Reduced tillage and green manures

Julia Cooper and Oliver Crowley discuss the use of reduced tillage and green manures in organic arable and horticultural rotations

Towards Water Soluble Mitochondria-Targeting Theranostic Osmium(II) Triazole-Based Complexes

The complex [Os(btzpy)2][PF6]2 (1, btzpy = 2,6-bis(1-phenyl-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)pyridine) has been prepared and characterised. Complex 1 exhibits phosphorescence (λem = 595 nm, τ = 937 ns, φem = 9.3% in degassed acetonitrile) in contrast to its known ruthenium(II) analogue, which is non-emissive at room temperature. The complex undergoes significant oxygen-dependent quenching of emission with a 43-fold reduction in luminescence intensity between degassed and aerated acetonitrile solutions, indicating its potential to act as a singlet oxygen sensitiser. Complex 1 underwent counterion metathesis to yield [Os(btzpy)2]Cl2 (1 Cl), which shows near identical optical absorption and emission spectra to those of 1. Direct measurement of the yield of singlet oxygen sensitised by 1 Cl was carried out (φ ( 1O2) = 57%) for air equilibrated acetonitrile solutions. On the basis of these photophysical properties, preliminary cellular uptake and luminescence microscopy imaging studies were conducted. Complex 1 Cl readily entered the cancer cell lines HeLa and U2OS with mitochondrial staining seen and intense emission allowing for imaging at concentrations as low as 1 µM. Long-term toxicity results indicate low toxicity in HeLa cells with LD50 >100 µM. Osmium(II) complexes based on 1 therefore present an excellent platform for the development of novel theranostic agents for anticancer activity

"The daily grunt": middle class bias and vested interests in the 'Getting in Early' and 'Why Can't They Read?' reports.

It is a long-standing and commonly held belief in the UK and elsewhere that the use of elite forms of language reflects superior intellect and education. Expert opinion from sociolinguistics, however, contends that such a view is the result of middle-class bias and cannot be scientifically justified. In the 1960s and 1970s,such luminaries as Labov (1969) and Trudgill (1975) were at pains to point out to educationalists, with some success, that this 'deficit 'view of working-class children's communicative competence is not a helpful one. However, a close reading of recent think-tank reports and policy papers on language and literacy teaching in schools reveals that the linguistic deficit hypothesis has resurfaced and is likely to influence present-day educational policy and practice. In this paper I examine in detail the findings, claims and recommendations of the reports and I argue that they are biased, poorly researched and reflect the vested interests of certain specialist groups, such as speech and language therapists and companies who sell literacy materials to schools. I further argue that we need to, once again, inject the debate with the social dimensions of educational failure, and we need to move away from the pathologisation of working-class children's language patterns

Cancer Incidence in World Trade Center Rescue and Recovery Workers, 2001–2008

Background: World Trade Center (WTC) rescue and recovery workers were exposed to a complex mix of pollutants and carcinogens. Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate cancer incidence in responders during the first 7 years after 11 September 2001. Methods: Cancers among 20,984 consented participants in the WTC Health Program were identified through linkage to state tumor registries in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated to compare cancers diagnosed in responders to predicted numbers for the general population. Multivariate regression models were used to estimate associations with degree of exposure. Results: A total of 575 cancers were diagnosed in 552 individuals. Increases above registry-based expectations were noted for all cancer sites combined (SIR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.25), thyroid cancer (SIR = 2.39; 95% CI: 1.70, 3.27), prostate cancer (SIR = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.44), combined hematopoietic and lymphoid cancers (SIR = 1.36; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.71), and soft tissue cancers (SIR = 2.26; 95% CI: 1.13, 4.05). When restricted to 302 cancers diagnosed ≥ 6 months after enrollment, the SIR for all cancers decreased to 1.06 (95% CI: 0.94, 1.18), but thyroid and prostate cancer diagnoses remained greater than expected. All cancers combined were increased in very highly exposed responders and among those exposed to significant amounts of dust, compared with responders who reported lower levels of exposure. Conclusion: Estimates should be interpreted with caution given the short follow-up and long latency period for most cancers, the intensive medical surveillance of this cohort, and the small numbers of cancers at specific sites. However, our findings highlight the need for continued follow-up and surveillance of WTC responders

Efficient ultraviolet-light energy dissipation by an aromatic ketone

Experimental evidence on the efficiency of 2,2'4,4'-tetramethoxybenzil for UV-light energy dissipation is provided. This non-phenolic aromatic ketone has a low energy triplet which quickly decays to the ketone ground state, thus avoiding the generation of undesirable reactive species.El Moncef, Abdelkarim, [email protected] ; Cuquerella Alabort, Maria Consuelo, [email protected] ; Zaballos Garcia, Elena, [email protected] ; Ramirez de Arellano Sanchez, Maria del Carmen, [email protected] ; Stiriba, Salah Eddine, [email protected] ; Perez Prieto, Julia, [email protected]

