3D-Continuous Nanoporous Covalent Framework Membrane Nanoreactors with Quantitatively Loaded Ultrafine Pd Nanocatalysts.

The confinement effect of catalytic nanoreactors containing metal catalysts within nanometer-sized volumes has attracted significant attention for their potential to enhance reaction rate and selectivity. Nevertheless, unregulated catalyst loading, aggregation, leaching, and limited reusability remain obstacles to achieving an efficient nanoreactor. A robust and durable catalytic membrane nanoreactor prepared by incorporating palladium nanocatalysts within a 3D-continuous nanoporous covalent framework membrane is presented. The reduction of palladium precursor occurs on the pore surface within 3D nanochannels, producing ultrafine palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) with their number density adjustable by varying metal precursor concentrations. The precise catalyst loading enables controlling the catalytic activity of the reactor while preventing excess metal usage. The facile preparation of Pd NP-loaded free-standing membrane materials allows hydrodechlorination in both batch and continuous flow modes. In batch mode, the catalytic activity is proportional to the loaded Pd amount and membrane area, while the membrane retains its activity upon repeated use. In continuous mode, the conversion remains above 95% for over 100 h, with the reactant solution passing through a single 50 µm-thick Pd-loaded membrane. The efficient nanoporous film-type catalytic nanoreactor may find applications in catalytic reactions for small chemical devices as well as in conventional chemistry and processes.

Nationwide Treatment Outcomes of Patients With Multidrug/Rifampin-Resistant Tuberculosis in Korea, 2011-2017: A Retrospective Cohort Study (Korean TB-POST).

BACKGROUND: The treatment outcomes of patients with multidrug/rifampin-resistant (MDR/RR) tuberculosis (TB) are important indicators that reflect the current status of TB management and identify the key challenges encountered by TB control programs in a country. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the treatment outcomes as well as predictors of unfavorable outcomes in patients with MDR/RR-TB notified from 2011 to 2017, using an integrated TB database. RESULTS: A total of 7,226 patients with MDR/RR-TB were included. The treatment success rate had significantly increased from 63.9% in 2011 to 75.1% in 2017 (P < 0.001). Among unfavorable outcomes, the proportion of patients who failed, were lost to follow up, and were not evaluated had gradually decreased (P < 0.001). In contrast, TB-related death rate was not significantly changed (P = 0.513), while the non-TB related death rate had increased from 3.2% in 2011 to 11.1% in 2017 (P < 0.001). Older age, male sex, immigrants, low household income, previous history of TB treatment, and comorbidities were independent predictors of unfavorable outcomes. Of the 5,308 patients who were successfully treated, recurrence occurred in 241 patients (4.5%) at a median 18.4 months (interquartile range, 9.2-32.4) after completion treatment. CONCLUSION: The treatment outcomes of patients with MDR/RR-TB has gradually improved but increasing deaths during treatment is an emerging challenge for MDR-TB control in Korea. Targeted and comprehensive care is needed for vulnerable patients such as the elderly, patients with comorbidities, and those with low household incomes.

The burden and predictors of latent tuberculosis infection among immigrants in South Korea: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Approximately one-fourth of the global population is latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. An understanding of the burden of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among immigrants compared with the general Korean population should be the first step in identifying priority groups for LTBI diagnosis and treatment. The study aimed to compute the age-standardized LTBI prevalence and predictors among immigrants with LTBI in South Korea. METHODS: In 2018, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency implemented a pilot LTBI screening project for immigrants using a chest radiography and the QuantiFERON Gold In-Tube assay. A standardized prevalence ratio (SPR) was computed to compare the LTBI burden in immigrants and the general Korean population. RESULTS: During the duration of the project, a total of 8108 immigrants (5134 males and 2974 females) underwent LTBI screening. The SPR of 1.547 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.468-1.629) in males and 1.261 (95% CI 1.177-1.349) in females were both higher than the Korean reference population. Furthermore, among the immigrants, those aged < 40 years and Korean diaspora visa holders had a higher SPR. CONCLUSION: This study found a higher LTBI prevalence among immigrant population in South Korea compared to that in the general Korean population, and the SPR was higher among those aged < 40 years and the Korean diaspora. The findings can be used as baseline evidence for including immigrants in South Korea in the at-risk group with a priority need for LTBI screening and treatment.

