Seabirds are among the most endangered avian groups, with populations declining worldwide because of various threats, including invasive nest predators. Similar decreasing trends are occurring in the Southern Grenadines; however, the causes of decline remain uncertain, although non-native rats have been suspected. Therefore, our objective was to determine whether non-native rats are present on five Southern Grenadine islands that harbor seabird colonies, during May-July 2014-2017, using four methods (chew cards, tunnels, cameras, and questionnaires). Les Tantes East and Lee Rocks were the only two islands where cameras detected black rats (). Although rat occupancy was low (0.125 ± 0.061) and the number of individuals and nesting attempts increased (except in 2017) for most species, the low detection probability and small number of nests prevented any inference about rat impact on seabirds. Rats might have affected seabird colonies, but other factors, such as seabird harvest, prey availability, or climatic fluctuations, could have also driven previous seabird population declines in the Southern Grenadines. However, non-native rats are present and future research should focus on estimating their density and distribution on these and other islands of the region before an appropriate rat eradication program can be implemented.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7313 | DOI Listing |
Biochem Biophys Res Commun
January 2025
Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires and Institute of Chemistry and Biological Physical Chemistry (IQUIFIB, UBA-CONICET), Junin 956, 1113, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address:
Here we explore the interplay between physical and chemical perturbants to unravel links among native folding, amorphous and ordered aggregation scenarios in IFABP (rat intestinal fatty acid binding protein). This small beta-barrel protein undergoes amyloid-like aggregation above 15 % v/v trifluoroethanol. Our aim was to address the influence of sub-aggregating TFE concentrations on the unfolding transitions of IFABP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Immunol
August 2024
Institute of Bioinformatics, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States.
Numerous enveloped viruses, such as coronaviruses, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), utilize class I fusion proteins for cell entry. During this process, the proteins transition from a prefusion to a postfusion state, undergoing substantial and irreversible conformational changes. The prefusion conformation has repeatedly shown significant potential in vaccine development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeerJ
July 2024
Pacific Rim Conservation, Honolulu, HI, United States of America.
Background: Invasive species are the primary threat to island ecosystems globally and are responsible for approximately two-thirds of all island species extinctions in the past 400 years. Non-native mammals-primarily rats, cats, mongooses, goats, sheep, and pigs-have had devastating impacts on at-risk species and are major factors in population declines and extinctions in Hawai'i. With the development of fencing technology that can exclude all mammalian predators, the focus for some locations in Hawai'i shifted from predator control to local eradication.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Am Chem Soc
August 2024
Biofunctional Nanomaterials Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim BT9 7BL, N. Ireland.
Long-acting drug delivery systems are promising platforms to improve patient adherence to medication by delivering drugs over sustained periods and removing the need for patients to comply with oral regimens. This research paper provides a proof-of-concept for the development of a new optimized forming injectable depot based on a tetrabenzylamine-tetraglycine-d-lysine-O-phospho-d-tyrosine peptoid-D-peptide formulation ((Phe)GGGGk(AZT)y(p)-OH). The chemical versatility of the peptoid-peptide motif allows low-molecular-weight drugs to be precisely and covalently conjugated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Commun
April 2024
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.
The black rat (Rattus rattus) is a globally invasive species that has been widely introduced across Africa. Within its invasive range in West Africa, R. rattus may compete with the native rodent Mastomys natalensis, the primary reservoir host of Lassa virus, a zoonotic pathogen that kills thousands annually.
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