight subjects with normal vision monocularly determined their best focus position subjectively for a Maltese cross stimulus at different levels of luminance, from the baseline condition of 20 cd/m(2) to the lowest luminance of 22 × 10(-6) cd/m(2). While subjects performed the focusing tasks, their eye's defocus and aberrations were continuously measured with the 1050-nm Hartmann-Shack sensor incorporated in the adaptive optics instrument. The experiment was repeated for a variety of controlled conditions incorporating specific aberrations of the eye and chromatic content of the stimuli. RESULTS: We found large inter-subject variability and an average of -0.8 D myopic shift for low light conditions. The main cause responsible for night myopia was the accommodation shift occurring at low light levels. Other factors, traditionally suggested to explain night myopia, such as chromatic and spherical aberrations, have a much smaller effect in this mechanism. CONCLUSIONS: An adaptive optics visual analyzer was applied to study the phenomenon of night myopia. We found that the defocus shift occurring in dim light is mainly due to accommodation errors