Systematics of the obligate ant-following clade of antbirds (Aves: Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae)

© 2014 by the Wilson Ornithological Society. Results of a comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the family Thamnophilidae were consistent with earlier findings that almost all obligate army-ant-followers of the family form a monophyletic group that contains five well-supported clades and encompasses six currently recognized genera: Phaenostictus, Pithys, Willisornis, Gymnopithys, Rhegmatorhina, and Phlegopsis. A comparative analysis of seven suites of morphological, behavioral, and ecological traits within the context of the phylogeny reinforced the validity of five of these genera, but results for the sixth, Gymnopithys, were internally inconsistent and required the description of a new genus, Oneillornis

AVIAN SPECIATION IN THE PANTEPUI: THE CASE OF THE RORAIMAN ANTBIRD (PERCNOSTOLA [SCHISTOCICHLA] ‘‘LEUCOSTIGMA’’ SATURATA)

This is the published version. Copyright Central Ornithology Publication OfficeWe document the first records for Guyana of Roraiman Antbird (Percnostola [Schistocichla] “leucostigma” saturata), an endemic of the tepui highlands of southeastern Venezuela, northern Brazil and western Guyana. This form is well differentiated from nominate leucostigma (Spot-winged Antbird) of the Guianan lowlands in morphology, vocalizations, and genetics, and replaces it both altitudinally and ecologically. The two taxa are distributed parapatrically on the continuously forested northeastern slopes of the eastern tepuis, and they almost certainly come into contact, yet there is no evidence of intermediacy. We recommend that saturata be treated as a distinct species of Percnostola, and consider its' origin in the light of various models of speciation in the tepuis

Epinecrophylla, a new genus of antwrens (Aves: Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae)

We offer a new generic name for the stipple-throated assemblage of antwrens (Thamnophilidae) currently placed in the genus Myrmotherula. Molecular studies demonstrated that Myrmotherula is polyphyletic, with the stippled-throated group forming a clade that is not sister to any other currently recognized Myrmotherula species. The stipple-throated assemblage is distinguished morphologically by at least one sex having a black throat stippled white or buffy white combined with a comparatively long, unmarked tail, although three populations considered subspecies have lost one of these characters. The distinct evolution of this assemblage is supported by diagnostic behavioral characters derived from foraging behaviors, vocal repertoires, and nest architecture

An integrative approach to species-level systematics reveals the depth of diversification in an Andean thamnophilid, the Long-tailed Antbird

Abstract. The geographic range of the Long-tailed Antbird (Drymophila caudata) extends from the Paria Mountains of Venezuela south through the Andes to northern Bolivia, a geographic and elevational distribution unique in the antbirds (Thamnophilidae). Plumage variation among most populations is not obvious, and although eight subspecies have been described, half have been synonymized. We took a multidimensional approach to reexamining the taxonomy of the complex. We identified lineages by evaluating divergence in mtDNA, and defined study groups within them to take into account previously described plumage differences. We then assessed the taxonomic status of principal lineages and study groups by comparing vocal differences among them to established taxonomic "yardsticks" for thamnophilid antbirds. Finally, we related taxa to the ecology of the regions in which they occur. The outcomes revealed substantial diversification, sufficient for recognition of four species, three restricted to the north and one widespread along the main body of the Andes extending from northwestern Colombia south to Bolivia. Speciation in Andean Drymophila antbirds is partially associated with elevational and environmental divergence. The results provide valuable inputs to mapping and understanding avian evolution in the Andes and demonstrate the value of a multifaceted approach in solving taxonomic problems. Resumen. La distribución geográfica de Drymophila caudata se extiende desde las montañas de Paria en Venezuela hacia el sur a lo largo de la cordillera de los Andes hasta el norte de Bolivia, conformando un patrón de distribución geográfico y altitudinal único en los Thamnophilidae. La variación en el plumaje entre la mayoría de las poblaciones no es obvia y a pesar de que ocho subespecies han sido descritas, la mitad han sido invalidadas. Nosotros optamos por una estrategia multidimensional para reexaminar la taxonomía del complejo. Primero, identificamos linajes con base en su divergencia en ADNmt y grupos de estudio dentro de cada linaje con base en diferencias de plumaje previamente descritas. Después, evaluamos el estatus taxonómico de cada linaje y de cada grupo de estudio mediante comparaciones de las diferencias vocales entre ellos con estándares establecidos para los thamnophílidos. Finalmente, comparamos la ecología de los taxones definidos con base en diferencias climáticas entre sus áreas de distribución. Los resultados revelan un nivel considerable de diversificación, suficiente para el reconocimiento de cuatro especies, tres de ellas restringidas a las montañas del norte y una ampliamente distribuida a lo largo de los Andes desde el noroeste de Colombia hasta Bolivia. El proceso de especiación en los thamnophílidos andinos del género Drymophila está parcialmente asociado con procesos de divergencia altitudinal y ambiental. Estos resultados son valiosos para entender la evolución de las aves en los Andes y demuestran el valor que tienen las estrategias multidimensionales para resolver incertidumbres taxonómicas

