Correlates of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Austria: trust and the government.

BACKGROUND: With the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic surging and new mutations evolving, trust in vaccines is essential. METHODS: We explored correlates of vaccine hesitancy, considering political believes and psychosocial concepts, conducting a non-probability quota-sampled online survey with 1007 Austrians. RESULTS: We identified several important correlates of vaccine hesitancy, ranging from demographics to complex factors such as voting behavior or trust in the government. Among those with hesitancy towards a COVID-19 vaccine, having voted for opposition parties (opp) or not voted (novote) were (95% Confidence Intervall (CI)opp, 1.44-2.95) to 2.25-times (95%CInovote, 1.53-3.30) that of having voted for governing parties. Only 46.2% trusted the Austrian government to provide safe vaccines, and 80.7% requested independent scientific evaluations regarding vaccine safety to increase willingness to vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to expected, psychosocial dimensions were only weakly correlated with vaccine hesitancy. However, the strong correlation between distrust in the vaccine and distrust in authorities suggests a common cause of disengagement from public discourse.

Working from home, quality of life, and perceived productivity during the first 50-day COVID-19 mitigation measures in Austria: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore changes in quality of life and perceived productivity, focusing on the effects of working from home during the first COVID-19 50-day mitigation period in Austria. METHODS: We conducted an Austrian-representative online survey (N = 1010) of self-reported life- and work-related changes during the first COVID-19 50-day mitigation period (March 16 through May 1 2020) compared to the situation before. We used multinominal logistic regression models to identify correlates of improved/decreased quality of life in the entire sample, and of improved/decreased productivity in a subsample of the working population (N = 686). We also calculated age- and multivariable-adjusted ORs and 95% CIs of an improved/decreased quality of life and an improved/decreased productivity by work from home status. RESULTS: During the COVID-19 mitigation period, quality of life improved in 17.5%, but decreased in 20.7% of the general Austrian population; perceived productivity at work increased in 12.7%, but decreased in 30.2% of the working population. Working from home during the mitigation period was associated with an increased quality of life (vs. none, partially: OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.09-3.91; all the time: 3.69, 1.86-7.29). In contrast, perceived productivity seemed to decrease when people worked from home (vs. none, partially: 1.42, 0.86-2.35; all the time: 1.48, 0.85-2.58). Working from home and related benefits were not equally distributed among gender, age, and educational attainment. CONCLUSIONS: A transition to more flexibility of workplace and working hours for employees could have important positive consequences for family and professional life, for stakeholders, for public health, and ultimately for the environment.

Spider Chitin: An Ultrafast Microwave-Assisted Method for Chitin Isolation from Caribena versicolor Spider Molt Cuticle.

Chitin, as a fundamental polysaccharide in invertebrate skeletons, continues to be actively investigated, especially with respect to new sources and the development of effective methods for its extraction. Recent attention has been focused on marine crustaceans and sponges; however, the potential of spiders (order Araneae) as an alternative source of tubular chitin has been overlooked. In this work, we focused our attention on chitin from up to 12 cm-large Theraphosidae spiders, popularly known as tarantulas or bird-eating spiders. These organisms "lose" large quantities of cuticles during their molting cycle. Here, we present for the first time a highly effective method for the isolation of chitin from Caribena versicolor spider molt cuticle, as well as its identification and characterization using modern analytical methods. We suggest that the tube-like molt cuticle of this spider can serve as a naturally prefabricated and renewable source of tubular chitin with high potential for application in technology and biomedicine.

Valuable Metals-Recovery Processes, Current Trends, and Recycling Strategies.

This Review provides an overview of valuable metals, the supply of which has been classified as critical for Europe. Starting with a description of the current state of the art, novel approaches for their recovery from primary resources are presented as well as recycling processes. The focus lies on developments since 2005. Chemistry strategies which are used in metal recovery are summarized on the basis of the individual types of deposit and mineral. In addition, the economic importance as well as utilization of the metals is outlined.

Hydrogen absorption and desorption in the V-Al-H system.

The presented work sets out to investigate the influence of aluminium on the hydrogenation of vanadium by first studying the hydrogenation properties of the V-H system in detail followed by the study of the V-Al-H system. Aluminium was found to have a stabilising effect on vanadium hydride phases. Presumably by functioning as an oxygen getter, aluminium lowers equilibrium pressures and increases hydrogen capacities in respect to the V/H ratio compared to the V-H system. Attempts of the synthesis of the hypothetical V(AlH4)x by metathesis and direct hydrogenation were not successful, suggesting its instability below room temperature at ambient pressure as well as up to 180 bar of hydrogen pressure in the temperature range of 30 to 100 °C.

