EVIDENCE AGAINST AN INTERACTION OF ANGIOTENSIN II WITH THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM IN MAN

Animal experiments indicate that angiotensin II can, under some circumstances stimulate the sympathetic nervous system at a number of different sites. In order to determine whether such a relationship of the renin-angiotensin and sympathetic nervous system exists in man, we increased (by intravenous infusion), or decreased (by administering the oral converting enzyme inhibitor captopril) circulating angiotensin II levels and monitored plasma adrenaline and nor-adrenaline responses. Angiotensin II infusions did not increase plasma catechol-amines, and lowering of angiotensin II by captopril treatment in patients with severe hypertension or congestive heart failure failed to alter plasma adrenaline or nor-adrenaline levels. Whether physiological levels of angiotensin II are capable of interacting directly with the sympathetic nervous system in man remains to be demonstrated.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73600/1/j.1365-2265.1981.tb00684.x.pd

Minor Abnormalities of Testis Development in Mice Lacking the Gene Encoding the MAPK Signalling Component, MAP3K1

In mammals, the Y chromosome is a dominant male determinant, causing the bipotential gonad to develop as a testis. Recently, cases of familial and spontaneous 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD) have been attributed to mutations in the human gene encoding mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 1, MAP3K1, a component of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal transduction pathway. In individuals harbouring heterozygous mutations in MAP3K1, dysregulation of MAPK signalling was observed in lymphoblastoid cell lines, suggesting a causal role for these mutations in disrupting XY sexual development. Mice lacking the cognate gene, Map3k1, are viable and exhibit the eyes open at birth (EOB) phenotype on a mixed genetic background, but on the C57BL/6J genetic background most mice die at around 14.5 dpc due to a failure of erythropoiesis in the fetal liver. However, no systematic examination of sexual development in Map3k1-deficient mice has been described, an omission that is especially relevant in the case of C57BL/6J, a genetic background that is sensitized to disruptions to testis determination. Here, we report that on a mixed genetic background mice lacking Map3k1 are fertile and exhibit no overt abnormalities of testis development. On C57BL/6J, significant non-viability is observed with very few animals surviving to adulthood. However, an examination of development in Map3k1-deficient XY embryos on this genetic background revealed no significant defects in testis determination, although minor abnormalities were observed, including an increase in gonadal length. Based on these observations, we conclude that MAP3K1 is not required for mouse testis determination. We discuss the significance of these data for the functional interpretation of sex-reversing MAP3K1 mutations in humans

The New Zealand 1986 very low birth weight cohort as young adults: mapping the road ahead

Background: Very low birth weight (less than 1500 g) is associated with increased morbidity and costs of health care in childhood. Emerging evidence suggests these infants face a range of health and social problems as young adults. We studied all New Zealand very low birth weight infants born in 1986 (when 58 % were exposed to antenatal corticosteroids) in infancy, with later follow-up at 7 to 8 years and 23 to 24 years. We now aim to assess the cohort at 26–28 years compared with controls. Methods/design The case sample will comprise a minimum of 250 members of the 1986 New Zealand national very low birth weight cohort (77 % of survivors). Outcomes will be compared with a control group of 100 young adults born at term in 1986. Following written informed consent, participants will travel to Christchurch for 2 days of assessments undertaken by experienced staff. Medical assessments include growth measures, vision, respiratory function, blood pressure and echocardiogram, renal function, dental examination and blood tests. Cognitive and neuropsychological functioning will be assessed with standard tests, and mental health and social functioning by participant interview. A telephone interview will be conducted with a parent or significant other person nominated by the respondent to gain a further perspective on the young person’s health and functioning. All those born at less than 28 weeks’ gestation, plus a random subset of the cohort to a total of 150 cases and 50 controls, will be offered cranial magnetic-resonance imaging. Statistical analysis will examine comparison with controls and long-term trajectories for the very low birth weight cohort. Discussion The research will provide crucial New Zealand data on the young adult outcomes for very low birth weight infants and address gaps in the international literature, particularly regarding cardiovascular, respiratory, visual and neurocognitive outcomes. These data will inform future neonatal care, provide evidence-based guidelines for care of preterm graduates transitioning to adult care, and help shape health education and social policies for this high risk group. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12612000995875. Registered 1 October 2012 Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12887-015-0413-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