Exploration of microalgal species for simultaneous wastewater treatment and biofuel production.

Microalgal isolates obtained from stream water and wastewater treatment plant were examined to select a suitable microalgal species capable of simultaneously removing nutrient and producing biofuel. Ten isolates were identified using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region sequencing analysis and were determined to be green microalgae, belonging to phylum Chlorophyta. The highest nutrient removal rates of 8.1 mg-T-N/L-d and 1.6 mg-T-P/L-d were achieved by Chlorella sorokiniana UTEX 1810 under photo-autotrophic cultivation conditions. Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) composition analysis was conducted to estimate biofuel quality using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry on the basis of the lipid content extracted from microalgal cell. The composition of FAME is mainly composed of palmitic acid (C16:0), stearic acid (C18:0), linoleic acid (C18:2), and heneicosanoic acid (C21:0). These results suggest that C. sorokiniana UTEX 1810 is a promising candidate for simultaneous removal of nutrient and biofuel production from wastewater.

Reduction of biofouling potential in cartridge filter by using chlorine dioxide for enhancing anti-biofouling of seawater reverse osmosis membrane.

In general, cartridge filters (CFs) are installed before reverse osmosis systems as a safeguard to minimize fouling of the reverse osmosis membrane in seawater desalination plants. Depending on the retention time of microorganisms and various fouling matter in the storage tank, pipe, and filter housing, serious fouling of the CF may occur, decreasing its lifetime. More importantly, biofouling of CFs in a continuous process can have a significant impact on reverse osmosis membrane fouling. Few studies related to CF fouling and control have been undertaken due to the low cost of CFs. Herein, comparative evaluation of optical density (O.D) for Cl2 and ClO2 was performed to investigate the efficiency of biofouling control and for developing alternative disinfection processes because the chemistry and reactivity of ClO2 differ from those of Cl2. The results showed that the concentrations of Cl2 and ClO2 required to achieve a log reduction value of 2 for the live bacterial cells with 180 min of contact time were 1.5 and 0.6 mg L-1, respectively. Both Cl2 and ClO2 were effective for the control of organic matter and particles. However, the required Cl2 concentration (1.5 mg L-1) was 2.5 times higher than that of ClO2 (0.6 mg L-1). Surface analysis and economic evaluation of the CF showed that ClO2 has higher biofouling control ability than Cl2 and is more economical, at a current cost of $ 23,667 during seawater desalination plant duration.

Swept-Source-Based Chromatic Confocal Microscopy.

Chromatic confocal microscopy (CCM) has been intensively developed because it can exhibit effective focal position scanning based on the axial chromatic aberration of broadband light reflected from a target. To improve the imaging speed of three-dimensional (3D) surface profiling, we have proposed the novel concept of swept-source-based CCM (SS-CCM) and investigated the usefulness of the corresponding imaging system. Compared to conventional CCM based on a broadband light source and a spectrometer, a swept-source in the proposed SS-CCM generates light with a narrower linewidth for higher intensity, and a single photodetector employed in the system exhibits a fast and sensitive response by immediately obtaining spectrally encoded depth from a chromatic dispersive lens array. Results of the experiments conducted to test the proposed SS-CCM system indicate that the system exhibits an axial chromatic focal distance range of approximately 360 µm for the 770-820 nm swept wavelength range. Moreover, high-speed surface profiling images of a cover glass and coin were successfully obtained with a short measurement time of 5 ms at a single position.

Anti-Inflammatory Compounds from Atractylodes macrocephala.

In relation to anti-inflammatory agents from medicinal plants, we have isolated three compounds from Atractylodes macrocephala; 1, 2-[(2E)-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienyl]-6-methyl-2, 5-cyclohexadiene-1, 4-dione; 2, 1-acetoxy-tetradeca-6E,12E-diene-8, 10-diyne-3-ol; 3, 1,3-diacetoxy-tetradeca-6E, 12E-diene-8, 10-diyne. Compounds 1-3 showed concentration-dependent inhibitory effects on production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Western blotting and RT-PCR analyses demonstrated that compounds 1-3 suppressed the protein and mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Furthermore, compounds 1-3 inhibited transcriptional activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and nuclear translocation of NF-κB in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells. The most active compound among them, compound 1, could reduce the mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α) and suppress the phosphorylation of MAPK including p38, JNK, and ERK1/2. Taken together, these results suggest that compounds 1-3 from A. macrocephala can be therapeutic candidates to treat inflammatory diseases.

