Using long-term monitoring of fen hydrology and vegetation to underpin wetland restoration strategies

Question: How can long-term monitoring of hydrological and ecological parameters support management strategies aimed towards wetland restoration and re-creation in a complex hydrological system? Location: Newham Bog National Nature Reserve, Northumberland, UK, a site with a long history of active management, and recorded as drought-sensitive over the last 100 years. Methods: Water level readings are correlated with longer-term hydrological databases, and these data related to vegetation data collected intermittently over a 12 year period. Two analyses are undertaken: (1) a composite DCA analysis of 1993 and 2002 survey data to assess plant community transitions within the wetland and over time, and (2) analysis of recent vegetation data to explore wider vegetation gradients. This allows (3) communities to be classified using NVC classes and (4) integrated with revised Ellenberg F-values. Results: Drought impact and subsequent hydrological recovery over a 22-year period are quantified. Vegetation data display strong moisture and successional gradients. Analysis shows a shift from grassland communities toward mire communities across much of the site. Conclusion: The site is regionally unique in that it has a detailed long-term monitoring record. Hydrological data and vegetation survey have allowed the impact of the most recent ‘groundwater’drought (1989–1997) to be quantified. This information on system resilience, combined with eco-hydrological analyses of plant community-water regime/quality relationships, provide a basis for recommendations concerning conservation and restoration.     

A simple method for the determination of reduction potentials in heme proteins

We describe a simple method for the determination of heme protein reduction potentials. We use the method to determine the reduction potentials for the PAS-A domains of the regulatory heme proteins human NPAS2 (E_m = −115 mV ± 2 mV, pH 7.0) and human CLOCK (E_m = −111 mV ± 2 mV, pH 7.0). We suggest that the method can be easily and routinely applied to the determination of reduction potentials across the family of heme proteins.     

Degradation of lipoprotein lipase in rat adipose tissue

Pulse-chase studies have shown that the lipoprotein lipase protein of rat epididymal fat bodies is apparently rapidly degraded (43% in 3 h) during incubation at 37°C under conditions where little degradation of the total adipose tissue protein is taking place.     

Regulation of the synthesis of lipoprotein lipase in adipose tissue by dexamethasone

The incorporation of [3H]leucine into lipoprotein lipase during incubations of rat epididymal fat-bodies in vitro was significantly stimulated by dexamethasone, whereas total protein synthesis was unaffected. The stimulation by dexamethasone required the presence of insulin. The results suggest that dexamethasone, in the presence of insulin, may specifically induce lipoprotein lipase synthesis in adipose tissue.     

Der Ursprung der Angiospermen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Insulin dependent diabetes in childhood and material deprivation in northern England, 1977-86.

OBJECTIVE--To determine the incidence of insulin dependent diabetes in the Northern region of England in children less than 16 years old in the period 1977 to 1986 and to relate the incidence data to an index of deprivation. DESIGN--Retrospective analysis of hospital case records identified from the regional health authority''s computer; validation of the primary source with hospital clinic registers and community paediatric registers. SETTING--Northern region, excluding South Cumbria District Health Authority (659,300 children under 16 in 1981). PATIENTS--All children diagnosed with insulin dependent diabetes before the age of 16 and resident in the region at time of diagnosis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Incidence rates for the 10 year period and analysis of incidence rates within categories of deprivation. RESULTS--919 incident cases were identified. The validation procedure covered 54% of all cases identified and gave 95% completeness of ascertainment. The average annual incidence over the 10 year period was 14.8/100,000 for girls and 13.4/100,000 for boys. The annual incidence for the most and least deprived areas of the region was 18.7/100,000 (95% confidence interval 16.2 to 21.5) for boys and 7/100,000 (5.6 to 8.8) for girls. There was a highly significant trend (p less than 0.001) of decreasing incidence with decreasing level of deprivation. CONCLUSIONS--In the north of England the incidence of childhood diabetes is related to material deprivation.