Long-term free-air-CO-enrichment increases carbon distribution in the stable fraction in the deep layer of non-clay soils.

Elevated CO (eCO) in the atmosphere can increase plant C input into soils. However, in dryland cropping systems, it remains unclear how eCO may alter soil organic C content and stability in relation to potential changes in microbial community composition and whether these changes may depend on soil type and depth. Using an eight-year free-air-CO-enrichment (SoilFACE) system, this study addressed these questions in three farming soils including a sandy Calcarosol, a clay Vertosol and a silt loam Chromosol at depths of 0-40 cm.

Mice expressing the autism-associated neuroligin-3 R451C variant exhibit increased mucus density and altered distributions of intestinal microbiota.

The intestinal mucus layer protects the host from invading pathogens and is essential for maintaining a healthy mucosal microbial community. Alterations in the mucus layer and composition of mucus-residing microbiota in people diagnosed with autism may contribute to dysbiosis and gastrointestinal dysfunction. Although microbial dysbiosis based on sequencing data is frequently reported in autism, spatial profiling of microbes adjacent to the mucosa is needed to identify changes in bacterial subtypes in close contact with host tissues.

US Abortion Bans and Fertility.

Importance: Abortion bans may lead to births among those who are unable to overcome barriers to abortion. The population-level effects of these policies, particularly their unequal impacts across subpopulations in the US, remain unclear.

Objective: To assess heterogeneity in the association of abortion bans with changes in fertility in the US, within and across states.

US Abortion Bans and Infant Mortality.

Importance: The impact of recent abortion bans on infant mortality is not fully understood. There is also limited evidence on how these bans may interact with long-standing racial and ethnic disparities in infant health.

Objective: To examine the association of abortion bans with changes in infant mortality and to compare this association in racial and ethnic groups based on analyses within and across states.