The role of water source in high Arctic stream biodiversity: a study from Northeast Greenland

Aim: To identify how different water sources affect stream biodiversity through altering stream habitat conditions. This will allow us to predict how climate change will alter Arctic stream ecosystems in the future

Design thinking and innovation: synthesising concepts of knowledge co-creation in spaces of professional development

This paper explores how design thinking connects to concepts of knowledge creation and innovation. A case study of a knowledge sharing network in the social services sector is used to illustrate how design thinking supports Ba, the spaces for knowledge creation. Further exploration of the four enabling conditions for Ba resulted in delineation of two distinct types: relational and structural. Relational enablers support three groups of enabling conditions: interaction, shared values and communication. It is proposed that design thinking aligns well with relational enabling conditions for Ba to create the ideal spaces for knowledge creation. The group of structural enablers can assist or obstruct change and relate to the culture and management approaches of an organization, which may or may not be assisted by design thinking. However, to ensure that design thinking is not undermined, and innovation is achieved, the presence of an appropriate structural enabler is critical for success

Designing with Care - Interior Design and Residential Child Care Final Report

This exploratory study examined the attitudes to a range of design interventions in four residential care homes for children in South Lanarkshire. The project set out to identify the benefits and disadvantages to young people and staff of a change in approach to the design of interior spaces. It was undertaken by Farm7 (specialists in design research and consultancy) and the Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care (SIRCC). The main focus of the research was to evaluate design interventions aimed at removing 'institutional' approaches to design in the care environment and improving the experience of looked after children. This involved the commissioning of interior design consultants Graven Images in the development and design of South Lanarkshire's residential children's homes. Post-occupancy evaluation of the four residential homes was undertaken with the participation of both looked after children and staff. It was envisaged that this study would contribute to the development of design guidance that will promote a more systematic approach to the design of care environments. This will allow social work and design professionals to draw on a design framework in order to significantly enhance the experience of looked after children and staff

Endothelin-receptor mediated responses in pulmonary resistance arteries: Effect of developmental age and left ventricular dysfunction

(1) The potent vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 (ET-1) is thought to regulate pulmonary blood flow and play a role in the aetiology of pulmonary hypertension (PHT), as well as in the transition of the pulmonary circulation from fetal to neonatal life. Responses to ET-1, and the receptor subtypes involved, were studied in isolated pulmonary resistance arteries (PRAs) from a rabbit coronary ligation model of left ventricular dysfunction (LVD), and also from fetal and neonatal rabbits. (2) The rabbit coronary ligation model of LVD displayed right ventricular hypertrophy and significant increase in lung weight in animals with coronary artery ligation for 8 weeks compared to age matched sham-operated animals. Also consistent with the development of PHT was significant structural alteration demonstrated in the pulmonary vasculature of the LVD group animals. Small muscular pulmonary arteries were studied 8, 16 and 32 weeks after coronary artery ligation or sham operation. (3) In the rabbit coronary-ligation model, investigation of ET-receptor mediated responses showed an agonist potency profile, according to pEC50 values, of SXS6c > ET-3 = ET-1 in all PRAs from all 8, 16 and 32 week procedure groups. This is indicative of a predominant role of contractile ETB receptor subtypes in these vessels, (4) ET receptor subtypes in this preparation were examined further with the use of several selective antagonists. The results demonstrated a biphasic response to ET-1 in all vessels. In sham-operated rabbit PRAs, the shallow component of the response at lower ET-1 concentrations was resistant to the effects of the non-selective ETA/ETB receptor antagonist SB209670 but sensitive to BQ788, a selective ETB receptor antagonist. The steeper component of the ET-1 response, observed at higher peptide concentrations, was resistant to BQ788 but sensitive to SB209670, These differential effects of the antagonists may provide evidence for a heterogeneous population of ETB-like-receptors. Furthermore, competition radioligand binding studies in rabbit pulmonary artery membranes provided a best fit for a two-site model, thus indicating the existence of two distinct ET receptor populations in this preparation. Ki values of 6.43 x10

Social enterprises’ impact on older people’s health and wellbeing: exploring Scottish experiences

