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pH is an important parameter affecting heavy metal toxicity in soil. Bacterial and fungal growth, and respiration, during 60 days were determined in response to Cu additions (up to 32 mmol Cu kg-1 soil) in four soils with pH varying between 4.5 and 7.8. We hypothesized that at higher pH the toxic effect of Cu would decrease. In soil with pH 7.8, no negative effects on microbial growth were found u
Our future built environment will not only consume energy, it will also produce (partly) its own energy need. Solar energy has been proven to be a valid strategy for producing on-site renewable energy. Planning for integrating solar energy in buildings involves many players and decision-making. In this article, a process map defining which decisions regarding solar energy needs to be discussed in
The obligation to prosecute or extradite is a growing sensitive issue in international law. In the recent case Questions Relating to the Obligation to Prosecute or Extradite (Belgium v. Senegal), the International Court of Justice was confronted with determining a breach to the obligation to prosecute or extradite in relation to acts of torture set forth in Article 7(1) of the 1984 UN Convention
A coarse-grained model has been implemented using the Metropolis-Hastings Monte Carlo method to simulate β-casein and acidic proline-rich protein 1 (PRP-1). The aim of the study is to directly compare the properties and behavior of β-casein and PRP-1, in both bulk solution and in the presence of a negatively charged surface, in order to evaluate the possibility of using β-casein as a replacement f
We have studied the nature of the S 2p → 4eg shape resonance in the SF6 molecule by performing two different experiments. Soft X-ray emission spectra measured at the 4eg shape resonance reveal features that do not originate from the S 2p-1 states. One of the features can be assigned to the 6a1g → S 2p transition. The 6a1g orbital, which is empty in the molecular ground state, can be populated eith
It is well known that the water-wave problem with weak surface tension has small-amplitude line solitary-wave solutions which to leading order are described by the nonlinear Schrödinger equation. The present paper contains an existence theory for three-dimensional periodically modulated solitary-wave solutions which have a solitary-wave profile in the direction of propagation and are periodic in t
The influence of oat and barley β-glucans on some features of diverse probiotic strains was investigated. Neither barley nor oat β-glucans supported the growth of any of the investigated strains when used as the sole carbon source in fermentation media. No protective effect by β-glucans was observed on bacterial survival to in vitro simulation of the human digestive tract. Moreover, the presence o
The Parabolic Synthesis methodology is an approximation methodology for implementing unary functions, such as trigonometric functions, logarithms and square root, as well as binary functions, such as division, in hardware. Unary functions are extensively used in baseband for wireless/wireline communication, computer graphics, digital signal processing, robotics, astrophysics, fluid physics, games
The silicon isotope composition of biogenic silica (δ30SiBSi) in the ocean is a function of the δ30Si of the available dissolved Si (DSi; H2SiO4), the degree of utilisation of the available DSi, and, for some organisms, the concentration of DSi. This makes δ30SiBSi in sediment archives a promising proxy for past DSi concentrations and utilisation. At steady-state, mean δ30SiBSi must equal a weight
Mixotrophy is found in almost all classes of phytoplankton in a wide range of aquatic habitats ranging from oligotrophic to eutrophic marine and freshwater systems. Few studies have addressed how the nutritional status of the predator and/or the prey affects mixotrophic metabolism despite the realization that mixotrophy is important ecologically. Laboratory experiments were conducted to examine ch
Microbial substrate use efficiency is an important property in process-based soil organic matter models, but is often assumed to be constant in mechanistic models. However, previous studies question if a constant efficiency is appropriate, in particular when evaluating carbon (C) cycling across temperatures and various substrates. In the present study, we evaluated the relation between substrate u
Background: A postoperative haematoma can be a very serious complication following a neurosurgical procedure. Patients should be informed about the risks of such an event prior to surgery. From a practical point of view, it would be important to know when the patient is most likely to deteriorate and to require surgery because of a postoperative haematoma and when it might be safe to transfer the
This study explored the ability of blind and sighted listeners to detect reflections, "echoes", of burst trains or continuous noise. Echo detection was compared by presenting 5 ms bursts, rates from 1 to 64 bursts, with a continuous white noise, all during 500 ms. Sounds were recorded in an ordinary room through an artificial binaural head, the loudspeaker 1 m behind it. The reflecting object was
The paper analyzes judicial dialogue (or judicial cross-reference) as a new form of international law-making and articulates itself around a new lexicon of international law grounded on concepts of authority, normativity and interaction, rather than sources, obligations and hierarchy in law. The aim is to offer a theoretical insight in the phenomenon of judicial cross-reference as a new avenue of
Stress-laminated-timber (SLT) bridge decks are a valid alternative to conventional short- and medium-span bridges in terms of cost and performance. SLT decks are made from a number of planks or glulam beams positioned side by side and stressed together using high-strength steel bars. A concentrated load can therefore be distributed from the loaded beams onto adjacent beams due to the resisting fri
