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Background: It is particularly difficult to choose the appropriate prosthesis to treat infective endocarditis. Objectives: To investigate the outcomes after aortic valve replacement with a stented bioprosthesis (Trifecta) in patients with active or previous infective endocarditis. Methods: We performed a single-centre, retrospective study including consecutive patients with infective endocarditis who underwent aortic valve replacement between July 2011 and June 2019. Survival and reintervention were assessed as of December 2021. Hospital mortality was defined as death in-hospital or within 30-days of surgery. Kaplan-Meier method was used for time-to-event outcome assessment (all-cause mortality and reoperation). Data are median (minimum and maximum) or absolute (relative) frequencies. Results: We included 51 patients, median age of 69 (40 to 87) years, 78% male. The median follow-up time was 5.4 years and the maximum was 10 years. Most patients (71%) had native valve infective endocarditis and 16% had previous endocarditis. Surgery was urgent in 82%. Hospital mortality occurred in 10 patients (20%). After excluding these patients, 1-, 3-, 6-, and 9-years cumulative survival rates were 93%, 78%, 72%, and 72%, respectively. There were five bioprosthesis-related reoperations: 4 due to endocarditis at 1-year, 3-years, and 5-years on follow-up (n=1, 1 and 2, respectively) and 1 due to non-structural deterioration, 6-years after surgery. Conclusions: Despite the small sample size, this report supports a satisfactory performance profile of the Trifecta bioprosthesis in the treatment of infective endocarditis., Portuguese Journal of Cardiac Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Vol. 29 No. 3 (2022): Jul - Sep

OBJECTIVES Across Europe there are significant variations in the fundamental structure and content of cardiothoracic surgery (CTS) training programmes. Previous efforts have been made to introduce a Unified European Training System, which outlined the fundamentals of the ideal programme and supported a paradigm shift from an apprenticeship to a competency-based model. This article’s goal was to define key structural, administrative and executive details of such a programme to lay the foundations for the standardization of cardiothoracic surgical training across Europe. METHODS The European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery Residents Committee had previously conducted a residents’ training survey across Europe in 2020. Training curricula from the twelve most represented countries across Europe were either searched online or obtained from the countries’ national trainee representative and reviewed by the committee. Information was collated and placed into one of the following categories to develop the position paper: (i) selection of eligible candidates, (ii) guidance for an outcome-based syllabus, (iii) documentation and evaluation of training progress, (iv) mandatory rotations and training courses, (v) number of independent or assisted cases and (vi) requirements and quality assurance of teachers. RESULTS An independent professional body should promote an outcome-based syllabus and take responsibility for the training programme’s quality assurance. Trainees should be selected on merit by an open and transparent process. Training should be delivered within a defined period and supervised by an appointed training committee to ensure its implementation. This committee should review the trainees progression regularly, provide feedback and offer trainees the opportunity to experience various training environments and trainers. A common electronic portal be used by trainees to record their agreed objectives and to evidence their completion. Trainees should regularly attend specialty-relevant courses and conferences to promote professional and academic development. The end of training is reached when the formal requirements of the training programme are met and the trainee is able to perform at the level expected of a day-1 independent surgeon. CONCLUSIONS This article defines the key structural, administrative, and executive principles for CTS training. Programmes are encouraged to review and modify their training curricula, if necessary, to ensure the delivery of high-quality, standardized, outcome-orientated CTS training across Europe.

Understanding the genetic responses of different species to the landscape attributes is essential to improve conservation actions and decision-making. However, making generalizations about such responses is not trivial, since they can be influenced by several factors. Aspects related to landscape matrix quality, for example, such as contrast and heterogeneity, may play a relevant role in the spatial-genetic structuring of populations since functional connectivity is influenced by the degree of matrix permeability. Intending to identify trends of genetic responses to habitat fragmentation and the aspects influencing these responses, we employed a meta-analytical approach to investigate the degree of genetic structuring of small mammal populations, measured through the fixation index (FST), in anthropogenic landscapes. For this, we obtained data of 28 species from 38 studies worldwide. We investigated the heterogeneity among species’ responses by focusing on the influence of matrix quality (contrast and heterogeneity), and species’ life-history traits (mean dispersal distance, generation time, and locomotor mode), controlling the influence of the marker type used in the study and the isolation by distance (IBD) among the patches habitat. We found a consistent pattern of genetic structuring of small mammal populations in anthropogenic landscapes, which present a significant genetic differentiation. Genetic structure is mostly influenced by matrix quality characteristics so that populations established in landscapes with high contrast and more heterogeneous matrices tend to be more structured. Also, populations of species with long generation time and high dispersal capacity exhibit a greater degree of genetic structure. Besides, accounting for IBD as a fixed effect was crucial to understand the variation among studies’ findings. Thus, the degree of genetic structuring of small mammal populations reflects the functional connectivity of the landscape, resulting from a balance between landscape attributes (matrix contrast and heterogeneity) and species’ life-history traits. Overall, our findings suggest that small mammals may be more susceptible to fragmentation than previously recognized, calling for special attention to this group considering their importance to maintain community structure and ecosystem functioning.

We compare temporal variations in leaf fall among three sites of evergreen Atlantic Forest and analyze how climatic variables influence it. Sites were located at Serra dos Orgaos National Park at different altitudes. Litter was collected monthly, from September 1997 to September 2005. Leaves were separated from other litter elements, oven-dried and weighted. Differences in leaf fall mass among grids and how they correlated with temporal variations were analyzed. Climatic variables were obtained from a nearby station and deviations from climatological normals were analyzed. We grouped climatic variables using Principal Component Analyses (PCA) and the highest scores of the two main factors were selected to construct regression models for different time lags. Leaf fall represented 50.5-70 percent of the total litter fall and mean leaf fall differed significantly among grids. However, leaf fall seasonality in the three areas were correlated. Leaf fall increased at the end of dry periods, when temperature and precipitation started to increase. Climatic variables were classified into two groups: seasonal and anomaly. Models constructed with lag variation from 0 and 6 months show that leaf fall was best explained by an anomaly in the maximum mean temperature, with lag 0, and by precipitation, with a six-month lag. We conclude that plant species respond immediately to drastic deviations from climatic factors, while regular climatic conditions are responsible for the seasonality of leaf fall, most likely as a late response to water shortage at the end of the dry season. .

