Suspended Materials Affect Particle Size Distribution and Removal of Environmental DNA in Flowing Waters.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) in aquatic systems is a complex mixture that includes dissolved DNA, intracellular DNA, and particle-adsorbed DNA. Information about the various components of eDNA and their relative proportions could be used to discern target organism abundance and location. However, a limited knowledge of eDNA adsorption dynamics and interactions with other materials hinders these applications. To address this gap, we used recirculating stream mesocosms to investigate the impact of suspended materials (fine particulate organic matter, plankton, clay, and titanium dioxide) on the eDNA concentration and particle size distribution (PSD) from two fish species in flowing water. Our findings revealed that eDNA rapidly adsorbs to other materials in the water column, affecting its concentration and PSD. Nonetheless, only particulate organic matter affected eDNA removal rate after 30 h. Moreover, we observed that the removal of larger eDNA components (≥10 µm) was more strongly influenced by physical processes, whereas the removal of smaller eDNA components was driven by biological degradation. This disparity in removal mechanisms between larger and smaller eDNA components could explain changes in eDNA composition over time and space, which have implications for modeling the spatial distribution and abundance of target species and optimizing eDNA detection in high turbidity systems.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) removal rates in streams differ by particle size under varying substrate and light conditions.

The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) as a sampling tool offers insights into the detection of invasive and/or rare aquatic species and enables biodiversity assessment without traditional sampling approaches, which are often labor-intensive. However, our understanding of the environmental factors that impact eDNA removal (i.e., how rapidly eDNA is removed from the water column by the combination of decay and physical removal) in flowing waters is limited. This limitation constrains predictions about the location and density of target organisms after positive detection. To address this question, we spiked Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) eDNA into recirculating mesocosms (n = 24) under varying light (shaded versus open) and benthic substrate conditions (no substrate, bare substrate, and biofilm-colonized substrate). We then collected water samples from each mesocosm at four time points (40 min, 6 h, 18 h, and 48 h), and sequentially filtered the samples through 10, 1.0, and 0.2 µm filters to quantify removal rates for different eDNA particle sizes under varying light and substrate conditions. Combining all size classes, total eDNA removal rates were higher for mesocosms with biofilm-colonized substrate compared to those with no substrate or bare (i.e., no biofilm) substrate, which is consistent with previous findings linking biofilm colonization with increased eDNA removal and degradation. Additionally, when biofilm was present, light availability increased eDNA removal; eDNA levels fell below detection after 6-18 h for open mesocosms versus 18-48 h for shaded mesocosms. Among size classes, larger particles (>10 µm) were removed faster than small particles (1.0-0.2 µm). These results suggest that changes in the distribution of eDNA size classes over time (e.g., with downstream transport) and with differing environmental conditions could be used to predict the location of target organisms in flowing waters, which will advance the use of eDNA as a tool for species monitoring and management.

Persistence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes Varies with Particle Size and Substrate Conditions in Recirculating Streams.

Antibiotic resistance (AR) determinants are enriched in animal manures, a significant portion of which is land-applied as a soil amendment or as fertilizer, leading to potential AR runoff and microbial pollution in adjacent surface waters. To effectively inform AR monitoring and mitigation efforts, a thorough understanding and description of the persistence and transport of manure-derived AR in flowing waters are needed. We used experimental recirculating mesocosms to assess water-column removal rates of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) originating from a cow manure slurry collected from a dairy farm. We quantified the effect of three benthic (i.e., bottom) substrate variations and particle sizes of manure slurry on water column removal rates. Overall, we observed variation in ARG behavior across substrate treatments and particle sizes. For ARGs associated with small particles, removal rates were higher in mesocosms with a substrate. tetW was typically removed at the highest rates across particle size and treatment, followed by ermB and blaTEM. Our data suggests that both substrate character and particle size exert control on the fate and transport of ARGs in surface waters, laying the foundation for future research in this area to establish a predictive framework for AR persistence and fate in flowing waters.

