Collagen characterization is crucial for disease diagnostics,prevention,and understanding,with growing focus on quantitative analysis at tissue and fibril levels.Numerous models have been developed to quantify structu...Collagen characterization is crucial for disease diagnostics,prevention,and understanding,with growing focus on quantitative analysis at tissue and fibril levels.Numerous models have been developed to quantify structural changes in collagen linked to various pathologies.However,many approaches remain limited to conceptual descriptions or rely on custom software,often requiring programming skills,which re-stricts their clinical application and potential impact.We introduce CollagenFitJ,a plugin for the open-source software platform ImageJ/FIJI,which represents a widely used microscopy image analysis tool.CollagenFitJ makes use of the cylindrical symmetry model for collagen to enable facile quantitative assessment of polarization-resolved second harmonic generation microscopy image stacks.The plugin’s main outputs are collagen structure-related maps(e.g.,orientation and anisotropy of collagen fibrils within the focal volume),which can be accompanied by distribution and randomness maps for a series of structure-related parameters.We describe and validate the use of CollagenFitJ on images acquired on rat-tail tendons,collagen capsules surrounding human thyroid nodules,and mouse colon tumors,using both scanning and widefield second harmonic generation microscopy datasets.The plugin was designed to be user-friendly,requiring little to no experience in image processing and coding to facilitate access for life scientists,medical staff,and microscopy practitioners with limited coding skills or time availability required for coding.展开更多
The World Health Organization recently raised concerns about antimicrobial resistance and lack of novel antibiotics in the health sector. The success rate of drug discovery is higher when chemical constituents are sou...The World Health Organization recently raised concerns about antimicrobial resistance and lack of novel antibiotics in the health sector. The success rate of drug discovery is higher when chemical constituents are sourced from natural products and when drug candidates are based on the indigenous knowledge of local communities. Tropical rainforests are an important source of medicinal plants for traditional healthcare systems. The pharmaceutical industry also recognizes the potential of rainforests in novel drug development. However, habitat degradation and loss of traditional knowledge are endangering the healing powers of nature. The islands of Fiji have a rich cultural history of traditional medicine and a number of medicinal plants are sourced from the country's rainforest ecosystems. While deforestation and forest degradation are decimating unique rainforest biodiversity and reducing access to medicinal plants in the wild, inter-generational erosion of ethnobotanical knowledge is attributed to acculturation, rural-urban migration and their effects on the transmission of oral traditions from one generation to another. Under these conditions, plants may disappear before their therapeutic value is formally identified. This review summarizes the importance of traditional medicinal knowledge and the potential for drug discovery from the tropical rainforest ecosystems of Fiji. However, there are several challenges that need to be addressed to realize the true potential of ethnopharmacology in this country.展开更多
On February 3, China Cultural Center in Fiji and the Chinese Association of Fiji jointly held the "Chinese New Year Get-together of Overseas Chinese" at the City Hall of Suva, the capital city of Fiji.
Wedelia （Sphagneticola trilobata （L.） Pruski） has become one of the most dominant invasive plant species in Fiji. However, the soil seed bank of its monospecific stand and its ability to reproduce by seed is relat...Wedelia （Sphagneticola trilobata （L.） Pruski） has become one of the most dominant invasive plant species in Fiji. However, the soil seed bank of its monospecific stand and its ability to reproduce by seed is relatively unknown. A soil seed bank study was undertaken in a monospecific stand ofS. trilobata in Sawani, Natavea and Wainivesi in south-east Viti Levu, Fiji in March 2012. The soil samples were collected from within 1.0 m2 quadrat taken at 10 spots in each of the study areas and spread thinly over a base of Yates Thrive Premium potting mix in seedling trays and placed in a glasshouse at Koronivia Research Station, Fiji. A total of 23, 26 and 33 plant species were found in the soil seed bank in Wainivesi, Sawani and Natavea respectively which may have succumbed to S. trilobata invasiability. There were ca. 3,800 （17%）, 2,100 （11%） and 2,600 （6%） germinable S. trilobata seeds-m-2 in the soil seed bank in Wainivesi, Sawani and Natavea areas respectively. This study has demonstrated that S. trilobata seeds may have a role in the spread of the invasive species in Fiji and movement of soil to S. trilobata free areas should be restricted.展开更多
