Litterfall dynamics in tropical forests are a good indicator of overall tropical forest function, indicative of carbon invested in both photosynthesising tissues and reproductive organs such as flowers and fruits. These dynamics are sensitive to changes in climate, such as drought, but little is known about the long-term responses of tropical forest litterfall dynamics to extended drought stress.

In this paper we consider random distance graphs motivated by applications in neurobiology. These models can be viewed as examples of inhomogeneous random graphs, notably outside of the so-called rank-1 case. Treating these models in the context of the general theory of inhomogeneous graphs helps us to derive the asymptotics for the size of the largest connected component. In particular, we show t

The multifaceted complement regulator vitronectin (Vn) can be found in almost all tissues of the human body. It is primarily produced by the liver and is thus detected at high concentrations in plasma. Upon inflammation, Vn is upregulated revealing its importance for the innate immune defence against danger signals. It consists of 459 amino acids and has several key sequences linked to its functio

Factor I (FI) is a serine protease with narrow specificity restricted to activated complement components C3b and C4b. Supported by appropriate cofactors such as factor H or C4b-binding protein, FI cleaves peptide bonds in C3b/C4b after arginyl residues. By doing so it inhibits further propagation of the complement cascade thus contributing to protection from misguided or excessive complement attac

This thesis is a phenomenological investigation into the differences and similarities between language as speech and language as a technique. Speech is the practice of producing and understanding utterances. A technique is the organizing mechanism of speech, the structure that gives it a regular form. While speech is heavily dependent on context and interpretation, a technique is unaffected by theThis thesis is a phenomenological investigation into the differences and similarities between language as speech and language as a technique. Speech is the practice of producing and understanding utterances. A technique is the organizing mechanism of speech, the structure that gives it a regular form. While speech is heavily dependent on context and interpretation, a technique is unaffected by the

The basal ganglia are thought to be particularly sensitive to changes in dopaminergic tone, and the realization that reduced dopaminergic signaling causes pronounced motor dysfunction is the rationale behind dopamine replacement therapy in Parkinson's disease. It has, however, proven difficult to identify which neurophysiological changes that ultimately lead to motor dysfunctions. To clarify this,

BACKGROUND: Viral-induced asthma exacerbations, which exhibit both Th1-type neutrophilia and Th2-type inflammation, associate with secretion of Interleukin (IL)-1β. IL-1β induces neutrophilic inflammation. It may also increase Th2-type cytokine expression. We hypothesised that IL-1β is causally involved in both Th1 and Th2 features of asthma exacerbations. This hypothesis is tested in our mouse mo

Objectives: The progression and pathophysiology of neuropathy in impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is poorly understood, especially in relation to autophagy. This study was designed to assess whether the presence of autophagy-related structures was associated with sural nerve fiber pathology, and to investigate if endoneurial capillary pathology could predict the developm

Crime scene traces of various types are routinely sent to forensic laboratories for analysis, generally with the aim of addressing questions about the source of the trace. The laboratory may choose to analyse the samples in different ways depending on the type and quality of the sample, the importance of the case and the cost and performance of the available analysis methods. Theoretically well-fo

AIM: The purpose of the study was to prospectively describe stoma configuration and evaluate stoma-related complications and their association with possible risk factors.METHOD: All elective patients (n = 180) operated on with a formation of colostomy, ileostomy or loop-ileostomy between 2003 and 2005 were included in the study. Follow up took place on the ward postoperatively and five times durin

Secondary freshwater fish species inhabiting fluctuating and extreme environments are susceptible to changes in dispersion, effective population size, and genetic structure. The Iberian toothcarp Aphanius iberus is an endemic cyprinodontid of the Iberian Peninsula restricted to brackish water of salt marshes and coastal lagoons on the eastern Spanish Mediterranean coast. In this study, we analyzed