Search results for "Unity"
showing 10 items of 3852 documents
Crop type and altitude are the main drivers of species composition of arable weed vegetation in Tajikistan
2015
Summary The influence of broad-scale environmental factors on the species composition of segetal weed communities in Tajikistan was investigated. The research was conducted throughout the country, analysing plots of root crops as well as cereals from all phytogeographical regions of Tajikistan, with the exception of the eastern Pamir. The study was based on 440 phytosociological relevees sampled between 2009 and 2013 and analysed using direct and indirect ordinations. A set of environmental variables was obtained for each plot: altitude, mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature, pH, crop type, longitude, latitude and date of sampling (seasonality). Crop type was the major factor d…
Soil microbial and microfaunal communities and organic matter quality in reindeer winter and summer ranges in Finnish subarctic mountain birch forests
2008
Abstract Reindeer husbandry has significant influences on the aboveground plant communities and the structure of the mountain birch forests in the Fennoscandian subarctic. We investigated how the reindeer-mediated aboveground changes affect soil microbial and microfaunal communities and enzymatic activities. We hypothesized that in areas with intensive summer browsing by reindeer, the carbon flow to belowground is reduced, but the carbon substances are more readily degradable. This is likely to influence both the abundance and the trophic structure of microbial and microfaunal communities. However, despite large differences in the vegetation, the reindeer ranges did not differ in the amount…
Proteins of Human Cytomegalovirus that Elicit Humoral Immunity
1993
Several of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) genes encoding glycoproteins, structural proteins, and infected-cell proteins that elicit an immune response in human infection have been mapped. Human sera and monoclonal antibodies react with these viral polypeptides made as native molecules in CMV-infected cells, as genetically engineered proteins, as truncated derivatives expressed in eukaryotic cells, and as bacterial fusion proteins from portions of the reading frames cloned into prokaryotic expression vectors. Synthetic oligopeptides from immunodominant regions of these molecules have also been used as antibody targets. Studies on proteins encoded by reading frames UL55, UL32, and UL44, on glycopr…
The fouling community as an indicator of fish farming impact in Mediterranean
2007
Fouling species richness, abundance and composition and biomass were chosen as the descriptors of effect of fish farm organic enrichment. The study was carried out in September 2004 in the Gulf of Castellammare (South Tyrrhenian, Mediterranean). The fouling species were sampled from plastic buoys spaced throughout the study area both up- [UP] and down-stream [DOWN]. The results showed that fouling community responded to the chronic input of allochthonous organic matter experiencing local changes more or less significantly with regard to abundance, species composition and general community diversity. Upper fouling would work as a first filter naturally opposed by environment resistance assim…
Meiofauna and benthic microbial biomass in a semi-enclosed mediterranean marine system (Stagnone di Marsala, Italy)
2004
Microbial and meiofaunal dynamics and their relationships with the biochemical composition of the sedimentary organic matter were investigated in a semi-enclosed marine system (Marsala lagoon, Western Sicily, Mediterranean Sea). Sediment samples were collected on a monthly basis from March 1996 to February 1997 in four stations located along a N–S transect characterized by different hydrodynamic regimes. Total sedimentary organic matter concentration ranged from 5.681.11 to 156.2812.63 mg g1, while the biopolymeric fraction of organic carbon (BPC, measured as sum of the lipids, carbohydrates and proteins) accounted for only a small fraction (24%) of total organic matter. Total meiofaunal de…
Microfungal community structure in anthropogenic birch stands in central Finland
2002
We describe the soil microfungal communities in 30-year-old birch (Betula pendula Roth) stands planted either on former spruce forest soil (BS) or on former arable soil (BF) and compare these with the soil microfungal communities in spruce forests (S), arable fields (F) and old deciduous forests (D). Fungi were isolated from 0- to 3-cm and 3- to 6-cm samples collected in September 1997 and May 1998. Principal components analysis differentiated fungal communities in the S and BS sites from those in the other site types. The Morisita-Horn index of similarity indicated that fungal communities in the F and BF sites were less similar to those in the other site types. Fungal communities of the BS…
Riverine impacts on benthic biodiversity and functional traits: A comparison of two sub-Arctic fjords
2020
Abstract Climate change is leading to increases in freshwater discharge to coastal environments with implications for benthic community structure and functioning. Freshwater inputs create strong environmental gradients, which potentially affect the community structure of benthic infauna. In turn, changes in functional trait composition have the potential to affect the processing of terrestrially-derived nutrients and organic matter along the freshwater to marine continuum. We investigated the effects of riverine inputs on benthic community structure, functional traits, taxonomic and functional diversity, and utilization of terrestrial organic matter in two contrasting northern Norwegian fjo…
Comparative analysis of the remineralization potential of CPP–ACP with Fluoride, Tri-Calcium Phosphate and Nano Hydroxyapatite using SEM/EDX – An in …
2019
Background In recent years, the non-invasive management of non cavitated caries lesions using remineralization systems to repair the enamel have received more attention from the scientific community. Aim: To quantitatively evaluate the remineralization potential of Casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate-fluoride(CPP-ACPF), Tri-calcium phosphate(TCP) & Nano-hydroxyapatite(nHAP) using Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM) and Energy dispersive X-ray Analysis(EDX). Material and Methods 40 enamel specimens were prepared, and immersed in demineralising solution at a pH of 4.4 for 96 hours at 37°C, to induce artificial carious lesions. Remineralization was carried out for a period of 30 da…
Regulation of T-Cell Immune Responses by Pro-Resolving Lipid Mediators
2021
Both the initiation and the resolution of inflammatory responses are governed by the sequential activation, migration, and control/suppression of immune cells at the site of injury. Bioactive lipids play a major role in the fine-tuning of this dynamic process in a timely manner. During inflammation and its resolution, polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) and macrophages switch from producing pro-inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes to specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs), namely, lipoxins, resolvins, protectins, and maresins, which are operative at the local level to limit further inflammation and tissue injury and restore homeostasis. Accumulating evidences expand now the rol…
Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria in Patients with Common Variable Immunodeficiency
2018
Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a predominantly antibody deficiency and is one of the most common primary immunodeficiencies in adulthood. Replacement therapy with Ig has significantly reduced infectious complications; however, malignant, autoimmune, and inflammatory diseases are still current major causes of morbidity and mortality. In recent years, interest has increased regarding allergic manifestations that may be associated with primary immunodeficiencies; however, no data are currently available on chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). In this report, the authors describe CSU in patients with CVID attending their centre. Three CVID patients were affected by CSU and were unre…