Focal Group Research Articles

Crioablación de tumores de mama

Cryoablation is a percutaneous thermal ablation technique developed to destroy focal groups of cells using extreme cold. It is an outpatient and image-guided procedure, performed under local anaesthesia, with typically short recovery times and good outcomes. Percutaneous cryoablation has good success rates for treating breast fibroadenomas. It is used in cases of malignant tumours mainly when a patient refuses surgery or is not considered to be a suitable candidate. Some studies indicate that cryoablation could be as effective and safe as lumpectomy in cases of low-risk early-stage breast cancer. Moreover, some studies have reported a regression of metastatic foci after ablation of a primary tumour thanks to an anti-tumour immune response stimulated by cryoablation. This article describes the technique and its indications with regards to breast tumours according to the existing literature.

The Adaptation Front Equation Explains Innovation-Driven Taxonomic Turnovers and Living Fossilization.

AbstractEvolutionary taxonomic turnovers are often associated with innovations beneficial in various ecological niches. Such innovations can repeatedly occur in species occupying optimum niches for a focal species group, resulting in their repeated diversifications and species flows from optimum to suboptimum niches, at the expense of less innovated ones. By combining species packing theory and adaptive dynamics theory, we develop an equation that allows analytical prediction for such innovation-driven species flows over a niche space of arbitrary dimension under a unimodal carrying capacity distribution. The developed equation and simulated evolution show that central niches (with the highest carrying capacities) tend to attain the fastest innovation speeds to become biodiversity sources. Species that diverge from the central niches outcompete the indigenous species in peripheral niches. The outcompeted species become extinct or evolve directionally toward far more peripheral niches. Because of this globally acting process over niches, species occupying the most peripheral niches are the least innovated and have deep divergence times from their closest relatives, and thus they correspond to living fossils. The extension of this analysis for multiple geographic regions shows that living fossils are also expected in geographically peripheral regions for the focal species group.

Behavioral activity and range patterns of the endemic Gelada monkey (Theropithecus gelada) in and around Jer Silase Monastery in North Shoa Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract The present study investigated the activity, range, and habitat utilization patterns of the Endemic Gelada Monkey (Theropithecus gelada) in and around Jer Silase Monastery in North Shoa Zone, Ethiopia. The study was conducted from January 2021 to October 2021 by considering the dry and wet seasons and stratifying the study area into natural forest, cliff/rocky, and farmland habitats. An instantaneous scan sampling method was employed to collect behavioral data. The activity patterns of three selected focal groups of Gelada monkeys were studied. GPS points of their predominant behavioral activities were recorded daily every 15 minutes from 7:00 to 18:00 for 12 days every month. A total of 5,592 individual activity records were obtained from 2312 scan samplings taken over 120 study days. Feeding comprised 54.52% of the activity time, followed by moving at 20.67% and socialization at 11.95%. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that the time allocated to different activity types varied significantly over the year with the month (Roy’s Largest Root = 2.7, F4,22 = 13.2, p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.653). The longest mean monthly travel distance was 2817.61 ± 582.57 m, recorded at the Cliff/rocky habitat during the wet season. Gelada monkeys’ daily range length and home range size extended more in the dry season. These findings may be explained by reduced habitat quality associated with livestock grazing, agricultural expansion, and charcoal production. Therefore, appropriate conservation measures should be implemented to minimize such adverse effects and conserve the endemic Gelada Monkey.

Conserving the evolutionary history of birds.

In the midst of the sixth mass extinction, limited resources are forcing conservationists to prioritize which species and places will receive conservation action. Evolutionary distinctiveness measures the isolation of a species on its phylogenetic tree. Combining a species' evolutionary distinctiveness with its globally endangered status creates an EDGE score. We use EDGE scores to prioritize the places and species that should be managed to conserve bird evolutionary history. We analyzed all birds in all countries and important bird areas. We examined parrots, raptors, and seabirds in depth because these groups are especially threatened and relatively speciose. The three focal groups had greater median threatened evolutionary history than other taxa, making them important for conserving bird evolutionary history. Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Madagascar, New Zealand, and the Philippines were especially critical countries for bird conservation because they had the most threatened evolutionary history for endemic birds and are important for parrots, raptors, and seabirds. Increased enforcement of international agreements for the conservation of parrots, raptors, and seabirds is needed because these agreements protect hundreds of millions of years of threatened bird evolutionary history. Decisive action is required to conserve the evolutionary history of birds into the Anthropocene.

