Limbless geckoes hanging on? Lessons in exploiting arid-zone unpredictability from an elusive habitat-specialist pygopod

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 266
Author(s):  
Reece Pedler ◽  
Robert Brandle ◽  
Aaron Fenner ◽  
Shontelle Lennon
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Models ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Extreme Environments ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Low Area ◽  
Potential Habitat ◽  
Area Of Occupancy

Context The study of threatened species is often challenged by their rarity and secretive life-history traits. Species adapted to extreme environments prone to stochastic conditions present further challenges because of fluctuating populations and patchy distributions. We employed a variety of methods to gather records and habitat information on the bronzeback legless lizard (Ophidiocephalus taeniatus), an endemic, nationally vulnerable monotypic pygopod reptile that is poorly understood because of fossorial, cryptic behaviour and remote distribution in the stony deserts of inland Australia. Aims Our aim was to determine foundational information on the distribution and landscape parameters relevant to this species and its disturbance-prone habitat and to formulate conceptual models to guide understanding, future research and management of threats. Methods We used multiple data sources, including targeted field surveys with Antakarintja traditional land owners across ~5000 km2 of previously unsurveyed habitat, sampled the catch of uncapped mine shafts with community volunteers, trialled artificial refuge substrates and elicited public opportunistic sightings. Key results We gathered 30 new records of the species from leaf litter mats of six shrub species, across four land systems. Examination of these records in the context of land system boundaries demonstrated a continuous distributional link between previously known areas of habitat and suggested large tracts of potential habitat that remain unsurveyed for the species. This information in combination with other published data was used to create conceptual models of habitat preference, population and disturbance, in which we suggest that O. taeniatus favours microhabitats that are prone to severe and long-lasting disturbance in some parts of the landscape, exacerbated by human land use practices. Conclusions Our study suggests that O. taeniatus distribution is unlikely to be severely fragmented, as had previously been suggested. Its total extent of occurrence may be greater than previously thought, despite a very low area of occupancy within this. Implications This study emphasises the value of using multiple, innovative data sources when studying rare and cryptic species. Further distributional surveys in identified areas of potential habitat in combination with testing and refinement of our conceptual model of habitat and population drivers are needed to fully assess the distribution, conservation status and ecological drivers of O. taeniatus.

International Archival Auditing and Assurance Research: Trends, Methodological Issues, and Opportunities

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Simnett ◽  
Elizabeth Carson ◽  
Ann Vanstraelen
Keyword(s):  
Audit Quality ◽  
Research Trends ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Methodological Issues ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
Support Evidence

SUMMARY We present a comprehensive review of the 130 international archival auditing and assurance research articles that were published in eight leading accounting and auditing journals for 1995–2014. In order to support evidence-based international standard setting and regulation, and to identify what has been learned to date, we map this research to the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board's (IAASB) Framework for Audit Quality. For the areas that have been well researched, we provide a summary of the findings and outline how they can inform standard setters and regulators. We also observe a significant evolution in international archival research over the 20 years of our study, as evidenced by the measures of audit quality, data sources used, and approaches used to address endogeneity concerns. Finally, we identify some challenges in undertaking international archival auditing and assurance research and identify opportunities for future research. Our review is of interest to researchers, practitioners, and standard setters/regulators involved in international auditing and assurance activities.

scholarly journals Assessing the indirect effects of COVID-19 on healthcare delivery, utilization and health outcomes: a scoping review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte M Roy ◽  
E Brennan Bollman ◽  
Laura M Carson ◽  
Alexander J Northrop ◽  
Elizabeth F Jackson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Final Analysis ◽  
High Income ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Local Health

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic and global efforts to contain its spread, such as stay-at-home orders and transportation shutdowns, have created new barriers to accessing healthcare, resulting in changes in service delivery and utilization globally. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the literature published thus far on the indirect health effects of COVID-19 and to explore the data sources and methodologies being used to assess indirect health effects. Methods A scoping review of peer-reviewed literature using three search engines was performed. Results One hundred and seventy studies were included in the final analysis. Nearly half (46.5%) of included studies focused on cardiovascular health outcomes. The main methodologies used were observational analytic and surveys. Data were drawn from individual health facilities, multicentre networks, regional registries, and national health information systems. Most studies were conducted in high-income countries with only 35.4% of studies representing low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Conclusion Healthcare utilization for non-COVID-19 conditions has decreased almost universally, across both high- and lower-income countries. The pandemic’s impact on non-COVID-19 health outcomes, particularly for chronic diseases, may take years to fully manifest and should be a topic of ongoing study. Future research should be tied to system improvement and the promotion of health equity, with researchers identifying potentially actionable findings for national, regional and local health leadership. Public health professionals must also seek to address the disparity in published data from LMICs as compared with high-income countries.

