BACKGROUND Beech and oak pollen are potential allergen sources with a world-wide distribution. OBJECTIVE We aimed to characterize the allergen profile of beech and oak pollen and to study cross-reactivities with birch and grass pollen allergens. METHODS Sera from tree pollen-allergic patients with evidence for beech and oak pollen sensitization from Basel, Switzerland, (n=23) and sera from ...

The sooty beech scale insect (Ultracoelostoma sp.) (Hemiptera: Margarodidae) exhibits a highly patchy distribution at local and regional scales. A major factor driving this common distributional phenomenon in other phloem-feeding insects is aggregation and local adaptation. The aim of this study was to determine if Ultracoelostoma was locally adapted to its natal host trees, by contrasting the ...

The annual diet of possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) during both a beech (Nothofagus) mast fruiting year and a non-mast year in the simple beech forests of the North Branch of the Hurunui Catchment, eastern South Island, New Zealand, was determined by sorting the contents of 270 possum stomachs, collected between December 1999 and December 2001. Beech flowers and seeds contributed 46.1% to annual...

Adsorption of heavy metals by sawdust was investigated to evaluate the effectiveness of using sawdust to remove heavy metals from aqueous solutions. Kinetic and isotherm studies were carried out by considering the effects of initial concentration and pH. The adsorption isotherms of heavy metals fitted the Langmuir or Freundlich model reasonably well. The adsorption capacity of metal was in the ...

The present study aimed to detect sensitivity of beech trees (Fagus sylvatica L.) to meteorological parameters and air pollution by acidifying species as well as to surface ozone outside their north-eastern distribution range. Data set since 1981 of Preila EMEP station enabled to establish that hot Summers, cold dormant, and dry and cold first-half of vegetation periods resulted in beech tree g...

European beech forests growing on marginal calcareous soils have been proposed to be vulnerable to decreased soil water availability. This could result in a large-scale loss of ecological services and economical value in a changing climate. In order to evaluate the potential consequences of this drought-sensitivity, we investigated potential species range shifts for European beech forests on ca...

The obtaining and characterization of some polymeric eco-composites based on wood sawdust and natural rubber is presented. The natural rubber was cross-linked using the electron beam irradiation. The irradiation doses were of 75, 150, 300 and 600 kGy and the concentrations of wood sawdust were of 10 and 20 phr, respectively. As a result of wood sawdust adding, the physical and mechanical proper...

In this research scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Eastern beech (Fagus orientelis L.), oak (Quercus petraea L.) samples have been covered with polyurethane, acrylic, cellulosic varnish. In order to determine the physical changes which occurred on varnish layers caused by steam and wet heat, the samples were exposed to TS 4982 EN 12721 wet heat and TS EN 438-2 steam. According the results, the...