Study on the anti-mitochondrial apoptosis mechanism of Erigeron breviscapus injection based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS metabolomics and molecular docking in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury

Ethnopharmacological relevanceErigeron breviscapus is a common medicine of eight ethnic minorities, including Miao, Naxi, and Yi. As early as the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368–1644), Lanmao's Materia Medica of Southern Yunnan (AD 1436) recorded that the medicine is used for the treatment of “Zuo tan you huan.” In modern pharmacological research, Erigeron breviscapus injection is the most commonly used preparation in the treatment of ischemic stroke caused by acute cerebral infarction, but its mechanism of action in the treatment of ischemic stroke is not well understood. Aim of the studyIn this study, a metabonomics study based on ultraperformance liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS) was used in investigating the effect of a traditional Chinese medicine preparation Erigeron breviscapus injection on the rat model of focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion and the affinity of its main components with the targets of mitochondrial apoptotic pathways. Materials and methodsThis study used molecular docking technology to verify the effective binding ability of main effective components of Erigeron breviscapus injection to target proteins related to mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. This study developed a metabonomics method based on the ultra-performance liquid chromatography combined with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC Q-TOF MS) to evaluate the efficacy and study the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine preparation. With pattern recognition analysis (principal component analysis and partial least squares-discriminate analysis) of urinary metabolites, a clear separation of focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model group and healthy control group was achieved. ResultsErigeron breviscapus injection can significantly reduce the area of cerebral infarction, improve tissue morphological lesion in rats, and can increase the number of Nissl bodies. It may be a promoting factor by inhibiting hippocampal nerve cell apoptosis and Bax protein expression and by exerting effects against ischemia reperfusion after the induction of apoptosis. Thus, it plays a role in brain protection. Moreover, it can considerably promote the recovery of neurological deficiency signs in advance. Meanwhile, Erigeron breviscapus decreased malondialdehyde content and T-NOS activity. Its curative effect from strong to weak order: low dose > high dose > medium dose. The representative components of Erigeron breviscapus have good affinity with the active sites of mitochondrial apoptosis-related proteins. Metabolomics found that the potential biomarkers regulated by breviscapine are kynurequinolinic acid, succinylornithine, and leucine proline. It is speculated that it may participate in TRP–kynurequinolinic acid and succinylornithine–urea cycle–NO metabolic pathways. ConclusionsThis paper revealed the potential biomarkers and metabolic pathways regulated by Erigeron breviscapus. It was speculated that the mechanism is related to its inhibition of mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis. Erigeron breviscapus could restore the metabolic profiles of the model animals to normal animal levels. The mechanism may be related to the potential biomarkers of quinolinic acid, succinylornithine, and leucine proline and the metabolic pathways involved. However, the exact mechanism by which Erigeron breviscapus inhibits mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis remains to be further explored.

HIGHLIGHTING OF FOCAL LANDSCAPES ON THE EXAMPLE OF VALLEY-RIVER LANDSCAPE-TECHNICAL SYSTEMS

River valleys are important in the structure of natural landscapes. They are the places of population concentration, ecological gutters and the landscape "framework" around which all other geocomplexes function. If the framework landscapes have been analyzed in detail by scientists, the focal landscapes are inflated beyond the attention of scientists.
 The purpose of the article is to analyze the structure of focal landscapes on the basis of the improved classification of anthropogenic landscapes by significance on the example of landscape-technical systems (LTchS) in the river valleys of the model region - the flat part of Right Bank Ukraine.
 Within the valley-river landscapes, the focal group includes road, mining, agricultural, and beligerative LTchS. Most modern road landscape technical systems belong to the category of "landscape technogenic systems". The destruction of man-made cover is associated with the excessive load on the road surface of motor vehicles, the weight of which often does not meet the established standards. As a result of mining and processing of minerals in river valleys, mining LTchS are formed. Active mining LTchS are formed by quarries, waste rock dumps and beneficiation or crushing and sorting plants and factories. The river valleys of the Right Bank of Ukraine are characterized by new anthropogenic types of areas that were formed after the extraction of minerals: areas of pit-peat wastelands and "rocky badlands". Valley-river agricultural LTchS are represented by water regulation and irrigation systems and vineyards. The lack of modernization and the use of outdated equipment and facilities do not allow the LTchS to fully function and produce the appropriate amount of crops. Beligerative landscape and man-made systems include complexes of defensive nodal structures "lines of defense" of the 20th century. Some critical remarks were made regarding the analysis of the structure of focal landscapes after the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation on the territory of Right Bank Ukraine. It was concluded that in the context of the study of modern anthropogenic landscapes of Ukraine, the study of focal valley-river landscape-technical systems will contribute to a better understanding of their structure and the development of ways of optimization.

