Responses of Sunda clouded leopard population density to anthropogenic disturbance and refining estimates of their conservation status in Sabah

Extensive areas of tropical forests have been, and continue to be, disturbed as a result of selective timber extraction. Although such anthropogenic disturbance typically results in the loss of biodiversity, many species persist, and their conservation in production landscapes could be enhanced by a greater understanding of how biodiversity responds to forest management practices. We conducted intensive camera-trap surveys of eight protected forest areas in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, and developed estimates of Sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi population density from spatially explicit capture–recapture analyses of detection data to investigate how the species’ abundance varies across the landscape and in response to anthropogenic disturbance. Estimates of population density from six forest areas were 1.39–3.10 individuals per 100 km2. Our study provides the first evidence that the population density of the Sunda clouded leopard is negatively affected by hunting pressure and forest fragmentation, and that among selectively logged forests, time since logging is positively associated with abundance. We argue that these negative anthropogenic impacts could be mitigated with improved logging practices, such as reducing the access of poachers by effective gating and destruction of road access points, and by the deployment of anti-poaching patrols. By calculating a weighted mean population density estimate from estimates developed here and from the literature, and by extrapolating this value to an estimate of current available habitat, we estimate there are 754 (95% posterior interval 325–1,337) Sunda clouded leopards in Sabah

Spatio-temporal ecology of sympatric felids on Borneo. Evidence for resource partitioning?

Niche differentiation, the partitioning of resources along one or more axes of a species’ niche hyper-volume, is widely recognised as an important mechanism for sympatric species to reduce interspecific competition and predation risk, and thus facilitate co-existence. Resource partitioning may be facilitated by behavioural differentiation along three main niche dimensions: habitat, food and time. In this study, we investigate the extent to which these mechanisms can explain the coexistence of an assemblage of five sympatric felids in Borneo. Using multi-scale logistic regression, we show that Bornean felids exhibit differences in both their broad and fine-scale habitat use. We calculate temporal activity patterns and overlap between these species, and present evidence for temporal separation within this felid guild. Lastly, we conducted an all-subsets logistic regression to predict the occurrence of each felid species as a function of the co-occurrence of a large number of other species and showed that Bornean felids co-occurred with a range of other species, some of which could be candidate prey. Our study reveals apparent resource partitioning within the Bornean felid assemblage, operating along all three niche dimension axes. These results provide new insights into the ecology of these species and the broader community in which they live and also provide important information for conservation planning for this guild of predators

Responses of Sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi population density to anthropogenic disturbance: refining estimates of its conservation status in Sabah

Extensive areas of tropical forests have been, and continue to be, disturbed as a result of selective timber extraction. Although such anthropogenic disturbance typically results in the loss of biodiversity, many species persist, and their conservation in production landscapes could be enhanced by a greater understanding of how biodiversity responds to forest management practices. We conducted intensive camera-trap surveys of eight protected forest areas in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, and developed estimates of Sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi population density from spatially explicit capture–recapture analyses of detection data to investigate how the species’ abundance varies across the landscape and in response to anthropogenic disturbance. Estimates of population density from six forest areas were 1.39–3.10 individuals per 100 km2. Our study provides the first evidence that the population density of the Sunda clouded leopard is negatively affected by hunting pressure and forest fragmentation, and that among selectively logged forests, time since logging is positively associated with abundance. We argue that these negative anthropogenic impacts could be mitigated with improved logging practices, such as reducing the access of poachers by effective gating and destruction of road access points, and by the deployment of anti-poaching patrols. By calculating a weighted mean population density estimate from estimates developed here and from the literature, and by extrapolating this value to an estimate of current available habitat, we estimate there are 754 (95% posterior interval 325–1,337) Sunda clouded leopards in Sabah

Predicted distribution of the marbled cat Pardofelis marmorata (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) on Borneo

Little is known about the ecology of the rare marbled cat Pardofelis marmorata on Borneo. In addition, the little information that is available on the species often comes from incidental sightings. Here we use the MaxEnt algorithm to produce a habitat suitability map for this species based on a compilation of existing data. We collected 105 marbled cat occurrence records for Borneo, of which 27 (Balanced Model) or 69 (Spatial Filtering Model) were used to estimate potential habitat suitability. The resulting relative habitat suitability map showed key conservation areas in Borneo. According to these results it appears that the most suitable habitats for marbled cat are lowland forests, but these forests are most threatened by deforestation and other anthropogenic activities. It is imperative to develop appropriate conservation strategies for the marbled cat on Borneo, including long-term research and monitoring, reduction of human disturbances in lowland forests, increased data-sharing and research networking, and stakeholder involvement for conservation planning and activities

Schwartz rounds in undergraduate medical education facilitates active reflection and individual identification of learning need

Strategies applying Schwartz Rounds to improve wellbeing of medical students has focused on the clinical years of study. This pilot study investigates whether Schwartz Rounds could be effective in developing students’ reflective practice in Year 2 undergraduates. Engagement with the Schwartz Round was high with over 50% of the students identifying learning needs through reflection on the Round. Schwartz Rounds promoted recognition of the value of reflective practice and increased self-awareness of student needs

