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Magnetic microcalorimeters (MMCs) are cryogenic, energy-dispersive single-particle detectors providing excellent energy resolution, intrinsically fast signal rise time, quantum efficiency close to 100\%, large dynamic range as well as almost ideal linear response. One of the remaining challenges to be overcome to ultimately allow for the utilization of large-scale MMC based detector arrays with thousands to millions of individual pixels is the realization of a SQUID based multiplexing technique particularly tailored for MMC readout. Within this context, we report on the first truly multiplexed readout of an MMC based detector array using a frequency-division multiplexing approach realized by a custom microwave SQUID multiplexer based readout system., Comment: Conference: ASC2022 (accepted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity)

IntroductionStunting or linear growth faltering, measured by length-for-age Z-score (LAZ), remains a significant public health challenge, particularly in rural low-income and middle-income countries. It is a marker of inadequate environments in which infants are born and raised. However, the contributions of household resource insecurities, such as food and water, to growth and growth trajectory are understudied.MethodsWe used the cluster-randomised Sanitation Hygiene and Infant Nutrition Efficacy trial to determine the association of household-level food insecurity (FI) and water insecurity (WI) on LAZ and LAZ trajectory among infants during early life. Dimensions of FI (poor access, household shocks, low availability and quality) and WI (poor access, poor quality, low reliability) were assessed with the multidimensional household food insecurity and the multidimensional household water insecurity measures. Infant length was converted to LAZ based on the 2006 WHO Child Growth Standards. We report the FI and WI fixed effects from multivariable growth curve models with repeated measures of LAZ at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 18 months (M1–M18).ResultsA total of 714 and 710 infants were included in our analyses of LAZ from M1 to M18 and M6 to M18, respectively. Mean LAZ values at each time indicated worsening linear growth. From M1 to M18, low food availability and quality was associated with lower LAZ (β=−0.09; 95% −0.19 to –0.13). From M6 to M18, poor food access was associated with lower LAZ (β=−0.11; 95% −0.20 to –0.03). None of the WI dimensions were associated with LAZ, nor with LAZ trajectory over time.ConclusionFI, but not WI, was associated with poor linear growth among rural Zimbabwean infants. Specifically, low food availability and quality and poor food access was associated with lower LAZ. There is no evidence of an effect of FI or WI on LAZ trajectory.

The genus and its five known species are redescribed and P. jicaquei sp. nov. is described. Synonymies include P. beckeri Zang, 1905 with P. opacipennis (Thompson, 1857) (new synonymy), P. mandibularis Casey, 1914 with P. burmeisteri Kuwert, 1891 (new synonymy), P. magister Casey, 1897 with P. mniszechi Kaup, 1868 (new synonymy), P. densipennis Casey, 1914 with P. opacipennis (Thompson, 1857) (new synonymy), and P. kraatzi Kuwert, 1898 with P. mniszechi Kaup, 1868 (new synonymy). We include a phylogenetic analysis, keys for larvae and adults, and biogeographic information for each species. The genus occurs from Mexico to Colombia. Proculus mniszechi is parapatric with P. burmeisteri and partially sympatric with P. opacipennis in Sierra de las Minas, Sierra de Santa Cruz and Cuchumatan Mountains; P. mniszechi occurs in a type of cloud forest above 1500 m altitude, whereas P. opacipennis occurs in another cloud forest type below 1500 m. Proculus opacipennis has a similar relation with P. opacus Kuwert 1891 in the Cuchumatan Mountains, where P. opacus apparently replaces P. mniszechi. Proculus goryi (Melly, 1833) occurs in the volcanic chain of the Pacific coast of Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico. Proculus jicaquei sp. nov. is known only from the mountains northwest of Yoro, Honduras. Phylogenetic hypothesis shows that P. jicaquei is most closely to P. goryi, these two taxa form a sister clade to all other Proculus species. Proculus mniszechi and P. burmeisteri are sister taxa, as are P. opacus and P. opacipennis.

