Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of the Sunda stink-badger () from the island of Borneo.

Background: The Mephitidae is a family of skunks and stink-badgers that includes 12 extant species in four genera, namely, , and . is the only genus within Mephitidae found outside the American continent, with its distribution limited to the islands of Borneo, Indonesia and Philippines. There are two extant species of , and Currently, complete mitogenomes are unavailable for either species Here, we present the characterization of the first complete mitogenome for the Sunda stink-badger () from the island of Borneo.

Loss of Sunda clouded leopards and forest integrity drive potential impacts of mesopredator release on vulnerable avifauna.

Amongst the unintended consequences of anthropogenic landscape conversion is declining apex predator abundance linked to loss of forest integrity, which can potentially re-order trophic networks. One such re-ordering, known as mesopredator release, occurs when medium-sized predators, also called mesopredators, rapidly increase in abundance following the decline in apex predator abundance, consequently reducing the abundance of mesopredator prey, notably including terrestrial avifauna. We examine the cascading impacts of declining Sunda clouded leopard abundance, itself consequent upon a reduction in forest integrity, on the mesopredator community of Sabah, Malaysia, to determine whether the phenomenon of mesopredator release is manifest and specifically whether it impacts the terrestrial avifauna community of pheasants and pittas.

CamTrapAsia: A dataset of tropical forest vertebrate communities from 239 camera trapping studies.

Information on tropical Asian vertebrates has traditionally been sparse, particularly when it comes to cryptic species inhabiting the dense forests of the region. Vertebrate populations are declining globally due to land-use change and hunting, the latter frequently referred as "defaunation." This is especially true in tropical Asia where there is extensive land-use change and high human densities.

Long-Term Effectiveness of Anti-IL-4R Therapy Following Suboptimal Response to Anti-IL-5/5R Therapy in Severe Eosinophilic Asthma.

Background: Dupilumab is an anti-IL-4R monoclonal antibody (mAb) with proven efficacy in severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA). A suboptimal response to anti-IL-5/5R mAbs is seen in some patients with ongoing evidence of type 2 (T2) inflammation.

Objective: To understand whether targeting IL-13 pathways with dupilumab in these patients may lead to better clinical outcomes.

Projected development in Borneo and Sumatra will greatly reduce connectivity for an apex carnivore.

The islands of Borneo and Sumatra are strongholds for biodiversity and home for many endemic species. They also have experienced amongst the highest deforestation rates globally. Both islands are undergoing massive, rapid infrastructure development, leading to further deforestation and habitat fragmentation.

Sensitive MRD Detection from Lymphatic Fluid after Surgery in HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer.

Purpose: Our goal was to demonstrate that lymphatic drainage fluid (lymph) has improved sensitivity in quantifying postoperative minimal residual disease (MRD) in locally advanced human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) compared with plasma, and leverage this novel biofluid for patient risk stratification.

Experimental Design: We prospectively collected lymph samples from neck drains of 106 patients with HPV (+) OPSCC, along with 67 matched plasma samples, 24 hours after surgery. PCR and next-generation sequencing were used to quantify cancer-associated cell-free HPV (cf-HPV) and tumor-informed variants in lymph and plasma.

Socio-ecological factors shape the distribution of a cultural keystone species in Malaysian Borneo.

Biophysical and socio-cultural factors have jointly shaped the distribution of global biodiversity, yet relatively few studies have quantitatively assessed the influence of social and ecological landscapes on wildlife distributions. We sought to determine whether social and ecological covariates shape the distribution of a cultural keystone species, the bearded pig (Sus barbatus). Drawing on a dataset of 295 total camera trap locations and 25,755 trap days across 18 field sites and three years in Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, we fitted occupancy models that incorporated socio-cultural covariates and ecological covariates hypothesized to influence bearded pig occupancy.

A pragmatic guide to choosing biologic therapies in severe asthma.

There are now several monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapies ("biologics") available to treat severe asthma. Omalizumab is an anti-IgE mAb and is licensed in severe allergic asthma. Current evidence suggests it may decrease exacerbations by augmenting deficient antiviral immune responses in asthma.

Real-World Effectiveness of Anti-IL-5/5R Therapy in Severe Atopic Eosinophilic Asthma with Fungal Sensitization.

Background: Severe asthma with fungal sensitization (SAFS) is a complex clinical phenotype associated with poorly controlled type 2 inflammation and significant morbidity from both the disease itself and a high steroid burden.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of biologic therapies targeting eosinophilic inflammation in SAFS.

Methods: We assessed the effectiveness of treatment with mepolizumab or benralizumab in patients with SAFS, and compared outcomes with patients with severe atopic asthma without fungal sensitization and patients with severe nonatopic asthma.

The impact of the first COVID-19 surge on severe asthma patients in the UK. Which is worse: the virus or the lockdown?

https://bit.ly/3jImUsG.

Steroid-sparing effects of benralizumab in patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis.

https://bit.ly/2GI0vhf.

Biologic treatment options for severe asthma.

Asthma is a common condition that causes episodic expiratory airflow limitation due to bronchial smooth muscle constriction and airways inflammation resulting in increased respiratory symptoms and acute asthma exacerbations. Patients with severe asthma have relied on either recurrent courses or daily use of oral corticosteroids (OCS) to control their disease. However a high level of OCS exposure is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.

Real-World Effectiveness of Benralizumab in Severe Eosinophilic Asthma.

Background: Benralizumab is an IL5-receptor monoclonal antibody licensed for the treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA). It has demonstrated efficacy in clinical trials in reducing asthma exacerbation rates and maintenance oral corticosteroids (mOCSs).

Research Question: What is the real-world effectiveness of benralizumab and what baseline characteristics are associated with response to therapy?

Study Design And Methods: We assessed outcomes in all SEA patients who began benralizumab treatment at our specialist center.

Simulating impacts of rapid forest loss on population size, connectivity and genetic diversity of Sunda clouded leopards (Neofelis diardi) in Borneo.

Habitat loss is the greatest threat to biodiversity in Borneo, and to anticipate and combat its effects it is important to predict the pattern of loss and its consequences. Borneo is a region of extremely high biodiversity from which forest is being lost faster than in any other. The little-known Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi) is the top predator in Borneo and is likely to depend critically on habitat connectivity that is currently being rapidly lost to deforestation.

Spatio-temporal ecology of sympatric felids on Borneo. Evidence for resource partitioning?

Niche differentiation, the partitioning of resources along one or more axes of a species' niche hyper-volume, is widely recognised as an important mechanism for sympatric species to reduce interspecific competition and predation risk, and thus facilitate co-existence. Resource partitioning may be facilitated by behavioural differentiation along three main niche dimensions: habitat, food and time. In this study, we investigate the extent to which these mechanisms can explain the coexistence of an assemblage of five sympatric felids in Borneo.