A spin- and angle-resolving photoelectron spectrometer

A new type of hemispherical electron energy analyzer that permits angle and spin resolved photoelectron spectroscopy has been developed. The analyzer permits standard angle resolved spectra to be recorded with a two-dimensional detector in parallel with spin detection using a mini-Mott polarimeter. General design considerations as well as technical solutions are discussed and test results from the Au(111) surface state are presented

The impact of water level fluctuation on the breeding success of the Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica in South-west Sweden

We evaluated the impact of water level fluctuation on the breeding success of the Black-throated Diver in South-west Sweden by using results from a one-year study of 43 lakes (49 pairs) in 1996 and surveys of a population of 16–22 pairs at the lake system Fegen-Svansjöarna in 1997–2000. At this lake system, the water level is regulated (for hydropower production) with a maximum amplitude of 1.75 m. In 1997–2000, an attempt was made to maintain a stable water level during the period 1 May–15 June. Flooding was the most important cause of breeding failure at the 43 lakes, whereas no failure could be related to this factor at Fegen-Svansjöarna. In the 43 lakes, the change in median water level during incubation was +6 cm for five flooded nests, compared to –5 cm for 14 hatched clutches and –6 cm for 13 clutches that failed because of other or unknown causes. The mean breeding success at Fegen-Svansjöarna was on the same level as for South-west Sweden in general during 1997–2000 (0.44 and 0.38 chicks per pair and year, respectively), but was higher than for the four years before the attempt to keep the water level stable (0.22 chicks). We conclude that flooding is a main cause of nesting failure, that rainfall is the main factor behind the water level fluctuations, and that the regulation of the water level for hydropower production may have an additional negative impact on some lakes. Control of the water level during the incubation period may help to reduce the risk of failure caused by flooding, and our results support previous recommendations to allow for a rise of only a few centimetres or a lowering of a maximum of 20–30 cm during the incubation period

Moving to and living in a retirement home : Focusing on elderly people's sense of safety and security

Bad health combined witii deteriorating physical functions force many elderly people to move to a retirement home. The primary focus of this study was to investigate the resident's experience of safety and security. From a sample of 57 residents, 12 persons volunteered to participate in the interview. Data were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. The standard and design of the participant's previous home made mobility difficult and this affected their sense of security. This motivated them to move into an environment where they felt more secure. The environment at the retirement home was predominantly described as secure and safe. The finding shows that the participants felt that safety and security were more important than independence. © 2006 by The Haworth Press, In

The endocytic protein GRAF1 is directed to cell-matrix adhesion sites and regulates cell spreading

The rho GTPase-activating protein GTPase regulator associated with focal adhesion kinase-1 (GRAF1) remodels membranes into tubulovesicular clathrin-independent carriers (CLICs) mediating lipid-anchored receptor endocytosis. However, the cell biological functions of this highly prevalent endocytic pathway are unclear. In this article, we present biochemical and cell biological evidence that GRAF1 interacted with a network of endocytic and adhesion proteins and was found enriched at podosome-like adhesions and src-induced podosomes. We further demonstrate that these sites comprise microdomains of highly ordered lipid enriched in GRAF1 endocytic cargo. GRAF1 activity was upregulated in spreading cells and uptake via CLICs was concentrated at the leading edge of migrating cells. Depletion of GRAF1, which inhibits CLIC generation, resulted in profound defects in cell spreading and migration. We propose that GRAF1 remodels membrane microdomains at adhesion sites into endocytic carriers, facilitating membrane turnover during cell morphological changes