Chlorination caused a shift in marine biofilm niches on microfiltration/ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis membranes and UV irradiation effectively inactivated a chlorine-resistant bacterium.

The effect of chlorine disinfection on marine biofilm populations and communities formed on membrane surfaces was investigated under two feedwater conditions: raw seawater and deep bed filtration-treated seawater. As a result of chlorination, the structure of the biofilm community on the microfiltration/ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis membrane coupons shifted significantly at the genus level. However, the total bacterial population was not reduced under the two feedwater conditions. This failure to control the biofilm was attributed to the adaptation and survival of selected bacteria under chlorine stress. Phaeobacter caeruleus, isolated from the biofilm, was examined as a representative chlorine-resistant biofilm-forming bacterium. The number of viable P. caeruleus was significantly reduced (as much as 99.8%) after ultraviolet (UV) disinfection. The results indicated that additional disinfection by UV irradiation can inactivate chlorine-resistant bacteria. Therefore, tandem chlorination-UV disinfection may enhance the efficiency of biofouling control in seawater reverse osmosis processes. The synergistic effects of tandem chlorination-UV irradiation on the marine biofilm community should be investigated in future studies.

Effects of the ammonium loading rate on nitrite-oxidizing activity during nitrification at a high dose of inorganic carbon.

In this study, the effects of the ammonium loading rate (ALR) and inorganic carbon loading rate (ILR) on the nitrification performance and composition of a nitrifying bacterial community were investigated in a moving bed biofilm reactor, using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) sponge cubes as a supporting carrier. Between the two ALRs of 0.36 and 2.16 kg-N m-1 d-1, stable partial nitritation was achieved at the higher ALR. Inorganic carbon was dosed at high levels: 33.1, 22.0, 16.4, 11.0, and 5.4 times the theoretical amount. Nonetheless, nitrification efficiency was not affected by the ILR at the two ALRs. Quantitative PCR analysis of ammonia- and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria revealed that ALR is an important determinant of partial nitritation by accumulating ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in the nitrification system. In comparison, two nitrite-oxidizing bacterial genera (Nitrobacter and Nitrospira) showed almost the same relative abundance at various ALRs and ILRs. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism targeting the gene of ammonia monooxygenase subunit A revealed that Nitrosomonas europaea dominated under all conditions.

Evodiamine selectively targets cancer stem-like cells through the p53-p21-Rb pathway.

In spite of the recent improvements, the resistance to chemotherapy/radiotherapy followed by relapse is the main hurdle for the successful treatment of breast cancer, a leading cause of death in women. A small population of breast cancer cells that have stem-like characteristics (cancer stem-like cells; CSLC) may contribute to this resistance and relapse. Here, we report on a component of a traditional Chinese medicine, evodiamine, which selectively targets CSLC of breast cancer cell lines MCF7 and MDAMB 231 at a concentration that does show a little or no cytotoxic effect on bulk cancer cells. While evodiamine caused the accumulation of bulk cancer cells at the G2/M phase, it did not hold CSLC in a specific cell cycle phase but instead, selectively killed CSLC. This was not due to the culture of CSLC in suspension or without FBS. A proteomic analysis and western blotting revealed that evodiamine changed the expression of cell cycle regulating molecules more efficiently in CSLC cells than in bulk cancer cells. Surprisingly, evodiamine selectively activated p53 and p21 and decreased inactive Rb, the master molecules in G1/S checkpoint. These data collectively suggest a novel mechanism involving CSLC-specific targeting by evodiamine and its possible use to the therapy of breast cancer.

Beyond reducing direct medical cost: examining health outcomes in tuberculosis through a difference-in-differences analysis of South Korea's out-of-pocket payment exception policy.

