Philippine herpetology (Amphibia, Reptilia), 20 years on: two decades of progress towards an increasingly collaborative, equitable, and inclusive approach to the study of the archipelago’s amphibians and reptiles

A first review of the history, status, and prospects for Philippine herpetology conducted more than two decades ago (2002) summarized the diverse topics studied and highlighted the development and achievements in research up to the year 2000. This study revisits and re-assesses what Philippine herpetology has accomplished, both as a discipline and a community, during the last two decades (2002–2022). A total of 423 herpetological publications was collated, revealing a substantial increase in annual publications, rising from approximately four per year during 2002–2008 to around 28 per year in 2009–2022. Half of the published studies focused on squamate reptiles (lizards 30.5%, snakes 21%) and 28.4% on amphibians, 5.9% on turtles, and 2.6% on crocodiles. The remaining 11.6% of studies focused simultaneously on multiple taxa (i.e., faunal inventories). Diversity and distribution (35.2%) and ecological (26.5%) studies remained popular, while studies on taxonomy (14.9%), phylogenetics and biogeography (11.8%), and conservation (11.6%) all increased. However, geographical gaps persist urging immediate surveys in many understudied regions of the country. Finally, we found a balanced representation between Filipino and foreign first authors (1.0:1.1), yet a substantial gender gap exists between male and female first authors (7.1:1.0). Nonetheless, the steep increase in publications and the diversity of people engaged in Philippine herpetology is a remarkable positive finding compared to the 20 years preceding the last review (1980–2000). Our hope is that the next decades will bring increasingly equitable, internationally collaborative, and broadly inclusive engagement in the study of amphibians and reptiles in the Philippines

Caracterização de mulheres com cancro da mama atendidas em uma unidade hospitalar

OBJECTIVE: To describe the sociodemographic and clinical aspects of women with breast cancer treated at a hospital. METHODS: Documentary, descriptive and quantitative study, carried out in a referral hospital unit for the care of people with breast cancer, in Northeastern Brazil. 79 charts of women with breast cancer were analyzed. A form was used that included socio-demographic, clinical and health-related aspects. The data were submitted to descriptive analysis using the BioEstat 3.0 Program. RESULTS: Approximately 66% are in the 41 to 60 age group. Reproductive characteristics showed that 12.66% of women started menarche from the age of 10, 31 had at least one type of disease identified: hypertension 13 (56.5%), diabetes mellitus 7 (30.4%), allergy 5 (21.7%). Mastectomy was the most frequent surgery (63.2%). The empirical findings reported in this study showed that 30.4% had diabetes mellitus and 56% hypertension. Family history was determined to be an important risk factor for the development of breast cancer. CONCLUSION: The results can be subsidies for the development of larger studies related to the theme, which makes it possible to contribute to increase the visibility of public agencies and health services.OBJETIVO: Descrever os aspectos sociodemográficos e clínicos de mulheres com cancro da mama atendidas em uma unidade hospitalar. MÉTODOS: Estudo documental, descritivo e quantitativo, realizado em uma unidade hospitalar de referéncia para atendimento às pessoas com cancro de mama, no Nordeste do Brasil. Foram analisados 79 prontuários de mulheres com cancro de mama. Utilizou-se um formulário que contemplava aspectos sociodemográficos, clínicos e relacionados às condições de saúde. Os dados foram submetidos à análise descritiva por meio do Programa BioEstat 3.0. RESULTADOS: Aproximadamente 66% encontram-se na faixa etária de 41 a 60 anos. As características reprodutivas mostraram que 12,66% das mulheres iniciaram a menarca a partir dos 10 anos de idade, 31 apresentavam pelo menos um tipo de doença identificada: hipertensão 13 (56,5%), diabetes mellitus 7 (30,4%), alergia 5 (21,7%). A mastectomia foi a cirurgia com maior frequência (63,2%). Os achados empíricos relatados neste estudo apresentaram que 30,4% apresentavam diabetes mellitus e de 56% hipertensão. O histórico familiar foi determinado como importante fator de risco para desenvolvimento de cancro de mama. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados podem ser subsídios para o desenvolvimento de maiores estudos relacionadas à temática, o que possibilita contribuir para ampliar a visibilidade dos órgãos públicos e serviços de saúde.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Amphibian and reptile diversity along a ridge-to-reef elevational gradient on a small isolated oceanic island of the central Philippines

