The in vitro growth and sporulation of Frankia isolate HFPCcI3, a nitrogen‐fixing symbiont of Casuarina, was inhibited by both the toxic and osmotic effects of sodium chloride. This was demonstrated by comparing HFPCcI3 halotolerance with its tolerance to metabolically neutral melibiose osmoticum at sodium chloride and melibiose concentrations from 0 to 500 mmol L‐1. The osmotolerance of this stra

We compute the O(αsα2) and O(αs2α) contributions to the production cross section of a Z boson with one b jet at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and study their phenomenological relevance for LHC physics. The accurate prediction of hadronic Z+b-jet production is needed to control a background that greatly affects both the measurement of Higgs-boson properties and the searches of new physics at the

Objective To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS), and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) in persons with late effects of polio (LEoP). More specifically, we explored the data completeness, scaling assumptions, targeting, reliability, and convergent validity. Methods A postal survey including FSS, FIS, and MFI-20 was

Background: Lead exposure, even at low levels, is associated with adverse health effects in humans. We investigated the determinants of individual lead levels in a general population-based sample of adults from Florence, Italy. Methods: Erythrocyte lead levels were measured (using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry) in 454 subjects enrolled in the Florence cohort of the European Prospect

On small isolated islands, natural selection is expected to reduce the dispersal capacity of organisms, as short distances do not require a high rate of dispersal, which might lead to accidental emigration from the population. In addition, individuals foregoing the high cost of maintaining flight capacity may instead allocate resources to other functions. However, in butterflies and many other ins

Mt4 is a cDNA representing a phosphate-starvation-inducible gene from Medicago truncatula that is down-regulated in roots in response to inorganic phosphate (Pi) fertilization and colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Split-root experiments revealed that the expression of the Mt4 gene in M. truncatula roots is down-regulated systemically by both Pi fertilization and colonization by arbuscu

Spores of Frankia strain HFPCcl3 nodulated Casuarina equisetifolia after passage through the digestive tracts of captive parakeets (Melopsittacus undulatus). Parakeets excreted infectious fecal material from 6 to 72 h after ingesting food inoculated with Frankia spores. Air desiccation of spore-containing fecal material reduced its infectious capacity by approximately 90%. Hyphal filaments of this

The ability of Hawaiian volcanic soils to nodulate actinorhizal Myrica cerifera, Casuarina equisetifolia, and Alnus glutinosa was determined using a host-plant bioassay. Myrica-nodulating Frankia occurred in five volcanic deposits with depositional ages ranging from 20 to 162 years before present. The oldest deposit had a mean estimated nodulation capacity from 450 to 1200 times greater than those

Optimization of the in vitro sporulation of Frankia is a prerequisite for the development of spore preparations as a practical inoculum for actinorhizal plants. The in vitro sporulation of Frankia strain HFPCcI3 previously isolated from Casuarina cunninghamiana was increased from 0 to 12 million spores per millilitre of culture medium when nitrogen and phosphorus were excluded from a defined nutri

Coalescence during emulsification has a significant effect on the outcome of the process, especially for the high volume fractions of disperse phase common in food and pharmaceutical processing. Controlling emulsification requires that the extent of coalescence during different conditions can be quantified. The step-down technique is the most commonly used method for measuring coalescence frequenc

The multifractal (MF) analysis of the surface areas and the volumes of fuel spray droplet imprints, which formed on the surface of a glass plate covered with a soot layer, is presented. The input information for the MF analysis was obtained from photographic images of imprints of droplets of biodiesel, diesel and their mixtures. The parameters for the MF spectra of the surface areas and the volume

Multifractal (MF) analysis is used to describe volumes of spatial forms that are formed on the surface of thin layers of ZnxCd1−xTe solid solution grown on the Si (111) substrate. MF analysis is performed on the basis of AFM images of the solid solution surface. The parameters of the MF spectrums for the distribution of volumes of the spatial forms, which formed the surface relief, were found. On

Estimates of relative pollen productivity (RPP) represent key input parameters for model-based quantitative reconstructions of past vegetation cover. In this study, we provide the first RPP estimates for 13 taxa from the forest steppe ecoregion in southeastern Romania (southeastern Europe). We used modern pollen assemblages from 26 points together with vegetation surveys and mapping, covering a 1.

Which have been the consequences of the euro for integration and economic performance in the Baltic Sea region? After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the three Baltic states and Poland have been rapidly catching-up with Western Europe. The Great Recession became a great setback for the former, while less so for Poland. A difference is the monetary policy: the Polish zloty depreciated in the crit