The study of rural change from a social scientific perspective: a literature review and annotated bibliography

This publication comprises a review of two decades of literature (1989-2009) on the social science of rural change. It was constructed as an aid to research on the changing nature of Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand, with particular emphasis on the Cromwell and Makarora Districts. In these areas the rural landscape has changed as a result of the introduction of a wide variety of new economic and social activities. Traditional pastoral agriculture remains but has been supplemented with activities associated with tourism, recreation, hospitality, heritage and nature conservation, amenity and retirement residence and new crops such as grapes and export grade cherries. The publication has two parts. Part 1 is a Review Essay (pp.1-20) which synthesises the 165 research articles included in Part 2 – the Annotated Bibliography (pp.21-99). The review essay will help the reader navigate through the many annotations (which are listed in Part 2 alphabetically by first author name, not by topics or themes). The bibliographic material was drawn from social scientific journals, government reports, book chapters and conference proceedings and covers work on: neo-liberal (rural) restructuring and the conceptual transition from productivist to post-productivist/multi-functional rural spaces, new rural governance, rural commodification, neo-endogenous rural development (and the culture economy approach to rural revitalisation), amenity migration and more recent theorising about the emergent global and hybrid countryside.This Literature review and annotated bibliography is a product of a research project funded by the Faculty of Environment, Society and Design Research Seed Fund, Lincoln University Research Fund (LURF) and the Building Research Capability in the Social Sciences (BRCSS) network

The Forgotten Islands: Monitoring tourist numbers and managing tourism impacts on New Zealand's Subantarctic Islands

Situated to the south of New Zealand in the Southern Ocean are the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands, comprising the Auckland, Campbell, Antipodes, Snares and Bounty Islands. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Forgotten Islands’, these island groups are among the most remote and hostile within New Zealand waters. Yet, as they harbour some of the country’s most unique biodiversity and contain some of the world’s least modified landforms, they were recognized in 1998 with the designation of World Heritage Area status. It is not surprising therefore that the Islands have long appealed to visitors wishing to explore and understand the Islands’ rich natural and cultural environments. Typically, fare-paying tourists arrive by sea in small- to medium-sized expedition-style cruise vessels, although in recent years, the number of small vessels, such as yachts and sail boats, has increased. The most recent Conservation Management Strategy (2016) proposes developing and implementing a visitor monitoring programme to determine the effects of visitors on the natural and cultural environment, as well as on the visitor experience itself. However, there is only piecemeal data published on visitor numbers (especially since the mid-1990s) upon which to base visitor monitoring, and there is only limited evidence regarding the range of possible impacts visitors may have, including direct and indirect impact on wildlife, soils, and vegetation. In order to address this gap in knowledge, this case study draws on stakeholder interviews (n = 4), and a range of secondary sources (including visitor statistics from the Department of Conservation, tour operators and other published works) to provide an overview and update on visitation to the Islands, including site-specific data, an assessment of tourist impacts, and how impacts are currently monitored and managed

The Forgotten Islands: Monitoring Tourist Numbers and Managing Tourism Impacts on New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands

Situated to the south of New Zealand in the Southern Ocean are the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands, comprising the Auckland, Campbell, Antipodes, Snares and Bounty Islands. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Forgotten Islands’, these island groups are among the most remote and hostile within New Zealand waters. Yet, as they harbour some of the country’s most unique biodiversity and contain some of the world’s least modified landforms, they were recognized in 1998 with the designation of World Heritage Area status. It is not surprising therefore that the Islands have long appealed to visitors wishing to explore and understand the Islands’ rich natural and cultural environments. Typically, fare-paying tourists arrive by sea in small- to medium-sized expedition-style cruise vessels, although in recent years, the number of small vessels, such as yachts and sail boats, has increased. The most recent Conservation Management Strategy (2016) proposes developing and implementing a visitor monitoring programme to determine the effects of visitors on the natural and cultural environment, as well as on the visitor experience itself. However, there is only piecemeal data published on visitor numbers (especially since the mid-1990s) upon which to base visitor monitoring, and there is only limited evidence regarding the range of possible impacts visitors may have, including direct and indirect impact on wildlife, soils, and vegetation. In order to address this gap in knowledge, this case study draws on stakeholder interviews (n = 4), and a range of secondary sources (including visitor statistics from the Department of Conservation, tour operators and other published works) to provide an overview and update on visitation to the Islands, including site-specific data, an assessment of tourist impacts, and how impacts are currently monitored and managed

Exploring the management of tourism impacts on the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands

Situated to the south of New Zealand in the Southern Ocean are the New Zealand SubAntarctic Islands comprising the Auckland, Campbell, Antipodes, Snares and Bounty Islands. These island groups are among the most remote and hostile within New Zealand’s waters, yetthey harbour ome of the country’s most unique biodiversity and contain some of the world’s least modified landforms; a condition recognised in 1998 with the designation of World Heritage Area status. It is not surprising therefore that the islands have long appealed to visitors wishing to explore and understand the islands’ rich natural and cultural environments. The first commercial cruise operations to the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands wereundertaken in the late 1960s, but at that time cruises to the islands were only sporadic. It took another decade for cruises to become a more regular activity in this region. Typically, farepaying tourists arrive by sea in small to medium sized expedition-style cruise vessels, although in recent years, the number of small vessels such as yachts and sail boats has increased. However, there is only piecemeal data on visitor numbers (especially since the mid-1990s) and there is limited evidence regarding the range of possible impacts visitors may have, including direct and indirect impact on wildlife, soils, and vegetation. In this presentation we draw on a range of secondary sources (from the Department of Conservation, tour operators and other published works) to provide an overview of visitation to the islands, an assessment of tourist impacts and an outline of future options for managing tourism on the Sub-Antarctic Islands. While visitor numbers are small compared to other polar tourism destinations, improved understanding of visitation to the Sub-Antarctic Islands will help ensure that protection of conservation values remain paramount, and that appropriate policy frameworks and conservation management strategies are in place to permit responsible tourism to these remote polar islands

Exploring the management of tourism impacts on the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands

Situated to the south of New Zealand in the Southern Ocean are the New Zealand SubAntarctic Islands comprising the Auckland, Campbell, Antipodes, Snares and Bounty Islands. These island groups are among the most remote and hostile within New Zealand's waters, yet they harbour some of the country's most unique biodiversity and contain some of the world's least modified landforms; a condition recognised in 1998 with the designation of World Heritage Area status. It is not surprising therefore that the islands have long appealed to visitors wishing to explore and understand the islands' rich natural and cultural environments. The first commercial cruise operations to the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands were undertaken in the late 1960s, but at that time cruises to the islands were only sporadic. It took another decade for cruises to become a more regular activity in this region. Typically, farepaying tourists arrive by sea in small to medium sized expedition-style cruise vessels, although in recent years, the number of small vessels such as yachts and sail boats has increased. However, there is only piecemeal data on visitor numbers (especially since the mid-1990s) and there is limited evidence regarding the range of possible impacts visitors may have, including direct and indirect impact on wildlife, soils, and vegetation. In this.presentation we draw on a range of secondary sources (from the Department of Conservation, tour operators and other published works) to provide an overview of visitation to the islands, an assessment of tourist impacts and an outline of future options for managing tourism on the Sub-Antarctic Islands. While visitor numbers are small compared to other polar tourism destinations, improved understanding of visitation to the Sub-Antarctic Islands will help ensure that protection of conservation values remain paramount, and that appropriate policy frameworks and conservation management strategies are in place to permit responsible tourism to these remote polar islands