The potential of soils to supply phosphorus and potassium : processes and predictions

Het overdadig gebruik van (kunst)mest heeft geleid, en leidt nog steeds, tot milieuproblemen voor oppervlakte- en grondwater. Gevolg hiervan is een groeiende behoefte, alsmede een steeds stringenter mestbeleid, om bemestingsadviezen te optimaliseren waarbij zowel de gewasopbrengst als milieudoelstellingen worden verenigd. Om deze optimalisatie te bereiken is het belangrijk de gekozen meetmethodes en de interpretatie van de resultaten die dat oplevert, beter te onderbouwen. Deze dissertatie presenteert resultaten van onderzoek dat zich richt op de vergroting van het inzicht in de chemische processen die de beschikbaarheid van fosfaat (P) en kalium (K) in de bodem bepalen. Deze inzichten zijn vervolgens gebruikt om een combinatie van standaard bodem meetmethodes af te leiden die in routinelaboratoria gebruikt kunnen worden

Importance of time interval between repeated measurements of total or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol when estimating an individual's baseline concentrations

We studied intra-individual variation in total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in healthy volunteers (22 men and 19 women, ages 19 to 62 years) on controlled natural diets. The within- person coefficient of variation (CV) depended on the interval between blood samples, increasing from about 2% to 3% for measurements made 24 h apart to 4% to 5% for measurements made at four-day intervals or longer. We conclude that within-subject fluctuations in total and HDL cholesterol have a time constant of several days. Multiple measurements are generally needed to decide whether an asymptomatic subject exceeds a certain concentration of total or HDL cholesterol; we recommend that such measurements be made at least four days apart

IgG Lymphoplasmacytic Intestinal Lymphoma: A Case Report

We describe a rare case of a localized primary small intestinal lymphoma with features of both the Mediterranean and the Western type. This case demonstrates the need to regard intestinal lymphoma as a spectrum of diseases with the Mediterranean and the Western types at opposite ends and many variants in between. The role of the plasma cell infiltrate has been interpreted as reactive as well as neoplastic. In our case, both lymphocytic and plasmacytic proliferations spread widely in the intestinal submucosa, extended into muscularis propria and subserosal fat, and involved mesenteric lymph nodes. Direct immunofluorescence demonstrated IgG-kappa both in plasma cells and within the lymphocytic infiltrate. We conclude that both cell types were neoplastic and the lymphoma was of a mixed lymphocytic-plasmacytic type. We also discuss the possibility of a common B cell origin for both cell types and the significance of the production of different immunoglobulins by different intestinal lymphomas

Residual Oil Aerosol Measurements on Refridgerators and Liquefiers

The purity of the process gas is essential for the reliability of refrigerators and liquefiers. Filtration and adsorption of impurities like water, nitrogen, and oil result in a major effort, cost, and maintenance in the helium process. Expensive impurity monitors for moisture, nitrogen, and hydrocarbon contents are required to identify filter failures and leakage immediately during the operation. While water and nitrogen contaminants can be detected reliably, the measurement of oil aerosols at the ppb level is challenging. We present a novel diagnostic oil aerosol measurement system able to measure particles in the sub amp; 956;m range. This unit enabled us to evaluate and improve the oil separation system on a LINDE TCF 50 helium liquefie

Immunohistochemical investigations and introduction of new therapeutic strategies in scleromyxoedema: Case report

BACKGROUND: Scleromyxoedema is a rare chronic skin disease of obscure origin, which may often be associated with severe internal co-morbidity. Even though different casuistic treatment modalities have been described, to date, curing still seems to be impossible. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a 44-year-old Caucasian female presenting with remarkable circumscribed, erythematous to skin-coloured, indurated skin eruptions at the forehead, arms, shoulders, legs and the gluteal region. Routine histology and Alcian blue labelling confirmed a massive deposition of acid mucopolysaccharides. Immunohistochemical investigations revealed proliferating fibroblasts and a discrete lymphocytic infiltration as well as increased dermal expression of MIB-1(+ )and anti-mastcell-tryptase(+ )cells. Bone marrow biopsies confirmed a monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance without morphological characteristics of plasmocytoma; immunofixation unveiled the presence of IgG-kappa paraproteins. CONCLUSIONS: Taking all data into account, our patient exhibited a complex form of lichen mxyoedematosus, which could most likely be linked a variant of scleromyxoedema. Experimental treatment with methotrexate resulted in a stabilisation of clinical symptoms but no improvement after five months of therapy. A subsequent therapeutic attempt by the use of medium-dose ultraviolet A1 cold-light photomonotherapy led to a further stabilisation of clinical symptoms, but could not induce a sustained amelioration of skin condition

Anti-Müllerian hormone measurement for the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome

Objective: Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is derived from the small antral follicles, and an elevated level has been suggested to add value to the Rotterdam criteria for the diagnosis of PCOS in cases of diagnostic uncertainty. Therefore, the role of AMH in the classical phenotype of PCOS was defined within a Caucasian population. Design: This was a cross-sectional study. Patients: Sixty Five women without PCOS and 110 women with PCOS fulfilling all 3 diagnostic Rotterdam criteria. Measurements: The main outcomes were the utility of serum AMH for the diagnosis of PCOS and its relationship to the metabolic parameters. Results: Anti-Müllerian hormone was increased in PCOS compared to controls (P  < .001). Areas under the receiver operator curve showed AMH to be predictive of PCOS (0.76) using a cut-off AMH of 46 pmol/L, which is derived from the 95 th percentile of the controls that gave a 41% sensitivity and 86% specificity; an AMH cut-off of 35 pmol/L gave a 55% sensitivity and 79% specificity. Age- and BMI-adjusted multiple logistic regression showed that AMH was more predictive of PCOS independently of either serum testosterone (T) (OR = 4.04; 95% CI 1.42-11.11; P =.007) or free androgen index (FAI) (OR = 3.90; 95% CI 1.40-10.83; P =.009). Conclusion: Whilst an elevated AMH has poor sensitivity, it is fourfold more likely to be associated with a diagnosis of PCOS, and supplementary to biochemical parameters will make a positive diagnosis of PCOS in 22% of patients when neither serum testosterone nor FAI is elevated