The influence of pH on the relative importance of the two principal decomposer groups in soil, fungi and bacteria, was investigated along a continuous soil pH gradient at Hoosfield acid strip at Rothamsted Research in the United Kingdom. This experimental location provides a uniform pH gradient, ranging from pH 8.3 to 4.0, within 180 m in a silty loam soil on which barley has been continuously gro

We have modelled the formation of the eccentric double-degenerate binaries J1141-6545 and B2303+46 using the Henyey-type full stellar evolution code STARS and the population synthesis code BSE. We find that the outcome depends strongly on the common envelope (CE) evolution efficiency parameter alpha(CE) and show that both systems can be modelled with a single value of alpha(CE). The final orbit of

Homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) is a hybrid of the sparkignition and compression ignition engine concepts. As in a sparkignition engine, a homogeneous fuel-air mixture is created in theinlet system. During the compression stroke the temperature of themixture increases and reaches the point of auto ignition, just as in acompression ignition engine (or Diesel). One challenge with HCCI

The study examined the impact of trait anxiety and social conformity on ratings and test performance during controlled solvent challenge. Healthy women (n = 20) and men (n = 18) were exposed to increasing levels of toluene and n-butyl acetate in a challenge chamber, during which they repeatedly rated smell intensity and annoyance, and completed neurobehavioral tests. Trait anxiety was measured by

All physical, chemical and biological processes produce heat and isothermal calorimetry is a general measurement technique to study all kinds of processes by the heat they produce. This paper gives several examples of studies of biological processes in the food area using isothermal calorimetry. It is for example shown how different unit operations influence respiration of vegetable tissue, how th

In this study, we performed a population viability analysis on 3 domestic horse breeds (Equus caballus) of Danish origin, namely, the Frederiksborg, the Knabstrupper, and the Jutland breeds. Because of their small population sizes, these breeds are considered endangered. The Vortex software simulation package was used for the population viability analysis. First, we investigated the future viabili

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules are up-regulated on endothelial cells in human allografts, and are thought to be involved in graft rejection. The MFIC class 11 subtypes HLA-DR, DQ and DP regulate T cell dependent immune responses, and aberrant expression could be important in autoimmunity. Increased endothelial MHC class II expression has been demonstrated in several auto

OBJECTIVES--Exposure-response relationships in the formation of specific antibodies to hexahydrophthalic anhydride (HHPA) was studied in exposed workers. METHODS--The relation between exposure to HHPA and the levels of specific immunoglobin E [(radioallergosorbent test (RAST)] and immunoglobin G (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) antibodies was investigated in a cross-sectional study on 95 worker

No rock at the Earth's surface escapes weathering. This process is the primary source of all the essential elements for organisms, except nitrogen and carbon. Since the onset of terrestrial life, weathering has been accelerated under the influence of biota. The study of biological weathering started at the end of the 19th century. Although the role of bacteria (Eubacteria, Archaea) has attracted a

The mid-Holocene Littorina Sea transgression has been studied in sediment cores from four coastal lakes in NW Russia. The basins are situated in the same drainage system at elevations from 6.9 to 9.2 m a.s.l. Complementary parameters have been applied to identify water-level changes. Chronological models are based on AMS radiocarbon dating of bulk sediments but also wood remains and moss sedge pea

During the initial indolent chronic phase of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), the t(9;22)(q34;q11), resulting in the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph), is usually the sole cytogenetic anomaly, but as the disease progresses into the accelerated phase (AP), and eventually into aggressive blast crisis (BC), secondary aberrations, mainly unbalanced changes such as +8, i(17q), and +Ph, are frequent. To date,

We investigated whether resistant pollen genotypes can be selected for when the maternal plants are infected and whether infection can result to changes in the pistil nutrient level influencing reproductive outcome. Both resistance and susceptibility come with costs that may affect pre- and post-fertilization reproductive functions. We performed the study by crossing zucchini yellow mosaic virus r

Ethanol (ca. 1 g/kg body weight) was given alone or together with glucose or lipid (mixed triglycerides) perorally to young, fasting subjects. The changes with time (0-6 hr) of lipoprotein lipase activity (LLA) in adipose tissue, plasma glycerol, triglyceride, insulin, blood glucose, and alcohol concentrations were followed. A maximal mean blood alcohol concentration of 0.09% (w/v) was obtained 1

The purpose of this study was to identify new prognostic biomarkers with clinical impact in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST), a highly aggressive malignancy for which no consensus therapy exists besides surgery. We have used tissue microarrays (TMAs) to assess in situ expression of 14 cell-cycle-regulating proteins in 64 well-characterized MPNST patients: 36 sporadic and 28 with neu

The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between the plasma concentration of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and pulmonary pressure and hypoxia defined by oxygenation index (OI) in newborn infants with severe persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) on inhaled nitric oxide (NO). In this prospective study, 18 newborn infants having Doppler ultrasound-diagnosed PPHN and treated wit

In the current study, we used bootstrap analyses and the common principal component (CPC) method of Flury (1988) to estimate and compare the G-matrix of Scabiosa columbaria and S. canescens populations. We found three major patterns in the G-matrices: (i) the magnitude of the (co)variances was more variable among characters than among populations, (ii) different populations showed high (co)varianc

The involvement of Helicobacter pylori in the pathogenesis of extragastric diseases continues to be an interesting topic in the field of Helicobacter-related pathology. Although conflicting findings have been reported for most of the disorders, a role of H. pylori seems to be important especially for the development of cardiovascular and hematologic disorders. Previously isolated human and animal

The enantiospecific synthesis of several bicyclic enones starting from enantiomerically pure (+)-(1S,5S)-bicyclo[3.3.1]-nonane-2,6-dione (1) was accomplished. The target enones 7-9 were obtained in high yield and purity by using a catalytic amount of benzeneselenic anhydride. (+)-(1S,5R)-bicy-clo[3.3.1]inonane-2,3,6-trione was obtained from diketone 1 by alpha-hydroxylation involving the use of io