NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans – anteaters, sloths, and armadillos – have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with 24 domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, ten anteaters, and six sloths. Our dataset includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data-paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the south of the USA, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to its austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n=5,941), and Cyclopes sp. has the fewest (n=240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n=11,588), and the least recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n=33). With regards to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n=962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n=12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other datasets of Neotropical Series which will become available very soon (i.e. Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans dataset

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time, and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space. While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes, vast areas of the tropics remain understudied. In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity, but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases. To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge, it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Ganho de peso, características da carcaça e componentes não-carcaça de cordeiros da raça Texel terminados em diferentes sistemas alimentares Weight gain, carcass characteristics and non carcass components of lambs of breed Texel finished in different feeding systems

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito de diferentes sistemas alimentares sobre o ganho de peso, as características da carcaça e os componentes não-carcaça de cordeiros em fase de terminação. Foram utilizados 18 cordeiros, machos castrados, da raça Texel, distribuídos aleatoriamente nos seguintes tratamentos: T1 = confinamento; T2 = pastagem com suplementação e T3 = pastagem sem suplementação. Os animais confinados foram alimentados com uma dieta contendo feno de Tifton-85 e concentrado na proporção de 40:60 na matéria seca. A pastagem utilizada foi Tifton-85. Os animais suplementados receberam o mesmo alimento concentrado oferecido no confinamento na proporção de 2% do peso vivo. Aos 144 dias de idade, após jejum de 12 horas, realizaram-se os abates. Foram verificados menores peso final (P<0,05), ganho de peso diário, peso de carcaça quente, rendimento de carcaça quente, peso e proporção de costilhar e pesos de quarto, paleta e pescoço (P<0,01), nos cordeiros terminados na pastagem, quando comparados com aqueles confinados ou suplementados em condição de pastejo. As proporções de quarto e paleta foram maiores nos cordeiros terminados em pastagem sem suplementação, em relação aos confinados. Verificou-se uma maior proporção (P<0,01) de vísceras cheias e de conteúdo gastrintestinal nos cordeiros alimentados exclusivamente com pastagem de Tifton-85. Os cordeiros alimentados em confinamento apresentaram uma maior proporção de gordura interna e renal e uma menor proporção de patas e de vísceras vazias (P<0,01). A proporção de cabeça foi maior (P<0,05) nos cordeiros submetidos a pastejo sem suplementação em relação àqueles confinados. A soma das proporções dos componentes não-carcaça representou 34,65% do peso vivo dos cordeiros no momento do abate.<br>The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of different feeding systems on the weight gain, characteristics of the carcass and non carcass components of lambs in termination phase. Eighteen lambs were used, castrated males, of the breed Texel, distributed randomly in the following treatments: T1 = confinement; T2 = pasture with supplementation and T3 = pasture without supplementation. The confined animals had been fed with a diet containing Tifton-85 hay and concentrated in the ratio of 40:60 in dry matter. The used pasture was Tifton-85. The supplemented animals received the same concentrated feed offered in the confinement in the ratio from 2% of live weight. To the 144 days of age, after fastening of 12 hours, the lambs were slaughtered. It was verified lesser final weight (P<0.05), daily weight gain, hot carcass weight, hot carcass yield, weight and proportion of rib and weights of hindquarter, shoulder and neck (P<0.01), in the lambs finished in the pasture, when compared with those confined or supplemented in condition of grazing. The proportions of hindquarter and shoulder had been bigger in the lambs finished in pasture without supplementation, in relation to the confined. A bigger proportion (P<0.01) of full viscera and gastrointestinal tract content in the lambs fed exclusively with pasture of Tifton-85 was verified. The lambs fed in confinement showed higher proportion of internal and renal fat and a lesser proportion of foot and empty viscera (P<0.01). The proportion of head was bigger (P<0.05) in the lambs subjected to pasture without supplementation in relation to those confined. The addition of the proportions of the non carcass components represent 34.65% of the live weight of the lambs at the moment of the slaughter