Niche-breadth of freshwater macrophytes occurring in tropical southern African rivers predicts species global latitudinal range

The study tested the hypothesis that measurement, using multivariate Principal Components Analy-sis (PCA), of the niche-breadth of river macrophyte species in southern tropical Africa, may predicttheir larger-scale biogeographical range. Two measures of niche-breadth were calculated for 44 riverinemacrophyte species, from 20 families commonly occurring in Zambia, using an approach based on PCAordination with 16 bio-physico-chemical input variables. These included altitude, stream order, streamflow, pH, conductivity and soluble reactive phosphate concentration (SRP). In the absence of additionalchemical water quality data for Zambian rivers, invertebrate-based measures of general water qualitywere also used. These were benthic macroinvertebrate Average Score per Taxon (ASPT), and individualabundance of nine macroinvertebrate families with differing water quality tolerance, indicated by theirSensitivity Weightings within the Zambian Invertebrate Scoring System (ZISS). Macrophyte large-scalelatitudinal range was derived from world geopositional records held by online databases, and additionalrecords held by the authors. The two niche-breadth metrics divided the species into narrow-niche andintermediate/broad-niche categories, showing significant variation (from one or both of correlation andANOVA test outcomes) in altitude, stream flow, conductivity, SRP, pH and ASPT, but not stream order.Macrophyte alpha-diversity (as a measure of number of individual niches co-existing per habitat) showedno significant relationship with individual species niche-breadth. Narrow-niche species included a higherproportion of Afrotropical endemics than did species with broader niche size. There were significant pre-dictive relationships between macrophyte niche-breadth and latitudinal range of the target species atglobal and Afrotropical scales, but not for the Neotropics.Fil: Kennedy, Michael. University Of Aberdeen; Reino UnidoFil: Lang, Pauline. University of Glasgow; Reino UnidoFil: Tapia Grimaldo, Julissa. University of Glasgow; Reino UnidoFil: Varandas Martins, Sara. University of Glasgow; Reino UnidoFil: Bruce, Alannah. University of Glasgow; Reino UnidoFil: Moore, Isabel. University of Glasgow; Reino UnidoFil: Taubert, Rebeca. University of Glasgow; Reino UnidoFil: Macleod-Nolan, Chantal. University of Glasgow; Reino UnidoFil: McWaters, Stephanie. University of Glasgow; Reino UnidoFil: Briggs, John. University of Glasgow; Reino UnidoFil: Lowe, Steve. University of Glasgow; Reino UnidoFil: Saili, Kochelani. University Of Zambia;Fil: SICHINGABULA, Henry. University Of Zambia;Fil: Dallas, Helen. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Sudafrica; SudáfricaFil: Morrison, Sean. University of Glasgow; Reino UnidoFil: Franceschini, Maria Celeste. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Willems, Frank. The Kasanka Trust; ZambiaFil: Bottino, Flavia. Universidad Federal de San Carlos; BrasilFil: MURPHY Kevin. University of Glasgow; Reino Unid

The Anti-Inflammatory Drug Leflunomide Is an Agonist of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that mediates the toxicity and biological activity of dioxins and related chemicals. The AhR influences a variety of processes involved in cellular growth and differentiation, and recent studies have suggested that the AhR is a potential target for immune-mediated diseases.During a screen for molecules that activate the AhR, leflunomide, an immunomodulatory drug presently used in the clinic for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, was identified as an AhR agonist. We aimed to determine whether any biological activity of leflunomide could be attributed to a previously unappreciated interaction with the AhR. The currently established mechanism of action of leflunomide involves its metabolism to A771726, possibly by cytochrome P450 enzymes, followed by inhibition of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis by A771726. Our results demonstrate that leflunomide, but not its metabolite A771726, caused nuclear translocation of AhR into the nucleus and increased expression of AhR-responsive reporter genes and endogenous AhR target genes in an AhR-dependent manner. In silico Molecular Docking studies employing AhR ligand binding domain revealed favorable binding energy for leflunomide, but not for A771726. Further, leflunomide, but not A771726, inhibited in vivo epimorphic regeneration in a zebrafish model of tissue regeneration in an AhR-dependent manner. However, suppression of lymphocyte proliferation by leflunomide or A771726 was not dependent on AhR.These data reveal that leflunomide, an anti-inflammatory drug, is an agonist of the AhR. Our findings link AhR activation by leflunomide to inhibition of fin regeneration in zebrafish. Identification of alternative AhR agonists is a critical step in evaluating the AhR as a therapeutic target for the treatment of immune disorders

Towards Stimulating Tools for Advancement of Environmental Conservation through Promoting of Psychological Instruments

