Background
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is having a profound impact on the health and development of children worldwide. There is limited evidence on the impact of COVID-19 and ...its related school closures and disease-containment measures on the psychosocial wellbeing of children; little research has been done on the characteristics of vulnerable groups and factors that promote resilience.
Methods
We conducted a large-scale cross-sectional population study of Hong Kong families with children aged 2–12 years. Parents completed an online survey on family demographics, child psychosocial wellbeing, functioning and lifestyle habits, parent–child interactions, and parental stress during school closures due to COVID-19. We used simple and multiple linear regression analyses to explore factors associated with child psychosocial problems and parental stress during the pandemic.
Results
The study included 29,202 individual families; of which 12,163 had children aged 2–5 years and 17,029 had children aged 6–12 years. The risk of child psychosocial problems was higher in children with special educational needs, and/or acute or chronic disease, mothers with mental illness, single-parent families, and low-income families. Delayed bedtime and/or inadequate sleep or exercise duration, extended use of electronic devices were associated with significantly higher parental stress and more psychosocial problems among pre-schoolers.
Conclusions
This study identifies vulnerable groups of children and highlights the importance of strengthening family coherence, adequate sleep and exercise, and responsible use of electronic devices in promoting psychosocial wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Microorganisms can manufacture a wide range of biobased chemicals that are useful for diverse industrial applications. However, the overexpression of heterologous enzymes in recombinant strains often ...leads to metabolic imbalance, resulting in growth retardation and suboptimal production of the target compounds. Here we discuss the recent development of modular metabolic engineering approaches that enable the global fine-tuning of engineered pathways by modularizing the synthetic pathway in single or multiple hosts. In particular, we highlight applications with microbial consortia. To build a vibrant biobased economy, multivariate modular metabolic engineering (MMME), modular coculture engineering (MCE), and spatiotemporal and integrative genome-scale metabolic modeling can be exploited to expedite strain optimization and improve the production of a broad variety of high-value biobased chemicals.
Microbial cell factories for the production of biobased chemicals are a promising route to achieve a sustainable future. However, it is essential to address metabolic imbalances caused by engineered pathways in microbial hosts.
Multivariate modular metabolic engineering (MMME) and modular coculture engineering (MCE) can reconstitute the metabolic balance by modularizing the synthetic pathways and globally fine-tuning the expression levels of pathway modules in single or multiple hosts.
The cross-cultural modular design of MCE significantly reduces the time and difficulty of reconstituting long synthetic pathways in a single host and polycultures enable the synthesis of complex compounds.
Computer-aided genome minimization coupled with designing orthogonal metabolic pathways (independent from biomass synthesis) can open new paths to optimize microbial strains in a modular synthetic community.
Subway systems are indispensable for urban societies, but microbiological characteristics of subway aerosols are relatively unknown. Previous studies investigating microbial compositions in subways ...employed methodologies that underestimated the diversity of microbial exposure for commuters, with little focus on factors governing subway air microbiology, which may have public health implications. Here, a culture-independent approach unraveling the bacterial diversity within the urban subway network in Hong Kong is presented. Aerosol samples from multiple subway lines and outdoor locations were collected. Targeting the 16S rRNA gene V4 region, extensive taxonomic diversity was found, with the most common bacterial genera in the subway environment among those associated with skin. Overall, subway lines harbored different phylogenetic communities based on α- and β-diversity comparisons, and closer inspection suggests that each community within a line is dependent on architectural characteristics, nearby outdoor microbiomes, and connectedness with other lines. Microbial diversities and assemblages also varied depending on the day sampled, as well as the time of day, and changes in microbial communities between peak and nonpeak commuting hours were attributed largely to increases in skin-associated genera in peak samples. Microbial diversities within the subway were influenced by temperature and relative humidity, while carbon dioxide levels showed a positive correlation with abundances of commuter-associated genera. This Hong Kong data set and communities from previous studies conducted in the United States formed distinct community clusters, indicating that additional work is required to unravel the mechanisms that shape subway microbiomes around the globe.
