The LTAR Cropland Common Experiment at Upper Mississippi River Basin-St. Paul.

The Soil and Water Management Research Unit of the USDA-Agricultural Research Service is located in St. Paul, MN, and conducts long-term research at the University of Minnesota Research and Outreach Center located at Rosemount, MN. As part of USDA's Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network, the croplands common experiment (CCE) at this location is focused on integration of a kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum M.

Single-cell RNA sequencing identifies G-protein coupled receptor 87 as a basal cell marker expressed in distal honeycomb cysts in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

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Tallgrass prairie wildlife exposure to spray drift from commonly used soybean insecticides in Midwestern USA.

Insecticides are widely used in the Midwestern USA to combat soybean aphids (Aphis glycines), a globally important crop pest. Broad-spectrum foliar insecticides such as chlorpyrifos, lambda-cyhalothrin, and bifenthrin (hereafter, "target insecticides") are toxic to wildlife in laboratory settings; however, little information exists regarding drift and deposition of these insecticides in fragmented tallgrass prairie grasslands such as those in Minnesota, USA. To address this information gap, target insecticide spray drift and deposition were measured on passive samplers and arthropods in grasslands adjacent to crop fields in Minnesota.

The impact of COVID-19: Considerations for future dental conferences.

The onset of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) impacted all facets of global communities. As such, dental organizations must reconsider the traditional format of conferences in order to abide by public health guidelines. Such an adjustment is required in an effort to limit the footprint and ensure the safety of its participants.

Toward Sustainable Environmental Quality: Priority Research Questions for North America.

Anticipating, identifying, and prioritizing strategic needs represent essential activities by research organizations. Decided benefits emerge when these pursuits engage globally important environment and health goals, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. To this end, horizon scanning efforts can facilitate identification of specific research needs to address grand challenges.

Off-site transport of fungicides with runoff: A comparison of flutolanil and pentachloronitrobeneze applied to creeping bentgrass managed as a golf course fairway.

Flutolanil and pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) are fungicides used to control or suppress foliar and soil borne diseases in turf and ornamental crops. On golf courses, sports fields, sod farms and commercial lawns these fungicides are used as preventive treatments to combat snow mold, brown patch and fairy ring. Depending on the aquatic organism, flultolanil and PCNB are considered to be moderately to highly toxic.

Chemical application strategies to protect water quality.

Management of turfgrass on golf courses and athletic fields often involves application of plant protection products to maintain or enhance turfgrass health and performance. However, the transport of fertilizer and pesticides with runoff to adjacent surface waters can enhance algal blooms, promote eutrophication and may have negative impacts on sensitive aquatic organisms and ecosystems. Thus, we evaluated the effectiveness of chemical application setbacks to reduce the off-site transport of chemicals with storm runoff.

Evaluation of individual and combined management practices to reduce the off-site transport of pesticides from golf course turf.

The detection of pesticides, associated with turfgrass management, in storm runoff and surface waters of urban watersheds has raised concerns regarding their source, potential environmental effects and a need for strategies to reduce their inputs. In previous research we discovered that hollow tine core cultivation (HTCC) was more effective than other management practices for reducing the off-site transport of pesticides with runoff from creeping bentgrass turf managed as a golf course fairway. This was primarily the result of enhanced infiltration and reduced runoff volumes associated with turf managed with hollow tines.

Off-site transport of nitrogen fertilizer with runoff from golf course fairway turf: A comparison of creeping bentgrass with a fine fescue mixture.

Maintaining quality golf course turf often requires irrigation and application of fertilizer. The transport of excess nutrients with runoff water from highly managed and fertilized biological systems to surrounding surface waters has been shown to result in enhanced algal blooms and promotion of eutrophication. Environmental stewardship includes looking for new approaches to reduce adverse environmental impacts of current practices.

Sources and transport of contaminants of emerging concern: A two-year study of occurrence and spatiotemporal variation in a mixed land use watershed.

The occurrence and spatiotemporal variation of 26 contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) were evaluated in 68 water samples in 2011-2012 in the Zumbro River watershed, Minnesota, U.S.A.

Contaminants of Emerging Concern: Mass Balance and Comparison of Wastewater Effluent and Upstream Sources in a Mixed-Use Watershed.