Conserved cis-regulatory elements (CREs) control Engrailed -, Pax2 -, and dachshund -related gene expression networks directing the formation and function of corresponding midbrain circuits in arthropods and vertebrates. Polarized outgroup analyses of 31 sequenced metazoan genomes representing all animal clades reveal the emergence of Pax2 - and dachshund -related CRE-like sequences in anthozoan Cnidaria. The full complement, including Engrailed -related CRE-like sequences, is only detectable in spiralians, ecdysozoans, and chordates that have a brain; they exhibit comparable genomic locations and extensive nucleotide identities that reveal the presence of a conserved core domain, all of which are absent in non-neural genes and, together, distinguish them from randomly assembled sequences. Their presence concurs with a genetic boundary separating the rostral from caudal nervous systems, demonstrated for the metameric brains of annelids, arthropods, and chordates and the asegmental cycloneuralian and urochordate brain. These findings suggest that gene regulatory networks for midbrain circuit formation evolved within the lineage that led to the common ancestor of protostomes and deuterostomes.

Gene regulatory networks. Interactive diagrams for the web-browser-based exploration of LCH-subset-specific gene regulatory networks.

Supplementary Figures

Marker genes and genomic regions. Lists of differentially expressed genes between LCH cells and non-LCH immune cells, marker genes for each LCH cell subset, and differentially accessible genomic regions between LCH cell subsets.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare neoplasm predominantly affecting children. It occupies a hybrid position between cancers and inflammatory diseases, which makes it an attractive model for studying cancer development. To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of LCH and its characteristic clinical heterogeneity, we investigated the transcriptomic and epigenomic diversity in primary LCH lesions. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we identified multiple recurrent types of LCH cells within these biopsies, including putative LCH progenitor cells and several subsets of differentiated LCH cells. We confirmed the presence of proliferative LCH cells in all analyzed biopsies using IHC, and we defined an epigenomic and gene-regulatory basis of the different LCH-cell subsets by chromatin-accessibility profiling. In summary, our single-cell analysis of LCH uncovered an unexpected degree of cellular, transcriptomic, and epigenomic heterogeneity among LCH cells, indicative of complex developmental hierarchies in LCH lesions.Significance:This study sketches a molecular portrait of LCH lesions by combining single-cell transcriptomics with epigenome profiling. We uncovered extensive cellular heterogeneity, explained in part by an intrinsic developmental hierarchy of LCH cells. Our findings provide new insights and hypotheses for advancing LCH research and a starting point for personalizing therapy.See related commentary by Gruber et al., p. 1343.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1325

Methylation of cytosines is the prototypic epigenetic modification of the DNA. It has been implicated in various regulatory mechanisms throughout the animal kingdom and particularly in vertebrates. We mapped DNA methylation in 580 animal species (535 vertebrates, 45 invertebrates), resulting in 2443 genome-scale, base-resolution DNA methylation profiles of primary tissue samples from various organs. Reference-genome independent analysis of this comprehensive dataset quantified the association of DNA methylation with the underlying genomic DNA sequence throughout vertebrate evolution. We observed a broadly conserved link with two major transitions – once in the first vertebrates and again with the emergence of reptiles. Cross-species comparisons focusing on individual organs supported a deeply conserved association of DNA methylation with tissue type, and cross-mapping analysis of DNA methylation at gene promoters revealed evolutionary changes for orthologous genes with conserved DNA methylation patterns. In summary, this study establishes a large resource of vertebrate and invertebrate DNA methylomes, it showcases the power of reference-free epigenome analysis in species for which no reference genomes are available, and it contributes an epigenetic perspective to the study of vertebrate evolution.

The analysis of phyllosphere microbiomes traditionally relied on DNA extracted from whole leaves. To investigate the microbial communities on the adaxial (upper) and abaxial (lower) leaf surfaces, swabs were collected from both surfaces of two garden plants, Rhapis excelsa and Cordyline fruticosa. Samples were collected at noon and midnight and at five different locations to investigate if the phyllosphere microbial communities change with time and location. The abaxial surface of Rhapis excelsa and Cordyline fruticosa had fewer bacteria in contrast to its adaxial counterpart. This observation was consistent between noon and midnight and across five different locations. Our co-occurrence network analysis further showed that bacteria were found almost exclusively on the adaxial surface while only a small group of leaf blotch fungi thrived on the abaxial surface. There are higher densities of stomata on the abaxial surface and these openings are vulnerable ports of entry into the plant host. While one might argue about the settling of dust particles and microorganisms on the adaxial surface, we detected differences in reactive chemical activities and microstructures between the adaxial and abaxial surfaces. Our results further suggest that both plant species deploy different defence strategies to deter invading pathogens on the abaxial surface. We hypothesize that chemical and mechanical defence strategies evolved independently for harnessing and controlling phyllosphere microbiomes. Our findings have also advanced our understanding that the abaxial leaf surface is distinct from the adaxial surface and that the reduced microbial diversity is likely a consequence of plant-microbe interactions. Ministry of Education (MOE) Published version Our work was supported by an Academic Research Fund (AcRF) Tier 3 to SCS from the Singapore Ministry of Education (grant number: MOE2013-T3-1-013).

