Physiological and bioinformatic studies on polarity development in Ceratopteris richardii spores

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Gas emissions, minerals, and tars associated with three coal fires, Powder River Basin, USA.

Ground-based surveys of three coal fires and airborne surveys of two of the fires were conducted near Sheridan, Wyoming. The fires occur in natural outcrops and in abandoned mines, all containing Paleocene-age subbituminous coals. Diffuse (carbon dioxide (CO(2)) only) and vent (CO(2), carbon monoxide (CO), methane, hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S), and elemental mercury) emission estimates were made for each of the fires. Additionally, gas samples were collected for volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis and showed a large range in variation between vents. The fires produce locally dangerous levels of CO, CO(2), H(2)S, and benzene, among other gases. At one fire in an abandoned coal mine, trends in gas and tar composition followed a change in topography. Total CO(2) fluxes for the fires from airborne, ground-based, and rate of fire advancement estimates ranged from 0.9 to 780mg/s/m(2) and are comparable to other coal fires worldwide. Samples of tar and coal-fire minerals collected from the mouth of vents provided insight into the behavior and formation of the coal fires

Exercise is medicine in oncology: Engaging clinicians to help patients move through cancer

A compelling evidence base supports exercise as a safe, effective intervention to improve many cancer related health outcomes among cancer patients and survivors. Oncology clinicians play a key role in encouraging their patients to move more. Therefore, the oncology clinical care team is urged to do the following at regular intervals: ASSESS exercise levels, ADVISE patients to become more active, and REFER patients to specific exercise programming. It is recommended that a process be developed to incorporate these steps into the standard care of oncology patients. A simple, straightforward approach is recommended to discern whether patients should be referred to outpatient rehabilitation versus community based exercise programming. The exponential growth of exercise oncology research has driven the need for revised cancer exercise guidelines and a roadmap for oncology clinicians to follow to improve physical and psychological outcomes from cancer diagnosis and for the balance of life. This paper serves as a call to action and details pathways for exercise programming (clinical, community and self-directed) tailored to the different levels of support and intervention needed by a given cancer patient or survivor. Preserving activity and functional ability is integral to cancer care and oncology clinicians are key to providing these referrals

Geographical susceptibility of Louisiana and Texas populations of the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) to Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab protein

The susceptibilities of 18 field populations of the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), to two sources of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1Ab protein were determined using laboratory bioassays. Fifteen of the 18 field populations were collected from seven locations across Louisiana and the other three populations were sampled from the Gulf Coast area of Texas during 2004-2006. Neonates of D. saccharalis were exposed to a meridic diet treated with selected concentrations of Cry1Ab protein. Larval mortality was measured at 7 days after inoculation. Statistically significant differences in median lethal concentrations (LC50s) were detected among insect populations from different geographical locations, but the field populations remained as susceptible as a laboratory strain of D. saccharalis that had been maintained in the laboratory for \u3e20 years without exposure to any chemical insecticides or Bt toxins. The LC50s of Cry1Ab protein, which was extracted from DKC69-70 Bt corn hybrid, ranged from 0.03 to 0.32 μg/g for the seven field populations collected during 2004. The LC50 values based on bioassays with purified, trypsin-activated Cry1Ab protein from a recombinant Escherichia coli culture were 0.03-0.17 μg/g for the 11 field populations collected during 2005-2006. Small changes in Cry1Ab susceptibility were detected among crops, years of sampling, or locations. All field-collected insect populations, except one, exhibited lower LC50 values than the laboratory strain. The results of this study suggest that field populations of D. saccharalis remain generally susceptible to the Cry1Ab protein after 8 years use of transgenic Bt corn in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast area of Texas. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

An executive summary of reports from an international multidisciplinary roundtable on exercise and cancer: Evidence, guidelines, and implementation

Physical activity can play an important role in cancer prevention and control, but there is a need to update the state of the science to best facilitate dissemination and implementation of evidence into practice. The American College of Sports Medicine convened an International Multidisciplinary Roundtable on Exercise and Cancer to update recommendations based on current evidence on the role of physical activity and exercise in cancer prevention and survivorship. There was strong evidence for a protective effect of physical activity against colon, breast, endometrial, kidney, bladder, esophagus, and stomach cancer; moderate evidence that pre-diagnosis physical activity may reduce risk of dying from breast and colon cancer; and, moderate evidence that higher levels of physical activity post-diagnosis are associated with lower risk of dying from colon, breast, and prostate cancer. For cancer survivors, an exercise prescription for moderate intensity aerobic and/or resistance exercise at least 3 times per week, 30 minutes/sessions, for at least 8-12 weeks may consistently improve common treatment-related symptoms and side effects. To implement this knowledge, an Exercise Is Medicine approach was adapted to the cancer context. Oncology clinicians are asked to: 1) assess current physical activity levels and safety to engage in exercise, 2) advise patients to increase physical activity if not currently reaching recommended levels, and 3) refer individuals to appropriate services. Exercise can play a vital role in prevention and management of cancer. The Roundtable update provides physical therapists with practical, evidence-based information for utilization of exercise as a treatment strategy and models for implementation