Widespread losses of production and conservation values make large-scale ecosystem restoration increasingly urgent. Ecological restoration by means of biomanipulation, i.e., by fishing out planktivores to reduce the predation pressure on herbivorous zooplankton, has proved to be an effective tool in restoring degraded lakes and coastal ecosystems. Whether biomanipulation may prove a useful restora

Since 2006, three studies have reported elevated levels of lead (Pb) among the indigenous population of the Corrientes river, in the Amazon basin of Peru. Due to the large evidence of environmental pollution related to oil exploitation in the area, this activity has been suggested as the source of exposure. This study aimed to evaluate Pb levels in the population and environment of two communities

oday about half of the world's population owns the microwave producing mobile phones. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the mammalian brain from potentially harmful substances circulating in the blood. The permeability of the BBB has been shown to be increased after exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of the kind emitted by mobile phones and neuronal damage has been found several weeks

Purpose: This paper evaluates why companies reduce transportation emissions by examining the relative importance of external drivers vs. internal motives for companies in considering CO2 emissions in freight transportation. Design/methodology/approach: A framework is suggested that captures internal, competitiveness-driven motives and external, stakeholder-driven drivers for companies seeking to

Neutrophils recruited to the postischemic kidney contribute to the pathogenesis of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), which is the most common cause of renal failure among hospitalized patients. The Slit family of secreted proteins inhibits chemotaxis of leukocytes by preventing activation of Rho-family GTPases, suggesting that members of this family might modulate the recruitment of neutrophils a

Aims The aim of this study was to investigate genetic variants in the gene NCF1 for association with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). In rodent models, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in Ncf1 has been shown to be a major locus regulating severity of arthritis. Ncf1 encodes one of 5 subunits of the NADPH oxidase complex. In humans the genomic structure of NCF1 is complex, excluding it from genome

Background: Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is the earliest marker of disturbed mineral metabolism as renal function decreases. Its serum levels are associated with mortality in dialysis patients, persons with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD), and it is associated with atherosclerosis, endothelial dysfunction and left ventricular hypertrophy in the genera

Popular Abstract in Swedish Osteoporos (benskörhet) innebär att såväl bentätheten som skelettets hållfasthet minskar, vilket leder till ökad risk att få frakturer (benbrott). Osteoporos är en folksjukdom, där frakturerna medför stora kostnader såväl för individen som för samhället. De frakturer som räknas som osteoporosfrakturer är i första hand de som drabbar höft, bäcken, axel, handled och kota.Hip fracture is the most severe clinical manifestation of bone fragility. Hip fracture predominantly affects an already frail population and is associated with multi-cause morbidity and high mortality. Improved knowledge of long-term outcome is essential in order to improve future care and prevention of both fracture and its complications. In this thesis, all hip fracture patients during 1984-198

The authors have collected data for the silver market, shedding light on market size, stocks in society and silver flows in society. The world supply from mining, depletion of the remaining reserves, reducing ore grades, market price and turnover of silver was simulated using the SILVER model developed for this study. The model combines mining, trade markets, price mechanisms, populations dynamics

Despite its present shortage, He-3 continues to be the most common neutron converter for detectors in neutron scattering science. However, it is obvious that the development of large area neutron detectors based on alternative neutron converters is rapidly becoming a matter of urgency. In the technique presented here, grids each comprising 28 (B4C)-B-10 layers ( each 1 mu m thick) are used to conv

Removal of ammonia from synthesis gas is an important step in gas purification to prevent poisoning of downstream catalyst or formation of nitrogen oxides on combustion. This publication proposes that ammonia can be removed by using selective catalytic abatement with NOx, not unlike the selective catalytic reduction of NOx but under reducing environment. Two different catalysts have been used for

Climatic conditions during the winter in countries situated in the north can be considered severe. This is especially true for hydraulic structures, such as hydro power structures, dams, harbours, canals and some bridge foundations. Freezing of concrete in contact with unfrozen fresh water may have a considerable impact on the deterioration process of concrete. This paper presents results obtained

Here, we report and investigate the genomic alterations of two novel cases of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) in children with Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS), a multisystem disorder caused by 7q11.23 hemizygous deletion. Additionally, we report the case of a child with NHL and a somatic 7q11.23 deletion. Although the WBS critical region has not yet been identified as a susceptibility locus in NHL, it h

What determines the seasonal and interannual variation of growth rates in trees in a tropical forest? We explore this question with a novel four-year high-temporal-resolution data set of carbon allocation from two forest plots in the Bolivian Amazon. The forests show strong seasonal variation in tree wood growth rates, which are largely explained by shifts in carbon allocation, and not by shifts i

The aim of this study was to determine in patients with HCV genotype 2 or 3 the performance at week 4 of two assays with different sensitivities for HCV RNA detection, for the prediction of SVR and stratification for treatment duration (14 and 24 weeks). Recruitment was from two trials comparing 14 and 24 weeks treatment to patients with rapid virological response (RVR) (n = 550). RVR was original

Obesity is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health, and increased knowledge about the enzymes controlling lipid metabolism is of great importance in order to combat this disease. Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is a key enzyme in the mobilization of fatty acids from acylglycerols in adipocytes, but also plays important roles in other cell types. The aim of this thes