Poplar tree buffer strips grown in riparian corridors for non-point source pollution control and biomass production

Throughout the Cornbelt eco-region, nitratenitrogen (NO3-N) is the most frequent pollutant exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency\u27s maximum contaminant limits for municipal drinking water supplies. Agricultural fertilizers that leach or run off from row-cropped fields are the principal source of NO3-N. This potential contamination poses a health concern that is attracting increasing attention among the urban and rural populace alike

Mineralization and Uptake of Triazine Pesticide in Soil-Plant Systems

Deep-Rooted Trees Planted as a Buffer Zone Can Intercept Runoff and Eroded Sediments, Thus Reducing Non-Point-Source Pollution Due to Agricultural Chemicals. in This Study, Populus Sp. Were Grown in Bioreactors with an Agricultural Soil (Silt-Loam) and in a Silica-Sand Media; Both Were Spiked with 14C Uniformly Ring-Labeled Atrazine. the Plants Took Up over 11% of the 14C Labeled Atrazine Applied to the Silt-Loam Soil and over 91% of that Applied to the Silica Sand Media, with the Majority of the 14C Accumulating as Nonphytotoxic Metabolites in the Leaves. Research Suggests that, in Addition to Nutrient Uptake, Poplar Tree Buffer Strips May Be Effective in Removing Atrazine from Agricultural Percolation and Runoff Water. © ASCE

Autocrine Activation of the MET Receptor Tyrosine Kinase in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Although the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has improved significantly, more than half of all patients develop disease that is refractory to intensive chemotherapy. Functional genomics approaches offer a means to discover specific molecules mediating aberrant growth and survival of cancer cells. Thus, using a loss-of-function RNA interference genomic screen, we identified aberrant expression of the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) as a critical factor in AML pathogenesis. We found HGF expression leading to autocrine activation of its receptor tyrosine kinase, MET, in nearly half of the AML cell lines and clinical samples studied. Genetic depletion of HGF or MET potently inhibited the growth and survival of HGF-expressing AML cells. However, leukemic cells treated with the specific MET kinase inhibitor crizotinib developed resistance due to compensatory upregulation of HGF expression, leading to restoration of MET signaling. In cases of AML where MET is coactivated with other tyrosine kinases, such as fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), concomitant inhibition of FGFR1 and MET blocked compensatory HGF upregulation, resulting in sustained logarithmic cell kill both in vitro and in xenograft models in vivo. Our results demonstrate widespread dependence of AML cells on autocrine activation of MET, as well as the importance of compensatory upregulation of HGF expression in maintaining leukemogenic signaling by this receptor. We anticipate that these findings will lead to the design of additional strategies to block adaptive cellular responses that drive compensatory ligand expression as an essential component of the targeted inhibition of oncogenic receptors in human cancers

Faecalibacterium prausnitzii : from microbiology to diagnostics and prognostics

We thank Dr Xavier Aldeguer and MD David Busquets from the Hospital Dr Josep Trueta (Girona, Spain) and M.D Míriam Sabat Mir from the Hospital Santa Caterina (Salt, Spain) for their help and critical discussion concerning clinical aspects. This work was partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science through the projects SAF2010-15896 and SAF2013-43284-P, which has been co-financed with FEDER funds. Dr Sylvia H Duncan acknowledges support from the Scottish Government Food, Land and People program.Peer reviewedPostprin

The effect of culture on Corporate Governance Practices in Nigeria

This study focuses on the effect of culture on the application of corporate governance practices in Nigeria. Corporate governance has been receiving serious attention in emerging markets over the past two decades. But relatively little attention has been given to the study on corporate governance in a country study. The current situations in Nigerian public and private sectors such as the corporate scandal resulting from Lever Brothers Nigeria plc, Siemens, Shell, Halliburton, and Cadbury Nigeria plc, have shown that the issue of fraud, corruption, and corporate scandals cannot be overlooked. Most top management, as this study argues, bring in beliefs acquired from their early childhood into their senior management roles and responsibilities. This study adopts a grounded theory and reports on the effect of culture on the implementation of corporate governance in Nigeria. Based on the interview with 32 staffs, this study identifies the effect of culture that shapes corporate governance and they include abuse of power by top management, weak legal framework, poor recruitment and ineffective control. Although having efficient corporate governance is worth pursuing, this depends on the power of top management, the strength of internal control procedures and the legal framework put in place by management