Silencing ZmPP2C-A10 with a foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV) derived vector benefits maize growth and development following water limitation.

Global climate change is causing more frequent and severe droughts, which can have negative impacts on plant growth and crop productivity. Under drought conditions, plants produce the hormone ABA (abscisic acid), which regulates adaptive responses, such as stomatal closure and root elongation. Plant viruses have been used in the lab to convey new traits to plants and could also be used to increase production of ABA or to enhance downstream plant drought resistance responses. In this study, foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV) was used to silence ZmPP2C-A10, a negative regulator of ABA signalling, in maize (Zea mays L.). Both silenced and control plants were exposed to an 8-day drought treatment, followed by a 30-day period of rewatering, after which indicators of drought resistance were measured. After drought treatment, we observed a nearly twofold increase in expression of a stress-mitigation gene, ZmRAB17, reduced chlorophyll fluorescence changes (indicator of stress), and increased plant biomass and development in the ZmPP2C-A10-silenced maize compared to controls. These results demonstrate that the FoMV system can be used to silence endogenous expression of ZmPP2C-A10 and increase maize tolerance to drought. This could offer a useful tool to improve crop traits and reduce yield loss during the growing season.

The Oxylipin Signaling Pathway Is Required for Increased Aphid Attraction and Retention on Virus-Infected Plants.

Many studies have shown that virus infection alters phytohormone signaling and insect vector contact with hosts. Increased vector contact and movement among plants should increase virus survival and host range. In this study we examine the role of virus-induced changes in phytohormone signaling in plant-aphid interactions, using Pea enation mosaic virus (PEMV), pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum), and pea (Pisum sativum) as a model. We observed that feeding by aphids carrying PEMV increases salicylic acid and jasmonic acid accumulation in pea plants compared to feeding by virus-free aphids. To determine if induction of the oxylipin jasmonic acid is critical for aphid settling, attraction, and retention on PEMV-infected plants, we conducted insect bioassays using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), an oxylipin signaling inducer, methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and a chemical inhibitor of oxylipin signaling, phenidone. Surprisingly, there was no impact of phenidone treatment on jasmonic acid or salicylic acid levels in virus-infected plants, though aphid attraction and retention were altered. These results suggest that the observed impacts of phenidone on aphid attraction to and retention on PEMV-infected plants are independent of the jasmonic acid and salicylic acid pathway but may be mediated by another component of the oxylipin signaling pathway. These results shed light on the complexity of viral manipulation of phytohormone signaling and vector-plant interactions.

Factors influencing law enforcement decisions to adopt an evidence-based robbery prevention program.

Homicide is the leading cause of workplace death among small retail and service businesses in the United States. Evidence-based programs have been shown to reduce robbery and robbery-related crimes in small retail businesses; however, reaching small businesses with programs has been difficult. As small businesses typically have no corporate backing or trade affiliation, police departments have been identified as potential vehicles for program dissemination. A national sample of 300 law enforcement agencies was surveyed to identify facilitators and barriers to adoption and sustainability of an evidence-based program. The questionnaire was developed using behavioral theory concepts and administered via telephone. Preliminary findings suggest the primary facilitators to program adoption included organizational capacity factors such as staff buy-in, dedicated personnel and financial support. Competing responsibilities was the primary barrier identified by agencies. Agency size and program complexity were identified as potential predictors of program adoption. Identifying agency and program-specific characteristics that influence program adoption by law enforcement agencies will be valuable for marketing programs to agencies that have the infrastructure to support and sustain program dissemination. Understanding these factors will optimize the reach of evidence-based strategies to small businesses.

Disability and risk of non-fatal residential injuries among adults.

OBJECTIVE: Many unintentional injuries occur in the home, but little research has considered the specific vulnerability of people with disabilities. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study examining nationally representative data from the 2004-2006 National Health Interview Surveys. SUBJECTS: Adults aged 18 and older who reported having an unintentional, non-motor vehicle-related injury in the home (n = 2189) or outside the home (n = 2072) and those who reported no injuries (n = 81,919) 3 months before their interview. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Non-fatal, unintentional, non-motor vehicle-related injuries. RESULTS: Among respondents experiencing a residential injury, 21.2% reported one type of disability, 11.2% reported two disabilities, and 9.1% reported three or more disabilities. As the number of disabilities increased, the odds of reporting a residential injury increased. Adults with three or more disabilities had three times the odds of reporting a residential injury (adjusted odds ratio = 3.2, 95% CI 2.7 to 3.9), compared with adults reporting no injury. CONCLUSION: The risk of injury in the residential environment among adults with disabilities increases with increasing numbers of disabilities. Attention to home safety issues for residents with disabilities is needed.