Microbial communities constitute the core component of biological wastewater treatment processes. We conducted a meta-analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene of temporal samples obtained from diverse ...full-scale activated sludge and anaerobic digestion systems treating municipal and industrial wastewater (collected in this study and published previously) to investigate their community assembly mechanism and functional traits over time, which are not currently well understood. The influent composition was found to be the main driver of the microbial community’s composition, and relatively large proportions of specialist (26.1% and 18.6%) and transient taxa (67.2% and 68.1%) were estimated in both systems. Deterministic processes, especially homogeneous selection events (accounting for >53.8% of assembly events), were consistently identified as the dominant microbial community assembly mechanisms in both systems over time. Significant and strong correlations (Pearson’s r = 0.51–0.92) were detected between the dynamics of the temporal community and the functional compositions in both systems, which suggests functional dependency. In contrast, the occurrence of sludge bulking and foaming in the activated sludge system led to an increase in stochastic assembly processes (i.e., limited dispersal and undominated events), a shift toward functional redundancy and less community diversity, a decreased community niche breadth index, and a more compact co-association network. This study illustrates that the mechanism of microbial community assembly and functional traits over time can be used to diagnose system performance and provide information on potential system malfunction.
Microbial ecology of the atmosphere Šantl-Temkiv, Tina; Amato, Pierre; Casamayor, Emilio O ...
FEMS microbiology reviews,
07/2022, Letnik:
46, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Abstract
The atmosphere connects habitats across multiple spatial scales via airborne dispersal of microbial cells, propagules and biomolecules. Atmospheric microorganisms have been implicated in a ...variety of biochemical and biophysical transformations. Here, we review ecological aspects of airborne microorganisms with respect to their dispersal, activity and contribution to climatic processes. Latest studies utilizing metagenomic approaches demonstrate that airborne microbial communities exhibit pronounced biogeography, driven by a combination of biotic and abiotic factors. We quantify distributions and fluxes of microbial cells between surface habitats and the atmosphere and place special emphasis on long-range pathogen dispersal. Recent advances have established that these processes may be relevant for macroecological outcomes in terrestrial and marine habitats. We evaluate the potential biological transformation of atmospheric volatile organic compounds and other substrates by airborne microorganisms and discuss clouds as hotspots of microbial metabolic activity in the atmosphere. Furthermore, we emphasize the role of microorganisms as ice nucleating particles and their relevance for the water cycle via formation of clouds and precipitation. Finally, potential impacts of anthropogenic forcing on the natural atmospheric microbiota via emission of particulate matter, greenhouse gases and microorganisms are discussed.
This review identifies ecological drivers of microbial distribution in the atmosphere, evidence for their involvement in biochemical and biophysical transformations, and risks from anthropogenic forcing.
Studies of the indoor airborne microbiome have mostly been confined to a single location and time point. Here, we characterized, over the course of a year, the geographic variation, building-function ...dependence, and dispersal characteristics of indoor and outdoor airborne microbiomes (bacterial members only) of eight mechanically ventilated commercial buildings. Based on the Sloan neutral model, airborne microbiomes were randomly dispersed in the respective indoor and outdoor environments and between the two environments during each season. The dominant taxa in the indoor and outdoor environments showed minor variations at each location among seasons. The airborne microbiomes displayed weak seasonality for both indoor and outdoor environments, while a weak geographic variation was found only for the indoor environments. Source tracking results show that outdoor air and occupant skin were major contributors to the indoor airborne microbiomes, but the extent of the contribution from each source varied within and among buildings over the seasons, which suggests variations in local building use. Based on 32 cases of indoor airborne microbiome data, we determined that the indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratio of PM2.5 was not a robust indicator of the sources found indoors. Alternatively, the indoor concentration of carbon dioxide was more closely correlated with the major sources of the indoor airborne microbiome in mechanically ventilated environments.
Viruses in built environments (BEs) raise public health concerns, yet they are generally less studied than bacteria. To better understand viral dynamics in BEs, this study assesses viromes from 11 ...habitats across four types of BEs with low to high occupancy. The diversity, composition, metabolic functions, and lifestyles of the viromes are found to be habitat dependent. Caudoviricetes species are ubiquitous on surface habitats in the BEs, and some of them are distinct from those present in other environments. Antimicrobial resistance genes are identified in viruses inhabiting surfaces frequently touched by occupants and in viruses inhabiting occupants' skin. Diverse CRISPR/Cas immunity systems and anti-CRISPR proteins are found in bacterial hosts and viruses, respectively, consistent with the strongly coupled virus-host links. Evidence of viruses potentially aiding host adaptation in a specific-habitat manner is identified through a unique gene insertion. This work illustrates that virus-host interactions occur frequently in BEs and that viruses are integral members of BE microbiomes.
