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Global Change Biology May 2024Amphibians and fishes play a central role in shaping the structure and function of freshwater environments. These organisms have a limited capacity to disperse across...
Amphibians and fishes play a central role in shaping the structure and function of freshwater environments. These organisms have a limited capacity to disperse across different habitats and the thermal buffer offered by freshwater systems is small. Understanding determinants and patterns of their physiological sensitivity across life history is, therefore, imperative to predicting the impacts of climate change in freshwater systems. Based on a systematic literature review including 345 experiments with 998 estimates on 96 amphibian (Anura/Caudata) and 93 freshwater fish species (Teleostei), we conducted a quantitative synthesis to explore phylogenetic, ontogenetic, and biogeographic (thermal adaptation) patterns in upper thermal tolerance (CT) and thermal acclimation capacity (acclimation response ratio, ARR) as well as the influence of the methodology used to assess these thermal traits using a conditional inference tree analysis. We found globally consistent patterns in CT and ARR, with phylogeny (taxa/order), experimental methodology, climatic origin, and life stage as significant determinants of thermal traits. The analysis demonstrated that CT does not primarily depend on the climatic origin but on experimental acclimation temperature and duration, and life stage. Higher acclimation temperatures and longer acclimation times led to higher CT values, whereby Anuran larvae revealed a higher CT than older life stages. The ARR of freshwater fishes was more than twice that of amphibians. Differences in ARR between life stages were not significant. In addition to phylogenetic differences, we found that ARR also depended on acclimation duration, ramping rate, and adaptation to local temperature variability. However, the amount of data on early life stages is too small, methodologically inconsistent, and phylogenetically unbalanced to identify potential life cycle bottlenecks in thermal traits. We, therefore, propose methods to improve the robustness and comparability of CT/ARR data across species and life stages, which is crucial for the conservation of freshwater biodiversity under climate change.
Topics: Animals; Acclimatization; Fishes; Fresh Water; Amphibians; Global Warming; Phylogeny; Climate Change; Temperature
PubMed: 38771091
DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17318 -
Parasitology Jul 2021Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is known for its ability to infect warm-blooded vertebrates. Although T. gondii does not appear to parasitize cold-blooded animals, the...
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is known for its ability to infect warm-blooded vertebrates. Although T. gondii does not appear to parasitize cold-blooded animals, the occurrence of T. gondii infection in marine mammals raises concerns that cold-blooded animals (frogs, toad, turtles, crocodiles, snakes, and fish) and shellfish are potential sources of T. gondii. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to determine the prevalence of T. gondii in mollusks and cold-blooded animals worldwide. We searched PubMed, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to 1 August 2020 for eligible papers in the English language and identified 26 articles that reported the prevalence of T. gondii in mollusks and cold-blooded animals. These articles were subsequently reviewed and data extracted using a standard form. In total, 26 studies [involving 9 cross-sectional studies including 2988 samples of cold-blooded animals (129 positive cases for T. gondii) and 18 cross-sectional studies entailing 13 447 samples of shellfish (692 positive cases for T. gondii)] were included in this study. Although this study showed that shellfish and cold-blooded animals could be potential sources of T. gondii for humans and other hosts that feed on them, further investigations are recommended to determine the prevalence of T. gondii in shellfish and cold-blooded animals.
Topics: Amphibians; Animals; Cross-Sectional Studies; Fishes; Humans; Mollusca; Reptiles; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis; Zoonoses
PubMed: 33691818
DOI: 10.1017/S0031182021000433 -
Chemosphere Jun 2024Chlorothalonil (CTL), an organochloride fungicide applied for decades worldwide, has been found to be present in various matrixes and even accumulates in humans or other...
