The biology and management of waterhemp in Indiana

Waterhemp is a dioecious weed species indigenous to the Midwestern United states yet it has only recently become problematic in agronomic crop production in Indiana. Waterhemp is a small-seeded broadleaf which has increased in prevalence in conjunction with an increase in conservation tillage practices. Waterhemp germinates and emerges from the top 3 cm of soil and is known to exhibit extended periods of continual emergence, longer than most other summer annual weed species that are typically present in agronomic production settings. As a C4 species, waterhemp then grows rapidly and is capable of producing thousands of seeds, while effectively competing with corn and soybean crops. Corn and soybean yields can be reduced by 50–70% when competing with waterhemp for an entire growing season. There are also many herbicide-resistant biotypes of waterhemp, which create additional management challenges beyond the competitive nature of this weed. The objective of this research was to evaluate the emergence, growth and development, and the influence of tillage and herbicides on waterhemp biology and management in Indiana. The emergence characteristics of waterhemp were evaluated in a fallow field study where waterhemp emergence was monitored weekly throughout the growing season from three different tillage systems; no tillage, a single tillage event, and two tillage events 30 days apart. Waterhemp densities were low in 2014 and there were no differences in emergence from either tillage system. Higher waterhemp densities in 2015 produced more emergence from both the no-tillage and the two tillage treatments compared to the single tillage treatment. In both years, a flush of emergence was observed after the second tillage event in the two tillage treatment. Waterhemp emergence was first observed on April 24, 2014 and April 16, 2015 and 50% of the total emergence had occurred by May 22, 2014 and May 15, 2015. Waterhemp emergence can be decreased with a single tillage event in high-density waterhemp infestations. A second field study evaluated waterhemp emergence in a soybean environment. A factorial experiment evaluated the influence of no-tillage and conventional tillage combined with soil residual and foliar herbicides on waterhemp emergence. Soybean were planted on May 8, 2014 and May 14, 2015, and waterhemp emergence was then monitored biweekly throughout the growing season. Wherever soil residual herbicides were utilized, regardless on tillage, there was very little waterhemp emergence. In plots with no residual herbicides, emergence was 152% to 223% greater from the no-tillage treatment. There were no times throughout the season in which weekly emergence was higher in the conventionally tilled plots compared to the no-tillage plots. Waterhemp emerged for 10 and 12 weeks after planting in 2014 and 2015, respectively, with no difference in duration of emergence from either tillage treatment. Soil residual herbicides and conventional tillage were able to decrease waterhemp emergence in soybean. A third study investigated the growth and development of five waterhemp populations grown in a common garden. Populations from Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska were established in May, June, and July to simulate a discontinuous germination pattern and were measured weekly for plant height and flowering, and finally harvested for biomass and seed yield. Plant biomass accumulations from the May (1,120 g plant-1) and June (1,069 g plant-1) establishment dates was greater than the July (266 g plant-1) establishment date. There were no differences in the mean biomass accumulation among the five populations in either the May or June establishment but the July establishment ranged from 195 to 338 g plant-1 across the populations. Seed yields were higher in the May (926,629 seeds plant-1) and June (828,905 seeds plant-1) establishment dates than the July (276,258 seeds plant-1) establishment date. The Illinois population flowered the latest of all the populations but was also among the tallest in all three establishment dates. The July establishment flowered the quickest after establishment, accumulated the least biomass, and had the fewest, but the largest seeds. This experiment showed the effect of establishment timing on waterhemp growth and development and differences among populations when grown in a common environment

Women millennials’ perceptions of pension savings through the use of autoenrollment in the UK pension system

There has been concern about younger people, and women in particular, not saving enough for retirement and how to encourage further saving. Therefore, this study—partly funded by the Fawcett Society in association with Scottish Widows—explores female millennials’ attitudes and motivations toward pension saving and automatic enrollment through the use of 40 semistructured interviews and a focus group. The findings show that although the introduction of autoenrollment pensions is generally positively received, pensions knowledge is still limited, and this intensifies the risk of undersaving for retirement among millennial women, particularly given women’s diverse work histories

Pheochromocytomas

Pheochromocytomas are rare catecholamine-secreting neuroendocrine tumors derived from chromaffin tissue of the adrenal medulla. Such tumors arising from the sympathetic ganglia of the thorax, abdomen, or pelvis are termed “paragangliomas” or “extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas.” The classic symptoms of these tumors are due to excess circulating levels of norepinephrine, epinephrine, or dopamine. Although 21% may be asymptomatic, the most common symptoms associated with pheochromocytomas include sweating, palpitations, and headaches in association with intermittent hypertension. If left untreated, excess catecholamines may result in hypertensive crisis leading to cardiac complications, cerebrovascular stroke, or ultimately sudden death. These catecholamine-secreting tumors are most commonly sporadic, but about 30% of patients have this disease as part of a familial disorder such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2) or von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome. Although most are benign, accurate recognition of pheochromocytomas with malignant potential and distant metastases remains a major diagnostic challenge. Advances in the field of molecular genetics have led to novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in an attempt to address this dilemma. Surgical excision of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas is the mainstay of treatment and offers the only potential for cure. This chapter focuses on recent developments in the diagnosis of pheochromocytomas, encompassing biochemical, radiologic, histologic, and molecular analyzes. In addition, novel therapeutic strategies and advances in individualized targeted therapies for malignant pheochromocytomas will be discussed

