Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 86 in total

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  1. Smedley CJ, Stanley PA, Qazzaz ME, Prota AE, Olieric N, Collins H, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2018 Jul 13;8(1):10617.
    PMID: 30006510 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28880-2
    The jerantinine family of Aspidosperma indole alkaloids from Tabernaemontana corymbosa are potent microtubule-targeting agents with broad spectrum anticancer activity. The natural supply of these precious metabolites has been significantly disrupted due to the inclusion of T. corymbosa on the endangered list of threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This report describes the asymmetric syntheses of (-)-jerantinines A and E from sustainably sourced (-)-tabersonine, using a straight-forward and robust biomimetic approach. Biological investigations of synthetic (-)-jerantinine A, along with molecular modelling and X-ray crystallography studies of the tubulin-(-)-jerantinine B acetate complex, advocate an anticancer mode of action of the jerantinines operating via microtubule disruption resulting from binding at the colchicine site. This work lays the foundation for accessing useful quantities of enantiomerically pure jerantinine alkaloids for future development.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  2. Thayale Purayil F, Rajashekar B, S Kurup S, Cheruth AJ, Subramaniam S, Hassan Tawfik N, et al.
    Genes (Basel), 2020 06 10;11(6).
    PMID: 32531994 DOI: 10.3390/genes11060640
    Haloxylon persicum is an endangered western Asiatic desert plant species, which survives under extreme environmental conditions. In this study, we focused on transcriptome analysis of H. persicum to understand the molecular mechanisms associated with drought tolerance. Two different periods of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced drought stress (48 h and 72 h) were imposed on H. persicum under in vitro conditions, which resulted in 18 million reads, subsequently assembled by de novo method with more than 8000 transcripts in each treatment. The N50 values were 1437, 1467, and 1524 for the control sample, 48 h samples, and 72 h samples, respectively. The gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis resulted in enrichment of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and plant hormone signal transduction pathways under PEG-induced drought conditions. The differential gene expression analysis (DGEs) revealed significant changes in the expression pattern between the control and the treated samples. The KEGG analysis resulted in mapping transcripts with 138 different pathways reported in plants. The differential expression of drought-responsive transcription factors depicts the possible signaling cascades involved in drought tolerance. The present study provides greater insight into the fundamental transcriptome reprogramming of desert plants under drought.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  3. Austin CM, Tan MH, Gan HY, Gan HM
    Mitochondrial DNA A DNA Mapp Seq Anal, 2016 11;27(6):4176-4177.
    PMID: 25630729
    Next-Gen sequencing was used to recover the complete mitochondrial genome of Cherax tenuimanus. The mitogenome consists of 15,797 base pairs (68.14% A + T content) containing 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal subunit genes, 22 transfer RNAs, and a 779 bp non-coding AT-rich region. Mitogenomes have now been recovered for all six species of Cherax native to Western Australia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  4. Rovie-Ryan JJ, Zainuddin ZZ, Marni W, Ahmad AH, Ambu LN, Payne J
    Asian Pac J Trop Biomed, 2013 Feb;3(2):95-9.
    PMID: 23593586 DOI: 10.1016/S2221-1691(13)60031-3
    To demonstrate a noninvasive large mammalian genetic sampling method using blood meal obtained from a tabanid fly.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  5. Juergens J, Bruslund S, Staerk J, Oegelund Nielsen R, Shepherd CR, Leupen B, et al.
    Data Brief, 2021 Jun;36:107093.
