Taphonomy of an excavated striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) den in Arabia: implications for paleoecology and prehistory

AbstractStudies of modern carnivore accumulations of bone (i.e., neo-taphonomy) are crucial for interpreting fossil accumulations in the archaeological and paleontological records. Yet, studies in arid regions have been limited in both number and detailed taphonomic data, prohibiting our understanding of carnivore bone-accumulating and -modifying behavior in dry regions. Here, we present a taphonomic analysis of an impressive carnivore-accumulated bone assemblage from the Umm Jirsan lava tube in the Harrat Khaybar region, Saudi Arabia. The size and composition of the bone accumulation, as well as the presence of hyena skeletal remains and coprolites, suggest that the assemblage was primarily accumulated by striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena). Our findings (1) identify potentially useful criteria for distinguishing between accumulations generated by different species of hyenas; (2) emphasize the need for neo-taphonomic studies for capturing the full variation in carnivore bone-accumulating and modifying behavior; (3) suggest that under the right settings, striped hyena accumulations can serve as good proxies for (paleo)ecology and livestock practices; and (4) highlight the potential for future research at Umm Jirsan, as well as at the numerous nearby lava tube systems. We encourage continued neo-taphonomic efforts in regions important in human prehistory, particularly in arid zones, which have received little research attention.

Download Full-text

Social interactions in striped hyena inferred from camera trap data: is it more social than previously thought?

Current Zoology ◽

10.1093/cz/zoaa003 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 66 (4) ◽

pp. 345-353 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jonathan Tichon ◽

Jason S Gilchrist ◽

Guy Rotem ◽

Paul Ward ◽

Orr Spiegel

Keyword(s):

Social Structure ◽

Social Interactions ◽

Social Dynamics ◽

Space Use ◽

Water Source ◽

Camera Traps ◽

Future Research ◽

Striped Hyena ◽

Hyaena Hyaena ◽

Solitary Species

Abstract Understanding the drivers promoting sociality over solitariness in animal species is imperative for predicting future population trends and informing conservation and management. In this study we investigate the social structure of a desert dwelling population of striped hyena Hyaena hyaena. This species is historically regarded as strictly solitary albeit being the least studied of the extant Hyaenids. Accumulating evidence regarding the frequency of social interactions suggests a revision of striped hyena social structure is required. We hypothesized that striped hyena has a social structure that is more complex than expected for a strictly solitary species. For that end, we deployed an array of camera-traps in a remote desert region in Israel, and compared observed frequencies of striped hyena co-occurrence against null models to test whether hyena co-occurred more than expected by chance. Seven adults were (re)captured by our camera-traps in 49 different instances over 83 tracking days. Of these, 6 exhibited shared space-use around a scarce, isolated perennial water source. Five of them, co-occurred with other hyena (in 3 instances) significantly more frequent than expected by chance (and that timing suggests reproduction is unlikely to be the driving factor). Our findings substantiate evidence of complex social structure in striped hyena, highlight the importance of a scarce resource in space-use and sociality, and provide a baseline for future research of striped hyena social structure. We suggest that similar methods be employed to evaluate social structure in other “solitary species” to better understand their social dynamics.

Download Full-text

Transferrin-Conjugated Nanocarriers as Active-Targeted Drug Delivery Platforms for Cancer Therapy

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612822666161026162347 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 454-466 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Daniele R. Nogueira-Librelotto ◽

Cristiane F. Codevilla ◽

Ammad Farooqi ◽

Clarice M. B. Rolim

Keyword(s):

Drug Delivery ◽

Cancer Therapy ◽

Tumor Cells ◽

Therapeutic Benefit ◽

Active Targeting ◽

Future Research ◽

Passive Targeting ◽

The Right ◽

Review Current ◽

Target Effects

A lot of effort has been devoted to achieving active targeting for cancer therapy in order to reach the right cells. Hence, increasingly it is being realized that active-targeted nanocarriers notably reduce off-target effects, mainly because of targeted localization in tumors and active cellular uptake. In this context, by taking advantage of the overexpression of transferrin receptors on the surface of tumor cells, transferrin-conjugated nanodevices have been designed, in hope that the biomarker grafting would help to maximize the therapeutic benefit and to minimize the side effects. Notably, active targeting nanoparticles have shown improved therapeutic performances in different tumor models as compared to their passive targeting counterparts. In this review, current development of nano-based devices conjugated with transferrin for active tumor-targeting drug delivery are highlighted and discussed. The main objective of this review is to provide a summary of the vast types of nanomaterials that have been used to deliver different chemotherapeutics into tumor cells, and to ultimately evaluate the progression on the strategies for cancer therapy in view of the future research.

