16 research outputs found
Conservation status of a recently described endemic land snail, Candidula coudensis, from the Iberian Peninsula
Research ArticleWe assessed the distribution, population size and conservation status of Candidula coudensis,
a recently described endemic land snail from Portugal. From March 2013 to April
2014, surveys were carried out in the region where the species was described. We found an
extent of occurrence larger than originally described, but still quite small (13.5 km2). The
species was found mainly in olive groves, although it occurred in a variety of other habitats
with limestone soils, including grasslands, scrublands and stone walls. Minimum population
estimate ranged from 110,000â311,000 individuals. The main identified potential threats to
the species include wildfires, pesticides and quarrying. Following the application of IUCN
criteria, we advise a conservation status of either âLeast Concernâ or âNear-threatenedâ
under criterion D (restricted population)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Herniation Pits in Human Mummies: A CT Investigation in the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Sicily
Herniation pits (HPs) of the femoral neck were first described in a radiological publication in 1982 as round to oval radiolucencies in the proximal superior quadrant of the femoral neck on anteroposterior radiographs of adults. In following early clinical publications, HPs were generally recognized as an incidental finding. In contrast, in current clinical literature they are mentioned in the context of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) of the hip joint, which is known to cause osteoarthritis (OA). The significance of HPs in chronic skeletal disorders such as OA is still unclear, but they are discussed as a possible radiological indicator for FAI in a large part of clinical studies
Femoroacetabular impingement: normal values of the quantitative morphometric parameters in asymptomatic hips.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the means and the reference intervals of the quantitative morphometric parameters of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in normal hips with high-resolution computed tomography (CT).
METHODS: We prospectively included 94 adult individuals who underwent CT for thoracic, abdominal or urologic pathologies. Patients with a clinical history of hip pathology and/or with osteoarthritis on CT were excluded. We calculated means and 95 % reference intervals for imaging signs of cam-type (alpha angle at 90° and 45° and femoral head-neck offset) and pincer-type impingement (acetabular version angle, lateral centre-edge angle and acetabular index).
RESULTS: The 95 % reference interval limits were all far beyond the abnormal thresholds found in the literature for cam-type and to a lesser extent for pincer-type FAI. The upper limits of the reference intervals for the alpha angles (at 90°/45°) were 68°/83° (men) and 69°/84° (women), compared to thresholds from the literature (50°, 55° or 60°). Reference intervals were similar between genders for cam-type parameters, and slightly differed for pincer-type.
CONCLUSION: The 95Â % reference intervals of morphometric measurements of FAI in asymptomatic hips were beyond the abnormal thresholds, which was especially true for cam-type FAI. Our results suggest the need for redefining the current morphometric parameters used in the diagnosis of FAI.
KEY POINTS: ? 95Â % reference intervals limits of FAI morphotype were beyond currently defined thresholds. ? Reference intervals of pincer-type morphotype measurements were close to current definitions. ? Reference intervals of cam-type morphotype measurements were far beyond the current definitions. ? Current morphometric definitions of cam-type morphotype should be used with care
Eight new luminous z = 6 quasars discovered via SED model fitting of VISTA, WISE and Dark Energy Survey Year 1 observations
We present the discovery and spectroscopic confirmation with the ESO NTT and
Gemini South telescopes of eight new 6.0 < z < 6.5 quasars with z <
21.0. These quasars were photometrically selected without any star-galaxy
morphological criteria from 1533 deg using SED model fitting to
photometric data from the Dark Energy Survey (g, r, i, z, Y), the VISTA
Hemisphere Survey (J, H, K) and the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (W1,
W2). The photometric data was fitted with a grid of quasar model SEDs with
redshift dependent Lyman-{\alpha} forest absorption and a range of intrinsic
reddening as well as a series of low mass cool star models. Candidates were
ranked using on a SED-model based -statistic, which is extendable to
other future imaging surveys (e.g. LSST, Euclid). Our spectral confirmation
success rate is 100% without the need for follow-up photometric observations as
used in other studies of this type. Combined with automatic removal of the main
types of non-astrophysical contaminants the method allows large data sets to be
processed without human intervention and without being over run by spurious
false candidates. We also present a robust parametric redshift estimating
technique that gives comparable accuracy to MgII and CO based redshift
estimators. We find two z 6.2 quasars with HII near zone sizes < 3
proper Mpc which could indicate that these quasars may be young with ages <
10 - 10 years or lie in over dense regions of the IGM. The z = 6.5
quasar VDESJ0224-4711 has J = 19.75 is the second most luminous quasar
known with z > 6.5