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This study demonstrates a novel type of biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) gyroid scaffolds featuring of gyroid macroporous structure and micropous BCP walls using poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microspheres as the porogen for ceramic digital light processing (DLP) technique. To tailor the microporosity of the BCP walls and the overall porosity of the dual-scale porous BCP scaffolds, the PMMA content with regard to the BCP powder was controlled in the range of 40 vol% to 70 vol%. After debinding at 600 °C and sintering at 1200 °C for 3 h, micropores were uniformly created throughout each BCP framework, while preserving 3−dimensional gyroid macroporous structures. As the PMMA content increased from 40 vol% to 70 vol%, the microporosity remarkably increased from 31.9 (±2.5) vol% to 55.2 (±1.4) vol%. This approach allowed the achievement of very high overall porosities (82.2–89.7 vol%) for the dual-scale porous scaffolds. However, all the scaffolds showed reasonable compressive strengths (0.8 MPa −2.1 MPa), which are comparable to those of cancellous bones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study reports the manufacturing of a novel type of porous calcium phosphate scaffolds with elongated gyroid structures using digital light processing (DLP), in order to offer significantly enhanced mechanical properties. In particular, solid camphor was employed as the diluent, in order to offer sufficiently low viscosity at high solid loading for conventional layer-by-layer DLP process. Four types of porous CaP scaffolds with different percent elongation (%EL = 0, 20, 40, and 60) were manufactured, and their porous structures and mechanical properties were characterized. All porous CaP scaffolds showed that CaP walls were elongated along the z-direction, while the degree of pore elongation increased with an increase in the designed %EL. Owing to the use of controlled processing parameters, such as layer thickness and exposure time for layer-by-layer photocuring process, and carefully designed debinding process, the photocured layers could be completely bonded together with high densification after sintering at 1,200 °C for 3 h. Such elongation of a gyroid structure offered significantly enhanced mechanical properties − compressive strengths of 4.33 ± 0.26 MPa and 11.51 ± 1.75 MPa were obtained for the porous CaP scaffold with the %EL of 0 and 60, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/purpose: Predicting the mortality in patients admitted to the ICU is important for determining a treatment strategy and public health policy. Although many scores have been developed to predict the mortality, these scores were based on Caucasian population. We aimed to develop a new prognostic index, the New nutritional index (NNI), to predict 90-days mortality after ICU admission based on Korean population.Methods: Patients (1453) who admitted intensive care unit (ICU) of the Gangnam Severance hospital were analyzed. After exclusion, 984 patients were randomly divided into internal (n = 702) and external validation (n = 282) data set. The new nutritional index (NNI) was developed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression with backward selection of predictors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and comparison of the area under the curve (AUC) verified the better predictor of 90 days-mortality after ICU admission.Results: The NNI better predicted 90 days-mortality compared to modified NUTRIC score, APACHE II scores, SOFA scores, CRP, glucose, total protein, and albumin level in internal and external data sets, with AUC of 0.862 (SE: 0.017, 95% CI: 0.829-0.895) and 0.858 (SE: 0.015, 95% CI: 0.829-0.887), respectively. The calibration plots using external data set for validation showed a close approximation to the logistic calibration of each nomogram, and p-value of Hosmer and Lemeshow test was 0.1804.Conclusion: The NNI has advantages as a predictor of 90 days mortality based on nutritional status in the Korean population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Premature infants are deprived of prenatal accumulation of brain docosahexaenoic acid [DHA (22:6n-3)], an omega-3 fatty acid [ω-3 FA (n-3 FA)] important for proper development of cognitive function. The resulting brain DHA deficit can be reversed by ω-3 FA supplementation.Objective: The objective was to test whether there is a critical period for providing ω-3 FA to correct cognitive deficits caused by developmental ω-3 FA deprivation in mice.Methods: Twelve timed-pregnant mice [embryonic day 14 (E14), C57/BL6NCr] were fed an ω-3 FA-deficient diet containing 0.04% α-linolenic acid [ALA (18:3n-3)], and their offspring were fed the same deficient diet (Def group) or changed to an ω-3 FA-adequate diet containing 3.1% ALA at 3 wk, 2 mo, or 4 mo of age. In parallel, 3 E14 pregnant mice were fed the adequate diet and their offspring were fed the same diet (Adeq group) throughout the experiment. Brain FA composition, learning and memory, and hippocampal synaptic protein expression were evaluated at 6 mo by gas chromatography, the Morris water maze test, and western blot analysis, respectively.Results: Maternal dietary ω-3 FA deprivation decreased DHA by >50% in the brain of their offspring at 3 wk of age. The Def group showed significantly worse learning and memory at 6 mo than those groups fed the adequate diet. These pups also had decreased hippocampal expression of postsynaptic density protein 95 (43% of Adeq group), Homer protein homolog 1 (21% of Adeq group), and synaptosome-associated protein of 25 kDa (64% of Adeq group). Changing mice to the adequate diet at 3 wk, 2 mo, or 4 mo of age