Abstract in UndeterminedSoil fungal biomass, determined by the fluorescein diacetate (FDA) method, was studied during a 3 yr period in three horizons in a mature and a clear-cut pine forest in Sweden with and without slash left on the ground. In the organic soil layer the amount of hyphae showed a similar seasonal periodicity at all three sites, and this periodicity was correlated to the soil mois

The large-scale migration of birds has been studied extensively by recoveries of ringed birds. However, there is very little ringing data from the arctic breeding grounds of waders. Here, the migration pattern of the dunlin, Calidris alpina, is studied with population genetic markers, using haplotype frequencies to estimate the breeding origin of migrating and wintering populations. Polymerase cha

A sediment core from Lake Pichozero (61degrees46'; N, 37degrees25'; E 118 m a.s.l.) provides information on the environmental and climatic conditions in southeastern Russian Karelia during the Lateglacial and early Holocene (12800-9300 cal. BP). The chronology of the sequence is constrained by varve counting and AMS C-14 measurement of terrestrial plant macrofossils. Multiproxy analyses (magnetic

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) and autoantibodies to OxLDL (aOxLDL) are implicated in the development of atherosclerosis. The objective of this study was to determine the importance of these factors in hypertension, a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. Samples were obtained from I I I men with established hypertension (diastolic pressure > 95 mmHg) from the Swedish component of an on

Associations between occupational factors and characteristics of the social network in people with persistent mental illness were investigated. Participant groups (N = 103) representing three types of daily occupations working or studying, visiting community-based activity centers, and having no regular daily occupation-were selected for the study. Participants were assessed regarding social inter

Impinging flame jets are widely used in applications where high heat-transfer rates are needed, for instance in the glass industry. During the heating process of glass products, internal thermal stresses develop in the material due to temperature gradients. In order to avoid excessive thermal gradients as well as overheating of the hot spots, it is important to know and control the temperature dist

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) mycelia are dependent on contact with plant roots for spore formation. In this study, earthworms and collembolans were regarded as potential dispersal vectors of AM fungal spores and hyphae, and we determined how they influenced the extension of AM fungi from host plant roots. Plantago lanceolata seedlings were grown in a mesh bag with an AM inoculurn of dried soil and

The problem of reconstructing 3D scene features from multiple views with known camera motion and given image correspondences is considered. This is a classical and one of the most basic geometric problems in computer vision and photogrammetry. Yet, previous methods fail to guarantee optimal reconstructions - they are either plagued by local minima or rely on a non-optimal cost-function. A common f

AIMS: The oncological, surgical and cosmetic results, patient satisfaction and psychological morbidity of immediate breast reconstruction following mastectomy for breast cancer were evaluated. METHODS: From 1980 to 1994, 79 immediate breast reconstructions were performed in Malmo. From 1985 immediate breast reconstruction was performed in 21% of mastectomies among patients

One of the five largest mass extinctions of the past 600 million years occurred at the boundary of the Triassic and Jurassic periods, 201.6 million years ago. The loss of marine biodiversity at the time has been linked to extreme greenhouse warming, triggered by the release of carbon dioxide from flood basalt volcanism in the central Atlantic Ocean. In contrast, the biotic turnover in terrestrial

A method for the determination of electron density using a narrow beam attenuation geometry is described. The method does not require that the elemental composition of the phantom materials is known. The Hounsfield numbers for the phantom materials used were determined using five different CT scanners. A relationship between Hounsfield number and electron density can thus be established, which is

Background: Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMS) like Tamoxifen and Raloxifen are used for menopausal symptoms, prevention of cardio-vascular diseases, osteoporosis and mammary carcinoma. Tamoxifen acts as an estrogen inhibitor on the mammary gland, but stimulates postmenopausal uterine mucosa in about 25% of cases while decreasing the risk of osteoporosis. Materials, Methods and Results

Five parkinsonian patients who had received implants of human embryonic mesencephalic tissue unilaterally in the striatum 10-56 months earlier were grafted with tissue from four to eight donors into the putamen (four patients) or the putamen plus the caudate nucleus (one patient) on the other side, and were followed for 18-24 months. After 12-18 months, PET showed a mean 85% increase in 6-L-[18F]f

To study the composition of wild strawberries grown at high altitude, total antioxidant capacity, total phenolic compounds, total flavonoids, and individual phenolic compounds were measured in wild strawberries (Fragaria vesca) collected between 2,650 and 3,300 m above sea level in Bolivia. Total antioxidant capacity, as assessed by the ferric-reducing antioxidant power and 2,2¢-azinobis( 3-ethylb

The development of a model for any energy system is required for proper design, operation or its monitoring. Models based on accurate mathematical expressions for physical processes are mostly useful to understand the actual operation of the plant. However, for large systems like combined heat and power (CHP) plants, such models are usually complex in nature. The estimation of output parameters us

OBJECTIVE In childhood onset GH deficiency (GHD) a reduction in left ventricular mass (LV-mass) and impairment of systolic function as well an impairment in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) has been shown. The aim of the present study was to assess if a low GH dose resulted in an improvement in morphological and functional parameters of these organs. DESIGN AND PATIENTS Eleven patients with childh

BACKGROUND: Diclofenac is widely used for postoperative analgesia but the perioperative safety of this drug is controversial because of its effect on platelet aggregation, which might increase blood loss. In a prospective investigator-blinded study the effects of diclofenac and paracetamol on pain and blood loss were compared in patients undergoing tonsillectomy. METHOD: Ninety patients were rando