    PMID: 34041313 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2021.107093
    In this article we present a standardized dataset on 6659 songbirds (Passeriformes) highlighting information relevant to species conservation prioritization with a main focus to support the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Data were collected from both scientific and grey literature as well as several online databases. The data are structured into six knowledge categories: Conventions and Treaties, Human Use, Extinction Risk, Management Opportunities, Biological Information, and Intrinsic Values. The Conventions and Treaties category includes the listings for two international conventions, CITES and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), as well as EU listings for the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations and the EU Birds Directive. The Human Use category contains information on both regulated trade collected from the CITES Trade Database and the United States' Law Enforcement Management Information System (LEMIS), and highly aggregated data on seizures which we obtained from TRAFFIC, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and two data sources on traditional medicine. We also present, for the first time, the complete Songbirds in Trade Database (SiTDB), a trade database curated by taxon expert S. Bruslund based on expert knowledge, literature review, market surveys and sale announcements. Data on the types of human use, including traditional medicine are also provided. The knowledge area on Extinction Risk contains data on the species' IUCN Red List status, the Alliance for Zero Extinction Trigger Species status, site and population at the site, the species' IUCN Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment, and the listing of priority species at the Asian Songbird Crisis Summit. In the Management Opportunities category, we gathered data on ex-situ management from Species360 zoo holdings as well as species management plans from the European and North American Zoo Associations (EAZA and AZA, respectively). Biological Information includes data on body mass, clutch size, diet, availability of data from the IUCN Red List on habitat systems, extent of occurrence, generation length, migration pattern, distribution, and biological data from the Demographic Species Knowledge Index, number of occurrences recorded by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) as well as genomic data from the Bird 10 000K Genomes (B10K) project, Vertebrate Genome Project (VGP) and GenBank. Information on invasive species is also part of this knowledge area. The Intrinsic Value category refers to two measures of the species' intrinsic value, namely Ecological and Evolutionary Distinctiveness. In order to make these knowledge areas comparable, we standardized data following the taxonomy of the Handbook of the Birds of the World and Birdlife (Version 4, 2019). The data enable a broad spectrum of analyses and will be useful to scientists for further research and to policymakers, zoos and other conservation stakeholders for future prioritization decisions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  6. Grismer LL, Wood PL, Anuar S, Davis HR, Cobos AJ, Murdoch ML
    Zootaxa, 2016 Jan 04;4061(1):1-17.
    PMID: 27395475 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4061.1.1
    A new species of Bent-toed Gecko, Cyrtodactylus gunungsenyumensis sp. nov. of the sworderi complex, is described from Hutan Lipur Gunung Senyum, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia and is differentiated from all other species in the sworderi complex by having a unique combination of characters including a maximum SVL of 74.7 mm; low, rounded, weakly keeled, body tubercles; 34-40 paravertebral tubercles; weak ventrolateral body fold lacking tubercles; 38-41 ventral scales; an abrupt transition between the posterior and ventral femoral scales; 20-23 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; enlarged femoral scales; no femoral or precloacal pores; no precloacal groove; wide caudal bands; and an evenly banded dorsal pattern. Cyrtodactylus gunungsenyumensis sp. nov. is a scansorial, karst forest-adapted specialist endemic to the karst ecosystem surrounding Gunung Senyum and occurs on the vertical walls of the limestone towers as well as the branches, trunks, and leaves of the vegetation in the associated karst forest. Cyrtodactylus gunungsenyumensis sp. nov. is the seventh species of karst forest-adapted Cyrtodactylus and the sixteenth endemic species of karst ecosystem reptile discovered in Peninsular Malaysia in the last seven years from only 12 different karst forests. This is a clear indication that many species remain to be discovered in the approximately 558 isolated karst ecosystems in Peninsular Malaysia not yet surveyed. These data continue to underscore the importance of karst ecosystems as reservoirs of biodiversity and microendemism and that they constitute an important component of Peninsular Malaysia's natural heritage and should be protected from the quarrying interests of foreign industrial companies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  7. Nater A, Mattle-Greminger MP, Nurcahyo A, Nowak MG, de Manuel M, Desai T, et al.
    Curr Biol, 2017 Nov 20;27(22):3487-3498.e10.
