The role of climate, water and biotic interactions in shaping biodiversity patterns in arid environments across spatial scales

This is the final version. Available on open access from Wiley via the DOI in this recordData availability: Maxent species distribution modelling outputs and R scripts for running the GLMMs available from the Dryad Digital Repository: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.f8c0c8hAim: Desert ecosystems, with their harsh environmental conditions, hold the key to understanding the responses of biodiversity to climate change. As desert community structure is influenced by processes acting at different spatial scales, studies combining multiple scales are essential for understanding the conservation requirements of desert biota. We investigated the role of environmental variables and biotic interactions in shaping broad and fine-scale patterns of diversity and distribution of bats in arid environments to understand how the expansion of nondesert species can affect the long-term conservation of desert biodiversity. Location: Levant, Eastern Mediterranean. Methods: We combine species distribution modelling and niche overlap statistics with a statistical model selection approach to integrate interspecific interactions into broadscale distribution models and fine-scale analysis of ecological requirements. We focus on competition between desert bats and mesic species that recently expanded their distribution into arid environment following anthropogenic land-use changes. Results: We show that both climate and water availability limit bat distributions and diversity across spatial scales. The broadscale distribution of bats was determined by proximity to water and high temperatures, although the latter did not affect the distribution of mesic species. At the fine-scale, high levels of bat activity and diversity were associated with increased water availability and warmer periods. Desert species were strongly associated with warmer and drier desert types. Range and niche overlap were high among potential competitors, but coexistence was facilitated through fine-scale spatial partitioning of water resources. Main conclusions: Adaptations to drier and warmer conditions allow desert-obligate species to prevail in more arid environments. However, this competitive advantage may disappear as anthropogenic activities encroach further into desert habitats. We conclude that reduced water availability in arid environments under future climate change projections pose a major threat to desert wildlife because it can affect survival and reproductive success and may increase competition over remaining water resources.Ministry of Environmental Protection of IsraelNatural Environment Research Council (NERC

Brexit’s Effect on Citizens, Human Rights & Immigration

This report records the roundtable on “Brexit’s Effect on Citizens, Human Rights and Immigration” organised by Dr Adrienne Yong on 11 June 2019 at City, University of London funded by the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) 2018/19. Speakers included: • Hannah Wilkins (House of Commons Library) • Blanca Grey (Home Office)1 • Paul Erdunast (Immigration Law Practitioner’s Association - ILPA) • Christopher Desira (Seraphus Solicitors) • Nicole Masri (Rights of Women) • Ollie Persey (Public Law Project) • Katarzyna Zagrodniczek (East European Resource Centre) • Mihai Calin Bica (Roma Support Group) • Dr Adrienne Yong (City, University of London) • Dr Michaela Benson (Goldsmiths, University of London) • Madeleine Sumption (Migration Observatory) • Sheona York (Kent Law Clinic) A host of unique legal questions were raised in the aftermath of the UK’s referendum result where the electorate voted in favour of leaving the EU on the 23 June 2016. Opinion has been split as to whether the UK and EU have indeed struck a fair deal for citizens, with arguments that citizens have been used as bargaining chips throughout the process to achieve a deal. As negotiations progressed towards the original mandated date of withdrawal, 29 March 2019, various schemes emerged to handle post-Brexit immigration of EU citizens in the UK and reciprocal arrangements for British citizens in the EU. This is now reflected in the EU Settlement Scheme, the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination Bill, and the reciprocity agreed with EU Member States as to British citizens in the EU. These issues and more were discussed at the roundtable

A systems study on the production department of Burlington Industries Philippines, Inc.