Tropical forest marsupials exhibit large interannual variation in population sizes, with direct negative density dependence capturing the essential features of their dynamics. However, the demographic mechanisms underlying population growth rate and driving both survival and reproduction are still unclear. We used a 16-year capture-mark-recapture data set for five tropical forest marsupials to test for seasonal and interannual density dependence in survival and recruitment. Hypotheses regarding the effects of exogenous (rainfall and minimum temperature) factors on survival, recruitment, and reproductive parameters (fecundity, litter size, and proportion of reproductive females) were also tested. Population size negatively affected survival in three of five species. High population sizes in a given year reduced survival rates in the following year, with strong detrimental effects on males. Recruitment and proportion of reproductive females were highly dependent on weather variables, and were not affected by previous population sizes (except for Metachirus nudicaudatus). Fecundity (number of female offspring/female) was related negatively to population size only in the black-eared opossum (Didelphis aurita), while litter size was a relatively conservative parameter, largely independent of external conditions. Our analyses indicate that density-dependent survival is the mechanism that regulates population size of tropical forest marsupials, either through a reduction in survival or an increase in emigration rates. This general regulatory mechanism may be common to other marsupials in the Atlantic Forest and other tropical forests. Marsupiais de florestas tropicais exibem grande variação interanual nos tamanhos populacionais, com dependência negativa e direta da densidade capturando a essência de sua dinâmica populacional. No entanto, os mecanismos demográficos subjacentes à taxa de crescimento populacional e determinantes da sobrevivência e reprodução ainda são incertos. Nós usamos 16 anos de dados de captura-marcação-recaptura de cinco espécies de marsupiais de florestas tropicais para avaliar a dependência de densidade sazonal e interanual na sobrevivência e recrutamento. Hipóteses sobre efeitos de fatores exógenos (pluviosidade e temperatura mínima) na sobrevivência, recrutamento e parâmetros reprodutivos (fecundidade, tamanho da ninhada e proporção de fêmeas reprodutivas) também foram testadas. O tamanho da população afetou negativamente a sobrevivência em três das cinco espécies. O tamanho populacional elevado em um ano reduziu as taxas de sobrevivência no ano seguinte, com efeitos mais negativos nos machos. Recrutamento e proporção de fêmeas reprodutivas foram dependentes das variáveis climáticas e não foram afetados pelos tamanhos populacionais anteriores (com exceção de Metachirus nudicaudatus). A fecundidade (número de filhotes fêmea/fêmea) foi relacionada negativamente ao tamanho da população do gambá-de-orelha-preta (Didelphis aurita), enquanto o tamanho da ninhada foi um parâmetro relativamente conservador e independente das condições externas. Nossas análises indicam que a sobrevivência dependente da densidade regula as populações de marsupiais em florestas tropicais, seja através da redução na sobrevivência ou no aumento da emigração. Esse mecanismo regulatório pode ser comum a outros marsupiais na Mata Atlântica e outras florestas tropicais.

The Program for Biodiversity Research (PPBio) is an innovative program designed to integrate all biodiversity research stakeholders. Operating since 2004, it has installed long-term ecological research sites throughout Brazil and its logic has been applied in some other southern-hemisphere countries. The program supports all aspects of research necessary to understand biodiversity and the processes that affect it. There are presently 161 sampling sites (see some of them at Supplementary Appendix), most of which use a standardized methodology that allows comparisons across biomes and through time. To date, there are about 1200 publications associated with PPBio that cover topics ranging from natural history to genetics and species distributions. Most of the field data and metadata are available through PPBio web sites or DataONE. Metadata is available for researchers that intend to explore the different faces of Brazilian biodiversity spatio-temporal variation, as well as for managers intending to improve conservation strategies. The Program also fostered, directly and indirectly, local technical capacity building, and supported the training of hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students. The main challenge is maintaining the long-term funding necessary to understand biodiversity patterns and processes under pressure from global environmental changes. Made available in DSpace on 2021-09-03T12:00:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Program-for-Biodiversity-Research-2021.pdf: 4613827 bytes, checksum: 04b1875a6efdcba448fd73c1ecddf986 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021