Expanding the synthesis of a library of potent glucuronic acid glycodendrons for Dengue virus inhibition

Multivalent glycodendrons are valuable tools to mimic many structural and functional features of cell-surface glycoconjugates and its focal position scaffolds represent important components to increase specificity and affinity. Previous work in our group described the preparation of a tetravalent glucuronic acid dendron that binds with good affinity to Dengue virus envelope protein (KD = 22 μM). Herein, the chemical synthesis and binding analysis of a new library of potent glucuronic acid dendrons bearing different functional group at the focal position and different level of multivalency are described. Their chemical synthesis was performed sequentially in three stages and with good yields. Namely a) the chemical synthesis of the oligo and polyalkynyl scaffolds, b) assembling with fully protected glucuronic acid-based azide units by using a microwave assisted copper-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction and c) sequential deprotection of hydroxyl and carboxylic acid groups.Surface Plasmon Resonance studies have demonstrated that the valency and the focal position functional group exert influence on the interaction with Dengue virus envelope protein. Molecular modelling studies were carried out in order to understand the binding observed. This work reports an efficient glycodendrons chemical synthesis that provides appropriate focal position functional group and multivalence, that offer an easy and versatile strategy to find new active compounds against Dengue virus.

Proteomic patterns in glomerular research, a laser capture microdissection and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry approach

Abstract Introduction: Molecular techniques have the potential to shed light on glomerular diseases that conventional renal pathology may be unable to reveal. The aim of this study was to investigate whether proteomic patterns of glomeruli obtained from kidney biopsies can differentiate between minimal change disease (MCD), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and control groups (CTR). Methods: 18 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) renal biopsies comprising three groups of samples (CTR=3, MCD=6, FSGS=9) were subjected to label-free quantitative mass spectrometry. Glomeruli were excised from FFPE renal biopsies by laser capture microdissection (LCM) and, to increase both yield and protein identifications, single-pot solid-phase-enhanced sample preparation (SP3) digest method was applied. The samples were analyzed by mass spectrometry based shotgun proteomics. Results: The proteome profiling resulted in the identification of a total of 723 proteins. Multivariate analysis provided several proteins important in the separation of the three groups. Pattern Hunter analysis revealed moderate and high correlation of proteins against CTR-FSGS-MCD or CTR-MCD-FSGS patterns. The most significant pathways involved were associated with nephrin family and cytoskeleton interactions, as well as laminin/extracellular matrix related proteins. Univariate analysis revealed 58 significant different proteins among the three groups. Signaling pathways of these proteins were also associated with nephrin family interactions and cytoskeleton organization. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that mass spectrometry-based shotgun proteomic analysis of LCM glomeruli yields reproducible and quantitative data capable of discriminating between different disease conditions. Differentially expressed proteins provide insights into pathogenesis of glomerular disease.

Radiation Therapy and Irreversible Electroporation for Intermediate Risk Prostate Cancer (RTIRE)

