Cryptic CAM photosynthesis in Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia, Y. jaegeriana).

Joshua trees are long-lived perennial monocots native to the Mojave Desert in North America. Composed of two species, Yucca brevifolia and Y. jaegeriana (Asparagaceae), Joshua trees are imperiled by climate change, with decreases in suitable habitat predicted under future climate change scenarios.

Synchronous detection of cosmic rays and correlated errors in superconducting qubit arrays.

Quantum information processing at scale will require sufficiently stable and long-lived qubits, likely enabled by error-correction codes. Several recent superconducting-qubit experiments, however, reported observing intermittent spatiotemporally correlated errors that would be problematic for conventional codes, with ionizing radiation being a likely cause. Here, we directly measured the cosmic-ray contribution to spatiotemporally correlated qubit errors.

Outbreaks Associated with Ingesting Water from Freshwater Sources in Outdoor Settings-United States, 2000-2022.

IntroductionFreshwater sources (eg, lakes, ponds, rivers, or streams) can be contaminated by pathogens. Ingesting water from these sources can cause illness if the water is insufficiently treated.MethodThe Waterborne Disease and Outbreak Surveillance System (WBDOSS) collects data on waterborne disease outbreaks associated with drinking water, recreational water, other nonrecreational water, and undetermined exposures to water.

Detection and Tracking of SARS-CoV-2 Lineages through National Wastewater Surveillance System Pathogen Genomics.

We conducted retrospective analysis of the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 JN.1 variant in US wastewater during November 2023-July 2024 using Aquascope, a bioinformatics pipeline for the National Wastewater Surveillance System. This study highlights the value of open-source bioinformatics tools in tracking pathogen variants for public health monitoring.

Health Effects and Water Quality Following Low Pressure Events in Drinking Water Distribution Systems in the United States.

Background: Low pressure events (LPEs), defined as a water service disruption that presumably lowers system water pressure, can cause drinking water contamination, resulting in increased illness risk to consumers.

Objectives: This study sought to examine whether LPEs increase the risk for highly credible acute gastrointestinal illness (HCGI) and acute respiratory illness (ARI) and to compare water quality in exposed and unexposed areas in the United States.

Methods: A matched cohort study was conducted during the period 2015-2019.