A lista mais recente dos mamiferos que ocorrem no Parque Nacional da Serra dos Orgaos (PARNASO), com 79 registros, consta no seu segundo Plano de Manejo, publicado em 2008. O presente estudo teve como objetivo atualizar a lista de especies de mamiferos do PARNASO, inserindo novos registros de especies obtidos atraves de dados primarios e revisao bibliografica, considerando o periodo de 2002 a 2018. A revisao da lista do Plano de Manejo resultou em 75 registros validos. Destes, tres especies foram consideradas localmente extintas ( Panthera onca , Tayassu pecari e Tapirus terrestris ) e nao foram incluidas na presente lista. Desse modo, listamos aqui 100 especies com registros recentes no PARNASO, o que representa um acrescimo de 28 especies. As ordens com maior riqueza de especies foram Rodentia e Chiroptera, com 32 e 23 especies, respectivamente. Das especies registradas, quatro sao invasoras ( Callithrix jacchus , C. penicillata , Rattus norvegicus e R. rattus ), tres sao domesticas ( Bos taurus , Canis familiaris e Felis catus ), e 26 sao ameacadas de extincao. A analise da distribuicao espacial da riqueza de especies mostrou que apenas metade da area do parque possui ao menos um registro, e que os registros estao concentrados onde ha infraestrutura para a pesquisa. A presenca de especies domesticas e invasoras, bem como as extincoes locais detectadas, indicam a necessidade de acoes de manejo no interior do parque. Esse grande acrescimo de especies a lista evidencia o desenvolvimento da pesquisa com mamiferos nesta Unidade de Conservacao e a necessidade de compilacoes mais frequentes dos resultados devido aos varios projetos em curso. O PARNASO tem papel de destaque na conservacao de mamiferos ao ainda manter uma das maiores riquezas de especies do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, e grande importância para a pesquisa, abrigando uma ampla gama de estudos e projetos de longa duracao. MAMMALS OF THE SERRA DOS ORGAOS NATIONAL PARK: UPDATED LIST OF SPECIES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSERVATION The most recent list of mammals of the Serra dos Orgaos National Park (PARNASO) with 79 records is from its second Management Plan published in 2008. The present study aimed to update the list of mammal species of PARNASO, adding new species records obtained from primary data and bibliographic review, in the period between 2002 and 2018. The review of the Management Plan’s species list resulted in 75 currently valid records. Three of these 75 species, were considered locally extinct ( Panthera onca , Tayassu pecari and Tapirus terrestris ) and were not included in the present list. Thus, we list 100 species with recent records in PARNASO, which represents an increase of 28 species. The orders with higher species richness were Rodentia and Chiroptera, with 32 and 23 species, respectively. Among the species recorded, four are invasive ( Callithrix jacchus , C. penicillata , Rattus norvegicus and R. rattus ), three are domestic ( Bos taurus , Canis familiaris and Felis catus ), and 26 are endangered to extinction. The analysis of the spatial distribution of species richness shows that only half of the park area had at least one record, and that records were concentrated where there is logistic infrastructure. The great addition of species in the list highlights the increased research in this protected area and the need for more frequent compilations of results due to ongoing projects. The presence of domestic animals and invasive species, as well as local extinctions detected, indicate the need for management actions within the park. PARNASO plays a prominent role in the conservation of species while still maintaining one of the greatest mammal species richness in the State of Rio de Janeiro, and hosting a wide range of studies and long-term projects.

Despite the well-established anatomy nomenclature for the marsupial skeleton, there are no names for the epipubic bone structures. Epipubic bones are paired bones articulating with the pubis and projecting cranially in the ventral body wall, present on the pelvic girdle of cynodonts, monotremes and marsupials. These bones were commonly thought to be related to pouch support in marsupials and more recently associated with locomotion. The parts of the epipubic bones have not been named and this has impeded proper morphological analysis. We analyzed the epipubic bones of 302 skeletons comprising American and Australian marsupials, as well as 27 monotreme skeletons, and dissected 10 marsupials for myological attachments analysis. We suggest the following nomenclature for the epipubic bone structures: crest for the cranial end, shaft for the body of the bone, lateral tubercle and the medial articular process. Some markings on the epipubic bone include the oblique line, pertaining to the attachment of external abdominal oblique muscle from the opposite side. The pyramidalis line is the suggested nomenclature for the pyramidalis muscle attachment and the inguinal ligament line for the inguinal ligament attachment. Regarding myology and attachments, based on dissections and review of the literature, the muscles pyramidalis, pectineus, external and internal abdominal oblique, transversus abdominis and rectus abdominis and the structures linea alba, linea semilunaris and the inguinal ligament are connected to the epipubic bone. As has been previously noted, anatomically, epipubic bones are so named due to their position (epi-above, pubic-pubis), and the same applies to structures such as the "epipubic process" or "epipubic cartilage" in amphibians and reptiles. While testing epipubic bone homology in vertebrates is beyond the scope of this work, we believe that using "epipubic bones" or epipubic cartilage/process as standardized terms for the structures found in the most cranial part of the superior ramus of the pubis would facilitate better anatomical communication. This should be valid for other similar terms, such as "epipubes" or "prepubis", that might occur in the literature in relation to this same physiographic position, and it should also be named as epipubic. We believe that this nomenclature will help in future morphologic studies.

The Atlantic Forest is a heterogeneous and complex vegetation mosaic caused by variety of climatic, geomorphological, and edaphic conditions. It has long been known that the Atlantic Forest has one of the most diversified biotas on the planet, presenting high levels of endemism. Here, we update the knowledge regarding terrestrial vertebrates occurring in the Atlantic Forest, focusing on endemic species and presenting its main spatial patterns of diversity. We also analyzed the main knowledge gaps associated with these species. We identified 2,645 species of Tetrapoda in the Atlantic Forest, being 719 species of amphibians, 517 species of reptiles, 1,025 species of birds, and 384 species of mammals. The uniqueness of its fauna is impressive even in a global scale, as 2.8% of the world’s Tetrapoda species occurs only in the Atlantic Forest. For reptiles, this percentage is 1.3%, while for both birds and mammals, it hovers around 1.9%, but for amphibians, it reaches an impressive 6.6%. Spatially, most groups exhibit their highest species richness at the core of the Atlantic Forest, and this pattern becomes more evident when only endemic species are considered. Even with all its impressive diversity, 157 new Tetrapoda species were described in the Atlantic Forest in the last decade, mostly from poorly sampled regions or environments. An increase of sampling effort on these regions might increase the number of species on this biome, which already is one of the most diverse in the world.