Coastal erosion may have many different causes. Wherever we came across erosion problems on the Yasawa Islands in Fiji, they had causes other than sea level rise. We present two case studies. At one site, the beach er...Coastal erosion may have many different causes. Wherever we came across erosion problems on the Yasawa Islands in Fiji, they had causes other than sea level rise. We present two case studies. At one site, the beach erosion was caused by the construction of a stonewall diverting the currents in a gyre that hit the shore causing local beach erosion. At another site, extensive erosion caused removal and lateral re-deposition of huge quantities of sand. From the Google Earth images we can infer a date between 2005 and 2009 for this change in shore conditions. We suggest that the shallow-water sand was destabilized by the commercial harvesting of thousands of sea cucumbers (Holothuria scabra). These animals, by their sheer numbers and ecological behavior, were exerting a stabilizing influence on the shallow-water sandy deposits off the beach at Yageta Village. In both cases, the erosion was caused by human action. The coasts all along the Yasawa Islands are characterized by coastal stability. The presence of extensive rock-cut platforms and notches, as well as the occurrence of corals grown into “mini-atolls” are indicative of a stable sea level throughout the islands.展开更多
We analyse the location, stability and continuity of the two tide-gauge stations in Fiji. Both stations are awkwardly placed on heavy harbour constructions resting on soft sediments susceptible to serious compaction p...We analyse the location, stability and continuity of the two tide-gauge stations in Fiji. Both stations are awkwardly placed on heavy harbour constructions resting on soft sediments susceptible to serious compaction problems. The nearby GPS stations resting on a bedrock hill offer no solution to the stability problems. The Suva tide-gauge has been moved three times, and must accordingly be analysed in segments. Even the last location covering years 1989 to 2917 provides a mixed picture of 16 years of stability, 10 years of rapid rise, and 4 years of rapid fall in relative sea level. This suggests the interaction of subsidence and cyclic changes in sea level. Any application of mean trends would produce meaningless values rather misguiding than assisting in the handling of estimation of on-going absolute sea level changes. We find this vital for the discussions of local sea level changes to be held at the UN conference on “Our Oceans, Our Future” in June in New York and at the main COP23 conference in November in Bonn.展开更多
As a consequence of the impacts of climate change, some households and entire communities across the Pacific are making the complex and challenging decision to leave their homelands and relocate to new environments th...As a consequence of the impacts of climate change, some households and entire communities across the Pacific are making the complex and challenging decision to leave their homelands and relocate to new environments that can sustain their livelihoods. This short article charts how the residents of Vunidogoloa village in Fiji relocated in early 2014 to reduce their vulnerability to encroaching sea level and inundation events that regularly devastated the community. As a consequence of the Vunidogoloa relocation, this article also explores how the Fiji Government is planning for similar resettlement transitions, including vulnerability and adaptation assessments to develop a list of potential community relocations and the development of national relocation guidelines. This study draws from key informant interviews(n = 8) with government officials, as well as representatives from intergovernmental and local nongovernmental organizations,who are involved in the relocation issue. Given the speed at which these national, top-down initiatives are being forged and especially in light of the absence of any mention of relocation in Fiji’s 2012 climate change policy, careful and inclusive engagement across all scales and stakeholders,including communities 'earmarked' for relocation, is paramount.展开更多
Morphology-based studies have suggested a very depauperate bee fauna for islands in the South West Pacific, and recent genetic studies since have indicated an even smaller endemic fauna with many bee species in this r...Morphology-based studies have suggested a very depauperate bee fauna for islands in the South West Pacific, and recent genetic studies since have indicated an even smaller endemic fauna with many bee species in this region resulting from human-aided dispersal. These introduced species have the potential to both disrupt native pollinator suites as well as augment crop pollination, but for most species the timings of introduction are unknown. We examined the distribution and nesting biology of the long-tongued bee Braunsapis puangensis that was first recorded from Fiji in 2007. This bee has now become widespread in Fiji and both its local abundance and geographical range are likely to increase dramatically. The impacts of this invasion are potentially enormous for agriculture and native ecosystems, but they also provide opportunities for understanding how social insect species adapt to new environments. We outline the major issues associated with this recent invasion and argue that a long-term monitoring study is needed.展开更多
斐济,南太平洋的一个美丽岛国,在1985年尚不通电。但是,随着通电而来的电视,给这个岛国带来了意料不到的变化！昔日,该国的少男少女均以强健和肌肉发达为美,为追求。而今,小小的电视荧屏让他们看到了外面的世界,知道了Western ideals of...斐济,南太平洋的一个美丽岛国,在1985年尚不通电。但是,随着通电而来的电视,给这个岛国带来了意料不到的变化！昔日,该国的少男少女均以强健和肌肉发达为美,为追求。而今,小小的电视荧屏让他们看到了外面的世界,知道了Western ideals of beauty。从此,少女们开始diet(节食减肥),孰料,少女减肥不当,减出了bulimia(易饿病)and anorexia(厌食)。电视的出现是祸是福?作者意味深长地“重温”了19世纪的历史:When the British came to Fiji andbrought the measles 【医】麻疹)with them.接着,作者写道:in the 20th century,television is another pathogen(病原体)exporting Western images and values.】展开更多
基金supported by the Ministry of Research,Innovation and Digitalization,CNCS-UEFISCDI[Grant Nos.RO-NO-2019-0601(MEDYCONAI),PN-III-P4-PCE-2021-0444(RESONANO)]PN-IV-P1-PCE-2023-1137+2 种基金supported in part by IN2SIGHT,European Union’s Horizon 2020(GA.no.964481)by the Research Council of Lithuania(LMTLTAgreement No.P-MIP-23-237).
