Agricultural Weed Assessment Calculator: An Australian Evaluation

Weed risk assessment systems are used to estimate the potential weediness or invasiveness of introduced species in non-agricultural habitats. However, an equivalent system has not been developed for weed species that occur in agronomic cropland. Therefore, the Agricultural Weed Assessment Calculator (AWAC) was developed to quantify the present and potential future adverse impact of a weed species on crop production and profitability (threat analysis), thereby informing or directing research, development, and extension (RDE) investments or activities. AWAC comprises 10 questions related primarily to a weed’s abundance and economic impact. Twenty weed species from across Australia were evaluated by AWAC using existing information and expert opinion, and rated as high, medium, or low for RDE prioritization based on total scores of 70 to 100, 40 to <70, or <40, respectively. Five species were rated as high (e.g., Lolium rigidum Gaud.), eight were rated as medium (e.g., Conyza spp.), and seven were rated as low (e.g., Rapistrum rugosum L.). Scores were consistent with the current state of knowledge of the species’ impact on grain crop production in Australia. AWAC estimated the economic or agronomic threat of 20 major or minor agricultural weeds from across Australia. The next phase of development is the testing of AWAC by weed practitioners (e.g., agronomists, consultants, farmers) to verify its utility and robustness in accurately assessing these and additional weed species

Metastatic meningioma: positron emission tomography CT imaging findings

The imaging findings of a case of metastasing meningioma are described. The case illustrates a number of rare and interesting features. The patient presented with haemoptysis 22 years after the initial resection of an intracranial meningioma. CT demonstrated heterogeneous masses with avid peripheral enhancement without central enhancement. Blood supply to the larger lesion was partially from small feeding vessels from the inferior pulmonary vein. These findings correlate with a previously published case in which there was avid uptake of fluoro-18-deoxyglucose peripherally with lesser uptake centrally. The diagnosis of metastasing meningioma was confirmed on percutaneous lung tissue biopsy

Metastatic meningioma: positron emission tomography CT imaging findings

The imaging findings of a case of metastasing meningioma are described. The case illustrates a number of rare and interesting features. The patient presented with haemoptysis 22 years after the initial resection of an intracranial meningioma. CT demonstrated heterogeneous masses with avid peripheral enhancement without central enhancement. Blood supply to the larger lesion was partially from small feeding vessels from the inferior pulmonary vein. These findings correlate with a previously published case in which there was avid uptake of fluoro-18-deoxyglucose peripherally with lesser uptake centrally. The diagnosis of metastasing meningioma was confirmed on percutaneous lung tissue biopsy

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles may promote breast cancer cell dormancy

Disseminated breast cancer cells have the capacity to metastasise to the bone marrow and reside in a dormant state within the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) niche. Research has focussed on paracrine signalling factors, such as soluble proteins, within the microenvironment. However, it is now clear extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by resident MSCs into this microenvironment also play a key role in the initiation of dormancy. Dormancy encourages reduced cell proliferation and migration, whilst upregulating cell adhesion, thus retaining the cancer cells within the bone marrow microenvironment. Here, MCF7 breast cancer cells were treated with MSC-derived EVs, resulting in reduced migration in 2D and 3D culture, with reduced cell proliferation and enhanced adhesion, collectively supporting cancer cell dormancy

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles may promote breast cancer cell dormancy

Disseminated breast cancer cells have the capacity to metastasise to the bone marrow and reside in a dormant state within the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) niche. Research has focussed on paracrine signalling factors, such as soluble proteins, within the microenvironment. However, it is now clear extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by resident MSCs into this microenvironment also play a key role in the initiation of dormancy. Dormancy encourages reduced cell proliferation and migration, whilst upregulating cell adhesion, thus retaining the cancer cells within the bone marrow microenvironment. Here, MCF7 breast cancer cells were treated with MSC-derived EVs, resulting in reduced migration in 2D and 3D culture, with reduced cell proliferation and enhanced adhesion, collectively supporting cancer cell dormancy