To compare 7-year survival and freedom from reoperation, as well as early clinical and hemodynamic outcomes, after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) with mechanical or bioprosthetic valves in patients aged 50-70 years.single-center retrospective cohort study including adults aged 50-70 years who underwent SAVR in 2012 with a mechanical or bioprosthetic valve. Median follow-up was 7 years. Univariable analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Log-Rank tests for survival and freedom from reoperation analyses. Multivariable time-to-event analyses were conducted using Cox Regression.Of a total of 193 patients, 76 (39.4%) received mechanical valves and 117 (60.6%) received bioprosthetic valves. A trend for better survival was found for mechanical prostheses when adjusting for EuroSCORE II (HR: 0.35; 95%CI: 0.12-1.02, p=0.054), but using a backward stepwise Cox regression prosthesis type was not retained by the model as an independent predictor of survival. Moreover, mechanical prostheses showed trends for higher freedom from reoperation (100% vs. 95.5%, Log-Rank, p=0.076), higher median EuroSCORE II (2.52% vs. 1.95%, p=0.06) and early mortality (7.9% vs. 2.6%, p=0.086). However, after adjusting for EuroSCORE II, there was no significant difference in early mortality (OR: 2.3, 95%CI: 0.5-10.5, p=0.272). Regarding hemodynamic performance at follow-up echocardiogram, there were no differences other than left ventricular mass regression, which was not as pronounced in the mechanical group (-12% vs. -21%, p=0.002).Mechanical and bioprosthetic aortic valves prostheses showed similar mid-term survival in the 50-70 age group. Further prospective and larger studies are needed to provide evidence-based recommendations on this topic.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-10T19:52:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-01-01 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) PDA/MMA Institute BioAdantica, PROBIO I [MCT/MMA/GEF] Institute BioAdantica, PROBIO II [MCT/MMA/GEF] FAPESB NERC UESC/PROPP Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Fundacao Grupo Boticario de Protecao a Natureza FAPESB Bol PROBIO I/MMA/GEF PROBIO II/MCT/MMA/GEF Recent studies suggest that habitat amount is the main determinant of species richness, whereas habitat fragmentation has weak and mostly positive effects. Here, we challenge these ideas using a multi-taxa database including 2230 estimates of forest-dependent species richness from 1097 sampling sites across the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot. We used a structural equation modeling approach, accounting not only for direct effects of habitat loss, but also for its indirect effects (via habitat fragmentation), on the richness of forest-dependent species. We reveal that in addition to the effects of habitat loss, habitat fragmentation has negative impacts on animal species richness at intermediate (30-60%) levels of habitat amount, and on richness of plants at high ( > 60%) levels of habitat amount, both of which are mediated by edge effects. Based on these results, we argue that dismissing habitat fragmentation as a powerful force driving species extinction in tropical forest landscapes is premature and unsafe. Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Ambientais, Rua Sao Nicolau 210, BR-09913030 Diadema, SP, Brazil Int Inst Sustainabil, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Univ Fed Mato Grosso do Sul, Inst Biociencias, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Posgrad Ecol, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Dept Ecol, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Zool, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Imperial Coll London, Dept Life Sci, Silwood Pk Campus, Ascot SL5 7PY, Berks, England Univ Fed Rio Grande do Norte, Dept Ecol, Natal, RN, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Ecol, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Florestais, Escola Super Agr Luiz de Queiroz, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Santa Catarina, Dept Ecol & Zool, Florianopolis, SC, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Preto, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Bahia, Posgrad Ecol Aplicada Gestao Ambiental, Salvador, BA, Brazil Univ Fed Mato Grosso, Inst Ciencias Nat Humanas & Sociais, Sinop, MT, Brazil Univ Estadual Campinas, Posgrad Biol Vegetal, Campinas, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Santa Cruz, Lab Ecol & Conservacao Biodiversidade, Ilheus, BA, Brazil Univ Estado Rio de Janeiro, Programa Posgrad Ecol & Evolucao, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Univ Fed Bahia, Inst Biol, Salvador, BA, Brazil Inst Pro Carnivoros, Atibaia, SP, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Engn Florestal, Escola Super Agr Luiz de Queiroz, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Dept Ciencias Ambientais, Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil Inst Florestal Estado Sao Paulo, Secao Ecol Florestal, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Pernambuco, Dept Bot, Recife, PE, Brazil Univ Estadual Sudoeste Bahia, Dept Ciencias Biol, Jequie, BA, Brazil Univ Fed Bahia, Ctr Formacao Ciencias Agroflorestais, Ilheus, BA, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, Escola Super Agr Luiz de Queiroz, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Parana, Dept Bot, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil Univ Fed Vicosa, Dept Engn Florestal, Vicosa, MG, Brazil Univ Fed Espirito Santo, Dept Ciencias Biol, Sao Mateus, ES, Brazil Prefeitura Municipal Paulinia, Paulinia, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Feira de Santana, Dept Ciencias Biol, Feira De Santana, BA, Brazil Univ Veiga Almeida, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Univ Paulista, Nucl Estudos Biodiversidade, Herbario UNIP, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Minas Gerais, Dept Biol Geral, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil Univ Fed Lavras, Dept Biol, Lavras, MG, Brazil Univ East Anglia, Sch Environm Sci, Norwich NR4 7TJ, Norfolk, England Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Biol & Zootecnia, Ilha Solteira, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Goias, Lab Genet & Biodiversidade, Goiania, Go, Brazil Univ Veiga Almeida, Ciencias Meio Ambiente, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Univ Fed Sergipe, Dept Ecol, Sao Cristovao, SE, Brazil Inst Fed Espirito Santo, Vitoria, ES, Brazil Univ Estadual Feira de Santana, Posgrad Modelagem Ciencias Terra & Ambiente, Feira De Santana, BA, Brazil Univ Brasilia, Dept Ecol, Brasilia, DF, Brazil Univ Estado Rio de Janeiro, Dept Ecol, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Inst Nacl Mata Atlantica, Santa Teresa, ES, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Biol & Zootecnia, Ilha Solteira, SP, Brazil CAPES: 88881.064976/2014-01 CAPES: 02488/09-4 CAPES: 405693/2013-3 CAPES: 88881.118819/2016-01 CAPES: 01 FAPESP: 2004/04820-3 FAPESP: 2008/01866-3 FAPESP: 2008/03724-1 FAPESP: 05/56555-4 FAPESP: 2014/14503-7 FAPESP: 2011/19767-4 FAPESP: 2013/22679-5 FAPESP: 2014/10192-7 FAPESP: 2011/040460 FAPESP: 2014/09300-0 FAPESP: 134 97/07075-1 FAPESP: 97/07075-1 FAPESP: 2013/50718-5 FAPESP: 2005/00405-4 FAPESP: 2006/04878-7 FAPESP: 2008/03500-6 FAPESP: 2011/06782-5 FAPESP: 2010/053435 FAPESP: 2014/14925-9 CNPq: 305470/2013-2 CNPq: 550077/2010-3 CNPq: 561897/2010-7 CNPq: PNX0016/2009 CNPq: 304817/2015-5 CNPq: 303897/2016-3 CNPq: 473529/2007-6 CNPq: 302574/2010-7 CNPq: 304598/2011-9 CNPq: 479203/2010-5 CNPq: 146790/2010-3 CNPq: 304242/2009-8 CNPq: 307221/2012-1 CNPq: 310901/2015-4 CNPq: 308992/2013-0 CNPq: 69014416 FAPERJ: E -26/202.174/2015 FAPESB: BOL1661/2011 FAPESB: 462/2012 NERC: NE/1(016393/1 UESC/PROPP: 135 00220-1100.1171 CAPES: 8952/2014 Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz: 002011001171 FAPESP: 1999/09635-0 CNPq: P2 308503/2014-7 Fundacao Grupo Boticario de Protecao a Natureza: 201410014 CNPq: 309030/2013-7 CNPq: 308205/2014-6 CNPq: 70/2009 CNPq: 142205/2010-9 FAPESB Bol: 0104/09 CAPES: BEX 8495/11-4 CNPq: 690144/01-6 CAPES: 2923/2011 : CAPES/FAPERJ-PAPD-E-26/202.144/2015 : MCTIC/CNPq/FAPEG/465610/2014-5