Chlorothalonil (CTL), an organochloride fungicide applied for decades worldwide, has been found to be present in various matrixes and even accumulates in humans or other mammals through the food chain. Its high residue and diffusion in the environment have severely affected food security and public health. More and more research has considered CTL as a possible toxin to environmental non-target organisms, via influencing multiple systems such as metabolic, developmental, endocrine, genetic, and reproductive pathways. Aquatic organisms and amphibians are the most vulnerable species to CTL exposure, especially during the early period of development. Under experimental conditions, CTL can also have toxic effects on rodents and other non-target organisms. As for humans, CTL exposure is most often reported to be relevant to allergic reactions to the skin and eyes. We hope that this review will improve our understanding of the hazards and risks that CTL poses to non-target organisms and find a strategy for rational use.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Aquatic Organisms; Environmental Pollutants; Fungicides, Industrial; Nitriles; Risk Assessment
PubMed: 38705408
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142241 -
Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine :... Mar 2024Zoological institutions manage animals for conservation, education, entertainment, and research purposes. Zoological staff have a responsibility to safeguard the welfare...
Zoological institutions manage animals for conservation, education, entertainment, and research purposes. Zoological staff have a responsibility to safeguard the welfare of animals in their care. Retrospective morbidity and/or mortality studies (MMSs) can be useful tools to highlight common diseases in captive wildlife populations. There is currently no standardized methodology for conducting MMSs. Variation in the methodology of MMSs, particularly the categorization of diseases, can make comparisons between studies challenging and may limit the applicability of the results. A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) compliant systematic review was performed, which identified 67 MMSs describing 146 species of captive wildlife. These MMSs are becoming more common and were predominantly performed on mammals (76/146). Prospective authors are encouraged to perform MMSs on amphibians, birds, reptiles, fish, and invertebrates. The studied animals were mostly managed at institutions in the United States of America (28/67, 41.2%) and Europe (14/67, 20.9%). Classifying individuals into age groups facilitates the identification of disease trends within age classes. Only 22/67 (32.8%) studies cited justification for their age classification; classifications should be based on a referenced source on the breeding biology of the studied species. There is variation in the body systems used by authors and into which system a disease is categorized, which makes study comparisons challenging. Diseases were predominantly categorized by etiology and body system (28/77, 36.4%). Because of its ubiquity, the use of the categorization system employed by the pathology module of the Zoological Information Management System is recommended as a useful standard. This system is imperfect, and amendments to it are suggested. The results and recommendations of this study were discussed with a panel of zoo and wildlife experts; guidelines have been formulated for prospective authors aiming to conduct MMSs in captive wildlife.
Topics: Animals; Amphibians; Animals, Wild; Animals, Zoo; Mammals; Morbidity; Reptiles; Mortality
PubMed: 38453482
DOI: 10.1638/2023-0093 -
Royal Society Open Science Sep 2016Climate change probably has severe impacts on animal populations, but demonstrating a causal link can be difficult because of potential influences by additional factors....
Climate change probably has severe impacts on animal populations, but demonstrating a causal link can be difficult because of potential influences by additional factors. Assessing global impacts of climate change effects may also be hampered by narrow taxonomic and geographical research foci. We review studies on the effects of climate change on populations of amphibians and reptiles to assess climate change effects and potential biases associated with the body of work that has been conducted within the last decade. We use data from 104 studies regarding the effect of climate on 313 species, from 464 species-study combinations. Climate change effects were reported in 65% of studies. Climate change was identified as causing population declines or range restrictions in half of the cases. The probability of identifying an effect of climate change varied among regions, taxa and research methods. Climatic effects were equally prevalent in studies exclusively investigating climate factors (more than 50% of studies) and in studies including additional factors, thus bolstering confidence in the results of studies exclusively examining effects of climate change. Our analyses reveal biases with respect to geography, taxonomy and research question, making global conclusions impossible. Additional research should focus on under-represented regions, taxa and questions. Conservation and climate policy should consider the documented harm climate change causes reptiles and amphibians.