文摘Collagen characterization is crucial for disease diagnostics,prevention,and understanding,with growing focus on quantitative analysis at tissue and fibril levels.Numerous models have been developed to quantify structural changes in collagen linked to various pathologies.However,many approaches remain limited to conceptual descriptions or rely on custom software,often requiring programming skills,which re-stricts their clinical application and potential impact.We introduce CollagenFitJ,a plugin for the open-source software platform ImageJ/FIJI,which represents a widely used microscopy image analysis tool.CollagenFitJ makes use of the cylindrical symmetry model for collagen to enable facile quantitative assessment of polarization-resolved second harmonic generation microscopy image stacks.The plugin’s main outputs are collagen structure-related maps(e.g.,orientation and anisotropy of collagen fibrils within the focal volume),which can be accompanied by distribution and randomness maps for a series of structure-related parameters.We describe and validate the use of CollagenFitJ on images acquired on rat-tail tendons,collagen capsules surrounding human thyroid nodules,and mouse colon tumors,using both scanning and widefield second harmonic generation microscopy datasets.The plugin was designed to be user-friendly,requiring little to no experience in image processing and coding to facilitate access for life scientists,medical staff,and microscopy practitioners with limited coding skills or time availability required for coding.
文摘The World Health Organization recently raised concerns about antimicrobial resistance and lack of novel antibiotics in the health sector. The success rate of drug discovery is higher when chemical constituents are sourced from natural products and when drug candidates are based on the indigenous knowledge of local communities. Tropical rainforests are an important source of medicinal plants for traditional healthcare systems. The pharmaceutical industry also recognizes the potential of rainforests in novel drug development. However, habitat degradation and loss of traditional knowledge are endangering the healing powers of nature. The islands of Fiji have a rich cultural history of traditional medicine and a number of medicinal plants are sourced from the country's rainforest ecosystems. While deforestation and forest degradation are decimating unique rainforest biodiversity and reducing access to medicinal plants in the wild, inter-generational erosion of ethnobotanical knowledge is attributed to acculturation, rural-urban migration and their effects on the transmission of oral traditions from one generation to another. Under these conditions, plants may disappear before their therapeutic value is formally identified. This review summarizes the importance of traditional medicinal knowledge and the potential for drug discovery from the tropical rainforest ecosystems of Fiji. However, there are several challenges that need to be addressed to realize the true potential of ethnopharmacology in this country.
文摘On February 3, China Cultural Center in Fiji and the Chinese Association of Fiji jointly held the "Chinese New Year Get-together of Overseas Chinese" at the City Hall of Suva, the capital city of Fiji.
文摘Wedelia （Sphagneticola trilobata （L.） Pruski） has become one of the most dominant invasive plant species in Fiji. However, the soil seed bank of its monospecific stand and its ability to reproduce by seed is relatively unknown. A soil seed bank study was undertaken in a monospecific stand ofS. trilobata in Sawani, Natavea and Wainivesi in south-east Viti Levu, Fiji in March 2012. The soil samples were collected from within 1.0 m2 quadrat taken at 10 spots in each of the study areas and spread thinly over a base of Yates Thrive Premium potting mix in seedling trays and placed in a glasshouse at Koronivia Research Station, Fiji. A total of 23, 26 and 33 plant species were found in the soil seed bank in Wainivesi, Sawani and Natavea respectively which may have succumbed to S. trilobata invasiability. There were ca. 3,800 （17%）, 2,100 （11%） and 2,600 （6%） germinable S. trilobata seeds-m-2 in the soil seed bank in Wainivesi, Sawani and Natavea areas respectively. This study has demonstrated that S. trilobata seeds may have a role in the spread of the invasive species in Fiji and movement of soil to S. trilobata free areas should be restricted.
基金supported by a kind grant from the CO_(2) Coalition.
