Evidence suggests that in addition to sequestering carbon (C), biochar amendment can increase crop yields, improve soil quality and nutrient cycling, reduce the leaching of nutrients from soil and stimulate soil microbial activity. However, biochar application primarily benefits soils of intrinsic poor quality, thus the advantages of adding biochar to temperate agricultural soils remains controver

OBJECTIVE: To determine if beneficial effects of a weight-management program could be sustained for up to 24 months in a randomized trial in an ethnically diverse obese population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: There were 209 obese children (BMI > 95th percentile), ages 8 to 16 of mixed ethnic backgrounds randomly assigned to the intensive lifestyle intervention or clinic control group. The control group

In this study, we first determined the low molecular weight dissolved organic carbon (LMW DOC) concentration-dependent kinetics of soil respiration in a temperate grassland soil sampled on successive occasions. We then used the established relationship to estimate in situ LMW DOC concentrations from basal respiration measurements. C-14-labelled glucose was used as a model substrate and was added t

For the first time, the experimental and theoretical evidence for the conversion of 4-nitrobenzenethiol (4-NBT) to p,p'-dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB) in Ag and Cu sols by surface photochemistry reaction is obtained with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. The SERS spectrum of 4-NBT in Cu sol is identical to that of DMAB produced from 4-aminothiophenol in Ag sol as reported in rece

Under många år har konsumenttidningen Råd & Rön haft stort inflytande på de svenska konsumenterna och deras konsumtion. Under närmare 50 år ägdes tidningen av Konsumentverket och dess föregångare Statens institut för konsumentfrågor. Genom studier av Råd & Röns årgångar, konsumentmyndigheternas arkiv samt riksdagstrycket står det tydligt att politiker och konsumentmyndigheter haft stort in

The aminoglycosides and cyclic polypeptides are essential drugs in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, underscoring the need for accurate and reproducible drug susceptibility testing (DST). The epidemiological cutoff value (ECOFF) separating wild-type susceptible strains from non-wild-type strains is an important but rarely used tool for indicating susceptibility breakpoints against

We present minimalistic and cost-efficient instrumentation employing tunable diode laser gas spectroscopy for the characterization of porous and highly scattering solids. The sensitivity reaches 3 x 10(-6) (absorption fraction), and the improvement with respect to previous work in this field is a factor of 10. We also provide the first characterization of the interference phenomenon encountered in

Background and objectives Multi-institutional quality improvement registries (QI registries) are a promising approach to quality improvement. They are also used for clinical research, public quality reporting and other valuable purposes. The aim of this study was to identify elements and outcomes of national policies to promote registries in Sweden and to compare them with recent policies in the U

A calorimetric method to determine water activity covering the full range of the water activity scale is presented. A dry stream of nitrogen gas is passed either over the solution whose activity should be determined or left dry before it is saturated by bubbling through water in an isothermal calorimeter. The unknown activity is in principle determined by comparing the thermal power of vaporizatio

Light-harvesting in fucoxanthin-chlorophyll protein (FCP) of diatoms is performed by a cluster of chromophores: chlorophylls a (Chl a), chlorophylls c(2) (Chl c(2)), and carotenoids fucoxanthins. It is well-known that energy captured by fucoxanthin is transferred to Chl a on a subpicosecond time scale. However, the energy flow channel connecting Chl c(2) and Chl a remained elusive. In this study,

Though the concept of innovation systems has become influential in both academia and policy-making, an analytical approach to understanding innovation systems is still lacking. In particular, there is no analytical framework to measure 'Mode 1' and 'Mode 2' knowledge production. We propose a framework based on the proximity concept. Mode 1 and Mode 2 knowledge production are characterized by colla

Closed-loop control of anesthesia is expected to decrease drug dosage and wake up time while increasing patient safety and decreasing the work load of the anesthesiologist. The potential of closed-loop control in anesthesia has been demon- strated in several clinical studies. One of the challenges in the development of a closed-loop system that can be widely accepted by clinicians and regulatory a

The aim of this study was to evaluate the consequences on the physical workload of new solutions in the forklift cab environment for the driver by quantifying the physical workload on the neck, shoulders, arms and wrists as an effect of steering systems. Twelve male subjects conducted identical test cycles with three types of steering: normal, tilted and miniature. The physical load on the drivers

Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its sibling species Saccharomyces paradoxus are known to inhabit temperate arboreal habitats across the globe. Despite their sympatric distribution in the wild, S. cerevisiae is predominantly associated with human fermentations. The apparent ecological differentiation of these species is particularly striking in Europe where S. paradoxus is abundant in forests and S. c

The Oskarshamn and Forsmark areas in the Fennoscandian Shield, SE Sweden, have been chosen as potential sites for hosting highly radioactive nuclear waste. To evaluate their respective suitability, the geological history of the bedrock in these two areas has been investigated. This study has focused on the thermal evolution, from c. 500 °C to c. 50 °C. 40Ar-39Ar geochronology on hornblende, muscov

This study examined variability of lip movements across repetitions of the same utterance as a function of age in Swedish speakers. The specific purpose was to extend earlier findings by examining variability in both phase and amplitude. Subjects were 50 typically developed native Swedish children and adults (28 females, 22 males, aged 5-31 years). Lip movements were recorded during 15-20 repetiti

According to the Swedish Health and Medical Services Act, healthcare is to be provided to the population according to need and on equal terms. It must also be accessible - a part of healthcare that has been criticized. In an effort to improve accessibility, the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions and the government have both agreed to introduce a national care guarantee with effec