Burlington Industries Philippines, Inc. produces a wide variety of hosiery products. Currently being the thee trademark owner in the Philippines of Burlington, Puma, Bally, Bio Fresh and Camp socks brands, they engage in providing socks for men and women of all ages with designs ranging from basic casual socks to sports socks, dress socks, trouser socks, foot covers, stockings and even foot care products, shirts and undergarments. This study aims to conduct a system on the Production Department of Burlington Industries Philippines, Inc. In conducting the situation appraisal, the company\u27s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threat were identified. The strengths of Burlington are they are forerunner in the socks manufacturing, no experience of shortage of raw materials and positive growth. Meanwhile, there are three weaknesses identified. Based on the WOT-SURG analysis, the average reject rate of the production is 0.78% higher than the maximum tolerable rate of 3.0% is the weakness that earned the highest score of 6.4 points. Because of this problem, the company is losing net profit yearly to amounting to an approximation of Php 7,853,634.96. On the other hand, opportunity for the company is accepting subcontracting offers from foreign companies during lean months. Lastly, the threats of the company are companies from other countries have lower operational cost and floods may occur during wet seasons. An Ishikawa Diagram was identified and validated the viable causes that contribute to the total network and reject cost incurred by the company. The initial probable causes are broken down into ma, method, material and machine. After doing further investigation of the true causes, the final Ishikawa Diagram was identified and is left with three major causes under machine and material. For machine, the sensor does the breakage of yarn, which contributes roughly 2% of the total rejects and costs Php 99,077.57 per year. Next, needle breakage in the knitting machine creates unwanted needle on the socks, which contributes to 14.63% of the total rejects and costs Php 714,457.08 per year. Lastly, yarn breakage contributes to 41.04% of the total rejects and costs Php 3,223,409.60 per year. Alternative solutions were generated to address the final cause. To evaluate each of the alternative solutions, the Kepner-Tregoe Decision Analysis (KTDA) was used. The proposed solution was identified to be standardization and tension optimization. By implementing this, the company will generate Php 726,068.67 savings annually. This cost savings was evaluated over a 10-year time frame, which yields to a net present value of Php 5,146,200.41. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis was done to determine the effectiveness of the solution. With 100% effectivity, the final reject rate went down to 2.33%. Also, the minimum effectively rate of the solution must be at 58% in order to meet the required reject rate of 3.0%

Molecular mechanisms of fibrillogenesis and the protective role of amyloid P component: two possible avenues for therapy.

Amyloid deposits regress when the supply of fibril precursor proteins is sufficiently reduced, indicating that amyloid fibrils are degradable in vivo. Serum amyloid P component (SAP), a universal constituent of amyloid deposits, efficiently protects amyloid fibrils from proteolysis in vitro, and may contribute to persistence of amyloid in vivo. Drugs that prevent binding of SAP to amyloid fibrils in vivo should therefore promote regression of amyloid and we are actively seeking such agents. A complementary strategy is identification of critical molecular processes in fibrillogenesis as targets for pharmacological intervention. All amyloidogenic variants of apolipoprotein AI contain an additional positive charge in the N-terminal fibrillogenic region of the protein. This is unlikely to be a coincidence and should be informative about amyloidogenesis by this protein. The two amyloidogenic variants of human lysozyme, caused by the first natural mutations found in its gene, provide a particularly powerful model system because both the crystal structure and folding pathways of wild-type lysozyme are so well characterized. The amyloidogenic variant lysozymes have similar 3D crystal structures to the wild type, but are notably less thermostable. They unfold on heating, lose enzymic activity, and aggregate to form amyloid fibrils in vitro

The Strategies and Effectiveness of Conservation NGOs in the Global Voluntary Standards: The Case of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil

International audienceConservation nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and firms have been promoting global voluntary standards, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), to produce environmentally responsible goods in tropical countries. This research seeks to understand the strategies and the effectiveness of conservation NGOs with respect to the RSPO. The authors' research documents that the conservation NGOs, when engaging with the RSPO, may be divided into four categories based on the type of resources mobilised and the conservation goals: (1) 'Collaborative' ones seek to change the system from within by providing scientific research-based information, by holding strategic positions and by creating rules; (2) 'Opponent' ones remain outside the RSPO while using it as a platform for public campaigns; (3) 'Opportunistic' ones focus on conserving geographical areas by adopting either collaborative or opponent strategies to reach their goals; and (4) 'Sceptic' ones support communities to secure local land rights. Such NGOs have implemented strategies that strengthened RSPO's institution. Nevertheless, the institutionalisation of the RSPO prevents the NGOs from reaching their goals for three reasons: (1) individual NGOs cannot change a strategy; (2) NGOs using different engagement strategies are unable to collaborate; and (3) the sceptic NGOs are structurally excluded from the RSPO, though local land rights are a fundamental matter of concern for biodiversity conservation. The NGOs would be more effective in reaching their goals either by focussing on their initial conservation objectives or by strategically collaborating with each other outside the structure of the RSPO