Background: Universal health coverage and social protection are major global goals for tuberculosis. This study aimed to investigate the effects of an expanded policy to guarantee out-of-pocket costs on the treatment outcomes of patients with tuberculosis. Methods: By linking the national tuberculosis report and health insurance data and performing covariate-adjusted propensity-score matching, we constructed data on health insurance beneficiaries (treatment group) who benefited from the out-of-pocket payment exemption policy and medical aid beneficiaries as the control group. Using difference-in-differences analysis, we analyzed tuberculosis treatment completion rates and mortality in the treatment and control groups. Results: A total of 41,219 persons (10,305 and 30,914 medical aid and health insurance beneficiaries, respectively) were included in the final analysis (men 59.6%, women 40.4%). Following the implementation of out-of-pocket payment exemption policy, treatment completion rates increased in both the treatment and control groups; however, there was no significant difference between the groups (coefficient, -0.01; standard error, 0.01). After the policy change, the difference in mortality between the groups increased, with mortality decreasing by approximately 3% more in the treatment group compared with in the control group (coefficient: -0.03, standard error, 0.01). Conclusion: There are limitations to improving treatment outcomes for tuberculosis with an out-of-pocket payment exemption policy alone. To improve treatment outcomes for tuberculosis and protect patients from financial distress due to the loss of income during treatment, it is essential to proactively implement complementary social protection policies.

Timing and predictors of death during treatment in patients with multidrug/rifampin-resistant tuberculosis in South Korea.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the timing and predictors of death during treatment among patients with multidrug/rifampin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) in South Korea. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study that included MDR/RR-TB cases notified between 2011 and 2017 in South Korea. RESULTS: Among 7,226 MDR/RR-TB cases, 699 (9.7%) died at a median of 167 days (IQR 51-358 d) from the initiation of MDR-TB treatment. The cumulative proportion of all-cause death was 35.5% at 90 days and 52.8% at 180 days from treatment initiation. TB-related deaths occurred at a median of 133 days (IQR 32-366 d), which was significantly earlier than the median of 184 days (IQR 68-356 d) for non-TB-related deaths (p = 0.002). In a multivariate analysis, older age was the factor most strongly associated with death, with those aged ≥ 75 years being 68 times more likely to die (aHR 68.11, 95% CI 21.75-213.26), compared those aged ≤ 24 years. In addition, male sex, comorbidities (cancer, human immunodeficiency virus, and end stage renal disease), the lowest household income class, and TB-specific factors (previous history of TB treatment, smear positivity, and fluoroquinolone resistance) were identified as independent predictors of all-cause death. CONCLUSION: This nationwide study highlights increased deaths during the intensive phase and identifies high-risk groups including older people and those with comorbidities or socioeconomic vulnerabilities. An integrated and comprehensive strategy is required to reduce mortality in patients with MDR/RR-TB, particularly focusing on the early stages of treatment and target populations.

A Quasi-experimental Study on the Effect of Pre-entry Tuberculosis Screening for Immigrants on Treatment Outcomes in South Korea: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study ascertains the effects of the pre-entry tuberculosis (TB) screening policy, which was implemented as a strategy for managing TB among immigrants, on the treatment outcomes of immigrants in South Korea. METHODS: This study linked three different datasets from 2013 to 2018, namely (1) Korean National Tuberculosis Surveillance System; (2) National Health Information Database for patients diagnosed with TB with ICD code A15-A19, B90, or U84.3; and (3) Statistics Korea database related to cause of deaths. To identify the effect of the policy, cohorts comprising Korean and immigrant TB patients notified before (January 1, 2013-December 31, 2015) and after (September 1, 2016-December 31, 2018), the implementations of the policy were established. A difference-in-differences (DID) analysis of the treatment success and mortality rates was performed. RESULTS: Data from 100,262 TB patients were included in the analysis (before policy implementation: 1240 immigrants and 65,723 Koreans; after policy implementation: 256 immigrants and 33,043 Koreans). The propensity score matching-DID analysis results showed that the difference in the treatment success rate between immigrants and Koreans decreased significantly, from 16% before to 6% after the policy implementation. The difference in the mortality rate between the two groups decreased from - 3% before to - 1% after the policy implementation; however, this difference was insignificant. CONCLUSION: The treatment outcomes of immigrant TB patients in South Korea improved after the implementation of the pre-entry active TB screening policy. Future immigrant TB policies should consider establishing active patient support strategies and a healthcare collaboration system between countries.

Water-Based Generators with Cellulose Acetate: Uncovering the Mechanisms of Power Generation.

