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A technique based on progressive fumigation was used to reduce soil microbial biodiversity, and the effects of such reductions upon the stability of key soil processes were measured. Mineral soil samples from a grassland were fumigated with chloroform for up to 24 h and then incubated for 5 months to allow recolonisation by surviving organisms. The diversity of cultivable and non-cultivable bacter

C3 nephritic factors are autoantibodies that prolong the half-life or prevent regulation of the alternative pathway C3 convertase, resulting in uncontrolled complement activation. They are strongly associated with renal disease but their role in pathogenesis remains controversial. Here we optimized and compared a panel of assays to identify and interrogate nephritic factor activities. Of 101 patie

This article studies contemporary Australian copyright and contrasts this to a large-scale online survey on file sharing in order to analyse the seemingly parallel and non-compliant legal and social norms that they represent. Furthermore, a selection of 3,575 Australian respondents to an online survey is compared to a large scale near global group of over 96,000 respondents, allowing determining d

Resonant Auger electron spectra of core excited O-3 (O(F)1s(-1) 2b(1)(1)) are presented for the first time. The photoionization valence spectrum with sample purity and resolution superior to those published is presented. The first direct experimental evidence for the (C) over tilde (2) B-1 state of O-3(+) is found. Ab initio calculations of the resonant Auger electron (RAE) spectrum have been perf

There is still no universal model for analysing and predicting coastal evolution and its governing processes on yearly to decadal time scales. Instead, depending on the nature of the problem and project objectives, there is a wide range of models available, each focusing on the problem complex from a specific standpoint. The present paper gives an overview of available numerical model types. A dif

Objective. Studies in mice suggest that plasma apoM is lowered in hyperinsulinaemic diabetes and that apoM stimulates formation of pre-beta-HDL. Pre-beta-HDL is an acceptor of cellular cholesterol and may be critical for reverse cholesterol transport. Herein, we examined whether patients with type 2 diabetes have reduced plasma apoM and whether apoM is associated with pre-beta-HDL formation and ce

Small arteries are known to develop functional and structural alterations in hypertension. However, the mechanisms of this remodeling are not fully understood. We hypothesized that altered gene expression is associated with the development of hypertension in mesenteric arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Three sublines of SHR and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) were studied at

Background: Survival of people with HIV-2 and HTLV-1 infection is better than that of HIV-1 infected people, but long-term follow-up data are rare. We compared mortality rates of HIV-1, HIV-2, and HTLV-1 infected subjects with those of retrovirus-uninfected people in a rural community in Guinea-Bissau. Methods: In 1990, 1997 and 2007, adult residents (aged >= 15 years) were interviewed, a blood sa

Streptococcus pyogenes is the causative agent in a wide range of diseases in humans. Thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) binds to collagen-like proteins ScIA and ScIB at the surface of S. pyogenes. Activation of TAFI at this surface redirects inflammation from a transient to chronic state by modulation of the kallikrein/kinin system. We investigated TAFI binding characteristics to S

Molecular weight (MW) is one of the most important characteristics of macromolecules. Sometimes, MW cannot be measured correctly by conventional methods like gel permeation chromatography (GPC) due to, for example, aggregation. We propose using single-molecule spectroscopy to measure the average MW simply by counting individual fluorescent molecules embedded in a thin matrix film at known mass con

A high resolution TPC is the main option for a central tracking detector at the future International Linear Collider (ILC). It is planned that the MPGD (Micro Pattern Gas Detector) technology will be used for the readout. A Large Prototype TPC at DESY has been used to test the performance of MPGDs in an electron beam of energies up to 6 GeV. The first step in the technology development was to demo

Background: Studies on leisure time physical activity as risk factor or protective factor for knee or hip osteoarthritis (OA) show divergent results. Longitudinal prospective studies are needed to clarify the association of physical activity with future OA. The aim was to explore in a prospective population-based cohort study the influence of leisure time physical activity on severe knee or hip OA

In male birds, testosterone (T) plays an important role in aggressive and mate-attraction behaviour. In the cooperatively breeding Seychelles warbler, Acrocephalus sechellensis, extra-group copulations (EGCs) occur frequently, but are not accompanied by sexual courtship displays as in within-pair copulations. Paternity is nearly always gained by primary males. We investigated whether T levels and

Landfills have played a significant role in the recovery of white storks (Ciconia ciconia) populations across various European countries. While there is ample information about the populational-level effects, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the individual effects of using this food resource for feeding nestlings. This study aims to assess the nutritional status and oxidative stress balance

Changes in the inlet morphology of choked coastal lagoons often restrict the water exchange with the sea, making them vulnerable to pollution release and eutrophication processes. In this study, the role of tides for the water exchange was investigated in a choked lagoon for critical scenarios during the low river flow season. Both an integrated and spatially distributed approach were employed usi

Coherent radiation from a relativistic electron beam is a valuable way to overcome the present limitations of conventional lasers and synchrotron radiation light sources. The typical scheme has electrons, directly from a linac, in a single-pass interaction with a laser pulse in the presence of a static undulator magnetic field. We demonstrate that a storage-ring free-electron laser can also achiev

Popular Abstract in Swedish Statistik handlar om att beskriva slumpmässiga händelser. Genom att bygga matematiska modeller för hur slumpen beter sig kan man beräkna hur troliga olika händelser är. Skilda ämnen har nytta av olika slags slumpmodeller, men slumpens lagar är universella! Därför kan en slumpmodell som utvecklats inom ett ämne senare visa sig användbar inom ett helt annat. Min avhandlinThis thesis explores models and algorithms in geostatistics and gene mapping. The first part deals with the use of computationally effective lattice models for inference of data with a continuous spatial index. The fundamental idea is to approximate a Gaussian field with a Gaussian Markov random field (GMRF) on a lattice, and then to conduct a bilinear interpolation of this at non-lattice location

Popular Abstract in Swedish Populärvetenskaplig sammanfattning på svenska Abort är ett av de vanligaste kriurgiska ingreppen i Sverige. 1989 var aborttalet för hela landet 21.5 per 1000 kvinnor i åldern 15-24 år. Storstäderna Stockholm, Göteborg och Malmö har i många år haft det högsta aborttalen, vilka var för dessa 1989 28.4, 27.0 respektive 27.8. De aktuella studierna omfattar de 1466 kvinnorIn Sweden between 32-38,000 women annually elect to terminate pregnancy by means of induced abortion, though their reasons are still not well understood. The purpose of these studies, carried out at the Department of Obstetrics and gynecology and of Community Medicine at University Hospital, Malmö, was to elucidate the incidence of induced abortion in an urban population, with special emphasis on