Understanding the sources, transport, and spatiotemporal variability of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) is important for understanding risks and developing monitoring and mitigation strategies. This study used mass balances to compare wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and upstream sources of 16 CECs to a mixed-use watershed in Minnesota, under different seasonal and hydrological conditions. Three distinct CEC groups emerged with respect to their source proportionality and instream behavior.

Sediment-water distribution of contaminants of emerging concern in a mixed use watershed.

This study evaluated the occurrence and distribution of 15 contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in stream water and sediments in the Zumbro River watershed in Minnesota and compared these with sub-watershed land uses. Sixty pairs of sediment and water samples were collected across all seasons from four stream sites for over two years and analyzed for selected personal care products, pesticides, human and veterinary medications, and phytoestrogens. Spatial and temporal analyses indicate that pharmaceuticals and personal care products (urban/residential CECs) are significantly elevated in water and/or sediment at sites with greater population density (>100 people/km(2)) and percentage of developed land use (>8% of subwatershed area) than those with less population density and land area under development.

Identifying sources of emerging organic contaminants in a mixed use watershed using principal components analysis.

Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to identify sources of emerging organic contaminants in the Zumbro River watershed in Southeastern Minnesota. Two main principal components (PCs) were identified, which together explained more than 50% of the variance in the data. Principal Component 1 (PC1) was attributed to urban wastewater-derived sources, including municipal wastewater and residential septic tank effluents, while Principal Component 2 (PC2) was attributed to agricultural sources.

Assessing biochar's ability to reduce bioavailability of aminocyclopyrachlor in soils.

Aminocyclopyrachlor is a pyrimidine carboxylic acid herbicide used to control broadleaf weeds and brush. Amending soil with activated charcoal is recommended to prevent off-site transport of aminocyclopyrachlor and non-target plant damage. We used the batch-equilibrium method to determine the concentration of aminocyclopyrachlor in a pseudo-steady state with biochar, soil, and biochar-soil systems (<10% biochar by weight).

Self-efficacy, physical activity, and aerobic fitness in middle school children: examination of a pedometer intervention program.

Physical activity in children has been associated with a number of health benefits. Unfortunately, physical inactivity continues to increase. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among self-efficacy levels, physical activity, aerobic fitness, and body composition (relative body mass index [RBMI]) and to determine whether a school-based pedometer intervention program would improve those variables.

Evaluation of nitrogen and phosphorus transport with runoff from fairway turf managed with hollow tine core cultivation and verticutting.

Enrichment of surface waters with excess nutrients is associated with increased algal blooms, euthrophication and hypoxic zones, as reported in the northern Gulf of Mexico. A source of nutrients to surface waters results from fertilizer runoff. Management strategies used to maintain turf on golf courses and recreational fields often include aerification and application of fertilizer.

Sorption and dissipation of aged metolachlor residues in eroded and rehabilitated soils.

Background: Sorption and dissipation of aged metolachlor were characterized in rehabilitated and eroded prairie soils using sequential batch slurry (conventional) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE).

Results: In spite of an almost twofold difference in soil organic carbon (OC) content, S-metolachlor sorption coefficients (K(d)) and dissipation rates (DT(50)) were the same in soils from different landscape positions within an eroded landform. Soil was moved within the landform to increase productivity.

Nutrient loss with runoff from fairway turf: an evaluation of core cultivation practices and their environmental impact.

The presence of excess nutrients in surface waters can result in undesirable environmental and economic consequences, including nuisance algal blooms and eutrophication. Fertilizer use in highly managed turf systems has raised questions concerning the contribution of nutrients to surrounding surface waters. Experiments were designed to quantify phosphorus and nitrogen transport with runoff from turf plots maintained as a golf course fairway to identify which cultural practice, solid tine (ST) or hollow tine (HT) core cultivation, maximized phosphorus and nitrogen retention at the site of fertilizer application.

Dissipation and transport of clopyralid in soil: effect of application strategies.

At present there are no herbicide uses registered for broadleaf weed control in buckwheat. Clopyralid, mixed with desmedipham, was anticipated to provide early-season broadleaf weed suppression with minimal crop injury. However, field trials resulted in limited success, which brought into question the fate and availability of clopyralid for weed control.

