Explore the vast range of titles available.

Biocultural diversity has made notable contributions that have furthered our understanding of the human culture-nature interrelationship. However, the usage of the term ‘biocultural’ is not unique to biocultural diversity. It was first used in biocultural studies within anthropology decades ahead of biocultural diversity. The existing literature on biocultural diversity does not acknowledge the prior existence of biocultural studies, or provide a clear demarcation between usages of the two terms. In this article, I discuss the varying contexts in usage of the term ‘biocultural’ between biocultural diversity and biocultural anthropology. While biocultural diversity deals with the linkages between biological, cultural, and linguistic diversity, biocultural studies in anthropology deal with the deterministic influence of physical and social environment on human biology and wellbeing. In biocultural studies, ‘biocultural’ refers to the integration of methodically collated cultural data with biological and environmental data. ‘Bio’ in biocultural anthropology therefore denotes biology, unlike biocultural diversity where it refers to biodiversity. Both biocultural studies and biocultural diversity apply ‘biocultural’ as descriptor to generate overlapping terminologies such as ‘biocultural approach’. Such a confusing scenario is not in the interest of biocultural diversity, as it would impede theoretical advancements. I propose that advocates of biocultural diversity explore its harmonies with ecoculturalism and the possibilities of suitably adapting the term ‘ecoculture’ in lieu of ‘bioculture’. Using ‘ecocultural’ instead of ‘biocultural’ as a descriptor to coin terminologies could solve confusions arising from the expanding usage of the term ‘bioculture’.

Background Local ecological calendars are ecocultural frameworks that link temporal and spatial scales, contributing to resilience and adaptive management of natural resources and landscapes. They also facilitate management, access and withdrawal of provisioning ecosystem services. In this article, we describe how the ecological calendar of the Kedayan people of Brunei Darussalam links skyscape and biodiversity with sociocultural aspirations to foster adaptive management of landscape, and provide an understanding of the transmission of calendric knowledge in the community. Methods In 2018, we collaborated with sixteen purposively sampled knowledge keepers from the Kedayan community of Brunei Darussalam to document the Kedayan local ecological calendar, and develop a calendrical pictogram. Using a structured questionnaire, we then interviewed 107 randomly selected community members, to understand the contemporary relevance and popularity of the Kedayan calendar, and the transmission of calendric knowledge in the community. Results Our findings reveal that very few respondents ( n  = 27, 25.3%) are aware of the existence of Kedayan ecological calendar; majority ( n  = 80, 74.7%) were not aware of its existence. There is no statistically significant correlation between consulting healers, knowledge on appropriate time requisite to consult healers, and awareness and self-professed knowledge of Kedayan calendar. Only 14 (13.1%) of the respondents reported to have received some form of calendric knowledge, while the majority (86.9%; n  = 93) never received any calendric knowledge. Only a negligible 1.9% reported to have transmitted calendric knowledge to others indicating a breakdown in transmission of calendric knowledge. Conclusion The calendric pictogram would help the community in revitalizing their calendar. However, the community will have to invest on enhancing transmission of calendric knowledge.

Background Hornbills are known to play an important role in rainforests as agents of seed dispersal. Decades of scientific research has led to a vital body of knowledge on hornbill taxonomy, ecology, distribution, and conservation status. However, the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) that local people possess on hornbills has largely been underexplored. In 2018, we collaborated with the Iban people of Temburong, Brunei Darussalam, to study their TEK on hornbills. Method We collaborated with the members of the Iban community from four longhouses and four villages in Temburong, Brunei Darussalam. Our study adopts a qualitative approach; we used detailed semi-directive interviews and brief semi-structured interviews to gather data. The semi-directive interviews documented the TEK related to Hornbills in detail while the brief semi-structured interviews assessed the current status of TEK in the age group of 18–40 years. Results The results show that the Iban ethnotaxonomy recognises seven folk species of hornbills, with Asian Black Hornbill ( Anthracoceros malayanus ) and Oriental Pied Hornbill ( Anthracoceros albirostris ) considered as a single folk species. The Iban TEK on diet and reproductive behaviour of hornbills complement existing scientific records, with the Iban TEK providing additional locale-specific information on the dietary preferences, abundance and conservation threats. However, the average Iban member has lost much of this TEK, and it is the subsistence hunters and agriculturists who have conserved it. Conclusion There is an urgent need for encouraging transmission of knowledge from the hunters and agriculturists to others through ecotourism and conservation ventures. Our study adds further support to the understanding that the TEK of local communities is an important source of locale-specific knowledge on species of high conservation value such as hornbills.