The objective of the RTIRE clinical trial (NCT05345444) is to demonstrate the feasibility, safety, and early oncologic efficacy of combining MRI-guided stereotactic body radiation therapy (MRgSBRT) with irreversible electroporation (IRE) for men with intermediate-risk localized prostate cancer. Inclusion criteria: 1) Men aged ≥18, 2) ECOG 0 -1, 3) Histologically confirmed intermediate risk prostate cancer per NCCN guidelines, 4) Focal grade group 2 (GG2) or 3 (GG3) cancer in multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) target, 5) Gland size < 80cc, 6) Ability to undergo IRE, 7) Ability to receive MRI-guided SBRT, 8) Ability to complete the HRQOL assessment surveys, 9) Willingness to undergo 12 month follow up biopsy. 1) Prior TURP, 2) Prior history of focal therapy, 3) Prior history of receiving pelvic radiotherapy, 4) Patient with history of inflammatory bowel disease, 5) History of bladder neck or urethral stricture. Study Design/Endpoints: This is a feasibility and safety study assessing the ability to perform IRE followed by real-time MRgSBRT. Subjects will undergo focal IRE followed by MRgSBRT (≥6 weeks after IRE) to the prostate +/- seminal vesicles prescribed to 32.5 Gy in 5 fractions. The primary endpoint of the first portion of the trial is feasibility, defined as at least 80% of subjects (8 of 10 subjects) undergoing assessment at 12-weeks post-IRE and at 6-weeks post-MRgSBRT within 1 year from enrollment of the first subject. The expansion phase will include an additional 40 subjects to assess side effect profile and early oncologic efficacy (n = 50) at 12 months post RTIRE. RTIRE has enrolled 8 subjects in 3 months and will proceed to the expansion phase. Secondary endpoints include: 1) short-term safety as measured by treatment-related adverse events, 2) oncologic efficacy as measured by number of subjects with presence of ≥GG2 cancer at 12 months post-RTIRE therapy, 3) health-related quality of life (HRQOL) as measured by Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite for Clinical Practice (EPIC-CP), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) 4) post-RTIRE prostate-specific antigen (PSA) kinetics including time to PSA nadir and post-nadir PSA stability, 5) assessment of pre and post-RTIRE mpMRI changes to evaluate the area of necrosis and presence of residual tissue, 6) rates of biochemical and clinical progression and the need for secondary or adjuvant treatment following RTIRE. Enrollment: 11 Subjects RESULTS: To be determined. To be determined.

Documenting Children’s Spatial Reasoning through Art: A Case Study on Play-Based STEAM Education

The purpose of this paper is to examine how children’s art can document emergent sensemaking of spatial reasoning. Spatial reasoning is the understanding of how both people and objects interact with, and relate to, one another. The recent literature has argued for spatial reasoning to be part of multiple domains in STEAM education by highlighting the dynamic nature of spatial thinking relevant in everyday life. The data come from a larger participatory design-based research project that incorporated play, environmental education, and embodiment in a STEAM curriculum. The paper analyzed art created by a focal group of children (6–8 years) as they learned about the kelp forest ecosystem over time. Findings reveal that spatial reasoning is not only an inseparable part of sensemaking in STEAM education, but has implications for environmental education in the elementary curriculum.

Domestic Violence in Married Women of Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Pakistan; A Mixed Method Study

Objective: To estimate the frequency of domestic violence among women of Rawalpindi/Islamabad, its associated sociodemographic risk factors, and explore its reasons.&#x0D; Study Design: Mixed Method study.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Pakistan from Feb to Jul, 2021.&#x0D; Methodology: Two hundred and eight married women of Rawalpindi/Islamabad were selected. Data was collected through a pre-tested structured questionnaire. A focal group discussion was carried out in a group of 10 women to explore the reasons for domestic violence, and themes were created.&#x0D; Result: The mean age of the participants was 33.6±8.63 years. The frequency of verbal, physical and emotional abuse was 102(49%), 108(51.9%) and 152(73.1%), respectively. The most commonly reported verbal abuse was abusive language. Physical abuse was slapping and emotional abuse was taking decisions without the wife’s consent. There was a strong association between verbal and physical abuse with family income and women's and husbands’ education. Significant reasons for abuse were the husband not earning, unfulfilled wish for a male child, interference from in-laws and drug addiction.&#x0D; Conclusion: Verbal, physical and emotional abuse were high. Women or husband education and family were significant determinants of all forms of abuse. In contrast, jobless husbands, drug addicts, interfering in-laws and unfulfilled wishes for the male children were the perceived reasons for abuse.

