Leaching of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the O layer is important for the carbon cycling of forest soils. Here we study the role of the Oi, Oe and Oa horizons in DOC leaching from the forest floor in field manipulations carried out in a Norway spruce forest stand in southern Sweden. The manipulations involved the addition and removal of litter and the removal of Oi, Oe and Oa horizons. Our

The presence of inhibitory antibodies to clotting factors complicates the treatment of bleeding in haemophilia patients. For patients with high-titre inhibitors, bypassing agents are essential to haemostatic management. To determine optimal treatment practices, an international panel of physicians convened to develop a systematic treatment approach for problem bleeds (i.e. bleeds that are unrespon

A well-established effect of animated agents in educational and other contexts is their potential to motivate and engage. "Increased motivation in users" is also one of the more frequent answers given to the question, "What is gained by adding an animated pedagogical agent to an intelligent tutoring system?" To further develop and exploit this potential, there are, however, several issues that nee

IS1294, found on the ColD-like resistance plasmid pUB2380, is IS91-like. It is an active 1.7-kb insertion sequence that lacks terminal inverted repeats, displays insertion-site specificity, and does not generate direct repeats of the target site. The element has one large open reading frame, tnp(1294), encoding a transposase of 351 amino acids, related to members of the REP family of replication p

A V2O5 catalyst was used in the ammoxidation of 3-picoline to nicotinonitrile. It was observed that the selectivity for the formation of CO2 as a function of temperature passed through a minimum. This is explained to be due to the existence of weakly bonded electrophilic oxygen species at low temperatures, and an increasing degradation involving O2− at high temperatures. A comparison of two differ

We report a new strategy for on-fine monitoring of chemical reactions in ultrasonically levitated, nanoliter-sized droplets by Raman spectroscopy. A flow-through microdispenser connected to an automated flow injection system was used to dose picoliter droplets into the node of an ultrasonic trap. Taking advantage of the flow-through characteristics of the microdispenser and the versatility of the

Background The role of non-specific inflammation in beta-cell loss in type 1 diabetes is unclear. in the present study, inflammatory markers were determined in patients with newly diagnosed disease and related to beta-cell function, glycemic control and autoimmunity. Methods Ninety-seven adult patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (80% islet antibody positives, ab(+)) were examined at diagnosis a

Cyclosporine-A (CsA) is the primary anti-rejection drug used for organ and neural transplantation therapy. In addition to its immunosuppressive action, CsA has been recently shown to exert neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects in the central nervous system when able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Postulated mechanisms for these CsA-induced beneficial effects include the drug's powerful inhib

Prophylactic mastectomy is an effective risk-reducing option in women with hereditary increased risk of breast cancer. It may be combined with immediate reconstruction, with the intention of improving aesthetic outcome and health-related quality of life. Sixty-one women underwent prophylactic mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction in Malmö, Sweden, between 1995 and 2003. Forty women under

Background: Broader patient access to information, expanding clinical options and greater accommodation of patients' personal values makes clinical decision-processes increasingly complex. Given the challenges and implications of risk communication, it is important to explore what is happening when clinicians adopt different approaches to consultations. Aim: To perform an ethical analysis of perso

Background/Aims: Severe acute pancreatitis ( SAP) is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. The aim was to evaluate treatment, risk factors and outcome in SAP in a centre with a restrictive attitude to surgery. Methods: All cases of acute pancreatitis admitted 1994 - 2003 were analysed retrospectively. SAP was defined as organ failure and/or hospital stay > 7 days together with one or mor

The suppressors of cytokine signaling ( SOCS) family is thought to act largely as a negative regulator of signaling by cytokines and some growth factors. Surprisingly, the SOCS-6 transgenics had no significant defects in the cytokine signaling and hematopoietic system but displayed significant improvements in glucose metabolism. Insulin stimulation of Akt/protein kinase B was also potentiated. Bio

Thrombocytopenia caused by platelet consumption in thrombi is a major manifestation of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) associated with Shiga toxin (Stx) producing Escherichia coli. Platelets have glycosphingolipid receptors capable of binding Stx, but a direct interaction between the toxin and platelets, leading to platelet activation, has not been reported. In this study, it is shown that Stx1 an

In this article the organization and functional details of the extracellular matrix, with particular focus on cartilage, are described. All tissues contain a set of molecules that are arranged to contribute structural elements. Examples are fibril-forming collagens forming major fibrillar networks in most tissues. The assembly process is regulated by a number of proteins (thrombospondins, LRR-prot

Background: No recommendation exists on the amount of petrolatum (pet.) preparation to be applied in a Finn Chamber (R) or van der Bend Chamber. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the appropriate amount of pet. preparation to apply in the Finn and van der Bend chambers. Methods: 12 volunteers were patch tested with green-coloured pet. in Finn and van der Bend chambers on the back o

A digital 3D-reconstruction of the Baltic Ice Lake's (BIL) configuration during the termination of the Younger Dryas cold phase (ca. 11700 cal. yr BP) was compiled using a combined bathymetric-topographic Digital Terrain Model (DTM), Scandinavian ice sheet limits, Baltic Sea Holocene bottom sediment thickness information, and a paleoshoreline database maintained at the Lund University. The bathyme

Most traditional "biodiversity" indices have an uncertain ecological interpretation, unfavourable sampling properties, and excessive data requirements. A new index of taxonomic distinctness (the average evolutionary distance between species in an assemblage) has many advantages over traditional measures, but its ecological interpretation remains unclear. We used published behavioural species data

The human B1 bradykinin receptor is an inducible and constitutively active G protein-coupled receptor that is involved in the inflammatory and pain responses to injury. Here, we investigated the role of B1 receptor homo-oligomerization in cell surface receptor expression. B1 receptors tagged with either the FLAG or hemagglutinin epitope were monitored immunologically and by radio-ligand binding, b

OBJECTIVE: To study whether restriction of head-neck movements improves postural performance in patients with compensated unilateral total vestibular loss. DESIGN: Randomized controlled experimental study. SETTING: Laboratory for clinical and experimental vestibular testing at a tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Fifteen consecutive patients (seven men, eight women, mean age 53 years) at routine