The toxicity of metal oxide nanomaterials and their antimicrobial activity is attracting increasing attention. Among these materials, MgO is particularly interesting as a low cost, ...environmentally‐friendly material. The toxicity of MgO, similar to other metal oxide nanomaterials, is commonly attributed to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We investigated the toxicity of three different MgO nanoparticle samples, and clearly demonstrated robust toxicity towards Escherichia coli bacterial cells in the absence of ROS production for two MgO nanoparticle samples. Proteomics data also clearly demonstrate the absence of oxidative stress and indicate that the primary mechanism of cell death is related to the cell membrane damage, which does not appear to be due to lipid peroxidation.
Robust antibacterial activity on Escherichia coli cells in the absence of ROS production is demonstrated. Multiple lines of evidence clearly show the absence of oxidative stress and indicate that the primary mechanism of cell death is related to cell membrane damage, which does not appear to be due to lipid peroxidation.
Metal oxide nanomaterials are widely used in practical applications and represent a class of nanomaterials with the highest global annual production. Many of those, such as TiO2 and ZnO, are ...generally considered non‐toxic due to the lack of toxicity of the bulk material. However, these materials typically exhibit toxicity to bacteria and fungi, and there have been emerging concerns about their ecotoxicity effects. The understanding of the toxicity mechanisms is incomplete, with different studies often reporting contradictory results. The relationship between the material properties and toxicity appears to be complex and diifficult to understand, which is partly due to incomplete characterization of the nanomaterial, and possibly due to experimental artefacts in the characterization of the nanomaterial and/or its interactions with living organisms. This review discusses the comprehensive characterization of metal oxide nanomaterials and the mechanisms of their toxicity.
The study of toxicity of metal oxide nanomaterials attracts huge interest due to their increasing use in various consumer products. Incomplete characterization of the nanomaterials and experimental artefacts hinder the study of the relationship between the material properties and their toxicity. Characterization methods for metal oxide nanomaterials and the mechanisms of their toxicity are discussed in this review.
Recent high-throughput sequencing technology has led to an expansion of knowledge regarding the microbial communities (microbiome) across various built environments (BEs). The microbiome of the BE is ...dependent upon building factors and conditions that govern how outdoor microbes enter and persist in the BE. Additionally, occupants are crucial in shaping the microbiome of the BE by releasing human-associated microorganisms and resuspending microbes on floors and surfaces. Therefore, both the outdoors and occupants act as major sources of microorganisms found in the BE. However, most characterizations of the microbiome of the BE have been conducted in the Western world. Notably, outdoor locations and population groups present geographical variations in outdoor and human microbiomes, respectively. Given the influences of the outdoor and human microbiomes on BE microbiology, and the geographical variations in outdoor and human microbiomes, it is likely that the microbiomes of BEs also vary by location. The summation of microbiomes between BEs contribute to a potential BE pan-microbiome, which will both consist of microbes that are ubiquitous in indoor environments around the world, and microbes that appear to be endemic to particular geographical locations. Importantly, the BE pan-microbiome can potentially question the global application of our current views on indoor microbiology. In this review, we first provide an assessment on the roles of building and occupant properties on shaping the microbiome of the BE. This is then followed by a description of geographical variations in the microbiomes of the outdoors and humans, the two main sources of microbes in BEs. We present evidence of differences in microbiomes of BEs around the world, demonstrating the existence of a global pan-microbiome of the BE that is larger than the microbiome of any single indoor environment. Finally, we discuss the significance of understanding the BE pan-microbiome and identifying universal and location-specific relationships between building and occupant characteristics and indoor microbiology. This review highlights the much needed efforts towards determining the pan-microbiome of the BE, thereby identifying general and location-specific links between the microbial communities of the outdoors, human, and BE ecosystems, ultimately improving the health, comfort, and productivity of occupants around the world.
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