PubMed: 27703684
DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160158 -
Developmental and Comparative Immunology Nov 2022Amphibians are among the vertebrate groups suffering great losses of biodiversity due to a variety of causes including diseases, such as chytridiomycosis (caused by the...
Amphibians are among the vertebrate groups suffering great losses of biodiversity due to a variety of causes including diseases, such as chytridiomycosis (caused by the fungal pathogens Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and B. salamandrivorans). The amphibian metamorphic period has been identified as being particularly vulnerable to chytridiomycosis, with dramatic physiological and immunological reorganisation likely contributing to this vulnerability. Here, we overview the processes behind these changes at metamorphosis and then perform a systematic literature review to capture the breadth of empirical research performed over the last two decades on the metamorphic immune response. We found that few studies focused specifically on the immune response during the peri-metamorphic stages of amphibian development and fewer still on the implications of their findings with respect to chytridiomycosis. We recommend future studies consider components of the immune system that are currently under-represented in the literature on amphibian metamorphosis, particularly pathogen recognition pathways. Although logistically challenging, we suggest varying the timing of exposure to Bd across metamorphosis to examine the relative importance of pathogen evasion, suppression or dysregulation of the immune system. We also suggest elucidating the underlying mechanisms of the increased susceptibility to chytridiomycosis at metamorphosis and the associated implications for population persistence. For species that overlap a distribution where Bd/Bsal are now endemic, we recommend a greater focus on management strategies that consider the important peri-metamorphic period.
Topics: Amphibians; Animals; Chytridiomycota; Immune System; Metamorphosis, Biological; Mycoses
PubMed: 35985564
DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2022.104510 -
Medicine Sep 2021Huachansu injection (HCS) is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to alleviate the adverse drug reactions (ADRs)... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Clinical efficacy and safety of Huachansu injection combination with platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
BACKGROUND
Huachansu injection (HCS) is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to alleviate the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and enhance the clinical efficacy of chemotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of HCS as an adjunctive treatment to platinum-based chemotherapy (PBC) for advanced NSCLC.
METHODS
A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. A total of nine databases were searched to select randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of HCS plus PBC to treat NSCLC from inception to October 10, 2020. RCTs on HCS plus PBC vs PBC alone for advanced NSCLC were included. Dichotomous data were pooled as risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals. RCTs compared to HCS plus PBC vs PBC alone were included. Primary outcomes were objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR), and secondary outcomes were survival rate, quality of life (QOL), and adverse drug reactions (ADRs). GRADE software was used to access the quality of evidence.
RESULTS
A total of 32 RCTs, including 2753 patients, were included. Compared to PBC alone, HCS plus PBC improved the ORR, DCR, 1- and 2-year survival rates, and QOL and alleviated neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, nausea, vomiting, anemia, liver injury, renal injury, and alopecia.
CONCLUSIONS
Compared to PBC alone, HCS plus PBC improved the clinical efficacy and alleviated the ADRs in advanced NSCLC patients. Considering the limitations of the included RCTs, high-quality trials with longer follow-ups are needed to further confirm the results.
