Sodium Accumulation in Infected Cells and Ion Transporters Mistargeting in Nodules of : Two Ugly Items That Hinder Coping with Salt Stress Effects.

The maintenance of intracellular nitrogen-fixing bacteria causes changes in proteins' location and in gene expression that may be detrimental to the host cell fitness. We hypothesized that the nodule's high vulnerability toward salt stress might be due to alterations in mechanisms involved in the exclusion of Na from the host cytoplasm. Confocal and electron microscopy immunolocalization analyses of Na/K exchangers in the root nodule showed the plasma membrane (MtNHX7) and endosome/tonoplast (MtNHX6) signal in non-infected cells; however, in mature infected cells the proteins were depleted from their target membranes and expelled to vacuoles.

Sex Differences in Attitudes Toward Casual Sex: Using STI Contraction Likelihoods to Assess Evolved Mating Strategies.

Previous work shows that males are more likely to pursue casual sex if given the opportunity, compared to females, on average. One component of this strategy is risk-taking, and males have been shown to take more risks than females in a variety of contexts. Here, we investigate the extent to which sex differences exist considering casual sexual encounters involving sexually transmitted infections (STIs) using a hypothetical sexual scenario which attempts to circumvent several factors that may contribute to a female's hesitancy to engage in casual sex encounters.

Environmentally friendly Au@CNC hybrid systems as prospective humidity sensors.

Both cellulose nanocrystals and gold nanoparticles show immense potential for biological and chemical applications. Gold nanoparticles, which tend to aggregate, are hybridized with cellulose nanocrystals to form stable inorganic-organic hybrids in which nanocellulose acts as a green supporting material for the catalytically active gold nanoparticles. A green synthesis approach was taken, and hydrothermal treatment was used to reduce electrostatic repulsion between the gold nanoparticles and the cellulose nanocrystals to promote heteroaggregation instead of homoaggregation.