Soil Functional Zone Management: A Vehicle for Enhancing Production and Soil Ecosystem Services in Row-Crop Agroecosystems.

There is increasing global demand for food, bioenergy feedstocks and a wide variety of bio-based products. In response, agriculture has advanced production, but is increasingly depleting soil regulating and supporting ecosystem services. New production systems have emerged, such as no-tillage, that can enhance soil services but may limit yields.

Perennial Grain and Oilseed Crops.

Historically, agroecosystems have been designed to produce food. Modern societies now demand more from food systems-not only food, fuel, and fiber, but also a variety of ecosystem services. And although today's farming practices are producing unprecedented yields, they are also contributing to ecosystem problems such as soil erosion, greenhouse gas emissions, and water pollution.

Quantitative Phosphoproteomics Analysis of ERBB3/ERBB4 Signaling.

The four members of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/ERBB) family form homo- and heterodimers which mediate ligand-specific regulation of many key cellular processes in normal and cancer tissues. While signaling through the EGFR has been extensively studied on the molecular level, signal transduction through ERBB3/ERBB4 heterodimers is less well understood. Here, we generated isogenic mouse Ba/F3 cells that express full-length and functional membrane-integrated ERBB3 and ERBB4 or ERBB4 alone, to serve as a defined cellular model for biological and phosphoproteomics analysis of ERBB3/ERBB4 signaling.

Modeling the effect of social networks on adoption of multifunctional agriculture.

Rotational grazing (RG) has attracted much attention as a cornerstone of multifunctional agriculture (MFA) in animal systems, potentially capable of producing a range of goods and services of value to diverse stakeholders in agricultural landscapes and rural communities, as well as broader societal benefits. Despite these benefits, global adoption of MFA has been uneven, with some places seeing active participation, while others have seen limited growth. Recent conceptual models of MFA emphasize the potential for bottom-up processes and linkages among social and environmental systems to promote multifunctionality.

Reading Stories to Learn Math: Mathematics Vocabulary Instruction for Children with Early Numeracy Difficulties.

The present study involved examining whether a storybook reading intervention targeting mathematics vocabulary, such as "equal," "more," and "less," and associated number concepts would increase at-risk children's vocabulary knowledge and number competencies. Children with early numeracy difficulties (N = 124) were recruited from kindergarten classes in four schools. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a storybook number competencies (SNC) intervention, a number sense intervention, or a business-as-usual control.

Technique for fabrication of ultrathin foils in cylindrical geometry for liner-plasma implosion experiments with sub-megaampere currents.

In this work, we describe a technique for fabricating ultrathin foils in cylindrical geometry for liner-plasma implosion experiments using sub-MA currents. Liners are formed by wrapping a 400 nm, rectangular strip of aluminum foil around a dumbbell-shaped support structure with a non-conducting center rod, so that the liner dimensions are 1 cm in height, 6.55 mm in diameter, and 400 nm in thickness.

Key issues in the management of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: latest developments and clinical implications.

Systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) is a chronic multisystem disease with significant associated morbidity and mortality. A deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of SLE has led to the development of biologic agents, primarily targeting B cells and others inhibiting costimulatory molecules, type I interferons and cytokines such as interleukin-6. Several of these agents have been studied in clinical trials; some have shown promise while others have yielded disappointing results.

To be a midwife: overcoming the obstacles in Canada (part 2).

This two-part article introduces my working background in grassroots Canadian midwifery, and my subsequent shift into 'thinking birth' through what I call the 'philosopher-midwife' I broach the idea that midwifery is a site of not only holistic birth care, but of woman-centred birth studies and enquiry. Part 1 conveyed a storied account of my working background in midwifery care, situated in the re-emergence of North American midwifery. I discussed how midwifery is a relational, woman-centred method of knowing and enquiry.

Association of Lupus Anticoagulant With Long-Term Damage Accrual in Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis.

Objective: Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are frequently present in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients; however, the prognostic impact of aPL in such patients has not been elucidated. The objective of this study was to determine whether persistent aPL positivity in AAV patients was associated with increased long-term damage accrual.

Methods: Clinical data were retrospectively collected on all AAV patients who attended the vasculitis clinic at our center over a 4-year period.

A Kindergarten Number-Sense Intervention With Contrasting Practice Conditions for Low-Achieving Children.

The efficacy of a research-based number-sense intervention for low-achieving kinder-gartners was examined. Children ( = 126) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: a number-sense intervention followed by a number-fact practice session, an identical number-sense intervention followed by a number-list practice session, or a business-as-usual control group. The interventions were delivered in a small-group setting over 24 half-hour lessons.

To be a midwife: overcoming the obstacles in Canada.

This two-part article introduces my working background in grassroots Canadian midwifery, and my subsequent shift into 'thinking birth' through what I call the 'philosopher-midwife'. I broach the idea that midwifery is a site of not only holistic birth care, but of woman-centred birth studies and enquiry. Part 1 conveys a storied account of my working background in midwifery care, situated in the re-emergence of North American midwifery.

Efficacy, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of belimumab for systemic lupus erythematosus.

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a severe autoimmune disease and a sizeable proportion of patients remain refractory to currently available immunosuppressive agents. The burden of uncontrolled disease is significant as disease flare and persistent inflammation lead to long-term damage accrual and increased morbidity. Belimumab , a humanized monoclonal antibody that inhibits B-lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS), is the first drug to be approved by the US FDA for the treatment of SLE in 50 years.

Metastasis suppressor 1 expression in human ovarian cancer: The impact on cellular migration and metastasis.

