Christensen Fund

This chapter highlights the essential need for sustainable agriculture to mitigate the environmental impact of industrial crop production while meeting rising global food demands. It examines the transition from conventional weed management to site-specific weed management (SSWM), encompassing sophisticated weed detection techniques, data-based decision algorithms, and precise weed control tools. The chapter delves into the contribution of technologies such as remote sensing and autonomous robotics in enhancing weed management practices. Additionally, the chapter underscores the advantages of SSWM in reducing herbicide usage and advocates for the integration of intelligent robotics and precision systems to improve agricultural sustainability and efficiency, paving the way for more sustainable and productive farming practices.

This data publication contains the results of a survey to obtain opinions and attitudes toward water resource management in the Wind River/Bighorn River Basin in Montana and Wyoming. A mail-back survey, administered between March and May of 2016, went to a random sample of mailing addresses in the Wind River/Bighorn River Basin. Adult household heads were asked to complete the survey. The survey included questions about benefits related to water importance, factors threatening the water, opinions on the natural resources in the basin, perception on water management outcomes, and personal information.<br>This study was designed to address the complex interrelationship between ecological and social systems in a way that, to the greatest extent practicable, sustains the broad range of ecosystem services flowing from public land that support human well-being. Both human and natural change (e.g., climate change, land-use change, and drought) can result in an altered flow of ecosystem services to a broad range of beneficiaries, who not only have disparate preferences for ecosystem services, but also differing abilities to adapt and cope with change. In the context of water management in the western United States, this task is particularly difficult as a result of both water scarcity and the competing nature of the many uses of water (e.g., irrigation and instream flow). In order to improve management and policy related to water-based ecosystem services flowing from public land, there is a need to provide better information to natural resource managers and policy-makers about tradeoffs and impacts of management actions on stakeholder benefits derived from water.<br>For more information about these data and this study, see Armatas et al. (2018).

Introduction: CAR T-cell therapy has been reported to have cardiovascular (CV) adverse effects mostly in context of cytokine reconstitution syndrome (CRS). Although pathophysiology of CAR T-cell cardiotoxicity (CTCC) is not fully understood, it is thought to be IL-6 mediated which has been implicated as a mediator of myocardial depression in infectious and inflammatory states. Another mechanism is direct cardiotoxicity from potential cross-reactivity with unrelated peptides expressed by normal tissue. We present a case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy following CAR T cells. Case: 61 year old male with h/o Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, DMT2, HLD was admitted for CAR T cell therapy. Following infusion, he developed chills, diaphoresis, tachypnea, tachycardia, chest tightness lasting several hours. EKG had dynamic ST depressions in inferolateral leads with elevated hstroponin (6000 pg/ml). Despite severe pancytopenia, heparin was started for acute coronary syndrome. Pain resolved with morphine and he received tocilizumab for CRS. Echo showed a mid-cavitary variant of Takotsubo involving right and left ventricles with depressed systolic function (LVEF 30-35%; Image). Coronary angiogram was deferred due to bleeding risk. Repeat echo in 2 days showed persistent mid-cavity hypokinesis with slight improvement in LVEF (40%) after initiating beta blocker. The temporal relation of acute mid-cavity dysfunction to CAR T-cells indicates most likely CTCC. Heparin was stopped and he was managed conservatively with plan to reassess LVEF in 2 months. Conclusion: Patients undergoing CAR T-cell therapy should be assessed for CV symptoms using biomarkers and imaging for early detection of cardiotoxicity and prompt initiation of supportive treatment. We present a case of acute mid-cavity left ventricular dysfunction (a Tako-tsubo variant) that was temporally related to CAR T cell infusion. Further studies are needed to determine the frequency of this acute form of CTCC.

Advances in the field of molecular genetics have led to the development of multiple tests capable of identifying genetic changes within cutaneous melanoma. Although the majority of these tests are currently used for diagnostic purposes, their potential use as prognostic tools is rapidly emerging. A new 31-gene expression profile test has been developed that promises to accurately predict metastatic risk in patients with early-stage cutaneous melanoma. Although current data are promising, many questions remain in terms of its potential effects in patient care. Thus, before this test is used routinely in clinical practice, we recommend that it first be performed as part of current adjuvant treatment trials as a potential predictive marker or other high-quality studies investigating relevant outcomes resulting from changes in the clinical management of patients on the basis of the gene expression profile test results.

