Mitigation measures against Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in overnight faith-based camps: summer 2021.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we describe community-based nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) incorporated into COVID-19 mitigation protocols, and SARS-CoV-2 incidence at five faith-based summer camps in the US. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Six southeastern states within the United States (13 sites) were assessed from May 30 to August 14, 2021 (13 sites; N = 13,132; May-August 2021). Camp mitigation policies and NPIs (including masking, vaccinations, meal arrangements, physical distancing, pre-arrival testing, symptom screening, quarantine/isolation, and ventilation upgrades), and SARS-CoV-2 infections were tracked at each site. RESULTS: The symptomatic primary case attack rate was 24.7 (range: 0.0-120.0) cases per 100,000 people per week. Fewer infections were observed in camps with greater mitigation protocols. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that nonpharmaceutical mitigation can promote stable access to youth programs for historically vaccine-hesitant subgroups. Policy recommendations for nonpharmaceutical interventions to prevent respiratory viral transmission in overnight youth faith-based camp settings may include outdoor activities, accessible symptomatic tests, prearrival testing, indoor mask use, small cohorts, physical distancing, and protocols to minimize staff exposures during time off.

Genome-wide gene expression responses to experimental manipulation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae repressor activator protein 1 (Rap1) expression level.

Precise regulation of transcription in gene expression is critical for all aspects of normal organism form, fitness, and function and even minor alterations in the level, location, and timing of gene expression can result in phenotypic variation within and between species including evolutionary innovations and human disease states. Eukaryotic transcription is regulated by a complex interplay of multiple factors working both at a physical and molecular levels influencing this process. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the TF with the greatest number of putative regulatory targets is the essential gene Repressor Activator Protein 1 (RAP1). While much is known about the roles of Rap1 in gene regulation and numerous cellular processes, the response of Rap1 target genes to systematic titration of RAP1 expression level remains unknown. To fill this knowledge gap, we used a strain with a tetracycline-titratable promoter replacing wild-type regulatory sequences of RAP1 to systematically reduce the expression level of RAP1 and followed this with RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to measure genome-wide gene expression responses. Previous research indicated that Rap1 plays a significant regulatory role in particular groups of genes including telomere-proximal genes, homothallic mating (HM) loci, glycolytic genes, DNA repair genes, and ribosomal protein genes; therefore, we focused our analyses on these groups and downstream targets to determine how they respond to reductions in RAP1 expression level. Overall, despite being known as both an activator and as a repressor of its target genes, we found that Rap1 acts as an activator for more target genes than as a repressor. Additionally, we found that Rap1 functions as an activator of ribosomal protein genes and a repressor for HM loci genes consistent with predictions from the literature. Unexpectedly, we found that Rap1 functions as a repressor of glycolytic enzyme genes contrary to prior reports of it having the opposite effect. We also compared the expression of RAP1 to five different genes related to DNA repair pathway and found that decreasing RAP1 downregulated four of those five genes. Finally, we found no effect of RAP1 depletion on telomere-proximal genes despite its functioning to silence telomeric repeat-containing RNAs. Together our results enrich our understanding of this important transcriptional regulator.

Metagenomic analysis of relationships between the denitrification process and carbon metabolism in a bioaugmented full-scale tannery wastewater treatment plant.

The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between the denitrification process and carbon metabolism in a full-scale tannery wastewater treatment plant bioaugmented with the microbial consortium BM-S-1. The metagenomic analysis of the microbial community showed that Brachymonas denitrificans, a known denitrifier, was present at a high level in the treatment stages of buffering (B), primary aeration (PA), and sludge digestion (SD). The occurrences of the amino acid-degrading enzymes alpha ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (α-KGDH) and tryptophan synthase were highly correlated with the presence of denitrification genes, such as napA, narG, nosZ and norB. The occurrence of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) was also highly paralleled with the occurrence of denitrification genes such as napA, narG, and norZ. The denitrification genes (nosZ, narG, napA, norB and nrfA) and amino acid degradation enzymes (tryptophan synthase, α-KGDH and pyridoxal phosphate dependent enzymes) were observed at high levels in B. This indicates that degradation of amino acids and denitrification of nitrate may potentially occur in B. The high concentrations of the fatty acid degradation enzyme groups (enoyl-CoA hydratase, 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase and ß-ketothiolase) were observed together with the denitrification genes, such as napA, narG and nosZ. Phospholipase/carboxylesterase, enoyl-CoA hydratase/isomerase, acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, phenylacetate degradation enzyme and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase 2 were also dominant in B. All these results clearly indicate that the denitrification pathways are potentially linked to the degradation pathways of amino acids and fatty acids whose degradation products go through the TCA cycle, generating the NADH that is used as electron donors for denitrification.

Metagenomic insight of nitrogen metabolism in a tannery wastewater treatment plant bioaugmented with the microbial consortium BM-S-1.