Outcomes of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program to limit perioperative opioid use in outpatient minimally invasive GI and hernia surgeries.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative pain management is important for patient satisfaction while returning to homeostasis in the safest way possible. Studies show that patients don't require as much opioids as once thought. The benefits of ERAS pathways extend beyond enhancement of patients' perioperative experience, and include reducing opioid prescriptions in the face of the ongoing nationwide opioid crisis and evidence of prescription opioids as a contributor. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing same day minimally invasive surgery (MIS) procedures for GI and hernia disease using a minimal-opioid ERAS protocol at two community hospitals between January 2020 and May 2022. We included elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) for acute appendicitis without perforation, and minimally invasive (laparoscopic and robotic) inguinal and ventral hernia repair or abdominal wall reconstruction (AWR). Primary outcome was postoperative opioid use. RESULTS: A total of 509 patients were included, undergoing procedures of MIS hernia repair (52.5%), LC (43.6%), and LA (7.9%). Only 9.4% of patients received opioid prescriptions at discharge, with no difference between groups. Among the patients receiving a prescription at discharge, there was a significant difference in morphine milligram equivalents (MME) prescribed (25.0 ± 0.0 in the LA group, 65.0 ± 41.4 in the LC group, 100.6 ± 46.2 in the MIS hernia/AWR group; P = 0.015). Nine percent of patients called with pain management concerns postoperatively. ASA score ≥ 3 was associated with increased odds for postoperative opioid prescription (OR 2.084; P = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that an opioid-sparing ERAS program effectively manages pain for patients undergoing multiple outpatient MIS GI/hernia procedures, and suggests generalizability across a diverse range of operations. Therefore, the use of ERAS may safely and effectively expand beyond inpatient MIS and open surgeries that target reduced length of stay to also minimize opioids for outpatient procedures.

Particle size influences decay rates of environmental DNA in aquatic systems.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is a powerful tool for remote detection of target organisms. However, obtaining quantitative and longitudinal information from eDNA data is challenging, requiring a deep understanding of eDNA ecology. Notably, if the various size components of eDNA decay at different rates, and we can separate them within a sample, their changing proportions could be used to obtain longitudinal dynamics information on targets. To test this possibility, we conducted an aquatic mesocosm experiment in which we separated fish-derived eDNA components using sequential filtration to evaluate the decay rate and changing proportion of various eDNA particle sizes over time. We then fit four alternative mathematical decay models to the data, building towards a predictive framework to interpret eDNA data from various particle sizes. We found that medium-sized particles (1-10 µm) decayed more slowly than other size classes (i.e., <1 and > 10 µm), and thus made up an increasing proportion of eDNA particles over time. We also observed distinct eDNA particle size distribution (PSD) between our Common carp and Rainbow trout samples, suggesting that target-specific assays are required to determine starting eDNA PSDs. Additionally, we found evidence that different sizes of eDNA particles do not decay independently, with particle size conversion replenishing smaller particles over time. Nonetheless, a parsimonious mathematical model where particle sizes decay independently best explained the data. Given these results, we suggest a framework to discern target distance and abundance with eDNA data by applying sequential filtration, which theoretically has both metabarcoding and single-target applications.

Wandering Spleen After Sleeve Gastrectomy as a Cause of Sigmoid Volvulus.

The report highlights a rare instance of colonic volvulus due to a wandering spleen. Wandering spleen is characterized by the displacement of the spleen due to absent or weakened ligaments due to congenital factors or acquired factors such as pregnancy or prior surgery leading to ligament disruption. The 26-year-old patient presented with severe abdominal pain and distention, leading to a diagnosis of sigmoid volvulus secondary to the wandering spleen. This case underscores the importance of considering the wandering spleen in the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen, especially in patients with a surgical history of gastric sleeve resection. The article emphasizes the critical role of imaging in diagnosis and the necessity of timely surgical intervention to prevent severe complications. The case contributes to a broader understanding of the wandering spleen, particularly in post-surgical contexts, highlighting diagnostic challenges and management strategies.

Comparing Chinese and US practitioners' attitudes towards teletherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: The China American Psychoanalytic Alliance (CAPA) has been offering psychoanalytic psychotherapy training and treatment to Chinese mental health professionals entirely over the Internet since 2006. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, most practitioners worldwide had to turn to teletherapy. US psychoanalytic practitioners were more negative towards teletherapy than those from other theoretical orientations. We predicted that CAPA practitioners as compared to US psychoanalytic practitioners would be more prepared for teletherapy services during the pandemic, since they their training and treatment had been on-line. METHOD: We compared survey results from 164 CAPA practitioners with 165 US psychoanalytic practitioners (matched for age) who had recently psychoanalytically treated a patient on-line. CAPA participants were recruited from CAPA email lists and the US sample were recruited from the Society for Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychology of the American Psychological Association, the American Psychoanalytic Association and International Psychotherapy Institute. RESULTS: CAPA practitioners as compared to US psychoanalytic practitioners had more positive opinions about teletherapy before the pandemic; had more positive opinions about teletherapy during the pandemic; and had more positive opinions about the effectiveness of teletherapy in working with transference, relational issues and resistance. The CAPA practitioners were more prepared to do psychoanalytic psychotherapy during the pandemic than the US psychoanalytic practitioners. DISCUSSION: Xiubing Wang discusses these findings in terms of her own experience as a CAPA graduate and treater before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Wet collections accession: a workflow based on a large stonefly (Insecta, Plecoptera) donation.