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Pooled analysis of WHO Surgical Safety Checklist use and mortality after emergency laparotomy

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist has fostered safe practice for 10 years, yet its place in emergency surgery has not been assessed on a global scale. The aim of this study was to evaluate reported checklist use in emergency settings and examine the relationship with perioperative mortality in patients who had emergency laparotomy. Methods In two multinational cohort studies, adults undergoing emergency laparotomy were compared with those having elective gastrointestinal surgery. Relationships between reported checklist use and mortality were determined using multivariable logistic regression and bootstrapped simulation. Results Of 12 296 patients included from 76 countries, 4843 underwent emergency laparotomy. After adjusting for patient and disease factors, checklist use before emergency laparotomy was more common in countries with a high Human Development Index (HDI) (2455 of 2741, 89.6 per cent) compared with that in countries with a middle (753 of 1242, 60.6 per cent; odds ratio (OR) 0.17, 95 per cent c.i. 0.14 to 0.21, P <0001) or low (363 of 860, 422 per cent; OR 008, 007 to 010, P <0.001) HDI. Checklist use was less common in elective surgery than for emergency laparotomy in high-HDI countries (risk difference -94 (95 per cent c.i. -11.9 to -6.9) per cent; P <0001), but the relationship was reversed in low-HDI countries (+121 (+7.0 to +173) per cent; P <0001). In multivariable models, checklist use was associated with a lower 30-day perioperative mortality (OR 0.60, 0.50 to 073; P <0.001). The greatest absolute benefit was seen for emergency surgery in low- and middle-HDI countries. Conclusion Checklist use in emergency laparotomy was associated with a significantly lower perioperative mortality rate. Checklist use in low-HDI countries was half that in high-HDI countries.Peer reviewe

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

FIGURE 5 in Calls distinguish species of Antbirds (Aves: Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae) in the genus Pyriglena

FIGURE 5. Examples of Short Calls of Pyriglena populations. (A) Andean and Eye-browed Clades: castanoptera, Santa Cecilia Track, Zamora-Chinchipe Ecuador (XC 86464). (B) Tapajós Clade: similis, Rio Cristalino, Mato Grosso, Brazil (ISL BMW. 117.011). (C) East Amazonian Clade: pernambucensis, Usina Serra Grande, Alagoas, Brazil (ML 127878). Atlantic Forest Clade: (D) atra, Campina, Bahia, Brazil (ISL MMC. C. 057). (E) leucoptera, Itaberaba, Bahia, Brazil (ISL MMC. C. 058). Examples represent central tendencies. Archive acronyms in Appendix

Calls distinguish species of Antbirds (Aves: Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae) in the genus Pyriglena

Populations in the genus Pyriglena Cabanis, 1847, commonly known as fire-eyes, are patchily distributed in central South America from the Pacific slope of the Andes to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Pyriglena populations are currently placed into 12 taxa, only five of which are not isolated from their neighbors by distance, a high mountain range, or a major river. In the Thamnophilidae, taxonomic decisions regarding such allopatric populations have primarily rested on differences in vocalizations, thought not to be learned and to play a key role in the speciation process. When we examined Pyriglena vocalizations in this context, the outcomes revealed substantial diversity in their calls, rather than their songs. They commonly delivered four different types of calls, unusual although not unprecedented in thamnophilids. Diversity in calls rather than songs underscores the need to consider all vocalizations in taxonomic studies. The outcomes support the continued recognition of the White-shouldered Fire-eye Pyriglena leucoptera (Vieillot) and Fringe-backed Fire-eye Pyriglena atra (Swainson) as distinct species, and indicate that, in addition, the currently constituted Pyriglena leuconota should be considered three species: the Western Fire-eye Pyriglena maura (Menetries)the Tapajos Fire-eye Pyriglena similis Zimmerand the East Amazonian Fire-eye Pyriglena leuconota (von Spix). We also identify taxonomic uncertainties regarding subspecies that require acquisition of additional data and further analysis.CNPqCAPESFAPESPCNPq-BrazilU.S. National Science Foundation (Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant)FAPESP-BrazilWhitney R. Harris World Ecology Center (Parker-Gentry Fellowship) at University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL)Department of Biology at UMSL (Raven Fellowship)St. Louis Audubon SocietySigma XiIdea WildSmithsonian Inst, Natl Museum Nat Hist, Dept Vertebrate Zool, Washington, DC 20560 USAUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, Programa Posgrad Ecol & Evolucao, Campus Diadema, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, Programa Posgrad Ecol & Evolucao, Campus Diadema, Sao Paulo, BraziCAPESFAPESPCNPq: 563236/2010-8CNPq: 309975/2012-3CNPq: 303713/2015-1U.S. National Science Foundation (Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant): OISE-0555482|U.S. National Science Foundation (Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant): DEB 134357FAPESP-Brazil: BIOTA 2013/50297-0/NSF-Dimensions 1343578FAPESP-Brasil: 2015/18287-0Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center (Parker-Gentry Fellowship) at University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL)Department of Biology at UMSL (Raven Fellowship)St. Louis Audubon SocietySigma XiIdea WildWeb of Scienc