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The growing demand for a wide range of private and public goods and services from a finite land resource is increasingly challenging for planners at local, regional, national and international scales. The Scottish Government's development of a Land Use Strategy has given salience to resolving conflicts and enhancing synergies in land use. In Scotland, the poorest quality farmland is often designated for nature and landscape conservation and the highest quality farmland often protected for food production. This means that many of the competitive pressures on land are experienced in what we term the 'squeezed middle'. The paper identifies the multiple (and not exclusively economic) drivers of land use choices and, through an ecosystem services lens, explores three particular areas of land use conflict. These are (i) the continued high level of public support for farming, which has done little to address the problem of low farm incomes; (ii) the pressure to increase woodland planting on farm (and other) land; and (iii) conflicts associated with intensive game management, especially on sporting estates. Using the Scottish situation as an example, the heterogeneity of land use pressures means that there is a danger of the principles of the Land Use Strategy becoming lost in translation from national policy to practical land use decision-making. The appropriate scale for delivery of integrated ecosystem services may therefore be more local than current pilot projects, and may require more active participation of land managers. It may also require policy instruments that are more flexible in adapting to the local context, including payments for ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study on the association of the fat mass and obesity (FTO) gene with the metabolic phenotypes of insulin resistance and myocardial infarction among patients with type 2 diabetes. Under the study, 4897 such patients in Tayside, Scotland have been examined for the FTO rs9939609 genotype. Results show that there exists a link between the increased fat mass in carriers of the A allele of rs9939609 with the increased risks of type 2 diabetes, atherogenic lipid profile and myocardial infarction.

This article reflects on the successful introduction of tobacco control legislation in Scotland. It locates the need for such an approach within the broader context of Scotland's poor smoking-related health record, and traces the development of policy thinking from initial scepticism and caution to tater widespread endorsement and effective introduction. The considerable benefits achieved in terms of air quality improvement, avoidance of adverse health outcomes and broader policy empowerment are described. The importance of teaming from other administrations, and political and professional leadership are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author comments on the article "It's Not Just Deprivation: Why Do Equally Deprived UK Cities Experience Different Health Outcomes?" The author considers the adverse health effects of difficult childhood experiences. According to the author, the study showed a strong association between adverse childhood experience (ace) scores and adverse adult poor health. The author emphasizes the need to further study the Glasgow effect.

Objective: To explore the relationship between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms (inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity) and violent and non-violent prison breaches of discipline in incarcerated male youths aged 18-21 years. Study design: A case-control study of 169 male youth offenders incarcerated in Scottish prisons and classified as 'symptomatic' or 'non-symptomatic' of inattentive and hyperactive/ impulsive ADHD symptoms. Methods: ADHD symptoms were measured using the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scales - Self Report: Long Version, and prison breaches of discipline were gathered from the Scottish Prison Service's Prisoner Records System. Results: Youths who were symptomatic of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) ADHD total symptoms had a significantly higher number of prison breaches of discipline than those who were non-symptomatic. Youths who were symptomatic of DSM-IV hyperactive/impulsive symptoms had a significantly higher number of violent and non-violent prison breaches of discipline than those who were nonsymptomatic. However, no such significant difference was found between youths who were symptomatic and non-symptomatic of DSM-IV inattentive symptoms. Conclusions: Young male offenders who are symptomatic of ADHD have a higher number of prison breaches of discipline. In particular, symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity are associated with breaches of both a violent and non-violent nature. Implications of such symptoms on rehabilitation and recidivism are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor about the health outcomes experienced in Glasgow, Scotland is presented.

Metformin is the most commonly used pharmacological therapy for type 2 diabetes. We report a genome-wide association study for glycemic response to metformin in 1,024 Scottish individuals with type 2 diabetes with replication in two cohorts including 1,783 Scottish individuals and 1,113 individuals from the UK Prospective Diabetes Study. In a combined meta-analysis, we identified a SNP, rs11212617, associated with treatment success (n = 3,920, P = 2.9 × 10(-9), odds ratio = 1.35, 95% CI 1.22-1.49) at a locus containing ATM, the ataxia telangiectasia mutated gene. In a rat hepatoma cell line, inhibition of ATM with KU-55933 attenuated the phosphorylation and activation of AMP-activated protein kinase in response to metformin. We conclude that ATM, a gene known to be involved in DNA repair and cell cycle control, plays a role in the effect of metformin upstream of AMP-activated protein kinase, and variation in this gene alters glycemic response to metformin.