Sea surface temperature in global analyses: gains from the copernicus imaging microwave radiometer

Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) derived from passive microwave (PMW) observations benefit global ocean and SST analyses because of their near-all-weather availability. Present PMW SSTs have a real aperture-limited spatial resolution in excess of 50 km, limiting the spatial fidelity with which SST features, reflecting ocean dynamics, can be captured. This contrasts with the target resolution of global analyses of 5 to 10 km. The Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) is a mission concept under consideration as a high-priority candidate mission for the expansion of the Copernicus space programme. This instrument would be capable of real aperture resolution < 15 km with low total uncertainties in the range 0.4–0.8 K for channels between 1.4 and 36.5 GHz, and a dual-view arrangement that further reduces noise. This paper provides a comparative study of SST uncertainty and feature resolution with and without the availability of CIMR in the future SST-observing satellite constellation based on a detailed simulation of CIMR plus infrared observations and the processing of global SST analyses with 0.05◦ final grid resolution. Simulations of CIMR data including structured errors were added to an observing system consisting of the Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) on Sentinel-3A and the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on MetOp-A. This resulted in a large improvement in the global root-mean-square error (RMSE) for SST from 0.37 K to 0.21 K for January and 0.40 K to 0.25 K for July. There was a particularly noticeable improvement in the performance of the analysis, as measured by the reduction in RMSE, for dynamical and persistently cloudy areas. Of these, the Aghulas Current showed an improvement of 43% in January and 48% in July, the Gulf Stream showed 70% and 44% improvements, the Southern Ocean showed 57% and 74% improvements, and the Maritime Continent showed 50% and 40% improvements, respectively

The initiator methionine tRNA drives secretion of type II collagen from stromal fibroblasts to promote tumor growth and angiogenesis

Summary: Expression of the initiator methionine tRNA (tRNAi Met) is deregulated in cancer. Despite this fact, it is not currently known how tRNAi Met expression levels influence tumor progression. We have found that tRNAi Met expression is increased in carcinoma-associated fibroblasts, implicating deregulated expression of tRNAi Met in the tumor stroma as a possible contributor to tumor progression. To investigate how elevated stromal tRNAi Met contributes to tumor progression, we generated a mouse expressing additional copies of the tRNAi Met gene (2+tRNAi Met mouse). Growth and vascularization of subcutaneous tumor allografts was enhanced in 2+tRNAi Met mice compared with wild-type littermate controls. Extracellular matrix (ECM) deposited by fibroblasts from 2+tRNAi Met mice supported enhanced endothelial cell and fibroblast migration. SILAC mass spectrometry indicated that elevated expression of tRNAi Met significantly increased synthesis and secretion of certain types of collagen, in particular type II collagen. Suppression of type II collagen opposed the ability of tRNAi Metoverexpressing fibroblasts to deposit pro-migratory ECM. We used the prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor ethyl- 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (DHB) to determine whether collagen synthesis contributes to the tRNAi Met-driven pro-tumorigenic stroma in vivo. DHB had no effect on the growth of syngeneic allografts in wild-type mice but opposed the ability of 2+tRNAi Met mice to support increased angiogenesis and tumor growth. Finally, collagen II expression predicts poor prognosis in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. Taken together, these data indicate that increased tRNAi Met levels contribute to tumor progression by enhancing the ability of stromal fibroblasts to synthesize and secrete a type II collagen-rich ECM that supports endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis

The Benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cognition and Blood Pressure in Older Adults With Hypertension and Subjective Cognitive Decline: Results From the Heart & Mind Study

