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The integration of ethnic minority youth can only be successful if they are motivated to establish and maintain social relationships in important institutions such as school. At the same time, worries about negative stereotypes about one's ethnic group can undermine ethnic minority students' motivation to approach others. In the present study, we tested whether social identity threat predicts ethnic minority adolescents' social approach motivation via reduced sense of belonging. We also examined whether multiple social identities (i.e., high endorsement of ethnic and national identity) buffer against the negative effects of social identity threat. In a sample of 426 ethnic minority students from 36 9th-grade classes in Germany, social identity threat was indirectly related to social approach motivation via reduced sense of belonging to the school and class. The interplay of students' ethnic and national identity moderated the relationship of social identity threat and sense of belonging. The relationship was particularly negative for students who endorsed either ethnic or national identity. However, it was less negative for students with integrated multiple social identities and non-significant for students who identified neither with the ethnic nor the national group. Results generalized for social approach motivation towards ethnic majority and minority classmates. These patterns were only found for social approach motivation in face-to-face contact situations, but not in online situations. We discuss these findings in light of the literature on social identity threat and multiple social identities. Practical implications include measures to foster students' sense of belonging and to reduce social identity threat.

Intraspecific genomic diversity brings the potential for an unreported and diverse reservoir of cryptic antibiotic resistance genes in pathogens, as cryptic resistance can occur without major mutations and horizontal transmission. Here, we predicted the differences in the types of antibiotics and genes that induce cryptic and latent resistance between micro-diverse Escherichia coli strains. For example, we hypothesize that known resistance genes will be the culprit of latent resistance within clinical strains. We used a modified functional metagenomics method to induce expression in eight E. coli strains. We found a total of 66 individual genes conferring phenotypic resistance to 11 out of 16 antibiotics. A total of 14 known antibiotic resistance genes comprised 21% of total identified genes, whereas the majority (52 genes) were unclassified cryptic resistance genes. Between the eight strains, 1.2% of core orthologous genes were positive (conferred resistance in at least one strain). Sixty-four percent of positive orthologous genes conferred resistance to only one strain, demonstrating high intraspecific variability of latent resistance genes. Cryptic resistance genes comprised most resistance genes among laboratory and clinical strains as well as natural, semisynthetic, and synthetic antibiotics. Known antibiotic resistance genes primarily conferred resistance to multiple antibiotics from varying origins and within multiple strains. Hence, it is uncommon for E. coli to develop cross-cryptic resistance to antibiotics from multiple origins or within multiple strains. We have uncovered prospective and previously unknown resistance genes as well as antibiotics that have the potential to trigger latent antibiotic resistance in E. coli strains from varying origins.IMPORTANCEIntraspecific genomic diversity may be a driving force in the emergence of adaptive antibiotic resistance. Adaptive antibiotic resistance enables sensitive bacterial cells to acquire temporary antibiotic resistance, creating an optimal window for the development of permanent mutational resistance. In this study, we investigate cryptic resistance, an adaptive resistance mechanism, and unveil novel (cryptic) antibiotic resistance genes that confer resistance when amplified within eight E. coli strains derived from clinical and laboratory origins. We identify the potential of cryptic resistance genes to confer cross-resistance to antibiotics from varying origins and within multiple strains. We discern antibiotic characteristics that promote latent resistance in multiple strains, considering intraspecific diversity. This study may help detect novel resistance genes and functional genes that could become responsible for cryptic resistance among diverse strains and antibiotics, thus also identifying potential novel antibiotic targets and mechanisms.

Climate change jeopardizes human health, global biodiversity, and sustainability of the biosphere. To make reliable predictions about climate change, scientists use Earth system models (ESMs) that integrate physical, chemical, and biological processes occurring on land, the oceans, and the atmosphere. Although critical for catalyzing coupled biogeochemical processes, microorganisms have traditionally been left out of ESMs. Here, we generate a "top 10" list of priorities, opportunities, and challenges for the explicit integration of microorganisms into ESMs. We discuss the need for coarse-graining microbial information into functionally relevant categories, as well as the capacity for microorganisms to rapidly evolve in response to climate-change drivers. Microbiologists are uniquely positioned to collect novel and valuable information necessary for next-generation ESMs, but this requires data harmonization and transdisciplinary collaboration to effectively guide adaptation strategies and mitigation policy.

