P>1. Environmental changes may not always result in rapid changes in species distributions, abundances or diversity. In order to estimate the effects of, for example, land-use changes caused by agri-environment schemes (AES) on biodiversity and ecosystem services, information on the time-lag between the application of the scheme and the responses of organisms is essential. 2. We examined the effec

The site Pilgrimstad in central Sweden has often been cited as a key locality for discussions of ice-free/ice-covered intervals during the Early and Middle Weichselian. Multi-proxy investigations of a recently excavated section at Pilgrimstad now provide a revised picture of the climatic and environmental development between similar to 80 and 36 ka ago. The combination of sedimentology, geochemist

We present an approximation scheme to the master kinetic equations for aggregation and gelation with thermal breakup in colloidal systems with variable attraction energy. With the cluster fractal dimension d(f) as the only phenomenological parameter, rich physical behavior is predicted. The viscosity, the gelation time, and the cluster size are predicted in closed form analytically as a function o

Purpose: We have developed a statistical prediction model for prostate cancer based on four kallikrein markers in blood: total, free, and intact prostate-specific antigen ( PSA), and kallikrein-related peptidase 2 ( hK2). Although this model accurately predicts the result of biopsy in unscreened men, its properties for men with a history of PSA screening have not been fully characterized. Experime

Water-dispersible silicon nanoparticles (Si-NPs) are desirable for applications in biological techniques. A simplified method to synthesize such particles is reported here. The resulting Si-NPs are water-dispersible and luminescent. Under the excitation of UV light, the Si-NPs emit strong red light with a peak maximum at 606 nm and a quantum yield of 6%. They are highly stable, and remain so over

A new setup for pump-flow-probe X-ray absorption spectroscopy has been implemented at the SuperXAS beamline of the Swiss Light Source. It allows recording X-ray absorption spectra with a time resolution of tens of microseconds and high detection efficiency for samples with sub-millimolar concentrations. A continuous wave laser is used for the photoexcitation, with the distance between laser and X-

A new analysis for monitoring host cell proteins in preparations of transgenically produced protein pharmaceuticals is described. A capacitive biosensor with a very high sensitivity is used to monitor trace amounts of host cell proteins. The sensor consists of a gold electrode, the surface of which is well insulated and on which a preparation of a population of polyclonal antibodies raised against

Vasoconstriction accompanied by changes in skin color is a normal physiologic response to cold. The distinction between this normal physiology and Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) has yet to be well characterized. In anticipation of the 9th International Congress on Autoimmunity, a panel of 12 RP experts from 9 different institutes and four different countries were assembled for a Delphi exercise to esta

Information about when and where animals die is important to understand population regulation. In migratory animals, mortality might occur not only during the stationary periods (e.g. breeding and wintering) but also during the migration seasons. However, the relative importance of population limiting factors during different periods of the year remains poorly understood, and previous studies main

The IGHV3-21 gene has been shown to be overrepresented in Scandinavian patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). By investigating a population-based cohort of 337 Swedish patients with CLL, a lower (6.5%) IGHV3-21 frequency was determined relative to our previous hospital-based studies (10.1%-12.7%), yet this frequency remained higher compared to other Western CLL cohorts (2.6%-4.1%). Furt

Invasive exotic plant species often have fewer natural enemies and suffer less damage from herbivores in their new range than genetically or functionally related species that are native to that area. Although we might expect that having fewer enemies would promote the invasiveness of the introduced exotic plant species due to reduced enemy exposure, few studies have actually analyzed the ecologica

Objectives: To analyse the acquisition cost of dispensed prescription drugs for individuals with multiple medications in a national population. Methods: We collected and analysed individual based data regarding the acquisition cost of dispensed prescription drugs for all individuals with five or more dispensed drugs (DP >= 5) in Sweden 2006 (2.2 million). Results: Individuals with DP >= 5 (24.5% o

To investigate repolarization sequence, monophasic action potentials were recorded from a mean of 153 +/- 54 left and right ventricular epicardial and endocardial sites in 10 pigs using the CARTO mapping system (Biosense Webster, Waterloo, Belgium). The activation time and end-of-repolarization (EOR) time were measured and 3-dimensional maps of activation and repolarization sequences constructed.

Background: Periodontal research has traditionally focused on the site level, regarding etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment outcome. Recently, some studies have indicated that the presence of periodontal disease is associated with reduced quality of life. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of periodontal disease experience on the quality of life. Methods: This cross-sectional stu

The increase in chilled food consumption requires enhanced food safety and quality assurance. Food deteriorating processes are affected by the presence of oxygen, combined with factors such as time and temperature. To slow down deterioration processes and prolong shelf life, traditional packaging methods are being replaced by Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), for example. Oxygen, which is natur

Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were evaluated as possible biomarkers of exposure to diesel exhaust (DE) in two controlled-chamber studies. We report levels of 14 PAHs from 28 subjects in urine that were collected before, immediately after and the morning after exposure. Using linear mixed-effects models, we tested for effects of DE exposure and several covariates (time, age, gende

The results from studies of loud noise exposure and acoustic neuroma are conflicting. A population-based case-control study of 451 acoustic neuroma patients and 710 age-, sex-, and region-matched controls was conducted in Sweden between 2002 and 2007. Occupational exposure was based on historical measurements of occupational noise (321 job titles summarized by a job exposure matrix) and compared w

To describe available and utilized formal care and service at home for persons with dementia, from diagnosis to end-of-life stage, in eight European countries.

Intramolecular motions of proteins are critical for biological function. Transient structural fluctuations underlie a wide range of processes, including enzyme catalysis, ligand binding to buried sites, and generic protein motions, such as 180 degrees rotation of aromatic side chains in the protein interior, but remain poorly understood. Understanding the dynamics and molecular nature of concerted