    PMID: 29103940 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.09.047
    Six extant species of non-human great apes are currently recognized: Sumatran and Bornean orangutans, eastern and western gorillas, and chimpanzees and bonobos [1]. However, large gaps remain in our knowledge of fine-scale variation in hominoid morphology, behavior, and genetics, and aspects of great ape taxonomy remain in flux. This is particularly true for orangutans (genus: Pongo), the only Asian great apes and phylogenetically our most distant relatives among extant hominids [1]. Designation of Bornean and Sumatran orangutans, P. pygmaeus (Linnaeus 1760) and P. abelii (Lesson 1827), as distinct species occurred in 2001 [1, 2]. Here, we show that an isolated population from Batang Toru, at the southernmost range limit of extant Sumatran orangutans south of Lake Toba, is distinct from other northern Sumatran and Bornean populations. By comparing cranio-mandibular and dental characters of an orangutan killed in a human-animal conflict to those of 33 adult male orangutans of a similar developmental stage, we found consistent differences between the Batang Toru individual and other extant Ponginae. Our analyses of 37 orangutan genomes provided a second line of evidence. Model-based approaches revealed that the deepest split in the evolutionary history of extant orangutans occurred ∼3.38 mya between the Batang Toru population and those to the north of Lake Toba, whereas both currently recognized species separated much later, about 674 kya. Our combined analyses support a new classification of orangutans into three extant species. The new species, Pongo tapanuliensis, encompasses the Batang Toru population, of which fewer than 800 individuals survive. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  8. Hayashi M, Kawakami F, Roslan R, Hapiszudin NM, Dharmalingam S
    Primates, 2018 Mar;59(2):135-144.
    PMID: 29383576 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-018-0650-2
    The Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island (OUI) Foundation has been conducting behavioral and veterinary research on orangutans as an attempt at ex situ conservation. Since 2010, the Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University has been collaborating with OUI to promote environmental enrichment and infant rearing by biological mothers in addition to the continuous efforts of refining the veterinary management of the endangered species. In 2011, three Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus) were released on an island, called BJ Island, adjacent to OUI. This island is approximately 5.6 ha in size, and 635 trees belonging to 102 plant species were identified prior to their release. Behavioral monitoring of the released individuals has been conducted to evaluate their behavioral adaptation to the new environment. Two of the three released orangutans were born in the wild, whereas the youngest individual was born on OUI and expected to learn forest survival strategies from the two older individuals. One of the orangutans was pregnant at the time of release and subsequently gave birth to two male infants on BJ Island. The behavioral monitoring indicated that these orangutans traveled more and spent more time on trees following their release onto BJ Island. However, resting was longer for two females both on OUI and BJ Island when compared to other populations. The orangutans consumed some natural food resources on BJ Island. The release into a more naturalistic environment may help the orangutans to develop more naturalistic behavioral patterns that resemble their wild counterparts.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  9. Lee SY, Ng WL, Mahat MN, Nazre M, Mohamed R
    PLoS One, 2016;11(4):e0154631.
    PMID: 27128309 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154631
    The identification of Aquilaria species from their resinous non-wood product, the agarwood, is challenging as conventional techniques alone are unable to ascertain the species origin. Aquilaria is a highly protected species due to the excessive exploitation of its precious agarwood. Here, we applied the DNA barcoding technique to generate barcode sequences for Aquilaria species and later applied the barcodes to identify the source species of agarwood found in the market. We developed a reference DNA barcode library using eight candidate barcode loci (matK, rbcL, rpoB, rpoC1, psbA-trnH, trnL-trnF, ITS, and ITS2) amplified from 24 leaf accessions of seven Aquilaria species obtained from living trees. Our results indicated that all single barcodes can be easily amplified and sequenced with the selected primers. The combination of trnL-trnF+ITS and trnL-trnF+ITS2 yielded the greatest species resolution using the least number of loci combination, while matK+trnL-trnF+ITS showed potential in detecting the geographical origins of Aquilaria species. We propose trnL-trnF+ITS2 as the best candidate barcode for Aquilaria as ITS2 has a shorter sequence length compared to ITS, which eases PCR amplification especially when using degraded DNA samples such as those extracted from processed agarwood products. A blind test conducted on eight agarwood samples in different forms using the proposed barcode combination proved successful in their identification up to the species level. Such potential of DNA barcoding in identifying the source species of agarwood will contribute to the international timber trade control, by providing an effective method for species identification and product authentication.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  10. Madani G, Nekaris KA
    PMID: 25309586 DOI: 10.1186/1678-9199-20-43
    BACKGROUND: Asian slow lorises (Nycticebus spp.) are one of few known venomous mammals, yet until now only one published case report has documented the impact of their venomous bite on humans. We describe the reaction of a patient to the bite of a subadult Nycticebus kayan, which occurred in the Mulu District of Sarawak in 2012.