Retrospective Dataset and Survey Analyses Identify Gaps in Data Collection for Craniopharyngioma and Priorities of Patients and Families Affected by the Disease

Introduction: Craniopharyngioma is a rare, low-grade tumor located in the suprasellar region of the brain, near critical structures like the pituitary gland. Here, we concurrently investigate the status of clinical and genomic data in a retrospective craniopharyngioma cohort and survey-based data to better understand patient-relevant outcomes associated with existing therapies and provide a foundation to inform new treatment strategies. Methods: Clinical, genomic, and outcome data for a retrospective cohort of patients with craniopharyngioma were collected and reviewed through the Children\u27s Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) database. An anonymous survey was distributed to patients and families with a diagnosis of craniopharyngioma to understand their experiences throughout diagnosis and treatment. Results: The CBTN repository revealed a large proportion of patients (40 - 70%) with specimens that are available for sequencing but lacked relevant quality of life (QoL) and functional outcomes. Frequencies of reported patient comorbidities ranged from 20 to 25%, which is significantly lower than historically reported. Survey results from 159 patients/families identified differences in treatment considerations at time of diagnosis versus time of recurrence. In retrospective review, patients and families identified preference for therapy that would improve QoL, rather than decrease risk of recurrence (mean 3.9 vs. 4.4 of 5) and identified endocrine issues as having the greatest impact on patients\u27 lives. Conclusions: This work highlights the importance of prospective collection of QoL and functional metrics alongside robust clinical and molecular correlates in individuals with craniopharyngioma. Such comprehensive measures will facilitate biologically relevant therapeutic strategies that also prioritize patient needs

Shallow non-inversion tillage in organic farming maintains crop yields and increases soil C stocks: a meta-analysis

Reduced tillage is increasingly promoted to improve sustainability and productivity of agricultural systems. Nonetheless, adoption of reduced tillage by organic farmers has been slow due to concerns about nutrient supply, soil structure, and weeds that may limit yields. Here, we compiled the results from both published and unpublished research comparing deep or shallow inversion tillage, with various categories of reduced tillage under organic management. Shallow refers to less than 25 cm. We found that (1) division of reduced tillage practices into different classes with varying degrees of intensity allowed us to assess the trade-offs between reductions in tillage intensity, crop yields, weed incidence, and soil C stocks. (2) Reducing tillage intensity in organic systems reduced crop yields by an average of 7.6 % relative to deep inversion tillage with no significant reduction in yield relative to shallow inversion tillage. (3) Among the different classes of reduced tillage practice, shallow non-inversion tillage resulted in non-significant reductions in yield relative to deep inversion; whereas deep non-inversion tillage resulted in the largest yield reduction, of 11.6 %. (4) Using inversion tillage to only a shallow depth resulted in minimal reductions in yield, of 5.5 %, but significantly higher soil C stocks and better weed control. This finding suggests that this is a good option for organic farmers wanting to improve soil quality while minimizing impacts on yields. (5) Weeds were consistently higher, by about 50 %, when tillage intensity was reduced, although this did not always result in reduced yields

Author Correction: Ecology, evolution and spillover of coronaviruses from bats.

In the past two decades, three coronaviruses with ancestral origins in bats have emerged and caused widespread outbreaks in humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since the first SARS epidemic in 2002–2003, the appreciation of bats as key hosts of zoonotic coronaviruses has advanced rapidly. More than 4,000 coronavirus sequences from 14 bat families have been identified, yet the true diversity of bat coronaviruses is probably much greater. Given that bats are the likely evolutionary source for several human coronaviruses, including strains that cause mild upper respiratory tract disease, their role in historic and future pandemics requires ongoing investigation. We review and integrate information on bat–coronavirus interactions at the molecular, tissue, host and population levels. We identify critical gaps in knowledge of bat coronaviruses, which relate to spillover and pandemic risk, including the pathways to zoonotic spillover, the infection dynamics within bat reservoir hosts, the role of prior adaptation in intermediate hosts for zoonotic transmission and the viral genotypes or traits that predict zoonotic capacity and pandemic potential. Filling these knowledge gaps may help prevent the next pandemic

To what extent does a regional dialect and accent impact on the development of reading and writing skills?

The issue of whether a regional accent and/or dialect impact(s) on the development of literacy skills remains current in the UK. For decades the issue has dogged debate about education outcomes, portable skills and employability. The article summarizes research on the topic using systematic review methodology. A scoping review was undertaken with the research question ‘To what extent does a regional dialect and accent impact on the development of reading and writing skills?’. The review covers research relevant to the teaching of 5-16 year olds in England, but also draws on research within Europe, the USA, Australia and the Caribbean. The results suggest that curricula have marginalized language variation; that the impact of regional accent and dialect on writing is relatively minor; that young people are adept at style-shifting between standard and non-standard forms; and that inappropriate pedagogical responses to regional variation can have detrimental effects on children’s educational achievement