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Variations in colouration patterns have been reported in numerous wildlife species, particularly birds. However, the increased use of camera traps for wildlife monitoring has enabled the detection of elusive species and phenotypic variations that might otherwise go undetected. Here, we compiled records of unusual colouration patterns in terrestrial mammals, documented through camera-trap studies over a 12-year period in the Llanganates-Sangay Connectivity Corridor, in the Tropical Andes of Ecuador. We identified colour variations in seven species of terrestrial mammals, including disorders, such as melanism, white spotting/ piebaldism, xanthocromism and progressive greying. Notably, we reported a high prevalence of melanism in wild populations of the clouded oncilla, along with observations on the species' activity patterns. Approximately half of the recorded clouded oncillas were melanistic. We detected significant differences in activty patterns between melanistic and non-melanistc clouded oncilla, with melanistic morphs showing a peak of activity between 3 a.m. and before dawn. The proportion of melanistic individuals suggests that melanism is widespread throughout the corridor. However, its impact on the species' fitness remains unclear.

X chromosome inactivation (XCI) ratios of normal females can range from a highly skewed ratio of 0:100 to a 50:50 ratio. In several X-linked disorders, female carriers present skewed X inactivation. Hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) deficiency is an X-linked disorder. Males are affected and present with the complete Lesch-Nyhan disease (LND) or with a partial phenotype (Lesch-Nyhan variant, LNV). Female carriers are usually asymptomatic. The aim of the present study was to analyze the XCI pattern of HPRT-deficiency carrier females. As a group, 75% of HPRT-deficiency carrier females presented skewed XCI. Moreover, skewed XCI is significantly more frequent in LND carriers (83%) than in LNV (0-50%, depending on the phenotype severity). The ratios of the preferentially inactivated allele of carrier females were significantly higher than the ratios of the preferentially inactivated allele of noncarrier females (89.4±15, n=52 vs 65.2±12, n=52; P<0.0001). For carrier diagnosis, the presence of skewed XCI presents a sensitivity of 75% with a specificity of 85%. In LND families, the presence of skewed XCI is more sensitive for carrier diagnosis than in LNV families; however, we believe that this test is not accurate for carrier diagnostic purposes.

Patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have an increased cardiovascular risk. Although initially this increased risk was attributed to metabolic alterations associated with antiretroviral treatment, in recent years, the attention has been focused on the HIV disease itself. Inflammation, immune system activation, and endothelial dysfunction facilitated by HIV infection have been identified as key factors in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. In this review, we describe the epidemiology and pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in patients with HIV infection and summarize the latest knowledge on the relationship between traditional and novel inflammatory, immune activation, and endothelial dysfunction biomarkers on the cardiovascular risk associated with HIV infection.

Over the past decade, research in the montane forests of the Mira River basin, spanning Ecuador and Colombia, has identified it as crucial for the adaptive radiation of flora and fauna, shaped by its complex geological and climatic history. This study focuses on the phylogenetic and systematic revision of a frog clade initially labeled as Pristimantis verecundus , revealing significant cryptic diversity. Through detailed analyses of type material and expanded molecular sampling, we found that the original description actually included specimens representing two additional species, which are described herein. In this work, we discovered and formally described four new species within montane forests at elevations from 1,600 to 2,300 meters. Genetic distances of 3.34% to 14% and clear morphological differences underscore the clade’s hidden diversity. We propose renaming the group Pristimantis celator clade within Pristimantis myersi species group and subgenus Trachyphrynus , aligning with phylogenetic evidence and resolving taxonomic ambiguities using the oldest available name, Pristimantis celator (Lynch, 1976). This reclassification includes 14 species, seven formally described, and seven as candidates, distributed across northwestern Ecuador and southwestern Colombia, particularly in Mira and Esmeraldas River basins. The study highlights the Andean orogeny’s role in species diversification within Pristimantis celator clade, with geographic barriers like Cerro Golondrinas influencing genetic isolation. Genetic divergences exceeding 3.34% indicate evolutionary isolation across these landscapes. Our findings provide insights into montane ecosystem speciation, emphasizing vicariance, niche adaptation, and altitudinal gradients in shaping biodiversity. A polytomy among three well-supported clades within Pristimantis myersi species group is noted due to incomplete genetic data, yet distinctiveness and evolutionary relationships are affirmed. Cryptic diversity within Pristimantis celator clade links to unique orogenic and climatic conditions, highlighting conservation needs. Lastly, we provide a redescription of Pristimantis verecundus and species identification key to aid future research and conservation in this biogeographically influential region.

Species' activity patterns are driven by the need to meet basic requirements of food, social interactions, movement, and rest, but often are influenced by a variety of biotic and abiotic factors. We used camera-trap data to describe and compare the activity patterns of the relatively poorly studied tayra (Eira barbara) across 10 populations distributed from the south of Mexico to the north of Argentina, and attempted to identify biotic or abiotic factors that may be associated with variation in level of diurnality. In a subset of sites we also aimed to document potential seasonal variation in activity. We used a kernel density estimator based on the time of independent photographic events to calculate the proportion of diurnal, crepuscular, and nocturnal activity of each population. Tayras were mostly active during diurnal periods (79.31%, 759 records), with a lower proportion of crepuscular activity (18.07%, 173 records) yet we documented some variation in patterns across the 10 study areas (activity overlap coefficient varied from Δ4 = 0.64 to Δ1 = 0.95). In northern localities, activity peaked twice during the day (bimodal) with most activity ocurring in the morning, whereas closer to the geographical equator, activity was constant (unimodal) throughout the day, peaking at midday: activity either was unimodal or bimodal in southern localities. Despite investigating multiple potential abiotic and biotic predictors, only latitude was associated with variation in the proportion of diurnal activity by tayras across its range, with increased diurnal activity closer to the equator. Seasonal comparisons in activity showed a tendency to reduce diurnality in dry versus rainy seasons, but the pattern was not consistently significant. This is the most comprehensive description of tayra activity patterns to date, and lends novel insight into the potential flexibility of the species to adapt to local conditions.