    FINDINGS: Within minutes of the bite, the patient experienced paraesthesia in the right side of the jaw, ear and right foot. By 40 minutes, swelling of the face was pronounced. The patient was admitted to Mulu National Park Health Clinic/Klinik Kesihatan Taman Mulu Tarikh, at which time he was experiencing: swollen mouth, chest pain, mild abdominal pain, nausea, numbness of the lips and mouth, shortness of breath, weakness, agitation and the sensation of pressure in the ears due to swelling. The blood pressure was 110/76, the heart ratio was 116 and oxygen saturation was 96%. The patient was treated intramuscularly with adrenaline (0.5 mL), followed by intravenous injection of hydrocortisone (400 mg) and then intravenous fluid therapy of normal saline (500 mg). By 8 h10 the next day, the patient's condition had significantly improved with no nausea, and with blood pressure and pulse rate stable.

    CONCLUSIONS: A handful of anecdotes further support the real danger that slow loris bites pose to humans. As the illegal pet trade is a major factor in the decline of these threatened species, we hope that by reporting on the danger of handling these animals it may help to reduce their desirability as a pet.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  11. Ang CC, Lee SL, Lee CT, Tnah LH, Zakaria RM, Ng CC
    Am J Bot, 2011 May;98(5):e117-9.
    PMID: 21613176 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1000494
    Microsatellite markers were developed for Johannesteijsmannia lanceolata to assess the genetic diversity and mating system of this alarmingly endangered species.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  12. Lilia K, Rosnina Y, Abd Wahid H, Zahari ZZ, Abraham M
    Anat Histol Embryol, 2010 Dec;39(6):569-75.
    PMID: 20809915 DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0264.2010.01030.x
    The Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus) is the largest among the four tapir species and is listed as an endangered species. Ultrasound examination and description of the external anatomy of the female reproductive system of three adult females were performed, whereas the internal anatomy was investigated in necropsied samples of four adult females and one subadult female. Descriptions of the male external genitalia were conducted on one adult male. Gross examination revealed the presence of a bicornuate uterus. The uterine cervix is firm and muscular with projections towards its lumen, which is also evident on ultrasonography. The elongated and relatively small ovaries, which have a smooth surface, could not be imaged on ultrasonography, due to their anatomical position. The testes are located inside a slightly pendulous scrotum that is sparsely covered with soft, short hairs. The penis has one dorsal and two lateral penile projections just proximal to the glans penis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  13. Harrisson K, Pavlova A, Gan HM, Lee YP, Austin CM, Sunnucks P
    Heredity (Edinb), 2016 Jun;116(6):506-15.
