There is a need for analytical methods capable of monitoring blood antibiotic levels in real time. Here we present a method for quantifying antibiotic levels in whole blood that does not require any sample pretreatment. The tests employ the enzyme penicillinase to assay for penicillin G, penicillin V and ampicillin using a flow-injected biosensor, the Enzyme Thermistor. Optimal flow rates, sample

This paper is an investigation in the use of truthmaker theory for exploring the relation of logic to world, and as a tool for metaphysics. A variant of truthmaker theory, which we call the simple theory, is defined and defended against objections. It is characterized formally, and its central features are derived. As part of this project, we give a formal metaphysics based on nondeterministic nec

Abstract in UndeterminedThe stabilization characteristics and local extinction structures of partially premixed methane/air flames were studied using simultaneous OH-PLIF/PIV techniques, and large eddy simulations employing a two-scalar flamelet model. Partial premixing was made in a mixing chamber comprised of two concentric tubes, where the degree of partial premixing of fuel and air was control

The middle Darriwilian delta C-13 excursion (MDICE), one of the least known of the Ordovician delta C-13 excursions, has previously been recorded only from the Middle Ordovician of Baltoscandia. Analysis of many recently collected limestone samples from the Guniutan Formation at two Yangtze Platform localities show elevated delta C-13 values in the same biostratigraphic interval (Microzarkodina oz

Osteoporosis-related fractures constitute a major health concern not only in women but also in men. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a key determinant of bone mass, but the association between serum IGF-1 and incident fractures in men remains unclear. To determine the predictive value of serum IGF-1 for fracture risk in men, older men (n = 2902, mean age of 75 years) participating in the pr

Four different thermal manikins (male and female shapes)in three different laboratories (UK, Sweden, and China) were used to determine the clothing thermal insulation values of 52 non-Western, mainly indoor clothing ensembles in order to expand the existing clothing database for use with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55-2013, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy (ASHRAE 2013a), ISO Standard

A long term experiment was conducted in a primary forest area in Amazonia, with continuous in-situ measurements of aerosol optical properties between February 2008 and April 2011, comprising, to our knowledge, the longest database ever in the Amazon Basin. Two major classes of aerosol particles, with significantly different optical properties were identified: coarse mode predominant biogenic aeros

We have analyzed an almost 14,000 year old peat sequence on the island of Isla de los Estados (55 degrees S. 64 degrees W), east of Tierra del Fuego, in the core of the Southern Hemisphere Westerlies. A multitude of methods have been used: high resolution C-14 dating; detailed lithologic descriptions including humification degree; loss on ignition; magnetic susceptibility; bulk density; pollen and

We consider a class of pseudodifferential operators with a doubly characteristic point, where the quadratic part of the symbol fails to be elliptic but obeys an averaging assumption. Under suitable additional assumptions, semiclassical resolvent estimates are established, where the modulus of the spectral parameter is allowed to grow slightly more rapidly than the semiclassical parameter.

Background Methacholine hyperresponsiveness is prevalent in elite athletes. Comparative studies have hitherto been limited to methacholine, eucapnic voluntary hyperpnoea and exercise. This study investigated airway responsiveness to these stimuli as well as to adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) and mannitol, in 58 cross-country ski athletes. Methods Exhaled nitric oxide concentration (FENO), spirome

Background Assessment of tactile and nociceptive thresholds of the skin with calibrated polyamide monofilaments is an established testing method both in animal and in human research. It is known that changes in relative humidity may affect the physical properties of the monofilaments. As this effect has only been studied in very small diameter monofilaments, used in neonatal research, we therefore

Background: Laparoscopic surgery has emerged as a new treatment modality for inguinal hernia repair. The aim of the present study was to analyse its long-term costs in relation to those of open repair. Methods: A randomized multicentre study comparing totally extraperitoneal laparoscopic repair (TEP) with open repair by the Lichtenstein procedure was performed on men with a primary inguinal hernia

During the day, a non-uniform distribution of long and short wavelength light generates a colour gradient across the sky. This gradient could be used as a compass cue, particularly by animals such as dung beetles that rely primarily on celestial cues for orientation. Here, we tested if dung beetles can use spectral cues for orientation by presenting them with monochromatic (green and UV) light spo

Within the family of voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs), L-type channels (L-VGCCs) represent a well-established therapeutic target for calcium channel blockers, which are widely used to treat hypertension and myocardial ischemia. L-VGCCs outside the cardiovascular system also control key physiological processes such as neuronal plasticity, sensory cell function (e.g. in the inner ear and retin

Environmental effects on population growth are often quantified by coupling environmental covariates with population time series, using statistical models that make particular assumptions about the shape of density dependence. We hypothesized that faulty assumptions about the shape of density dependence can bias estimated effect sizes of temporally autocorrelated covariates. We investigated the pr

New drill cores from the largest known impact structure in Europe, the relict of the Siljan meteorite crater, provide new possibilities to reconstruct Early Palaeozoic marine environments and ecosystems, and to document changes in sedimentary facies, sea level and palaeoclimate in Baltoscandia. The impact crater is an important target of the project "Concentric Impact Structures in the Palaeozoic"

In this work, the syntheses of covalently grafted C-protected Cu(II)-amino acid (methylesters of l-histidine and l-cystine) uniform and mixed ligand complexes with two different amino acid esters are described using chloropropylated silica gel as the support. The conditions of the syntheses were systematically altered. The structural features of the substances obtained were studied by the Kjeldahl