Population dynamics and life history of the rare arctic- alpine plant Sagina nivalis (Caryophyllaceae) on the Ben Lawers range, Scotland, UK

The flora of Scotland's mountains is of international significance as it contains arctic-alpine species at the edge of their global range. Such rear edge populations deserve high priority investigation due to their unique local adaptations, important conservation value and because montane plants may be particularly sensitive to environmental change. Sagina nivalis is one of the rarest and least known arctic-alpines in Britain and the vast majority of plants occur within the Ben Lawers SSSI. Ten permanent plots were surveyed here from 1982-1994 by counting the number of plants and tagging and measuring individuals throughout the duration of their lives. The total number of plants present at each colony across the whole site was also recorded in 1996 and 2014. Extreme fluctuations in numbers occurred within periods of very few years and were associated with the fragile and dynamic nature of the montane habitat. Seedling mortality was very high, but age had no effect on survival rates once plants were one year old. Most were small, only lived two years and produced none or few flowers, although those that survived long enough generally reached their maximum size and flowering potential when they were five years old. The number of plants present across the whole of Ben Lawers halved between 1996 and 2014, with half of all colonies extinct and a further third in significant decline. The greatest threats to S. nivalis in Scotland were identified as habitat damage due to natural processes, sheep activity and climate change. A reduction in snow cover may cause an interaction between these factors and compromise the long-term survival of rear edge populations of this species, other rare arctic-alpines in Scotland and their associated contribution to biodiversity

High mountain trees: altitudinal records recently broken for eleven different tree species in Britain

In 2022 a project was initiated utilising citizen science to document observations of trees growing in Britain above 900 m. This focused recording effort contributed to eleven new altitudinal records for tree species in this country, including Sorbus aucuparia at 1150 m and Picea sitchensis at 1125 m (both East Inverness-shire, v.c.96). Some of these observations involved increases of at least 200 m above previous known altitudinal limits. The new records were a mix of small, stunted plants not expected to reach maturity in these extreme environments, as well as arctic-alpine Salix shrubs adapted to low temperatures and exposed conditions. Although these findings are currently too restricted to draw broad conclusions on the impacts of climate warming and land management on tree colonisation in mountain environments, long-term data collection may allow an analysis of drivers of change in the future. Out of a total of 72 tree records above 900 m collated by the author in 2022, 56% were Picea sitchensis, highlighting the ability of this neophyte to spread into high elevation habitats. The project has been useful for generating public interest in biological recording at and above the altitudinal treeline, and the continuation of such work will assist with mountain woodland restoration projects for a variety of ecologically important taxa and plant communities

The benefits of mountain woodland restoration

Mountain woodland ecotones require urgent action to reverse long-term habitat degradation and biodiversity loss. There is growing interest in restoring high-elevation woodland and scrub communities, harnessing planting and natural regeneration. Emissions offsetting has been a key driver, yet mountain systems offer slower mechanisms for biomass accumulation due to their typically smaller size, lower density and slower growth than forests at lower elevations. We argue that the natural capital afforded by mountain woodland restoration is far more comprehensive than carbon sequestration alone and encompasses an important array of ecosystem services and biodiversity gains. Improved opportunities for wildlife and people include natural hazard protection, sheltering, structural variability, vegetation diversity and recreation. Furthermore, mountain woodland restoration provides critically needed nature- based solutions for reducing threats from escalating climate change such as soil erosion, flooding, warming temperatures and extreme weather. It is imperative that these benefits are embedded within conservation policy and environmental incentives.Output Status: Forthcoming/Available Onlin

Dental Hygienists\u27 Knowledge of HIV, Attitudes Towards People with HIV and Willingness to Conduct Rapid HIV Testing

This study was aimed to determine the dental hygienists\u27 knowledge of HIV, attitudes towards people living with HIV and willingness to conduct rapid HIV testing

Why Are Male Social Relationships Complex in the Doubtful Sound Bottlenose Dolphin Population?

Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Intrauterine Candida albicans infection causes systemic fetal candidiasis with progressive cardiac dysfunction in a sheep model of early pregnancy

Introduction: Several recent studies have identified a potential role for intrauterine Candida albicans in adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth. There is, however, a limited understanding of the impact of intrauterine candida infection on fetal well-being in early pregnancy. Using a sheep model of early pregnancy, the aims of this study were to determine (1) the ability of experimentally induced intrauterine C albicans to infect the fetus and (2) whether C albicans exposure in early pregnancy is associated with alterations in fetal cardiac function, as measured by spectral tissue Doppler imaging analysis of fetal cardiac function. Methods: Merino ewes carrying singleton pregnancies at 89 days’ gestation (term is ∼150 days) received C albicans (n = 8) via ultrasound-guided intra-amniotic injection. Saline-exposed fetuses served as controls (n = 6). Spectral tissue Doppler imaging echocardiography and amniotic fluid collection were performed at baseline and 24 and 72 hours after intrauterine C albicans injection. Fetal tissues were collected at postmortem for analysis of infection and inflammation. Results: Relative to saline control, intrauterine C albicans infection resulted in pronounced increases in amniotic fluid tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α; P < .05) and cytokine/chemokine messenger RNA (interleukin [IL] 1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1; P < .05) in the fetal myocardium, lung, skin, and liver at 72 and 96 hours postinfection. Spectral tissue Doppler imaging showed diastolic dysfunction at 24 hours and severe biventricular diastolic dysfunction 72 hours postinfection. Conclusion: Intrauterine C albicans infection in a sheep model of early pregnancy causes systemic fetal candidiasis, which is associated with a robust systemic inflammatory response and progressive cardiac dysfunction detectable by spectral tissue Doppler imaging

Local alkylating chemotherapy applied immediately after 5-ALA guided resection of glioblastoma does not provide additional benefit.

Grade IV glioma is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumour. Gross total resection with 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) guided surgery combined with local chemotherapy (carmustine wafers) is an attractive treatment strategy in these patients. No previous studies have examined the benefit carmustine wafers in a treatment programme of 5-ALA guided resection followed by a temozolomide-based chemoradiotherapy protocol. The objective of this study was to examine the benefit of carmustine wafers on survival in patients undergoing 5-ALA guided resection. A retrospective cohort study of 260 patients who underwent 5-ALA resection of confirmed WHO 2007 Grade IV glioma between July 2009 and December 2014. Survival curves were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method from surgery. The log-rank test was used to compare survival curves between groups. Cox regression was performed to identify variables predicting survival. A propensity score matched analysis was used to compare survival between patients who did and did not receive carmustine wafers while controlling for baseline characteristics. Propensity matched analysis showed no significant survival benefit of insertion of carmustine wafers over 5-ALA resection alone (HR 0.97 [0.68-1.26], p = 0.836). There was a trend to higher incidence of wound infection in those who received carmustine wafers (15.4 vs. 7.1%, p = 0.064). The Cox regression analysis showed that intraoperative residual fluorescent tumour and residual enhancing tumour on post-operative MRI were significantly predictive of reduced survival. Carmustine wafers have no added benefit following 5-ALA guided resection. Residual fluorescence and residual enhancing disease following resection have a negative impact on survival

Shadoo (Sprn) and prion disease incubation time in mice

Prion diseases are transmissible neurodegenerative disorders of mammalian species and include scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). The prion protein (PrP) plays a key role in the disease, with coding polymorphism in both human and mouse influencing disease susceptibility and incubation time, respectively. Other genes are also thought to be important and a plausible candidate is Sprn, which encodes the PrP-like protein Shadoo (Sho). Sho is expressed in the adult central nervous system and exhibits neuroprotective activity reminiscent of PrP in an in vitro assay. To investigate the role of Sprn in prion disease incubation time we sequenced the open reading frame (ORF) in a diverse panel of mice and saw little variation except in strains derived from wild-trapped mice. Sequencing the untranslated regions revealed polymorphisms that allowed us to carry out an association study of incubation period in the Northport heterogeneous stock of mice inoculated with Chandler/RML prions. We also examined the expression level of Sprn mRNA in the brains of normal and prion-infected mice and saw no correlation with either genotype or incubation time. We therefore conclude that Sprn does not play a major role in prion disease incubation time in these strains of mice