Conflicting human interests over the re-introduction of endangered wild dogs in South Africa

In South Africa, a plan was launched to manage separate sub-populations of endangered African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in several small, geographically isolated, conservation areas as a single meta-population. This intensive management approach involves the re-introduction of wild dogs into suitable conservation areas and periodic translocations among them. To assess the attitudes towards re-introduced wild dogs, we conducted a questionnaire survey of multiple stakeholders—local community members, private landowners and tourists—in and around Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP), one of the meta-population conservation areas. Here, we document conflicting human interests over the re-introduced wild dogs. Tourists in HiP, on the one hand, expressed overwhelmingly positive opinions about wild dogs across personal details of the respondents, but especially after having seen free-ranging wild dogs. On the other hand, we found misconceptions and perceptions that were more negative among the rural population around HiP, again largely independent of personal details of the participants, although educated respondents voiced more favourable views of wild dogs. These negative attitudes were in particular due to perceived and real threats of livestock losses. In a follow-up questionnaire survey, we also discovered apparent shortcomings of a previous short-lived conservation education programme among the local communities adjacent to HiP. Consequently, the mitigation of the conflict between wild dogs and rural people requires an understanding of the conditions under which livestock predation occurs, the encouragement of practices that prevent such predation, and increasing local tolerance of co-existence with wild dogs through both economic and non-monetary incentive schemes as well as continued conservation education.     

The potential for large carnivores to act as biodiversity surrogates in southern Africa

Biodiversity in southern Africa is globally extraordinary but threatened by human activities. Although there are considerable biodiversity conservation initiatives within the region, no one has yet assessed the potential use of large carnivores in such actions. Surrogate approaches have often been suggested as one such way of capitalizing on large carnivores. Here we review the suitability of the large carnivore guild (i.e., brown hyaena Hyaena hyaena, spotted hyaena Crocuta crocutta, cheetah Acinonyx jubatus, leopard Panthera pardus, lion Panthea leo and African wild dog Lycaon pictus) to act as surrogate species for biodiversity conservation in southern Africa. We suggest that the guild must be complete for the large carnivores to fully provide their role as ecological keystones. The potential for large carnivores to act as umbrella and indicator species seems limited. However, self-sustaining populations of large carnivores may be useful indicators of unfragmented landscapes. Moreover, diversity within the large carnivore guild may reflect overall biodiversity. Although the global appeal of the large African carnivores makes them important international flagships, we stress that international conservation funding must be linked to local communities for them to be important also locally. In summary, we suggest that the flagship value of these large carnivores should be used to promote biodiversity conservation in the region, and that the suggested relationship between large carnivore diversity and overall biodiversity is empirically tested. Finally we suggest that direct conservation activities should focus on enhancing the keystone values of large carnivores through complete guild conservation and restoration.     

Kinase array design, back to front: biaryl amides

New kinase inhibitors can be found by synthesis of targeted arrays of compounds designed using system-based knowledge as well as through screening focused or diverse compounds. Most array strategies aim to add functionality to a fragment that binds in the purine subpocket of the ATP-site. Here, an alternative pharmacophore-guided array approach is described which set out to discover novel purine subpocket-binding groups. Results are shown for p38alpha and cFMS kinase, for which multiple distinct series with nanomolar potency were discovered. Some of the compounds showed potency in cell-based assays and good pharmacokinetic properties.     

Obstructive sleep apnea and vascular disease

There is emerging evidence linking obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to vascular disease, including hypertension. This relationship may be independent of co-morbidity, such as obesity. Even apparently healthy OSA patients have evidence of subtle functional vascular abnormalities that are known to occur in patients with hypertension and atherosclerosis. Untreated OSA may possibly contribute to the initiation and/or progression of pathophysiologic mechanisms involved in hypertension, heart failure, cardiac ischemia and stroke. This brief commentary will examine the evidence and mechanisms linking OSA to vascular disease.     

Nitrobenzene compounds inhibit expression of VCAM-1.

A series of nitrobenzene compounds has been discovered as potent inhibitors of VCAM-1 expression and, therefore, potential drug candidates for autoimmune and allergic inflammatory diseases. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies showed that a nitro group and two other electron-withdrawing groups are essential for these compounds to be potent inhibitors of VCAM-1 expression.     

Light-stimulated GTP binding to a membrane protein in rod outer segments.

Bovine as well as frog rod outer segments contain a membrane-bound protein which binds the GTP analog GppNp in the light (Kd=0.3μM). The amount of GppNp bound is 2.5–3.5 mmole per mol rhodopsin. The binding protein (M.Wt. ? 54,000) can be extracted from rod membranes with detergent and purified on an Agarose column. The chromatographic profile indicates that the binding protein is distinct from rhodopsin, GTPase or cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase.