Implementation of a science-action partnership to manage a threatened ecosystem in an urban context

Abstract: The gap between scientific knowledge and implementation of such knowledge in the fields of biodiversity conservation, environmental management and climate change adaptation, is widely recognized. The state of knowledge of urban ecosystems is generally quite poor, and there is a shortage of human capacity to implement scientifically-sound management practices at the local level, especially within institutions having the mandate of regulating land use planning. The need to bridge the science-action gap to improve decision-making for local land use planning and management, and thereby reduce the impacts of urbanization on ecosystems, has been recognized by eThekwini Municipality in the city of Durban, South Africa..

Photoluminescent diamond nanoparticles for cell labeling: study of the uptake mechanism in mammalian cells

Diamond nanoparticles (nanodiamonds) have been recently proposed as new labels for cellular imaging. For small nanodiamonds (size <40 nm) resonant laser scattering and Raman scattering cross-sections are too small to allow single nanoparticle observation. Nanodiamonds can however be rendered photoluminescent with a perfect photostability at room temperature. Such a remarkable property allows easier single-particle tracking over long time-scales. In this work we use photoluminescent nanodiamonds of size <50 nm for intracellular labeling and investigate the mechanism of their uptake by living cells . By blocking selectively different uptake processes we show that nanodiamonds enter cells mainly by endocytosis and converging data indicate that it is clathrin mediated. We also examine nanodiamonds intracellular localization in endocytic vesicles using immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy. We find a high degree of colocalization between vesicles and the biggest nanoparticles or aggregates, while the smallest particles appear free in the cytosol. Our results pave the way for the use of photoluminescent nanodiamonds in targeted intracellular labeling or biomolecule deliver

Demography of agile gibbons ( Hylobates agilis )

Demographic processes and the structure of a population of agile gibbons ( Hylobates agilis ) were investigated over 6 years in the Gunung Palung Reserve, Indonesia. Estimates of population size, density, and biomass revealed a population whose groups were stable in size and composition. Demographic processes place gibbons at risk, however, to short-term changes in their environment. Patterns of survival, fecundity, mortality, and dispersal combined to produce negative rates of growth. In addition, a top-heavy age-class distribution, with adults forming a large fraction of animals, makes it unlikely that this population could recover rapidly from a decline in numbers. Two behavioral factors, territoriality and monogamy, account for the size and stability of gibbon groups. Monogamy imposes limits on group size, while mating patterns and territoriality decrease the impact of sources of high mortality common in other primate species. These relationships underscore the fundamental importance of behavioral influence on demographic processes and social structure.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44559/1/10764_2005_Article_BF02196129.pd