The life history strategies of soil microbes determine their metabolic potential and their response to environmental changes. Yet these strategies remain poorly understood. Here we use shotgun metagenomes from terrestrial biomes to characterize overarching covariations of the genomic traits that capture dominant life history strategies in bacterial communities. The emerging patterns show a triangle of life history strategies shaped by two trait dimensions, supporting previous theoretical and isolate-based studies. The first dimension ranges from streamlined genomes with simple metabolisms to larger genomes and expanded metabolic capacities. As metabolic capacities expand, bacterial communities increasingly differentiate along a second dimension that reflects a trade-off between increasing capacities for environmental responsiveness or for nutrient recycling. Random forest analyses show that soil pH, C:N ratio and precipitation patterns together drive the dominant life history strategy of soil bacterial communities and their biogeographic distribution. Our findings provide a trait-based framework to compare life history strategies of soil bacteria.

Microorganisms are the primary engines of biogeochemical processes and foundational to the provisioning of ecosystem services to human society. Free-living microbial communities (microbiomes) and their functioning are now known to be highly sensitive to environmental change. Given microorganisms' capacity for rapid evolution, evolutionary processes could play a role in this response. Currently, however, few models of biogeochemical processes explicitly consider how microbial evolution will affect biogeochemical responses to environmental change. Here, we propose a conceptual framework for explicitly integrating evolution into microbiome-functioning relationships. We consider how microbiomes respond simultaneously to environmental change via four interrelated processes that affect overall microbiome functioning (physiological acclimation, demography, dispersal and evolution). Recent evidence in both the laboratory and the field suggests that ecological and evolutionary dynamics occur simultaneously within microbiomes; however, the implications for biogeochemistry under environmental change will depend on the timescales over which these processes contribute to a microbiome's response. Over the long term, evolution may play an increasingly important role for microbially driven biogeochemical responses to environmental change, particularly to conditions without recent historical precedent.

Recent studies have demonstrated regional differences in marine ecosystem C:N:P with implications for carbon and nutrient cycles. Due to strong co-variance, temperature and nutrient stress explain variability in C:N:P equally well. A reductionistic approach can link changes in individual environmental drivers with changes in biochemical traits and cell C:N:P. Thus, we quantified effects of temperature and nutrient stress on Synechococcus chemistry using laboratory chemostats, chemical analyses, and data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry proteomics. Nutrient supply accounted for most C:N:Pcell variability and induced tradeoffs between nutrient acquisition and ribosomal proteins. High temperature prompted heat-shock, whereas thermal effects via the translation-compensation hypothesis were only seen under P-stress. A Nonparametric Bayesian Local Clustering algorithm suggested that changes in lipopolysaccharides, peptidoglycans, and C-rich compatible solutes may also contribute to C:N:P regulation. Physiological responses match field-based trends in ecosystem stoichiometry and suggest a hierarchical environmental regulation of current and future ocean C:N:P.

Plasmids are so closely associated with pathogens and antibiotic resistance that their potential for conferring other traits is often overlooked. Few studies consider how the full suite of traits encoded by plasmids is related to a hosts environmental adaptation, particularly for Gram-positive bacteria. To investigate the role that plasmid traits might play in microbial communities from natural ecosystems, we identified plasmids carried by isolates of Curtobacterium (phylum Actinomycetota) from a variety of soil environments. We found that plasmids were common, but not ubiquitous, in the genus and varied greatly in their size and genetic diversity. There was little evidence of phylogenetic conservation among Curtobacterium plasmids even for closely related bacterial strains within the same ecotype, indicating that horizontal transmission of plasmids is common. The plasmids carried a wide diversity of traits that were not a random subset of the host chromosome. Furthermore, the composition of these plasmid traits was associated with the environmental context of the host bacterium. Together, the results indicate that plasmids contribute substantially to the microdiversity of a soil bacterium and that this diversity may play a role in niche differentiation and a bacteriums adaptation to its local environment.

Diverse phytoplankton modulate the coupling between the ocean carbon and nutrient cycles through life-history traits such as cell size, elemental quotas, and ratios. Biodiversity is mostly considered at broad functional levels, but major phytoplankton lineages are themselves highly diverse. As an example, Synechococcus is found in nearly all ocean regions, and we demonstrate contains extensive intraspecific variation. Here, we grew four closely related Synechococcus isolates in serially transferred cultures across a range of temperatures (16-25°C) to quantify for the relative role of intraspecific trait variation vs. environmental change. We report differences in cell size (p

Prochlorococcus is the most numerically abundant photosynthetic organism in the surface ocean. The Prochlorococcus high-light and warm-water adapted ecotype (HLII) is comprised of extensive microdiversity, but specific functional differences between microdiverse sub-clades remain elusive. Here we characterized both functional and phylogenetic diversity within the HLII ecotype using Bio-GO-SHIP metagenomes. We found widespread variation in gene frequency connected to local environmental conditions. Metagenome-assembled marker genes and genomes revealed a globally distributed novel HLII haplotype defined by adaptation to chronically low P conditions (HLII-P). Environmental correlation analysis revealed different factors were driving gene abundances verses phylogenetic differences. An analysis of cultured HLII genomes and metagenome-assembled genomes revealed a subclade within HLII, which corresponded to the novel HLII-P haplotype. This work represents the first global assessment of the HLII ecotype's phylogeography and corresponding functional differences. These findings together expand our understanding of how microdiversity structures functional differences and reveals the importance of nutrients as drivers of microdiversity in Prochlorococcus.