Background Earth’s biocultural diversity comprising biological, cultural and linguistic diversities is being eroded quickly. Our ability to recognise and appreciate what is remaining is crucial for its survival. However, not all forms of diversity are appreciated equally and a growing trend in plant blindness indicates that humans ignore plants in the environment. In this context, open-air markets emerge as cultural spaces that bring people closer to each other, as well as with local biodiversity represented by fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 160 people visiting Tamu Kianggeh of Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. We randomly interviewed every fifth adult visitor (> 18 years) leaving the market on Fridays and Sundays continuously for a month, using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire had 18 questions related to demographic particulars, reasons for visiting the market, vendor preference, social networking and visits to open-air markets and supermarkets. Results and discussion People visit the market for the diversity of vegetables/fruits; local fruits and vegetables; socialising; cheap prices; ability to bargain; freshness of the products; convenience; medicinal plants; snacks; leisure etc. The ethnic diversity represented at the market comprised chiefly of Malay, Kedayan, Iban, Dusun, Tutong, Chinese communities and foreigners. Majority of the respondents chose ‘availability of a wide range of fruits and vegetables’ as the primary reason for the visit, followed by ‘availability of local fruits and vegetables’. Tamu Kianggeh sold larger number of fruits and vegetables (104 taxa, 26 natives, 2 endemics) compared to the nearest supermarket (85 taxa, 14 natives and 1 endemic). A significant number of respondents also reported that they had made friends at the market. Conclusion Tamu Kianggeh is a meeting ground for ethnic and biological diversities, a property that makes them important centres of biocultural diversity at the local level. Open-air markets such as Tamu Kianggeh bring people closer to a diverse range of vegetables and fruits. They also bring people closer to each other by serving as platforms for socialising. We propose that strategies developed to counter plant blindness should also consider the potential of open-air markets.

Indigenous cultures evolve in relation to available natural resources that can be managed to provide livelihoods, both in temporal and spatial scales, leading to the development of anthropogenic biomes (Ellis 2011; Ellis and Ramankutty 2008; Xu et al. 2009). While the role of culture in traditional ecosystem management is much studied, researchers generally pay less attention to community calendars that facilitate ecosystem management. In this brief literature review, I argue that indigenous calendrical systems are powerful instruments that direct individual as well as collective actions.

Background Southeast Asia is known for its rich linguistic, cultural and biological diversity. While ethnobiology in the west has benefitted greatly from intellectual and methodological advances over the last decades, the status of Southeast Asian ethnobiology is largely unknown. This study aims to provide an analysis of the current status of ethnobiology in Southeast Asia and outlines possibilities for future advancements. Methods We accessed papers cited in the Scopus and Web of Science databases for the period of 1960 to 2014 using the current as well as previous names of the 11 Southeast Asian countries and various disciplines of ethnobiology as key words. We juxtaposed the number of publications from each country against its number of indigenous groups and languages, to see if ethnobiology research has addressed this full spectrum of ethnical diversity. The available data for the last ten years was analysed according to the five phases concept to understand the nature of studies dominating Southeast Asian ethnobiology. Results and conclusions A total number of 312 publications were recorded in the databases for the period 1960–2014. Indonesia ranks highest (93 studies), followed by Thailand (68), Malaysia (58) Philippines (42), Vietnam (31), Laos (29), and other Southeast Asian countries (44). A strong correlation was found between the number of publications for each country, the number of indigenous groups, and the number of endangered languages. Comparing the data available for the period 2005–2009 with 2010–2014, we found a strong increase in the number of phase 5 publications. However, papers with bioprospecting focus were also on the rise, especially in Malaysia. Our study indicates that ethnobiologists still need to realise the full potential of the Biocultural Diversity of Southeast Asia, and that there is a strong need to focus more on socially relevant research.