scholarly journals Commercialization of Aframomum spp. in Africa: a Systematic Review of Literature and Supporting Botanical Vouchers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronja Hermiene Maria Knippers ◽  
Sandrine Gallois ◽  
Tinde van Andel
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Future Research ◽  
East African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Wild Resources ◽  
Living Material ◽  
Specific Species ◽  
Material Information

AbstractAframomum (Zingiberaceae) is a genus of plants native to tropical Africa that are sold on African markets as spices and traditional medicine. Not all species of Aframomum are equally abundant or widespread, and no overview exists of the specific species traded or the quality of the species identifications in publications referencing the sale of Aframomum. Through a systematic literature review, we show that 14 species of Aframomum are sold in 15 African countries. The majority of the studies were done in Nigeria and Cameroon and A. melegueta was the most frequently reported species in trade. A. kayserianum was the only commercialized species with confirmed conservation issues. Our literature review shows extensive knowledge gaps regarding the commercialization of Aframomum in Africa. Most studies did not include herbarium vouchers, or only used market-sourced plant material, which impedes the possibilities for species verifications. Additionally, most East African countries were devoid of relevant research. These gaps can be bridged by future research in East Africa and voucher collection from living material. Information on the conservation status of traded Aframomum species can be obtained by population studies on wild resources and documenting local domestication efforts, as the cultivation of marketed species tends to relieve the pressure from wild resources.

scholarly journals Assessment of the rarity and conservation status of the Colombian endemic brown hairy dwarf porcupine Coendou vestitus

Oryx ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
María M. Torres-Martínez ◽  
Héctor E. Ramírez-Chaves ◽  
Elkin A. Noguera-Urbano ◽  
Fernando C. Passos
Keyword(s):  
Small Body ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Red List ◽  
Small Range ◽  
Minimum Convex Polygon ◽  
Area Of Occupancy ◽  
Species Rarity

Abstract The brown hairy dwarf porcupine Coendou vestitus is a poorly studied Andean species endemic to Colombia. Its current Red List category is contradictory: globally it is categorized as Data Deficient but in Colombia it is categorized as Vulnerable. This contradiction has limited the implementation of conservation programmes. We evaluate the level of rarity of the species and provide consolidated information for a new assessment of its Red List status. We reviewed literature, photographs, and voucher specimens in natural history collections. Using the confirmed records, we estimated the extent of occurrence (EOO) based on the minimum convex polygon and the area of occupancy (AOO) summing the area of grid squares occupied by the species. We found that C. vestitus is very rare, with a small range, low estimated population density, occurrence in only one habitat type and small body size. The species has an EOO of 3,323 km2 and an AOO of 24 km2, based on six confirmed localities, all on the western slopes of the Eastern Cordillera, in the central Andean region of Colombia. Based on the species' rarity, restricted distribution, and threats to its natural habitat, we recommend its categorization as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. This will help delineate research and conservation efforts for this porcupine, which has a highly restricted range and inhabits the threatened Andean forest.

scholarly journals Co-extinct and critically co-endangered species of parasitic lice, and conservation-induced extinction: should lice be reintroduced to their hosts?

Oryx ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lajos Rózsa ◽  
Zoltán Vas
Keyword(s):  
Endangered Species ◽  
Host Specificity ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Red List ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Common Phenomenon ◽  
Global Extinction

AbstractThe co-extinction of parasitic taxa and their host species is considered a common phenomenon in the current global extinction crisis. However, information about the conservation status of parasitic taxa is scarce. We present a global list of co-extinct and critically co-endangered parasitic lice (Phthiraptera), based on published data on their host-specificity and their hosts’ conservation status according to the IUCN Red List. We list six co-extinct and 40 (possibly 41) critically co-endangered species. Additionally, we recognize 2–4 species that went extinct as a result of conservation efforts to save their hosts. Conservationists should consider preserving host-specific lice as part of their efforts to save species.

scholarly journals An assessment of the distribution, population size and conservation status of the Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner Automolus rufipectus: a Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta endemic

