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.