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1. Riparian field margins (i.e. fenced off areas adjacent to watercourses) are becoming widespread in the UK as a means of mitigating diffuse pollution in intensive grasslands. By providing additional habitats for wildlife, they can potentially enhance farmland biodiversity. This study examined a range of riparian margins to determine their impact on invertebrates. 2. Over a 4-year period, key invertebrates were monitored by pitfall traps at 69 riparian sites in south-west Scotland. Riparian margins were classified as open margins (i.e. no fence between the field and watercourse), narrow margins (fences erected within 2.6 m of the watercourse) and wide margins (fences erected over 5 m from the watercourse). Pitfall transects were established at each site in the margin and field. 3. Generalised Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) were used to model the influence of riparian management and vegetation height on invertebrate activity density. Riparian margins closed to livestock (i.e. wide and narrow margins) had the highest activity densities of Hemiptera, Opiliones, Symphyta larvae and Arionidae, and this could not solely be attributed to differences in vegetation height. For most invertebrate groups, activity density did not differ between wide and narrow margins. Only Linyphiidae, predatory coleopteran larvae and Lumbricidae had higher activity densities in the fields than adjacent riparian margins. 4. The erection of fences along watercourses creates habitat heterogeneity in intensively managed grasslands resulting in enhanced invertebrate populations and thus potentially more prey for foliage gleaning birds. Although margin width did not have a significant influence on invertebrate activity density, wider margins provide a greater area of semi-natural habitat.

The aims of this study were to examine the effect of three grazing treatments (year-round stocking rates of 0·8 ewes ha−1, 0·5 ewes ha−1 and 0·5 ewes ha−1 plus grazing cattle in summer), imposed for 4 years, on the herbage mass and surface height of a Nardus stricta-dominated grassland in western Scotland and to obtain estimates of annual productivity of this grassland. Nardus stricta-dominated grassland comprised proportionately 0·20 of the grazing area. Stocking rate of sheep had no significant effect on the herbage mass of the grassland in the first 2 years of the experiment, although mean summer pasture heights were significantly higher under the lower stocking rate of sheep. The pasture on the treatment with cattle grazing in summer had a significantly lower herbage mass and lower surface height than the two sheep-only grazing treatments. Year-to-year variation in the herbage mass and surface height of herbage in summer was greater than the effect of treatments. Despite changes in surface height, the structural diversity of the grasslands was not increased by the treatments. The annual production of vascular plant material ranged from 417 g DM m−2 in 1994 to 628 g DM m−2 in 1996.

Aims To characterize and identify upland vegetation composition and height from a satellite image, and assess whether the resulting vegetation maps are accurate enough for predictions of bird abundance. Location South-east Scotland, UK. Methods Fine-taxa vegetation data collected using point samples were used for a supervised classification of a Landsat 7 image, while linear regression was used to model vegetation height over the same image. Generalized linear models describing bird abundance were developed using field-collected bird and vegetation data. The satellite-derived vegetation data were substituted into these models and efficacy was examined. Results The accuracy of the classification was tested over both the training and a set of test plots, and showed that more common vegetation types could be predicted accurately. Attempts to estimate the heights of both dwarf shrub and graminoid vegetation from satellite data produced significant, but weak, correlations between observed and predicted height. When these outputs were used in bird abundance–habitat models, bird abundance predicted using satellite-derived vegetation data was very similar to that obtained when the field-collected data were used for one bird species, but poor estimates of vegetation height produced from the satellite data resulted in a poor abundance prediction for another. Conclusions This pilot study suggests that it is possible to identify moorland vegetation to a fine-taxa level using point samples, and that it may be possible to derive information on vegetation height, although more appropriate field-collected data are needed to examine this further. While remote sensing may have limitations compared with relatively fine-scale fieldwork, when used at relatively large scales and in conjunction with robust bird abundance–habitat association models, it may facilitate the mapping of moorland bird abundance across large areas.

Reaction of 1-(3,4-dihydronapthalen-2-yl)pyrrolidine with acrylaldehyde gave an epimeric mixture of 8-hydroxy-5,6,7,8,9,10-hexahydro-5,9-methanobenzo[8]annulen-11-ones which was used for the synthesis of several 11 -amino derivatives.

The synthesis is described of the epimeric 1-amino-1,2,3,14b-tetrahydro-4H-pyrido [1,2-d]dibenzo [b,f][1,4]oxazepines 2 and their N-substituted analogues. The cis-amines 33, 36 and 38 were prepared from the ketone 31 by reduction of the corresponding oxime whereas the trans isomers 12, 50 and 51 were prepared from the 1-ethoxycarbonyl derivative 44 by Curtius degradation. Attempts to convert the trans alcohol 7 into the epimeric azido compound by an SN2 replacement reaction with sodium azide resulted in rearrangement to give the novel ring system, 14-azido-11-methoxy-1,2,14,14a-tetrahydro-4H-pyrrolo [1,2-d] dibenzo [b,g][1,4] oxazocine 24 instead of the titled compounds.

The discovery of Org 24598, one of the first potent and selective inhibitors of the glycine transporter is discussed. In vitro structure-activity relationships (SARs) data for interaction of a ligand with this system is discussed.

With the completion of the Arabidopsis genome, many hypothetical proteins have been predicted without any information on their expression, subcellular localisation and function. We have performed proteomic analysis of proteins sequentially extracted from enriched Arabidopsis cell wall fractions and separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). The proteins were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry and genomic database searches. This is part of a targeted exercise to establish the entire Arabidopsis secretome database. We report evidence for new proteins of unknown function whose existence had been predicted from genomic sequences and, furthermore, localise them to the cell wall. In addition, we observed an unexpected presence in the cell wall preparations of proteins whose known biochemical activity has never been associated with this compartment hitherto. We discuss the implications of these findings and present results suggesting a possible involvement of cell wall kinases in plant responses to pathogen attack.

A retrospective descriptive study of the elderly patients served by a respite admission program in a teaching hospital is described. Data were collected by health record review and interviews with the program social worker. In the three years covered by the study there were 28 patients, with a mean age of 80.5 years. Fifty-seven per cent were male, 68 per cent, married, 29 per cent, widowed, and 3 per cent, single. When first admitted they were all living in their own homes or the home of a child. Seventy-nine per cent of the patients had moderate or severe dementia, with or without physical disability. Family members were the main caregivers and home care services provided support in 54 per cent of cases. Ninety-three per cent of the patients attended the geriatric day hospital. The patients received respite admissions for a mean of 10.8 months. At the end of the study more than a third of the patients were still living at home and half had entered long-term care facilities. By means of respite admissions supplemented by day hospital attendance it has been possible to maintain in the community disabled elderly patients who might otherwise have required immediate institutionalization. The need for more respite care and in-home services is discussed and a role for long-term care facilities as major providers of respite care suggested.

The aging game, a simple yet effective educational method for teaching gerontology and geriatric medicine, is described. Groups of up to 20 students participate. A series of 100 cards bearing statements about old age, some of which are true and some of which are false, are distributed among them. By exchanging cards and by gradual grouping of the students, the participants endeavor to secure a hand in which all the statements are true. The game ends with all cards being reviewed by the teacher and the participants together. The aging game has been used with physicians, medical students, nurses, therapists, social workers and mixed groups of health professionals. A modified version has been used in pre-retirement education and public education on aging.