Background: The incidence of Legionnaires’ disease (LD) is increasing steadily in Europe. Its early diagnosis by general practitioners (GPs) is crucial for better patient outcomes. Study objectives: This study assessed Belgian GPs’ knowledge about LD and the accessibility of diagnostic tests in their practices. Methods: A specifically designed questionnaire was distributed to actively practicing GPs, including primary care trainees, between 31 January 2022 and 13 March 2022. This survey targeted approximately 4200 GPs with an estimated population catchment of 30% of the actively working Belgian GPs. Results: The response rate was estimated at 3%. Over 70% of the GPs correctly identified the LD occurrence peak, major risk factors, and clinical manifestations. While 62% of participants preferred the Legionella pneumophila urinary antigen test (UAT) as a primary diagnostic method, 75% were unsure about its availability within their laboratories and 82% had not prescribed it in the last year. Finally, 76% expressed a desire for additional information on this topic. Conclusions: Belgian GPs should evaluate the possibility of conducting UAT testing in their laboratories to enhance LD case management and improve their preparedness. Furthermore, initiatives should be implemented to improve communication between specialists and GPs and develop educational programs directed at Belgian GPs.

Introduction Research has provided novel insights into how light stimulates circadian rhythms through specialised retinal ganglion cells to the suprachiasmatic nucleus. In addition, there has been a revolution in light-emitting diode (LED) technology, leading to tunable LED light sources and lighting systems, enabling 24-hour dynamic light scenarios with bright blue-enriched short wavelength light during the day and dim evening light, stimulating the circadian system. These dynamic LED lighting systems are now being implemented at hospitals without adequate understanding of how it may affect the health and well-being of patients and staff.Methods and analysis An optimised dynamic LED lighting scenario is investigated at a newly built psychiatric hospital in Copenhagen. In the 12 months baseline period, a standard lighting scenario with dynamic colour temperature and fixed light intensity is investigated. In the following 12-month intervention period, a new DEL scenario is investigated, having dynamic colour temperature as well as dynamic light intensity with a higher daytime and lower evening-time melanopic daylight equivalent illuminance. This setting is furthermore adjusted for geographical orientation to compensate for differences in sunlight access in wintertime. The study uses a quasiexperimental design comparing patients admitted in the two study periods. Prior to each of the study periods, daylight and the contribution from the LED-lighting scenarios was measured. Patient sociodemographic and mental health data will be retrieved retrospectively from electronic medical records and by questionnaires administered in the two periods, evaluating lighting, noise, sleep quality and quality of life. Primary outcome is the proportion of patients receiving pro re nata medications. Secondary outcomes are the length of stay, sleep onset latency, sleep quality and quality of life.Ethics and dissemination No ethical issues are expected. The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed international journal, lectures, posters and interviews.Trial registration number NCT05868291.

Collaboration improves multiple academic and social outcomes. Accordingly, computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) can be beneficial in distance education contexts to overcome the issues specific to online learning (e.g., underperformance, low identification with university). Distance universities often attract a substantial number of non-traditional students (e.g., students with disability, students with migration background). Despite their representation, non-traditional students face negative stereotypes and associated social consequences, including social identity threat, diminished sense of belonging, and less motivation for social interactions. In the context of online learning, where there is little individuating information, social categories like socio-demographic group memberships become salient, activating stereotypes. Consequently, socio-demographic group memberships can have detrimental consequences for the integration of non-traditional students. The purpose of the present study was to (a) determine the extent of social identity threat for students in higher distance education, (b) explore the social consequences of this threat in the same context, (c) validate these findings through longitudinal analyses embedded in a CSCL task, and (d) use learning analytics to test behavioral outcomes. In a longitudinal study with three measurement occasions over 8 weeks (N = 1,210), we conducted path analyses for cross-sectional associations and Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models for longitudinal predictions. The results showed that non-traditional students mostly reported higher social identity threat than traditional students. While the expected longitudinal within-person effects could not be demonstrated, we found stable between-person effects: students who reported higher levels of social identity threat also reported lower sense of belonging and lower social approach motivation. Exploratory analyses of actual online collaboration during CSCL offer potential avenues for future research. We conclude that social identity threat and its social consequences play an important role in higher distance education and should therefore be considered for successful CSCL.