Neodymium Recovery from the Aqueous Phase Using a Residual Material from Saccharified Banana-Rachis/Polyethylene-Glycol.

Neodymium (Nd) is a key rare earth element (REE) needed for the future of incoming technologies including road transport and power generation. Hereby, a sustainable adsorbent material for recovering Nd from the aqueous phase using a residue from the saccharification process is presented. Banana rachis (BR) was treated with cellulases and polyethylene glycol (PEG) to produce fermentable sugars prior to applying the final residue (BR-PEG) as an adsorbent material. BR-PEG was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), compositional analysis, pH of zero charge (pHpzc), Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). A surface response experimental design was used for obtaining the optimized adsorption conditions in terms of the pH of the aqueous phase and the particle size. With the optimal conditions, equilibrium isotherms, kinetics and adsorption-desorption cycles were performed. The optimal pH and particle size were 4.5 and 209.19 µm, respectively. BR-PEG presented equilibrium kinetics after 20 min and maximum adsorption capacities of 44.11 mg/g. In terms of reusage, BR-PEG can be efficiently reused for five adsorption-desorption cycles. BR-PEG was demonstrated to be a low-cost bioresourced alternative for recovering Nd by adsorption.

Bioderived Pickering Emulsion Based on Chitosan/Trialkyl Phosphine Oxides Applied to Selective Recovery of Rare Earth Elements.

A novel biobased pickering emulsion (PE) material was prepared by the encapsulation of Cyanex 923 (Cy923) into chitosan (CS) to selectively recover rare earth elements (REEs) from the aqueous phase. The preparation of PE was optimized through sequentially applying a 23 full factorial design, followed by a 33 Box-Behnken design varying the Cy923 content, CS concentration, and pH of CS. The material was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy, rheological, compositional, and stability measurements. The resultant material was evaluated in the removal of yttrium by pH influence, nitrate concentration, kinetics, equilibrium isotherms, reusability, and a comparison with liquid-liquid (L-L) extraction and tested in a real scenario to extract Y from a fluorescent lamp powder waste. In addition, the selectivity of PE for REE was investigated with Y/Ca, Gd/Ca, and La/Ni systems. PE extracts REE at 1 ≤ pH ≤ 5 at nitrate concentrations up to 2 mol/L. The kinetics and equilibrium studies showed reaction times <5 min and a maximum sorption capacity of 89.98 mg/g. Compared with L-L extraction, PE consumed 48% less Cy923 without using organic diluents. PE showed a remarkable selectivity for REE in the systems evaluated, showing separation factors of 22.62, 9.35, and 504.64 for the blends Y/Ca, Gd/Ca/Mg, and La/Ni, respectively. PE showed excellent selectivity extracting Y from a real aqueous liquor from the fluorescent lamp powder. PE demonstrates to be an effective and sustainable alternative for REE recovering due to its excellent efficiency in harsh conditions, favorable green chemistry metrics, and use of a biopolymer material in its composition avoiding the use of organic solvents used in L-L extraction.

Determinants of trust in times of crises: A cross-sectional study of 3,065 German-speaking adults from the D-A-CH region.

Interpersonal trust declined worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic; strategies are needed to restore it. We surveyed 3,065 quota-sampled German-speaking adults residing in the D-A-CH region. Using multinomial logistic regression models and backward elimination for variable selection, we calculated multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) to appraise correlates of interpersonal trust using the Interpersonal Trust Short Scale (KUSIV3). Participants with high levels of interpersonal trust (top KUSIV3 tertile (T3)) tended to be older, male, residents of Switzerland, university degree holders, and workers with higher income and work satisfaction (all Pdiff<0.01) compared to those in the lowest KUSIV3 tertile (T1). Optimism was most strongly associated with high interpersonal trust (ORT3vsT1 = 5.75, 95%CI = 4.33-7.64). Also significantly associated with high interpersonal trust were: Having voted in the last national election (for the opposition, OR = 1.39, 95%CI = 1.02-1.89 or the governing party, OR = 1.61, 95%CI = 1.23-2.11) versus non-voters; perspective taking (ORT3vsT1 = 1.46, 95%CI = 1.11-1.91); being more extraverted (ORT3vsT1 = 1.99, 95%CI = 1.53-2.59) and more agreeable (ORT3vsT1 = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.46-2.61); and scoring higher on complexity thinking (ORT3vsT1 = 1.32, 95%CI = 1.01-1.72). Participants scoring significantly lower for interpersonal trust did not regularly participate in religious meetings (OR = 0.61, 95%CI = 0.44-0.84, versus participation at least monthly); were more conscientious (ORT3vsT1 = 0.68, 95%CI = 0.51-0.91) or current smokers (OR = 0.68; 95%CI = 0.53-0.87, versus never smoking); had sleep problems >5 times a week (OR = 0.48; 95%CI = 0.36-0.66, versus none); and scored high on conspiracy belief (ORT3vsT1 = 0.53; 95%CI = 0.41-0.69). Results differed minimally by gender and country. These findings may be helpful in devising targeted strategies to strengthen interpersonal trust and social engagement in European societies, especially during times of crises.