Nitrogen (N) removal in a tannery wastewater treatment plant was significantly enhanced by the bioaugmentation of the novel consortium BM-S-1. In order to identify dominant taxa responsible for N metabolisms in the different stages of the treatment process, Illumina MiSeq Sequencer was used to conduct metagenome sequencing of the microbial communities in the different stages of treatment system, including influent (I), buffering (B), primary aeration (PA), secondary aeration (SA) and sludge digestion (SD). Based on MG-RAST analysis, the dominant phyla were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes in B, PA, SA and SD, whereas Firmicutes was the most dominant in I before augmentation. The augmentation increased the abundance of the denitrification genes found in the genera such as Ralstonia (nirS, norB and nosZ), Pseudomonas (narG, nirS and norB) and Escherichia (narG) in B and PA. In addition, Bacteroides, Geobacter, Porphyromonasand Wolinella carrying nrfA gene encoding dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium were abundantly present in B and PA. This was corroborated with the higher total N removal in these two stages. Thus, metagenomic analysis was able to identify the dominant taxa responsible for dissimilatory N metabolisms in the tannery wastewater treatment system undergoing bioaugmentation. This metagenomic insight into the nitrogen metabolism will contribute to a successful monitoring and operation of the eco-friendly tannery wastewater treatment system.

Denitratimonas tolerans gen. nov., sp. nov., a denitrifying bacterium isolated from a bioreactor for tannery wastewater treatment.

A denitrifying bacterium, designated strain E4-1(T), was isolated from a bioreactor for tannery wastewater treatment, and its taxonomic position was investigated using a polyphasic approach. Strain E4-1(T), a facultative anaerobic bacterium, was observed to grow between 0 and 12 % (w/v) NaCl, between pH 3.0 and 12.0. Cells were found to be oxidase-positive and catalase-negative. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain E4-1(T) forms a distinct lineage with respect to closely related genera in the family Xanthomonadaceae, and is closely related to Chiayiivirga, Aquimonas and Dokdonella, and the levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with respect to the type species of related genera are less than 93.9 %. The predominant respiratory quinone was determined to be ubiquinone-8 (Q-8) and the major cellular fatty acids were determined to be iso-C15:0, iso-C17:1 ω9c, iso-C11:0 and iso-C11:0 3OH. Based on physiological, biochemical and chemotaxonomic properties together with results of comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain E4-1(T) is considered to represent a novel species in a new genus, for which the name Denitratimonas tolerans gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is E4-1(T) (=KACC 17565(T) = NCAIM B 025327(T)).

Full-scale biological treatment of tannery wastewater using the novel microbial consortium BM-S-1.

In order to develop a more effective and eco-friendly treatment technology, a full-scale tannery wastewater treatment plant with a sludge digestion system was augmented with a novel microbial consortium (BM-S-1). The aim of this study was to determine if the BM-S-1 could successfully treat the tannery wastewater in a full-scale treatment system without chemical pretreatment and to investigate effect of the augmentation on sludge production. Chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), chromium (Cr) and mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) were measured to monitor treated water quality and treatment efficiency. Microbial community structures in the treatment were also examined using pyrosequencing analysis of 16S rRNA gene and quantitative PCR (qPCR) of the nitrous oxide reductase gene (nosZ). The removal efficiencies of COD, TN, TP, and Cr were estimated to be 98.3%, 98.6%, 93.6%, and 88.5%, respectively, while the system without a continuous augmentation was broken down. The pyrosequencing analysis showed Brachymonas denitrificans to be the most dominant microbial population in the buffering tank (B; 37.5%). Potential polymeric substance degraders (Clostridia), sulfate reducers (Desulfuromonas palmitatis), and sulfur oxidizers (uncultured Thiobacillus) were dominant in the sludge digestion (SD) tank. The denitrifiers assayed by nosZ qPCR were dominant in B and SD. These microbial communities appeared to play important roles in removing nutrients and odor, and reducing sludge in the wastewater treatment plant without chemical pretreatment.

Functions of effective microorganisms in bioremediation of the contaminated harbor sediments.

The aim of this study was to apply loess balls containing effective microorganisms (EM) to the remediation of contaminated harbor sediments, and to thereby elucidate the functions of EM in remediation. Changes in physicochemical, biochemical, and microbiological parameters were measured to monitor the remediation process at a laboratory scale. Treatment with high concentrations of EM stock culture and EM loess balls (4%), and a low concentration of EM loess balls (0.1%) that contained molasses (0.05%) contributed to more rapid removal of malodor. Acetic acid, propionic acid, valeric acid, caponic acid, and lactic acid were rapidly removed in the presence of molasses (0.05% w/w) as a carbon nutrient source, indicating enhanced EM activity by amendment with molasses. Fermentation of molasses by EM showed that more acetic acid was produced compared with other organic acids, and that the majority of organic acids were eventually converted to acetate via intermediate metabolites. Sediment bioremediation tests showed there was no significant difference in eubacterial density with the control and the treatments. However, the density of a Lactobacillus sp. in sediments treated with 0.1% and 4.0% EM loess balls was significantly higher than the control, which indicated the bioaugmentation effect of EM loess balls in the polluted sediments. Treatment with EM loess balls and an appropriate amount of molasses, or other nutrients, will facilitate the remediation of polluted marine sediments by malodor removal, via EM degradation or utilization of offensive organic acids. To our knowledge, this is the first study to remediate contaminated marine (harbor) sediments using EM loess balls and to understand EM function during the bioaugmentation process, both in terms of organic acid metabolism and the dynamics of the engineered microbial community.