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
ESTEBAN BOTERO-DELGADILLO ◽  
NICHOLAS BAYLY ◽  
CAMILA GÓMEZ ◽  
PAULO C. PULGARÍN-R. ◽  
CARLOS ANDRÉS PÁEZ
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Environmental Niche ◽  
Coffee Plantations ◽  
Habitat Transformation ◽  
Elevation Range ◽  
Area Of Occupancy

SummaryThe Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner Automolus rufipectus is one of 19 endemic bird species found in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM) in northern Colombia but until recently it was considered a sub-species of the Ruddy Foliage-gleaner Automolus rubiginosus. Consequently, published information on its distribution and ecology is lacking, and while it is classified as near- threatened, this designation was based on limited quantitative data. To improve our knowledge of the Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner’s geographical distribution, elevation range, population density, habitat use and conservation status, we analysed both historical and recent site locality records and carried out variable distance transects within forested habitats and shade coffee plantations. We modelled the environmental niche of the species and subsequently estimated its extent of occurrence and area of occupancy, as well as population size. Our results consistently showed that the distribution of the Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner is more restricted than previously considered, both geographically and by elevation (we redefine elevation range as 600–1,875 m). This suggests that the species is more at risk of habitat transformation and combined with our estimates of population size (< 10,000 individuals), it is likely that the species will be uplisted to a higher threat category. More positively, and contrary to published accounts, we found that approximately 40% of the species’ range lies within protected areas. Nevertheless, we recommend the implementation of strategies to maintain forest cover on the western flank of the SNSM and further research to better define the species’ habitat needs and population dynamics.

scholarly journals Habitat associations and conservation status of an endemic forest dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion sp.) from South Africa

Oryx ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter J. Reisinger ◽  
Devi M. Stuart-Fox ◽  
Barend F.N. Erasmus
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Area Of Occupancy ◽  
Forest Interior ◽  
Forest Remnants ◽  
Iucn Red List Criteria

We quantified habitat associations and evaluated the conservation status of a recently identified, undescribed species of dwarf chameleon, Bradypodion sp. nov. Dhlinza, endemic to scarp forest remnants in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. At the microhabitat scale the Dhlinza dwarf chameleon was found more often in forest gaps and near paths than highly disturbed edges or forest interior. Chameleon presence was not explained by forest physiognomic variables such as vine cover, shrub and tree density, or canopy cover. Presence near gaps may be better explained by the combined effects of the thermal microenvironment and food availability. The species is moderately common where it occurs, with estimated densities of 4.7, 8.7 and 29.7 individuals per ha within forest interior, edges and gaps respectively. At the landscape scale, the chameleon occurs only in three remnant forests: the Dhlinza, Entumeni and Ongoye Forests. The species' extent of occurrence was estimated to be 88 km2 and its area of occupancy 49 km2. Based on the small area of remaining suitable habitat, this species meets the requirements for categorization as Endangered according to IUCN Red List criteria.

CRISPR/Cas9 has introduced new gene therapy possibilities for muscular dystrophies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moataz Dowaidar
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Cells ◽  
Muscular Dystrophies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Published Data ◽  
End Joining ◽  
Track Record ◽  
Effective Homology ◽  
Vector Targeting ◽  
Shape Of Nanoparticles

