Immunophenotypic analysis of Non-Hodgkin\u27s Lymphoma

One hundred and three cases of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma were evaluated immunohistochemically using a panel of monoclonal antibodies which includes leucocyte common antigen (LCA), CD45R (Pan-B marker), L-26 (CD 20-Pan-B marker) and UCHL-1 (Pan-T marker). Of the total 63 cases (61.17%) showed a B-cell phenotype while 40(38.83%) were of T-cell origin. Most B-cell neoplasms belonged to intermediate (79.36%) or high grade (15.87%) according to the international Working Formulation (WF). Most T- cell lymphomas were of either intermediate (52.5%) or high grade (32.5%) neoplasms. Some T-cell neoplasms presented as specific clinicopathological entities like lymphomatoid granulomatosis (2 cases), mycosis fungoides (1 case) and AILD type NHL (1 case). in 27 cases the immunostaining pattern of two .Pan-B markers i.e., L26 and CD45R was compared. L26 staining was expressed in all 27 cases (100% sensitivity) while CD45R showed positive reaction in 22 cases (82% sensitivity). UCHL-1 is proved to be a sensitive and lineage specfic T-cell markerand in 67% cases the staining pattern was moderate (++) to intense (+++). The mean age for the B-cell lymphomas was 49 years and 36 years in T-cell neoplasm. Male to female ratio in both types of lymphomas was 2:1. The study indicates a high prevalence of T-cell lymphomas when comparing the data from western countries and lower to those from Japan and Caribbean countries

Local hunting practices and perceptions regarding the distribution and ecological role of the Large Flying Fox (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae: Pteropus vampyrus) in western Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo

Pteropodids such as flying foxes are declining rapidly across their range due to human activities, despite their benefit to humans through ecosystem services. The Large Flying Fox Pteropus vampyrus had a wide distribution across Borneo, but is now severely reduced in numbers, and rarely sighted. In order to develop effective conservation and management prescriptions for this species, updated information on its distribution, movement patterns, and the impact of anthropogenic pressure on its survival is crucial. As such, a questionnaire survey was conducted in western Sarawak to determine the occurrence of this species, and the conservation awareness for the species amongst local communities. The survey was conducted at nine sites during November 2018 – March 2019, involving a total of 123 respondents, including hunters (20%) and consumers (35%) of P. vampyrus. Respondents reported that P. vampyrus appears sporadically around the western tip of Borneo, and around the interior parts of western Sarawak, with more than half (51%) of the reported sightings in the interior occurring at fruit orchards during the fruiting and flowering seasons. Despite hunting and consuming this species, over 60% of the respondents felt that P. vampyrus could become an eco-tourism product in their area. Although many respondents viewed flying foxes as pests (47%) or food (52%), there was remarkably high awareness of the ecological roles and conservation needs of this species (76%), suggesting potentially strong support for flying fox conservation at the local level.Challenges associated with the enforcement of wildlife law in the remote parts of Sarawak need to be addressed, alongside strategic education and awareness efforts, which are all vital to achieve successful conservation and protection of this ecologically important species

Denial of long-term issues with agriculture on tropical peatlands will have devastating consequences

Non peer reviewe

Bats in the anthropogenic matrix: Challenges and opportunities for the conservation of chiroptera and their ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes

Intensification in land-use and farming practices has had largely negative effects on bats, leading to population declines and concomitant losses of ecosystem services. Current trends in land-use change suggest that agricultural areas will further expand, while production systems may either experience further intensification (particularly in developing nations) or become more environmentally friendly (especially in Europe). In this chapter, we review the existing literature on how agricultural management affects the bat assemblages and the behavior of individual bat species, as well as the literature on provision of ecosystem services by bats (pest insect suppression and pollination) in agricultural systems. Bats show highly variable responses to habitat conversion, with no significant change in species richness or measures of activity or abundance. In contrast, intensification within agricultural systems (i.e., increased agrochemical inputs, reduction of natural structuring elements such as hedges, woods, and marshes) had more consistently negative effects on abundance and species richness. Agroforestry systems appear to mitigate negative consequences of habitat conversion and intensification, often having higher abundances and activity levels than natural areas. Across biomes, bats play key roles in limiting populations of arthropods by consuming various agricultural pests. In tropical areas, bats are key pollinators of several commercial fruit species. However, these substantial benefits may go unrecognized by farmers, who sometimes associate bats with ecosystem disservices such as crop raiding. Given the importance of bats for global food production, future agricultural management should focus on “wildlife-friendly” farming practices that allow more bats to exploit and persist in the anthropogenic matrix so as to enhance provision of ecosystem services. Pressing research topics include (1) a better understanding of how local-level versus landscape-level management practices interact to structure bat assemblages, (2) the effects of new pesticide classes and GM crops on bat populations, and (3) how increased documentation and valuation of the ecosystem services provided by bats could improve attitudes of producers toward their conservation

Forests reserved for rubber?

Among the world’s tropical regions,\ud Southeast Asia has the highest relative\ud deforestation rate and, for many\ud faunal and floral groups, very high\ud proportions of endemic and threatened\ud species (Sodhi et al. 2010).\ud Malaysia – which lies within this\ud region – should therefore be lauded\ud for retaining nearly 60% of its land\ud area under forest cover, to help sustain\ud its rich biodiversity. However,\ud tropical rainforests there and elsewhere\ud still face manifold threats.\ud Recently, Mann (2009) highlighted\ud how rubber plantations are already\ud gnawing away at natural forests\ud across much of Southeast Asia. Now,\ud it appears that because of a policy\ud loophole, even Malaysia’s forest\ud reserves will not be spared.\ud Much of the remainin

Does social media "like" conservation?

[Extract] Social media is a powerful tool that can galvanize public support for conservation action. In a letter published in Science last October, researchers used an example of animal abuse in the context of the illegal wildlife trade to highlight the power of social media in bringing public attention to conservation issues (L. T. P. Ngiem et al., Science, 338:192-93, 2012). Based on our experience with Facebook, however, we caution that people are more likely to respond to issues that affect them on an immediate emotional level, which appears to be limited to certain aspects of conservation

Rethinking the 'back to wilderness' concept for Sundaland's forests

Traditional biodiversity conservation approaches emphasize the protection of pristine forests. However, it has become increasingly difficult to secure large tracts of undisturbed forests, particularly in the developing tropics. This has led some conservation scientists and organizations to explore the conservation potential of human-modified habitats, such as selectively logged forests. On the other hand, other scientists have highlighted the perils of overselling the conservation value of degraded habitats and advocate for re-focusing of efforts and resources on protecting primary forests. While there are merits to both contentions, we argue that the "back to wilderness" paradigm has limited relevance in the Sundaland region. This is because: (1) primary forest only makes up a small minority of the remaining forest in the region and most of it is already protected by law; (2) vast areas of selectively logged forest are still susceptible to plantation conversion; and (3) selectively logged forest are important habitats for some of the world's most endangered species. To meet both conservation and development goals, we suggest that tracts of selectively logged forest be assessed for their ecological value and forests of high conservation value be prioritized for better protection through their inclusion into existing protected area networks and/or improved sustainable forestry management

Coexistence and Conflict between the Island Flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus) and Humans on Tioman Island, Peninsular Malaysia

International audienc

Erratum to: Coexistence and Conflict between the Island Flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus) and Humans on Tioman Island, Peninsular Malaysia

International audienc