Microscale is key to model current and future Maritime Antarctic vegetation.

Despite being one of the most pristine regions in the world, Antarctica is currently also one of the most vulnerable to climate change. Antarctic vegetation comprises mostly lichens and bryophytes, complemented in some milder regions of Maritime Antarctica by two vascular plant species. Shifts in the spatial patterns of these three main vegetation groups have already been observed in response to climate change, highlighting the urgent need for the development of comprehensive large-scale ecological models of the effects of climate change.

Mechanical complications in chronic peritoneal dialysis.

Background: A significant number of complications and catheter failures in CAPD are due to mechanical problems.

Methods: We reviewed 105 consecutive peritoneal dialysis catheters, generally implanted by blind insertion technique, in 80 patients over an 11-year period. 137 mechanical problems were collected and classified according to their etiologies into the following: those related to the insertion procedure (n = 21; 15.