BACKGROUND : Asthma is exhibiting classical circadian fluctuations of clinical symptoms and airflow measurements, presumably influenced by the underlying airway inflammation and the endogenous cortisol secretion. The aim of our study was to examine the cellular and eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) contents of sputum, collected andfrozen at 2 opposite time points of the day-and-night cycle, a...

A NaCl-tolerant cell line which was selected from ovular callus of ;Shamouti' orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) proved to be a true cell line variant. This conclusion is based on the following observations. (a) Cells which have been removed from the selection pressure for at least four passages retain the same NaCl tolerance as do cells which are kept constantly on 0.2 molar NaCl. (b) Na(+) an...

Salt marshes are valued for their ecosystem services, and their vulnerability is typically assessed through biotic and abiotic measurements at individual points on the landscape. However, lateral erosion can lead to rapid marsh loss as marshes build vertically. Marsh sediment budgets represent a spatially integrated measure of competing constructive and destructive forces: a sediment surplus ma...

The title dispiro hydrocarbon 1 was designed as a new electrochromic material. This multiply clamped hexaphenylethane-type electron donor was prepared from 2,2'-diiodobiphenyl via biphenyl-2,2'-diylbis(dibenzotropylium) 22+ salt. X-ray analysis of 1 revealed a highly strained structure as reflected by an elongated "ethane" bond [bond length: 1.6665(17) Å] and nearly eclipsed conformation. The w...