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Moorlands are unique environments found in uplands of the temperate zone including in the UK, New Zealand and Ireland, and in some high altitude tropical zones such as the Andean paramos. Many have been managed through grazing, burning or drainage practices. However, there are a number of other environmental and social factors that are likely to drive changes in management practice over the next few decades. Some moorlands have been severely degraded and in some countries conservation and restoration schemes are being attempted, particularly to revegetate bare soils. Native or non-native woodland planting may increase in some moorland environments while atmospheric deposition of many pollutants may also vary. Moorland environments are very sensitive to changes in management, elimate or pollution. This paper reviews how environmental management change, such as changes in grazing or burning practices, may impact upon moorland processes based on existing scientific understanding. It also reviews the impacts of changes in climate and atmospheric deposition chemistry. The paper focuses on the UK moorlands as a case study of moorland landscapes that are in different states of degradation. Future research that is required to improve our understanding of moorland processes is outlined. The paper shows that there is a need for more holistic and spatial approaches to understanding moorland processes and management. There is also a need to develop approaches that combine understanding of interlinked social and natural processes. Keywords: uplands; moorland ecology; hydrology; water quality; afforestation; burning; peatlands; bogs; heath; heather; grazing

Background and aim: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been implicated in tissue remodelling and ulceration in inflammatory bowel disease and coeliac disease. Studies to date have concluded that stromelysin 1 is [...]

The 5'-terminal region, which includes sequences coding for the 5'-untranslated region, the core protein, the glycoproteins envelope 1 and the N terminus of the nonstructural protein 1/envelope 2, from a geographically diverse set of hepatitis C virus (HCV) isolates were sequenced. Sequence analysis showed that HCV can be subdivided into five related, but distinct genotypes which could coexist in various geographic locations.