    PMID: 26883183 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2016.8
    Climatic differences across a taxon's range may be associated with specific bioenergetic demands and may result in genetics-based metabolic adaptation, particularly in aquatic ectothermic organisms that rely on heat exchange with the environment to regulate key physiological processes. Extending down the east coast of Australia, the Great Dividing Range (GDR) has a strong influence on climate and the evolutionary history of freshwater fish species. Despite the GDR acting as a strong contemporary barrier to fish movement, many species, and species with shared ancestries, are found on both sides of the GDR, indicative of historical dispersal events. We sequenced complete mitogenomes from the four extant species of the freshwater cod genus Maccullochella, two of which occur on the semi-arid, inland side of the GDR, and two on the mesic coastal side. We constructed a dated phylogeny and explored the relative influences of purifying and positive selection in the evolution of mitogenome divergence among species. Results supported mid- to late-Pleistocene divergence of Maccullochella across the GDR (220-710 thousand years ago), bringing forward previously reported dates. Against a background of pervasive purifying selection, we detected potentially functionally relevant fixed amino acid differences across the GDR. Although many amino acid differences between inland and coastal species may have become fixed under relaxed purifying selection in coastal environments rather than positive selection, there was evidence of episodic positive selection acting on specific codons in the Mary River coastal lineage, which has consistently experienced the warmest and least extreme climate in the genus.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  14. Runting RK, Meijaard E, Abram NK, Wells JA, Gaveau DL, Ancrenaz M, et al.
    Nat Commun, 2015 04 14;6:6819.
    PMID: 25871635 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7819
    Balancing economic development with international commitments to protect biodiversity is a global challenge. Achieving this balance requires an understanding of the possible consequences of alternative future scenarios for a range of stakeholders. We employ an integrated economic and environmental planning approach to evaluate four alternative futures for the mega-diverse island of Borneo. We show what could be achieved if the three national jurisdictions of Borneo coordinate efforts to achieve their public policy targets and allow a partial reallocation of planned land uses. We reveal the potential for Borneo to simultaneously retain ∼50% of its land as forests, protect adequate habitat for the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) and Bornean elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis), and achieve an opportunity cost saving of over US$43 billion. Such coordination would depend on enhanced information sharing and reforms to land-use planning, which could be supported by the increasingly international nature of economies and conservation efforts.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  15. Mashkour N, Jones K, Kophamel S, Hipolito T, Ahasan S, Walker G, et al.
    PLoS One, 2020;15(10):e0230760.
    PMID: 33095793 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230760
    The impact of a range of different threats has resulted in the listing of six out of seven sea turtle species on the IUCN Red List of endangered species. Disease risk analysis (DRA) tools are designed to provide objective, repeatable and documented assessment of the disease risks for a population and measures to reduce these risks through management options. To the best of our knowledge, DRAs have not previously been published for sea turtles, although disease is reported to contribute to sea turtle population decline. Here, a comprehensive list of health hazards is provided for all seven species of sea turtles. The possible risk these hazards pose to the health of sea turtles were assessed and "One Health" aspects of interacting with sea turtles were also investigated. The risk assessment was undertaken in collaboration with more than 30 experts in the field including veterinarians, microbiologists, social scientists, epidemiologists and stakeholders, in the form of two international workshops and one local workshop. The general finding of the DRA was the distinct lack of knowledge regarding a link between the presence of pathogens and diseases manifestation in sea turtles. A higher rate of disease in immunocompromised individuals was repeatedly reported and a possible link between immunosuppression and environmental contaminants as a result of anthropogenic influences was suggested. Society based conservation initiatives and as a result the cultural and social aspect of interacting with sea turtles appeared to need more attention and research. A risk management workshop was carried out to acquire the insights of local policy makers about management options for the risks relevant to Queensland and the options were evaluated considering their feasibility and effectiveness. The sea turtle DRA presented here, is a structured guide for future risk assessments to be used in specific scenarios such as translocation and head-starting programs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  16. Kaur T, Japning JR, Sabki MS, Sidik I, Chong LK, Ong AH
    Biochem Genet, 2013 Apr;51(3-4):275-95.