CREATING A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD: ADDRESSING GENDER BIAS IN UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENT ASSESSMENTS

Objectives: To identify the mechanisms to reduce gender bias during assessments in undergraduate medical education. Material and Methods: A qualitative study with a phenomenological study design was conducted at a Public and Private Med- ical College in Peshawar, Pakistan, from July 2020 to October 2020. In this qualitative study, four gender-specific focal group interviews with undergraduate medical students and 10 individual interviews with senior faculty members were conducted by using a pre-tested &amp; validated semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The thematic analysis of the data was done where codes were developed and organized into distinct categories giving rise to discrete themes. Data triangulation was done to increase the credibility and authenticity of the study. Results: Out of 24 students and 10 faculty members, half of the participants were females who shared their perceptions about mechanisms to counteract gender bias in medical education. The analysis revealed 24 codes that were labeled and organized into 10 categories. The 4 themes deducted from these categories were Anti-Bias Training, Surveillance of Exam- ination, Psychological Evaluation of Students &amp; Faculty, and Transparency &amp; Accountability. Conclusion: Gender bias can substantially affect medical students’ capacity to learn and succeed in their careers, is a well-es- tablished fact. Thus, to reduce gender bias in medical education, medical schools must take more excellent initiatives and promote anti-bias awareness sessions &amp; workshops, post-examination feedback &amp; reporting systems, and strict surveillance &amp; accountability. Similarly, psychological evaluation of teachers &amp; students, structured examination patterns, and promoting a panel of assessors for high stake exams are other strategies to counteract this issue in undergraduate medical education. Keywords: Assessment, Gender bias, Reduce, Undergraduate Medical Education

Abandoning grassland management negatively influences plant but not bird or insect biodiversity in Europe

AbstractGrasslands are globally distributed and naturally occurring; however, in Europe, most grasslands are anthropogenically created or altered by livestock grazing or mowing. Low‐intensity use and management have led to species‐rich communities in European grasslands. The intensification of crop production and livestock farming with stabling throughout the year has led to an abandonment of grasslands that are no longer economically profitable. In this study, we looked at the influence of grassland abandonment on biodiversity. We hypothesized that abandonment of grasslands decreases the overall biodiversity, but has different effects depending on the focal taxonomic group (i.e., vascular plants, insects, or birds). We also hypothesized that the type of management before abandonment, the type of grassland, and the time after abandonment would influence grassland biodiversity. We conducted a Web of Science search, with pre‐defined terms, to find articles that compared biodiversity of managed and abandoned grasslands in Europe. We screened the articles and included 39 studies in a subsequent meta‐analysis. We found that overall biodiversity was reduced after abandonment; however, the biodiversity reduction in the grasslands differed among taxonomic groups. Plant species diversity was significantly lower after abandonment (plant summary effect size: −0.25 [−0.34; −0.16]), whereas the diversity of insects and birds showed no significant trend, but a visual trend toward an increase. None of the other environmental variables (type of management, type of grassland, or the time after abandonment) had a significant influence on the biodiversity of the grasslands. We conclude that maintaining grassland management is crucial to support biodiversity conservation in European grasslands.

Comportement De Territorialité De Propithecus Deckenii Dans Les Aires Protégées Complexe Tsimembo Manambolomaty Et Mandrozo

This study aims to understand the behavior territoriality of the lemur Decken's Sifaka Propithecus deckenii in the Protected Areas (PAs) Complexe Tsimembo Manambolomaty and Mandrozo in the central-west of Madagascar between November 2017 and April 2018, and between July and October 2018. The continuous focal animal sampling method was used to monitor eight groups of Sifakas, two groups of the intact habitat and two groups from the disturbed habitat in each PA. Scent marking frequencies per focal groups differs between the two habitats types and is influenced by sex in favor of males. Season does not impacted this activity. The home range (define by MCP and 95% Kernel density estimate) and core area varies between monitored groups and the daily path length can reach 234 ± 98 m to 362 ± 110 m. These parameters are not influenced by season and habitat types. However, the intensity of territory use does not have any variation among the studied groups. The mean average « defensibility index » value for P. deckenii is 1.74 ± 0.70 (n = 8). The studied species has ability to adjust their territorial behavior, despite the degradation of habitat in sustainable use zones

Diffuse calcification of pancreas impairs endocrine function and predicts poor outcome in total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation

In patients with chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic calcification is a risk factor for diabetes development, poor islet yield, and metabolic outcomes after total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation (TPIAT). We investigated whether calcification pattern based on computed tomography is associated with outcomes using our database of 200 consecutive TPIAT procedures. Three groups were compared: noncalcification (NC); focal calcification, limited to the pancreas head, body, or tail; and diffuse calcification (DC), with calcification in >2 sections. Maximum changes in outcomes were seen in the DC vs focal calcification group. In the DC group, preoperative hemoglobin A1c levels were higher (P < .01), and stimulated C-peptide levels were lower (P < .01) than in the NC group. Islet isolation from the DC pancreas resulted in the lowest islet equivalent (IEQ) yield and IEQ/kg among the 3 groups (P < .0001), with no insulin independence 12 months posttransplant (P < .05 vs NC group). Notably, at 12 months, the DC group was 91.7% narcotic-free, significantly higher than the NC group (P < .05). Although DC is a sign of diabetes risk after TPIAT, the DC group showed exceptional pain relief. These findings suggest that TPIAT can be beneficial for patients with chronic pancreatitis with severe calcification.

Blood neurofilament light chain as a surrogate marker for dystonia.

Dystonia is a heterogeneous movement disorder, and it remains unclear whether neurodegeneration is involved. Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a biosignature of neurodegeneration. We aimed to investigate whether plasma NfL levels were elevated and associated with disease severity in patients with dystonia. We enrolled 231 unrelated dystonia patients (isolated dystonia n = 203; combined dystonia n = 28) and 54 healthy controls from movement disorder clinics. Clinical severity was evaluated using the Fahn Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale, the Unified Dystonia Rating Scale, and the Global Dystonia Rating Scale. Blood NfL levels were measured by single-molecule array. Plasma NfL levels were significantly higher in those with generalized dystonia compared to those with focal dystonia (20.1 ± 8.8 vs. 11.7 ± 7.2 pg/mL; p = 0.01) or controls (p < 0.01), while the level was comparable between the focal dystonia group and controls (p = 0.08). Furthermore, the dystonia combined with parkinsonism group had higher NfL levels than the isolated dystonia group (17.4 ± 6.2 vs. 13.5 ± 7.5 pg/mL; p = 0.04). Notably, whole-exome sequencing was performed in 79 patients and two patients were identified as having likely pathogenic variants: one had a heterozygous c.122G>A (p.R41H) variant in THAP1 (DYT6) and the other carried a c.1825G>A (p.D609N) substitution in ATP1A3 (DYT12). No significant correlation was found between plasma NfL levels and dystonia rating scores. Plasma NfL levels are elevated in patients with generalized dystonia and dystonia combined with parkinsonism, suggesting that neurodegeneration is involved in the disease process of this subgroup of patients.

Behavioral responses of mantled howler monkeys to neighbor long-distance vocalizations.

Long-distance vocalizations are used by primates in a variety of contexts and may have different functions. The long-distance vocalizations of howler monkeys (Alouatta spp.) underlie the spatial regulation of neighboring groups and could be associated with the defense of food resources. Here, we test the hypothesis that the behavioral responses of mantled howler monkeys (A. palliata) to neighbor long-distance vocalizations are influenced by the potential for range defensibility while accounting for location within the home range and food availability. We studied two groups for 13 months and a total of 888 h at La Flor de Catemaco (Mexico). Group 1 had a 92-ha home range and Group 2 had a 24-ha home range. We recorded vocalizations (N = 178 calls) and movements (N = 74 movements) of focal groups following long-distance vocalizations produced by their neighbors. Movement responses, but not vocal responses, were predicted by range defensibility, location, and food availability. As predicted, the group living in the smaller and more defendable range showed stronger movement responses than the group in the larger home range. These movement responses had a shorter latency and longer duration in more valuable spatial and temporal contexts (i.e., the core area and during periods of low food availability). These results suggest that the tradeoff between the costs and benefits of range defense varies according to the interactions between home range size and both the spatial (core areas) and temporal (food availability) abundance of resources. Thus, the responses of mantled howler monkeys to neighbor long-distance vocalizations could be related to home range defensibility.

