Long-Term Salinity Buildup on Drip/Micro Irrigated Trees in California

The Irrigation Training and Research Center (ITRC) of Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, hypothesized that there is salinity accumulation in the root zone of tree crops that have been irrigated with drip or micro-spray irrigation systems, located in arid and semi-arid regions. Therefore, a study was conducted by ITRC during the summer of 2002 to examine the long-term impact of drip and micro irrigation on salinity accumulation in orchards, focusing on the salinity concentration pattern across a soil profile. The project also provided information to support recommendations on the most effective and efficient leaching techniques. During the study, two rows of soil cores were collected in ten orchards that had been irrigated with drip or micro-sprayers. Eight of the ten fields were located in the semi-arid climate of the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, CA; the other two were located in Coachella Valley, CA. Fields were selected that had a known irrigation history, without a high water table. Soil samples were collected to a depth of 2.4 m and then tested for ECe. Graphs of soil salinity concentrations for soil profiles 2.4 m deep across two tree rows were developed from these data. Key points from the salinity accumulation study include: In drip-irrigated orchards, there is a significant amount of salt accumulation on the edges of the wetted areas along tree rows. Deep percolation with drip still leaves substantial amounts of salt in the soil. Orchards with micro irrigation systems accumulate salt in the middle of the tree rows, which is on the edges of the wetted patterns. Soil texture affects salt accumulation to a certain extent. There was more salt accumulation in heavier soils compared to sandy soils. The results from the study suggest that salinity accumulation is a serious concern when an orchard that has been irrigated with drip/micro is removed and a new crop is planted. Many of the fields studied had salinity concentrations on the edges of wetted areas that could be detrimental to a new crop if the salts were not leached prior to planting. The findings of this study prompted ITRC to conduct a reclamation leaching study. The reclamation leaching study was completed to quantify the leaching water required to remove salts from the effective root zone of trees. This experiment tested a new reclamation leaching technique – multiple lines of low-flow drip tape used to apply water to the area of salinity accumulation along a tree row. The reduction in salinity with a given depth of deep percolation is predictable. The new leaching procedure uses about 1/3 – ½ of the volume of water normally needed for reclamation irrigation

Optimizing MATRix as remission induction in PCNSL: de-escalated induction treatment in newly diagnosed primary CNS lymphoma

Background: Primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the central nervous system (PCNSL) is a rare disorder with an increasing incidence over the past decades. High-level evidence has been reported for the MATRix regimen (high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX), high-dose AraC (HD-AraC), thiotepa and rituximab) followed by high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (HCT-ASCT) supporting this approach to be considered a standard therapy in newly diagnosed PCNSL patients ≤ 70 years. However, early treatment-related toxicities (predominantly infectious complications), occurring in up to 28% per MATRix cycle, diminish its therapeutic success. Furthermore, sensitivity to first-line treatment is an independent prognostic factor for improved overall survival (OS) in PCNSL. Thus, patients achieving early partial remission (PR) after 2 cycles of MATRix might be over-treated with 4 cycles, in the context of consolidation HCT-ASCT. Methods: This is an open-label, multicentre, randomized phase III trial with two parallel arms. 326 immunocompetent patients with newly diagnosed PCNSL will be recruited from 37 German, 1 Austrian and 12 UK sites. Additional IELSG (International Extranodal Lymphoma Study Group) sites are planned. The objective is to demonstrate superiority of a de-escalated and optimised remission induction treatment strategy, followed by HCT-ASCT. Randomization (1:1) will be performed after completion of all screening procedures. Patients in Arm A (control treatment) will receive 4 cycles of MATRix. Patients in Arm B (experimental treatment) will receive a pre-phase (R/HD-MTX), followed by 2 cycles of MATRix. Patients in both arms achieving PR or better will proceed to HCT-ASCT (BCNU, thiotepa). The primary endpoint of the study is event-free-survival (EFS), defined as time from randomization to premature end of treatment due to any reason, lymphoma progression or death whichever occurs first. Secondary endpoints include OS, progression free survival (PFS), toxicity, neurocognitive impairment and quality of life. Minimal follow-up is 24 months. Discussion: Current treatment options for PCNSL in patients ≤ 70 years have improved remarkably over recent years. However, the potential efficacy benefits are offset by an increased incidence of short-term toxicities which can impact on treatment delivery and hence on survival outcomes. In patients ≤ 70 years with newly diagnosed PCNSL addressing the need to reduce treatment-related toxicity by de-escalating and optimising the induction phase of treatment, is a potentially attractive treatment strategy. Trial registration: German clinical trials registry DRKS00022768 registered June 10th, 2021

