The temperature dependence of freezing-induced xylem cavitation was studied in a Chihuahuan desert population of Larrea tridentata (Zygophyllaceae). Field measurements of wood temperature and xylem embolism were combined with anatomical studies and laboratory measurements of embolism in stem and root samples frozen under controlled conditions. Our laboratory experiments corroborated the previou...

The effect of freezing on the properties of a raw ewes'-milk semi-soft cheese (Serpa cheese) was studied using small amplitude oscillatory (SAOS) and texture measurements, colour and chemical parameters. The freezing was introduced at three different stages of the ripening process (28, 35 and 42 days), and the cheeses were maintained frozen for 12 months. Cheeses were submitted to a slow or fas...

Predicted increases in the length of the growing season as a result of climate change may more frequently expose high-elevation plants to severe frosts. Understanding the ability of these species to resist frosts during the growing season is essential for predicting how species may respond to changes in temperature regimes. Here, we assessed the freezing resistance of 24 species from the centra...

Various marine fishes, amphibians, and reptiles survive at temperatures several degrees below the freezing point of their body fluids by virtue of adaptive mechanisms that promote freeze avoidance or freeze tolerance. Freezing is avoided by a colligative depression of the blood freezing point, supercooling of the body fluids, or the biosynthesis of unique antifreeze proteins that inhibit the pr...

Background: Freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease (PD) has been linked with deficits in inhibitory control, but causal mechanisms are not established. Freezing at gait initiation (start hesitation) is often accompanied by multiple anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs). If inhibition deficits contribute to freezing by interfering with ability to inhibit initial weight shifts in the wrong di...

The freezing transition of tensionless fluctuating vesicles is investigated by Monte Carlo siniulations and scaling arguments for a simple tether-and-bead model of fluid membranes. In this model, a freezing transition is induced by reducing the tether length. In the case of planar membranes (with periodic boundary conditions ), the model shows a fiuid~to-crystalline transition at a tether lengt...

Fully hydrated lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seeds showed dual freezing exotherms (-9 and -18 degrees C), even after 10 hours imbibition. Only the -9 degrees C exotherm was observed in seeds imbibed for 20 hours, but without external nucleation, all water in the embryo supercooled. Results indicate that the endosperm acts as a barrier to ice propagation. Other experiments suggest that the pericar...

BACKGROUND Preanalytical conditions encountered during collection, processing, and storage of biospecimens may influence laboratory results. The National Children's Study (NCS) is a planned prospective cohort study of 100,000 families to examine the influence of a wide variety of exposures on child health. In developing biospecimen collection, processing, and storage procedures for the NCS, we ...

Background and Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to investigate effects of various heat shock conditions and fast freezing and subsequent thawing on the viability and recovery of Bacillus coagulans and Bacillus subtilis as probiotic sporeformers, and also to compare spore plate and microscopic counts. Materials and Methods: After preparing the final suspensions of B. coagulans an...