Predictability modulates the early neural coding of spatially unattended fearful faces.

In this study, we assessed whether predictability affected the early processing of facial expressions. To achieve this, we measured lateralised early- and mid-latency event-related potentials associated with visual processing. Twenty-two participants were shown pairs of bilaterally presented fearful, happy, angry, or scrambled faces.

Organic N compounds in plant nutrition: have methodologies based on stable isotopes provided unequivocal evidence of direct N uptake?

During the past two decades, interest has developed in regard to the possibility that plant roots can take up organic N compounds directly, a concept which challenges the conventional wisdom that soil inorganic N forms ( and ) are the sole primary sources of N absorbed by plant roots. We reviewed the literature based on single or dual (N, C) stable isotope labelling techniques to test the hypothesis of direct uptake. Both isotopically enriched and natural abundance approaches were reviewed.

Natural variations in stable boron isotopes ( B) as tracers in terrestrial ecosystems.

For many years after the discovery of the two stable isotopes of boron (B,B) in 1920 they were not used as tracers in the soil-plant system due to analytical constraints. However, with the advent of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in the early 1980s, it became possible to measure precisely the natural variations of the B isotopes in biological systems. Nevertheless, up to the present time there is very little information in the literature on B variations in soils, plants, fertilizers and foodstuffs.

The relative isotopic abundance (δC, δN) during composting of agricultural wastes in relation to compost quality and feedstock.

Variations in the relative isotopic abundance of C and N (δC and δN) were measured during the composting of different agricultural wastes using bench-scale bioreactors. Different mixtures of agricultural wastes (horse bedding manure + legume residues; dairy manure + jatropha mill cake; dairy manure + sugarcane residues; dairy manure alone) were used for aerobic-thermophilic composting. No significant differences were found between the δC values of the feedstock and the final compost, except for dairy manure + sugarcane residues (from initial ratio of -13.

Responsiveness to oral prednisolone in severe asthma is related to the degree of eosinophilic airway inflammation.

Background: Patients with severe asthma appear relatively corticosteroid resistant. Corticosteroid responsiveness is closely related to the degree of eosinophilic airway inflammation. The extent to which eosinophilic airway inflammation in severe asthma responds to treatment with systemic corticosteroids is not clear.