Mexico forest tenure structure is known worldwide for its progressive approach of giving local communities full property rights to set a robust support to sustainable livelihoods in forested areas. Most forest areas in Mexico are owned by local communities either through the ejido, agrarian indigenous or groups of small owners. In the last 30 years, many forest communities explored forest production at a commercial scale, creating their own communal business and concurring to national markets with their timber and non-timber products. The socio-economical impacts of this approach were tremendous, steadily improving communities living standards. This success prompted rural organizations to ask the Mexican government to launch programs to expand the community forestry model. With international assistance from the World Bank and other agencies, the government of Mexico launched three different programs to foster forest commons: the Forest Conservation and Management Program, the Indigenous, Communities and Biodiversity Project and the Mexican part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. Performance of these programs has been assessed through the World Bank evaluation framework, but the question about their environmental impact or even about their environmental sustainability and therefore their validity as national policies has been scantily explored and practically not debated. To contribute to answering these questions, the author made an extensive analysis of their impact over forest cover during the 2003-2008 period using land cover maps and correlated them with institutional development variables, building a social organization and collective action index (SOCAI), following Elinor Ostrom institutional analysis and development framework (IAD).

Primary cilia are unique sensory organelles that coordinate cellular signaling networks in vertebrates. Inevitably, defects in the formation or function of primary cilia lead to imbalanced regulation of cellular processes that causes multisystemic disorders and diseases, commonly known as ciliopathies. Mounting evidence has demonstrated that primary cilia coordinate multiple activities that are required for cell migration, which, when they are aberrantly regulated, lead to defects in organogenesis and tissue repair, as well as metastasis of tumors. Here, we present an overview on how primary cilia may contribute to the regulation of the cellular signaling pathways that control cyclic processes in directional cell migration.

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in developed countries and commonly due to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a resultant of interplay of gene and environmental factors including diet. Liver is the primary target for lipid metabolism and circulatory microRNAs (miRNAs) are potential biomarkers for atherosclerosis. However, little information is available on miRNAs for early prediction and diagnosis of severity of atherosclerosis. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMCs) miRNA(s) are potential biomarkers for atherosclerosis. We tested this by first identifying PBMCs and liver miRNAs with discordant expression in baboons with low and high serum low density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations and then determined if the miRNAs correlated with atherosclerotic lesions in baboons fed a high fat diet for 2 years. Methods and Results: Using Next Gen methods, we sequenced PBMCs and liver small RNA libraries from baboons discordant for LDL-C concentrations (low LDL-C, n = 3; high LDL-C, n = 3); fed a high-cholesterol, high-fat (HCHF) diet for 7 weeks. We identified 47 and 27 novel baboon miRNAs, and 494 and 490 human homologues in PBMCs and in liver, respectively. Seventy-one and 30 miRNAs showed differential response to HCHF diet in PBMCs and in liver, respectively. Comparison of miRNA expression profiles from PBMCs and liver showed concordant expression for miR-221/222 family; it was down-regulated in high LDL-C baboons in response to HCHF diet. Using qRT-PCR, we quantified miR-221 abundance in PBMCs and in livers of high LDL-C baboons (n = 109) on 2-year HCHF challenge and revealed, for hepatic miR-221, a positive correlation with severity of lesions in descending aorta (Pearson correlation coefficient, r = 0.18, p = 0.05) and aortic arch (r = 0.22, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Liver miR-221 abundance is associated with extent of lesions in baboons fed a HCHF diet for 2 years and may be a biomarker for atherosclerosis.

The purpose of this study was to determine trends in use and user characteristics at the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Based on data from 1969, 1991, and 2007, the average age of visitors has increased significantly, education levels have increased, and visitors remain predominantly male. Visitors in 2007 report seeing twice as many groups since 1961 and 1991, but the number of encounters are not exceeding expectations. Findings emerged related to gender ratios and evaluating resource conditions. These findings may need further investigation and future management action to provide opportunities for meaningful wilderness experiences while protecting wilderness character.