Abstract The global aging demographic is putting pressure on state-delivered health and social care services. As the austerity agenda in the UK cuts state-funded service provision for older people despite increasing demand, social enterprise has become a politically and economically attractive model for the sustainable delivery of some public services. Yet little is known about the impact of social enterprise on the health and wellbeing of older people. In this paper we address this gap in understanding and consider social enterprise activities as complex public health-promoting interventions. Our study aimed to understand what impact social enterprise activities had on the health and wellbeing of participants aged over 50, and also how that impact was created. To achieve this, we conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with a sample (n = 43) of staff, volunteers, clients and carers aged over 50 who were involved in activities delivered by three social enterprises. Using a thematic analysis to explore manifest and latent themes, two antecedents of subjective younger age emerged explaining how benefit was created, namely downward social comparison and identity. The social enterprise activities we studied benefited participants' health and wellbeing, impacting positively on participants' sense of purpose, social support, connectedness and inclusion. These health and wellbeing benefits can be considered as outcomes of complex public health interventions for older people, and we relate these outcomes to beneficial conditions within the intermediary social determinants of health. We conclude by discussing the future impact of social enterprise activities and current UK policy on the structural determinants of health

The hydroecological response of Greenlandic streams to a changing climate

Arctic streams are vulnerable to climate change due to the strong linkage between cryosphere, hydrology, physicochemical habitat and ecology. Our knowledge on how stream hydroecological dynamics will respond to climate change is largely based on the impact of the reduction in glacial extent in a warmer Arctic, however our knowledge of the response of Arctic streams with low glacial input are poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, three field campaigns to Zackenberg (northeast Greenland) were carried out (2013 – 2015) to investigate snowmelt stream hydroecological patterns and processes. Streams were chosen that were sourced from both small and large snowpacks, representing low and high snowfall conditions. Streams with large snowpacks were found to have low channel stability and high suspended sediment concentration compared to streams with small snowpacks. Channel stability, rather than water temperature, was the most important factor influencing macroinvertebrate community dynamics, where streams with low channel stability had reduced macroinvertebrate density and taxa richness. The results of this research recommend new classifications to Arctic and alpine stream habitat types, and suggest that, as snowfall is predicted to increase in the Arctic, snowmelt-fed streams may experience decreased channel stability, and as such, a decline in macroinvertebrate density and diversity

Macroinvertebrate communities in streams with contrasting water sources in the Japanese Alps

Alpine streams are typically fed from a range of water sources including glacial meltwater, snowmelt, groundwater flow, and surface rainfall runoff. These contributions are projected to shift with climate change, particularly in the Japanese Alps where snow is expected to decrease, but rainfall events increase. The overarching aim of the study was to understand the key variables driving macroinvertebrate community composition in groundwater and snowmelt-fed streams (n = 6) in the Kamikochi region of the northern Japanese Alps (April–December 2017). Macroinvertebrate abundance, species richness, and diversity were not significantly different between the two stream types. Community structure, however, was different between groundwater and snowmelt-fed streams with macroinvertebrate taxa specialized for the environmental conditions present in each system. Temporal variation in the abundance, species richness, and diversity of macroinvertebrate communities was also significantly different between groundwater and snowmelt streams over the study period, with snowmelt streams exhibiting far higher levels of variation. Two snowmelt streams considered perennial proved to be intermittent with periodic drying of the streambed, but the macroinvertebrates in these systems rebounded rapidly after flows resumed with no reduction in taxonomic diversity. These same streams, nevertheless, showed a major reduction in diversity and abundance following periods of high flow, indicating floods rather than periodic drying was a major driver of community structure. This conclusion was also supported from functional analyses, which showed that the more variable snowmelt streams were characterized by taxa with resistant, rather than resilient, life-history traits. The findings demonstrate the potential for significant turnover in species composition with changing environmental conditions in Japanese alpine stream systems, with groundwater-fed streams potentially more resilient to future changes in comparison to snowmelt-fed streams

Collective futures: cultivating creative collectives.

Collective Futures was a partnership project between three highly regarded institutions operating in the creative industries: Gray's School of Art, University of The West of Scotland (UWS) and the Glasgow School of Art. The partners undertook a unique exploration of creative collectives as a route to economic success and talent development for designer-makers. The collaborative nature of the partnership working throughout the project was recognised by the partners as a form of Creative Academic Collective. The aims of the project were consistent with Creative Scotland's strategic intention to support talent hubs for creative practitioners, and also aligned with recent reports (EKOS) and initiatives such as the South of Scotland Social Enterprise Initiative (SOSCEI), Creative Arts Business Network (CABN) and Emergents, that reinforced the importance of scale, networking, collaboration and the notion of creative places around the country to support creative industries. Central to the success of the project was a meaningful connection and engagement of designer/maker communities and creative practitioners in several parts of Scotland. This project sought to explore effective models of collective working that support designer/makers in the development of their own talent and to sustain and grow their creative businesses