AbstractIntroduction: This study investigated the health effects of two different architectural glass types: A two-layered low-iron high transmittance glass and a three-layered low energy glass with lower transmittance. The study investigated how these glass types affected daylight conditions in 72 residential apartments, as well as health and satisfaction of the residents.Methods: The study installed high transmittance glass (light transmittance LT:0.82) in 36 apartments and low transmittance (LT:0.74) in 36 identical apartments. The study then analyzed the light transmittance of each glass type in the laboratory and analyzed the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in eight representative apartments before and after renovation. Self-reported questionnaires were handed out and collected before and after renovation.Results: The results showed that the glass types differed significantly in measured daylight transmittance. The two-layered high transmittance glass transmitted 15% more visual light (380–750 nm) and 20% more light in the spectral range (460–480 nm), stimulating ipRGCs and circadian rhythm, when compared to three-layered low energy glass. In addition, significant differences were observed in the UV-B spectrum (280–315 nm). While two-layered high transmittance glass transmitted UV-B, three-layered low transmittance glass did not. During the 12-month study period, residents in apartments with three-layered low energy glass reported more difficulties sleeping (p = 0.05), higher satisfaction with daylight (p = 0.03) and higher satisfaction with ventilation (p = 0.04). Residents in apartments with three-layered low energy glass experienced fewer days with too cold indoor temperatures (p = 0.02), compared to residents with two-layered low-iron glass. The results of energy consumption for heating showed that two-layered low-iron glass reduced the energy consumption by 11.0%, while three-layered low energy glass reduced the energy consumption by 9.4%, compared to the year prior to renovation.Conclusion: The results contribute to a discussion about potential energy savings on one hand and potential non-energy benefits, such as daylight quality, overall health, and total economy/life cycle assessment of the built environment on the other hand. The results suggest further research performed in randomized large-scale studies.

Establishing links between microbial diversity and environmental processes requires resolving the high degree of functional variation among closely related lineages or ecotypes. Here, we implement and validate an improved metagenomic approach that estimates the spatial biogeography and environmental regulation of ecotype-specific replication patterns (RObs) across ocean regions. A total of 719 metagenomes were analyzed from meridional Bio-GO-SHIP sections in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean. Accounting for sequencing bias and anchoring replication estimates in genome structure were critical for identifying physiologically relevant biological signals. For example, ecotypes within the dominant marine cyanobacteria Prochlorococcus exhibited distinct diel cycles in RObs that peaked between 19:00-22:00. Additionally, both Prochlorococcus ecotypes and ecotypes within the highly abundant heterotroph Pelagibacter (SAR11) demonstrated systematic biogeographies in RObs that differed from spatial patterns in relative abundance. Finally, RObs was significantly regulated by nutrient stress and temperature, and explained by differences in the genomic potential for nutrient transport, energy production, cell wall structure, and replication. Our results suggest that our new approach to estimating replication is reflective of gross population growth. Moreover, this work reveals that the interaction between adaptation and environmental change drives systematic variability in replication patterns across ocean basins that is ecotype-specific, adding an activity-based dimension to our understanding of microbial niche space.

Rat bite fever is characterized by a clinical triad of symptoms, fever, rash and arthritis. It is transmitted by rodents and mainly due to infection by Streptobacillus moniliformis, a fastidious bacterium carried by Rattus norvegicus. This case report presents the case of a patient who developed septic arthritis and fever after a wild rat bite, with subsequent isolation of S. moniliformis from the joint fluid. Upon reviewing 45 other published case reports of S. moniliformis osteoarticular infections following contact with either a rat or its secretions, it was firstly observed that the rat bite fever clinical triad was incomplete in over half of the cases, mainly because rash was infrequently observed among adult patients. Secondly, the clinical presentation of rat bite fever is quite non-specific and rodent exposure is not mentioned by patients in a third of cases upon admission. Altogether, diagnosing rat bite fever is a significant clinical challenge suggesting that it might be significantly underdiagnosed. In addition to these clinical aspects, no evidence was found supporting immunological mechanisms, as suggested in some literature. Instead, when excluding five improperly performed cultures, S. moniliformis was cultured in 25 reported cases and identified twice by direct PCR sequencing amounting to a detection rate of 90% (n = 27/30) on joint fluids. Cultures should be performed in medium containing yeast extract, complete peptic digest of animal tissue and at least 5% blood. Knowing that S. moniliformis is very sensitive to many antibiotics thereby making the culture negative, direct 16S rRNA gene sequencing on joint fluid is an alternative method in the case of clinical and cytological evidence of osteoarticular infections with sterile culture of joint fluid.