Power generation technologies based on water movement and evaporation use water, which covers more than 70% of the Earth's surface and can also generate power from moisture in the air. Studies are conducted to diversify materials to increase power generation performance and validate energy generation mechanisms. In this study, a water-based generator was fabricated by coating cellulose acetate with carbon black. To optimize the generator, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, specific surface area, zeta potential, particle size, and electrical performance analyses were conducted. The developed generator is a cylindrical generator with a diameter of 7.5 mm and length of 20 mm, which can generate a voltage of 0.15 V and current of 82 µA. Additionally, we analyzed the power generation performance using three factors (physical properties, cation effect, and evaporation environment) and proposed an energy generation mechanism. Furthermore, we developed an eco-friendly and low-cost generator using natural fibers with a simple manufacturing process. The proposed generator can contribute to the identification of energy generation mechanisms and is expected to be used as an alternative energy source in the future.

Relationship between metformin use and mortality in tuberculosis patients with diabetes: a nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To determine whether metformin, which is considered a host-directed therapy for tuberculosis (TB), is effective in improving the prognosis of patients with TB and diabetes mellitus (DM), who have higher mortality than those without DM. METHODS: This cohort study included patients who were registered as having TB in the National Tuberculosis Surveillance System. The medical and death records of matched patients were obtained from the National Health Information Database and Statistics Korea, respectively, and data from 2011 to 2017 were collected retrospectively. We classified patients according to metformin use among participants who used diabetes drugs for more than 28 days. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality during TB treatment. Double propensity score adjustment was applied to reduce the effects of confounding and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: The all-cause mortality rate during TB treatment was lower (9.5% vs. 12.4%, p < 0.01) in the metformin user group. The hazard of death due to all causes after double propensity score adjustment was also lower in the metformin user group (aHR 0.76, 95% CI 0.67-0.86, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in mortality between metformin users and non-users for TB-related deaths (p = 0.22); however, there was a significant difference in the non-TB-related deaths (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Metformin use in patients with TB-DM co-prevalence is associated with reduced all-cause mortality, suggesting the potential for metformin adjuvant therapy in these patients.

Spatio-spectral 4D coherent ranging using a flutter-wavelength-swept laser.

Coherent light detection and ranging (LiDAR), particularly the frequency-modulated continuous-wave LiDAR, is a robust optical imaging technology for measuring long-range distance and velocity in three dimensions (3D). We propose a spatio-spectral coherent LiDAR based on a unique wavelength-swept laser to enable both axial coherent ranging and lateral spatio-spectral beam scanning simultaneously. Instead of the conventional unidirectional wavelength-swept laser, a flutter-wavelength-swept laser (FWSL) successfully decoupled bidirectional wavelength modulation and continuous wavelength sweep, which overcame the measurable distance limited by the sampling process. The decoupled operation in FWSL enabled sequential sampling of flutter-wavelength modulation across its wide spectral bandwidth of 160 nm and, thus, allowed simultaneous distance and velocity measurement over an extended measurable distance. Herein, complete four-dimensional (4D) imaging, combining real-time 3D distance and velocity measurements, was implemented by solid-state beam scanning. An acousto-optic scanner was synchronized to facilitate the other lateral beam scanning, resulting in an optimized solid-state coherent LiDAR system. The proposed spatio-spectral coherent LiDAR system achieved high-resolution coherent ranging over long distances and real-time 4D imaging with a frame rate of 10 Hz, even in challenging environments.

Real-time analysis and prediction method of ion concentration using the effect of O-H stretching bands in aqueous solutions based on ATR-FTIR spectroscopy.

Analyzing the concentration of ions in aqueous solutions in real-time plays an important role in the fields of chemistry and biology. Traditional methods for measuring ion concentrations, such as concentration analysis by measuring electrical conductivity, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and ion chromatography, have been used in many research fields. However, these methods are limited in determining ion concentrations instantaneously. Fourier-transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy provides a new approach for determining ion concentrations in aqueous solutions. This allows for fast analysis without pretreatment and is scalable for real-time measurements. In this study, we present a method for measuring ion concentrations by examining ion-water interactions in the O-H stretching band of aqueous solutions using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Five aqueous solutions, namely LiCl + HCl, LiOH + HCl, LiOH, Li3PO4, and NaCl were used in the experiments and prepared at concentrations between 0.5-2 M. The ion concentrations in the prepared aqueous solutions were measured using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. We observed that the difference in absorbance increased and decreased linearly with changes in concentration. The concentration of ions in the aqueous solution could be measured by validating the designed linear regression analysis function model. In this study, we proposed five linear regression analysis function models, all of which showed high coefficients of determination above 0.9, with the highest coefficient of determination reaching 0.9969. These results show that ATR-FTIR spectroscopy has the potential to be applied as a rapid and simple concentration analysis system.