Untangling key abiotic predictors of terrestrial mammal diversity patterns across ecoregions and species groups in Kenya

Understanding the interactions between abiotic (environmental and anthropogenic) factors and species diversity and distribution patterns is fundamental to improving the ecological representativeness of biodiversity management tools such as protected areas (PAs). However, significant knowledge gaps remain about how species’ ecological and evolutionary opportunities are associated with abiotic factors, especially in biodiversity-rich but economically ill-equipped countries such as Kenya. Here, we explored the interactions of terrestrial mammal diversity patterns and abiotic factors across species groups and ecoregions in Kenya. We coupled data on terrestrial mammal occurrences, phylogeny, functional traits, and environmental predictors in Kenya to derive multiple diversity indices, encompassing species richness and phylogenetic and functional richness, and mean pairwise and nearest taxon distances. We explored the interactions of these indices with several abiotic factors using multivariate regression analyses while adjusting for spatial autocorrelation. The results showed weak correlations between species richness versus the phylogenetic and functional diversity indices. The best-fit models explained variable proportions of diversity indices between species groups and ecoregions and consistently retained annual temperature and precipitation averages and seasonality and human footprint as the strongest predictors. Compared to the species-poor xeric northern and eastern Kenya regions, the predictors had weak associations with diversity variances in the species-rich mesic western and central Kenya regions, similar to focal species groups compared to ordinal classifications and the combined species pool. These findings illustrate that climate and human footprint interplay determine multiple facets of terrestrial mammal diversity patterns in Kenya. Accordingly, curbing human activities degrading long-term climatic regimes is vital to ensuring the ecological integrity of terrestrial mammal communities and should be integrated into biodiversity management frameworks. For a holistic representation of critical conservation areas, biodiversity managements should also prioritize terrestrial mammal phylogenetic and functional attributes besides species richness.

Aggressive vocalizations during intergroup interactions in roost defense in the Spix's disk‐winged bat

AbstractAnimals engage in agonistic interactions to gain exclusive access to territories and resources. Understanding these interactions in bats, however, has proven difficult given their high mobility and nocturnal habits. For bats, roosts are a critical resource; thus, the study of agonistic behaviors associated with the use of these resources could provide valuable information to understand how and whether individuals monopolize them. Here, we used Thyroptera tricolor to study agonistic behaviors associated with access to a roosting resource. We experimentally studied the behavioral responses of focal groups when interacting with different intruders during the occupation of an ephemeral roosting resource. We found that T. tricolor responds more aggressively to intruders than to members of its own group, increasing the number of aggressive vocalizations. We also found differences in the rate of agonistic behaviors based on the identity of the intruders. Specifically, we observed that bats produced a large number of aggressive vocalizations when interacting with nearby intruders, supporting the “nasty neighbor” hypothesis. This study provided the first empirical evidence that aggressive vocalizations may serve as a mechanism to defend and maintain exclusive roosting sites in social groups of T. tricolor.

Phenotypic expressions of the optic disc in primary open-angle glaucoma.

Which phenotypes are we able to recognize in the optic nerve of patients with primary open angle glaucoma? Retrospective interventional case series. 885 eyes from 885 patients at an outpatient tertiary care centre who met specified criteria for POAG were included. Disc photographs were classified by three glaucoma specialists into the following phenotypes according to their predominant characteristics: (1) concentric rim thinning, (2) focal rim thinning, (3) acquired pit of the optic nerve (APON), (4) tilted, (5) extensive peripapillary atrophy (PPA), and (6) broad rim thinning. Demographic, medical, and ocular data were collected. Kruskal-Wallis was used as a non-parametric test and pairwise comparison was performed by using Wilcoxon rank sum test corrected. Phenotypic distribution was as follows: 398(45%) focal thinning, 153(18%) concentric thinning, 153(17%) broad thinning, 109(12%) tilted, 47(5%) extensive PPA and 25(3%) APON. Phenotypic traits of interest included a higher proportion of female patients with the focal thinning phenotype (p = 0.015); myopia (p = 0.000), Asian race (OR: 8.8, p = 0.000), and younger age (p = 0.000) were associated with the tilted phenotype; the concentric thinning patients had thicker RNFL (p = 0.000), higher MD (p = 0.008) and lower PSD (p = 0.043) than broad thinning, despite no difference in disc sizes (p = 0.849). The focal thinning group had a localized VF pattern with high PSD compared to concentric thinning (p = 0.005). We report six phenotypic classifications of POAG patients with demographic and ocular differences between phenotypes. Future refinement of phenotypes should allow enhanced identification of genetic associations and improved individualization of patient care.