Download Full-text

Mulching as water-saving technique in dryland agriculture: review article

Bulletin of the National Research Centre ◽

10.1186/s42269-019-0186-7 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Mohammad Abdul Kader ◽

Ashutus Singha ◽

Mili Amena Begum ◽

Arif Jewel ◽

Ferdous Hossain Khan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Arid Regions ◽

Review Article ◽

Water Saving ◽

Future Research ◽

Agricultural Water ◽

Plastic Mulch ◽

Dryland Agriculture ◽

Crop Cultivation ◽

Agricultural Water Resources ◽

Semi Arid

Abstract Agricultural water resources have been limited over the years due to global warming and irregular rainfall in the arid and semi-arid regions. To mitigate the water stress in agriculture, mulching has a crucial impact as a water-saving technique in rain-fed crop cultivation. It is important mainly for preserving soil moisture, relegating soil temperature, and limiting soil evaporation, which affects the crop yield. Mulching has many strategic effects on soil ecosystem, crop growth, and climate. Mulch insulates the soil, helping to provide a buffer from cold and hot temperatures that have a crucial activity in creating beautiful and protected landscapes. This study has accumulated a series of information about both organic and plastic mulch materials and its applicability on crop cultivation. Moreover, future research potentials of mulching with modeling were discussed to quantify water loss in agriculture.

Download Full-text

Habitat preference indicators for striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) in Nepal

Global Ecology and Conservation ◽

10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01619 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 27 ◽

pp. e01619

Author(s):

Shivish Bhandari ◽

Daya Ram Bhusal ◽

Maria Psaralexi ◽

Stefanos Sgardelis

Keyword(s):

Habitat Preference ◽

Striped Hyena ◽

Hyaena Hyaena

Download Full-text

Social exclusion increases the executive function of attention networks

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-86385-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Huoyin Zhang ◽

Shiyunmeng Zhang ◽

Jiachen Lu ◽

Yi Lei ◽

Hong Li

Keyword(s):

Social Exclusion ◽

Executive Control ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Negative Influence ◽

Future Research ◽

Research Attention ◽

Attention Network ◽

Attention Networks ◽

The Social ◽

And Control

AbstractPrevious studies in humans have shown that brain regions activating social exclusion overlap with those related to attention. However, in the context of social exclusion, how does behavioral monitoring affect individual behavior? In this study, we used the Cyberball game to induce the social exclusion effect in a group of participants. To explore the influence of social exclusion on the attention network, we administered the Attention Network Test (ANT) and compared results for the three subsystems of the attention network (orienting, alerting, and executive control) between exclusion (N = 60) and inclusion (N = 60) groups. Compared with the inclusion group, the exclusion group showed shorter overall response time and better executive control performance, but no significant differences in orienting or alerting. The excluded individuals showed a stronger ability to detect and control conflicts. It appears that social exclusion does not always exert a negative influence on individuals. In future research, attention to network can be used as indicators of social exclusion. This may further reveal how social exclusion affects individuals' psychosomatic mechanisms.

Download Full-text

The impact of regionalized trauma care on the distribution of severely injured patients in the Netherlands

European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery ◽

10.1007/s00068-021-01615-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Suzan Dijkink ◽

Erik W. van Zwet ◽

Pieta Krijnen ◽

Luke P. H. Leenen ◽

Frank W. Bloemers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Trauma Care ◽

