As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic continues, reinfection is likely to become increasingly common. However, confirming COVID‐19 reinfection is difficult because it requires ...whole‐genome sequencing of both infections to identify the degrees of genetic differences. Since the first reported case of reinfection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) in the Republic of Korea in April 2020, four additional cases were classified as suspected reinfection cases. We performed whole‐genome sequencing of viral RNA extracted from swabs obtained at the initial infection and reinfection stages of these four suspected cases. The interval between initial infection and reinfection of all four suspected cases was more than 3 months. All four patients were young (10–29 years), and they displayed mild symptoms or were asymptomatic during the initial infection and reinfection episodes. The analysis of genome sequences combined with the epidemiological results revealed that only two of the four cases were confirmed as reinfection, and both were reinfected with the Epsilon variant. Due to the prolonged COVID‐19 pandemic, the possibility of reinfections with SARS‐CoV‐2 variants is increasing, as reported in our study. Therefore, continuous monitoring of cases is necessary.
Highlights
We investigated four suspected SARS‐CoV‐2 reinfection cases in Korea.
We performed whole genome sequencing of initial and reinfection samples.
Two of the four suspected cases were confirmed as reinfection cases.
The Epsilon variant was detected in the reinfected patients.
This study is a comparison of the effect of biochar produced by bioenergy systems, via the pyrolysis and gasification processes, on the immobilization of metals/metalloids in soil. Because the ...processes for these two techniques vary, the feedstocks undergo different heating regimens and, as a result, their respective char products exhibit different physico-chemical properties. Therefore, this study focuses on (1) the characterization of derivative biochar from the bioenergy system to understand their features and (2) an exploration of various biochar impacts on the mobility of As and Pb in contaminated soil. The results showed bioenergy biochars (BBCs) performed well in mitigating Pb extractability (1 M ammonium acetate) with a Pb immobilization >80%, but unfavorably mobilized the bioavailable As, likely because of electrostatic repulsion and ion exchange competition. The BBC surface functional group would chemically bond with the As and remain stable against the pH change. An increment in aromatic carbon would effectively enhance cation-π interaction for Pb immobilization. Nevertheless, an amendment with richer condensed structure and higher inorganic minerals (Ca2+, K+, Mg2+, and Na+) can lead to better performance in retaining Pb.
Display omitted
•Bioenergy system biochars (BBC) can be used to mitigate the bioavailability of metal(loid) pollutants in soil.•The use of oxidizing gas in bioenergy technology can increase the surface functionality of the carbonaceous by-product.•BBC characteristics are closely related to the immobilization performance of Pb and As in soil.
Backgrounds
The environmental impacts of microplastics (MPs) are increasingly of concern, particularly for their sources, global distribution, and persistency in aquatic ecosystems. Although the ...ubiquitous and persistent nature of MPs in waterbodies is evident, their effects and health implications for aquatic animals are still open to debate.
Objective
The brine shrimp,
Artemia franciscana
was exposed to different concentrations (1–1000 particles mL
−1
) of four sizes (1, 3, 6, and 10 μm) of non-functionalized polystyrene microbeads. To measure MPs effects, several physiological and biochemical parameters such as ingestion and egestion, stress biomarkers e.g., heat shock protein 70 (
hsp70
) family, enzymatic activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and survival rate for 30 days were analyzed.
Results
Exposure to waterborne MPs showed clear ingestion and egestion in
A. franciscana
. Exposure to relatively larger sizes of 1000 particles mL
−1
MPs dose–dependently increased mRNA expression of
hsp70
families and enzymatic activities of CAT and SOD within 96 h. Significant inhibitory effects on AChE activity were observed in response to 1000 particles mL
−1
with increases in mortality for 30 days. Thirty-day survival of juveniles was dose-dependently affected, with greater effects seen at 1000 particles mL
−1
of MPs.
Conclusion
Our results suggest that MPs exposure to the early stages of brine shrimp could be detrimental for population maintenance through inhibition of cholinergic system and the induction of acute cell stress, including oxidative stress.
Half-bridge silicon strain gauges are widely used in the fabrication of diaphragm-type high-pressure sensors, but in some applications, they suffer from low output sensitivity because of mounting ...position constraints. Through a special design and fabrication approach, a new half-bridge silicon strain gauge comprising one arc gauge responding to tangential strain and another linear gauge measuring radial strain was developed using Silicon-on-Glass (SiOG) substrate technology. The tangential gauge consists of grid patterns, such as the reciprocating arc of silicon piezoresistors on a thin glass substrate. When two half-bridges are connected to form a full bridge with arc-shaped gauges that respond to tangential strain, they have the advantage of providing much higher output sensitivity than a conventional half-bridge. Pressure sensors tested under pressure ranging from 0 to 50 bar at five different temperatures indicate a linear output with a typical sensitivity of approximately 16 mV/V/bar, a maximum zero shift of 0.05% FS, and a span shift of 0.03% FS. The higher output level of pressure sensing gauges will provide greater signal strength, thus maintaining a better signal-to-noise ratio than conventional pressure sensors. The offset and span shift curves are quite linear across the operating temperature range, giving the end user the advantage of using very simple algorithms for temperature compensation of offset and span shift.