The cultural keystone species (CKS) concept (i.e. ‘species that shape in a major way the cultural identity of a people’ as defined by Garibaldi and Turner in 2004) has been proposed as part of a common framing for the multiple entangled relationships between species and the socioecological systems in which they exist. However, the blurred and prolific definitions of CKS hamper its univocal application. This work examines the current use of the term CKS to reconcile a definition and explore its practical applications for biocultural stewardship. We ran a search for the words ‘cultural’ AND ‘keystone’ AND ‘species’. Our search was limited to peer‐reviewed articles published in English between 1994 and 2022 (inclusive) and was conducted using Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. We extracted and analysed bibliometric information as well as information on (i) the CKS components, (ii) humans' support for CKS and (iii) the definitions of CKS. From the 313 selected documents, the CKS concept appears to be increasingly accepted, as evidenced by a growing corpus of literature. However, the absence of a systematic and precise way of documenting CKS precludes global cross‐cultural comparisons. The geographical distribution of authors using the concept is biased. We found that 47% of all the CKS reported and 38% of the works identified in our review were located in North America. Beyond ‘supporting identity’, several other of nature's contributions to people are associated with the CKS definitions. However, the contributions of the sociocultural group to the survival and conservation of the CKS (i.e. stewardship) are made explicit only in one‐third of the documents reviewed. To advance biocultural stewardship as a conservation paradigm, we suggest (a) defining CKS as an indissoluble combination of a non‐human species and one or more sociocultural groups; (b) acknowledging that species and sociocultural group relations should be classified in a continuum, according to gradients of relationship intensity; and (c) explicitly acknowledging the reciprocal relationships between sociocultural groups and species. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Resumen El concepto de especie cultural clave (Cultural Keystone Species ‐CKS‐ en inglés) (es decir, ‘especies que dan forma a la identidad cultural de un pueblo’, tal como la definen Garibaldi y Turner en 2004) ha sido propuesta para estudiar las múltiples relaciones entre humanos y otras especies en sistemas socio‐ecológicos. Sin embargo, la diversidad de definiciones de CKS obstaculiza su aplicación unívoca para su gestión basada en criterios bioculturales. Este trabajo examina el uso actual del término CKS para abordar cual sería su definición y explorar sus aplicaciones prácticas para la gestión biocultural. Realizamos una búsqueda de las palabras ‘cultural’ AND ‘keystone’ AND ‘species’. Nuestra búsqueda se limitó a artículos publicados en inglés entre 1994 y 2022 (inclusive) y se realizó utilizando Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus y Web of Science. Extrajimos y analizamos información bibliométrica, así como información sobre (i) los componentes de CKS, (ii) la contribución humana a los CKS y (iii) las definiciones de CKS. De los 313 documentos seleccionados, el concepto CKS parece ser cada vez más aceptado, como lo demuestra un creciente corpus de literatura. Sin embargo, la ausencia de una forma sistemática y precisa de documentar el CKS impide realizar comparaciones interculturales globales. La distribución geográfica de los autores que utilizan el concepto está sesgada. Encontramos que el 47% de todos los CKS reportados y el 38% de las obras identificadas en nuestra revisión estaban ubicadas en América del Norte. Más allá del ‘apoyo a la identidad’, varias otras contribuciones de la naturaleza a las personas están asociadas con las definiciones del CKS. Sin embargo, las contribuciones del grupo sociocultural a la supervivencia y conservación de los CKS (es decir, la gestión) se hacen explícitas sólo en un tercio de los documentos revisados. Para promover la gestión biocultural como paradigma de conservación, sugerimos (a) definir CKS como una combinación indisoluble de una especie no humana y uno o más grupos socioculturales; (b) reconocer que las relaciones entre especies y grupos socioculturales deben clasificarse en un continuo, según gradientes de intensidad de las relaciones; y (c) reconocer explícitamente las relaciones recíprocas entre grupos socioculturales y especies. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Unsustainable hunting practices can alter population dynamics, driving biodiversity declines, which leads to ‘empty forests’. Understanding hunting behaviour, including motivations for hunting and relationships with market drivers, and access to hunting grounds are important to develop affirmative policies to stem biodiversity loss. Here, we investigate community hunting behaviour and motivations in the context of road network expansion. We focus on the Temburong District, Brunei Darussalam, which retains large tracts of undegraded rainforests. Cultural hunting has a long history in the region, which few studies have investigated. In 2022, following preliminary research that suggested widespread hunting across Brunei's forests, we conducted household surveys ( n  = 32) and in‐depth interviews ( n  = 3) with Temburong residents from multiple ethnic backgrounds to characterise hunting behaviours. We contextualised these surveys and interviews within the recently completed construction of Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien (SOAS) Bridge, which we expected would increase human mobility and thus hunting access. Applying a thematic analysis, we characterised hunting in Temburong. Hunting motivations varied greatly, but the primary motivation for hunting was non‐market wild meat consumption, with target species including bearded pig, muntjac and mousedeer, which were primarily snare caught. Hunting had a high level of cultural importance in the region. While hunting is still present in the region, its cultural importance appears to be waning. Our data also present perceptions that the SOAS Bridge may be facilitating access to Temburong's forests for novel hunters, potentially increasing hunting pressure. Policy implications . In Southeast Asia, narratives around hunting often centre on overexploitation and trade. We show that in Brunei, hunting has cultural importance, particularly among Indigenous communities, requiring more careful planning for mitigation strategies aiming to conserve biodiversity to avoid marginalisation of vulnerable communities. Road network expansion may attract new and distant hunters, while complex factors linked to generational changes may reduce hunting pressure in Brunei's forests. Our research thus highlights that local, context‐specific research is required for effective decision‐making surrounding both hunting and development. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Amalan memburu yang tidak lestari boleh mengubah dinamik populasi, sekali gus menyebabkan kemerosotan biodiversiti yang membawa kepada ‘hutan kosong’. Memahami tingkah laku memburu, termasuk motivasi untuk memburu serta hubung kait dengan pemacu pasaran dan akses kepada kawasan pemburuan adalah penting untuk merangka dasar yang berkesan bagi membendung kehilangan biodiversiti. Di sini, kami menyelidik tingkah laku dan motivasi komuniti dalam memburu dalam konteks peluasan rangkaian jalan raya. Tumpuan utaman kami adalah Daerah Temburong, Brunei Darussalam, yang masih mengekalkan kawasan hutan asli yang luas dan tidak terjejas. Aktiviti memburu, secara budaya mempunyai sejarah yang panjang di rantau ini, namun hanya sedikit kajian yang telah dijalankan mengenainya. Pada tahun 2022, susulan penyelidikan awal yang mencadangkan aktiviti memburu meluas di hutan‐hutan Brunei, kami telah menjalankan tinjauan isi rumah ( n  = 32) dan temu bual mendalam ( n  = 3) bersama penduduk Temburong daripada pelbagai latar belakang etnik, bagi mencirikan tingkah laku memburu. Kami mengaitkan tinjauan dan temu bual ini dengan pembinaan Jambatan Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien (SOAS) yang baru sahaja siap, yang dijangka akan meningkatkan mobiliti manusia dan seterusnya akses kepada aktiviti memburu. Dengan menggunakan analisis tematik, kami mencirikan aktiviti memburu di Temburong. Motivasi untuk memburu adalah sangat pelbagai, namun dorongan utama adalah untuk penggunaan daging haiwan liar bagi keperluan bukan pasaran, dengan spesies sasaran termasuk babi berjanggut, kijang, dan