Panic disorder and locomotor activity

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AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds

Functional traits offer a rich quantitative framework for developing and testing theories in evolutionary biology, ecology and ecosystem science. However, the potential of functional traits to drive theoretical advances and refine models of global change can only be fully realised when species‐level information is complete. Here we present the AVONET dataset containing comprehensive functional trait data for all birds, including six ecological variables, 11 continuous morphological traits, and information on range size and location. Raw morphological measurements are presented from 90,020 individuals of 11,009 extant bird species sampled from 181 countries. These data are also summarised as species averages in three taxonomic formats, allowing integration with a global phylogeny, geographical range maps, IUCN Red List data and the eBird citizen science database. The AVONET dataset provides the most detailed picture of continuous trait variation for any major radiation of organisms, offering a global template for testing hypotheses and exploring the evolutionary origins, structure and functioning of biodiversity

Data from: Genomic divergence in allopatric Northern Cardinals of the North American warm deserts is linked to behavioral differentiation

Biogeographic barriers are thought to be important in initiating speciation through geographic isolation, but they rarely indiscriminately and completely reduce gene flow across the entire community. Understanding which species’ attributes regulate a barrier could help elucidate how speciation is initiated and isolation maintained. Here, we investigated the association of behavioral isolation on population differentiation in Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) distributed across the Cochise Filter Barrier, a region of transitional habitat which separates the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts of North America. Using genome-wide markers, we modeled demographic history by fitting the data to isolation and isolation-with-migration models. The best-fit model indicated that desert populations diverged in the Pleistocene with low, historic, and asymmetric gene flow across the barrier. We then tested behavioral isolation using reciprocal call-broadcast experiments to compare song recognition between deserts, controlling for song dialect changes within deserts. We found that male Northern Cardinals in both deserts were most aggressive to local songs and failed to recognize across-barrier songs. A correlation of genomic differentiation despite historic introgression and strong song discrimination is consistent with a model where speciation is initiated across a barrier and maintained by behavioral isolation

Anterior capsular contraction after cataract surgery in eyes of diabetic patients

AIM—To investigate change in the area of anterior capsular opening (ACO) after cataract surgery and its relation to the degree of postoperative anterior inflammation in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).
METHODS—31 eyes of 31 patients with DM and 30 eyes of 30 normal controls scheduled to undergo cataract surgery were examined prospectively. The area of ACO was measured with an anterior eye segment analysis system (EAS-1000) on the day following surgery and 3, 6, and 12( )months after surgery. Comparative analyses were made on the area of ACO relative to the presence of DM and diabetic retinopathy (DR). The percentage reduction of area of ACO was calculated from values 1 day and 12 months after surgery, and multiple regression analysis was performed on the presence of DM, patient age, ACO area on the first postoperative day, and aqueous flare intensity 1 day and 12 months after surgery.
RESULTS—The area was significantly smaller in the DM group at 3 (p=0.015, Student's t test), 6 (p=0.011), and 12 (p=0.010) months postoperatively. Patients having DR showed significantly smaller ACO area than the non-DR group 3 (p=0.039), 6 (p=0.033), and 12( )(p=0.028) months after surgery. Multiple regression analysis revealed that presence of DM (p=0.003) and aqueous flare intensity 12 months after surgery (p=0.039) significantly correlated with the percentage reduction of area of ACO. Age, ACO area at 1 day postoperatively, and aqueous flare intensity immediately after surgery were not relevant to ACO contraction.
CONCLUSIONS—Anterior capsular contraction after cataract surgery was greater in eyes of DM patients, especially in those with DR and increased permeability of the blood-aqueous barrier.


EPR studies of europium(II)-doped strontium aluminate phosphors

High-frequency EPR spectroscopy is applied to investigate Eu(II)-doped SrAl2O4 and Sr4Al14O25 phosphors. Their simulated spectra show that the sites available to Eu(II) ions are two in the stoichiometric SrAl2O4, while three in the non-stoichiometric one. Also, two Eu(II) sites are found in the Sr4Al14O25 phosphor. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.</p