Search results for "Complex Mixture"
showing 10 items of 826 documents
Labile carbon alleviates wood ash effects on soil fauna
2008
The combined effects of wood ash, sucrose and oxalic acid on enchytraeid size and biomass, the abundance of microbial-feeding nematodes and pH were studied in a full three-factorial design in laboratory microcosms containing 30 g of Norway spruce forest humus. Wood ash treatment reduced enchytraeid size and abundance, but these effects were offset by sucrose without any change in pH or moisture. The positive effects of sucrose were partially counteracted by oxalic acid. Both carbon compounds increased the abundance of obligate microbial-feeding nematodes, indicating enhanced microbial production.
Volumetric Behaviour of Lime Treated High Plasticity Clay Subjected to Suction Controlled Drying and Wetting Cycles
2017
The paper presents some experimental results collected on samples recovered from an experimental embankment obtained by compacting a lime-treated clay. Samples were collected soon after the in situ compaction and they were cured in controlled environmental conditions for at least 18 months. Mercury intrusion porosimetry tests (MIP) were carried out on freeze-dried specimens to characterize the microstructure of the material. In order to assess the durability of the improved material, laboratory tests focused on the effects of cyclic variations of the degree of saturation on the water retention properties and the volumetric behaviour of the stabilized clay. Collected results show that the li…
Surface Activity of Humic Substances Within Peat Profile
2012
Humic substances are able to reduce the surface tension of their solutions and thus can act as surface-active substances in natural environment and possibly also for industrial applications. The ability to influence the surface tension of humic substance solutions depends on their origin. The objective of this study is a comparison of the ability of humic substances from peat profile to influence the surface tension of their solutions and identification of the structural characteristics of peat humic acids, determining their surfactant properties. Humic acids isolated from peat demonstrated significant impact of the surface tension of their solutions – they act as weak surfactants. The surf…
Assessment of soil particle erodibility and sediment trapping using check dams in small semi-arid catchments
2017
Check dams can be used as a source of information for studies on sediment characteristics and soil particle erodibility. In this study, sediment yield and grain size distribution (GSD) were measured in twenty small catchments draining into a rock check dam in NW Iran for different runoffs during 2010–2011. Significant correlations were found between sediment yield and slope steepness, vegetation cover and soil erodibility factor (K) of the catchments. The erodibility of soil particles was determined using the comparison of GSD between sediment and original soil. Clay was the most erodible soil particle which showed 2.05 times more percentage in sediment than the original soil. The erodibili…
Efficient homologous prime-boost strategies for T cell vaccination based on virus-like particles.
2005
Induction of high frequencies of specific T cells by vaccination requires prime-boost regimens. To reach optimal immune responses, it is necessary to use different vectors for priming and boosting as e.g. DNA vaccination followed by boosting with a recombinant viral vector. Here, we show that vaccines based on virus-like particles (VLP) displaying peptide epitopes are equally effective to induce CTL responses if used in a homologous or heterologous prime-boost setting. Strikingly, high frequencies (>20% of CD8(+) cells) of protective CTL could be induced and maintained by weekly injection of VLP. Thus, the use of VLP may avoid the requirement for complicated heterologous prime-boost regi…
The establishment of an introduced community of fluorescent pseudomonads in the soil and in the rhizosphere is affected by the soil type
1999
Indigenous populations of fluorescent pseudomonads were previously shown to vary in two different soils (Châteaurenard and Dijon) and in the rhizosphere of a plant species (Linum usitatissimum L.) cultivated in these two soils. These differences could be related to the soil type and to their crop history. In the present study, the influence of the soil type on the diversity of fluorescent pseudomonads in bulk and rhizospheric soils was evaluated. The soils of Châteaurenard and Dijon were sterilized before being inoculated with the same community of fluorescent pseudomonads. Bacterial isolates from bulk and rhizospheric soils were characterized on the basis of their repetitive extragenic pal…
Pectin concentration, Molecular Weight and Degree of Esterification : Influence on Volatile Composition and Sensory Characteristics of Strawberry Jam
1991
Composition of headspace, consistency, taste and flavor characteristics were determined in jams made with different pectins. At usual concentrations, high methoxylated pectin induced an undesirable modification of typical flavor and intensity of flavor and taste, whereas low methoxylated pectin induced few alterations. At fixed concentration and molecular weight, a decrease in degree of esterification produced a significant decrease in consistency and noticeable modifications of the flavor perception and headspace composition, but no taste alteration. Mechanical reduction of pectin molecular weight significantly modified only the consistency.
Cost-Efficiency of Decaying Wood as a Surrogate for Overall Species Richness in Boreal Forests
2006
Decaying wood is one of the most important elements for species richness in boreal forests. We tested how well reserve selection based on the amount and quality of decaying wood results in a representation of four ecologically different taxa (beetles, birds, wood-inhabiting fungi, and vascular plants). We also compared the cost-efficiency of the use of dead-wood indicators with comprehensive species inventory. Our database included 32 seminatural old-forest stands located in northern Finland. Decaying wood was a relatively good indicator of saproxylic species but not overall species richness. Even though dead wood did not reflect accurately overall species richness, our results indicated th…
Modeling of the catalytic effects of potassium and calcium on spruce wood gasification in CO2
2016
Abstract Using previously reported thermogravimetric analysis measurements, the effects of calcium and potassium on the char gasification rate of spruce wood were modeled. Spruce wood was leached of inorganic ash elements and doped with measured amounts of potassium and calcium. The wood was gasified in an isothermal thermogravimetric analysis device in CO 2 where the devolatilization of the wood, char formation and char gasification all occurred inside the preheated reactor. A new method for separating the effects of devolatilization and char gasification is presented. Kinetic models were evaluated for their ability to describe the observed catalytic effects of potassium and calcium on the…
IMMUNOGENICITY OF AN ACELLULAR PERTUSSIS VACCINE COMPOSED OF GENETICALLY INACTIVATED PERTUSSIS TOXIN COMBINED WITH FILAMENTOUS HEMAGGLUTININ AND PERT…
1993
We studied the immunogenicity of an acellular pertussis vaccine composed of genetically detoxified pertussis toxin (PT-9K/129G), filamentous haemagglutinin, and a 69-kilodalton protein, pertactin, in 30 children aged 12 to 24 months and in 80 infants aged 2 to 4 months. A significant increase of the neutralizing titer and of the titers against pertussis toxin, filamentous hemagglutinin, and pertactin, as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, was achieved after three doses of vaccine in all the children; a significant increase of these antibody titers was obtained in 100%, 96.1%, 93.5%, and 98.7% of the infants, respectively.