Repression of microbial arsenite uptake and methylation by dissolved organic carbon.

Arsenic methylation is the microbe-mediated transformation of inorganic As into methylated species, an important component of the biogeochemical arsenic cycle in rice paddies. Prior to methylation, arsenite is taken up into bacterial cells through GlpF, an aquaglyceroporin channel for uptake of glycerol and other low-molecular-weight organics. The uptake and subsequent biotransformation of arsenite are therefore linked to the bacterial utilization of organics.

AI-generated multiple-choice questions in health science education: Stakeholder perspectives and implementation considerations.

Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are widely used in health science education because they are an efficient way to evaluate knowledge from simple recall to complex clinical reasoning. The creation of high-quality MCQs, however, can be time-consuming and requires expertise in question composition. Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), especially large language models (LLMs), offer the potential to allow for the rapid generation of high-quality, consistent, and course-specific MCQs.

Cross-species comparison of ultramafic rock bio-accelerated weathering performance.

Carbon mineralization sequesters atmospheric CO by reacting it with cations from rock weathering to form carbonates. However, natural rates are too slow, and acceleration with chemical or mechanical methods is expensive. Microbial processes (acidolysis, redoxolysis, complexolysis) could speed weathering with less energy.

Dichroism mapping at terahertz frequencies via polarization-sensitive computational imaging.

An efficient terahertz (THz) single pixel computational imaging system is implemented to spatially map the dichroism of an anisotropic fiber distribution in wood. Current terahertz non-destructive evaluation systems have yet to be adopted in industry due to expensive and fragile components or long acquisition times. The demonstrated terahertz single pixel imager involves durable and inexpensive components and simple optical alignment with the ability to efficiently acquire polarization-resolved terahertz images of wood products-vital for wood grain inspection.

Alzheimer's disease brain-derived tau extracts show differential processing and transcriptional effects in human astrocytes.

Post-translational modifications of tau, including phosphorylation at specific residues, are closely linked with tau seeding ability and clinical disease progression. While most previous evidence has focused on neuronal tau spread, evidence supports a similar role for astrocytes. Here, we demonstrate that well characterized tau aggregates isolated from postmortem Alzheimer's disease brain are internalized and processed by control human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived astrocytes.

Higher order Bessel beams integrated in time (HOBBIT) with engineered light frequencies (ELFs).

This paper presents a scheme exploiting a uniform circular frequency diverse array (UC-FDA) of optical beamlets to realize non-diffracting beams with unprecedented switching rates in orbital angular momentum (OAM). The frequency diversity property of the system is a result of using an acousto-optic deflector (AOD) to generate an array on a circle which tags each beamlet with different frequencies. The non-diffracting nature of the generated beams is examined along with the generation of arbitrary time-dependent non-diffracting amplitude structures using the local phase control inherent in the system architecture.

Biogeochemical Controls on Wood Degradation as a Source of Bioavailable Carbon in Denitrifying Bioreactors.

Woodchip bioreactors (WBRs) are important tools for the removal of nitrate in agricultural drainage, but their effectiveness is often limited by the slow degradation of lignocellulosic wood residues into bioavailable forms of carbon that fuel denitrifying microorganisms. Here, we examine biogeochemical factors regulating wood degradation in saturated woodchip beds, with a focus on the effects of dissolved oxygen (DO), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) in generating oxidative activity that can enhance wood decomposition. Woodchips from a 10-year-old WBR were characterized with bulk techniques and a novel combination of μX-ray scattering, μXRF, and μXANES to visualize the depletion of crystalline cellulose as a proxy for wood degradation.

High efficiency rare earth element bioleaching with systems biology guided engineering of Gluconobacter oxydans.

Biological methods are a promising route for the environmentally-friendly production of rare earth elements (REE), which are essential for sustainable energy and defense technologies. In earlier work we identified the key genetic mechanisms contributing to the REE-bioleaching capability of Gluconobacter oxydans B58. Here we have targeted two of these mechanisms to generate a high-efficiency bioleaching strain of G.

Neurobiological mechanisms of sleep state misperception in insomnia disorder: A theoretical review.

Sleep state misperception is core to pathophysiological models of insomnia, suggesting that it arises from a dysfunction in neurobiological mechanisms which result in sleep being misperceived as wake. The current review aims to synthesise the best available literature on the neurobiological mechanisms of sleep state misperception and the extent to which the existing literature supports this theory. Overall, findings suggest that cognitive and neurophysiological hyperarousal and dysfunctional sensory-gating mechanisms that insufficiently inhibit arousal may largely account for the phenomenon of sleep state misperception observed among patients with paradoxical insomnia.

Bio-accelerated weathering of ultramafic minerals with Gluconobacter oxydans.

Ultramafic rocks are an abundant source of cations for CO mineralization (e.g., Mg) and elements for sustainability technologies (e.

Direct genome-scale screening of Gluconobacter oxydans B58 for rare earth element bioleaching.

The transition to a sustainable energy economy will require an enormous increase in the supply of rare earth elements (REEs). Bioleaching offers a promising alternative to conventional hydrometallurgical methods for REE extraction from low-grade ores. However, exploiting this potential remains challenging due to large gaps in our understanding of the genetics involved, and inadequate biological tools to address them.

Effects of sleep and circadian rest-activity rhythms on daily pain severity in women with temporomandibular disorders.