Air pollution generated by road traffic in large cities is a great concern in today’s society since pollution has an important impact on human health, even causing premature deaths. To address the problem, this paper presents an Intelligent Transportation System model based on Complex Event Processing technology and Colored Petri Nets (CPNs). It takes into consideration the levels of environmental pollution and road traffic, according to the air quality levels accepted by the international recommendations as well as the handbook emission factors for road transport methodology. This proposal, therefore, tackles a common problem in today’s large cities, where traffic restrictions must be applied due to environmental pollution. CPNs are used in this work as a tool to make decisions about traffic regulations, so as to reduce pollution levels.

The annual incidence of gout is 0.5% in subjects with uric acid levels from 7.0 to 8.9 mg/dl, rising to 4.9% in those with uric acid levels higher than 9.0 mg/dl. 1 However, only 12% of patients with serum uric acid levels between 7 and 7.9 mg/dl who were followed for 14 years developed gout. 2 There are no accurate predictors of gout in this population and, as a consequence, we ignore the patients who may benefit from an early urate-lowering therapy intervention. Patients (N) 26 Males (N) 24 (92%) Age (years) Mean 56.3±12.2 Range 29â[euro]\"78 Serum urate (mg/dl) Mean 8.5±0.7 Range 7.1â[euro]\"9.9 Duration of documented hyperuricaemia (years) Mean 6.2±5.8 Range 2â[euro]\"28 Ultrasound lesions (N) 25 Knees 9 First metatarsophalangeal joint 6 Hyperechoic cloudy area 9 Double contour sign 7 N, number of patients.

In recent years, the evolution of smartphones and their software applications has grown exponentially; together with the advance of the Internet of Things and smart cities, it has raised huge demand for services and applications in these domains. Although the wide range of mobile applications is unquestionable, citizens already demand that applications adapt to their specific needs and situations in real time, that is, that they are context-aware. However, context-aware mobile applications are often very limited and miss out on the opportunity of benefiting from feedback provided by citizen collaboration. In order to fill this gap, this paper proposes a context-aware and collaborative software architecture and mobile application. In particular, we have implemented them in the scope of e-health, more specifically in the area of seasonal allergies, which cause allergic people to experience annoying symptoms that could be avoided by having access to pollen information in real time. Furthermore, they will also benefit from citizen collaboration through the knowledge of the symptoms other allergic people with the same allergy and in the same location are experiencing. To this end, users will be able to provide their symptoms at any time through their mobile application and the proposed architecture will constantly process that information in real time, sending notifications to users as soon as reported symptoms are seen to exceed a certain threshold. The architecture’s performance, the application’s resource consumption and a satisfaction survey of the app’s usability and usefulness have been tested; all results have been fully satisfactory.

We present the results of herpetological surveys in two adjacent mountains where the EcoMinga Foundation protects the cloud forest in the Upper Rio Pastaza watershed, in the Llanganates Sangay Ecological Corridor in Ecuador. A rapid assessment of the amphibian communities of the study sites reveals a diverse and heterogeneous composition, dominated by terrestrial frogs from the genus Pristimantis . We also identify a cryptic diversity with a significant number of candidate new species. We describe two new species of terrestrial frogs of the genus Pristimantis . Pristimantis maryanneae sp. nov. is characterised by not having tympanum externally visible and having 2–3 subconical tubercles in the upper eyelid; and Pristimantis burtoniorum sp. nov. is characterised by the presence of red colouration in hidden surfaces of the hind-limbs, tubercles on the upper eyelid, interorbital tubercle and a row of rounded tubercles along the snout to the tip and a pale red venter with dark brown mottled pattern. Our samples from the two Reserves do not share species between them, so the proportion of shared species seems to be relatively low. In addition, we highlight the importance of updating the knowledge of amphibians that are restricted to this important conservation region and comment about the threats and composition of the amphibian communities on the eastern slopes of the Upper Rio Pastaza watershed.

We have discovered a spectacular new species of frog in the genus Hyloscirtus , belonging to the H. larinopygion species group. The adult female is characterized by a mostly black body with large bright red spots on the dorsal and ventral surface, extremities, and toe pads. The adult male is unknown. Small juveniles are characterized by a yellow body with variable black markings on the flanks; while one larger juvenile displayed irregular orange or yellow marks on a black background color, with light orange or yellow toe pads. Additional distinctive external morphological features such as cloacal ornamentation are described, and some osteological details are imaged and analyzed. The performed phylogeny places the new species as the sister to a clade consisting of ten taxa, all of which are part of the H. larinopygion group. We use genetic distances to fit the new species into a published time-calibrated phylogeny of this group; our analysis based on the published chronology suggests that the divergence of the new species from its known congeners pre-dates the Quaternary period. The new species is currently only known only from Cerro Mayordomo, in Fundación EcoMinga´s Machay Reserve, at 2,900 m in the eastern Andes of Tungurahua province, Ecuador, near the southern edge of Los Llanganates National Park, but its real distribution may be larger.