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Background: Soils contain the largest stock of organic carbon (C) in terrestrial ecosystems and changes in soil C stocks may significantly affect atmospheric CO2. A significant part of soil C is present in cultivated soils that occupy about 35 % of the global land surface. Agricultural intensification has led to practices that may decrease soil organic carbon (SOC), and agricultural management has
A dynamic coupled biogeochemical-ecological model was used to simulate the effects of nitrogen deposition and climate change on plant communities at three forest sites in France. The three sites had different forest covers (sessile oak, Norway spruce and silver fir), three nitrogen loads ranging from relatively low to high, different climatic regions and different soil types. Both the availability
Aim: Hemoglobin (Hb) becomes toxic when released from the erythrocyte. The acute phase protein haptoglobin (Hp) binds avidly to Hb and decreases oxidative damage to Hb itself and to the surrounding proteins and lipids. However, the molecular mechanism underpinning Hp protection is to date unclear. The aim of this study was to use electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, stopped flow opt
This survey concerns optimization problems arising in the design of survivable communication networks. It turns out that such problems can be modeled in a natural way as non-compact linear programming formulations based on multicommodity flow network models. These non-compact formulations involve an exponential number of path flow variables, and therefore require column generation to be solved to
Context/Objective: The variant rs13266634 in SLC30A8, encoding a beta-cell-specific zinc transporter, is associated with type 2 diabetes. We aimed to identify other variants in SLC30A8 that increase diabetes risk and impair beta-cell function, and test whether zinc intake modifies this risk. Design/Outcome: We sequenced exons in SLC30A8 in 380 Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) participants and ide
beta-Microseminoprotein (MSP), a 10kDa seminal plasma protein, forms a tight complex with cysteine-rich secretory protein 3 (CRISP-3) from granulocytes. The 3D structure of human MSP has been determined but there is as yet no 3D structure for CRISP-3. We have now studied the complex between human MSP and CRISP-3 with multidimensional NMR. (15)N-HSQC spectra show substantial differences between fre
Background: In Ethiopia, nearly 70% of the population resides in areas prone to malaria infection. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of indoor residual spraying (IRS) on the incidence of malaria in East Shoa Zone of Ethiopia. Methods: Data from the registers of malaria cases at Debrezeit Malaria Control Center in East Shoa Zone of Ethiopia were collected and analyzed. Records o
Assessment of the potential impact of climate change on water systems has been an essential part of hydrological research over the last couple of decades. However, the notion that such assessments should also include other changes is relatively recent. In this study, the potential impacts of climate change and continued urbanisation on stormwater flows to a suburban stream, Helsingborg, south Swed
The human host-defense peptide LL-37 not only displays antimicrobial activity but also immune modulating properties that trigger intracellular signaling events in host cells. Since the cytolytic activity of high LL-37 concentrations affects cell viability, the function of LL-37 requires tight regulation. Eukaryotic cells therefore benefit from protective measures to prevent harmful effects of LL-3
The residual stresses generated during D-Gun spraying process act as pre-existing stresses and seriously affect the various types of coating performance. To produce a reliable coating, it is necessary to know the influence of residual stress on the adhesive behavior of coating/substrate system. Based on the residual stress formula for thick coatings and accurate curvature measurements, the residua
In this Letter, we use a discrete polarizable solvation model for a systematic analysis of the solvent effects on the nitrogen NMR shielding and nuclear quadrupole coupling constants in a series of 1-methyltriazoles. Fairly accurate predictions are found for the solvent shifts of the nitrogen NMR shielding constants. The analysis of the relative half-height widths of the resonance signal predicted
Osteoporosis is characterized by decreased bone mineral density (BMD) leading to reduced bone strength and increased fracture risk. Several heritable components affect a bone’s ability to resist fracture, including size, structure and strength; therefore identification of the genes underlying several bone characteristics will help elucidate the pathogenesis of fracture risk. Dissection of the gene
Adsorption of uncharged homopolymers in good and theta solvents onto planar surfaces at various chain flexibility and polymer-surface attraction strengths was investigated by using a coarse-grained bead-spring polymer model and simulation techniques. Equilibrium properties of the interfacial systems were obtained from Monte Carlo simulations by monitoring the bead and polymer density profiles, the
The immobilization of functional biomolecules to surfaces is a critical process for the development of biosensors for disease diagnostics. In this work we report the patterned attachment of single chain fragment variable (scFv) antibodies to the surface of metal oxides by the photodeprotection of self-assembled monolayers, using near-UV light. The photodeprotection step alters the functionality at
The effect of three different types of polymer chain structures on the polymer release from hydrophilic matrix tablets was investigated by comparing a synthetic semi-crystalline linear polymer (PEO), a branched amorphous polysaccharide (dextran) and an amorphous substituted cellulose derivative (HPMC). The polymer release rates for tablets containing mixtures of high and low molecular weight grade
This paper analyzes the effects of the interaction between technology adoption and incomplete enforcement on the extent of violations and the rate of abatement technology adoption. We focus on price-based and quantity-based emission regulations. First, we show that in contrast to uniform taxes, under tradable emissions permits (TEPs), the fall in permit price produced by technology adoption reduce
The Sava River flows through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia on its way to join the Danube at Belgrade. This formerly national river became an international one as a result of the break-up of Yugoslavia due to the 1991-95 Yugoslav Wars. Following an overview of the conflict and a description of the Sava River Basin, this article describes the post-conflict challenges to joint mana
Background: Musculoskeletal disorders are very common and almost inevitable in an individual's lifetime. Enabling self-management and allowing the individual to take responsibility for care is stated as desired in the management of these disorders, but this may be asking more than people can generally manage. A willingness among people to take responsibility for musculoskeletal disorders and not p
Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) is rapidly becoming a technique of choice for the separation and characterization of complex materials. It is capable of fractionating samples over a wide size (similar to 2 nm to 50 mu m in diameter) and molecular weight range (10(3)-10(10) g/mol). It offers gentle, low shear, low pressure separation conditions which are essential to preserve the s