pelanduk, yang kebanyakannya ditangkap menggunakan jerat. Aktiviti memburu mempunyai kepentingan budaya yang tinggi di rantau ini. Walaupun aktiviti memburu masih berlaku, kepentingan budayanya kelihatan semakin berkurangan. Data kami juga menunjukkan tanggapan bahawa Jambatan SOAS mungkin memudahkan akses ke hutan Temburong bagi pemburu baharu, yang berpotensi meningkatkan tekanan terhadap sumber haiwan buruan. Implikasi dasar . Di Asia Tenggara, naratif berkaitan pemburuan sering tertumpu kepada eksploitasi berlebihan dan perdagangan. Kami menunjukkan bahawa di Brunei, pemburuan mempunyai kepentingan budaya, terutamanya dalam kalangan komuniti peribumi, yang memerlukan perancangan lebih teliti bagi strategi mitigasi untuk memelihara biodiversiti tanpa meminggirkan komuniti yang terdedah. Peluasan rangkaian jalan raya mungkin menarik pemburu baharu dari kawasan yang lebih jauh, manakala faktor‐faktor kompleks berkaitan perubahan generasi mungkin mengurangkan tekanan pemburuan di hutan‐hutan Brunei. Oleh itu, penyelidikan yang bersifat setempat dan khusus kepada konteks tempatan amat penting untuk membuat keputusan yang berkesan berkaitan pemburuan dan pembangunan. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Background: Gliadins, a family of wheat proteins, are central to the pathogenesis of celiac disease (CD). In addition to ‘immunogenic’ effects, gliadin directly affects cultured cells and intestine preparations, and produces damage in vivo, via a separate ‘toxic’ peptide, such as A-gliadin p31–43 (P31–43). Aims: Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying direct non T-cell mediated effects of gliadin peptides, and assessing their potential role in promoting CD. Method: Gliadin effects were tested on a number of cell lines and on cultured mucosa samples by evaluating cytoskeleton rearrangements, endocytosis, proliferation and apoptosis. Standard biochemical methods were used to assess prolonged epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation. Results: Crude gliadin peptic-tryptic peptides (PTG], or P31–43 alone, fully reproduce the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF] on actin cytosketon, cell cycle and cell proliferation of various cell lines. Inhibitor studies demonstrate the role of EGFR in the early response to gliadin exposure, pointing to activation of the EGFR pathway. Peptide P31–43 is not similar to any EGFR ligand, but can delay inactivation of the EGFR interfering with its endocytosis. Gliadin-induced delay of EGFR endocytosis in cultured intestinal biopsies, together with S-phase entry of epithelial intestinal cells, confirm a role for EGFR activation in CD. Conclusion: The ability of gliadin peptides to delay EGFR inactivation through interference with the endocytic pathway suggests a model where gliadin fragments amplify the effects of trace amounts of EGF, and possibly of other growth factors, by prolonging receptor activation. The results, using cultures of coeliac intestinal biopsies, highlight the role of the EGF pathway in establishing and maintaining the typical atrophic and proliferative alterations of the small intestine in CD.

Measurements are presented of the lifetimes of the B0, Bs0, Λb0, and Bc+ hadrons using the decay channels B0→J/ψK∗(892)0, B0→J/ψKS0, Bs0→J/ψπ+π-, Bs0→J/ψϕ(1020), Λb0→J/ψΛ0, and Bc+→J/ψπ+. The data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7fb-1, was collected by the CMS detector at the LHC in proton–proton collisions at s=8TeV. The B0 lifetime is measured to be 453.0±1.6(stat)±1.8(syst)μm in J/ψK∗(892)0and 457.8±2.7(stat)±2.8(syst)μm in J/ψKS0, which results in a combined measurement of cτB0=454.1±1.4(stat)±1.7(syst)μm. The effective lifetime of the Bs0 meson is measured in two decay modes, with contributions from different amounts of the heavy and light eigenstates. This results in two different measured lifetimes: cτBs0→J/ψπ+π-=502.7±10.2(stat)±3.4(syst)μm and cτBs0→J/ψϕ(1020)=443.9±2.0(stat)±1.5(syst)μm. The Λb0 lifetime is found to be 442.9±8.2(stat)±2.8(syst)μm. The precision from each of these channels is as good as or better than previous measurements. The Bc+ lifetime, measured with respect to the B+ to reduce the systematic uncertainty, is 162.3±7.8(stat)±4.2(syst)±0.1(τB+)μm. All results are in agreement with current world-average values.