Wetland phosphorus dynamics and phosphorus removal potential.

Wetlands are typically defined as inundated areas with hydric soils forming a transitional zone between terrestrial and aquatic systems. Wetlands have numerous ecosystem benefits, one of which is the potential to mitigate or reverse eutrophication of surface water bodies. The physical, chemical, and biological processes governing phosphorus cycling in wetlands are nuanced and complex; understanding these has direct relevance to the restoration of wetlands, particularly for projects aimed at improving water quality in adjacent water bodies.

Is lipid correction necessary in the stable isotope analysis of fish tissues?

Rationale: Stable isotope analysis (SIA) is a powerful tool for examining diet and food-web dynamics. SIA assumes "you are what you eat" relative to carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). However, fractionation of carbon during lipid synthesis violates this assumption; high-lipid tissues do not reflect δ(13) C values of diet and therefore have the potential to skew mixing model results and diet interpretations, making corrections necessary.

Assessment of the Readability of Genetic Counseling Patient Letters.

Patient letters are a powerful tool that genetic counselors use to communicate with their patients. Patient letters are often sent to provide information on a new diagnosis, reiterate test results, and to serve as a permanent record of the visit. Patient letters, however, are only helpful if the patients can understand them.

Dietary and total calcium intakes are associated with lower percentage total body and truncal fat in young, healthy adults.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between different sources of calcium intake (dairy [milk products only], dietary [all dietary sources including dairy], nondairy dietary [all dietary sources excluding dairy], and total [dietary + supplemental]) and fat mass in young adults.

Methods: One hundred ninety-seven healthy Caucasian men and women aged 18 to 28 years from southwestern Ontario underwent whole-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry to determine total body fat mass (%FM) and truncal fat (%TF). Calcium intakes, determined using a food frequency questionnaire, were divided into quartiles for each of dairy, dietary, nondairy dietary, and total sources.

Analysis of pmpD expression and PmpD post-translational processing during the life cycle of Chlamydia trachomatis serovars A, D, and L2.

Background: The polymorphic membrane protein D (PmpD) in Chlamydia is structurally similar to autotransporter proteins described in other bacteria and may be involved in cellular and humoral protective immunity against Chlamydia. The mechanism of PmpD post-translational processing and the role of its protein products in the pathogenesis of chlamydial infection have not been very well elucidated to date.

Methodology/principal Findings: Here we examined the expression and post-translational processing of the protein product of the pmpD gene during the life cycle of C.