Soil drivers of fungal, bacterial and plant diversity in contaminated Southern Californian sites: Implications for dryland bioremediation.

This exploratory study surveyed seven contaminated brownfields and Superfund sites in Southern California to identify locally adapted species tolerant of mixed organic and metal contamination under arid and semi-arid conditions. Five novel native plants, including Brickellia californica, Baccharis salicifolia, Baccharis sarothroides, Eriogonum fasciculatum, and Heterotheca grandiflora were identified as hyperaccumulators of copper (Cu), alongside a non-native species from the Asteraceae family, Helminthotheca echioides. Additional metal-accumulating plants (including native plants) for lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), and nickel (Ni) were identified, and warrant further evaluation for their phytoremediation potential.

Leveraging electronic health records from two hospital systems identifies male infertility-associated comorbidities across time.

Background: Male infertility (MI) is the sole cause of 20-30% of infertility cases, and it is a contributing factor for an additional 15-20% of cases. However, the full breadth of potential MI risk factors and adverse health outcomes has not been explored.

Methods: We used electronic health records (EHRs) from the University of California (UC) and Stanford to identify MI-associated comorbidities.

Eradication of for prevention of aspirin-associated peptic ulcer bleeding in adults over 65 years: the HEAT RCT.

Background: Peptic ulcers in patients on aspirin are associated with infection. We investigated whether eradication would protect against aspirin-associated ulcer bleeding.

Methods: The Eradication Aspirin Trial was a randomised placebo-controlled trial (European Union Drug Regulating Authorities Clinical Trials 2011-003425-96), conducted in United Kingdom primary care using routinely collected clinical data.

A clinician's musings on oxygen: Too little or too much with life in the balance.

The most abundant element on Earth, oxygen (O) is essential for all complex, eukaryotic life. Because under- (hypoxia) or overexposure (hyperoxia) to O can be detrimental, achieving the ideal balance is crucial for human survival. In this perspective, we discuss the fundamental role of hemoglobin in O transport and tissue oxygenation.

Anticlustering for sample allocation to minimize batch effects.

High-throughput sequencing enables efficient processing of DNA and RNA samples in batches, but batch effects can obscure true biological signal. We propose using anticlustering as an automated method to assign samples to balanced batches, minimizing covariate imbalance and supporting user-defined constraints such as batch size, number of batches, and "must-link" assignments. In simulations, anticlustering outperforms existing methods in assigning balanced batches.