We investigated the impact of biochar application on fungal (acetate incorporation into ergosterol) and bacterial (leucine incorporation) growth rates in two case studies: a temperate UK pasture soil and a Mediterranean Australian agricultural soil. We added biochar at similar rates per unit of soil organic carbon (SOC) and monitored both the immediate (after 1week equilibration) and longer-term (

The most critical functions of the various proteomics organisations are the training of young scientists and the dissemination of information to the general scientific community. The education committees of the Human Proteome Organisation (HUPO) and the European Proteomics Association (EuPA) together with their national counterparts are therefore launching the International Proteomics Tutorial Pro

The association between emergency department (ED) overcrowding and poor patient outcomes is well described, with recent work suggesting that the phenomenon causes delays in time-sensitive interventions, such as resuscitation. Even though most researchers agree on the fact that admitted patients boarding in the ED is a major contributing factor to ED overcrowding, little work explicitly addresses w

Environmental contaminants such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are man-made bioaccumulative compounds with long half-lives that are found throughout the world as a result of heavy use in a variety of consumer products during the twentieth century. Wildlife and animal studies have long suggested adverse effects of exposure to these compounds on human reproductive health, which, according t

Radionuclide imaging of cancer-associated molecular alterations may contribute to patient stratification for targeting therapy. Scaffold high-affinity proteins, such as Affibody molecules, are a new, promising class of probes for in vivo imaging. Methods. The effects of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) affinity and binding site composition of HER2-binding Affibody molecules, and of

We study the effects of institutional instability on growth. Using principal components analysis, we construct measures of institutional quality and instability from the political risk index of the International Country Risk Guide. A panel-data analysis of 132 countries during 1984–2004 reveals that institutional quality, especially with regard to the legal system and the protection of property ri

BACKGROUND: T-wave alternans (TWA) is associated with prognosis after myocardial infarction (MI), however its link to the extent of ischemic injury has not been clarified. We analyzed the course of TWA and its relation to myocardial damage in experimental myocardial infarction. METHODS: In 21 pigs, infarction was induced by 40-minute long balloon inflation in LAD under continuous 12-lead ECG monit

Using the well-known exoelectrogen Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, an osmium redox polymer modified anode exhibited ca. 4-fold increase in current generation. Additionally, a significant decrease in the start-up time for electrocatalysis was observed. The findings suggest that the inherent extracellular electron transfer capabilities of electrogens coupled with such polymers could enhance electrocatal

Healthy first-degree relatives with heredity of type 2 diabetes (FH+) are known to have metabolic inflexibility when compared to subjects without heredity for diabetes (FH-). In this study, we aimed to test the hypothesis that FH+ individuals have an impaired response to exercise compared to FH-. 16 FH+ and 19 FH- insulin sensitive men similar in age, VO2peak and BMI completed an exercise interven

Gliding flight performance and wake topology of a common swift (Apus apus L.) were examined in a wind tunnel at speeds between 7 and 11 m s(-1). The tunnel was tilted to simulate descending flight at different sink speeds. The swift varied its wingspan, wing area and tail span over the speed range. Wingspan decreased linearly with speed, whereas tail span decreased in a nonlinear manner. For each

Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV co-infections place an immense burden on health care systems and pose particular diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Infection with HIV is the most powerful known risk factor predisposing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and progression to active disease, which increases the risk of latent TB reactivation 20-fold. TB is also the most common cause of AIDS-relate

The complement system consists of more than 40 proteins that participate in the inflammatory response and in pathogen killing. Complement inhibitors are necessary to avoid the excessive consumption and activation of this system on host cells. Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by spirochetes from the genus Leptospira. Pathogenic leptospires are able to escape from complement activation b

The 8p11 myeloproliferative syndrome (EMS), also referred to as stem cell leukemia/lymphoma, is a chronic myeloproliferative disorder that rapidly progresses into acute leukemia. Molecularly, EMS is characterized by fusion of various partner genes to the FGFR1 gene, resulting in constitutive activation of the tyrosine kinases in FGFR1. To date, no previous study has addressed the functional conseq

Purpose. The main aim of this study was to describe the thoughts and feelings of future working life related to return to work (RTW) in sick-listed persons due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). Further aim was to compare these descriptions with the person's actual working situation 1, 5 and 10 years after a rehabilitation period. Methods. This study consisted of two parts. The first part had an

The potential of neutron powder diffraction in the location of hydrogen atoms in molecular materials and inorganic-molecular complexes is reviewed. Advances in instrumentation and data collection techniques that have made this field accessible are reviewed, along with a wide range of applications carried out by our collaboration investigating functional materials, hydrogen-containing minerals and

Objectives: Apolipoproteins play important roles in the development of atherosclerosis but their involvement in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is poorly understood. The aim was to investigate whether apoA-I, apoB and apoM are independently associated with AAA. Design and methods: Plasma apoA-I, apoB and apoM were measured in 343 patients with AAA and in 214 elderly apparently

BackgroundThere is a paucity of evidence for the use of systemic agents in children with atopic eczema refractory to conventional therapy, resulting in considerable variation in patient management. ObjectivesThe European TREatment of severe Atopic eczema in children Taskforce (TREAT) survey was established to collect data on current prescribing practice, to identify factors influencing the use of

Although novel treatment strategies based on the gene therapy approach for epilepsy has been encouraging, there is still a gap in demonstrating a proof-of-concept in a clinically relevant animal model and study design. In the present study, a conceptually novel framework reflecting a plausible clinical trial for gene therapy of temporal lobe epilepsy was explored: We investigated (i) whether the p

Mitochondrial genomes are separated from the nuclear genome for most of the cell cycle by the nuclear double membrane, intervening cytoplasm, and the mitochondrial double membrane. Despite these physical barriers, we show that somatically acquired mitochondrial-nuclear genome fusion sequences are present in cancer cells. Most occur in conjunction with intranuclear genomic rearrangements, and the f