文摘Coastal erosion may have many different causes. Wherever we came across erosion problems on the Yasawa Islands in Fiji, they had causes other than sea level rise. We present two case studies. At one site, the beach erosion was caused by the construction of a stonewall diverting the currents in a gyre that hit the shore causing local beach erosion. At another site, extensive erosion caused removal and lateral re-deposition of huge quantities of sand. From the Google Earth images we can infer a date between 2005 and 2009 for this change in shore conditions. We suggest that the shallow-water sand was destabilized by the commercial harvesting of thousands of sea cucumbers (Holothuria scabra). These animals, by their sheer numbers and ecological behavior, were exerting a stabilizing influence on the shallow-water sandy deposits off the beach at Yageta Village. In both cases, the erosion was caused by human action. The coasts all along the Yasawa Islands are characterized by coastal stability. The presence of extensive rock-cut platforms and notches, as well as the occurrence of corals grown into “mini-atolls” are indicative of a stable sea level throughout the islands.
基金supported by a kind grant from the CO_(2) Coalition
文摘We analyse the location, stability and continuity of the two tide-gauge stations in Fiji. Both stations are awkwardly placed on heavy harbour constructions resting on soft sediments susceptible to serious compaction problems. The nearby GPS stations resting on a bedrock hill offer no solution to the stability problems. The Suva tide-gauge has been moved three times, and must accordingly be analysed in segments. Even the last location covering years 1989 to 2917 provides a mixed picture of 16 years of stability, 10 years of rapid rise, and 4 years of rapid fall in relative sea level. This suggests the interaction of subsidence and cyclic changes in sea level. Any application of mean trends would produce meaningless values rather misguiding than assisting in the handling of estimation of on-going absolute sea level changes. We find this vital for the discussions of local sea level changes to be held at the UN conference on “Our Oceans, Our Future” in June in New York and at the main COP23 conference in November in Bonn.
文摘As a consequence of the impacts of climate change, some households and entire communities across the Pacific are making the complex and challenging decision to leave their homelands and relocate to new environments that can sustain their livelihoods. This short article charts how the residents of Vunidogoloa village in Fiji relocated in early 2014 to reduce their vulnerability to encroaching sea level and inundation events that regularly devastated the community. As a consequence of the Vunidogoloa relocation, this article also explores how the Fiji Government is planning for similar resettlement transitions, including vulnerability and adaptation assessments to develop a list of potential community relocations and the development of national relocation guidelines. This study draws from key informant interviews(n = 8) with government officials, as well as representatives from intergovernmental and local nongovernmental organizations,who are involved in the relocation issue. Given the speed at which these national, top-down initiatives are being forged and especially in light of the absence of any mention of relocation in Fiji’s 2012 climate change policy, careful and inclusive engagement across all scales and stakeholders,including communities 'earmarked' for relocation, is paramount.
基金This project was supported by an Australian Pacific Science Foundation grant to S.V.C.G., M.I.S. and M.RS., a National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facil- ity grant awarded to S.V.C.G., and an Endeavour fellow- ship award to S.V.C.G. We thank the University of South Pacific for hosting S.V.G.G.＇s research in Fiji.
文摘Morphology-based studies have suggested a very depauperate bee fauna for islands in the South West Pacific, and recent genetic studies since have indicated an even smaller endemic fauna with many bee species in this region resulting from human-aided dispersal. These introduced species have the potential to both disrupt native pollinator suites as well as augment crop pollination, but for most species the timings of introduction are unknown. We examined the distribution and nesting biology of the long-tongued bee Braunsapis puangensis that was first recorded from Fiji in 2007. This bee has now become widespread in Fiji and both its local abundance and geographical range are likely to increase dramatically. The impacts of this invasion are potentially enormous for agriculture and native ecosystems, but they also provide opportunities for understanding how social insect species adapt to new environments. We outline the major issues associated with this recent invasion and argue that a long-term monitoring study is needed.
文摘斐济,南太平洋的一个美丽岛国,在1985年尚不通电。但是,随着通电而来的电视,给这个岛国带来了意料不到的变化！昔日,该国的少男少女均以强健和肌肉发达为美,为追求。而今,小小的电视荧屏让他们看到了外面的世界,知道了Western ideals of beauty。从此,少女们开始diet(节食减肥),孰料,少女减肥不当,减出了bulimia(易饿病)and anorexia(厌食)。电视的出现是祸是福?作者意味深长地“重温”了19世纪的历史:When the British came to Fiji andbrought the measles 【医】麻疹)with them.接着,作者写道:in the 20th century,television is another pathogen(病原体)exporting Western images and values.】