Despite multiple recent field studies, herpetological species diversity of the Romblon Island Group in the central Philippines—particularly Sibuyan Island—has remained underestimated. Recently, we investigated the diversity of the herpetofauna of Mount Guiting-Guiting Natural Park, based on an elevational transect (10–1557 m a.s.l.). Our surveys resulted in a total of 47 species of amphibians and reptiles, including 14 new island records and one atypical occurrence of a snake species recorded for the first time from a high elevation (939 m a.s.l). These new records constitute a notable increase (21%) in Sibuyan’s herpetological species diversity as compared to surveys from a decade ago. We also provide updates of the taxonomy and identification of species endemic to this island (e.g., members of the genera Platymantis Günther, 1858, Brachymeles Duméril & Gibron, 1839, and Pseudogekko Taylor, 1922), and discuss the importance of continued surveys and field-derived data to inform conservation status assessments of Sibuyan’s unique assemblage of amphibians and reptiles

Lutzomyia longipalpis Saliva Induces Heme Oxygenase-1 Expression at Bite Sites

Sand flies bite mammalian hosts to obtain a blood meal, driving changes in the host inflammatory response that support the establishment of Leishmania infection. This effect is partially attributed to components of sand fly saliva, which are able to recruit and activate leukocytes. Our group has shown that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) favors Leishmania survival in infected cells by reducing inflammatory responses. Here, we show that exposure to sand fly bites is associated with induction of HO-1 in vivo. Histopathological analyses of skin specimens from human volunteers experimentally exposed to sand fly bites revealed that HO-1 and Nrf2 are produced at bite sites in the skin. These results were recapitulated in mice ears injected with a salivary gland sonicate (SGS) or exposed to sand fly bites, indicating that vector saliva may be a key factor in triggering HO-1 expression. Resident skin macrophages were the main source HO-1 at 24–48 h after bites. Additionally, assays in vivo after bites and in vitro after stimulation with saliva both demonstrated that HO-1 production by macrophages was Nrf2-dependent. Collectively, our data demonstrates that vector saliva induces early HO-1 production at the bite sites, representing a major event associated with establishment of naturally-transmitted Leishmania infections

AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds

Functional traits offer a rich quantitative framework for developing and testing theories in evolutionary biology, ecology and ecosystem science. However, the potential of functional traits to drive theoretical advances and refine models of global change can only be fully realised when species‐level information is complete. Here we present the AVONET dataset containing comprehensive functional trait data for all birds, including six ecological variables, 11 continuous morphological traits, and information on range size and location. Raw morphological measurements are presented from 90,020 individuals of 11,009 extant bird species sampled from 181 countries. These data are also summarised as species averages in three taxonomic formats, allowing integration with a global phylogeny, geographical range maps, IUCN Red List data and the eBird citizen science database. The AVONET dataset provides the most detailed picture of continuous trait variation for any major radiation of organisms, offering a global template for testing hypotheses and exploring the evolutionary origins, structure and functioning of biodiversity

Ecomorphology of the Locomotor Apparatus in the Genus Cyrtodactylus (Gekkota, Squamata)

Riedel J, Grismer LL, Higham T, et al. Ecomorphology of the Locomotor Apparatus in the Genus Cyrtodactylus (Gekkota, Squamata). Evolutionary Biology . 2024.Adaptive radiations garner considerable interest from evolutionary biologists. Lizard radiations diversifying along structural niche space often exhibit distinct changes in body and limb proportions. One prediction is that terrestrial species inhabiting open habitats will have relatively longer hindlimbs, associated with faster running speeds, while scansorial species will have relatively shorter limbs to keep the centre of mass closer to the substratum. Alternatively, terrestrial species in densely vegetated habitats could benefit from relatively shorter limbs to prevent entanglement with more frequently encountered obstacles, whereas scansorial species could benefit from longer limbs promoting greater limb spans and static stability. Cyrtodactylus, an ecologically diverse gekkonid genus, includes numerous specialists with narrow structural niches, but the degree of morphological diversification exhibited by these specialists is largely unknown. We investigated associations between locomotor morphology and structural microhabitat use in Cyrtodactylus to test if either of the opposing predictions can be corroborated for this radiation. We measured body length and relative limb dimensions of 87 species, covering multiple independent transitions among structural microhabitat preferences. Using these data, we reconstructed the phylomorphospace and tested for associations between structural microhabitat niche and limb morphology. We found strong separation between structural niche groups in accordance with the second hypothesis, although overlap is evident among functionally related niches such as those of granite and karst specialists