Smoke generated by cautery devices used during surgery may contain infective particles and may cause transmission of airborne viruses. This study determines whether live viruses are present in surgical smoke and evaluates the effectiveness of several proposed methods of removal so as to improve safety of healthcare workers.

Household survey data from 27 sites in 22 countries were collected in 2017–2018 in order to construct and validate a cross-cultural household-level water insecurity scale. The resultant Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) scale presents a useful tool for monitoring and evaluating water interventions as a complement to traditional metrics used by the development community. It can also help track progress toward achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 ‘clean water and sanitation for all’. We present HWISE scale scores from 27 sites as comparative data for future studies using the HWISE scale in low- and middle-income contexts. Site-level mean scores for HWISE-12 (scored 0–36) ranged from 1.64 (SD 4.22) in Pune, India, to 20.90 (7.50) in Cartagena, Colombia, while site-level mean scores for HWISE-4 (scored 0–12) ranged from 0.51 (1.50) in Pune, India, to 8.21 (2.55) in Punjab, Pakistan. Scores tended to be higher in the dry season as expected. Data from this first implementation of the HWISE scale demonstrate the diversity of water insecurity within and across communities and can help to situate findings from future applications of this tool. HIGHLIGHTS We present comparison scores of the Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) scale, a novel household water insecurity index validated for use in low- and middle-income countries.; These scores can aid interpretation of future implementation of the HWISE scale.; The HWISE scale should still be evaluated in new contexts, such as high-income settings.

Systems of correlated particles appear in many fields of science and represent some of the most intractable puzzles in nature. The computational challenge in these systems arises when interactions become comparable to other energy scales, which makes the state of each particle depend on all other particles. The lack of general solutions for the 3-body problem and acceptable theory for strongly correlated electrons shows that our understanding of correlated systems fades when the particle number or the interaction strength increases. One of the hallmarks of interacting systems is the formation of multi-particle bound states. In a ring of 24 superconducting qubits, we develop a high fidelity parameterizable fSim gate that we use to implement the periodic quantum circuit of the spin-1/2 XXZ model, an archetypal model of interaction. By placing microwave photons in adjacent qubit sites, we study the propagation of these excitations and observe their bound nature for up to 5 photons. We devise a phase sensitive method for constructing the few-body spectrum of the bound states and extract their pseudo-charge by introducing a synthetic flux. By introducing interactions between the ring and additional qubits, we observe an unexpected resilience of the bound states to integrability breaking. This finding goes against the common wisdom that bound states in non-integrable systems are unstable when their energies overlap with the continuum spectrum. Our work provides experimental evidence for bound states of interacting photons and discovers their stability beyond the integrability limit., 7 pages + 15 pages supplements

Background Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a state of end-organ hypoperfusion due to cardiac output failure and is characterized by high mortality. Percutaneous left ventricular assist devices (pLVAD), like the Impella® system, support the left ventricular function and provide a sufficient oxygen supply to all tissues, which might improve outcome. In the current study, we investigated gender-specific differences in a large, propensity score matched cohort of patients receiving an Impella CP® in CS. Beside all-cause mortality, we focused on requirement of hemodialysis and surrogate parameters like development of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), or sepsis, which is known to be associated with enhanced morbidity and mortality. Methods The Dresden Impella Registry is an ongoing registry including more than 650 patients since 2014. Among, a total of 95 female and 237 male patients received an Impella CP® in CS. Two groups of similar sample size (n=60) resulted after propensity score matching. A logistic regression model was used for adjustment of the baseline characteristics (nearest neighbor matching). Kaplan-Meier curves at 30, 180 and 365 days as well as clinical, laboratory and hemodynamic parameters were compared between male and female patients. Results The propensity score matched cohorts showed a well balancing without significant differences between baseline characteristics. At time of admission, female patients were 68.9±1.8 years old, male patients 67.2±1.5 years. A cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before pLVAD was performed in 53.3% in both groups. The comparison of mean arterial pressure, norepinephrine and dobutamine dosage showed no differences initially and in course. The left ventricular ejection fraction did not differ between both cohorts (♀ 28.6±2.3% vs. ♂ 26.7±1.7%, p=0.885). The duration of left ventricular unloading was 44.1±6.5 h among female patients and 56.0±7.3 h among male patients (p=0.119). The all-cause mortality showed no difference at 30, 180, and 365 d (30 d: ♀ 61.7±6.3% vs. ♂ 56.7±6.4%, p=0.349; 180 d: ♀ 73.3±5.7% vs. ♂ 68.3±6.0%, p=0.312; 365 d: ♀ 76.7±5.5% vs. ♂ 70.0±5.9%, p=0.312). However, hemodialysis was less frequently required in female patients (♀ 28.3% vs. ♂ 45.8%, p=0.049). The duration of hemodialysis did not differ between the groups (♀ 123.9±57.8 h vs. ♂ 108.1±56.3 h, p=0.744). Furthermore, occurrence of SIRS and sepsis were less frequently observed in female patients (SIRS ♀ 45.0% vs. ♂ 75.0%, p=0.042; sepsis ♀ 43.3% vs. ♂ 62.7%, p=0.034). Conclusion All-cause mortality showed no gender-specific differences in a well-balanced propensity score matched analysis of CS patients receiving LV-unloading with a pLVAD. However, females had a decreased requirement of hemodialysis and a less frequent occurrence of SIRS and sepsis. Further studies are needed to investigate whether these differences might improve outcome in larger cohorts. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

So far, performance prediction and optimization of microwave SQUID multiplexers has largely been based on simple approximate analytical models and experimental results. This is caused by the complexity of the underlying physics and the intricacy of operation and readout parameters. As a simplified description can never account for all potential effects occurring in a real device, we have developed a software framework to simulate the characteristics and performance of a microwave SQUID multiplexer. Our simulation framework is a powerful tool to guide understanding and optimization of microwave SQUID multiplexers and other related devices. It includes common readout schemes such as open-loop or flux ramp modulated readout as well as the nonlinear behavior of Josephson tunnel junctions. Moreover, it accounts for the non-zero response time of superconducting microwave resonators with high loaded quality factors as well as the most significant noise contributions such as amplifier noise, resonator noise as well as SQUID noise. This ultimately leads to a prediction of device performance that is significantly better as compared simple analytical methods. Using the simulation framework, we discuss first steps towards a full microwave SQUID multiplexer optimization and highlight some other applications which our simulation framework can be used for., This article has been submitted to the Journal of Applied Physics

Neisseria species are frequently identified in the bronchiectasis microbiome, but they are regarded as respiratory commensals. Using a combination of human cohorts, next-generation sequencing, systems biology, and animal models, we show that bronchiectasis bacteriomes defined by the presence of Neisseria spp. associate with poor clinical outcomes, including exacerbations. Neisseria subflava cultivated from bronchiectasis patients promotes the loss of epithelial integrity and inflammation in primary epithelial cells. In vivo animal models of Neisseria subflava infection and metabolipidome analysis highlight immunoinflammatory functional gene clusters and provide evidence for pulmonary inflammation. The murine metabolipidomic data were validated with human Neisseria-dominant bronchiectasis samples and compared with disease in which Pseudomonas-, an established bronchiectasis pathogen, is dominant. Metagenomic surveillance of Neisseria across various respiratory disorders reveals broader importance, and the assessment of the home environment in bronchiectasis implies potential environmental sources of exposure. Thus, we identify Neisseria species as pathobionts in bronchiectasis, allowing for improved risk stratification in this high-risk group. Published version

We use the bond fluctuation model to study the contraction process of two polymer loops with $N$ segments that are connected each to the bottom and top parts of a Feringa engine. The change in the size of the molecules as well as the folding of the two strands follows approximately scaling predictions that are derived by assuming that the strands are confined inside an effective tube. Conformation data can be overlapped when plotting it as a function of ${W}_{\text{n}}{N}^{\ensuremath{-}1/4}$, where ${W}_{\text{n}}$ is the winding number of the two strands that is proportional to the number of blobs inside the ``knotted'' region of the molecule and $N$ is the degree of polymerization of the strands. Our data support a weak localization of the knots along the contour of flexible cyclic athermal polymers with a localization exponent $t\ensuremath{\approx}0.78$.

This study reviewed social support research with refugees in resettlement by assessing the scope of scholarship and examining methodological approaches, definitions, theoretical frameworks, domains, and sources of support. The scoping review followed a systematic approach that retained 41 articles for analysis. The findings indicate that refugee resettlement studies seldom conceptualizes social support as a central focus, defines the concept, draws from related theory, or examines multifaceted components of the construct. The review nevertheless yielded promising findings for future conceptual and empirical research. The analysis identified a wide range of relevant domains and sources of social support, laying the foundation for a socio-ecological model of social support specific to refugee experiences in resettlement. The findings also indicate an imperative to examine and theorize social support vis-à-vis diverse groups as a main outcome of interest, in connection to a range of relevant outcomes, and longitudinally in recognition of the temporal processes in resettlement.

Background: Household water security matters greatly for child nutrition outcomes in the global South. Water’s role in sanitation/hygiene, via diarrheal disease, is cited as a primary mechanism here. Yet, the relationship between Water along with Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and child stunting remains inconclusive. Water-related mechanisms outside of the traditional scope of WASH might assist with explaining this. Objective: We aim to test the mediating role of reduced dietary diversity as an additional potential mechanism in linking worse household water access to increased risk of early childhood stunting, separating its effects from sanitation and diarrhea among children (as a proxy for hygiene) and taking into account regional water availability. Method: We use nationally representative India Demographic and Health Survey (2015-16) data for 58 038 children aged 6 to 23 months, applying generalized structural equation modelling to estimate water’s direct and indirect effects (as mediated through dietary diversity and access to sanitation) on a child’s likelihood of being stunted. Results: Suboptimal water access is significantly associated with elevated likelihood of child stunting. More than 30% of the effect is indirect. In the context of low water access and availability, children’s dietary diversity alone mediates more than 20% of its total effect on child stunting. Conclusion: Beyond the WASH mechanisms, household water access affects child stunting indirectly, mediated through its impacts on children’s dietary diversity. These mediating effects are also moderated by regional water availability. Water interventions in low-water regions should help reduce children’s risk of nutrition-related stunting in households with lowest water access.

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) has become a symbol of the threat to biodiversity from climate change. Understanding polar bear evolutionary history may provide insights into apex carnivore responses and prospects during periods of extreme environmental perturbations. In recent years, genomic studies have examined bear speciation and population history, including evidence for ancient admixture between polar bears and brown bears (Ursus arctos). Here, we extend our earlier studies of a 130,000–115,000-year-old polar bear from the Svalbard Archipelago using a 10X coverage genome sequence and ten new genomes of polar and brown bears from contemporary zones of overlap in northern Alaska. We demonstrate a dramatic decline in effective population size for this ancient polar bear’s lineage, followed by a modest increase just before its demise. A slightly higher genetic diversity in the ancient polar bear suggests a severe genetic erosion over a prolonged bottleneck in modern polar bears. Statistical fitting of data to alternative admixture graph scenarios favors at least one ancient introgression event from brown bears into the ancestor of polar bears, possibly dating back over 150,000 years. Gene flow was likely bidirectional, but allelic transfer from brown into polar bear is the strongest detected signal, which contrasts with other published works. These findings may have implications for our understanding of climate change impacts: polar bears, a specialist Arctic lineage, may not only have undergone severe genetic bottlenecks, but also been the recipient of generalist, boreal genetic variants from brown bear during critical phases of Northern Hemisphere glacial oscillations.SignificanceInterspecific hybridization is a widespread phenomenon, but measuring its extent, directionality, and adaptive importance remains challenging. Ancient genomes, however, can help illuminate the history of modern organisms. Here, we present a genome retrieved from a 130,000–115,000-year-old polar bear and perform genome analyses of modern polar and brown bears throughout their geographic range. We find that the principal direction of ancient allele sharing was from brown bear into polar bear, although gene flow between them has likely been bidirectional. This inverts the current paradigm of unidirectional gene flow from polar into brown bear, and it suggests that polar bears were recipients of external genetic variation prior to their extensive population decline.

The age-associated alterations in microbiomes vary across populations due to the influence of genetics and lifestyles. To the best of our knowledge, the microbial changes associated with aging have not yet been investigated in Singapore adults. We conducted shotgun metagenomic sequencing of fecal and saliva samples, as well as fecal metabolomics to characterize the gut and oral microbial communities of 62 healthy adult male Singaporeans, including 32 young subjects (age, 23.1 ± 1.4 years) and 30 elderly subjects (age, 69.0 ± 3.5 years). We identified 8 gut and 13 oral species that were differentially abundant in elderly compared to young subjects. By combining the gut and oral microbiomes, 25 age-associated oral-gut species connections were identified. Moreover, oral bacteria Acidaminococcus intestine and Flavonifractor plautii were less prevalent/abundant in elderly gut samples than in young gut samples, whereas Collinsella aerofaciens and Roseburia hominis showed the opposite trends. These results indicate the varied gut-oral communications with aging. Subsequently, we expanded the association studies on microbiome, metabolome and host phenotypic parameters. In particular, Eubacterium eligens increased in elderly compared to young subjects, and was positively correlated with triglycerides, which implies that the potential role of E. eligens in lipid metabolism is altered during the aging process. Our results demonstrated aging-associated changes in the gut and oral microbiomes, as well as the connections between metabolites and host-microbe interactions, thereby deepening the understanding of alterations in the human microbiome during the aging process in a Singapore population. Nanyang Technological University Published version This work was supported by a seed fund from the Nanyang Technological University Integrated Medical, Biological & Environmental Life Sciences (NIMBELS), Singapore (NIM/ 06/2016), Shenzhen Basic Research Program (JCYJ20190808182402941) and Health and Medical Research Fund in Hong Kong (COVID190206).

We present a non-parametric inference of impurity transport coefficients by using charge exchange recombination spectroscopy measurements of Ne X, Ne VIII, O VIII, and C VI lines. Due to their close atomic numbers, neon, oxygen and carbon impurity ions are assumed to have the same diffusion coefficient D and convection velocity v. Unlike conventional techniques that modulate or perturb the impurity contents, we employ a quasi-stationary plasma with static impurity profiles. Since the ratio of v to D only describes the equilibrated profile of the sum of all impurity charge states, steady-state measurements can still decouple D and v if different charge states are simultaneously observed. We have formulated a non-parametric analysis framework based on the Bayesian probability theory and conducted transport coefficient measurements for a Type III ELMy H-mode plasma at ASDEX Upgrade. The charge exchange reactions with the background neutrals, which are known to affect the impurity charge state balance, are taken into account by introducing additional free parameters. While D at the pedestal is close to the neoclassical level ( < 1 m s-2), a large diffusion coefficient and a strong outward convection are inferred right inside the pedestal top., This work has been carried out within the framework of the EUROfusion Consortium and has received funding from the Euratom research and training programme 2014–2018 and 2019–2020 under Grant Agreement No. 633053.

Recent developments in aerobiology have enabled the investigation of airborne biomass with high temporal and taxonomic resolution. In this study, we assess the contributions of local sources to ambient air within a 160,000 m2 tropical avian park (AP). We sequenced and analyzed 120 air samples from seven locations situated 160 to 400 m apart, representing distinct microhabitats. Each microhabitat contained a characteristic air microbiome, defined by the abundance and richness of its airborne microbial community members, supported by both, PCoA and Random Forest analysis. Each outdoor microhabitat contained 1% to 18.6% location-specific taxa, while a core microbiome of 27.1% of the total taxa was shared. To identify and assess local sources, we compared the AP dataset with a DVE reference dataset from a location 2 km away, collected during a year-round sampling campaign. Intersection of data from the two sites demonstrated 61.6% of airborne species originated from local sources of the AP, 34.5% from ambient air background, and only 3.9% of species were specific to the DVE reference site. In-depth taxonomic analysis demonstrated association of bacteria-dominated air microbiomes with indoor spaces, while fungi-dominated airborne microbial biomass was predominant in outdoor settings with ample vegetation. The approach presented here demonstrates an ability to identify local source contributions against an ambient air background, despite the prevailing mixing of air masses caused by atmospheric turbulences.

We sought to determine whether a shortened version of the 12-item Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) Scale, which measures water insecurity equivalently in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), is valid for broad use. Using data from 9,261 households in 25 LMICs, subsets of candidate items were evaluated on their predictive accuracy, criterion validity, and sensitivity–specificity. A subset with items assessing “worry,” “changing plans,” “limited drinking water,” and “inability to wash hands” because of problems with water (range: 0–12) were highly correlated with full HWISE Scale scores (correlation coefficient: 0.949–0.980) and introduced minimal additional error (root mean square error: 2.13–2.68). Criterion validity was demonstrated, and a cut point of ≥ 4 correctly classified more than 91% of households as water secure or insecure. The brief HWISE-4 can be used in LMICs to inform decisions about how to most effectively target resources and evaluate public health interventions.

Two patterns are apparent in the altitudinal distribution of Neotropical passalid beetles: (a) species that occur only in lowland forest habitats but have broad geographic distributions, and (b) montane endemic species with relatively limited distributions. The transition zone between these distributions in upper Mesoamerica occurs, on average, at approximately 1500 m above sea level (a.s.l.). We studied the altitudinal stratification of passalid beetle communities living on two volcanoes in Guatemala (Atitlan and Santa Maria), revisiting a study conducted in 1981 by MacVean and Schuster. We collected passalid beetles at the same study sites and compared the community composition along the altitudinal gradient. We collected all but one of the species reported by MacVean and Schuster and found three additional species. We observed two key differences in the passalid communities observed in 1981 versus the present: (a) for the Atitlan site, the species’ turnover line from lowland to montane species shifted from 1600 to 1800 m a.s.l.; and (b) in both volcanoes, we collected passalid beetles well above 2700 m a.s.l., which was the upper limit at which they were found in 1981. Both observations are consistent with a shift of the passalid beetle community to higher elevations, perhaps in response to changes in local climate/habitat conditions, including increased temperatures and changes in forest composition.

Here, we describe taxonomical composition, as well as seasonal and diel dynamics of airborne microbial communities in West Siberia. A total of 78 airborne biomass samples from 39 time intervals were analysed, within a temperature range of 48 °C (26 °C to - 22 °C). We observed a 5-170-fold decrease in DNA yield extracted from the airborne biomass in winter compared to summer, nevertheless, yielding sufficient material for metagenomic analysis. The airborne microbial communities included Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota fungi as major components, as well as some Streptophyta plants. In summer, bacterial and fungal plant pathogens, and wood-rotting saprophytes were predominant. In winter, Ascomycota moulds and cold-related or stress environment bacterial species were enriched, while the fraction of wood-rotting and mushroom-forming Basidiomycota fungi was largely reduced. As recently reported for the tropical climate, the airborne microbial communities performed a diel cycle in summer, however, in winter diel dynamics were not observed. Ministry of Education (MOE) Published version This study was supported by Academic Research Fund (AcRF) Tier 3, Singapore Ministry of Education (grant number: MOE2013-T3-1-013). V.N.K and V.A.S were supported by the Russian Foundation of Basic Research (Project #18-29-13045). We thank Dr. Sharon Longford, Senior Assistant Director, Science Communications, Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Nanyang Technological University for critical reading of this manuscript.

In its simplest form, longevity is defined as the ability to live a long life. Within the dairy industry, longevity has been defined and measured in many different ways, and the aim of this review is to disentangle the definitions and provide some clarity. Using a more standardized approach for defining and measuring longevity, both in academic discussions and on-farm application, we suggest using herd life (days) for time from birth until culling, and length of productive life (days) for time from first calving until culling. Despite identified benefits of extending the length of productive life, global trends in the time spent by dairy cattle in the herd have mostly been negative. Factors influencing herd life, such as health, rearing, environmental conditions, and management, are often ignored when longevity goals are evaluated, thereby underestimating the effect these factors have on defining overall longevity. Also, production efficiency, herd profitability, and welfare are not necessarily served by the longest life but rather by the optimized length of herd life instead. The majority of research has focused on the role of genetics on longevity. In this review, we provide insight into influences affecting dairy cow herd life as well as farm- and cow-level factors associated herewith. Finally, we suggest using herd life, including reproduction, production, health, and youngstock performance, for farm-level evaluation and length of productive life for time spent in the lactating herd.