Chlorothalonil is a thiol-reactive antifoulant that disperses widely and has been found in the marine environment. However, there is limited information on the deleterious effects of chlorothalonil ...in marine mollusks. In this study, we evaluated the effects of chlorothalonil on the gill tissues of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas and the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis after exposure to different concentrations of chlorothalonil (0.1, 1, and 10 μg L-1) for 96 h. Following exposure to 1 and/or 10 μg L-1 of chlorothalonil, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels significantly increased in the gill tissues of C. gigas and M. edulis compared to that in the control group at 96 h. Similarly, glutathione (GSH) levels were significantly affected in both bivalves after chlorothalonil exposure. The chlorothalonil treatment caused a significant time- and concentration-dependent increase in the activity of enzymes, such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GR), in the antioxidant defense system. Furthermore, 10 μg L-1 of chlorothalonil resulted in significant inhibitions in the enzymatic activity of Na+/K+-ATPase and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). These results suggest that chlorothalonil induces potential oxidative stress and changes in osmoregulation and the cholinergic system in bivalve gill tissues. This information will be a useful reference for the potential toxicity of chlorothalonil in marine bivalves.
In this paper, Ti/SnO2-Sb electrodes with different Sb dopant amounts were successfully fabricated on acid-treated Ti substrates by a thermal decomposition method; this was done in an attempt to ...examine the effect of the doping amount on the electrochemical activity and stability of the electrode. The physicochemical properties of the prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrochemical properties were investigated by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), and the stability was studied via accelerated lifetime testing. The electro-catalytic activity of the prepared Ti/SnO2-Sb electrodes was strongly dependent on the amount of the Sb dopant, leading to a change in the OER overpotential. Among the prepared samples, the Ti/SnO2 electrode with 10% of a Sb dopant showed the highest catalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and 87% of COD removal with 20 mA cm−2 of current density for 60 min was achieved in the presence of 10.0 g L−1 of chloride. The findings reported herein suggest that the Ti/SnO2 electrode with an optimized Sb dopant amount shows enhanced electro-catalytic performance by easily generating active hydroxyl radicals, which act as strong oxidizing agents.
•Ti/SnO2-Sb electrodes with different amounts of Sb doping were prepared by thermal decomposition.•The prepared electrodes exhibited a cracked surface morphology and were not crystalline.•The efficiency of COD elimination depended largely on the amount of Sb.
Abstract
Aims
Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type-9 (PCSK9), a molecular determinant of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor (LDLR) fate, has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for ...atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. However, the precise mechanism by which PCSK9 regulates the internalization and lysosomal degradation of LDLR is unknown. Recently, we identified adenylyl cyclase-associated protein 1 (CAP1) as a receptor for human resistin whose globular C-terminus is structurally similar to the C-terminal cysteine-rich domain (CRD) of PCSK9. Herein, we investigated the role of CAP1 in PCSK9-mediated lysosomal degradation of LDLR and plasma LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) levels.
Methods and results
The direct binding between PCSK9 and CAP1 was confirmed by immunoprecipitation assay, far-western blot, biomolecular fluorescence complementation, and surface plasmon resonance assay. Fine mapping revealed that the CRD of PCSK9 binds with the Src homology 3 binding domain (SH3BD) of CAP1. Two loss-of-function polymorphisms found in human PCSK9 (S668R and G670E in CRD) were attributed to a defective interaction with CAP1. siRNA against CAP1 reduced the PCSK9-mediated degradation of LDLR in vitro. We generated CAP1 knock-out mice and found that the viable heterozygous CAP1 knock-out mice had higher protein levels of LDLR and lower LDL-C levels in the liver and plasma, respectively, than the control mice. Mechanistic analysis revealed that PCSK9-induced endocytosis and lysosomal degradation of LDLR were mediated by caveolin but not by clathrin, and they were dependent on binding between CAP1 and caveolin-1.
Conclusion
We identified CAP1 as a new binding partner of PCSK9 and a key mediator of caveolae-dependent endocytosis and lysosomal degradation of LDLR.
