National Trust for Scotland

Abstract In April 1814, five gentlemen resolved to raise subscriptions for the building of a ‘Monument to the Memory of Burns in His Native County’. This was to be a cenotaph erected in the neoclassical style high on the banks of the River Doon, within sight of the cottage where Burns ‘first drew breath’ half a century before. However, what started out as an empty temple dedicated to the poet’s memory (and reputation) had, by the end of the century, metamorphosed into Scotland’s earliest literary museum and the world’s most significant museum collection about Burns, including the largest artefact of all, his birthplace. How did this happen? This paper charts the course of the movement to commemorate Burns in stone and how this developed into the collection and display of literary artefacts and, eventually, the acquisition of Burns Cottage and the construction of a purpose-built museum nearby. It examines the context and motives behind the collecting activity of Burns Monument Trust through three broad phases of development: conservatism, revisionism, and expansionism.

White matter impairment is associated with opioid dependence. However, the specific neuropathology related to opioid dependence is still not fully understood. The main aims of this study were to: (1) assess the association between white matter impairment and duration of dependence; (2) examine whether this impairment correlates with treatment outcome measures in opioid-dependent patients post-detoxification. Fifty-eight opioid-dependent patients participated, 20 females and 38 males, across three groups: less than 10 years use (n = 18), 10-15 years use (n = 26) and 16-25+ years use (n = 14). Diffusion tensor imaging was used to assess white matter impairment; whole brain voxel-wise analysis of fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD) were performed by Tract-Based-Spatial-Statistics to pinpoint abnormalities in white matter. The longer the subjects were dependent on opioids, the more widespread and severely the white-matter integrity was disrupted. A general linear model was used to examine patients who relapsed compared to those who were abstinent at follow-up. No statistical difference was found between groups (p > 0.05). Partial correlations were performed to investigate the relationship between clinical outcome measures (physical health, psychological well being and quality of life and hope for the future) and white-matter microstructural differences. Significant correlations were found between AD in the posterior corona radiata (L) and MD in the superior longitudinal fasciculus and a clinical measure for HOPE at 9-month follow-up. Nevertheless, it must be noted that the calculation of numerous correlations raises the possibility of a type I error, namely; to incorrectly conclude the occurrence of a significant correlation. The ability to investigate the structure-clinical relationship may improve our understanding of the pathological abnormalities associated with opioid dependence and has promise for use in evaluating future therapeutic outcomes in this population.

An archaeological excavation was carried out at Crarae Gardens on an area of land adjacent to the site of Killevin Church. The name Killevin indicates an early church foundation, and an early Christian cross had previously been discovered on the site. The excavation identified two large ditches, which are thought to represent two phases of a vallum surrounding an early Christian monastic settlement. Associated post-holes comprising a possible structure were also identified. Radiocarbon dates obtained from the inner ditch and associated features produced 7th- to 9th-century AD dates, providing further evidence that the documented medieval church of Killevin may have been founded on an early Christian monastic settlement.

The human prion diseases, such as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), are characterized by the conversion of the normal cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) into an abnormal disease associated form (PrP(Sc)). Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that recognize these different PrP isoforms are valuable reagents both in the diagnosis of these diseases and in prion disease research in general but we know of no attempts to raise MAbs against native human PrP(C). We immunized prion protein gene ablated (PrP(-/-)) mice with native human PrP(C) purified from platelets (pHuPrP) generating a predominantly IgG isotype anti-pHuPrP polyclonal antibody response in all mice. Following fusion of splenocytes from the immunized mice with SP2/0 myeloma cells, we were able to identify single cell clone and cryopreserve 14 stable hybridoma cell lines producing MAbs that reacted with pHuPrP. The properties of these MAbs (such as isotype, binding to native/denatured pHuPrP, and HuPrP epitopes recognized) are described. Furthermore, several of these MAbs showed a selectivity in their ability to immunoprecipitate disease associated PrP(Sc) and its corresponding protease resistant core (PrP(res)).

Every member of the profession must work together if destructive elements in nursing are to be overcome and a healthy working environment achieved, argues Jean Kellet