Mercury (Hg) is a widespread and toxic contaminant with potential for long-range atmospheric transport. Previous work has shown that temperate and subtropical montane ecosystems have great potential for deposition of this element. However, little information exists regarding Hg dynamics in tropical mountains. In present study, we evaluated the influence of altitudinal distribution, size, trophic position, and degree of water dependence on Hg concentration in amphibians. For this purpose, we determined the mercury concentration in topsoil and amphibian samples collected at 32 points distributed between 327 and 2181 m above sea level in Serra dos Orgaos, a mountainous complex located in southeastern Brazil. We analyzed the concentration of mercury in whole body samples of 200 individuals of 30 amphibian species. Trophic position of the specimens was estimated by nitrogen stable isotope (δ15N) composition in muscle tissues. We observed a positive relationship between elevation and Hg concentration in topsoil samples from rainforest sites. However, in samples from nebular forest and campos de altitude (highland grasslands) sites, the concentration of Hg was considered lower than expected by the trend in rainforest points, indicating that the vegetation structure plays an important role in the deposition of atmospheric mercury. Mercury concentration in amphibians varies according to the functional characteristics of the species and the environment in which the individual is inserted. Elevation, trophic level and water dependence explained at least some degree of variation in Hg concentration in amphibian tissues. Thus, this community-level analysis suggests that mountainous areas in the tropical region, as recorded for temperate and subtropical mountains, act as regional convergence and deposition sites for atmospheric mercury.

Patch size and isolation are traditionally considered as main determinants of species richness in fragmented landscapes, grounded on Island Biogeography Theory (IBT). The Habitat Amount Hypothesis (HAH) is the more recent alternative: species richness could be predicted exclusively by the total amount of habitat surrounding sampling sites. However, tests may be biased towards HAH by the use of poor metrics of patch isolation, and because landscape variables are measured only within the scale of effect for habitat amount. Here we compare the HAH, IBT, and patch isolation as predictors of species richness of forest-dependent small mammals in an Atlantic Forest fragmented landscape using two measures of patch isolation: considering all (overall) or only the nearest three (restrict) forest remnants within the scale of effect for each variable. The model with habitat amount had more support than models with patch size and isolation (representing IBT), or patch size alone, but the model with overall patch isolation was equally plausible. Had we used only restricted patch isolation, we would have found support only for the HAH, disregarding patch isolation. The appropriate metric of patch isolation is critical for robust tests of the HAH, which should be considered in future studies to avoid biased results in favour of the HAH. Our results provide strong evidence for either HAH or overall patch isolation over IBT, and both may offer simplicity to decision-making.

The metacommunity concept helps to understand how local and regional processes regulate species distributions in landscapes. Metacommunity structure is often assumed as static, but may be rather dynamic, following temporal changes along environmental gradients. We present an empirical test of the temporal dynamics of metacommunity structure, using small mammals in an Atlantic Forest landscape as a model system. We analyzed incidence matrices using the Elements of Metacommunity Structure framework and evaluated whether local, landscape, and spatial factors structured the metacommunity during different climatic seasons (HS = humid; SHS = super-humid) and time periods (1 = 1999–2001; 2 = 2005–2009). We compared HS-1 and SHS-1 to evaluate if metacommunity structure varies between seasons, and HS-1 and HS-2 to evaluate if it varies between time periods. Metacommunity structure changed from Clementsian (HS-1) to random (SHS-1), but during HS-2 it was Clementsian again. This suggests that groups of species are responding similarly to the major gradient of variation during the HS only. Patch size structured the metacommunity during both humid periods, and local habitat structure only during HS-1. We suggest that during the SHS these gradients are lost due to increased matrix permeability to movement, which homogenizes local communities resulting in a random structure. Species habitat requirements and specializations determined metacommunity structure, but only during the HS. The Clementsian structure indicates that forest disturbances may result in the loss of whole groups of species during the HS. Alternating patterns of metacommunity structure may be associated to changes on matrix suitability between seasons.

