Metabolic network analysis reveals microbial community interactions in anammox granules.

Microbial communities mediating anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) represent one of the most energy-efficient environmental biotechnologies for nitrogen removal from wastewater. However, little is known about the functional role heterotrophic bacteria play in anammox granules. Here, we use genome-centric metagenomics to recover 17 draft genomes of anammox and heterotrophic bacteria from a laboratory-scale anammox bioreactor. We combine metabolic network reconstruction with metatranscriptomics to examine the gene expression of anammox and heterotrophic bacteria and to identify their potential interactions. We find that Chlorobi-affiliated bacteria may be highly active protein degraders, catabolizing extracellular peptides while recycling nitrate to nitrite. Other heterotrophs may also contribute to scavenging of detritus and peptides produced by anammox bacteria, and potentially use alternative electron donors, such as H2, acetate and formate. Our findings improve the understanding of metabolic activities and interactions between anammox and heterotrophic bacteria and offer the first transcriptional insights on ecosystem function in anammox granules

Characteristics and drivers of high-altitude ladybird flight: insights from vertical-looking entomological radar

Understanding the characteristics and drivers of dispersal is crucial for predicting population dynamics, particularly in range-shifting species. Studying long-distance dispersal in insects is challenging, but recent advances in entomological radar offer unique insights. We analysed 10 years of radar data collected at Rothamsted Research, U.K., to investigate characteristics (altitude, speed, seasonal and annual trends) and drivers (aphid abundance, air temperature, wind speed and rainfall) of high-altitude flight of the two most abundant U.K. ladybird species (native Coccinella septempunctata and invasive Harmonia axyridis). These species cannot be distinguished in the radar data since their reflectivity signals overlap, and they were therefore analysed together. However, their signals do not overlap with other, abundant insects so we are confident they constitute the overwhelming majority of the analysed data. The target species were detected up to ~1100 m above ground level, where displacement speeds of up to ~60 km/h were recorded, however most ladybirds were found between ~150 and 500 m, and had a mean displacement of 30 km/h. Average flight time was estimated, using tethered flight experiments, to be 36.5 minutes, but flights of up to two hours were observed. Ladybirds are therefore potentially able to travel 18 km in a "typical" high-altitude flight, but up to 120 km if flying at higher altitudes, indicating a high capacity for long-distance dispersal. There were strong seasonal trends in ladybird abundance, with peaks corresponding to the highest temperatures of mid-summer, and warm air temperature was the key driver of ladybird flight. Climatic warming may therefore increase the potential for long-distance dispersal in these species. Low aphid abundance was a second significant factor, highlighting the important role of aphid population dynamics in ladybird dispersal. This research illustrates the utility of radar for studying high-altitude insect flight and has important implications for predicting long-distance dispersal. © 2013 Jeffries et al

Temporal Trends in Cardiovascular Hospital Discharges Following a Mass Chlorine Exposure Event in Graniteville, South Carolina

Background: On January 6, 2005, a train derailed in Graniteville, South Carolina, releasing nearly 60,000 kg of toxic chlorine gas. The disaster left nine people dead and was responsible for hundreds of hospitalizations and outpatient visits in the subsequent weeks. While chlorine gas primarily affects the respiratory tract, a growing body of evidence suggests that acute exposure may also cause vascular injury and cardiac toxicity. Here, we describe the incidence of cardiovascular hospitalizations among residents of the zip codes most affected by the chlorine gas plume, and compare the incidence of cardiovascular discharges in the years leading up to the event (2000–2004) to the incidence in the years following the event (2005–2014). Methods: De-identified hospital discharge information was collected from the South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office for individuals residing in the selected zip codes for the years 2000 to 2014. A quasi-experimental study design was utilized with a population-level interrupted time series model to examine hospital discharge rates for Graniteville-area residents for three cardiovascular diagnoses: hypertension (HTN), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and coronary heart disease (CHD). We used linear regression with autoregressive error correction to compare slopes for pre- and post-spill time periods. Data from the 2000 and 2010 censuses were used to calculate rates and to provide information on potential demographic shifts over the course of the study. Results: A significant increase in hypertension-related hospital discharge rates was observed for the years following the Graniteville chlorine spill (slope 8.2, p \u3c 0.001). Concurrent changes to CHD and AMI hospital discharge rates were in the opposite direction (slopes −3.2 and −0.3, p \u3c 0.01 and 0.14, respectively). Importantly, the observed trend cannot be attributed to an aging population. Conclusions: An unusual increase in hypertension-related hospital discharge rates in the area affected by the Graniteville chlorine spill contrasts with national and state-level trends. A number of factors related to the spill may be contributing the observation: disaster-induced hypertension, healthcare services access issues, and, possibly, chlorine-induced susceptibility to vascular pathologies. Due to the limitations of our data, we cannot determine whether the individuals who visited the hospital were the ones exposed to chlorine gas, however, the finding warrants additional research. Future studies are needed to determine the etiology of the increase and whether individuals exposed to chlorine are at a heightened risk for hypertensive heart disease

Hospitalisation without delirium is not associated with cognitive decline in a population-based sample of older people-results from a nested, longitudinal cohort study