ABSTRACT The rapid spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a threat to global health, and the nature of co-occurring antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) may cause collateral AMR effects once antimicrobial agents are used. Therefore, it is essential to identify which pairs of ARGs co-occur. Given the wealth of next-generation sequencing data available in public repositories, we have investigated the correlation between ARG abundances in a collection of 214,095 metagenomic data sets. Using more than 6.76∙108 read fragments aligned to acquired ARGs to infer pairwise correlation coefficients, we found that more ARGs correlated with each other in human and animal sampling origins than in soil and water environments. Furthermore, we argued that the correlations could serve as risk profiles of resistance co-occurring to critically important antimicrobials (CIAs). Using these profiles, we found evidence of several ARGs conferring resistance for CIAs being co-abundant, such as tetracycline ARGs correlating with most other forms of resistance. In conclusion, this study highlights the important ARG players indirectly involved in shaping the resistomes of various environments that can serve as monitoring targets in AMR surveillance programs.IMPORTANCEUnderstanding the collateral effects happening in a resistome can reveal previously unknown links between antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Through the analysis of pairwise ARG abundances in 214K metagenomic samples, we observed that the co-abundance is highly dependent on the environmental context and argue that these correlations can be used to show the risk of co-selection occurring in different settings.

ABSTRACT The composition of the human gut microbiome varies tremendously among individuals, making the effects of dietary or treatment interventions difficult to detect and characterize. The consumption of fiber is important for gut health, yet the specific effects of increased fiber intake on the gut microbiome vary across studies. The variation in study outcomes might be due to inter-individual (or inter-population) variation or to the details of the interventions including the types of fiber, length of study, size of cohort, and molecular approaches. Thus, to identify generally (on average) consistent fiber-induced responses in the gut microbiome of healthy individuals, we re-analyzed 16S rRNA sequencing data from 21 dietary fiber interventions from 12 human studies, which included 2,564 fecal samples from 538 subjects across all interventions. Short-term increases in dietary fiber consumption resulted in highly consistent gut bacterial community responses across studies. Increased fiber consumption explained an average of 1.5% of compositional variation (vs 82% of variation attributed to the individual), reduced alpha-diversity, and resulted in phylogenetically conserved responses in relative abundances among bacterial taxa. Additionally, we identified bacterial clades, at approximately the genus level, that were highly consistent in their response (on average, increasing or decreasing in their relative abundance) to dietary fiber interventions across the studies.IMPORTANCEOur study is an example of the power of synthesizing and reanalyzing 16S rRNA microbiome data from many intervention studies. Despite high inter-individual variation of the composition of the human gut microbiome, dietary fiber interventions cause a consistent response both in the degree of change and the particular taxa that respond to increased fiber.

ABSTRACT Intraspecific genomic diversity brings the potential for an unreported and diverse reservoir of cryptic antibiotic resistance genes in pathogens, as cryptic resistance can occur without major mutations and horizontal transmission. Here, we predicted the differences in the types of antibiotics and genes that induce cryptic and latent resistance between micro-diverse Escherichia coli strains. For example, we hypothesize that known resistance genes will be the culprit of latent resistance within clinical strains. We used a modified functional metagenomics method to induce expression in eight E. coli strains. We found a total of 66 individual genes conferring phenotypic resistance to 11 out of 16 antibiotics. A total of 14 known antibiotic resistance genes comprised 21% of total identified genes, whereas the majority (52 genes) were unclassified cryptic resistance genes. Between the eight strains, 1.2% of core orthologous genes were positive (conferred resistance in at least one strain). Sixty-four percent of positive orthologous genes conferred resistance to only one strain, demonstrating high intraspecific variability of latent resistance genes. Cryptic resistance genes comprised most resistance genes among laboratory and clinical strains as well as natural, semisynthetic, and synthetic antibiotics. Known antibiotic resistance genes primarily conferred resistance to multiple antibiotics from varying origins and within multiple strains. Hence, it is uncommon for E. coli to develop cross-cryptic resistance to antibiotics from multiple origins or within multiple strains. We have uncovered prospective and previously unknown resistance genes as well as antibiotics that have the potential to trigger latent antibiotic resistance in E. coli strains from varying origins.IMPORTANCEIntraspecific genomic diversity may be a driving force in the emergence of adaptive antibiotic resistance. Adaptive antibiotic resistance enables sensitive bacterial cells to acquire temporary antibiotic resistance, creating an optimal window for the development of permanent mutational resistance. In this study, we investigate cryptic resistance, an adaptive resistance mechanism, and unveil novel (cryptic) antibiotic resistance genes that confer resistance when amplified within eight E. coli strains derived from clinical and laboratory origins. We identify the potential of cryptic resistance genes to confer cross-resistance to antibiotics from varying origins and within multiple strains. We discern antibiotic characteristics that promote latent resistance in multiple strains, considering intraspecific diversity. This study may help detect novel resistance genes and functional genes that could become responsible for cryptic resistance among diverse strains and antibiotics, thus also identifying potential novel antibiotic targets and mechanisms.