restored brain DHA to the age-matched adequate concentration. However, deficits in hippocampal synaptic protein expression and spatial learning and memory were normalized only when the diet was changed at 3 wk.Conclusion: Developmental deprivation of brain DHA by dietary ω-3 FA depletion in mice may have a lasting impact on cognitive function if not corrected at an early age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ag-doped CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 powders were subjected to high-energy milling to produce nano-sized particles, and the resulting ceramics were analyzed in terms of the dielectric properties and sintering temperature. Ag dopant was added to CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 powders to reduce the sintering temperature, and the Ag-doped CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 ceramics were sintered at temperatures from 975 to 1125 °C to determine the optimum sintering temperature according to the various dopant ratios. The relative dielectric permittivity at a frequency of 1 kHz of the 2 mol% Ag-doped CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 ceramics was higher than that of undoped CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 ceramics. The addition of Ag to the CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 ceramics was observed to lower the sintering temperature from 1125 to 1075 °C. Moreover, the 2 mol% Ag-doped CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 ceramics prepared from nano-size particles exhibited an improved relative dielectric permittivity. These results suggest that Ag-doping and reducing the particle size of the CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 ceramics decreases their sintering temperature and improves their dielectric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Digitalized fluorescence images contain numerical information such as color (wavelength), fluorescence intensity and spatial position. However, quantitative analyses of acquired data and their validation remained to be established. Our research group has applied quantitative fluorescence imaging on tissue sections and uncovered novel findings in skeletal biomedicine and biodentistry. This review paper includes a brief background of quantitative fluorescence imaging and discusses practical applications by introducing our previous research. Finally, the future perspectives of quantitative fluorescence imaging are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The supercapacitor based piezoelectric material composite (Na,K)NbO 3 –CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 (NKN–CCTO) is investigated for possible application in piezoelectric devices. (1− x )NKN– x CCTO (0.015≤ x ≤0.06) with different sintering conditions is researched for supercapacitor based piezoelectric applications. The 0.94NKN–0.06CCTO composite sintered at 975 °C shows the highest dielectric permittivity of 796. Clear SEM images of (1− x )NKN– x CCTO reveal that these compositions have high density well-crystallized structures. The composition and sintering temperature dependence of dielectric permittivities and piezoelectric coefficients, plotted in three dimensions, show that the 0.985NKN–0.015CCTO composite sintered at 1025 °C has a moderate dielectric permittivity of 405 and a piezoelectric constant of 98 pC/N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 ceramic specimens for supercapacitor applications were prepared by the conventional mixed oxide method. The specimens were prepared under different sintering conditions at 1125 °C. The SEM results indicated that the mean grain size of CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 increased with increasing sintering time (30 min–12 h). Using SEM analysis, it was observed that at a sintering time of 2 h, CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 ceramic specimens had large-sized grains and the agglomerated parts consisted of small-sized grains and grain boundaries. The X-ray diffraction patterns showed single-phase ceramics with a cubic structure. Increasing sintering times led to substantial improvements in permittivity. The different spectra of frequency dependent impedance spectroscopy for large grains and small grains were compared and analyzed using Cole–Cole plots. AC conductivity as a function of the as a function of sintering times of CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 ceramics was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conditioning regimens for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) usually include total body irradiation (TBI), but TBI may result in serious sequelae. Busulfan and cyclophosphamide have been used as an alternative to TBI. Etoposide also has been widely used to enhance antileukemic effect. However, toxicities have been reported in some studies using busulfan, cyclophosphamide, and etoposide regimen. A reduced toxicity myeloablative regimen using busulfan and fludarabine showed promising results. Also, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) and administration of targeted doses of busulfan have been recommended to improve the outcome of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In this study, we evaluated the outcome of HSCT using a targeted once-daily i.v. busulfan–fludarabine–etoposide (BuFluVP) regimen in pediatric and infant ALL. Busulfan (age ≥ 1 year, 120 mg/m 2 ; age < 1 year, 80 mg/m 2 ) was administered once daily as the first dose on day −8, and a targeted dose of busulfan was used according to the TDM results on days −7 to −5. Forty-four patients were evaluated. Donor-type neutrophil engraftment was achieved in all patients. Veno-occlusive disease occurred in 7 patients (15.9%), but