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Adaptation through natural selection may be the only means by which small and fragmented plant populations will persist through present day environmental change. A population's additive genetic variance for fitness (VA(W)) represents its immediate capacity to adapt to the environment in which it exists. We evaluated this property for a population of the annual legume Chamaecrista fasciculata through a quantitative genetic experiment in the tallgrass prairie region of the Midwestern United States, where changing climate is predicted to include more variability in rainfall. To reduce incident rainfall, relative to controls receiving ambient rain, we deployed rain exclusion shelters. We found significant VA(W) in both treatments. We also detected a significant genotype‐by‐treatment interaction for fitness, which suggests that the genetic basis of the response to natural selection will differ depending on precipitation. For the trait‐specific leaf area, we detected maladaptive phenotypic plasticity and an interaction between genotype and environment. Selection for thicker leaves was detected with increased precipitation. These results indicate capacity of this population of C. fasciculata to adapt in situ to environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the effect of voluntary food labeling, with focus on genetically modified organisms (GMO), pesticide usage, and region of origin. We focus on Medjool dates because though U.S. production of this crop has rapidly grown in recent years, no research exists related to consumers' preferences and WTP for this crop. We conducted online choice experiments with a sample of over 1,400 consumers from the U.S. to determine WTP for production and region of origin labeling accounting for simultaneous versus individual labeling. Results indicate consumers prefer dates grown in Arizona over dates not labeled for region of origin. Also, pesticide‐free and GMO‐free dates are preferred, with pesticide‐free having a larger impact on choices. Furthermore, accounting for interactions between these two labels reveals that they can be considered subadditive in that labeling the product with both designations reduces WTP relative to "pesticide‐free" labeling only. [EconLit citations: M31, Q13] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermoelectric power plants contribute 90% of the electricity generated in the United States. Steam condensation in the power generation cycle creates a need for cooling, often accomplished using large amounts of water. These large water requirements can lead to negative consequences of power plants dialing down or shutting down during times of low water availability. Consequently, water constraints can translate into energy constraints. Projected future population growth and changing climate conditions might also increase the competition for water in many areas, motivating a resource accounting analysis to both establish a baseline of current water requirements and simulate possible impacts from future water and energy management decisions. Our analysis of the current water demands for power generation, focused on the state of Illinois, combined existing digital spatial datasets with engineering basic principles to synthesize a geographic information systems (GIS) model of current and projected water demand for thermoelectric power plants. We evaluated two potential future cases based on water use implications: (1) a shift in fuel from coal to natural gas, and (2) a shift in cooling technology from open-loop to closed-loop cooling. Our results show that a shift from coal-generated to natural gas-generated electricity could decrease statewide water consumption by 0.10 billion m 3 /yr (32% decrease) and withdrawal by 7.9 billion m 3 /yr (37% decrease), on average. A shift from open-loop to closed-loop cooling technologies could decrease withdrawals by an average of 21 billion m 3 /yr (96% decrease), with the tradeoff of increasing statewide water consumption for power generation by 0.18 billion m 3 /yr (58% increase). Furthermore, we performed an economic analysis of retrofitting open-loop cooling systems to closed-loop cooling, revealing an annual cost between $0.58 and $1.3 billion to retrofit the 22 open-loop cooling plants considered, translating to an effective water price between $0.03 and $0.06/m 3 . The synergies and tradeoffs between water resources and power generation yield interesting implications for integrated decision making and policy in Illinois and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors comment on the difficulties inherent in portraying the Holocaust in a theatrical performance for American audiences. They discuss a performance project that they collaborated on which represents the World War II Jewish ghetto of Terezín, located in what is in 2008 the Czech Republic.

The article examines the provisions of the 35 United States Code (USC) § 287, which protects medical practitioners from liability for infringement of medical or surgical procedure patents. The Supreme Court case "Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings v. Metabolite Laboratories Inc." is discussed. Information about the licensing solutions for medical procedures and altering patent doctrines is presented.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remains a major human pathogen. Traditionally, MRSA infections occurred exclusively in hospitals and were limited to immunocompromised patients or individuals with predisposing risk factors. However, recently there has been an alarming epidemic caused by community-associated (CA)-MRSA strains, which can cause severe infections that can result in necrotizing fasciitis or even death in otherwise healthy adults outside of healthcare settings. In the US, CA-MRSA is now the cause of the majority of infections that result in trips to the emergency room. It is unclear what makes CA-MRSA strains more successful in causing human disease compared with their hospital-associated counterparts. Here we describe a class of secreted staphylococcal peptides that have a remarkable ability to recruit, activate and subsequently lyse human neutrophils, thus eliminating the main cellular defense against S. aureus infection. These peptides are produced at high concentrations by standard CA-MRSA strains and contribute significantly to the strains' ability to cause disease in animal models of infection. Our study reveals a previously uncharacterized set of S. aureus virulence factors that account at least in part for the enhanced virulence of CA-MRSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the impact of pretreatment prostate volume on the development of severe acute genitourinary toxicity in patients undergoing intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Between 2004 and 2007, a consecutive sample of 214 patients who underwent IMRT (75.6 Gy) for prostate cancer at two referral centers was analyzed. Prostate volumes were obtained from computed tomography scans taken during treatment simulation. Genitourinary toxicity was defined using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 3.0 guidelines. Acute toxicity was defined as any toxicity originating within 90 days of the completion of radiation therapy. Patients were characterized as having a small or large prostate depending on whether their prostate volume was less than or greater than 50 cm3, respectively. Genitourinary toxicity was compared in these groups using the chi-square or Fisher''s exact test, as appropriate. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to further assess the impact of prostate volume on severe (Grade 3) acute genitourinary toxicity. Results: Patients with large prostates (>50 cm3) had a higher rate of acute Grade 3 genitourinary toxicity (p = .02). Prostate volume was predictive of the likelihood of developing acute Grade 3 genitourinary toxicity on bivariate (p = .004) and multivariate (p = .006) logistic regression. Every 27.0 cm3 increase in prostate volume doubled the likelihood of acute Grade 3 genitourinary toxicity. Conclusions: Patients with larger prostates are at higher risk for the development of severe acute genitourinary toxicity when treated with IMRT for prostate cancer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]