Background: Acute hospitalisation and delirium have individually been shown to adversely affect trajectories of cognitive decline but have not previously been considered together. This work aimed to explore the impact on cognition of hospital admission with and without delirium, compared to a control group with no hospital admissions. Methods: The Delirium and Cognitive Impact in Dementia (DECIDE) study was nested within the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study II (CFAS II)-Newcastle cohort. CFAS II participants completed two baseline interviews, including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). During 2016, surviving participants from CFAS II-Newcastle were recruited to DECIDE on admission to hospital. Participants were reviewed daily to determine delirium status. During 2017, all DECIDE participants and age, sex and years of education matched controls without hospital admissions during 2016 were invited to repeat the CFAS II interview. Delirium was excluded in the control group using the Informant Assessment of Geriatric Delirium Scale (i-AGeD). Linear mixed effects modelling determined predictors of cognitive decline. Results: During 2016, 82 of 205 (40%) DECIDE participants had at least one episode of delirium. At 1 year, 135 of 205 hospitalised participants completed an interview along with 100 controls. No controls experienced delirium (i-AGeD>4). Delirium was associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline compared to those without delirium (β =-2.2, P < 0.001), but number of hospital admissions was not (P = 0.447). Conclusions: These results suggest that delirium during hospitalisation rather than hospitalisation per se is a risk factor for future cognitive decline, emphasising the need for dementia prevention studies that focus on delirium intervention

Methamphetamine Use: A Narrative Review of Adverse Effects and Related Toxicities.

Methamphetamine has been labeled America\u27s most dangerous drug and has received significant public health attention. Stimulant addiction and tolerance are heavily documented in the literature; increasingly larger doses maintain euphoria in short time periods to withstand stimulant tolerance. Stimulant deaths are high in the United States and abroad. Between 2013 and 2019, deaths related to methamphetamine use quadrupled from 3,616 to 16,127. Methamphetamine use increased four-fold from 2015 to 2016. Due to this increase in methamphetamine use and its associated medical complications, the mortality rate associated with methamphetamine use has doubled over the past ten years. Cardiopulmonary symptoms include chest pain, palpitations, and shortness of breath. Methamphetamine-related myocardial infarction can also occur. Central nervous system symptoms include agitation, anxiety, delusions, hallucinations, and seizures. Methamphetamine-induced psychosis may unmask underlying psychiatric disorders. It can also cause cerebral vasculitis, which elicits cortical blindness and ischemic strokes. Methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity in serotonergic systems is more diffuse, involving the striatum, hippocampus, septum, amygdala, and hypothalamus leading to mood changes, psychosis, and memory impairment. This narrative review will aim to highlight the adverse effects as well as the toxicity that can occur with methamphetamine use

The Evolution of the Anopheles 16 Genomes Project

We report the imminent completion of a set of reference genome assemblies for 16 species of Anopheles mosquitoes. In addition to providing a generally useful resource for comparative genomic analyses, these genome sequences will greatly facilitate exploration of the capacity exhibited by some Anopheline mosquito species to serve as vectors for malaria parasites. A community analysis project will commence soon to perform a thorough comparative genomic investigation of these newly sequenced genomes. Completion of this project via the use of short next-generation sequence reads required innovation in both the bioinformatic and laboratory realms, and the resulting knowledge gained could prove useful for genome sequencing projects targeting other unconventional genomes

Tritium tracers of rapid surface water ingression into arsenic-bearing aquifers in the Lower Mekong Basin, Cambodia

Arsenic (As) contamination of groundwaters in South and Southeast Asia is a major threat to public health in these areas. Understanding the source and age of the groundwaters is critically important to understanding the controls on As mobilization in these aquifers. Using tritium (3H) and noble gas (He and Ne) signatures, model groundwater ages and dominant hydrological controls were identified in a transect oriented broadly parallel to inferred groundwater flowpaths in Kandal Province, Cambodia in the lower Mekong Basin. Apparent 3H-3He ages showed that most groundwaters are modern (< 55 years), indicating relatively fast recharge even in the absence of large-scale groundwater abstraction. The age-depth relationship indicates a strong vertical component of groundwater flow and allows for recharge rates to be estimated. Vertical and horizontal flow velocities are heterogeneous and site-specific. The conceptual framework will be used to better understand As mobilization and subsequent transport with these and similar aquifers

Tree-ring investigations into changing climatic responses of yellow-cedar, Glacier Bay, Alaska

Yellow-cedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis (D. Don) à–rsted ex D.P. Little) is in a century-long decline coinciding with the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA). The leading hypothesis explaining this decline is a decrease in insulating snowpack due to warming and increased susceptibility to damaging frosts in the root zone. A ring-width series from yellow-cedar on Excursion Ridge (260 m a.s.l.) in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, and another from trees on Pleasant Island (150 m a.s.l.) in the Tongass National Forest in Icy Strait were compared with regional monthly temperature and precipitation data from Sitka, Alaska, to investigate the changing growth response to temperature at these sites. Comparisons with monthly temperatures from 1832 to 1876 during the end of the Little Ice Age show that the high-elevation Excursion Ridge and the low-elevation Pleasant Island sites strongly favored warmer January through July temperatures. Both tree populations have markedly changed their response from a positive to a strong negative correlation with January through July temperatures since 1950. This strong negative response to warming by the yellow-cedar together with a positive relationship with total March and April precipitation suggests that these yellow-cedar sites may be susceptible to decline. Furthermore, these analyses are consistent with the hypothesis that the yellow-cedar decline is linked to decreased snowpack