Cell-free synthesis of silver nanoparticles in spent media of different Aspergillus species.

The recovery and valorization of metals and rare earth metals from wastewater are of great importance to prevent environmental pollution and recover valuable resources. Certain bacterial and fungal species are capable of removing metal ions from the environment by facilitating their reduction and precipitation. Even though the phenomenon is well documented, little is known about the mechanism. Therefore, we systematically investigated the influence of nitrogen sources, cultivation time, biomass, and protein concentration on silver reduction capacities of cell-free cultivation media (spent media) of Aspergillus niger, A. terreus, and A. oryzae. The spent medium of A. niger showed the highest silver reduction capacities with up to 15 µmol per milliliter spent medium when ammonium was used as the sole N-source. Silver ion reduction in the spent medium was not driven by enzymes and did not correlate with biomass concentration. Nearly full reduction capacity was reached after 2 days of incubation, long before the cessation of growth and onset of the stationary phase. The size of silver nanoparticles formed in the spent medium of A. niger was influenced by the nitrogen source, with silver nanoparticles formed in nitrate or ammonium-containing medium having an average diameter of 32 and 6 nm, respectively.

Willingness to receive an annual COVID-19 booster vaccine in the German-speaking D-A-CH region in Europe: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Emergence of new coronavirus variants and waning immunity may necessitate regular COVID-19 vaccine boosters, but empirical data on population willingness for regular vaccination are limited. Methods: In August 2021, we surveyed 3,067 quota-sampled German-speaking adults residing in the D-A-CH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). Using multivariable adjusted ordered logistic regression models we calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) to assess factors associated with willingness to vaccinate annually against COVID-19. Findings: Among 2,480 participants vaccinated or planning to get vaccinated, 82·4% indicated willingness to receive annual COVID-19 boosters. This willingness was higher in Austria (OR=1·47, 95% CI, 1·19-1·82; p < 0·001) and Germany (OR=1·98, 95% CI, 1·60-2·45; p < 0·001) versus Switzerland and increased with age. Having voted in the last national election (ORopposition party voters=1·51, 95% CI=1·18-1·92; p = 0·001 and ORgoverning party voters=1·57, 95% CI=1·28-1·93; p < 0·001, versus non-voters) and not regularly participating in religious meetings (OR=1·37, 95% CI=1·08-1·73; p = 0·009, versus participation at least monthly) were significantly associated with willingness to vaccinate, as was partial (OR=1·97, 95% CI=1·43-2·72; p < 0·001) or total (OR=5·20, 95% CI=3·76-7·19; p < 0·001) approval of COVID-19 mitigation measures (versus non-approval). By country, Austrians showed the strongest association of voting behavior and mitigation measure approval with willingness to vaccinate. Interpretation: Targeted promotion programs informed by political and religious engagement and mitigation measure approval are needed to increase willingness to receive regular COVID-19 boosters. Funding: Medical University of Vienna, Department of Epidemiology, Danube University Krems, Department for Knowledge and Communication Management; Austrian Society of Epidemiology.

Formate dehydrogenase--a biocatalyst with novel applications in organic chemistry.

In the field of industrial biocatalysis, formate dehydrogenase (FDH) is well established, in particular for its broad application in cofactor regeneration. Further applications have been limited by the enzyme's narrow range of substrates. These restrictions have been overcome now by the finding, that the enzyme is capable of selectively cleaving formic acid esters to the respective alcohol. Five homologous alkyl formates and phenyl formate as an aromatic ester were converted quantitatively by FDH from Candida boidinii in a batch reaction within 3 to 5 h. The substrates were turned irreversibly into carbon dioxide and the respective alcohol through hydride abstraction from the formyl group with full conversion. The mechanism shows parallels to hydrolysis reactions of the A(AC)1-type. K(M)-values and reactions rates of the tested formic acid esters display a tendency to higher conversion rates with increasing chain length. FDH emerged to be a superior deformylation catalyst compared to hydrolases as well as classical catalysts, as was shown by the selective deformylation of 1-acetoxy-4-formoxy butane (92%) and 1,3-bis(3-formoxypropyl)tetramethyldisiloxane. In particular its capability to distinguish between formic acid esters and non-formic acid esters renders the method particularly suitable for protective group chemistry. Furthermore the completeness of deformylation allows for converting substrates highly incompatible with aqueous media like siloxanes within a few hours.

Comment on Alley, S.J., et al. As the Pandemic Progresses, How Does Willingness to Vaccinate against COVID-19 Evolve? Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 797.

We would like to extend on the article by Alley et al [...].

Extreme Biomimetics: Designing of the First Nanostructured 3D Spongin-Atacamite Composite and its Application.

The design of new composite materials using extreme biomimetics is of crucial importance for bioinspired materials science. Further progress in research and application of these new materials is impossible without understanding the mechanisms of formation, as well as structural features at the molecular and nano-level. It presents a challenge to obtain a holistic understanding of the mechanisms underlying the interaction of organic and inorganic phases under conditions of harsh chemical reactions for biopolymers. Yet, an understanding of these mechanisms can lead to the development of unusual-but functional-hybrid materials. In this work, a key way of designing centimeter-scale macroporous 3D composites, using renewable marine biopolymer spongin and a model industrial solution that simulates the highly toxic copper-containing waste generated in the production of printed circuit boards worldwide, is proposed. A new spongin-atacamite composite material is developed and its structure is confirmed using neutron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy/selected-area electron diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The formation mechanism for this material is also proposed. This study provides experimental evidence suggesting multifunctional applicability of the designed composite in the development of 3D constructed sensors, catalysts, and antibacterial filter systems.

Highly efficient and stereoselective biosynthesis of (2S,5S)-hexanediol with a dehydrogenase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The enantiopure (2S,5S)-hexanediol serves as a versatile building block for the production of various fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. For industrial and commercial scale, the diol is currently obtained through bakers' yeast-mediated reduction of 2,5-hexanedione. However, this process suffers from its insufficient space-time yield of about 4 g L(-1) d(-1) (2S,5S)-hexanediol. Thus, a new synthesis route is required that allows for higher volumetric productivity. For this reason, the enzyme which is responsible for 2,5-hexanedione reduction in bakers' yeast was identified after purification to homogeneity and subsequent MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy analysis. As a result, the dehydrogenase Gre2p was shown to be responsible for the majority of the diketone reduction, by comparison to a Gre2p deletion strain lacking activity towards 2,5-hexanedione. Bioreduction using the recombinant enzyme afforded the (2S,5S)-hexanediol with >99% conversion yield and in >99.9% de and ee. Moreover, the diol was obtained with an unsurpassed high volumetric productivity of 70 g L(-1) d(-1) (2S,5S)-hexanediol. Michaelis-Menten kinetic studies have shown that Gre2p is capable of catalysing both the reduction of 2,5-hexanedione as well as the oxidation of (2S,5S)-hexanediol, but the catalytic efficiency of the reduction is three times higher. Furthermore, the enzyme's ability to reduce other keto-compounds, including further diketones, was studied, revealing that the application can be extended to alpha-diketones and aldehydes.

Engineering cofactor preference of ketone reducing biocatalysts: A mutagenesis study on a γ-diketone reductase from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae serving as an example.

The synthesis of pharmaceuticals and catalysts more and more relies on enantiopure chiral building blocks. These can be produced in an environmentally benign and efficient way via bioreduction of prochiral ketones catalyzed by dehydrogenases. A productive source of these biocatalysts is the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, whose genome also encodes a reductase catalyzing the sequential reduction of the gamma-diketone 2,5-hexanedione furnishing the diol (2S,5S)-hexanediol and the gamma-hydroxyketone (5S)-hydroxy-2-hexanone in high enantio- as well as diastereoselectivity (ee and de >99.5%). This enzyme prefers NADPH as the hydrogen donating cofactor. As NADH is more stable and cheaper than NADPH it would be more effective if NADH could be used in cell-free bioreduction systems. To achieve this, the cofactor binding site of the dehydrogenase was altered by site-directed mutagenesis. The results show that the rational approach based on a homology model of the enzyme allowed us to generate a mutant enzyme having a relaxed cofactor preference and thus is able to use both NADPH and NADH. Results obtained from other mutants are discussed and point towards the limits of rationally designed mutants.

Liquid Membranes for Efficient Recovery of Phenolic Compounds Such as Vanillin and Catechol.

Investigations were carried out to obtain different lignin monomers such as vanillin and catechol as efficiently as possible, to prevent side reactions e.g., during lignin degradation. Therefore, extraction experiments were performed to determine the influence of parameters such as initial pH in the aqueous phase, organic phases containing alcohols or solvating extractants, and monomer concentrations. Cyanex 923 (Cy923) and tri-n-butyl-phosphat (TBP) diluted in kerosene were the organic phases chosen to evaluate the transport of vanillin because of their high efficiencies (>76.8%) and suitability in membrane technologies. The most efficient vanillin transport was accomplished with Cy923, as > 90% of vanillin was transferred after 5 h. However, the permeability coefficient at carrier concentration of > 0.48 mol/L was influenced not only by the diffusion but also by the organic mixture viscosity. Thus, this concentration was used in the membrane experiment containing a mixture of vanillin and catechol in the feed phase. Catechol was transported about 7% faster to the receiving phase than vanillin, presumably due to its chemical structure. Side reactions were avoided using the current liquid membrane set-up, allowing the further industrial application of an entire process, which, e.g., recovers vanillin from enzymatic lignin conversion by membrane technology.

Fast Response to Superspreading: Uncertainty and Complexity in the Context of COVID-19.

Although the first coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) wave has peaked with the second wave underway, the world is still struggling to manage potential systemic risks and unpredictability of the pandemic. A particular challenge is the "superspreading" of the virus, which starts abruptly, is difficult to predict, and can quickly escalate into medical and socio-economic emergencies that contribute to long-lasting crises challenging our current ways of life. In these uncertain times, organizations and societies worldwide are faced with the need to develop appropriate strategies and intervention portfolios that require fast understanding of the complex interdependencies in our world and rapid, flexible action to contain the spread of the virus as quickly as possible, thus preventing further disastrous consequences of the pandemic. We integrate perspectives from systems sciences, epidemiology, biology, social networks, and organizational research in the context of the superspreading phenomenon to understand the complex system of COVID-19 pandemic and develop suggestions for interventions aimed at rapid responses.

Biocatalytical production of (5S)-hydroxy-2-hexanone.

Biocatalytical approaches have been investigated in order to improve accessibility of the bifunctional chiral building block (5S)-hydroxy-2-hexanone ((S)-2). As a result, a new synthetic route starting from 2,5-hexanedione (1) was developed for (S)-2, which is produced with high enantioselectivity (ee >99%). Since (S)-2 can be reduced further to furnish (2S,5S)-hexanediol ((2S,5S)-3), chemoselectivity is a major issue. Among the tested biocatalysts the whole-cell system S. cerevisiae L13 surpasses the bacterial dehydrogenase ADH-T in terms of chemoselectivity. The use of whole-cells of S. cerevisiae L13 affords (S)-2 from prochiral 1 with 85% yield, which is 21% more than the value obtained with ADH-T. This is due to the different reaction rates of monoreduction (1-->2) and consecutive reduction (2-->3) of the respective biocatalysts. In order to optimise the performance of the whole-cell-bioreduction 1 2 with S. cerevisiae, the system was studied in detail, revealing interactions between cell-physiology and xenobiotic substrate and by-products, respectively. This study compares the whole-cell biocatalytic route with the enzymatic route to enantiopure (S)-2 and investigates factors determining performance and outcome of the bioreductions.

Spider Chitin. The biomimetic potential and applications of Caribena versicolor tubular chitin.

Diverse fields of modern technology and biomedicine can benefit from the application of ready-to-use chitin-based scaffolds. In this work we show for the first time the applicability of tubular and porous chitin from Caribena versicolor spiders as a scaffold for the development of an effective CuO/Cu(OH)2 catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AM), and as a scaffold for the tissue engineering of selected cells. The formation of CuO/Cu(OH)2 phases on and within the chitinous tubes leads to a hybrid material with excellent catalytic performance with respect to the reduction of p-nitrophenol. On the other hand, experimental results provide for the first time strong evidence for the biocompatibility of spider chitin with different cell types, a human progenitor cell line (hPheo1), as well as cardiomyocytes differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-CMs) that were cultured on a tube-like scaffold.