Seasonal Sulfur Redox Cycling in Two Constructed Wetlands with Insight on How They Age.

Long-term metal remediation in wetland treatment systems (WTSs) involves facilitating dissimilatory sulfate reduction to produce sulfide and mineralize metals in deep sediments. We evaluated seasonal sulfur cycling in two constructed wetlands (Maintained WTS constructed in 2007, and the Unmaintained WTS constructed in 2000) on the Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina, USA. Significant interactions in sulfide concentration were observed between sediment depth, season, and wetland (F = 4.

Watershed sediment cannot offset sea level rise in most US tidal wetlands.

Watershed sediment can increase elevation of tidal wetlands struggling against rising seas, but where and how much watershed sediment helps is unknown. By combining contiguous US datasets on sediment loads and tidal wetland areas for 4972 rivers and their estuaries, we calculated that river sediment accretion will be insufficient to match sea level rise in 72% of cases because most watersheds are too small (median 21 square kilometers) to generate adequate sediment. Nearly half the tidal wetlands would require 10 times more river sediment to match sea level, a magnitude not generally achievable by dam removal in some regions.

Mill dams impact microbiome structure and depth distribution in riparian sediments.

Introduction: Damming has substantially fragmented and altered riverine ecosystems worldwide. Dams slow down streamflows, raise stream and groundwater levels, create anoxic or hypoxic hyporheic and riparian environments and result in deposition of fine sediments above dams. These sediments represent a good opportunity to study human legacies altering soil environments, for which we lack knowledge on microbial structure, depth distribution, and ecological function.

Sink or source? Insights into the behavior of copper and zinc in the sediment porewater of a constructed wetland by peepers.

The H-02 free water surface constructed wetland has been applied to remove heavy metals, mainly copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), from wastewater on the Savannah River Site (Aiken, SC, USA). More and more studies focus on the metal behavior between the sediment and the overlying water, which directly reflects the stability of metals after sedimentation in constructed wetlands. This study focused on the biogeochemical pathways in metal bioavailability and remobilization in the sediment after metals were removed from the overlying water.

Teaching family-oriented care to family medicine residents: Evaluation of a family skills curriculum.

Introduction: Family-oriented care is at the heart of family medicine (FM) practice, yet research suggests an unmet need for family skills training in FM residencies. The purpose of this study is to evaluate family-oriented (FO) attitudes and observed skills of FM residents before and after completion of a longitudinal family skills curriculum.

Method: We assessed FO attitudes and observed skills of second-year FM residents (N = 12) using the "Family in Medicine" Q-sort exercise (Q-sort) and the Family-Centered Observation Form (FCOF) before and after completion of the family systems "Practicum" portion of a 20-week psychosocial medicine curriculum.

Metal Removal by a Free Surface Constructed Wetland and Prediction of Metal Bioavailability and Toxicity with Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films (DGT) and Biotic Ligand Model (BLM).

The H-02 constructed wetland is a free water surface wetland to remove copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) from the industrial wastewater. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the wetland from 2018 to 2019 and coupled the diffusive gradients in thin films (DGTs) and biotic ligand model (BLM) to explore metal speciation and bioavailability in wetland waters. Surface water samples were collected and piston DGTs were deployed in different sites of the wetland.

Temporal deposition of copper and zinc in the sediments of metal removal constructed wetlands.

The objective of this study was to explore the effects of time, seasons, and total carbon (TC) on Copper (Cu) and Zinc (Zn) deposition in the surface sediments. This study was performed at the H-02 constructed wetland on the Savannah River Site (Aiken, SC, USA). Covering both warm (April-September) and cool (October-March) seasons, several sediment cores were collected twice a year from the H-02 constructed wetland cells from 2007 to 2013.

Microbial Community Characteristics Largely Unaffected by X-Ray Computed Tomography of Sediment Cores.

X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning is used to study the physical characteristics of soil and sediment cores, allowing scientists to analyze stratigraphy without destroying core integrity. Microbiologists often work with geologists to understand the microbial properties in such cores; however, we do not know whether CT scanning alters microbial DNA such that DNA sequencing, a common method of community characterization, changes as a result of X-ray exposure. Our objective was to determine whether CT scanning affects the estimates of the composition of microbial communities that exist in cores.

Limitations of Applying Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films to Predict Bioavailability of Metal Mixtures in Aquatic Systems with Unstable Water Chemistries.

The present study accessed the use of diffusive gradients in thin film (DGT) as a surrogate for estimating the bioavailability and bioaccumulation of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in a freshwater mussel. We coupled DGTs with mussels and deployed them in a constructed wetland. Water quality parameters were measured for a 4-d period on 3 continuous occasions during 12-d trials in the summer and winter; metal speciation was modeled for each occasion.

Diesel exhaust inhalation and assessment of peripheral blood mononuclear cell gene transcription effects: an exploratory study of healthy human volunteers.

Ambient fine particulate matter has been associated with cardiovascular and other diseases in epidemiological studies, and diesel exhaust (DE) is a major source of urban fine particulate matter. Air pollution's cardiovascular effects have been attributed to oxidative stress and systemic inflammation, with resulting perturbation of vascular homeostasis. Peripheral leukocytes are involved in both inflammation and control of vascular homeostasis.

Effect of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) downregulation with FAK antisense oligonucleotides and 5-fluorouracil on the viability of melanoma cell lines.

Inhibition of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a non-receptor tyrosine kinase linked to tumour cell survival, causes cell rounding, loss of adhesion and apoptosis in human cancer cell lines. In this study, we tested antisense oligonucleotide inhibitors of FAK, in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), to increase its sensitivity in human melanoma cell lines. Antisense oligonucleotides directed to the 5' mRNA sequence of FAK and missense control oligonucleotides were used.

Mitochondrial polymorphisms and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes-related traits in Finns.

Mitochondria play an integral role in ATP production in cells and are involved in glucose metabolism and insulin secretion, suggesting that variants in the mitochondrial genome may contribute to diabetes susceptibility. In a study of Finnish families ascertained for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), we genotyped single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based on phylogenetic networks. These SNPs defined eight major haplogroups and subdivided groups H and U, which are common in Finns.

Genetic variation near the hepatocyte nuclear factor-4 alpha gene predicts susceptibility to type 2 diabetes.

The Finland-United States Investigation Of NIDDM Genetics (FUSION) study aims to identify genetic variants that predispose to type 2 diabetes by studying affected sibling pair families from Finland. Chromosome 20 showed our strongest initial evidence for linkage. It currently has a maximum logarithm of odds (LOD) score of 2.