Advancements in using CRISPR/Cas9 have introduced a host of new therapy possibilities for muscular dystrophies (MDs). There is a definite feeling of hope in the industry, but other barriers lay ahead, and they will define the future of MD gene editing. The ambiguity surrounding AAV transduction of satellite cells in vivo must be explained so that, if required, effort may be focused on optimizing vector targeting. Although the satellite cell correction needs are evident, it must be determined experimentally if high muscle turnover has a deleterious effect on CRISPR approaches. Another issue with muscular HDR is its low editing efficiency. Even outside the MD, exogenous, effective DNA integration would open up a slew of new possibilities.Either conventional HDR must be upgraded, or alternative techniques must be developed. The fact that both myotubes and latent satellite cells are post-mitotic means the latter are the most effective. Homology-independent targeted integration (HITI), homology-mediated end joining (HMEJ) and prime editing are three novel potentials. Duplication removal is another technique to restore full-length proteins. Duplications are the second most frequent DMD mutation, and a single sgRNA technique was used to restore dystrophin. To date, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated duplication removal has only been evaluated in DMD patient cells and must be tested in vivo. Because of their demonstrated track record in in vivo research and clinical trials, AAVs are expected to be employed in early generations of MD CRISPR therapy. Currently, AAVs may be the biggest choice, but future drugs will almost probably require a different delivery approach. It may take the shape of nanoparticles, which may carry a large range of transiently expressed payloads, while being very variable. If satellite cells can not be repaired, their capacity to escape immune reactions is crucial. To decrease the effects of muscle turnover, re-administration of nanoparticles may be utilized to treat MD throughout one's life. However, effective nanoparticle dosing for CRISPR in vivo editing has yet to be established in the muscle. Because this was not an AAV problem, the focus should be on new compositions of nanoparticles rather than improving the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The lack of published data suggests that nanoparticles' systemic muscle transport remains a considerable challenge. Due to muscle volume in the human body and the need to target muscles within the thoracic cavity, local intramuscular injections are not practical. Future research will focus primarily on developing an effective, muscle-specific nanoparticle that can be administered through circulation. The challenges ahead are tremendous, but with the appropriate focus and resources, answers will emerge, bringing therapeutic genome editing closer to the clinic than ever. While this research focused on DMD, the mentioned principles and methodology may and will undoubtedly be extended to several other MDs.

Seriemas: A Literature Assessment and Recommendations for Future Research

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Méndez ◽  
Zackery Szymczycha ◽  
Jeremiah Sullivan ◽  
Christopher J. W. McClure
Keyword(s):  
Keyword Search ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Future Research ◽  
South American ◽  
South American Species ◽  
Systematic Map ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
Causes Of Mortality ◽  
Territorial Behaviors

ABSTRACT Red-legged Seriemas (Cariama cristata) and Black-legged Seriemas (Chunga burmeisteri) are two exclusively South American species that inhabit open and sparsely forested areas. Seriemas have been recently included with the raptors based on ecological and evolutionary evidence. Viewing seriemas as raptors is nontraditional and might be controversial. Therefore, further information regarding the evolution, taxonomy, morphology, and ecology of these birds will clarify the validity of their consideration as raptors. Here we present a review of the published information on seriemas, and discuss future research for these newly adopted raptors. To conduct our review, we developed a systematic map and searched all databases available within Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science, performed a keyword search of Google Scholar, and included the corresponding bibliographies from the Birds of the World website. We reviewed 98 studies, and found that the Red-legged Seriema was the subject of more studies than the Black-legged Seriema. Overall, Brazil and Argentina were the site of most studies. The majority of studies examined physiology (48), followed by behavior (37), threats to the survival of these species (36), and demography (27), while smaller numbers of studies examined stressors (e.g., habitat changes, causes of mortality and injury such as predation, hunting, etc.) (20), and conservation actions (10). Patterns of study categorizations were similar for both species, and the distribution of studies across months was also fairly even for both species. This is the first study to systematically review and assess the published information on seriemas. Our results show the topics and locations on which past studies have focused, and highlight potentially fruitful avenues for future research. Although threats to seriemas have been identified, these have not been thoroughly assessed; thus, their extent and effects on seriema populations were difficult to ascertain. Future research should focus on testing existing hypotheses regarding seriema feeding, vocalization, social, and territorial behaviors, while documenting natural history. Researchers should build on past investigations while establishing programs to monitor the conservation status of seriemas across their ranges.

scholarly journals Contractual arrangements and entrepreneurial governance: Flexibility and leeway in urban regeneration projects

Urban Studies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (16) ◽  
pp. 3217-3235
Author(s):  
Martijn van den Hurk ◽  
Tuna Tasan-Kok
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Urban Regeneration ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Contractual Arrangements ◽  
Public And Private Sector

Urban regeneration projects involve complex contractual deals between public- and private-sector actors. Critics contend that contracts hamper opportunities for flexibility and change in these projects due to strict provisions that are incorporated in legal agreements. This article offers contrary empirical insights based on a study of contractual arrangements for urban regeneration projects in the Netherlands, including an analysis of interviews and confidential documents. It zooms in on provisions on safeguarding and adaptation, finding that urban regeneration projects remain receptive to flexibility and change. Public-sector actors use their room to manoeuvre while operating contracts, seeking to secure social relations and keep projects going. This article taps into data sources that are difficult to access, addressing what is included in contracts and how they are used by practitioners, and presents questions for future research on contracts in the urban built environment.

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