Anthropogenic edge effects in habitat selection by sun bears in a protected area

Wildlife populations in southeast Asia are increasingly experiencing a broad array of anthropogenic threats, and mammalian carnivores are particularly vulnerable. Populations of the Malayan sun bear Helarctos malayanus are estimated to have declined by 30% over the last 30 years from forest conversion to industrial plantations and mortality associated with human–bear conflicts and illegal wildlife trade. However, the effects of industrial plantations on habitat selection and activity patterns of mammals that live at the protected area-plantation interface, including sun bears, are not well known. We investigated habitat selection and activity patterns of sun bears in Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah, Malaysia. We deployed 83 remote camera sites to record sun bear detections during two sampling periods (2012–2013 and 2017). We used generalized linear models to examine relationships between sun bear presence and site covariates representing physical, environmental and anthropogenic elements of the landscape. Relative probability of sun bear presence was positively associated with distance to roads and elevation. Because most roads were on the reserve boundary and often associated with oil palm plantations, proximity to roads likely served as a surrogate measure of human accessibility and activity in peripheral areas of the reserve. Supporting that interpretation, sun bears close to the reserve boundary were primarily active at night, whereas daytime activity was more common for bears in the interior. Our findings indicate that sun bears alter behaviour and habitat selection likely in response to anthropogenic activities at the edges of Tabin Wildlife Reserve (112 200 ha). Because the ratio of edge to interior increases steeply with declining habitat area, smaller protected areas bordered by plantations are predicted to have greater impacts on sun bear behaviour and, potentially, population persistence. Effective conservation actions may benefit from management to improve the security of edge habitats for sun bears and other vulnerable species

DDX3X loss is an adverse prognostic marker in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and is associated with chemoresistance in aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes.

Funder: addenbrooke's charitable trust, cambridge university hospital

Habitat relationships of sun bears (Helarctos Malayanus) and an evaluation of non-invasive methods for estimating sun bear population size at Tabin wildlife reserve, Sabah, Malaysia

The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) has been classified as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN due to habitat loss and poaching. Evaluating how bears respond to human-modified landscapes provides insights into their ecological requirements and survival in altered habitats. Live-capture and marking of sun bears are challenging because of low densities and logistic constraints. Hence, development of noninvasive sampling techniques for long-term population monitoring is crucial. We investigated habitat use of sun bear within Tabin Wildlife Reserve and tested the noninvasive sampling methods for estimating population size. Cameras were placed at 83 stations ≥ 1 km apart, each station was monitored for sun bear detection for an average of 60-days. We used generalized linear models to examine relationships between sun bear presence and habitat variables. We constructed 20 a priori model with different combinations of habitat covariates and used the second-order Akaike information criterion (AICc) to identify the most parsimonious model. We set-up 45 hair traps at baited stations to sample sun bear hair and chest-mark image. Trapping sites were spaced 1 km apart and equipped with one remote camera, revisited every 7-days for 4 consecutive weeks. The relative probability of sun bear presence was positively associated with distance to roads and elevation. Sun bears close to the reserve boundary were primarily active at night, whereas daytime activity was more common for bears in the interior of the reserve. We collected 30 hair samples and 15 chestmark images over 1,260 trap nights. Back-rubbing behavior resulted in the identification of six individual bears based on their chest-mark. Two individuals were recaptured eight times and twice, respectively. The tendency of sun bears to use higher elevations and maintain greater distances from roads may reflect selection of areas away from human disturbance. Sun bears near reserve boundaries may be more active at night to avoid human activities. The tree-taped hair trap design had a higher rate of success both chest-mark photography and hair snagging. Additional research is needed to improve the full potential of these methods for population monitoring of sun bears

High-dose methotrexate is effective for prevention of isolated CNS relapse in diffuse large B cell lymphoma

10.1038/s41408-021-00535-yBLOOD CANCER JOURNAL11

DDX3X loss is an adverse prognostic marker in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and is associated with chemoresistance in aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes

10.1186/s12943-021-01437-0MOLECULAR CANCER20