Intrinsic drug resistance of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) warrants studies using models that are more clinically relevant for identifying novel resistance mechanisms as well as for drug ...development. Tumor spheroids (TS) mimic in vivo tumor conditions associated with multicellular resistance and represent a promising model for efficient drug screening, however, pancreatic cancer cells often fail to form spheroids using conventional methods such as liquid overlay. This study describes the induction of TS of human pancreatic cancer cells (Panc-1, Aspc-1, Capan-2) in concave polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microwell plates and evaluation of their usefulness as an anticancer efficacy test model. All three cell lines showed TS formation with varying degree of necrosis inside TS. Among these, Panc-1 spheroid with spherical morphology, a rather rough surface, and unique adhesion structures were successfully produced with no notable necrosis in concave microwell plates. Panc-1 TS contained growth factors or enzymes such as TGF-β1, CTGF, and MT1-MMP, and extracellular matrix proteins such as collagen type I, fibronectin, and laminin. Panc-1 cells grown as TS showed changes in stem cell populations and in expression levels of miRNAs that may play roles in chemoresistance. Visualization of drug penetration and detection of viability indicators, such as Ki-67 and MitoSOX, were optimized for TS for quantitative analysis. Water-soluble tetrazolium (MTS) and acid phosphatase (APH) assays were also successfully optimized. Overall, we demonstrated that concave PDMS microwell plates are a novel platform for preparation of TS of weakly aggregating cells and that Panc-1 spheroids may represent a novel three-dimensional model for anti-pancreatic cancer drug screening.
Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (ApHCM) is considered a 'benign' form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, with limited data on the long-term outcome. However, the clinical impact of atrial ...fibrillation (AF) in ApHCM is largely unknown. The hypothesis was that AF is common and has a prognostic implication in ApHCM.
The occurrence of AF and outcome was assessed in 306 consecutive patients with ApHCM (68% male, 62±11 years).
AF occurred in 77 patients with ApHCM (prevalence, 25.2%; annual incidence, 4.6%/year) and was independently predicted by old age and large left atrium (>45 mm). Among 70 AF patients indicated with anticoagulation, 53 patients (76%) received warfarin. During a follow-up of 5.5±2.0 years, the patients with AF had a higher incidence of all-cause death, cardiovascular death and strokes (11.7% vs 1.3%, 6.5% vs 0.9% and 19.5% vs 2.6%, respectively, all p<0.05) than those without AF. When adjusted by the age and gender, those with AF still had an increased risk for all-cause death (HR 6.58; 95% CI 1.65-26.16, p=0.007) and strokes (HR 5.13; 95% CI 1.85 to 14.18, p=0.002). AF was detected before the time of stroke in 8 (53%) out of 15 patients with both AF and stroke. In addition, six out of eight patients were on anticoagulation at the time of stroke. The cause of death was a stroke in three (33%) out of nine patients with AF.
In patients with ApHCM, AF was common and was associated with a substantial risk for strokes and mortality suggesting that AF should be carefully managed in ApHCM.
We conducted this study to assess preliminary 2-year safety outcomes of an implant-based augmentation mammaplasty using the BellaGel® SmoothFine in the context of the first Korean case of a medical ...device fraud.
Our clinical series of the patients (n = 579; 1,158 breasts) received augmentation using the BellaGel® SmoothFine, Naturgel™, Motiva Ergonomix™, Eurosilicone Round Collection™, Natrelle® INSPIRA™, Natrelle® 410, Mentor® MemoryGel Xtra or Microthane®. The patients were evaluated for incidences of postoperative complications and Kaplan-Meier survival and hazards.
Overall, there were a total of 101 cases (17.4%) of postoperative complications; these include 31 cases (5.4%) of shape deformity, 21 cases (3.6%) of CC, 18 cases (3.1%) of early seroma, 8 cases (1.4%) of infection, 5 cases (0.9%) of early hematoma, 1 case (0.2%) of delayed hematoma, 1 case (0.2%) of rupture and 1 case (0.2%) of ripping. Moreover, there were also 15 cases (2.6%) of other complications. There were significant differences in incidences of postoperative complications between the breast implants from different manufacturers (P = 0.034). The Natrelle® 410 showed the longest survival (333.3±268.2 141.5-525.1 days). A subgroup analysis showed that there were no significant differences in incidences of postoperative complications between the breast implants (P = 0.831). Moreover, the Natrelle® INSPIRA™ showed the longest survival (223.7±107.1 -42.3-489.6 days).
Here, we describe preliminary 2-year safety outcomes of an implant-based augmentation mammaplasty using the BellaGel® SmoothFine in the context of the first Korean case of a medical device fraud.
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