Climate and Socio-Sexual Environment Predict Interpopulation Variation in Chemical Signaling Glands in a Widespread Lizard.

Many animal species show considerable intraspecific phenotypic variation. For species with broad distributions, this variation may result from heterogeneity in the strength and agents of selection across environments and could contribute to reproductive isolation among populations. Here, we examined interpopulation variation in a morphological trait related to chemical communication, femoral pore number (FP), using 3437 individuals from 55 Pyrenean populations of the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis).

Validation of two enzyme immunoassays for non-invasive glucocorticoid measurement in a lacertid lizard (Podarcis muralis): Effects of pharmacological and biological stimuli on faecal corticosterone metabolites and behaviour.

The assessment of stress-related hormone levels using non-invasive methods has gained popularity in mammal and bird welfare, yet its application in reptiles remains limited. Particularly, the exploration of physiological measures such as faecal corticosterone metabolites (FCMs) for reptilian welfare has scarcely been explored. This study aims to validate two enzyme immunoassays (5α-pregnane-3ß,11ß,21-triol-20-one and 11-oxoaetiocholanolone EIA) for monitoring FCM levels in the European common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis).

Evolution of Complexity of Palliative Care Needs and Patient Profiles According to the PALCOM Scale (Part Two): Pooled Analysis of the Cohorts for the Development and Validation of the PALCOM Scale in Advanced Cancer Patients.

Introduction: Identifying the complexity of palliative care needs is a key aspect of referral to specialized multidisciplinary early palliative care (EPC) teams. The PALCOM scale is an instrument consisting of five multidimensional assessment domains developed in 2018 and validated in 2023 to identify the level of complexity in patients with advanced cancer. (1) Objectives: The main objective of this study was to determine the degree of instability (likelihood of level change or death), health resource consumption and the survival of patients according to the level of palliative complexity assigned at the baseline visit during a 6-month follow-up.

Environmental enrichment for reptiles in European zoos: Current status and perspectives.

Zoos and aquaria are paying increasing attention to environmental enrichment, which has proven an effective tool for the improvement of animal welfare. However, several ongoing issues have hampered progress in environmental enrichment research. Foremost among these is the taxonomic bias, which hinders our understanding of the value of enrichment for neglected groups, such as reptiles.

Validation Study of the PALCOM Scale of Complexity of Palliative Care Needs: A Cohort Study in Advanced Cancer Patients.

Background: In a patient-centred model of care, referral to early palliative care (EPC) depends on both the prognosis and the complexity of care needs. The PALCOM scale is a 5-domain multidimensional assessment tool developed to identify the level of complexity of palliative care needs of cancer patients. The aim of this study was to validate the PALCOM scale.