Previous cultivation may have long-lasting effects on oak forests, e.g., nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) depletion, phosphorus (P) enrichment and lowered soil acidity, which may influence soil processes, wood production and plant diversity. We used a large database on land use to sample 18 sites where oak had been planted 40-80 years ago on continuously forested land and formerly cultivated fields tha

The efficiency of photon-echo processes typically lies in the 0.1–1% range. For many photon-echo-based applications suggested in optical storage and all-optical communication the photon-echo output pulses would need to be used as input data to a new photon-echo process. In such cases amplification of the photon-echo output signals would be necessary for an acceptable signal-to-noise ratio to be ob

Gadolinium chelates, intended as intravenous contrast media for magnetic resonance imaging, have been regarded as nonnephrotoxic and recommended to replace iodinated contrast media in patients with azotemia who are undergoing digital subtraction angiography (DSA). High intraarterial doses (up to 220 mmol of gadodiamide) have been used, with a 40% incidence of nephropathy. The authors discourage th

BACKGROUND. To evaluate the relationship between stillbirth in singleton pregnancy (> or = 28 weeks gestation) and maternal weight (weight gain) from 24 completed weeks. METHODS. All fetal deaths (n = 210) at five delivery units during seven years in southern Sweden were analysed. To each case a control mother was selected, the only matching criteria being parity and place of delivery. Regression

We introduced a reporter gene system into Pichia stipitis using the gene for the artificial green fluorescent protein (GFP), variant yEGFP. This system was used to analyse hypoxia-dependent PsADH2 regulation. Reporter gene activity was only found under oxygen limitation on a fermentable carbon source. The promoter was not induced by oxygen limitation in the Crabtree-positive yeast Saccharomyces ce

New species of Xanthoria (Teloschistaceae) from Australia. Nuytsia 16(1) 63–76(2006). Xanthoria elixii S. Kondr. & Kärnefelt, sp. nov. and X. streimannii S. Kondr. & Kärnefelt, sp. nov. are described, illustrated and compared with allied taxa, and a detailed description of the common and widespread species X. filsonii Elix is also given. A key to Australian taxa of Xanthoria is provided.

Attempting to avoid some of the most common methodological problems involved in research on sexual child abuse, we collected data on crimes, perpetrators, and sanctions in all convicted cases of sexual child abuse in a defined population during a 5-year period. This approach provided amply documented and ascertained cases with precise definitions and descriptions of the crimes involved, no clinica

Accurate measurements of soil solution electrical conductivity (or.) are needed in various applications. One recently developed technique that measures sigma(w) is the Sigma Probe (SP). The SP is supposed to give accurate readings only-slightly dependent on water content (theta) and soil type. To test the performance of the SP, it was compared with another dielectric technique, time domain reflect

Mounting an immune response has been suggested to be physiologically costly because of metabolic requirements of immune cells specifically and upregulation of the immune system in general. We investigated such costs in free-living water pythons (Liasis fuscus), immunized with a harmless antigen, keyhole limpet hemocyanin. In the present study, we analyze the independent effects of age, blood paras

Yeast-derived zymosan beads are among the classical agents used to induce sterile inflammatory responses in experimental animals and macrophage activation in cell culture. In macrophages the cytosolic phospholipase A2 becomes activated, leading to mobilization of arachidonate and the generation of prostaglandins and leukotrienes. Although zymosan can interact with several receptors it has not been

Background: It has been shown previously that an anterior cruciate ligament injury may affect postural control, measured by balance in single-limb stance. To our knowledge, no studies have reported the influence of measures of impairment on postural control after such an injury. Purpose: To assess the influence of knee laxity, proprioception, and muscle strength on balance in single-limb stance an

A method to compensate for time-varying, possibly random, delays (jitter) in digital control systems is presented. Using time-stampsfrom the control system, a linear compensator is designed asan add-on to an existing control system. Stability andperformance analysis is performed, and leads to frequency domainconditions. Therefore, loop-shaping can be used for thecompensator design. The design ofth

The governess held a peculiar position in Victorian England: she was a wage-earning, middle-class woman in a society in which middle-class femininity was defined by domesticity and non-participation in the public labour market. This made her a suitable heroine for writers focusing on domestic, educational and social issues. This study investigates the Victorian governess novel as a specific genre

A variant of the normal extracellular cysteine protease inhibitor cystatin C (L68Q-cystatin C), is the amyloid precursor in hereditary cystatin C amyloid angiopathy (HCCAA). It has been suggested that the mutation causes cellular entrapment of L68Q-cystatin C in vivo and that the variant protein is not secreted to extracellular fluids. In order to test this hypothesis, we used matrix-assisted lase