ABSTRACTClimate change jeopardizes human health, global biodiversity, and sustainability of the biosphere. To make reliable predictions about climate change, scientists use Earth system models (ESMs) that integrate physical, chemical, and biological processes occurring on land, the oceans, and the atmosphere. Although critical for catalyzing coupled biogeochemical processes, microorganisms have traditionally been left out of ESMs. Here, we generate a “top 10” list of priorities, opportunities, and challenges for the explicit integration of microorganisms into ESMs. We discuss the need for coarse-graining microbial information into functionally relevant categories, as well as the capacity for microorganisms to rapidly evolve in response to climate-change drivers. Microbiologists are uniquely positioned to collect novel and valuable information necessary for next-generation ESMs, but this requires data harmonization and transdisciplinary collaboration to effectively guide adaptation strategies and mitigation policy.

Global change experiments often observe shifts in bacterial community composition based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. However, this genetic region can mask a large amount of genetic and phenotypic variation among bacterial strains sharing even identical 16S regions. As such, it remains largely unknown whether variation at the sub-16S level, sometimes termed microdiversity, responds to environmental perturbations and whether such changes are relevant to ecosystem processes. Here, we investigated microdiversity within Curtobacterium, the dominant bacterium found in the leaf litter layer of soil, to simulated drought and nitrogen addition in a field experiment. We first developed and validated Curtobacterium-specific primers of the groEL gene to assess microdiversity within this lineage. We then tracked the response of this microdiversity to simulated global change in two adjacent plant communities, grassland and coastal sage scrub (CSS). Curtobacterium microdiversity responded to drought but not nitrogen addition, indicating variation within the genus of drought tolerance but not nitrogen response. Further, the response of microdiversity to drought depended on the ecosystem, suggesting that litter substrate selects for a distinct composition of microdiversity that is constrained in its response, perhaps related to tradeoffs in resource acquisition traits. Supporting this interpretation, a metagenomic analysis revealed that the composition of Curtobacterium-encoded carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) varied distinctly across the two ecosystems. Identifying the degree to which relevant traits are phylogenetically conserved may help to predict when the aggregated response of a 16S-defined taxon masks differential responses of finer-scale bacterial diversity to global change. IMPORTANCE Microbial communities play an integral role in global biogeochemical cycling, but our understanding of how global change will affect microbial community structure and functioning remains limited. Microbiome analyses typically aggregate large amounts of genetic diversity which may obscure finer variation in traits. This study found that fine-scale diversity (or microdiversity) within the bacterial genus Curtobacterium was affected by simulated global changes. However, the degree to which this was true depended on the type of global change, as the composition of Curtobacterium microdiversity was affected by drought, but not by nitrogen addition. Further, these changes were associated with variation in carbon degradation traits. Future work might improve predictions of microbial community responses to global change by considering microdiversity.

Recent evidence suggests that, similar to larger organisms, dispersal is a key driver of microbiome assembly; however, our understanding of the rates and taxonomic composition of microbial dispersal in natural environments is limited. Here, we characterized the rate and composition of bacteria dispersing into surface soil via three dispersal routes (from the air above the vegetation, from nearby vegetation and leaf litter near the soil surface, and from the bulk soil and litter below the top layer). We then quantified the impact of those routes on microbial community composition and functioning in the topmost litter layer. The bacterial dispersal rate onto the surface layer was low (7900 cells/cm2/day) relative to the abundance of the resident community. While bacteria dispersed through all three routes at the same rate, only dispersal from above and near the soil surface impacted microbiome composition, suggesting that the composition, not rate, of dispersal influenced community assembly. Dispersal also impacted microbiome functioning. When exposed to dispersal, leaf litter decomposed faster than when dispersal was excluded, although neither decomposition rate nor litter chemistry differed by route. Overall, we conclude that the dispersal routes transport distinct bacterial communities that differentially influence the composition of the surface soil microbiome.

Bacterial communities in the organic leaf litter layer and bulk (mineral and organic) soil are sensitive to environmental change. However, despite close interactions between these communities, the leaf litter layer has historically been studied in isolation from the bulk soil. Whether bacterial response to environmental change is uniform throughout the surface soil remains unclear. Here, we simultaneously characterized how bacterial community composition in three surface soil layers (the leaf litter layer, 0–2 cm of bulk soil, and 0–10 cm of bulk soil) responded to a wildfire burning through a 13-year drought simulation in two adjacent ecosystems, a grassland and coastal sage scrubland. We found that bacterial communities in all three surface soil layers were distinct in composition and varied with drought, ecosystem type, and temporal variation. Moreover, the impact of these environmental changes on bacterial community composition decreased with depth in the surface soil. Bacterial response to drought was three-fold higher in the leaf litter layer than in the top 10 cm of bulk soil, with the drought treatment explaining 4.8% and 1.6% of the compositional variation, respectively. Wildfire altered bacterial composition in the leaf litter layer but not within the top 10 cm of bulk soil. Further, previous exposure of the bacterial communities in the leaf litter layer to drought did not influence its response to the wildfire. Thus, considering soil depth when assessing the impact of environmental conditions on the surface soil microbiome may improve predictions about the degree to which microbial communities, and therefore soil carbon, will respond to future environmental change.