Characterization of serine proteinase expression in agaricus bisporus and coprinopsis cinerea by using green fluorescent protein and the A. bisporus SPR1 Promoter

The Agaricus bisporus serine proteinase 1 (SPR1) appears to be significant in both mycelial nutrition and senescence of the fruiting body. We report on the construction of an SPR promoter::green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion cassette, pGreen_hph1_SPR_GFP, for the investigation of temporal and developmental expression of SPR1 in homobasidiomycetes and to determine how expression is linked to physiological and environmental stimuli. Monitoring of A. bisporus pGreen_hph1_SPR_GFP transformants on media rich in ammonia or containing different nitrogen sources demonstrated that SPR1 is produced in response to available nitrogen. In A. bisporus fruiting bodies, GFP activity was localized to the stipe of postharvest senescing sporophores. pGreen_hph1_SPR_GFP was also transformed into the model basidiomycete Coprinopsis cinerea. Endogenous C. cinerea proteinase activity was profiled during liquid culture and fruiting body development. Maximum activity was observed in the mature cap, while activity dropped during autolysis. Analysis of the C. cinerea genome revealed seven genes showing significant homology to the A. bisporus SPR1 and SPR2 genes. These genes contain the aspartic acid, histidine, and serine residues common to serine proteinases. Analysis of the promoter regions revealed at least one CreA and several AreA regulatory motifs in all sequences. Fruiting was induced in C. cinerea dikaryons, and fluorescence was determined in different developmental stages. GFP expression was observed throughout the life cycle, demonstrating that serine proteinase can be active in all stages of C. cinerea fruiting body development. Serine proteinase expression (GFP fluorescence) was most concentrated during development of young tissue, which may be indicative of high protein turnover during cell differentiatio

Pensions Planning in the UK: A gendered challenge

Gender differences in the accumulation of pension savings are well documented. Work in this field has concluded that while differing lifetime work profiles (and family history) explained much of the difference, other factors such as pension knowledge and confidence in decisionmaking, may also be significant. This research, funded by the Fawcett Society in association with Scottish Widows, explores some of these factors through the use of 30 semi-structured interviews and a focus group with women (aged 24-39) about their attitudes and motivations towards pension saving. It concentrates on discussions around pension knowledge, advice and decision-making, and identifies challenges in relation to women’s pension knowledge and the use of male ‘role models’ in making decisions. The paper then explores potential policy mechanisms to enhance women’s pension saving for retirement, including the manner in which information and advice is provided and strategies to improve confidence in pension decision-making

MicroRNAs as Novel Biomarkers for Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a complex phenotypically diverse genetic disease, involving a variety of changes in gene expression and structure. Recent advances in molecular profiling technology have made great progress in unravelling the molecular taxonomy of breast cancer, which has shed new light on the aetiology of the disease and also heralded great potential for the development of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Mi(cro)RNAs are a contemporary class of small noncoding endogenous RNA molecules, generating great excitement in the clinical and scientific communities. The recent discovery that miRNA expression is frequently dysregulated in cancer has uncovered an entirely new repertoire of molecular factors upstream of gene expression, which warrants extensive investigation to further elucidate their precise role in malignancy. We present a comprehensive and timely review of the role of miRNAs in cancer: addressing miRNA function, their putative role as oncogenes or tumor suppressors, with a particular emphasis on breast cancer throughout. We discuss the recent discovery of quantifiable circulating cancer-associated miRNAs, which heralds immense potential for their use as novel minimally invasive biomarkers for breast and other cancers. Finally, we comment on the potential role of miRNAs in breast cancer management, particularly in improving current prognostic tools and achieving the goal of individualized cancer treatment

A diagnostic dilemma in breast pathology – benign fibroadenoma with multinucleated stromal giant cells

Fibroadenomas are common benign breast tumours that display a characteristic pathological morphology, although several epithelial and stromal variations exist. A very rare histological finding is the presence of multinucleated giant cells throughout the stroma of a benign fibroadenoma. Cells of this type, which are more commonly found incidentally within the interlobular stroma of breast tissue, are benign and should not be mistaken for malignant cells on microscopic examination. Unfortunately a lack of awareness of this pathological entity can lead to diagnostic confusion amongst pathologists resulting in the multinucleate giant cells being mistaken for highly mitotic cells and consequently the fibroadenoma being mistaken for a malignant lesion. This may have serious implications for the subsequent management of the patient. The presence of this unusual cell type in the stroma does not alter the prognosis of otherwise benign lesion. We encountered two such cases at our institution in a six month period recently. We present their histories along with relevant radiological, microscopic and immunohistochemical features, followed by a discussion of this unusual pathological entity