A Call for More Nuanced Dialogues About Trophy Hunting

Reported effects of trophy harvest often are controversial. The subject is nuanced and many studies lack details necessary to place their results in context. Consequently, many studies are misunderstood or their conclusions misapplied. We propose that all dialogues about trophy hunting include a definition of how they use the term trophy, details of variables measured and why they were selected, and explanations of temporal and spatial scales employed. Only with these details can potential effects of trophy hunting be understood in context and used for management and policy decisions. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.     

Linking Material Flow Analysis with Environmental Impact Potential

Technology transition can have significant implications on the evolution of environmental impact potential of disposed electronics over time. Considering technology transition, we quantify the temporal behavior of ecological and human health impact potential from select heavy metals in electronic waste (e‐waste). The case study analyzes product substitution effects in two electronic cohorts from the U.S. market: (1) computers (laptops substituting for desktops) and (2) televisions (flat‐panel liquid crystal displays [LCDs] and plasma displays substituting for cathode‐ray tubes [CRTs]). Quantities of end‐of‐life (EoL) units to year 2030 are forecasted by the unique combination of dynamic material flow analysis, logistic trend analysis, and product lifespan calibration methods. Metal content from EoL units are assessed via a pathway and effect model using USETox? characterization factors to determine the toxicity potential attributed to heavy metal releases into different media (e.g., air, water, and soil) as an indicator of environmental burden. Results show high impact materials such as lead, nickel, and zinc cause changes in human health toxicity potential and copper causes changes in ecological toxicity potential. Effects of dematerialization, such as reduced metal content in laptops over desktops, provide some positive benefits in toxicity potential per product. However, from a market perspective, emerging e‐waste quantities created by increasing per capita penetration rates of electronics and increasing population will offset gains in environmental performance at the product level. The resulting analysis provides guidance on the timing expected for emerging EoL units and an indication of high impact potential materials requiring pollution prevention as product substitution occurs.     

Mixed-Backbone Oligonucleotides Containing Phosphorothioate and Methylphosphonate Linkages as Second Generation Antisense Oligonucleotide

Abstract

Antisense oligonucleotides are being studied as novel therapeutic agents. To further improve the properties of antisense oligonucleotides, we have synthesized phosphorothioate oligonucleotides containing methylphosphonate linkages at the 5′-end, the 3′-end, or in the center, and have evaluated the impact of these linkages on the biophysical properties, biological properties, and some of the safety parameters.     

Synthesis of 4′-Trifluoromethyl Nucleoside Analogs

Abstract

A strategy based on the use of (trifluoromethyl) trimethylsilane for introduction of the trifluoromethyl group at the C-4 of ribose has been developed and utilized in the synthesis of various novel 4′-trifluoromethylated nucleoside analogs. Screening of these analogs against HIV did not reveal significant biological activity.     

Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of 3′-Deoxy-3′-(4-Substituted-Triazol-1-YL)-5-Methyluridine

An efficient protocol has been developed for the synthesis of a small library of 3′-deoxy-3′-(4-substituted-triazol-1-yl)-5-methyluridine using Cu(I)-catalyzed Huisgen–Sharpless–Meldal 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of 3′-azido-3′-deoxy-5-methyluridine with different alkynes under optimized condition in an overall yields of 76%–92%. Here, the azido precursor compound, i.e., 3′-azido-3′-deoxy-5-methyluridine was chemoenzymatically synthesized from D-xylose in good yield. Some of the alkynes used in cycloaddition reaction were synthesized by the reaction of hydroxycoumarins or naphthols with propargyl bromide in acetone using K₂CO₃in excellent yields. All synthesized compounds were unambiguously identified on the basis of their spectral (IR, ¹H-, ¹³C NMR spectra, and high-resolution mass spectra) data analysis.     

Local temperatures inferred from plant communities suggest strong spatial buffering of climate warming across Northern Europe

Recent studies from mountainous areas of small spatial extent (<2500 km²) suggest that fine‐grained thermal variability over tens or hundreds of metres exceeds much of the climate warming expected for the coming decades. Such variability in temperature provides buffering to mitigate climate‐change impacts. Is this local spatial buffering restricted to topographically complex terrains? To answer this, we here study fine‐grained thermal variability across a 2500‐km wide latitudinal gradient in Northern Europe encompassing a large array of topographic complexities. We first combined plant community data, Ellenberg temperature indicator values, locally measured temperatures (LmT) and globally interpolated temperatures (GiT) in a modelling framework to infer biologically relevant temperature conditions from plant assemblages within <1000‐m² units (community‐inferred temperatures: CiT). We then assessed: (1) CiT range (thermal variability) within 1‐km² units; (2) the relationship between CiT range and topographically and geographically derived predictors at 1‐km resolution; and (3) whether spatial turnover in CiT is greater than spatial turnover in GiT within 100‐km² units. Ellenberg temperature indicator values in combination with plant assemblages explained 46–72% of variation in LmT and 92–96% of variation in GiT during the growing season (June, July, August). Growing‐season CiT range within 1‐km² units peaked at 60–65°N and increased with terrain roughness, averaging 1.97 °C (SD = 0.84 °C) and 2.68 °C (SD = 1.26 °C) within the flattest and roughest units respectively. Complex interactions between topography‐related variables and latitude explained 35% of variation in growing‐season CiT range when accounting for sampling effort and residual spatial autocorrelation. Spatial turnover in growing‐season CiT within 100‐km² units was, on average, 1.8 times greater (0.32 °C km^?1) than spatial turnover in growing‐season GiT (0.18 °C km^?1). We conclude that thermal variability within 1‐km² units strongly increases local spatial buffering of future climate warming across Northern Europe, even in the flattest terrains.