Topics: Amphibian Venoms; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Female; Humans; Infusions, Intravenous; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Phytotherapy; Platinum Compounds; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 34516509
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000027161 -
Biological Reviews of the Cambridge... Aug 2016Assessing the role of local populations in a landscape context has become increasingly important in the fields of conservation biology and ecology. A growing number of... (Review)
Review
Assessing the role of local populations in a landscape context has become increasingly important in the fields of conservation biology and ecology. A growing number of studies attempt to determine the source-sink status of local populations. As the source-sink concept is commonly used for management decisions in nature conservation, accurate assessment approaches are crucial. Based on a systematic literature review of studies published between 2002 and 2013, we evaluated a priori predictions on methodological and biological factors that may influence the occurrence of source or sink populations. The review yielded 90 assessments from 73 publications that included qualitative and quantitative evidence for either source or sink population(s) for one or multiple species. Overall, sink populations tended to occur more often than source populations. Moreover, the occurrence of source or sink populations differed among taxonomic classes. Sinks were more often found than sources in mammals, while there was a non-significant trend for the opposite to be true for amphibians. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the occurrence of sources was positively related to connectivity of local populations. Our review furthermore highlights that more than 25 years after Pulliam's widely cited publication on 'sources, sinks, and population regulation', in-depth assessments of the source-sink status of populations based on combined consideration of demographic parameters such as fecundity, survival, emigration and immigration are still scarce. To increase our understanding of source-sink systems from ecological, evolutionary and conservation-related perspectives, we recommend that forthcoming studies on source-sink dynamics should pay more attention to the study design (i.e. connectivity of study populations) and that the assessment of the source-sink status of local populations is based on λ values calculated from demographic rates.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Demography; Ecosystem; Population Dynamics; Research
PubMed: 26010659
DOI: 10.1111/brv.12195 -
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy : SRA Aug 2022With the increased use of simulation-based training using animal models for the education of surgical and anaesthetic techniques, an increased understanding of the... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
With the increased use of simulation-based training using animal models for the education of surgical and anaesthetic techniques, an increased understanding of the anatomy of such models and how they compare to humans is required. The transversus abdominis plane block is a regional anaesthetic technique that requires an understanding of the abdominal wall anatomy along with proficient ultrasound use. The current review aims to compare the anatomy of the abdominal wall across species, particularly focussing on the pertinent differences within the class of mammals, and secondarily, it aims to address the implications of these differences for the use of simulation-based training of the transversus abdominis plane block.
METHODS
To achieve this, the PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases were searched for relevant literature. Studies pertaining to the musculature, vasculature or innervation of the anterolateral abdominal wall across species were included.
RESULTS
The mammalian abdominal wall differs in its musculature, vasculature or innervation from that of amphibians, birds or reptiles; however, among species of mammals, the structure of the abdominal wall follows a similar framework. Particular differences among mammals include the additional muscular layer of the panniculus carnosus found in most mammals other than humans, the variable arterial origins and dominant vascular supply of the abdominal wall and the number of thoracolumbar nerves innervating the abdominal wall.
CONCLUSION
When using animal models for simulation-based training, the pig is recommended for the transversus abdominis plane block given its closely homologous abdominal wall structure, availability and larger comparative size.
Topics: Abdominal Muscles; Abdominal Wall; Animals; Humans; Mammals; Nerve Block; Swine; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 35864247
DOI: 10.1007/s00276-022-02991-y -
Movement Ecology May 2024The relationship between animal dispersal and conspecific density has been explored in various study systems but results in terms of both the magnitude and the direction...
The relationship between animal dispersal and conspecific density has been explored in various study systems but results in terms of both the magnitude and the direction of density dependence are inconsistent. We conducted a thorough review of the literature (2000-2023) and found k = 97 empirical studies of birds, fishes, herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles), invertebrates, or mammals that had tested for a correlation between conspecific density and animal dispersal. We extracted categorical variables for taxonomic group, sex, age, migratory behavior, study design, dispersal metric, density metric and variable type, as well as temporal and spatial scale, to test each of their correlation with the effect of density on dispersal (Pearson's r) using linear regressions and multilevel mixed-effect modelling. We found certain biases in the published literature, highlighting that the impact of conspecific density on dispersal is not as widespread as it is thought to be. We also found no predominant trend for density-dependent dispersal across taxonomic groups. Instead, results show that the scale and metrics of empirical observations significantly affected analytical results, and heterogeneity measures were high within taxonomic groups. Therefore, the direction and magnitude of the interaction between density and dispersal in empirical studies could partially be attributed to the data collection method involved. We suggest that the contradictory observations for density-dependent dispersal could be explained by dispersal-dependent density, where density is driven by movement instead, and urge researchers to either test this interaction when applicable or consider this perspective when reporting results.
PubMed: 38773669
DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00478-6