Habitat loss and fragmentation are likely to affect individual condition as they usually alter the quality of habitat. However, responses of individuals of different species to these processes may be subtle and difficult to detect, despite that such responses may reveal interesting and diverse strategies of persistence of species in fragmented landscapes. Here, we used model selection to 1) compare the body condition (Scaled Mass Index) of 2 Neotropical marsupials (Didelphis aurita and Philander frenatus) from 6 continuous forest sites and 25 forest fragments, and 2) determine whether local habitat structure and landscape and temporal factors affect body condition in forest fragments. Body condition of both species was lower in forest fragments compared to continuous forest sites, but only in the super-humid season for D. aurita and in the humid season for P. frenatus. When only forest fragments were compared, body condition of D. aurita was higher in the humid season, in sites with fewer Cecropia trees and water courses, lower percent forest cover, and surrounded by a mixed matrix (plantation and cattle ranching), or located in small rural properties. Body condition of P. frenatus was slightly higher in the super-humid season, in sites surrounded by a mixed matrix, with fewer Cecropia trees and water courses, more lianas, and greater percent forest cover. Our results revealed negative effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on both species, but also different responses of each species to local extrinsic environmental factors. We suggest that body condition should not be used as a direct indicator of animal fitness or habitat quality. Nonetheless, body condition may still reveal subtle and previously undetected responses of species to habitat disturbance and fragmentation.

Space and diet are frequently considered the two most important dimensions of an organism niche, but in tropical forests, these two dimensions are associated, with fruits more accessible in the canopy and upper strata of the forest, and arthropods more abundant in the forest litter. This constitutes a genuine macroecological pattern, potentially common to all tropical forests. We tested the existence of this trade-off between frugivory-insectivory in the vertical strata, and if it results from feeding specializations, using didelphid marsupials as a model group. We compared nine species, representing different lineages, which differ in diet and use of the forest strata, using phylogenetically independent contrasts. We classified species according to their use of the vertical strata into four categories based on the literature (terrestrial-semiaquatic, terrestrial-understory, underestory-subcanopy-canopy, and canopy only). Diet was analyzed by the proportion of nutrients (carbohydrates, fibers, proteins and lipids) in a cafeteria food preference experiment: more frugivorous diets have higher carbohydrate and fiber content, whereas more carnivorous and insectivorous diets have higher protein and lipid content. Along the phylogeny, increases in use of the vertical strata were significantly associated with increases in carbohydrate and fiber contents, and reductions in lipid content. Levels of protein content also reduced with increasing use of the vertical strata, but this association was not significant. The macroecological pattern of increasing frugivory with use of the upper strata is supported by the results for didelphid marsupials, which also indicate specialization is a mechanism involved. The contribution of didelphid marsupials to the ecosystem process of frugivory and seed dispersal is performed by a subset of species, despite being broadly described as omnivorous. Future studies should evaluate this macroecological pattern in more specialized taxonomic groups that vary in the use of the vertical strata, and if specialization is the general mechanism involved.

We compared urine concentration capacity among three phylogenetically closed sigmodontine rodent species that occur in two distinct habitats: Necromys lasiurus (xeric), Akodon cursor and Akodon lindberghi (mesic). Water conservation ability was evaluated in 30 h-trials, with urine collected every 6 h. A control (I- water and food ad libitum) and a test (II- food and water deprivation) were conducted for each species. Body mass loss (BML), urine volume (UV), urine relative volume (UVr) and urine concentration (UC) were compared between experiments I and II for each species and among species. Changes in urine osmolality between experiments were modeled using exponential and sine functions. Circadian variation of urine concentration was obtained by sine functions fit to the experiments I. Best fit was achieved for sine functions with an accumulation term for experiments II, showing that even in stressful conditions the circadian variation is still present. Highest UC and lowest BML were obtained from Necromys lasiurus individuals, which achieved them at faster rates. The lowest UC with highest BML were obtained for A. cursor individuals at slower rates and values than A. lindberghi, which were intermediate. Necromys lasiurus is more adapted for xeric habitats achieving higher urine concentration in shorter time and faster rate than species of genus Akodon.

Beginning in November 2018, Brazilian legislation regulating access to genetic heritage and associated traditional knowledge will cause a bureaucratic collapse of Biodiversity research in Brazil. Law number 13.123/2015 and Decree 8772/2016 impose severe barriers to basic and applied research, and to international cooperation by introducing mandatory registry of research access to native organisms in Brazil. This legal framework was meant to improve governmental control over systems of biotechnology research using genetic material and associated chemical compounds, which are central points of the Nagoya Protocol (CBD 2011) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD 1992, 2012). However, the requirements imposed by the mandatory registry of research in the new National System for Governance of Genetic Heritage and Associated Traditional Knowledge (SisGen), the system of Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs), and the need to record access to organismal data prior to publication of scientific results or exportation of specimens for scientific research are technically impracticable and not part of the Nagoya Protocol or CBD ..

The effects of Brazil's political crisis on science funding necessary for biodiversity conservation are likely to be global. Brazil is not only the world's most biodiverse nation, it is responsible for the greater part of the Amazon forest, which regulates the climate and provides rain to much of southern South America. Brazil was a world leader in satellite monitoring of land-use change, in-situ biodiversity monitoring, reduction in tropical-forest deforestation, protection of indigenous lands, and a model for other developing nations. Coordinated public responses will be necessary to prevent special-interest groups from using the political crisis to weaken science funding, environmental legislation and law enforcement. © 2018 Magnusson, Grelle, Marques, Rocha, Dias, Fontana, Bergallo, Overbeck, Vale, Tomas, Cerqueira, Collevatti, Pillar, Malabarba, Lins-e-Silva, Neckel-Oliveira, Martinelli, Akama, Rodrigues, Silveira, Scariot and Fernandes.

Climatic seasonality affects marsupial space use through changes in food, mate, and nest availability. These effects can be enhanced when population size has an additive effect in the dry season. We tested if daily home range area and intensity of habitat use of the marsupial Metachirus nudicaudatus is affected by population size, climatic (dry and wet), and reproductive (breeding and non-breeding) seasons, and if it differs between genders. Metachirus nudicaudatus space use was affected by climatic seasonality, with individuals exploring larger areas in the dry season, probably in search for food. No effect of population size or differences in space use between sexes was detected. Further studies should test experimentally the effect of food availability on marsupials space use to confirm or rebut this hypothesis.

