Global Change and the World's Mountain. Where are we coming from, and where are we going to?

The history of mountain research is most fascinating. Three names for 3 centuries may give an idea of the growing knowledge about the world's mountains: Horace Bénédict de Saussure, who climbed and studied the Mont Blanc in 1787; Alexander von Humboldt, ever investigating the environment during his attempt to ascend the Chimborazo in 1802; and Carl Troll, who founded the International Geographical Union's Commission on High-altitude Geoecology in 1968. Awareness of the growing impact of human activities on the environment led to scientific and political initiatives at the global level, beginning in the 1970s. The Perth conference in 2010 has offered an opportunity to both look back on these developments and explore the future of the world's mountains in a time of rapidly growing “global change” problems and processes.

[Histiocytic sarcoma in the Swiss population of Bernese mountain dogs: a retrospective study of its genetic predisposition]

A retrospective study to evaluate the genetic predisposition for histiocytic sarcoma in the Swiss population of purebred Bernese mountain dogs identified 51 histologically confirmed cases between 1997 and 2003. Segregation analysis using five major genetic modes was used to evaluate the 51 cases. The general mode yielded the best results suggesting a genetic predisposition for histiocystic sarcoma in this breed. The disease was found in all families analyzed, therefore elimination of the disease through seletive breeding of certain family lines is not possible.