Inclusive Anti-poaching? Exploring the Potential and Challenges of Community-based Anti-Poaching

As it is acknowledged that the largely (para)militarised approach to anti-poaching has its limitations, alternative approaches to conservation law enforcement are being sought. One alternative, what we call inclusive anti-poaching, focuses on including people from local communities in antipoaching initiatives. Using a case study of a community programme from southern Mozambique, located adjacent to South Africa’s Kruger National Park, we examine the potential of a community ranger initiative to move towards a more inclusive and sustainable approach to anti-poaching and conservation. While highlighting its challenges and potential drawbacks, we argue that including local people in conservation law enforcement efforts can help address poaching and the problematic aspects of current anti-poaching measures. However, to be a genuine and sustainable alternative, community ranger programmes must be part of a broader shift towards developing local wildlife economies that benefit local communities, as opposed to supporting pre-existing antipoaching interventions

On Words with the Zero Palindromic Defect

We study the set of finite words with zero palindromic defect, i.e., words rich in palindromes. This set is factorial, but not recurrent. We focus on description of pairs of rich words which cannot occur simultaneously as factors of a longer rich word

Broadcast spawning in Porites lutea at Reunion Island (Western Indian Ocean)

This study report in situ observations of broadcast spawning of P. lutea on a shallow reef flat of Reunion Island

Genetic Regulation of Fluxes: Iron Homeostasis of Escherichia coli

Iron is an essential trace-element for most organisms. However, because high concentration of free intracellular iron is cytotoxic, cells have developed complex regulatory networks that keep free intracellular iron concentration at optimal range, allowing the incorporation of the metal into iron-using enzymes and minimizing damage to the cell. We built a mathematical model of the network that controls iron uptake and usage in the bacterium Escherichia coli to explore the dynamics of iron flow. We simulate the effect of sudden decrease or increase in the extracellular iron level on intracellular iron distribution. Based on the results of simulations we discuss the possible roles of the small RNA RyhB and the Fe-S cluster assembly systems in the optimal redistribution of iron flows. We suggest that Fe-S cluster assembly is crucial to prevent the accumulation of toxic levels of free intracellular iron when the environment suddenly becomes iron rich.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Repetitions in infinite palindrome-rich words

Rich words are characterized by containing the maximum possible number of distinct palindromes. Several characteristic properties of rich words have been studied; yet the analysis of repetitions in rich words still involves some interesting open problems. We address lower bounds on the repetition threshold of infinite rich words over 2 and 3-letter alphabets, and construct a candidate infinite rich word over the alphabet $\Sigma_2=\{0,1\}$ with a small critical exponent of $2+\sqrt{2}/2$. This represents the first progress on an open problem of Vesti from 2017.Comment: 12 page

Are suprapectineal quadrilateral surface buttressing plates performances superior to traditional fixation? A finite element analysis

Acetabular fractures have a high impact on patient’s quality of life, and because acetabular fractures are high energy injuries, they often co-occur with other pathologies such as damage to cartilage that could increase related morbidity; thus, it appears of primary importance developing reliable treatments for this disease. This work aims at the evaluation of the biomechanical performances of non-conservative treatments of acetabular fractures through a finite element approach. Two pelvic plates models (the standard suprapectineal plate—SPP, and a suprapectineal quadrilateral surface buttressing plate—SQBP) were analyzed when implanted on transverse or T-shaped fractures. The plates geometries were adapted to the specific hemipelvis, mimicking the bending action that the surgeon performs on the plate intraoperatively. Implemented models were tested in a single leg stance condition. The obtained results show that using the SQBP plate in transverse and T-shaped acetabular fractures generates lower bone stress if compared to the SPP plate. Interfragmentary movement analysis shows that the SQBP plate guarantees greater stability in transverse fractures. In conclusion, the SQBP plate seems worthy of further clinical analysis, having resulted as a promising option in the treatment of transverse and T-shaped acetabular fractures, able to reduce bone stress values and to get performances comparable, and in some cases superior, to traditional fixation

Siuren I: new zooarchaeological results

Грот Сюрень I – это многослойная палеолитическая стоянка. Технико-типологическим анализом артефактов установлено, что материалы пачек горизонтов F, G и H относятся к ориньякской индустрии двух типов. Радиоуглеродным датированием был установлен возраст ориньяка Сюрени I: 28,5 – 30,0 тыс. лет назад. Предположительно, авторами ориньякских артефактов были люди современного антропологического типа. Некоторое количество микокских орудий, ассоциирующихся с неандертальцами, обнаружено в пачках горизонтов G и H. На основании тафономического анализа костного материала сделан вывод о том, что основная роль в аккумуляции фауны в гроте принадлежит гоминидам. Остатки многочисленных поселений достаточно быстро консервировались обломочным материалом. Первобытными охотниками, в зависимости от размеров добытых животных, применялись разные подходы к их потреблению. Различий между способами эксплуатации фауны в горизонтах пачек G и H не установлено, как, впрочем, нельзя соотнести определенные способы использования фаунистических ресурсов с антропологическим типом охотников. Во время аккумуляции пачек горизонтов G и H грот Сюрень I многократно использовался как кратковременный охотничий лагерь, на территории которого происходили разделка и потребление добычи

Arctic seabirds and shrinking sea ice: egg analyses reveal the importance of ice-derived resources

In the Arctic, sea-ice plays a central role in the functioning of marine food webs and its rapid shrinking has large effects on the biota. It is thus crucial to assess the importance of sea-ice and ice-derived resources to Arctic marine species. Here, we used a multi-biomarker approach combining Highly Branched Isoprenoids (HBIs) with δ13C and δ15N to evaluate how much Arctic seabirds rely on sea-ice derived resources during the pre-laying period, and if changes in sea-ice extent and duration affect their investment in reproduction. Eg