    PMID: 23325482 DOI: 10.1007/s10528-012-9562-9
    The genetic diversity of the endangered crocodile Tomistoma schlegelii was characterized using the protein coding ND 6-tRNA(glu)-cyt b and the cytochrome b-control region (cyt b-CR) markers. Concatenate data revealed six haplotypes with an overall haplotype diversity of 0.769 ± 0.039; nucleotide diversity was 0.00535 ± 0.00172. A nearest-neighbor analysis showed that all individuals clustered with four geographic regions (Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak, and East Kalimantan) and were genetically differentiated. With the exception of the individuals from haplotype H2, which occurred in both Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak, all other haplotypes were geographically distinct. The H4 lineage, which was found to be the most divergent, clustered exclusively in the basal clade in all phylogenetic trees, and the haplotype network was unconnected at the 95% reconnection limit, suggesting further investigation to establish its possible status as a distinct evolutionary significant unit or a cryptic species.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  17. Mohamed Yusoff A, Tan TK, Hari R, Koepfli KP, Wee WY, Antunes A, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2016 09 13;6:28199.
    PMID: 27618997 DOI: 10.1038/srep28199
    Pangolins are scale-covered mammals, containing eight endangered species. Maintaining pangolins in captivity is a significant challenge, in part because little is known about their genetics. Here we provide the first large-scale sequencing of the critically endangered Manis javanica transcriptomes from eight different organs using Illumina HiSeq technology, yielding ~75 Giga bases and 89,754 unigenes. We found some unigenes involved in the insect hormone biosynthesis pathway and also 747 lipids metabolism-related unigenes that may be insightful to understand the lipid metabolism system in pangolins. Comparative analysis between M. javanica and other mammals revealed many pangolin-specific genes significantly over-represented in stress-related processes, cell proliferation and external stimulus, probably reflecting the traits and adaptations of the analyzed pregnant female M. javanica. Our study provides an invaluable resource for future functional works that may be highly relevant for the conservation of pangolins.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  18. Pavlova A, Gan HM, Lee YP, Austin CM, Gilligan DM, Lintermans M, et al.
    Heredity (Edinb), 2017 05;118(5):466-476.
    PMID: 28051058 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2016.120
    Genetic variation in mitochondrial genes could underlie metabolic adaptations because mitochondrially encoded proteins are directly involved in a pathway supplying energy to metabolism. Macquarie perch from river basins exposed to different climates differ in size and growth rate, suggesting potential presence of adaptive metabolic differences. We used complete mitochondrial genome sequences to build a phylogeny, estimate lineage divergence times and identify signatures of purifying and positive selection acting on mitochondrial genes for 25 Macquarie perch from three basins: Murray-Darling Basin (MDB), Hawkesbury-Nepean Basin (HNB) and Shoalhaven Basin (SB). Phylogenetic analysis resolved basin-level clades, supporting incipient speciation previously inferred from differentiation in allozymes, microsatellites and mitochondrial control region. The estimated time of lineage divergence suggested an early- to mid-Pleistocene split between SB and the common ancestor of HNB+MDB, followed by mid-to-late Pleistocene splitting between HNB and MDB. These divergence estimates are more recent than previous ones. Our analyses suggested that evolutionary drivers differed between inland MDB and coastal HNB. In the cooler and more climatically variable MDB, mitogenomes evolved under strong purifying selection, whereas in the warmer and more climatically stable HNB, purifying selection was relaxed. Evidence for relaxed selection in the HNB includes elevated transfer RNA and 16S ribosomal RNA polymorphism, presence of potentially mildly deleterious mutations and a codon (ATP6113) displaying signatures of positive selection (ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitution rates (dN/dS) >1, radical change of an amino-acid property and phylogenetic conservation across the Percichthyidae). In addition, the difference could be because of stronger genetic drift in the smaller and historically more subdivided HNB with low per-population effective population sizes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  19. Alamgir M, Campbell MJ, Sloan S, Engert J, Word J, Laurance WF
    PLoS One, 2020;15(3):e0229614.
