1. The cereal field carabid beetle Amara similata was selected to elucidate the role of seeds and insects as food sources. Three experiments were performed to rank different weed seeds and insects in terms of food value: (i) fecundity in relation to adult diet, (ii) larval survival in relation to diet and (iii) larval survival in relation to parental diet. 2. Seeds were found to be of high value

Background: While the association between increased maternal age and congenital disorders has long been recognized, the offspring of older fathers are also at increased risk of congenital disorders related to DNA errors during spermatogenesis. Recent studies have drawn attention to an association between increased paternal age and increased risk of schizophrenia. The aim of the current study was t

The imaging properties of optimally designed planar-concave (PC) collimators were evaluated by means of Monte Carlo simulations. The evaluation was done with respect to total system spatial resolution and the overall image noise distribution in single-photon emission tomography. The results showed that the non-isotropy with PC collimators, assessed by the ratio of the full-width at half-maximum in

Searching for new prognostic factors, we investigated the influence of cyclin expression on breast cancer prognosis. A total of 273 archival tumor specimens from patients with pT1/pT2 NO breast cancers treated by surgery and local irradiation were immunostained for cyclins E, A and B. Outcome was evaluated as metastasis-free (MFS) and diseasespecific survival (DSS) over a median observation period

Protein MIG, from Streptococcus dysgalactiae, binds alpha2-macroglobulin and immunoglobulin G (IgG). MIG-derived fusion proteins with one to five IgG-binding repeats differed up to 72,000- fold in avidity for goat IgG, indicating a considerable cooperativity of the repeats. Significant sequence variation in the IgG-binding repeats was recognized. Protein MIG interacted with goat IgG1 via both the

An NMR technique to measure exchange kinetics at thermal equilibrium in dispersions of moderately soluble crystalline material is presented. By monitoring the exchange of molecules between pools in solid and dissolved form, one can characterize the surface specific exchange rate. Illustrative experiments were performed in a model system with beta-type crystals of tripalmitin as the solid phase and

Improved continuous acoustic particle separation ( separation efficiency close to 100%) and separation of erythrocytes ( red blood cells) from lipid microemboli in whole blood is reported.

Increased use of powerful PCR technology for the routine detection of pathogens has focused attention on the need for international validation and preparation of official non-commercial guidelines. Bacteria of epidemiological importance should be the prime focus, although a "validation infrastructure" once established could easily be adapted for PCR-based detection of viruses and parasites. The ai

The forces between hydrophobic surfaces with physisorbed DNA are markedly and irreversibly altered by exposure to DNA/cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) mixtures. In this colloidal probe atomic force microscopy study of the interactions between a hydrophobic polystyrene particle and an octadecyl-trimethylethoxysilane-modified mica surface in sodium bromide solutions, we measure distinct changes

The uptake and assimilation of 15N-labelled ammonium was followed in Pinus sylvestris L. plants infected with four different ectomycorrhizal fungi, Rhizopogon roseolus Fr. Suillus bovinus (Fr.) O. Kuntze, Pisolithus tinctorius (Fr.) Fr. and Paxillus involutus (Mich. ex Pers.) Cohen & Couch. Plants were grown in flat perspex observation chambers or in Petri dishes containing non-sterile peat; i

Mass, heat and momentum transport processes are strongly coupled by internal chemical reforming reactions in planar design solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anodes. In this paper, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics approach is applied to simulate and analyze reforming reactions of methane and various transport processes in a duct relevant for SOFC anodes. The results show that the anode d

A miniaturised technique to analyse and detect heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAs) using micro solid-phase extraction (muSPE) coupled on-line (in-capillary) to capillary electrophoresis (CE) separation with nanospray (nESI) mass spectrometry (MS) detection has been developed. HAs are mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds formed at low levels in protein-rich food during cooking. Due to the low concen

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using 1-[C-11]-acetate positron emission tomography (ACE-PET) to detect and delineate the gross tumour volume of head and neck cancer before radiotherapy, and to compare the results with those obtained using F-18-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) PET. Methods Ten patients with histologically verified squamous cell carcinoma were investi

The initial drying of dispersion samples with varying geometries and surface areas was continuously recorded in a sorption balance at different temperatures and relative humidities. The samples were applied as small (5-20 mg) droplets on glass. We were able to show a linear dependence of the evaporation rate on the exposed surface area of the samples if the evaporative cooling was taken into accou

A recently developed ultrasound phase-locked echo-tracking system makes it possible to measure non-invasive pulsatile vessel diameter changes, and, in combination with blood-pressure measurement, to calculate pressure strain elastic modulus (Ep) and stiffness (beta). The reproducibility in measurements of pulsatile diameter changes with this system was evaluated. Also the precision of indirect blo

The process of continuous sedimentation of particles in a liquid has often been predicted by means of operating charts and mass-balance considerations, where the underlying constitutive assumption is the one by Kynch. Much more complex operating charts (concentration-flux diagrams) can be obtained from a one-dimensional model of an ideal continuous clarifier-thickener unit. The engineering concept

The aim of the present study was to investigate physiological effects of highly similar production systems with different degrees of automation by use of urinary catecholamines and cortisol as well as salivary cortisol. Furthermore, it was determined whether the physiological response was related to real-time self-reports in terms of feelings of positive and negative arousal, physical exertion, an