Background: The impact of exercise on cognition in older adults with hypertension and subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is unclear. Objectives: We determined the influence of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) combined with mind-motor training on cognition and systolic blood pressure (BP) in older adults with hypertension and SCD. Methods: We randomized 128 community-dwelling older adults [age mean (SD): 71.1 (6.7), 47.7% females] with history of hypertension and SCD to either HIIT or a moderate-intensity continuous training (MCT) group. Both groups received 15 min of mind-motor training followed by 45 min of either HIIT or MCT. Participants exercised in total 60 min/day, 3 days/week for 6 months. We assessed changes in global cognitive functioning (GCF), Trail-Making Test (TMT), systolic and diastolic BP, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Results: Participants in both groups improved diastolic BP [F(1, 87.32) = 4.392, p = 0.039], with greatest effect within the HIIT group [estimated mean change (95% CI): −2.64 mmHg, (−4.79 to −0.48), p = 0.017], but no between-group differences were noted (p = 0.17). Both groups also improved cardiorespiratory fitness [F(1, 69) = 34.795, p \u3c 0.001], and TMT A [F(1, 81.51) = 26.871, p \u3c 0.001] and B [F(1, 79.49) = 23.107, p \u3c 0.001]. There were, however, no within- or between-group differences in GCF and systolic BP at follow-up. Conclusion: Despite improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, exercise of high- or moderate-intensity, combined with mind-motor training, did not improve GCF or systolic BP in individuals with hypertension and SCD. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03545958)

The Benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cognition and Blood Pressure in Older Adults With Hypertension and Subjective Cognitive Decline: Results From the Heart & Mind Study

Background: The impact of exercise on cognition in older adults with hypertension and subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is unclear. Objectives: We determined the influence of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) combined with mind-motor training on cognition and systolic blood pressure (BP) in older adults with hypertension and SCD. Methods: We randomized 128 community-dwelling older adults [age mean (SD): 71.1 (6.7), 47.7% females] with history of hypertension and SCD to either HIIT or a moderate-intensity continuous training (MCT) group. Both groups received 15 min of mind-motor training followed by 45 min of either HIIT or MCT. Participants exercised in total 60 min/day, 3 days/week for 6 months. We assessed changes in global cognitive functioning (GCF), Trail-Making Test (TMT), systolic and diastolic BP, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Results: Participants in both groups improved diastolic BP [F(1, 87.32) = 4.392, p = 0.039], with greatest effect within the HIIT group [estimated mean change (95% CI): −2.64 mmHg, (−4.79 to −0.48), p = 0.017], but no between-group differences were noted (p = 0.17). Both groups also improved cardiorespiratory fitness [F(1, 69) = 34.795, p \u3c 0.001], and TMT A [F(1, 81.51) = 26.871, p \u3c 0.001] and B [F(1, 79.49) = 23.107, p \u3c 0.001]. There were, however, no within- or between-group differences in GCF and systolic BP at follow-up. Conclusion: Despite improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, exercise of high- or moderate-intensity, combined with mind-motor training, did not improve GCF or systolic BP in individuals with hypertension and SCD. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03545958)

The Vehicle, 1967, Vol. 10 no. 1

Vol. 10, No. 1 Table of Contents Christy Bowercover Photographpage 4 The CityCatherine Waitepage 4 A New DealAnonymouspage 5 The Penny Ride of Carnation PinkAstaire Pappaspage 8 RapeSharon Nelsonpage 10 Born AgainCharles J. Mertzpage 10 DrawingRourkepage 11 UntitledRourkepage 11 DialogueMolly Evanspage 12 SeldomJamse Jonsepage 12 The DifferenceDennis Muchmorepage 13 First LoveBruce Czeluscinskipage 15 Photographpage 15 Immorality of Troilus and Criseyde Milo S. Metcalfpage 16 Answer UnknownDave Owenpage 20 I Am LostJean Lacypage 21 Photographpage 22 On the Eve of No TomorrowsJane Careypage 23 Unrelated TwinsByron Nelsonpage 24 if i sitRoger Zulaufpage 25 if i sitDennis Muchmorepage 26 Drawingpage 27 Bibliographypage 28https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1015/thumbnail.jp