Ecophysiological observations on the body temperatures of the anurans Dendropsophus bifurcus, Rhinella marina, and Scinax ruber from upper basin Amazon in northeastern Ecuador

Ectothermic inhabitants of tropical forests are subjected to constant environmental temperatures, which determine their passive thermoregulatory strategies. We observe these trends during the summer of 2017, in the anurans Dendropsophus bifurcus, Rhinella marina, and Scinax ruber, in a tropical rainforest from the Upper Amazon Basin of Ecuador. D. bifurcus and S. ruber showed a tendency to tigmothermy, whereas R. marina presented tendencies towards heliothermy. Body temperatures (Tbs) did not differ between D. bifurcus and R. marina, but S. ruber presented a lower Tb. Our results suggest that thermal environment is influencing different thermoregulatory strategies as tigmothermy and heliothermy of frogs and toads distributed in tropical environments at low elevation

Redescripción de Anolisproboscis Peters & Orcés (Reptilia: Polychrotidae), con el descubrimiento de las hembras de la especie y comentarios sobre su distribución y taxonomía

We redescribe the enigmatic lizard Anolis proboscis based on new material collected on the Distrito Metropolitano de Quito, province of Pichincha, Ecuador. We describe the first females reported for the species, increasing the diagnosis to include sexually dimorphic data; and present new information on characters previously undescribed, such as the cranial helmet and hemipenial morphology. We propose that the nasal appendage is not a homologous apomorphic character among A. proboscis and A. phyllorhinus, thus the A. laevis species-group is not a valid clade. In fact, we suggest that A. proboscis is closely related to species previously classified as “Phenacosaurus ”; while A. phyllorhinus is part of the A. punctatus species-group. We provide new information on the distribution and natural history of A. proboscis; suggesting that it should be classified under the IUCN category and criteria of “Endangered EN B1ab (i,ii,ii) +2ab (i,ii,iii)”. We propose A. proboscis as an emblematic species of the Distrito Metropolitano de Quito, in particular for the conservation of Las Tolas and Lloa-Mindo regions.Redescribimos a la enigmática lagartija Anolis proboscis basados en nuevo material colectado en el Distrito Metropolitano de Quito, provincia de Pichincha, Ecuador. Describimos las primeras hembras conocidas de la especie, ampliando así la diagnosis con datos sobre dimorfismo sexual; y presentamos nueva información sobre caracteres antes no descritos, como el casco craneal y la morfología de los hemipenes. Proponemos que el apéndice nasal no es un carácter homólogo apomórfico entre A. proboscis y A. phyllorhinus, por lo que el grupo-de-especies A. laevis no es un clado válido. De hecho, sugerimos que A. proboscis está cercanamente relacionado con especies previamente clasificadas como Phenacosaurus; mientras que A. phyllorhinus es parte del grupo-de-especies A. punctatus. Aportamos nueva información sobre la distribución e historia natural de A. proboscis y sugerimos que sea clasificado bajo la categoría y criterios de riesgo de extinción de la lUCN de “En Peligro EN B1ab (i,ii,ii) +2ab (i,ii,iii)”. Proponemos que A. proboscis sea considerado una especie de reptil emblemática del Distrito Metropolitano de Quito, en especial para la conservación de la zonas de Las Tolas y Lloa-Mindo

Descubrimiento de dos poblaciones sobrevivientes de Sapos Arlequín (Amphibia: Bufonidae: Atelopus) en los Andes de Ecuador

We report the presence of new populations of arlequín toads belonging to Atelopus palmatus and A. nepiozomus species in the provinces of Pastaza and Loja respectively. These new findings allow us to re-evaluated and verify the conservation status of these two species. The information herein reported is a contribution to the knownlodge of the genus Atelopus on which still exist important information gaps on its taxonomy, systematics and natural history.Reportamos la presencia de nuevas poblaciones de sapos arlequines pertenecientes a las especies Atelopuspalmatus y A. nepiozomus en las provincias de Pastaza y Loja respectivamente. Estos nuevos hallazgos permiten re-evaluar y corroborar el estado de conservación de estas especies. La información aquí reportada es una contribución al conocimiento del género Atelopus sobre el cual existe todavía importantes vacíos de información sobre su taxonomía, sistemática e historia natural

Traditional Excluding Forces: A Review of the Quantitative Literature on the Economic Situation of Indigenous Peoples, Afro-Descendants, and People Living with Disability

Unequal income distribution in Latin America and the Caribbean is linked to unequal distributions of (human and physical) assets and differential access to markets and services. These circumstances, and the accompanying social tensions, need to be understood in terms of traditional fragmenting forces; the sectors of the population who experience unfavorable outcomes are also recognized by characteristics such as ethnicity, race, gender and physical disability. In addition to reviewing the general literature on social exclusion, this paper surveys several more specific topics: i) relative deprivation (in land and housing, physical infrastructure, health and income); ii) labor market issues, including access to labor markets in general, as well as informality, segregation and discrimination; iii) the transaction points of political representation, social protection and violence; and iv) areas where analysis remains weak and avenues for further research in the region

Defining new pathways to manage the ongoing emergence of bat rabies in Latin America

Rabies transmitted by common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) has been known since the early 1900s but continues to expand geographically and in the range of species and environments affected. In this review, we present current knowledge of the epidemiology and management of rabies in D. rotundus and argue that it can be reasonably considered an emerging public health threat. We identify knowledge gaps related to the landscape determinants of the bat reservoir, reduction in bites on humans and livestock, and social barriers to prevention. We discuss how new technologies including autonomously-spreading vaccines and reproductive suppressants targeting bats might manage both rabies and undesirable growth of D. rotundus populations. Finally, we highlight widespread under-reporting of human and animal mortality and the scarcity of studies that quantify the efficacy of control measures such as bat culling. Collaborations between researchers and managers will be crucial to implement the next generation of rabies management in Latin America

Descriptive epidemiology of somatising tendency: findings from the CUPID study.

Somatising tendency, defined as a predisposition to worry about common somatic symptoms, is importantly associated with various aspects of health and health-related behaviour, including musculoskeletal pain and associated disability. To explore its epidemiological characteristics, and how it can be specified most efficiently, we analysed data from an international longitudinal study. A baseline questionnaire, which included questions from the Brief Symptom Inventory about seven common symptoms, was completed by 12,072 participants aged 20-59 from 46 occupational groups in 18 countries (response rate 70%). The seven symptoms were all mutually associated (odds ratios for pairwise associations 3.4 to 9.3), and each contributed to a measure of somatising tendency that exhibited an exposure-response relationship both with multi-site pain (prevalence rate ratios up to six), and also with sickness absence for non-musculoskeletal reasons. In most participants, the level of somatising tendency was little changed when reassessed after a mean interval of 14 months (75% having a change of 0 or 1 in their symptom count), although the specific symptoms reported at follow-up often differed from those at baseline. Somatising tendency was more common in women than men, especially at older ages, and varied markedly across the 46 occupational groups studied, with higher rates in South and Central America. It was weakly associated with smoking, but not with level of education. Our study supports the use of questions from the Brief Symptom Inventory as a method for measuring somatising tendency, and suggests that in adults of working age, it is a fairly stable trait

Elective Cancer Surgery in COVID-19-Free Surgical Pathways During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An International, Multicenter, Comparative Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19-free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19-free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS: Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19-free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19-free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score-matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION: Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19-free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks