Summary Background In 2015, a large outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection occurred following a single patient exposure in an emergency room at the Samsung ...Medical Center, a tertiary-care hospital in Seoul, South Korea. We aimed to investigate the epidemiology of MERS-CoV outbreak in our hospital. Methods We identified all patients and health-care workers who had been in the emergency room with the index case between May 27 and May 29, 2015. Patients were categorised on the basis of their exposure in the emergency room: in the same zone as the index case (group A), in different zones except for overlap at the registration area or the radiology suite (group B), and in different zones (group C). We documented cases of MERS-CoV infection, confirmed by real-time PCR testing of sputum samples. We analysed attack rates, incubation periods of the virus, and risk factors for transmission. Findings 675 patients and 218 health-care workers were identified as contacts. MERS-CoV infection was confirmed in 82 individuals (33 patients, eight health-care workers, and 41 visitors). The attack rate was highest in group A (20% 23/117 vs 5% 3/58 in group B vs 1% 4/500 in group C; p<0·0001), and was 2% (5/218) in health-care workers. After excluding nine cases (because of inability to determine the date of symptom onset in six cases and lack of data from three visitors), the median incubation period was 7 days (range 2–17, IQR 5–10). The median incubation period was significantly shorter in group A than in group C (5 days IQR 4–8 vs 11 days 6–12; p<0·0001). There were no confirmed cases in patients and visitors who visited the emergency room on May 29 and who were exposed only to potentially contaminated environment without direct contact with the index case. The main risk factor for transmission of MERS-CoV was the location of exposure. Interpretation Our results showed increased transmission potential of MERS-CoV from a single patient in an overcrowded emergency room and provide compelling evidence that health-care facilities worldwide need to be prepared for emerging infectious diseases. Funding None.
A silk nanofiber‐networked bio‐triboelectric generator (Silk Bio‐TEG) is developed using an eco‐friendly and sustainable silk biomaterial with strong hydrogen bonding between peptide blocks. The ...electrospun Silk Bio‐TEG shows highly durable and reliable energy harvesting performances due to its notably high surface‐to‐volume ratio, mechanically super‐strong silk fibers, and fracture tolerant behavior of nanofiber‐networks.
Methylated non-CpGs (mCpH; H means A, C, and T) have emerged as key epigenetic marks in mammalian embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and neurons, regulating cell type-specific functions. In these two cell ...types, mCpHs show distinct motifs and correlations to transcription that could be a key in understanding the cell type-specific regulations. Thus, we attempted to uncover the underlying mechanism of the differences in ESCs and neurons by conducting a comprehensive analysis of public whole genome bisulfite sequencing data. Remarkably, there were cell type-specific mCpH patterns around methylated CpGs (mCpGs), resulted from preferential methylation at different contexts by DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) 3a and 3b. These DNMTs are differentially expressed in ESCs and brain tissues, resulting in distinct mCpH motifs in these two cell types. Furthermore, in ESCs, DNMT3b interacts with histone H3 tri-methylated at lysine 36 (H3K36me3), resulting in hyper-methylation at CpHs upon actively transcribed genes, including those involved in embryo development. Based on the results, we propose a model to explain the differential establishment of mCpHs in ESCs and neurons, providing insights into the mechanism underlying cell type-specific formation and function of mCpHs.
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•Current edge high-rate biohydrogen technologies are reviewed.•Appropriate guidelines to set up a high-rate biohydrogen reactor are provided.•H2 production performances of various ...reactor configurations are discussed.•Microbial community analysis techniques and bioinformatics trends are highlighted.•Sustainability of dark fermentative H2 production is discussed.
Dark fermentation is a technically feasible technology for achieving carbon dioxide-free hydrogen production. This review presents the current findings on continuous hydrogen production using dark fermentation. Several operational strategies and reactor configurations have been suggested. The formation of attached mixed-culture microorganisms is a typical prerequisite for achieving high production rate, hydrogen yield, and resilience. To date, fixed-bed reactors and dynamic membrane bioreactors yielded higher biohydrogen performance than other configurations. The symbiosis between H2-producing bacteria and biofilm-forming bacteria was essential to avoid washout and maintain the high loading rates and hydrogenic metabolic flux. Recent research has initiated a more in-depth comparison of microbial community changes during dark fermentation, primarily with computational science techniques based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing investigations. Future techno-economic analysis of dark fermentative biohydrogen production and perspectives on unraveling mitigation mechanisms induced by attached microorganisms in dark fermentation processes are further discussed.
Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is one of the promising sensing elements for high-performance chemoresistive sensors because of its remarkable advantages such as high surface-to-volume ratio, ...outstanding transparency, and flexibility. In addition, the defects on the surface of rGO, including oxygen functional groups, can act as active sites for interaction with gaseous molecules. However, the major drawback of rGO-based sensors is the extremely sluggish and irreversible recovery to the initial state after a sensing event, which makes them incapable of producing repeatable and reliable sensing signals. Here, we show that pristine GO can be used as the active sensing material with reversible and high response to NO2 at room temperature. First-principles calculations, in conjunction with experimental results, reveal the critical role of hydroxyl groups rather than epoxy groups in changing metallic graphene to the semiconducting GO. We show that the adaptive motions of the hydroxyl groups, that is, the rotation of these groups for the adsorption of NO2 molecules and relaxation to the original states during the desorption of NO2 molecules, are responsible for the fast and reversible NO2 sensing behavior of GO. Our work paves the way for realizing high-response, reversible graphene-based room-temperature chemoresistive sensors for further functional convergence.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an idiopathic inflammatory disorder characterized by chronic and relapsing manifestations. Several environmental factors are known as triggers for exacerbation of ...IBD. However, an association between exacerbation of IBD and ambient temperature is uncertain. This study aimed to estimate the risk of acute exacerbation of IBD due to ambient temperature. We performed a bidirectional case-crossover study using a nationwide claim data from South Korea. The external validation was conducted with a large prospective cohort in the United Kingdom. We confirmed significant associations between acute exacerbation of IBD and the short-term ambient temperature changes toward severe temperatures, in the cold weather (-19.4°C-4.3°C) (odd ratio OR = 1.13, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.13-1.14) and in the hot weather (21.3°C-33.5°C) (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.15-1.17). However, the association was not significant in the moderate weather (4.3°C-21.3°C). The external validation suggested consistent results with additional elevation of acute exacerbation risk in the colder weather (-13.4°C to 2.6°C) (OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.62-2.22) and in the hotter weather (15.7°C-28.4°C) (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.32-1.51). We observed and validated that the short-term ambient temperature changes were associated with acute exacerbation of IBD in the cold and hot weathers. Our findings provide evidence that temperature changes are associated with the acute exacerbation of IBD.
Nanostructured carbon materials doped with a variety of heteroatoms have shown promising electrocatalytic activity in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, understanding of the working ...principles that underpin the superior ORR activity observed with doped nanocarbons is still limited to predictions based on theoretical calculations. Herein, we demonstrate, for the first time, that the enhanced ORR activity in doped nanocarbons can be correlated with the variation in their nanoscale work function. A series of doped ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) were prepared using N, S, and O as dopants; the triple-doped, N,S,O-OMC displayed superior ORR activity and four-electron selectivity compared to the dual-doped (N,O-OMC and S,O-OMC) and the monodoped (O-OMC) OMCs. Significantly, the work functions of these heteroatom-doped OMCs, measured by Kelvin probe force microscopy, display a strong correlation with the activity and reaction kinetics for the ORR. This unprecedented experimental insight can be used to provide an explanation for the enhanced ORR activity of heteroatom-doped carbon materials.
Summary
In this study, the variations in system performance and microbial community composition when treating waste activated sludge without prior chemical or physical pretreatment in anaerobic ...systems is examined. Two lab‐scale digesters, namely anaerobic dynamic membrane bioreactor (AnDMBR) and continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR), were operated and maintained under mesophilic conditions at varying hydraulic retention times (10‐25 days). Decreasing the hydraulic retention time (HRT) affected the methane yield (MY) and methane production rate (MPR) proportionally in both systems. The AnDMBR's maximum MY of 252 mL CH4/g‐VS and MPR of 0.73 L/L/d were 25% and 34% higher than those obtained using the CSTR, respectively. Moreover, a decrease in HRT was accompanied by accumulation of butyric acid in the CSTR, which caused further performance deterioration. In both systems, AnDMBR's dynamic membrane acted as an added layer preventing methanogen wash‐out and retaining the essential microorganisms for stable sludge treatment. Dominance in the microbial composition shifted from a strict acetoclastic to a mixed acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenic community and that a decrease in the ration of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes was associated with the increased MY.
The suitability of anaerobic dynamic membrane bioreactor (AnDMBR) treatment of waste activated sludge without prior pretreatment was studied
The AnDMBR system performed better than a pseudo‐conventional AD system
Volatile fatty acids gradually increased with decreasing hydraulic retention time
Interestingly, decreased abundance of Clostridiales led to a decreased methane yield in both systems
Methanosaeta concilii was the dominant methanogen within the AnDMBR
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•Anaerobic dynamic membrane was used to high-strength particulate organic waste stream.•Dynamic membrane provided SRT/HRT of 2.1–12.1 which enabled high-rate digestion.•Up to 82% VFA ...in mixed liquor was consumed by methanogens in dynamic membrane.•Methanolinea tarda, propionate-tolerant archaea, was dominant at high loading rate.
The applicability of a dynamic membrane (DM) was examined in the anaerobic treatment of high-strength food waste. A DM was established on woven polyester with a pore size of 50 µm, which achieved a solids retention time to hydraulic retention time ratio of 2.1:12.1. The highest average rate of methane production (1.1 L CH4/L/d) was achieved with an organic loading rate (OLR) of 5.0 g chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L/d. Propionate was the most abundant volatile fatty acid (VFA) for OLRs above 3.1 g/L/d, but concentrations were maintained below 0.9 g/L. Up to 82% of the VFAs in the mixed liquor was reduced in the effluent, implying high methanogenic activity of the DM. Microbial assays confirmed a higher archaeal and bacterial content in the DM than in the mixed liquor at shear velocities above 1.0 cm/s. Methanolinea tarda, which is known to be propionate tolerant, was the predominant archaea in the DM.
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•Serum bottles were supplemented with GAC to stimulate DIET.•Methane production rate and yield improved 72% and 31%, respectively.•Abundance of pilA and omcS genes decreased 69.4% and ...29.4%, respectively.•Methanosaeta species were selected over Methanosarcina species.•The carbon dioxide reduction pathway was suggested for methane formation.
To provide insight into direct interspecies electron transfer via granular activated carbon (GAC), the effect of GAC supplementation on anaerobic digestion was evaluated. Compared to control samples, the GAC supplementation increased the total amount of methane production and its production rate by 31% and 72%, respectively. 16S rDNA sequencing analysis revealed a shift in the archaeal community composition; the Methanosarcina proportion decreased 17%, while the Methanosaeta proportion increased 5.6%. Metagenomic analyses based on shotgun sequencing demonstrated that the abundance of pilA and omcS genes belonging to Geobacter species decreased 69.4% and 29.4%, respectively. Furthermore, the analyses suggested a carbon dioxide reduction pathway rather than an acetate decarboxylation pathway for methane formation. Taken together, these results suggest that GAC improved methane production performance by shifting the microbial community and altering functional genes associated with direct interspecies electron transfer via conductive materials.
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