Groundwater-dependent ecosystem map exposes global dryland protection needs.

Groundwater is the most ubiquitous source of liquid freshwater globally, yet its role in supporting diverse ecosystems is rarely acknowledged. However, the location and extent of groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) are unknown in many geographies, and protection measures are lacking. Here, we map GDEs at high-resolution (roughly 30 m) and find them present on more than one-third of global drylands analysed, including important global biodiversity hotspots.

Assessment of spatiotemporal risks for nationwide groundwater nitrate contamination.

National assessments of groundwater contamination risks are crucial for sustaining high-quality groundwater supplies. However, traditional methods often treat groundwater contamination risk as a steady-state indicator without considering spatiotemporal variation in risk, both geographically and over time, caused by anthropogenic and climatic factors. In this work, XGBoost, a tree-based algorithm, was applied to comprehensively analyze the drivers of groundwater contamination from nitrate, using data on 13 physical features (as used by the index-based ranking method DRASTIC) and 30 anthropogenic features from 1985 to 2010 in the contiguous United States (CONUS).

The NLRP3 inflammasome is essential for IL-18 production in a murine model of macrophage activation syndrome.

Hyperinflammatory disease is associated with an aberrant immune response resulting in cytokine storm. One such instance of hyperinflammatory disease is known as macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). The pathology of MAS can be characterised by significantly elevated serum levels of interleukin-18 (IL-18) and interferon gamma (IFNγ).

The NLRP3 inflammasome is essential for IL-18 production in a murine model of macrophage activation syndrome.

Hyperinflammatory disease is associated with an aberrant immune response resulting in cytokine storm. One such instance of hyperinflammatory disease is known as macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). The pathology of MAS can be characterised by significantly elevated serum levels of interleukin (IL)-18 and interferon (IFN)-γ.

The changing nature of groundwater in the global water cycle.

In recent decades, climate change and other anthropogenic activities have substantially affected groundwater systems worldwide. These impacts include changes in groundwater recharge, discharge, flow, storage, and distribution. Climate-induced shifts are evident in altered recharge rates, greater groundwater contribution to streamflow in glacierized catchments, and enhanced groundwater flow in permafrost areas.

Partial loss of MCU mitigates pathology in vivo across a diverse range of neurodegenerative disease models.

Mitochondrial calcium (Ca) uptake augments metabolic processes and buffers cytosolic Ca levels; however, excessive mitochondrial Ca can cause cell death. Disrupted mitochondrial function and Ca homeostasis are linked to numerous neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), but the impact of mitochondrial Ca disruption is not well understood. Here, we show that Drosophila models of multiple NDs (Parkinson's, Huntington's, Alzheimer's, and frontotemporal dementia) reveal a consistent increase in neuronal mitochondrial Ca levels, as well as reduced mitochondrial Ca buffering capacity, associated with increased mitochondria-endoplasmic reticulum contact sites (MERCs).

Mandated checkups, knowledge of own health status, and chronic care utilization: The effect of HIV medical evaluation mandates on healthcare quality and expenditure in a US-single payer system.

In an effort to improve military readiness, in 2014 the US Air Force reduced the frequency of mandated HIV medical evaluation visits from every 6 months to every 12 months. We employ this natural experiment using data for 2676 active-duty Military Health System beneficiaries living with HIV with a difference-in-differences empirical strategy using the Army, Navy, and Marines as a control group to estimate the causal effect of reducing the frequency of mandated evaluation visits on the quality and cost of medical care for active-duty military members living with HIV. We find that reducing the frequency of mandated HIV medical evaluation visits reduced the likelihood of regular HIV visits by 23 percentage points but did not affect the likelihood of receiving other preventive care, adhering to HIV therapy, or maintaining viral testing and suppression.

Earth beyond six of nine planetary boundaries.

This planetary boundaries framework update finds that six of the nine boundaries are transgressed, suggesting that Earth is now well outside of the safe operating space for humanity. Ocean acidification is close to being breached, while aerosol loading regionally exceeds the boundary. Stratospheric ozone levels have slightly recovered.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the New York-New Jersey Metropolitan Area.

Purpose: Almost all epidemiologic studies estimating autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence have focused on school-age children. This study provides the first population-based data on the prevalence and expression of ASD among adolescents in a large US metropolitan region.

Methods: Active multiple source ASD surveillance of adolescents aged 16-years was conducted according to the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network method in a four-county New Jersey metropolitan region.

Groundwater Connections and Sustainability in Social-Ecological Systems.

Groundwater resources are connected with social, economic, ecological, and Earth systems. We introduce the framing of groundwater-connected systems to better represent the nature and complexity of these connections in data collection, scientific investigations, governance and management approaches, and groundwater education. Groundwater-connected systems are social, economic, ecological, and Earth systems that interact with groundwater, such as irrigated agriculture, groundwater-dependent ecosystems, and cultural relationships to groundwater expressions such as springs and rivers.

Femoral Arterial Doppler Use During Active Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.

Study Objective: This study explored femoral arterial Doppler during active cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to identify and characterize the resumptions of cardiac activity without stopping CPR.

Methods: This was a proof-of-concept study exploring arterial Doppler during cardiac arrest. Patients in cardiac arrest undergoing active CPR were prospectively enrolled.

A Novel Point-of-care Ultrasound Curriculum for Air Critical Care Personnel.

Introduction: Point-of care-ultrasound (POCUS) has become ubiquitous in emergency medicine practice for the management of emergent pathophysiology. There is growing interest in its potential as a diagnostic tool in the prehospital setting. Few studies have examined the feasibility or efficacy of curricula targeted at teaching POCUS to prehospital personnel.

Looking into the IL-1 of the storm: are inflammasomes the link between immunothrombosis and hyperinflammation in cytokine storm syndromes?

Inflammasomes and the interleukin (IL)-1 family of cytokines are key mediators of both inflammation and immunothrombosis. Inflammasomes are responsible for the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18, as well as releasing tissue factor (TF), a pivotal initiator of the extrinsic coagulation cascade. Uncontrolled production of inflammatory cytokines results in what is known as a "cytokine storm" leading to hyperinflammatory disease.

Diagnosis of hepatitis C infection and cascade of care in the active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2020.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection rates are rising in the U.S. despite widely available tools to identify and effectively treat nearly all of these cases.

Dengue Management in Triage using Ultrasound in children from Cambodia: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection with increasing global prevalence. It is endemic in more than 100 countries, with a heavy burden in Asia. Ultrasound findings including gallbladder wall thickening, ascites, and pleural effusions secondary to plasma leakage have been described in dengue.

A Multicenter, Prospective Study Comparing Subxiphoid and Parasternal Views During Brief Echocardiography: Effect on Image Quality, Acquisition Time, and Visualized Anatomy.

Background: Recent literature has suggested echocardiography (echo) may prolong pauses in chest compressions during cardiac arrest.

Objectves: We sought to determine the impact of the sonographic approach (subxiphoid [SX] vs. parasternal long [PSL]) on time to image completion, image quality, and visualization of cardiac anatomy during echo, as performed during Advanced Cardiac Life Support.

Hotspots for social and ecological impacts from freshwater stress and storage loss.

Humans and ecosystems are deeply connected to, and through, the hydrological cycle. However, impacts of hydrological change on social and ecological systems are infrequently evaluated together at the global scale. Here, we focus on the potential for social and ecological impacts from freshwater stress and storage loss.

Viral Hepatitis C-Related Care in Active Duty and Reserve Service Members: A Retrospective Review.

Introduction: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma, and universal screening of all adults is recommended. Treatment with new direct antiviral agents are well tolerated and highly effective and decrease morbidity and mortality from HCV. The timely treatment of active-duty Service members (SMs) is essential to prevent complications of HCV and to ensure medical readiness and safety of the Department of Defense blood supply.

Too Many Streams and Not Enough Time or Money? Analytical Depletion Functions for Streamflow Depletion Estimates.

Groundwater pumping can cause streamflow depletion by reducing groundwater discharge to streams and/or inducing surface water infiltration. Analytical and numerical models are two standard methods used to predict streamflow depletion. Numerical models require extensive data and efforts to develop robust estimates, while analytical models are easy to implement with low data and experience requirements but are limited by numerous simplifying assumptions.

Development and validation of a novel image quality rating scale for echocardiography during cardiac arrest.

Objective: Research into echocardiography (echo) during cardiac arrest has suffered from methodological flaws that limit aggregation of findings. We developed and validated a novel image rating scale for qualitative analysis of echo images obtained during resuscitation.

Methods: A novel 5-point ordinal rating scale was developed and validated using recorded echo images from 145 consecutive cardiac arrest patients.

Echocardiographic pre-pause imaging and identifying the acoustic window during CPR reduces CPR pause time during ACLS - A prospective Cohort Study.

Objectives: Pre-pause imaging during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) involves the acquisition of poor-quality, brief images immediately prior to stopping CPR to allow shorter, better-quality images during the pause. We hypothesize that pre-pause imaging is associated with a decrease in CPR pause length and shorter image acquisition time.

Methods: Prospective, interventional cohort study enrolling out-of-hospital (OOH) cardiac arrest patients.