In the middle of a political and fiscal crisis, the Brazilian government is applying successive budget cuts, including in science funding. Recent cuts radically affect research programs on biodiversity that are crucial components for the design and monitoring of public policies for nature conservation and sustainable development. We analyze the consequences of such cuts on the Research Program on Biodiversity (PPBio), the largest biodiversity research network in Brazil (626 researchers, nine networks in all Brazilian biomes). Brazil holds a substantial part of the world's biodiversity and of tropical forests that play a significant role for regional and global climate stability. If underfunding is maintained, the dismantling of the Brazilian PPBio will have consequences that go beyond biodiversity knowledge itself but affect society as a whole. Brazil will likely fail to reach the National Targets for Biodiversity 2011–2020, and it will be difficult to fulfill the restoration target of the Brazilian NDC and to advance with the sustainable development goals. © 2017 Associação Brasileira de Ciência Ecológica e Conservação

A teoria de metacomunidades busca explicar como processos que atuam em distintas escalas espaciais interagem para determinar a distribuicao e ocorrencia das especies localmente. Essa teoria tem se desenvolvido rapidamente nos ultimos anos, sendo considerada uma das areas mais promissoras para o estudo de respostas a mudancas ecologicas globais. No presente trabalho, apresentamos uma revisao dos conceitos que fundamentam a teoria, e propomos uma padronizacao da terminologia em portugues para os modelos e para os elementos de estrutura de metacomunidades. Duas abordagens principais sao discutidas: a abordagem mecanistica (e seus modelos de efeitos de massa, alocacao de especies, dinâmica de manchas e neutro), e a de elementos de estrutura de metacomunidades (coerencia, substituicao de especies e sobreposicao de limites). ABSTRACT - METACOMMUNITY: AN INTRODUCTION TO TERMS AND CONCEPTS Metacommunity theory aims to explain how processes that operate in distinct spatial scales interact to determine the distribution and local occurrence of species. This theory has developed rapidly in recent years, and is regarded as a promising approach to the study of global ecological changes. In the present study, we review the concepts related to the theory and propose a standardization of Portuguese terminology to refer to the models and the elements of metacommunity structure. Two major approaches are discussed: the mechanistic (and its models of mass effects, species sorting, patch dynamics and neutral), and the approach of elements of metacommunity structure (coherence, turnover, and boundary clumpling).

The conditions that a population experiences during one season can affect the strength of density dependence in the following season. In the tropics, many populations face their biggest challenges in the dry season due to limited food and cold-dry conditions. Seasonal environmental changes can be especially problematic for small, short-lived, seasonally breeding endotherms. To investigate the effects of seasonality on population dynamics, we studied five marsupial species in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, using a 16-year dataset. We tested if (1) compensatory density feedback is stronger in the dry season, due to the high population sizes and limited food; (2) lower temperatures and the overall abundance of small mammals negatively affect dry season population growth rates; and (3) rainfall, a proxy for food availability, is positively related to wet season population growth rates. Population growth rates were regressed against seasonal population sizes and exogenous variables, and analyzed with linear autoregressive models. Seasonal compensatory density feedback occurred in both seasons, with compensation processes in just one season being sufficient to allow population persistence. Rainfall and the overall abundance of small mammals had little influence on populations, while colder temperatures decreased population growth rate of smaller species in both seasons. Although the study marsupials share similar life histories and phylogeny, they varied with respect to the season when compensatory density feedback was strongest. Our results demonstrate that seasonality plays a key role in driving marsupial population dynamics, and highlight the need to account for seasonality in demographic studies even in tropical environments.

We studied phenotypic variation in water opossum Chironectes minimus through morphological variation in size and shape of 16 cranial characters among six groups of populations of Chironectes defined by a transect analysis named according their main distributions: Central America, Venezuela/Colombia, Guianas, Belem, Bolivia/Peru, and Atlantic Forest. We also studied environmental variation among the groups and the influence of temperature seasonality and minimum temperature of coldest month on the body size of C. minimus. Morphometric differences in both size and shape were sharp between two major groups: Atlantic Forest and Central America+Venezuela/Colombia+Belem. The same pattern of differentiation was also observed in the environmental variables each group experiences. We also found a negative relationship between body size and temperature seasonality which showed that C. minimus follows a converse Bergmann’s rule cline. Our results on morphometric and environmental space suggest that specimens from the Atlantic Forest are different from specimens from Central America+Venezuela/Colombia+Belem both in size and shape and environmentally. We suggest that these major groups may comprehend different clades but a proper taxonomic assessment is needed to confirm our hypothesis.

