Protected areas act as a buffer against detrimental effects of climate change—Evidence from large‐scale,long‐term abundance data

Climate change is driving species to shift their distributions toward high altitudes and latitudes, while habitat loss and fragmentation may hamper species ability to follow their climatic envelope. These two drivers of change may act in synergy, with particularly disastrous impacts on biodiversity. Protected areas, PAs, may thus represent crucial buffers against the compounded effects of climate change and habitat loss. However, large‐scale studies assessing the performance of PAs as such buffers remain scarce and are largely based on species occurrence data. Conversely, abundance data have proven to be more reliable for addressing changes in wildlife populations under climate change. We evaluated changes in bird abundance from the 1970s–80s to the 2000s inside and outside PAs at the trailing range edge of 30 northern bird species and at the leading range edge of 70 southern species. Abundances of retracting northern species were higher and declined less inside PAs at their trailing range edge. The positive effect of PAs on bird abundances was particularly marked in northern species that rely strongly on PAs, that is, their density distribution is largely confined within PAs. These species were nearly absent outside PAs in the 2000s. The abundances of southern species were in general lower inside PAs and increased less from the 70s–80s to 2000s. Nonetheless, species with high reliance on PAs had much higher abundances inside than outside PAs in the 2000s. These results show that PAs are essential in mitigating the retraction of northern species, but also facilitate northward expansions of southern species highly reliant on PAs. Our study provides empirical evidence documenting the role of PAs in facilitating species to adjust to rapidly changing climatic conditions, thereby contributing to the mitigation of impending biodiversity loss. PAs may thus allow time for initiating wider conservation programs on currently unprotected land.     

Oral health and treatment needs of the long-term hospitalised elderly

Objectives: To determine the oral health and treatment needs of the long‐term hospitalised elderly. Setting: The Laakso long‐term hospital, Helsinki, Finland. Design: A cross‐sectional study with clinical oral examinations. Subjects: All long‐term patients (n = 260) aged 60 and older. Main outcome measures: Edentulousness, presence and hygiene of dentures, mucosal findings, number of teeth, functioning teeth and tooth remnants, level of dental hygiene, and need for operative treatment. Results: Subjects’ mean age was 83.3 years (SD = 8.1); 42% were edentulous, 45% of women and 33% of men (p = 0.12). With no gender difference, 41% had removable dentures, but one in four were considered to be in need of repair or replacement. Denture hygiene was good in 19%, moderate in 44%, and poor in 37%, and for men worse than for women (p = 0.02). Stomatitis was found in 25%, and angular cheilitis in 28% of the denture wearers. The dentate subjects had on average 12.4 (SD = 8.6) teeth with a clear difference by age (p = 0.03), but no difference by gender. Dental hygiene was considered poor. Of the dentate subjects, 37% were in need of restorations, 51% of periodontal therapy and 42% of extractions. Conclusions: Oral cleanliness should be improved with regards to dentures and teeth. More attention should be focused on dental care of the long‐term hospitalised elderly.     

Rapid and sensitive step gradient assays of glutamate, glycine, taurine and γ-aminobutyric acid by high-performance liquid chromatography–fluorescence detection with o-phthalaldehyde–mercaptoethanol derivatization with an emphasis on microdialysis samples

We developed a rapid step-gradient HPLC method for determination of glutamate, glycine and taurine, and a separate method for determination of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in striatal microdialysates. The amino acids were pre-column derivatized with o-phthalaldehyde–2-mercaptoethanol by using an automated refrigerated autoinjector. Separation of the amino acids was established with a non-porous ODS-II HPLC column, late-eluting substances were washed out with a one-step low-pressure gradient. Concentrations of the amino acids were determined with a fixed-wavelength fluorescence detector. The detection limit for GABA was 80 fmol in a 15 μl sample, detection limits for glutamate, glycine and taurine were not determined because their concentrations in striatal perfusates were far above their detection limits. Total analysis time was less than 12 min, including the wash-out step. The methods described are relatively simple, sensitive, inexpensive, and fast enough to keep up with the microdialysis sampling.     