New Generation of Educators Initiative: Transforming teacher preparation.

The focus of the New Generation of Educators Initiative (NGEI) was to answer the question "What would it take to transform teacher education?" From 2016 to 2019, with support from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, teacher education programs at 10 California State University (CSU) campuses partnered with local school districts to design and demonstrate innovative practices that could transform teacher preparation. This report documents the learnings from multiple participants in this transformative work, including Foundation program staff and representatives from partnerships between universities and school districts

Occupying wide open spaces? Late Pleistocene hunter–gatherer activities in the Eastern Levant

With a specific focus on eastern Jordan, the Epipalaeolithic Foragers in Azraq Project explores changing hunter-gatherer strategies, behaviours and adaptations to this vast area throughout the Late Pleistocene. In particular, we examine how lifeways here (may have) differed from surrounding areas and what circumstances drew human and animal populations to the region. Integrating multiple material cultural and environmental datasets, we explore some of the strategies of these eastern Jordanian groups that resulted in changes in settlement, subsistence and interaction and, in some areas, the occupation of substantial aggregation sites. Five years of excavation at the aggregation site of Kharaneh IV suggest some very intriguing technological and social on-site activities, as well as adaptations to a dynamic landscape unlike that of today. Here we discuss particular aspects of the Kharaneh IV material record within the context of ongoing palaeoenvironmental reconstructions and place these findings in the wider spatial and temporal narratives of the Azraq Basin

Treatment Regimens for Immunocompetent Elderly Patients with Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: A Scoping Review

Background: Most patients diagnosed with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) are older than 60 years. Despite promising treatment options for younger patients, prognosis for the elderly remains poor and efficacy of available treatment options is limited. Materials and Methods: We conducted a scoping review to identify and summarize the current study pool available evaluating different types and combinations of (immuno) chemotherapy with a special focus on HCT-ASCT in elderly PCNSL. Relevant studies were identified through systematic searches in the bibliographic databases Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and ScienceDirect (last search conducted in September 2020). For ongoing studies, we searched ClinicalTrials.gov, the German study register and the WHO registry. Results: In total, we identified six randomized controlled trials (RCT) with 1.346 patients, 26 prospective (with 1.366 patients) and 24 retrospective studies (with 2.629 patients). Of these, only six studies (one completed and one ongoing RCT (with 447 patients), one completed and one ongoing prospective single arm study (with 65 patients), and two retrospective single arm studies (with 122 patients)) evaluated HCT-ASCT. Patient relevant outcomes such as progression-free and overall survival and (neuro-)toxicity were adequately considered across almost all studies. The current study pool is, however, not conclusive in terms of the most effective treatment options for elderly. Main limitations were (very) small sample sizes and heterogeneous patient populations in terms of age ranges (particularly in RCTs) limiting the applicability of the results to the target population (elderly). Conclusions: Although it has been shown that HCT-ASCT is probably a feasible and effective treatment option, this approach has never been investigated within a RCT including a wide range of elderly patients. A RCT comparing conventional (immuno) chemotherapy with HCT-ASCT is crucial to evaluate benefit and harms in an un-biased manner to eventually provide older PCNSL patients with the most effective treatment