Free-ranging bats combine three different cognitive processes for roost localization.

Animals have evolved different cognitive processes to localize crucial resources that are difficult to find. Relevant cognitive processes such as associative learning and spatial memory have commonly been studied in a foraging related context under controlled laboratory conditions. However, in natural environments, animals can use multiple cognitive processes to localize resources.

Bat-fruit interactions are more specialized in shaded-coffee plantations than in tropical mountain cloud forest fragments.

Forest disturbance causes specialization of plant-frugivore networks and jeopardizes mutualistic interactions through reduction of ecological redundancy. To evaluate how simplification of a forest into an agroecosystem affects plant-disperser mutualistic interactions, we compared bat-fruit interaction indexes of specialization in tropical montane cloud forest fragments (TMCF) and shaded-coffee plantations (SCP). Bat-fruit interactions were surveyed by collection of bat fecal samples.

Retinal detachment and proliferative vitreoretinopathy: central retinal artery blood velocities, intraocular pressure, and endothelin 1.

Purpose: To analyze if endothelin 1 may have an effect on central retinal artery (CRA) blood flow velocities and intraocular pressure (IOP) in retinal detachment.

Methods: Using radioimmunoassay, immunoreactive endothelin 1 levels were tested in both plasma and subretinal fluid specimens from patients with retinal detachment, while only plasma specimens from healthy subjects were tested. Central retinal artery Doppler sonography parameters and IOP were measured in eyes with retinal detachment, with and without proliferative vitreoretinopathy, their respective healthy fellow eyes, and normal eyes.

Modelling postoperative visual acuity with and without proliferative vitreoretinopathy associated with primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

Purpose: To find models that will explain the variability in postoperative visual acuity (VA) (logarithmic: logMAR) associated with unilateral primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD).

Methods: This was a prospective clinical cohort study of 33 patients with proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR: PVR View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Preoperative duration of retinal detachment and preoperative central retinal artery hemodynamics: repercussion on visual acuity.

Purpose: To analyze if preoperative duration of primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) influences preoperative central retinal artery (CRA) hemodynamics with repercussions on logarithmic (LogMAR) visual acuity (VA).

Methods: Prospective clinical cohort study on 66 healthy patients (33 with proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) and 33 with no PVR) with unilateral RD candidates for scleral buckling (SB) surgery (PVR View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Retinal detachment and proliferative vitreoretinopathy: ophthalmic artery blood velocities, intraocular pressure, and endothelin-1.

Purpose: To analyze if endothelin-1 (ET-1) may have an effect on ophthalmic artery (OA) blood flow velocities and intraocular pressure (IOP) in retinal detachment (RD).

Methods: Using radioimmunoassay, immunoreactive (IR) ET-1 levels were tested in both plasma and subretinal fluid (SRF) specimens from patients with RD, while only plasma specimens from normal (healthy) subjects were tested. OA Doppler sonography parameters and IOP were measured in eyes with RD, with and without proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), their respective healthy fellow eyes, and normal eyes.

MIRAgel: hydrolytic degradation and long-term observations.

Objective: To analyze long-term complications of hydrogel (MIRAgel; MIRA Inc, Waltham, Mass) explants.

Design: Institutional clinical study of a retrospective, interventional case series of patients. We included 415 patients with complete reattachment of the retina 6 months after surgery and up-to-date follow-up.