    PMID: 32126070 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229614
    The forests of Borneo-the third largest island on the planet-sustain some of the highest biodiversity and carbon storage in the world. The forests also provide vital ecosystem services and livelihood support for millions of people in the region, including many indigenous communities. The Pan-Borneo Highway and several hydroelectric dams are planned or already under construction in Sarawak, a Malaysian state comprising part of the Borneo. This development seeks to enhance economic growth and regional connectivity, support community access to services, and promote industrial development. However, the implications of the development of highway and dams for forest integrity, biodiversity and ecosystem services remained largely unreported. We assessed these development projects using fine-scale biophysical and environmental data and found several environmental and socioeconomic risks associated with the projects. The highway and hydroelectric dam projects will impact 32 protected areas including numerous key habitats of threatened species such as the proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus), Sarawak surili (Presbytis chrysomelas), Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) and tufted ground squirrel (Rheithrosciurus macrotis). Under its slated development trajectory, the local and trans-national forest connectivity between Malaysian Borneo and Indonesian Borneo would also be substantially diminished. Nearly ~161 km of the Pan-Borneo Highway in Sarawak will traverse forested landscapes and ~55 km will traverse carbon-rich peatlands. The 13 hydroelectric dam projects will collectively impact ~1.7 million ha of forest in Sarawak. The consequences of planned highway and hydroelectric dams construction will increase the carbon footprint of development in the region. Moreover, many new road segments and hydroelectric dams would be built on steep slopes in high-rainfall zones and forested areas, increasing both construction and ongoing maintenance costs. The projects would also alter livelihood activities of downstream communities, risking their long-term sustainability. Overall, our findings identify major economic, social and environmental risks for several planned road segments in Sarawak-such as those between Telok Melano and Kuching; Sibu and Bintulu; and in the Lambir, Limbang and Lawas regions-and dam projects-such as Tutoh, Limbang, Lawas, Baram, Linau, Ulu Air and Baleh dams. Such projects need to be reviewed to ensure they reflect Borneo's unique environmental and forest ecosystem values, the aspirations of local communities and long-term sustainability of the projects rather than being assessed solely on their short-term economic returns.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
  20. Khalil I, Yehye WA, Julkapli NM, Rahmati S, Sina AA, Basirun WJ, et al.
    Biosens Bioelectron, 2019 Apr 15;131:214-223.
    PMID: 30844598 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2019.02.028
    Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) based DNA biosensors have considered as excellent, fast and ultrasensitive sensing technique which relies on the fingerprinting ability to produce molecule specific distinct spectra. Unlike conventional fluorescence based strategies SERS provides narrow spectral bandwidths, fluorescence quenching and multiplexing ability, and fitting attribute with short length probe DNA sequences. Herein, we report a novel and PCR free SERS based DNA detection strategy involving dual platforms and short DNA probes for the detection of endangered species, Malayan box turtle (MBT) (Cuora amboinensis). In this biosensing feature, the detection is based on the covalent linking of the two platforms involving graphene oxide-gold nanoparticles (GO-AuNPs) functionalized with capture probe 1 and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) modified with capture probe 2 and Raman dye (Cy3) via hybridization with the corresponding target sequences. Coupling of the two platforms generates locally enhanced electromagnetic field 'hot spot', formed at the junctions and interstitial crevices of the nanostructures and consequently provide significant amplification of the SERS signal. Therefore, employing the two SERS active substrates and short-length probe DNA sequences, we have managed to improve the sensitivity of the biosensors to achieve a lowest limit of detection (LOD) as low as 10 fM. Furthermore, the fabricated biosensor exhibited sensitivity even for single nucleotide base-mismatch in the target DNA as well as showed excellent performance to discriminate closely related six non-target DNA sequences. Although the developed SERS biosensor would be an attractive platform for the authentication of MBT from diverse samples including forensic and/or archaeological specimens, it could have universal application for detecting gene specific biomarkers for many diseases including cancer.
    Matched MeSH terms: Endangered Species
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