Background The role of bats as reservoirs of zoonotic agents, especially pathogenic bacteria such as Bartonella and Coxiella, has been discussed around the world. Recent studies have identified bats as potential hosts of species from the proteobacteria phylum. In Brazil, however, the role of bats in the natural cycle of these agents is poorly investigated and generally neglected. In order to analyze the participation of bats in the epidemiology of diseases caused by Bartonella, Coxiella, Rickettsia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia, we conducted a descriptive epidemiological study in three biogeographic regions of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Results Tissues of 119 bats captured in preserved areas in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Bahia and Santa Catarina from 2014 to 2015 were submitted to molecular analysis using specific primers. Bartonella spp. was detected in 22 spleen samples (18.5%, 95% CI: 11.9–26.6), whose phylogenetic analysis revealed the generation of at least two independent clusters, suggesting that these may be new unique genotypes of Bartonella species. In addition, four samples (3.4%, 95% CI: 0.9–8.3) were positive for the htpAB gene of C. burnetii [spleen (2), liver (1) and heart (1)]. Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma and Ehrlichia were not identified. This is the first study reporting C. burnetii and Bartonella spp. infections in bats from the Atlantic Forest biome. Conclusions These findings shed light on potential host range for these bacteria, which are characterized as important zoonotic pathogens. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12917-018-1603-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Fragment size, isolation, and matrix properties have received considerable attention as predictors of species richness, abundance, and composition in habitat patches. However, measurements of habitat attributes or habitat quality are more directly related to the proximate effects of habitat fragmentation and may be more determinant of assemblages than traditional explanatory variables at local scales. We determine how habitat structure in fragments—a measure of habitat quality—compares to fragment size, isolation, and matrix properties as determinants of richness, abundance, and composition of non-volant small mammals in a fragmented landscape of Atlantic Forest. Small mammals were surveyed once in 25 fragments in the Macacu River watershed, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1999 to 2001 and 2005 to 2009. A total of 83 candidate models were formulated and compared by Akaike Information Criteria. Habitat structure was one of the main determinants of small mammal assemblages in fragments, as important as fragment isolation for species composition and climatic season for species richness. Rodents were more abundant in fragments with increased overstory and understory vegetation density and more fallen logs. The contrary pattern was found for overall species richness and for species of terrestrial habit, which were more abundant in fragments with more open forest: decreased overstory and understory vegetation density and less fallen logs. Habitat quality in fragments may be a more important determinant of assemblages of small mammals and other vertebrates than previously considered in landscape and land use studies. O tamanho e isolamento dos fragmentos e as propriedades da matriz têm recebido considerável atenção como preditores da riqueza, abundância e composição de espécies em manchas de habitat. Entretanto, medidas dos atributos do habitat ou da qualidade do habitat são mais diretamente relacionadas aos efeitos imediatos da fragmentação de habitat, e seriam mais determinantes das comunidades do que as variáveis explicativas tradicionais. Determinamos como a estrutura do habitat nos fragmentos—uma medida da qualidade do habitat—se compara ao tamanho e isolamento dos fragmentos, e às propriedades da matriz como determinantes da riqueza, abundância e composição de espécies de pequenos mamíferos não-voadores em uma paisagem fragmentada de Mata Atlântica. Os pequenos mamíferos foram amostrados uma vez em 25 fragmentos na Bacia do Rio Macacu, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, de 1999 a 2001 e de 2005 a 2009. Um total de 83 modelos foram formulados e comparados utilizando o Critério de Informação de Akaike. A estrutura do habitat foi um dos principais determinantes das comunidades de pequenos mamíferos nos fragmentos de mata, tão importante quanto o isolamento entre fragmentos para a composição de espécies e os efeitos das estações climáticas sobre a riqueza de espécies. Os roedores foram mais abundantes nos fragmentos com estratificação vertical e sub-bosque mais densos e com maior presença de troncos caídos. O padrão contrário foi encontrado para a riqueza total de espécies e para espécies de hábito terrestre, que foram mais abundantes em fragmentos com estratificação vertical e sub-bosque menos densos e menor presença de troncos caídos. A qualidade do habitat em fragmentos pode ser determinante das comunidades de pequenos mamíferos e outros vertebrados, mais importante do que considerado previamente em estudos de paisagens e uso da terra.

Population fluctuations are the result of the combined action of endogenous (feedback structure) and exogenous factors (large- and local-scale climate variables). In this paper, we used a 13-year time series to identify the feedback structure in a population of the brown 4-eyed opossum Metachirus nudicaudatus and to test a hypothesis on the effects of El Niño Southern Oscillation and rainfall using Royama’s theoretical framework. Metachirus nudicaudatus was regulated by a strong 1st-order negative feedback, with intraspecific competition for food resources as the probable factor governing the endogenous system. Contrary to our expectations, El Niño did not explain the marsupial dynamics better than 1-year lagged rainfall, that may operate in 2 different manners: as a nonlinear perturbation effect influencing the strength of density dependence (intraspecific competition and intraguild predation) or as a lateral perturbation effect influencing the carrying capacity of the environment. As flutuações populacionais são resultado da ação conjunta de fatores endógenos (estrutura de retroalimentação) e exógenos (variáveis climáticas locais e de larga escala). A partir de uma série temporal de 13 anos, nós identificamos a estrutura de retroalimentação da população da cuíca marrom de quatro olhos Metachirus nudicaudatus , e testamos hipóteses a respeito dos efeitos do El Niño Oscilação Sul e chuva utilizando a abordagem teórica de Royama. Metachirus nudicaudatus é regulado por uma forte retroalimentação negativa de primeira ordem, com a competição intraespecífica por recursos alimentares como o provável fator que rege o sistema endógeno. Ao contrário do que esperávamos, o El Niño não explicou a dinâmica populacional deste marsupial melhor do que a chuva com a defasagem de 1 ano, que pode atuar em duas formas: como um efeito de perturbação não-linear, influenciando a força da dependência densidade (competição intraespecífica e predação intraguilda), ou como um efeito de perturbação lateral, influenciando a capacidade de suporte do ambiente.

Ongoing climate change and the human role as dominant cause behind it are undeniable and already affecting living systems around the globe. Nonetheless, the likely consequences of climate change to Neotropical biodiversity are still poorly understood. We used species distribution modeling to evaluate the likely effects of climate change to the seven species of wild cats that are endemic to the Neotropics. We gathered (and provide) 424 species occurrence records from museum collections and the literature. We run the analysis on the ModEco software, using four modeling algorithms and projected models into 2050 using data from International Panel on Climate Change's last Assessment Report, under a business-as-usual emission scenario (RCP 8.5), according to five Global Circulation Models. We used an ensemble-forecasting approach to reach a consensus scenario, including only models with AUC > 0.70 for the present climate dataset. We created ensembles using the majority rule. After this procedure, we ended with two final suitability models per species, one for the present and another for the future. Model performance varied among species and was related to species' climatic suitability area (the smaller the area, the greater the model performance), and species with the smaller ranges were predicted to lose the highest percentage of their current distribution under climate change. The projections under climate change points to important contraction of climatically suitable areas for all Neotropical felids except for L. geoffoyii . The remaining species show, in average, a 43.5% contraction of suitable areas, with L. jacobitus and L. guigna showing more than 50% contraction. Both are already threatened under IUCN and Leopardus jacobitus , found only in the higher elevations of the Andes, is of special concern because highland species are particularly susceptible to a warming climate.