Wound healing after trauma may predispose to lung cancer metastasis: review of potential mechanisms.

Inflammatory oncotaxis, the phenomenon in which mechanically injured tissues are predisposed to cancer metastases, has been reported for a number of tumor types, but not previously for histologically proven lung cancer. We review clinical and experimental evidence and mechanisms that may underlie inflammatory oncotaxis, and provide illustrative examples of two patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung who developed distant, localized metastatic disease at sites of recent physical trauma. Trauma may predispose to metastasis through two distinct, but not mutually exclusive, mechanisms: (1) physical trauma induces tissue damage and local inflammation, creating a favorable environment that is permissive for seeding of metastatic cells from distant sites; and/or (2) micrometastatic foci are already present at the time of physical injury, and trauma initiates changes in the microenvironment that stimulate the proliferation of the metastatic cells.

Evaluation of core cultivation practices to reduce ecological risk of pesticides in runoff from Agrostis palustris.

Pesticides associated with the turfgrass industry have been detected in storm runoff and surface waters of urban watersheds, invoking concern of their potential environmental effects and a desire to reduce their transport to nontarget locations. Quantities of chlorpyrifos, dicamba, dimethylamine salt of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), flutolanil, and mecoprop-p (MCPP) transported in runoff from bentgrass (Agrostis palustris) fairway turf managed with solid tine (ST) or hollow tine (HT) core cultivation were compared to determine which cultivation practice is more efficient at mitigating environmental risk. Plots receiving HT core cultivation showed a 10 and 55% reduction in runoff volume and a 15 to 57% reduction in pesticide transport with runoff at 63 d and 2 d following core cultivation.

Pesticide transport with runoff from creeping bentgrass turf: Relationship of pesticide properties to mass transport.

The off-site transport of pesticides with runoff is both an agronomic and environmental concern, resulting from reduced control of target pests in the area of application and contamination of surrounding ecosystems. Experiments were designed to measure the quantity of pesticides in runoff from creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris) turf managed as golf course fairway to gain a better understanding of factors that influence chemical availability and mass transport. Less than 1 to 23% of applied chloropyrifos, flutolanil, mecoprop-p (MCPP), dimethylamine salt of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), or dicamba was measured in edge-of-plot runoff when commercially available pesticide formulations were applied at label rates 23 +/- 9 h prior to simulated precipitation (62 +/- 13 mm).

Regulation of cytokine-induced prostanoid and nitric oxide synthesis by extracellular signal–regulated kinase 1/2 in lung epithelial cells.

The inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interferon gamma (IFNγ) stimulate production of the inflammatory mediators prostaglandin E₂ (PGEγ), prostacyclin (PGIγ), and nitric oxide (NO) in cultured lung epithelial cells. Pretreatment of these cells with the selective MEK1/2 (mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase [ERK] kinase 1/2) inhibitor U0126 blocked ERK1/2 activation and inhibited cytokine-induced production of these inflammatory mediators. Primary bronchiolar epithelial Clara cells treated with TNFα and IFNγ also produced increased PGE₂, PGI₂, and NO, and PG and NO production was decreased by MEK inhibition.

Tumor progression stage and anatomical site regulate tumor-associated macrophage and bone marrow-derived monocyte polarization.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) encourage and coordinate neoplastic growth. In late stage human lung adenocarcinoma, TAMs exhibited mixed M1 (classical; argI(low)iNOS(high)) and M2 (alternative; argI(high)iNOS(low)) polarization based on arginine metabolism. In several murine cancer models including chemically and genetically-induced primary lung tumors, prostate tumors, colon xenografts, and lung metastases, TAMs expressed argI(high)iNOS(low) early during tumor formation; argI(low)iNOS(high) polarization also occurred during malignancy in some models.

Sulindac metabolites induce proteosomal and lysosomal degradation of the epidermal growth factor receptor.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a member of the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases. In response to ligand, EGFR is internalized and degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome/lysosome pathway. We previously reported that metabolites of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug sulindac downregulate the expression of EGFR and inhibit basal and EGF-induced EGFR signaling through extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2.