National study of physical and sexual assault among women with disabilities.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between the level of disability impairment and physical and sexual assault in a sample of US women at least 18 years of age. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Retrospective longitudinal study of 6273 non-institutionalized US women from 8000 women participating in the 1995-1996 National Violence Against Women (NVAW) Survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Women's experiences of physical and sexual assault in the 12 months before the NVAW interview. RESULTS: Most women reported having no disability (n = 5008, 79.8%) and/or not experiencing an assault in the year before their interview (n = 6018, 95.9%). Less than 5% (n = 280) reported having a disability that severely limited daily activities, and 15.7% (n = 985) reported having a disability that moderately limited activities. Less than 4% (n = 218) of the women reported a physical-only assault, and less than 1% (n = 37) reported being sexually assaulted. Women with severe disability impairments were four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than women with no reported disabilities (RR = 4.0, 95% CI 1.5 to 10.6). Little difference in the risk of sexual assault was found between women with moderate disability impairments and those reporting no disabilities (RR = 1.0, 95% CI 0.3 to 2.8). Women with severe (RR = 1.6, 95% CI 0.9 to 3.0) and moderate (RR = 1.2, 95% CI 0.8 to 1.9) disability impairments were at greater risk, although not quite significantly so, of physical-only assault than were women without a disability. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that women with disabilities that severely limit activities of daily living are at increased risk of sexual assault.

Effectiveness of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) in reducing robberies.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) approach in reducing robberies. METHODS: CPTED evaluations were obtained through a comprehensive search mechanism. Two sets of inclusion criteria were used: 16 primary studies evaluated a CPTED program with a comparison period; 12 secondary studies presented some evidence of CPTED effects but were not required to have the same level of scientific rigor. The percentage change in pre- and post-intervention events was the outcome examined. Studies were stratified by programs implementing multiple components, a single component, and through ordinances. MAIN RESULTS: All primary multiple-component CPTED programs experienced a percentage change in robberies ranging from -84% to -30%. Single-component program effects ranged from -83% to +91%, and ordinances ranged from -65% to +130%. Secondary studies reported robbery changes ranging between -92% and +7.6%. Robbery reductions were larger for interventions comprising basic store design, cash control, and training components compared to those including equipment systems. No associations were found between robbery decreases and either the follow-up period or the number of program components. Studies examining nonfatal injuries found a median pre-post change of -61%; those examining homicides found changes ranging from 0% to +11%. CONCLUSIONS: The broad nature of the CPTED approach allows its adaptation to any setting, and results indicate that it is an effective approach to reducing robbery. However, most interventions were not evaluated independently of other factors contributing to robbery risk. More research is needed on individual components and effects in various business settings.

Lectures in physiology: a three-phase evaluation plan.

The initial phase of a voluntarily implemented multiphasic plan for improving faculty lectures was completed in 1988 and reported in 1989 [Am. J. Physiol. 256 (Adv. Physiol. Educ. 1): S3-S8, 1989]. That phase, conducted by a teaching consultant, included analysis of the teaching practices of each of seven faculty members. Following lecture observations, each faculty member received a written critique of his/her teaching, and individual as well as departmental strengths and weaknesses were identified. In the 1989 follow-up phase, faculty reviewed the feedback provided in their critiques and attended a seminar on developing effective lectures. Each faculty member was again observed during the presentation of a lecture; the same observation instrument was used in the follow-up phase as was used in the initial phase. A comparative analysis of the 1988 and 1989 teaching behaviors was completed for each faculty member and for the whole department. Results indicate that definitive changes had occurred in teaching methods employed since the initiation of the plan. Additional recommendations were made and specific target areas for ongoing improvement were identified.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: recent literature.

A review of the literature of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for the last four years shows parsimonious progress in research and on other fronts. Prospective studies are steadily replacing retrospective investigations, and the assessment of measures used to determine symptomatology and response to treatment is becoming increasingly sophisticated. A major development was the publication in 1987 of DSM-III-R, which significantly revised the diagnostic criteria for ADHD and reconceptualized ADHD and related disorders. The authors review this area along with questions about the validity of the classification, conditions associated with ADHD, current etiological theories, differential diagnosis, and treatment.

Teaching effectiveness analysis plan applied to lectures in medical physiology.

To improve and thus strengthen its teaching program, the Department of Physiology at the University of South Alabama voluntarily embarked on a multiphasic self-assessment of its medical teaching program. One phase of the greater assessment plan included an analysis of the teaching methods of each faculty member. To design and implement this phase, the services of a teaching consultant from the College of Education were obtained. The implementation of the objectives as established by the consultant resulted in 1) the development of a systematic and consistent method of evaluating the teaching practices of the faculty through the design of a standard observation instrument for use in analyzing the teaching of each individual; 2) the sampling of the teaching of each of the seven participating faculty members; 3) the collection and critical review of teaching materials used; 4) an analysis of the effectiveness of the faculty; and 5) the submission of a written report of evaluation results. The seven participating faculty members were observed during the delivery of two lectures each presented to the freshman medical class. Based on the analysis of both the lectures and materials used, a written critique of each faculty member was submitted. Lecture strengths and weaknesses, both of individual members and of the whole department were summarized. Finally, the results of a survey taken of the faculty in which the participants were asked to respond to a series of questions regarding the self-assessment program were most favorably accepted by all participating faculty.