Threat of mining to African great apes.

The rapid growth of clean energy technologies is driving a rising demand for critical minerals. In 2022 at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), seven major economies formed an alliance to enhance the sustainability of mining these essential decarbonization minerals. However, there is a scarcity of studies assessing the threat of mining to global biodiversity.

Future coexistence with great apes will require major changes to policy and practice.

The great apes-bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans-are critically threatened by human activities. We have destroyed their habitats, hunted them and transmitted fatal diseases to them. Yet we also conduct research on them, try to protect them and live alongside them.

Range-wide indicators of African great ape density distribution.

Species distributions are influenced by processes occurring at multiple spatial scales. It is therefore insufficient to model species distribution at a single geographic scale, as this does not provide the necessary understanding of determining factors. Instead, multiple approaches are needed, each differing in spatial extent, grain, and research objective.

Neurotensin: A novel mediator of ovulation?

The midcycle luteinizing hormone (LH) surge initiates a cascade of events within the ovarian follicle which culminates in ovulation. Only mural granulosa cells and theca cells express large numbers of LH receptors, and LH-stimulated paracrine mediators communicate the ovulatory signal within the follicle. Recent reports identified the neuropeptide neurotensin (NTS) as a product of granulosa cells.

Neurotensin stimulates the sperm acrosome reaction and reduces percentages of fertilization in vitro.

Objective: To determine the impact of neurotensin (NTS), a naturally occurring peptide, on the function of human and nonhuman primate sperm.

Design: Experimental study.

Setting: University-based research laboratory.

Thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) Promotes Follicular Angiogenesis, Luteinization, and Ovulation in Primates.

Angiogenesis is essential to both ovulation and the formation of the corpus luteum. The thrombospondin (THBS) family of glycoproteins plays diverse roles in regulation of angiogenesis, but the role of these vascular regulators in ovulation and luteinization remain to be elucidated. Using the cynomolgus macaque as a model for human ovulation, we demonstrated that levels of THBS1 mRNA and protein in preovulatory follicle granulosa cells increased after the ovulatory gonadotropin surge, with peak levels just before the expected time of ovulation.

Guns, germs, and trees determine density and distribution of gorillas and chimpanzees in Western Equatorial Africa.

We present a range-wide assessment of sympatric western lowland gorillas and central chimpanzees using the largest survey data set ever assembled for these taxa: 59 sites in five countries surveyed between 2003 and 2013, totaling 61,000 person-days of fieldwork. We used spatial modeling to investigate major drivers of great ape distribution and population trends. We predicted density across each taxon's geographic range, allowing us to estimate overall abundance: 361,900 gorillas and 128,700 chimpanzees in Western Equatorial Africa-substantially higher than previous estimates.

The Critically Endangered western chimpanzee declines by 80.

African large mammals are under extreme pressure from unsustainable hunting and habitat loss. Certain traits make large mammals particularly vulnerable. These include late age at first reproduction, long inter-birth intervals, and low population density.

Protected areas in tropical Africa: assessing threats and conservation activities.

Numerous protected areas (PAs) have been created in Africa to safeguard wildlife and other natural resources. However, significant threats from anthropogenic activities and decline of wildlife populations persist, while conservation efforts in most PAs are still minimal. We assessed the impact level of the most common threats to wildlife within PAs in tropical Africa and the relationship of conservation activities with threat impact level.

Priority areas for large mammal conservation in Equatorial Guinea.

Hunting is one of the main driving forces behind large mammal density distribution in many regions of the world. In tropical Africa, urban demand for bushmeat has been shown to dominate over subsistence hunting and its impact often overrides spatial-ecological species characteristics. To effectively protect remaining mammal populations the main factors that influence their distribution need to be integrated into conservation area prioritisation and management plans.

Obesity and the risk and detection of fetal malformations.

The incidence of obesity in pregnancy has increased over the past 2 decades, with nearly 50% of U.S. women aged 15-49 years classified as overweight or obese.

Manipulation of quorum sensing regulation in Pseudomonas fluorescens NCIMB 10586 to increase mupirocin production.

Transcription of the 74 kb Pseudomonas fluorescens mupirocin [pseudomonic acid (PA)] biosynthesis cluster depends on quorum sensing-dependent regulation via the LuxI/LuxR homologues MupI/MupR. To facilitate analysis of novel PAs from pathway mutants, we investigated factors that affect mup gene expression. First, the signal produced by MupI was identified as N-(3-oxodecanoyl)homoserine lactone, but exogenous addition of this molecule did not activate mupirocin production prematurely nor did expression of mupI in trans increase metabolite production.

Cooperation and conflict in quorum-sensing bacterial populations.

It has been suggested that bacterial cells communicate by releasing and sensing small diffusible signal molecules in a process commonly known as quorum sensing (QS). It is generally assumed that QS is used to coordinate cooperative behaviours at the population level. However, evolutionary theory predicts that individuals who communicate and cooperate can be exploited.

Distribution of diurnal primate species in Togo and Bénin.

The Dahomey Gap, a strip of forest-savanna mosaic that interrupts the lowland rainforests of West Africa, is supposed to have acted as a natural barrier to the distribution of forest-dwelling mammals. However, few thorough mammal surveys have been conducted in this region. This study intended to gather distributional data and help clarify the distribution limits of diurnal primates occurring within this 'Gap'.