Abstract Background Patients with mental disorders have a higher prevalence of sleep problems than the general population. Sleep problems may include insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, or hypersomnia. A transdiagnostic approach combining cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) with chronotherapy addressing a broad range of sleep problems has shown promising results in a limited number of studies. The aim of the study is to investigate the efficacy of a transdiagnostic sleep intervention for patients with sleep problems comorbid to bipolar disorder, unipolar depression, or attention deficit disorders. The primary hypothesis is that the intervention improves sleep quality compared with a control group. The secondary hypotheses are that the intervention increases subjective and objective sleep efficiency, reduces sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, number of awakenings, and severity of insomnia; and that it improves well-being, personal recovery, work ability, and consumption of sleep medication compared with a control group. Methods The study is a randomized controlled trial enrolling 88 outpatients with bipolar disorder, major depression, or attention deficit disorder with symptoms of various sleep problems (insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, or hypersomnia). Patients are allocated to either an intervention group receiving six sessions of transdiagnostic sleep treatment or to a control group receiving a single session of sleep hygiene education. Assessments are made at baseline, at week two, and after 6 weeks in both groups. Actigraphy is performed continuously throughout the 6-week study period for all patients. The primary outcome is changes in the subjective appraisal of sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index). The secondary outcomes are changes in sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, number of nocturnal awakenings (based on actigraph and sleep diary data), changes in insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index), well-being (WHO-5 Well-Being Index), personal recovery (INSPIRE-O), work ability (Work Ability Index), and consumption of sleep medication (sleep-diaries). Discussion The study was initiated in 2022 and the inclusion period will continue until mid-2024. The results may have implications for the development and implementation of additional treatment options for patients with mental disorders and comorbid sleep problems. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT05406414. Registered on June 6, 2022.

ABSTRACTCutaneous melanoma is a cancer with a very poor prognosis mainly because of metastatic dissemination and therefore a deregulation of cell migration. Current therapies can benefit from complementary medicines as supportive care in oncology. In our study, we show that a dynamized ultra-low dilution of Ruta Graveolens leads to an in vitro inhibition of migration on fibronectin of B16F10 melanoma cells, as well as a decrease in metastatic dissemination in vivo. These effects appear to be due to a disruption of plasma membrane organization, with a change in cell and membrane stiffness, associated with a disorganization of the actin cytoskeleton and a modification of the lipid composition of the plasma membrane. Together, these results demonstrate, in in vitro and in vivo models of cutaneous melanoma, an anti-cancer and anti-metastatic activity of ultra-low dynamized dilution of Ruta graveolens and reinforce its interest as complementary medicine in oncology.

Prosthetic joint infections caused by Campylobacter are uncommon, with the majority of cases being attributed to C. fetus. This case report represents the third instance of a prosthetic hip infection caused by C. coli following an episode of gastroenteritis and, notably, in an immunocompetent patient. The infection was successfully managed by surgical debridement and lavage with retention of the prosthesis and 12 weeks of antibiotics. Furthermore, we present the first whole-genome sequence of a Campylobacter strain responsible for prosthetic joint infection and offer a comprehensive review of the literature on such infections.

Background In many Danish schools, the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is challenged and studies document a poor IEQ in a majority of existing schools. Municipalities cannot afford comprehensive renovations and expensive mechanical ventilation solutions, hence public schools often suffer from poor indoor environment conditions. This study tests a new façade based, demand-controlled ventilation solution called NOTECH in the renovation of school. The study tests NOTECH vs. existing mechanical ventilation solution, comparing performance of both solutions at Skovbrynet Skole in Denmark. Methods The project investigates the effect of the NOTECH solution in a primary school classroom, comparing it to a similar classroom with conventional, mechanical ventilation. Methodically, indoor environmental quality and energy performance is monitored in the two identical classrooms during one school year 2018 - 2019. Results The results show that both systems keep the conditions within acceptable limits and CO2 levels below 1000 ppm, which is the requirement according to the Danish Building Regulations. In terms of costs, the NOTECH system has a lower overall cost than the mechanical ventilation system, with total estimated costs for installation, heating, electricity and maintenance amounting to approximately 35% of the mechanical system’s costs. Finally, the results show that the NOTECH solution has a smaller embedded CO2 footprint for building materials, reducing the estimated carbon load by 95% compared to the mechanical ventilation solution. Conclusions While the performance of the both systems complies to the Danish Building Regulations, the indoor environmental quality between systems differs significantly. Results showing a higher air-temperature and lower relative air-humidity in the classroom with mechanical ventilation during winter and lower CO 2 levels in the mechanically ventilated classroom during winter and summer. Costs for implementation, energy consumption for heating and CO 2 footprint for building materials are significantly lower for the NOTECH solution, compared to the mechanical solution.