The explorative field observation on Environmental Conservation Psychology (ECP) is multi-diversified with collective and conjectural outlook. ECP provides a better understanding of the way in which conservation awareness, attitude, ethics, culture and well-being are affected by physical environments, social settings and built-in environment. The goal is to stimulate more attention be paid to ensure the effectiveness of environmental conservation and highlight psychological instruments required to develop new interdisciplinary approaches with innovative ways in prevailing challenges for the present and upcoming generations. Primary data were collected from a sample of respondents at the Lawachara National Park (LNP) in Moulvibazar district of Bangladesh and secondary data were obtained from diverse sources. The research denoted and investigated by various disciplines and fields including environmental behaviors studies, positive psychology, person-environment studies, human-nature science and ecological psychology. The study showed about 70% of indigenous respondents opined on positive attitudes for environmental conservation to compare with 55% in others. The study identified approximately 65% of respondents stated for development of environmental education among local communities for promoting positive psychology surrounding the national park. This study focuses the importance of understanding this multidimensional psychological research as it is to inform about the environmental conservation perspectives that have contributed to and shaped the learning with high internal conservation stability, dependability, uniformity, and attractiveness with social bonding at LNP. This study represents the environmental design, manage, protect and restore conserving of biodiversity towards national parks that influence human behavior, predict and the likely outcomes when these conditions are not met and diagnose problem situations. This study links at solving complex environmental conservation problems in the pursuit of individual well-being within a longer community through human-environment conservation interactions

Peranan Jawatankuasa Perhubungan Kaum dalam Merintis Kesepaduan Sosial di Tanah Melayu: Satu Tinjauan Awal Bagi Model Masa Depan

Kemajmukan masyarakat akibat daripada polisi ekonomi adalah natijah daripada penjajahan kuasa asing. Akibat daripada polisi ekonomi British, Tanah Melayu menerima kemasukan dua etnik lain iaitu Cina dan India untuk berkerja di sektor perlombongan dan perladangan. Disebabkan ini, timbul pelbagai konflik di antara orang Melayu sebagai penduduk asal Tanah Melayu dengan dua etnik ini, sepertimana yang dapat dilihat semasa pendudukan Jepun dan juga penjajahan British. Tujuan kertas kerja ini adalah untuk melihat peranan Communities Liaison Committee (CLC) atau Jawatankuasa Perhubungan Kaum di dalam meritis kesepaduan sosial di antara etnik Melayu, Cina dan India di Tanah Melayu di dalam keadaan serba mencabar akibat daripada pendudukan Jepun, penjajahan British, pengaruh komunis dan darurat. Usaha mewujudkan kerjasama antara etnik telah lebih dahulu dimulakan oleh gabungan AMCJA-PUTERA tetapi malangnya tidak mampu bertahan kerana tiada sokongan daripada pemerintah British selain tiada tolak ansur antara orang Melayu dan bukan Melayu kerana perbezaan latar belakang dan tumpuan. CLC yang mendapat sokongan kerajaan British adalah perintis kepada kesepaduan sosial di Tanah Melayu apabila ianya berjaya menggabungkan tiga etnik utama untuk berbincang mengenai tolak ansur etnik atau lebih dikenali sebagai “kontrak sosial” serta mengasaskan perkongsian kuasa yang masih diamalkan sehingga sekarang

Dialog antara Etnik sebagai Plaftorm Meningkatkan Hubungan Sosial dalam Kalangan Pelajar Institusi Pengajian Tinggi: Satu Tinjauan Awal

Isu polarisasi pelajar di institusi pengajian tinggi awam telah lama diperkatakan. Walaupun polisi- polisi pendidikan kebangsaan telah berusaha untuk menyemai semangat perpaduan yang telah dimulakan sejak sekolah rendah lagi, malangnya perkara ini masih lagi berlaku. Didapati walaupun terdapat banyak peluang untuk berinteraksi di antara pelajar berlainan etnik di universiti, pelajar secara keseluruhannya masih mempunyai hubungan sosial yang sederhana. Kajian-kajian lepas mencadangkan agar faktor-faktor yang menyebabkan polarisasi ini dikaji dengan lebih mendalam serta diadakan satu platform yang membolehkan pelajar di universiti untuk berkerjasama dan mencari persefahaman. Objektif kertas kerja ini adalah untuk membuat tinjauan awal terhadap dialog antara etnik yang boleh menjadi platform meningkatkan hubungan sosial yang baik di antara pelajar berlainan etnik di universiti awam mahupun swasta. Dialog antara etnik dilihat perlu menitikberatkan dimensi hubungan sosial iaitu asimilasi, amalgamasi, akulturasi dan akomodasi bagi menjamin kejayaanya. Ini adalah perlu kerana hubungan sosial masyarakat Malaysia sendiri berlegar sekitar empat dimensi tersebut disebabkan oleh faktor sejarah dan politik tanah air