Detection, analysis and interactions of plasma ghrelin, leptin and growth hormone in the mink (Mustela vison)

The aim of this study was to obtain basic knowledge of the plasma concentrations and interactions of weight regulatory hormones in juvenile minks (Mustela vison). Ghrelin, leptin, and growth hormone (GH) levels were validated and determined by radioimmunoassay methods from the plasma of 30 female and 30 male minks. The female minks had higher plasma ghrelin and GH levels than the males. The plasma ghrelin concentrations of the females correlated positively with their body masses (BMs). The plasma leptin levels did not differ between sexes, but there was a positive correlation between the plasma leptin concentrations and BMs in the male minks. When the data from the male and female minks were combined, the correlation between the leptin levels and the BMs was still clear, but this was not observed in the females alone. In the male minks, the plasma GH levels correlated positively with the BMs and with the plasma leptin concentrations. However, there was no correlation between the plasma ghrelin and GH or leptin concentrations. The hormone concentrations were quite similar to earlier measurements in other carnivores.     

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) in Finland: Technological and physical prospects after 20 years of experiences

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is a binary radiotherapy method developed to treat patients with certain malignant tumours. To date, over 300 treatments have been carried out at the Finnish BNCT facility in various on-going and past clinical trials. In this technical review, we discuss our research work in the field of medical physics to form the groundwork for the Finnish BNCT patient treatments, as well as the possibilities to further develop and optimize the method in the future. Accordingly, the following aspects are described: neutron sources, beam dosimetry, treatment planning, boron imaging and determination, and finally the possibilities to detect the efficacy and effects of BNCT on patients.     

Quality of intertrochanteric cancellous bone as predictor of femoral stem RSA migration in cementless total hip arthroplasty

In cementless total hip arthroplasty, osteoporosis may jeopardize the achievement of immediate stability and lead to migration of anatomically shaped femoral stems. Poor quality of proximal cancellous bone per se may also affect the rate of osseointegration. In a selected group of female total hip arthroplasty patients (mean age 64 years) with unremarkable medical history, intertrochanteric cancellous bone biopsy was taken from the site of stem implantation. Local bone quality, determined by structural μCT imaging and destructive compression testing of the biopsy tissue, was used as the predictor of three-dimensional stem migration determined by radiostereometric analysis (RSA) up to 24 months. The patients exhibited major differences in mechanical properties of the intertrochanteric cancellous bone, which were closely related to the structural parameters calculated from μCT data. Unexpectedly, the major differences observed in the quality of trochanteric cancellous bone had only minor reflections in the RSA migration of the femoral stems. In statistical analysis, the μCT-based bone mineral density quartile (low, middle, high) was the only significant predictor for stem translation at 24 months (p=0.022) but only a small portion (R(2)=0.16) of the difference in translation could be explained by changes in bone mineral density quartile. None of the other parameters investigated predicted stem migration in translation or rotation. In conclusion, poor quality of intertrochanteric cancellous bone seems to contribute to the risk of implant migration less than expected. Probably also the importance of surgical preservation of intertrochanteric cancellous bone has been over-emphasized for osseointegration of cementless stem.     

Evidence of endoplasmic reticulum stress and liver inflammation in the American mink Neovison vison with benign hepatic steatosis

We investigated the presence of inflammatory signs in the progression of fatty liver disease induced by fasting. Sixty standard black American mink (Neovison vison) were fasted for 0, 1, 3, 5, or 7 days and one group for 7 days followed by re-feeding for 28 days. Liver sections were evaluated histologically and liver mRNA levels indicating endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, adipogenic transformation, and inflammation were assessed by quantitative real-time PCR. After 3 days of fasting, the mink had developed moderate liver steatosis. Increased hyaluronan reactivity in lymphocytic foci but no Mallory–Denk bodies were seen in livers of the mink fasted for 5–7 days. Up-regulation of glucose-regulated protein, 78 kDa was observed on day 7 indicating ER stress, especially in the females. Liver lipoprotein lipase and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 mRNA levels increased in response to 5–7 days of food deprivation, while tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) was the highest in the mink fasted for 5 days. The expression of the genes of interest, except for TNF-α, correlated with each other and with the liver fat content. The mRNA levels were found to change more rapidly below n-3/n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio threshold of 0.15. Following re-feeding, hepatocyte morphology and mRNA abundance returned to pre-fasting levels. Within the studied timeframe, evidence for ER stress, adipogenic transformation, and liver inflammation suggested incipient transition from steatosis to steatohepatitis with potential for development of more severe liver disease. This may present a possibility to influence disease progression before histologically observable steatohepatitis.