Trauma System ◽

Future Research ◽

Severely Injured ◽

Trauma Centers ◽

Severely Injured Patients ◽

The Right ◽

Injured Patients ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Twenty years ago, an inclusive trauma system was implemented in the Netherlands. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of structured trauma care on the concentration of severely injured patients over time. Methods All severely injured patients (Injury Severity Score [ISS] ≥ 16) documented in the Dutch Trauma Registry (DTR) in the calendar period 2008–2018 were included for analysis. We compared severely injured patients, with and without severe neurotrauma, directly brought to trauma centers (TC) and non-trauma centers (NTC). The proportion of patients being directly transported to a trauma center was determined, as was the total Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS), and ISS. Results The documented number of severely injured patients increased from 2350 in 2008 to 4694 in 2018. During this period, on average, 70% of these patients were directly admitted to a TC (range 63–74%). Patients without severe neurotrauma had a lower chance of being brought to a TC compared to those with severe neurotrauma. Patients directly presented to a TC were more severely injured, reflected by a higher total AIS and ISS, than those directly transported to a NTC. Conclusion Since the introduction of a well-organized trauma system in the Netherlands, trauma care has become progressively centralized, with more severely injured patients being directly presented to a TC. However, still 30% of these patients is initially brought to a NTC. Future research should focus on improving pre-hospital triage to facilitate swift transfer of the right patient to the right hospital.

Download Full-text

Multispectral Remote Sensing of Wetlands in Semi-Arid and Arid Areas: A Review on Applications, Challenges and Possible Future Research Directions

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs12244190 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (24) ◽

pp. 4190

Author(s):

Siyamthanda Gxokwe ◽

Timothy Dube ◽

Dominic Mazvimavi

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Arid Regions ◽

Remote Sensing Data ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Future Research ◽

Multispectral Imagery ◽

Aquatic Life ◽

Sensing Data ◽

Spatial Coverage ◽

Semi Arid

Wetlands are ranked as very diverse ecosystems, covering about 4–6% of the global land surface. They occupy the transition zones between aquatic and terrestrial environments, and share characteristics of both zones. Wetlands play critical roles in the hydrological cycle, sustaining livelihoods and aquatic life, and biodiversity. Poor management of wetlands results in the loss of critical ecosystems goods and services. Globally, wetlands are degrading at a fast rate due to global environmental change and anthropogenic activities. This requires holistic monitoring, assessment, and management of wetlands to prevent further degradation and losses. Remote-sensing data offer an opportunity to assess changes in the status of wetlands including their spatial coverage. So far, a number of studies have been conducted using remotely sensed data to assess and monitor wetland status in semi-arid and arid regions. A literature search shows a significant increase in the number of papers published during the 2000–2020 period, with most of these studies being in semi-arid regions in Australia and China, and few in the sub-Saharan Africa. This paper reviews progress made in the use of remote sensing in detecting and monitoring of the semi-arid and arid wetlands, and focuses particularly on new insights in detection and monitoring of wetlands using freely available multispectral sensors. The paper firstly describes important characteristics of wetlands in semi-arid and arid regions that require monitoring in order to improve their management. Secondly, the use of freely available multispectral imagery for compiling wetland inventories is reviewed. Thirdly, the challenges of using freely available multispectral imagery in mapping and monitoring wetlands dynamics like inundation, vegetation cover and extent, are examined. Lastly, algorithms for image classification as well as challenges associated with their uses and possible future research are summarised. However, there are concerns regarding whether the spatial and temporal resolutions of some of the remote-sensing data enable accurate monitoring of wetlands of varying sizes. Furthermore, it was noted that there were challenges associated with the both spatial and spectral resolutions of data used when mapping and monitoring wetlands. However, advancements in remote-sensing and data analytics provides new opportunities for further research on wetland monitoring and assessment across various scales.

Download Full-text

Co-Creating New Directions for Service Robots in Hospitality and Tourism

Tourism and Hospitality ◽

10.3390/tourhosp2010003 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 43-61

Author(s):

Francesc Fusté-Forné ◽

Tazim Jamal

Keyword(s):

Ethical Issues ◽

Research Literature ◽

Service Robots ◽

Future Research ◽

Research Attention ◽

Research And Practice ◽

Tourism Management ◽

New Directions ◽

Hospitality And Tourism ◽

New Research

Research on the relationship between automation services and tourism has been rapidly growing in recent years and has led to a new service landscape where the role of robots is gaining both practical and research attention. This paper builds on previous reviews and undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the research literature to discuss opportunities and challenges presented by the use of service robots in hospitality and tourism. Management and ethical issues are identified and it is noted that practical and ethical issues (roboethics) continue to lack attention. Going forward, new directions are urgently needed to inform future research and practice. Legal and ethical issues must be proactively addressed, and new research paradigms developed to explore the posthumanist and transhumanist transitions that await. In addition, closer attention to the potential of “co-creation” for addressing innovations in enhanced service experiences in hospitality and tourism is merited. Among others, responsibility, inclusiveness and collaborative human-robot design and implementation emerge as important principles to guide future research and practice in this area.