Sensitive MRD detection from lymphatic fluid after surgery in HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer

PURPOSE: Our goal was to demonstrate that lymphatic drainage fluid (lymph) has improved sensitivity in quantifying postoperative minimal residual disease (MRD) in locally advanced human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) compared with plasma, and leverage this novel biofluid for patient risk stratification. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We prospectively collected lymph samples from neck drains of 106 patients with HPV (+) OPSCC, along with 67 matched plasma samples, 24 hours after surgery. PCR and next-generation sequencing were used to quantify cancer-associated cell-free HPV (cf-HPV) and tumor-informed variants in lymph and plasma. Next, lymph cf-HPV and variants were compared with TNM stage, extranodal extension (ENE), and composite definitions of high-risk pathology. We then created a machine learning model, informed by lymph MRD and clinicopathologic features, to compare with progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: Postoperative lymph was enriched with cf-HPV compared with plasma (P \u3c 0.0001) and correlated with pN2 stage (P = 0.003), ENE (P \u3c 0.0001), and trial-defined pathologic risk criteria (mean AUC = 0.78). In addition, the lymph mutation number and variant allele frequency were higher in pN2 ENE (+) necks than in pN1 ENE (+) (P = 0.03, P = 0.02) or pN0-N1 ENE (-) (P = 0.04, P = 0.03, respectively). The lymph MRD-informed risk model demonstrated inferior PFS in high-risk patients (AUC = 0.96, P \u3c 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Variant and cf-HPV quantification, performed in 24-hour postoperative lymph samples, reflects single- and multifeature high-risk pathologic criteria. Incorporating lymphatic MRD and clinicopathologic feature analysis can stratify PFS early after surgery in patients with HPV (+) head and neck cancer. See related commentary by Shannon and Iyer, p. 1223

Coming down from the trees: is terrestrial activity in Bornean orangutans natural or disturbance driven?

The orangutan is the world's largest arboreal mammal, and images of the red ape moving through the tropical forest canopy symbolise its typical arboreal behaviour. Records of terrestrial behaviour are scarce and often associated with habitat disturbance. We conducted a large-scale species-level analysis of ground-based camera-trapping data to evaluate the extent to which Bornean orangutans Pongo pygmaeus come down from the trees to travel terrestrially, and whether they are indeed forced to the ground primarily by anthropogenic forest disturbances. Although the degree of forest disturbance and canopy gap size influenced terrestriality, orangutans were recorded on the ground as frequently in heavily degraded habitats as in primary forests. Furthermore, all age-sex classes were recorded on the ground (flanged males more often). This suggests that terrestrial locomotion is part of the Bornean orangutan's natural behavioural repertoire to a much greater extent than previously thought, and is only modified by habitat disturbance. The capacity of orangutans to come down from the trees may increase their ability to cope with at least smaller-scale forest fragmentation, and to cross moderately open spaces in mosaic landscapes, although the extent of this versatility remains to be investigated

Modelling the Species Distribution of Flat-Headed Cats (Prionailurus planiceps), an Endangered South-East Asian Small Felid

Background: The flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps) is one of the world’s least known, highly threatened felids with a distribution restricted to tropical lowland rainforests in Peninsular Thailand/Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra. Throughout its geographic range large-scale anthropogenic transformation processes, including the pollution of fresh-water river systems and landscape fragmentation, raise concerns regarding its conservation status. Despite an increasing number of cameratrapping field surveys for carnivores in South-East Asia during the past two decades, few of these studies recorded the flatheaded cat. Methodology/Principal Findings: In this study, we designed a predictive species distribution model using the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) algorithm to reassess the potential current distribution and conservation status of the flat-headed cat. Eighty-eight independent species occurrence records were gathered from field surveys, literature records, and museum collections. These current and historical records were analysed in relation to bioclimatic variables (WorldClim), altitude (SRTM) and minimum distance to larger water resources (Digital Chart of the World). Distance to water was identified as the key predictor for the occurrence of flat-headed cats (.50% explanation). In addition, we used different land cover maps (GLC2000, GlobCover and SarVision LLC for Borneo), information on protected areas and regional human population density data to extract suitable habitats from the potential distribution predicted by the MaxEnt model. Between 54% and 68% of suitable habitat has already been converted to unsuitable land cover types (e.g. croplands, plantations), and only between 10% and 20% of suitable land cover is categorised as fully protected according to the IUCN criteria. The remaining habitats are highly fragmented and only a few larger forest patches remain. Conclusion/Significance: Based on our findings, we recommend that future conservation efforts for the flat-headed cat should focus on the identified remaining key localities and be implemented through a continuous dialogue between local stakeholders, conservationists and scientists to ensure its long-term survival. The flat-headed cat can serve as a flagship species for the protection of several other endangered species associated with the threatened tropical lowland forests and surface fresh-water sources in this region