Abstract Natural resource management approaches that deliver biodiversity conservation remain elusive, with evidence of a persistent implementation gap between biodiversity science and conservation projects. Scenarios have been identified as potentially useful in addressing the complex issues underlying this implementation gap, but have been infrequently applied to biodiversity conservation. Our paper reports on action co-research to develop, apply and assess the efficacy of scenarios within a community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) approach to biodiversity conservation at Mission Beach, a key site within the globally significant Wet Tropics bioregion. We focused on the capacity of scenarios to address the issues of contested interests and uncertainty, aiming specifically to engage the community to build a cohesive vision. The scenarios' headline messages included a projected substantial loss of habitat in coastal vegetation communities that are highly valued by all stakeholders. Our assessment identified that the use of scenarios fulfilled the intended aims, resulting in a vision for biodiversity conservation that has substantial community support. Three factors contributed to this efficacy of the scenarios: (1) the focus on threat; (2) biodiversity science integration; and (3) simplicity in presentation. Further investigation of the potential of scenarios as tools to overcome the implementation gap in biodiversity conservation is recommended.
A community-based conservation scheme on the upper catchment of the Kairezi River, eastern Zimbabwe, has been based on financial returns from trout fishing. Despite consistent stocking, trout catches have been declining, which undermines the justification for conservation. Fishery managers believed that Cape clawless otters Aonyx capensis preyed on trout and competed with them for food. An analysis of otter and trout diets in 1993 indicated that this was not the case and the otter was not the cause of the lack of trout. The future of the scheme and the conservation of otters in the catchment are more likely to be threatened by poaching and uncontrolled agricultural activities.
This chapter discusses the predation of wild carnivores on dogs, considering the range of recorded carnivore species responsible for killing dogs around the world. It examines the potential dog-killing species to search for records of killing or consuming dogs. There were also findings of recorded dog killings by non-carnivorous species.
Over 130 000 patients in the United States alone need a lifesaving organ transplant. Genetically modified porcine organs could resolve the donor organ shortage, but human xenoreactive antibodies destroy pig cells and are the major barrier to clinical application of xenotransplantation. The objective of this study was to determine whether waitlisted patients possess preformed antibodies to swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) class II, homologs of the class II HLA.Sera from people currently awaiting solid organ transplant were tested for IgG binding to class II SLA proteins when expressed on mammalian cells. Pig fibroblasts were made positive by transfection with the class II transactivator. As a second expression system, transgenes encoding the alpha and beta chains of class II SLA were transfected into human embryonic kidney cells.Human sera containing IgG specific for class II HLA molecules exhibited greater binding to class II SLA positive cells than to SLA negative cells. Sera lacking antibodies against class II HLA showed no change in binding regardless of the presence of class II SLA. These antibodies could recognize either SLA-DR or SLA-DQ complexes.Class II SLA proteins may behave as xenoantigens for people with humoral immunity toward class II HLA molecules.
Xenotransplantation of porcine livers maintains to be the closest and most likely candidate to solve the human donor liver shortage problem. Cells from pigs with deletion of both alpha(1,3)galactosyl transferase (GGTA1) and cytidine monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (CMAH) genes have decreased human antibody binding. Livers from these pigs have yet to be tested for xenogeneic human platelet uptake, which is the major issue preventing liver xenotransplantation. This work examines human platelet uptake by livers from GGTA1-/-CMAH-/- (DKO) pigs. GGTA1-/- or DKO pig livers were continuously perfused with platelets ex vivo; platelets were counted at 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 minutes. Initial platelet loss was also examined using a one-pass perfusion system in which human platelets were perfused through either domestic or DKO porcine livers once and did not cycle back through liver. The main cell types responsible for xenogeneic platelet phagocytosis are kupffer cells (KC) and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC). Human and autologous platelet phagocytosis was examined using LSEC and KC isolated from DKO pig livers. Over 2 hours there is a greater loss of human platelets perfused through a GGTA1-/- pig liver than through a DKO pig liver (Figure). The initial loss of human platelets/g liver is significantly greater in domestic pig livers than DKO pig livers. KC, but not LSEC from DKO pig livers phagocytose xenogeneic human platelets. These results indicate that deletion of the CMAH gene not only reduced human antibody binding, but also led to a reduction in xenogeneic human platelet loss by porcine livers and in particular LSEC.Figure 1: GGTA1-/-CMAH-/- livers have reduced human platelet loss over 2 hours. Human platelets were perfused through GGTA1-/-/CMAH-/- (n= 3), GGTA1-/- (n=2) livers, or system without a liver (n=1)(No liver). Perfusate samples were taken at times indicated and platelets counted.
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