Ecologically-related variation of digit morphology in <i>Cyrtodactylus</i> (Gekkota, Squamata) reveals repeated origins of incipient adhesive toepads

Riedel J, Eisele K, Gabelaia M, et al. Ecologically-related variation of digit morphology in &lt;i&gt;Cyrtodactylus&lt;/i&gt; (Gekkota, Squamata) reveals repeated origins of incipient adhesive toepads. Functional Ecology. 2024.Exploitation of different locomotor substrates in different ecological niches has driven the evolution of specialized morphological structures, and similar ecological demands, such as the structure of the microhabitat, often lead to convergent or parallel evolution. The evolution of adhesive toepads in geckos remains understudied because of the paucity of phylogenetically-informed investigations of candidate clades exhibiting purported incipient expression of these (i.e. species having evolved some, but not all, parts of the complex adhesive system of pad-bearing geckos). Using Cyrtodactylus, a speciose genus with well-established ecotypes, we tested the hypothesis that microhabitats that require more climbing will lead to the acquisition of incipient adhesive morphology. We measured subdigital scale area, a proxy for adhesive toepad evolution, and quantified subdigital scale shape for 77 of the 354 described species, including at least one representative of each ecotype. Subdigital scale area increased from terrestrial through generalist and saxicoline (rock-dwelling) to arboreal ecotypes, with subdigital scale shape evolving from ancestral conditions for padless lizards to lateromedially expanded lamella-like scales only in the arboreal ecotypes. This significant link between phenotype and environment supports the contention that scansorial, and particularly arboreal, Cyrtodactylus ecotypes have evolved incipiently expressed adhesive toepads. This highlights the suitability of this genus as a model system for studying the ecology and evolution of adhesive toepads as well as being a promising candidate for research on adaptive radiations. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog

Cryptic extinction risk in a western Pacific lizard radiation

Cryptic ecologies, the Wallacean Shortfall of undocumented species’ geographical ranges and the Linnaean Shortfall of undescribed diversity, are all major barriers to conservation assessment. When these factors overlap with drivers of extinction risk, such as insular distributions, the number of threatened species in a region or clade may be underestimated, a situation we term ‘cryptic extinction risk’. The genus Lepidodactylus is a diverse radiation of insular and arboreal geckos that occurs across the western Pacific. Previous work on Lepidodactylus showed evidence of evolutionary displacement around continental fringes, suggesting an inherent vulnerability to extinction from factors such as competition and predation. We sought to (1) comprehensively review status and threats, (2) estimate the number of undescribed species, and (3) estimate extinction risk in data deficient and candidate species, in Lepidodactylus. From our updated IUCN Red List assessment, 60% of the 58 recognized species are threatened (n = 15) or Data Deficient (n = 21), which is higher than reported for most other lizard groups. Species from the smaller and isolated Pacific islands are of greatest conservation concern, with most either threatened or Data Deficient, and all particularly vulnerable to invasive species. We estimated 32 undescribed candidate species and linear modelling predicted that an additional 18 species, among these and the data deficient species, are threatened with extinction. Focusing efforts to resolve the taxonomy and conservation status of key taxa, especially on small islands in the Pacific, is a high priority for conserving this remarkably diverse, yet poorly understood, lizard fauna. Our data highlight how cryptic ecologies and cryptic diversity combine and lead to significant underestimation of extinction risk

Soberanía alimentaria: prácticas y saberes locales para un movimiento global contrahegemónico