Although a robust connection between sleep and pain is established, the extent to which circadian rest-activity rhythms contribute toward unique variations in pain, beyond what is elucidated by sleep, remains uncertain. Furthermore, it is largely unknown whether sleep and circadian rest-activity rhythms have interactive effects on daily pain severity. Using wrist actigraphy and daily pain diaries, data from 140 women with temporomandibular disorders and insomnia symptoms were analyzed over a 14-day period.

New strategy for integration of anaerobic side-stream reactor with mainstream B-stage nitritation for short-cut nitrogen removal with granulation.

This study reported a successful mainstream B-stage nitritation reactor with sludge granulation that incorporated a side-stream anaerobic reactor to treat municipal wastewater A-stage effluent. With influent COD/N and COD/P ratios of 2.60 and 27.

Emotional Processing Following Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in People With Depressive Symptoms: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has been shown to reduce depressive symptoms, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood and warrant further examination.

Objective: To investigate whether CBT-I modifies negative bias in the perception of emotional facial expressions and whether such changes mediate improvement in depressive symptoms.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A randomized clinical trial of digital CBT-I vs sleep hygiene education was conducted.

Changing Contribution of Different Aetiologies of Maxillofacial Fractures - A Retrospective Study.

Introduction: Maxillofacial fractures cost the New Zealand Accident Compensation Corporation approximately NZ$ 70-80 million annually. We have previously reported on ethnic and age groups disproportionately affected by these injuries and the impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns. This study provides an analysis of the aetiologies contributing to maxillofacial fractures over a period of 11 years.

The Influence of Neck Pain and Sleep Quantity on Headache Burden in Service Members With and Without Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: An Observational Study.

Introduction: Headache is the most overwhelmingly reported symptom following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The upper cervical spine has been implicated in headache etiology, and cervical dysfunction may result in neck pain that influences the experience of headache. Sleep problem is the second most reported symptom following mTBI.

Symptomatic Recovery from Concussion in Military Service Members with and Without Associated Bodily Injuries.

Research has found that service members (SMs) with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and co-occurring bodily injuries endorse lower chronic postconcussive symptom severity than SMs with mTBI and no bodily injuries. Investigations were conducted with primarily post-9/11 war-era SMs with blast injuries. The current study explores these findings in a cohort of more heterogeneous and recently evaluated military SM.

Orthophosphate uptake onto woodchips in denitrifying bioreactors is enhanced by anoxic-(anaerobic-)oxic cycling.

Woodchips are widely used as a low-cost and renewable organic carbon source for denitrifying biofilms in passive nutrient removal systems. One limitation of wood-based biofiltration systems is their relatively poor removal of phosphorus (P) from subsurface drainage and stormwaters, necessitating the use of additional filter media when co-treatment of nitrogen (N) and P is required. Here, we show that anoxic-oxic cycling of woodchip media, which enhances nitrate (NO) removal by increasing the mobilization of organic carbon from wood, also improves orthophosphate (P) uptake onto woodchips.

Microbial diversity and gene abundance in denitrifying bioreactors: A comparison of the woodchip surface biofilm versus the interior wood matrix.

Excessive amounts of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) can lead to eutrophication in water sources. Woodchip bioreactors have shown success in removing N from agricultural runoff, but less is known regarding P removal. Woodchip bioreactors are subsurface basins filled with woodchips installed downgradient of agricultural land to collect and treat drainage runoff.

Improving nutrients ratio in class A biosolids through vivianite recovery: Insights from a wastewater resource recovery facility.

Class A biosolids from water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) are increasingly used as sustainable alternatives to synthetic fertilizers. However, the high phosphorus to nitrogen ratio in biosolids leads to a potential accumulation of phosphorus after repeated land applications. Extracting vivianite, an FeP mineral, prior to the final dewatering step in the biosolids treatment can reduce the P content in the resulting class A biosolids and achieve a P:N ratio closer to the 1:2 of synthetic fertilizers.

Systematic evaluation of methods for iron-impregnation of biochar and effects on arsenic in flooded soils.

There is a need for innovative strategies to decrease the mobility of metal(loids) including arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) in agricultural soils, including rice paddies, so as to minimize dietary exposure to these toxic elements. Iron (Fe)-modified biochars (FBCs) are used to immobilize As and Cd in soil-water systems, but there is a lack of clarity on optimal methods for preparing FBCs because there are only limited studies that directly compare BCs impregnated with Fe under different conditions. There is also a lack of information on the long-term performance of FBCs in flooded soil environments, where reductive dissolution of Fe (oxy)hydroxide phases loaded onto biochar surfaces may decrease the effectiveness of FBCs.

Elevated pain sensitivity is associated with reduced rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in females with comorbid temporomandibular disorder and insomnia.

Objective: Patients with chronic pain disorders, including Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs) endorse high levels of sleep disturbances, frequently reporting reduced sleep quality. Despite this, little is known about the effect that daytime pain has on the microstructure and macro-architecture of sleep. Therefore, we aimed to examine the extent to which daytime pain sensitivity, measured using quantitative sensory testing (QST), is associated with objective sleep parameters the following night, including sleep architecture and power spectral density, in women with TMD.

Meditation Practice, Mindfulness, and Pain-Related Outcomes in Mindfulness-Based Treatment for Episodic Migraine.

Objectives: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have emerged as promising prophylactic episodic migraine treatments. The present study investigated biopsychosocial predictors and outcomes associated with formal, daily-life meditation practice in migraine patients undergoing MBI, and whether augmented mindfulness mechanistically underlies change.

Methods: Secondary analyses of clinical trial data comparing a 12-week enhanced mindfulness-based stress reduction course (MBSR + ; = 50) to stress management for headache (SMH; = 48) were conducted.