IntroductionMajor Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent mental disorders worldwide with significant personal and public health consequences. After an episode of MDD, the likelihood of relapse is high. Therefore, there is a need for interventions that prevent relapse of depression when outpatient mental health care treatment has ended. This scoping review aimed to systematically map the evidence and identify knowledge gaps in interventions that aimed to promote recovery from MDD for patients transitioning from outpatient mental health services to primary care.Materials and methodsWe followed the guidance by Joanna Briggs Institute in tandem with the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. Four electronic databases were systematically searched using controlled index-or thesaurus terms and free text terms, as well as backward and forward citation tracking of included studies. The search strategy was based on the identification of any type of intervention, whether simple, multicomponent, or complex. Three authors independently screened for eligibility and extracted data.Results18 studies were included for review. The studies had high heterogeneity in design, methods, sample size, recovery rating scales, and type of interventions. All studies used several elements in their interventions; however, the majority used cognitive behavioural therapy conducted in outpatient mental health services. No studies addressed the transitioning phase from outpatient mental health services to primary care. Most studies included patients during their outpatient mental health care treatment of MDD.ConclusionsWe identified several knowledge gaps. Recovery interventions for patients with MDD transitioning from outpatient mental health services to primary care are understudied. No studies addressed interventions in this transitioning phase or the patient's experience of the transitioning process. Research is needed to bridge this gap, both regarding interventions for patients transitioning from secondary to primary care, and patients' and health care professionals' experiences of the interventions and of what promotes recovery.RegistrationA protocol was prepared in advance and registered in Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/ah3sv), published in the medRxiv server (https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.10.06.22280499) and in PLOS ONE (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0291559).

Contextualizado em uma escola parceira do PIBID - Letras Inglês (UFPB), o projeto Rhymes and Colors foi desenvolvido por três alunos licenciandos com o objetivo de promover o letramento racial através da literatura afro-estadunidense e do ensino de Língua Inglesa alinhado com uma educação antirracista. Pautado em Cavalleiro (2001); Ferreira (2007; 2012); hooks (1994); dentre outros pesquisadores do campo estudado, o projeto desenvolveu uma sequência de cinco aulas compostas por uma introdução; pela leitura e interpretação de três poemas característicos do movimento Harlem Renaissance, somados ao aprendizado de conteúdos linguísticos advindos das próprias obras; e uma atividade final dedicada à produção de cartazes que possibilitaram a (re)interpretação dos alunos sobre os textos trabalhados. A proposta resultou em um aprendizado contextualizado dos conteúdos propostos por parte dos estudantes, que os expressaram durante a última atividade. Assim, foi possível observar por meio das discussões a ocorrência de uma ampliação de conhecimentos linguísticos e da conscientização crítica e racial dos alunos.

AbstractBackground Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating condition that affects more than 300 million people worldwide. Current treatments are based on a trial-and-error approach, and reliable biomarkers are needed for more informed and personalized treatment solutions. One of the potential biomarkers, gamma-frequency (30–80 Hz) brainwaves, are hypothesized to originate from the excitatory-inhibitory interaction between the pyramidal cells and interneurons. The imbalance between this interaction is described as a crucial pathological mechanism in neuropsychiatric conditions, including MDD, and the modulation of this pathological interaction has been investigated as a potential target. Previous studies attempted to induce gamma activity in the brain using rhythmic light and sound stimuli (GENUS – Gamma Entrainment Using Sensory stimuli) that resulted in neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients and animal models. Here, we investigate the antidepressant, cognitive, and electrophysiological effects of the novel light therapy approach using 40 Hz masked flickering light for patients diagnosed with MDD.Methods and design Sixty patients with a current diagnosis of a major depressive episode will be enrolled in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. The active treatment group will receive 40 Hz masked flickering light stimulation while the control group will receive continuous light matched in color temperature and brightness. Patients in both groups will get daily light treatment in their own homes and will attend four follow-up visits to assess the symptoms of depression, including depression severity measured by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D17), cognitive function, quality of life and sleep, and electroencephalographic changes. The primary endpoint is the mean change from baseline to week 6 in depression severity (HAM-D6 subscale) between the groups.