En todo el mundo, el sistema agroalimentario neoliberal, una de las caras más exitosas de la globalización hegemónica capitalista, está siendo enfrentado por procesos de resistencia que cuestionan la relación colonial de explotación y dominación persistente hasta los días de hoy en las formas de producir y de vivir. Estos procesos, al mismo tiempo, forjan alternativas alimentarias y culturales para responder a las crisis ambientales, sociales y económicas actuales. La soberanía alimentaria es una expresión de estas alternativas. Este libro presenta contribuciones que dialogan de forma plural e interdisciplinar con la temática de la soberanía alimentaria, a través de la mirada de autoras y autores cuya trayectoria desdibuja la separación entre academia y activismo. Los diferentes textos tienen en común un posicionamiento epistemológico basado en la ecología de saberes y en las epistemologías del sur. Al reunir experiencias provenientes de diferentes países del Sur Global (Angola, Brasil, Colombia, México y Mozambique), el propósito del libro es ampliar el espacio de diálogo y buscar el interreconocimiento entre saberes y prácticas pautados por una racionalidad contrahegemónica, con los cuales contribuir a la construcción de sistemas agroalimentarios más justos y saludables.Bogot

Lutzomyia longipalpis Saliva Induces Heme Oxygenase-1 Expression at Bite Sites

Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2018-12-19T16:23:43Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Luz NF. Lutzomyia longipalpis saliva...2018.pdf: 1955626 bytes, checksum: f84660a8c004e77cec0bb334c37bb074 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2018-12-19T16:46:42Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Luz NF. Lutzomyia longipalpis saliva...2018.pdf: 1955626 bytes, checksum: f84660a8c004e77cec0bb334c37bb074 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-19T16:46:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Luz NF. Lutzomyia longipalpis saliva...2018.pdf: 1955626 bytes, checksum: f84660a8c004e77cec0bb334c37bb074 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia (FAPESB) e Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), and by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001. NL is a fellowship recipient from CAPES Brazil; PM is a fellowship recipient from FAPESB; AV is a fellowship recipient from Programa Nacional de Pós-Doutorado/CAPES; CdO, UL, CB and VMB are senior investigators of CNPq.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil.National Institutes of Health. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research. Vector Molecular Biology Section. Rockville, MD, United States.National Institutes of Health. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research. Vector Molecular Biology Section. Rockville, MD, USA.Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute. Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Center of Health Science. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.National Institutes of Health. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research. Vector Molecular Biology Section. Rockville, MD, USA.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Universidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina. Salvador, BA, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Universidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina. Salvador, BA, Brasil.National Institutes of Health. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, Immunobiology Section. Bethesda, MD, USA.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Teresina, PI, Brasil.National Institutes of Health. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research. Vector Molecular Biology Section. Rockville, MD, USA.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Universidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina. Salvador, BA, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Universidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina. Salvador, BA, Brasil.Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute. Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Center of Health Science. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Infectious Diseases Division. Bethesda, MD, USA.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Universidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Fundação José Silveira, Bahia. Multinational Organization Network Sponsoring Translational and Epidemiological Research. Salvador, BA, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Universidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina. Salvador, BA, Brasil.National Institutes of Health. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research. Vector Molecular Biology Section. Rockville, MD, USA.National Institutes of Health. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research. Vector Molecular Biology Section. Rockville, MD, United States.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Universidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina. Salvador, BA, Brasil.Sand flies bite mammalian hosts to obtain a blood meal, driving changes in the host inflammatory response that support the establishment of Leishmania infection. This effect is partially attributed to components of sand fly saliva, which are able to recruit and activate leukocytes. Our group has shown that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) favors Leishmania survival in infected cells by reducing inflammatory responses. Here, we show that exposure to sand fly bites is associated with induction of HO-1 in vivo. Histopathological analyses of skin specimens from human volunteers experimentally exposed to sand fly bites revealed that HO-1 and Nrf2 are produced at bite sites in the skin. These results were recapitulated in mice ears injected with a salivary gland sonicate (SGS) or exposed to sand fly bites, indicating that vector saliva may be a key factor in triggering HO-1 expression. Resident skin macrophages were the main source HO-1 at 24-48 h after bites. Additionally, assays in vivo after bites and in vitro after stimulation with saliva both demonstrated that HO-1 production by macrophages was Nrf2-dependent. Collectively, our data demonstrates that vector saliva induces early HO-1 production at the bite sites, representing a major event associated with establishment of naturally-transmitted Leishmania infections