Download Full-text

IoT Cloud Security Review

ACM Computing Surveys ◽

10.1145/3447625 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 54 (4) ◽

pp. 1-36

Author(s):

Fei Chen ◽

Duming Luo ◽

Tao Xiang ◽

Ping Chen ◽

Junfeng Fan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Case Studies ◽

Service Providers ◽

Risk Mitigation ◽

Rapid Development ◽

Security Analysis ◽

Cloud Security ◽

Future Research ◽

Security Risk ◽

Research Attention ◽

Cloud Systems

Recent years have seen the rapid development and integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing. The market is providing various consumer-oriented smart IoT devices; the mainstream cloud service providers are building their software stacks to support IoT services. With this emerging trend even growing, the security of such smart IoT cloud systems has drawn much research attention in recent years. To better understand the emerging consumer-oriented smart IoT cloud systems for practical engineers and new researchers, this article presents a review of the most recent research efforts on existing, real, already deployed consumer-oriented IoT cloud applications in the past five years using typical case studies. Specifically, we first present a general model for the IoT cloud ecosystem. Then, using the model, we review and summarize recent, representative research works on emerging smart IoT cloud system security using 10 detailed case studies, with the aim that the case studies together provide insights into the insecurity of current emerging IoT cloud systems. We further present a systematic approach to conduct a security analysis for IoT cloud systems. Based on the proposed security analysis approach, we review and suggest potential security risk mitigation methods to protect IoT cloud systems. We also discuss future research challenges for the IoT cloud security area.

Download Full-text

Sudden Unexpected Death Associated with Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy: Study of the Cardiac Conduction System

Diagnostics ◽

10.3390/diagnostics11081323 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 1323

Author(s):

Giulia Ottaviani ◽

Graziella Alfonsi ◽

Simone G. Ramos ◽

L. Maximilian Buja

Keyword(s):

Fibromuscular Dysplasia ◽

Ventricular Myocardium ◽

Conduction System ◽

Cardiac Conduction ◽

Future Research ◽

Cardiac Conduction System ◽

Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy ◽

Unexpected Death ◽

The Past ◽

The Right

A retrospective study was conducted on pathologically diagnosed arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) from consecutive cases over the past 34 years (n = 1109). The anatomo-pathological analyses were performed on 23 hearts diagnosed as ACM (2.07%) from a series of 1109 suspected cases, while histopathological data of cardiac conduction system (CCS) were available for 15 out of 23 cases. The CCS was removed in two blocks, containing the following structures: Sino-atrial node (SAN), atrio-ventricular junction (AVJ) including the atrio-ventricular node (AVN), the His bundle (HB), the bifurcation (BIF), the left bundle branch (LBB) and the right bundle branch (RBB). The ACM cases consisted of 20 (86.96%) sudden unexpected cardiac death (SUCD) and 3 (13.04%) native explanted hearts; 16 (69.56%) were males and 7 (30.44%) were females, ranging in age from 5 to 65 (mean age ± SD, 36.13 ± 16.06) years. The following anomalies of the CCS, displayed as percentages of the 15 ACM SUCD cases in which the CCS has been fully analyzed, have been detected: Hypoplasia of SAN (80%) and/or AVJ (86.67%) due to fatty-fibrous involvement, AVJ dispersion and/or septation (46.67%), central fibrous body (CFB) hypoplasia (33.33%), fibromuscular dysplasia of SAN (20%) and/or AVN (26.67%) arteries, hemorrhage and infarct-like lesions of CCS (13.33%), islands of conduction tissue in CFB (13.33%), Mahaim fibers (13.33%), LBB block by fibrosis (13.33%), AVN tongue (13.33%), HB duplicity (6.67%%), CFB cartilaginous meta-hyperplasia (6.67%), and right sided HB (6.67%). Arrhythmias are the hallmark of ACM, not only from the fatty-fibrous disruption of the ventricular myocardium that accounts for reentrant ventricular tachycardia, but also from the fatty-fibrous involvement of CCS itself. Future research should focus on application of these knowledge on CCS anomalies to be added to diagnostic criteria or at least to be useful to detect the patients with higher sudden death risks.

Download Full-text