Evaporation-Driven Energy Generation Using an Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile Nanofiber Mat with Different Support Substrates.

Water evaporation-driven energy harvesting is an emerging mechanism for contributing to green energy production with low cost. Herein, we developed polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber-based evaporation-driven electricity generators (PEEGs) to confirm the feasibility of utilizing electrospun PAN nanofiber mats in an evaporation-driven energy harvesting system. However, PAN nanofiber mats require a support substrate to enhance its durability and stability when it is applied to an evaporation-driven energy generator, which could have additional effects on generation performance. Accordingly, various support substrates, including fiberglass, copper, stainless mesh, and fabric screen, were applied to PEEGs and examined to understand their potential impacts on electrical generation outputs. As a result, the PAN nanofiber mats were successfully converted to a hydrophilic material for an evaporation-driven generator by dip-coating them in nanocarbon black (NCB) solution. Furthermore, specific electrokinetic performance trends were investigated and the peak electricity outputs of Voc were recorded to be 150.8, 6.5, 2.4, and 215.9 mV, and Isc outputs were recorded to be 143.8, 60.5, 103.8, and 121.4 µA, from PEEGs with fiberglass, copper, stainless mesh, and fabric screen substrates, respectively. Therefore, the implications of this study would provide further perspectives on the developing evaporation-induced electricity devices based on nanofiber materials.

Gender differences in tuberculosis patients with comorbidity: A cross-sectional study using national surveillance data and national health insurance claims data in South Korea.

The coexistence of tuberculosis and other chronic diseases complicates disease management. Particularly, the lack of information on the difference in the prevalence of chronic diseases in tuberculosis based on age and gender can hinder the establishment of appropriate public health strategies. This study aimed to identify age- and gender-based differences in the prevalence of chronic diseases as comorbidities in patients with tuberculosis. An anonymized data source was established by linking the national health insurance claims data to the Korean national tuberculosis surveillance data from 2014 to 2018. The prevalence of chronic diseases was stratified by gender and age (age groups: ≤64, 65-74, and ≥75 years), and the differences in the prevalence of chronic diseases were analyzed by multinomial logistic regression and classified using the Charlson Comorbidity Index. A total of 148,055 patients with tuberculosis (61,199 women and 86,856 men) were included in this study. Among the patients aged ≥65 years, 48.2% were female and 38.1% were male. In this age group, the probability of chronic disease comorbidity was higher in female patients than in male patients. The prevalence of congestive heart failure and dementia as comorbidities in patients with tuberculosis increased more drastically with age in women than in men. Thus, the present study confirmed gender and age differences in the distribution of comorbidities among patients with tuberculosis. A more comprehensive gender-responsive approach for patients with tuberculosis and chronic diseases is required to alleviate the double burden of infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases in an aging society.

A case study of CO2 emissions from beef and pork production in South Korea.

The current study evaluated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from beef and pork production and distribution chains in the South Korean meat industry. Data from industrial example farms and slaughterhouses were assessed on the basis of both the guidelines from the United Kingdom's Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2050:2011 and the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute carbon footprint calculation. The main factors for our estimations were animal feeds, manure waste, transportation, energy and water, refrigerants, and package data. Our analyses show that 16.55 kg CO2 equivalent (eq) was emitted during the production of 1 kg of live cattle. When retail yields and packing processes were considered, the CO2-eq of 1 kg of packaged Hanwoo beef was 27.86 kg. As for pigs, emissions from 1 kg of live pigs and packaged pork meat were 2.62 and 12.75 kg CO2-eq, respectively. While we gathered data from only two farms and slaughterhouses and our findings can therefore not be extrapolated to all meats produced in the South Korean meat industry, they indicate that manure waste is the greatest factor affecting ultimate CO2 emissions of packaged meats.