Metastasis suppressor 1 (MTSS1) is a potential metastasis suppressor gene involved in the regulation of cytoskeleton dynamics and subsequently in cell motility. MTSS1 expression is frequently reduced in a variety of cancer cells and tissues and this loss may account for increased invasive traits in cancer cells. The present study aimed to assess the role of MTSS1 in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cells.

Molecular and functional profiling of histamine receptor-mediated calcium ion signals in different cell lines.

Calcium ions (Ca(2+)) play a pivotal role in cellular physiology. Often Ca(2+)-dependent processes are studied in commonly available cell lines. To induce Ca(2+) signals on demand, cells may need to be equipped with additional proteins.

Job Offers to Individuals With Severe Mental Illness After Participation in Virtual Reality Job Interview Training.

Objective: Individuals with severe mental illness have low employment rates, and the job interview presents a critical barrier for them to obtain competitive employment. Prior randomized controlled trials (RCTs) indicated that virtual reality job interview training (VR-JIT) improved job interviewing skills among trainees. This study assessed whether VR-JIT participation was associated with greater odds of receiving job offers in the six-months after completion of training.

Analysis of caffeine and paraxanthine in human saliva with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography for CYP1A2 phenotyping.

Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) plays an important role in drug metabolism. Caffeine (CAF) is converted into paraxanthine (PX) by this enzyme and is used as a xenobiotic substrate to determine the CYP1A2 phenotype in humans. A method for the quantification of CAF and PX in saliva was developed using liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate and analysis with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography.

Spectroscopic evidence for selenium(IV) dimerization in aqueous solution.

The aqueous speciation of selenium(iv) was elucidated by a combined approach applying quantum chemical calculations, infrared (IR), Raman, and (77)Se NMR spectroscopy. The dimerization of hydrogen selenite (HSeO3(-)) was confirmed at concentrations above 10 mmol L(-1) by both IR and NMR spectroscopy. Quantum chemical calculations provided the assignment of vibrational bands observed to specific molecular modes of the (HSeO3)2(2-) ion.

Entrapped elemental selenium nanoparticles affect physicochemical properties of selenium fed activated sludge.

Selenite containing wastewaters can be treated in activated sludge systems, where the total selenium is removed from the wastewater by the formation of elemental selenium nanoparticles, which are trapped in the biomass. No studies have been carried out so far on the characterization of selenium fed activated sludge flocs, which is important for the development of this novel selenium removal process. This study showed that more than 94% of the trapped selenium in activated sludge flocs is in the form of elemental selenium, both as amorphous/monoclinic selenium nanospheres and trigonal selenium nanorods.

An Ordovician variation on Burgess Shale-type biotas.

The Cambrian Burgess Shale-type biotas form a globally consistent ecosystem, usually dominated by arthropods. Elements of these communities continued into the Early Ordovician at high latitude, but our understanding of ecological changes during the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE) is currently limited by the paucity of Ordovician exceptionally preserved open-marine faunas. Here we clarify the early stages of the GOBE by describing a new open-marine Konservat-Lagerstätte from the Early Ordovician of Wales.

Progress with the use of monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus.

In recent years, significant progress has been made in the use of monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Advances in our understanding of the complexity of SLE immunopathogenesis have led to the testing of several biologic agents in clinical trials. Monoclonal therapies currently emerging or under development include B-cell depletion therapies, agents targeting B-cell survival factors, blockade of T-cell co-stimulation and anticytokine therapies.

Evaluation and costs of volunteer telephone cessation follow-up counseling for Veteran smokers discharged from inpatient units: a quasi-experimental, mixed methods study.

Background: The Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework was used to evaluate the volunteer telephone smoking cessation counseling follow-up program implemented as part of the inpatient Tobacco Tactics intervention in a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital.

Methods: This was a quasi-experimental, mixed methods design that collected data through electronic medical records (EMR), observations of telephone smoking cessation counseling calls, interviews with staff and Veterans involved in the program, and intervention costs.

Results: Reach: Of the 131 Veterans referred to the smoking cessation telephone follow-up program, 19% were reached 0-1 times, while 81% were reached 2-4 times.

Prescribing multiple neurostimulants during rehabilitation for severe brain injury.

Background: Despite a lack of clear evidence, multiple neurostimulants are commonly provided after severe brain injury (BI). The purpose of this study is to determine if the number of neurostimulants received during rehabilitation was associated with recovery of full consciousness or improved neurobehavioral function after severe BI.

Method: Data from 115 participants were extracted from a neurobehavioral observational study database for this exploratory, retrospective analysis.

Protocol for the surgical and large bore procedures in malignant pleural mesothelioma and radiotherapy trial (SMART Trial): an RCT evaluating whether prophylactic radiotherapy reduces the incidence of procedure tract metastases.

Introduction: Patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) may develop painful 'procedure tract metastasis' (PTM) at the site of previous pleural interventions. Prophylactic radiotherapy has been used to minimise this complication; however, three small randomised trials have shown conflicting results regarding its effectiveness. The surgical and large bore procedures in malignant pleural mesothelioma and radiotherapy trial (SMART Trial) is a suitably powered, multicentre, randomised controlled trial, designed to evaluate the efficacy of prophylactic radiotherapy within 42 days of pleural instrumentation in preventing the development of PTM in MPM.

Virtual Reality Job Interview Training for Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Background: Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have low employment rates and the job interview presents a critical barrier for them to obtain competitive employment.

Objective: To evaluate the acceptability and efficacy of virtual reality job interview training (VR-JIT) among veterans with PTSD via a small randomized controlled trial (n=23 VR-JIT trainees, n=10 waitlist treatment-as-usual (TAU) controls).

Methods: VR-JIT trainees completed up to 10 hours of simulated job interviews and reviewed information and tips about job interviewing, while wait-list TAU controls received services as usual.