This study details a workflow used to accession a large stonefly (Plecoptera) collection resulting from several donations. The eastern North American material of Kenneth W. Stewart (deceased, University of North Texas), the entire collection of Stanley W. Szczytko (deceased, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point), and a small portion of the Barry C. Poulton collection (active, United States Geological Survey, Columbia, Missouri) were donated to the Illinois Natural History Survey in 2013. These 5,767 vials of specimens were processed to help preserve the specimen legacy of these world renowned Plecoptera researchers. The workflow used an industrialized approach to organize the specimens taxonomically, image the specimens and labels, and place the specimens into new storage. Utilizing the images as a verbatim data source, we transcribed labels in iterative steps that yielded more information with each pass. The data were normalized, locations georeferenced, all specimen data formatted to meet Darwin Core Archive format for occurrence data, and a data set created using Pensoft's Integrated Publishing Toolkit. This is the first time that any of the specimen data has been made available electronically. We also provide two important electronic supplements that include the Bill P. Stark (active, Mississippi College) Oklahoma field notebook for 1971 and 1972 detailing locations for many coded stonefly specimens in the Stewart collection, and the coded locations of B. C. Poulton's Arkansas and Missouri study. Again, we have linked coded labels in vials to normalized and georefenced site data. We confirmed 243 stonefly species were contained within the collections, and the potential for many more species exists among the specimens identified to family and genus level. Twenty-one new state, province, and other significant stonefly records are reported herein with all identifications verified by the senior author, often through consultation with other stonefly taxonomists. Researchers are encouraged to utilize the specimen data, form collaborations with the authors, and borrow specimens for research.

Cellulosic ethanol production via consolidated bioprocessing at 75 °C by engineered Caldicellulosiruptor bescii.

BACKGROUND: The C. bescii genome does not encode an acetaldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase or an acetaldehyde dehydrogenase and no ethanol production is detected in this strain. The recent introduction of an NADH-dependent AdhE from C. thermocellum (Fig. 1a) in an ldh mutant of this strain resulted in production of ethanol from un-pretreated switchgrass, but the thermolability of the C. thermocellum AdhE at the optimum growth temperature of C. bescii (78 °C) meant that ethanol was not produced above 65 °C.Fig. 1Proposed scheme for the pyruvate to ethanol pathway in C. thermocellum and T. pseudethanolicus 39E. a The C. thermocellum ethanol pathway. The red colored AdhE (Cthe_0423) is already expressed and tested in C. bescii [26]. b The T. pseudethanolicus 39E ethanol pathway. The green colored AdhE (Teth39_0206) and blue colored AdhB (Teth39_0218) are expressed and tested in C. bescii in this study. RESULTS: The adhB and adhE genes from Thermoanaerobacter pseudethanolicus 39E, an anaerobic thermophile that produces ethanol as a major fermentation product at 70 °C, were cloned and expressed in an ldh deletion mutant of C. bescii. The engineered strains produced ethanol at 75 °C, near the ethanol boiling point. The AdhB expressing strain produced ethanol (1.4 mM on Avicel, 0.4 mM on switchgrass) as well as acetate (13.0 mM on Avicel, 15.7 mM on switchgrass). The AdhE expressing strain produced more ethanol (2.3 mM on Avicel, 1.6 mM on switchgrass) and reduced levels of acetate (12.3 mM on Avicel, 15.1 mM on switchgrass). These engineered strains produce cellulosic ethanol at the highest temperature of any microorganism to date. In addition, the addition of 40 mM MOPS to the growth medium increased the maximal growth yield of C. bescii by approximately twofold. CONCLUSIONS: The utilization of thermostable enzymes will be critical to achieving high temperature CBP in bacteria such as C. bescii. The ability to produce ethanol at 75 °C, near its boiling point, raises the possibility that process optimization could allow in situ product removal of this end product to mitigate ethanol toxicity.

Psychodynamic treatment, training, and supervision using internet-based technologies.

For several years, the China American Psychoanalytic Alliance (CAPA) has provided treatment, training, and supervision to Chinese mental health professionals over the Internet. The lack of Chinese analysts and mentors has created an intense demand for psychodynamic psychotherapy training and treatment that CAPA is addressing using Skype™ and other distance communication technologies. This article describes the project, its history, scope, and activities, and the experiences of CAPA teachers and clinicians in exploring and developing the usefulness and power of this very new teaching method. Some particular characteristics of Chinese culture have become apparent as a result of the teaching experience. Aspects of the transference and countertransference that are shaped by the virtual nature of the technology are discussed, using case material. Our hope is that, in helping to train our Chinese students in psychodynamic psychotherapy, they will go on to train future generations of clinicians. This model of teaching and training could also be applied in other underserved areas.