all patients were successfully treated. Cumulative incidence of treatment-related mortality and relapse were 9.1% and 9.9%, respectively. One-year overall survival and event-free survival rates of all patients were 86.2% and 83.8%, respectively. Twelve patients (27.3%) were infants at diagnosis, and their 1-year overall survival rate was 83.3%. Our study demonstrated that HSCT using a targeted once-daily i.v. BuFluVP regimen showed favorable outcomes and could be an option for HSCT in pediatric and infant ALL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerated glycolysis is the main metabolic change observed in cancer, but the underlying molecular mechanisms and their role in cancer progression remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the deletion of the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) Neat1 in MMTV-PyVT mice profoundly impairs tumor initiation, growth, and metastasis, specifically switching off the penultimate step of glycolysis. Mechanistically, NEAT1 directly binds and forms a scaffold bridge for the assembly of PGK1/PGAM1/ENO1 complexes and thereby promotes substrate channeling for high and efficient glycolysis. Notably, NEAT1 is upregulated in cancer patients and correlates with high levels of these complexes, and genetic and pharmacological blockade of penultimate glycolysis ablates NEAT1 -dependent tumorigenesis. Finally, we demonstrate that Pinin mediates glucose-stimulated nuclear export of NEAT1 , through which it exerts isoform-specific and paraspeckle-independent functions. These findings establish a direct role for NEAT1 in regulating tumor metabolism, provide new insights into the Warburg effect, and identify potential targets for therapy. [Display omitted] • NEAT1 plays a role in tumor initiation, growth, and metastasis in breast cancer • NEAT1 facilitates assembly of PGK1/PGAM1/ENO1 complexes and substrate channeling • NEAT1 's regulation of glycolysis is a critical mechanism for tumorigenesis • Nuclear export of NEAT1 underlies its isoform-specific role in tumorigenesis Park et al. report on a role for NEAT1 in promoting a glycolytic state in breast cancer, highlighting how lncRNAs regulate cancer development at a metabolic level in vivo. NEAT1 facilitates assembly of PGK1/PGAM1/ENO1 glycolytic complexes and substrate channeling. Through isoform switching, they identify an isoform-specific, paraspeckle-independent role for NEAT1 in tumorigenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Busulfan has a narrow therapeutic range, and in children, pharmacokinetic variability has been found to be high even after the use of intravenous (i.v.) busulfan. Recently, a reduced toxicity myeloablative regimen showed promising results, but the data of busulfan pharmacokinetics in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) using a targeted busulfan/fludarabine regimen in children has not yet been reported. We performed therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) after once-daily i.v. busulfan combined with fludarabine and analyzed the outcomes. Busulfan (i.v.) was administered once daily for 4 consecutive days. The daily target area under the curve (AUC) was 18,125-20,000 μg∗h/L/day (4415-4872 μmol∗min/L/day), which was reduced to 18,000-19,000 μg∗h/L/day (4384-4628 μmol∗min/L/day) after a high incidence of toxicity was observed. A total of 24 patients were enrolled. After infusion of busulfan on the first day, patients showed AUC that ranged from 12,079 to 31,660 μg∗h/L (2942 to 7712 μmol∗min/L) (median 16,824 μg∗h/L, percent coefficient of variation (%CV) = 26.5%), with clearance of 1.74-6.94 mL/min/kg (median 4.03 mL/min/kg). We performed daily TDM in 20 patients, and during the daily TDM, the actual AUC ranged from 73% to 146% of the target AUC, showing high intraindividual variability. The %CV of busulfan clearance of each individual ranged from 7.7% to 38.7%. The total dose of busulfan administered for 4 days ranged from 287.3 mg/m2 to 689.3 mg/m2. Graft failure occurred in 3 patients with total AUC less than 74,000 μg∗h/L (18,026 μmol∗min/L), and 2 patients with relatively high total AUC experienced veno-occlusive disease. Busulfan pharmacokinetics showed high inter- and intraindividual variability in HSCT using a targeted busulfan/fludarabine regimen, which indicates the need for intensive monitoring and dose adjustment to improve the outcome of HSCT. Currently, we are performing a newly designed phase II study to decrease regimen-related toxicities and reduce graft failure by setting an optimal target AUC based on this study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Accurate and safe preoperative localization is useful for video-assisted thoracic surgery of small pulmonary lesions with ground-glass opacity (GGO). However, the optimal localization method is unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the usefulness and safety of the lipiodol and hook-wire localization techniques for video-assisted thoracic surgery of GGO lesions. This prospective, non-randomized comparative study was conducted between April 2014 and December 2016 at 8 qualifying university teaching hospitals. Two-hundred-fifty patients with pulmonary lesions having GGO were included. Patients were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the lipiodol (n = 125, 4 hospitals) or hook-wire group (n = 125, 4 hospitals) for preoperative localization procedures. Participants underwent preoperative localization via the lipiodol or hook-wire technique followed by thoracoscopic surgery. The primary endpoint was the procedure success rate. The procedure success rates (hook-wire vs lipiodol group) were 94.40% versus 99.16% (P =.08). Localization-related complications occurred in 53.60% versus 48.33% of patients (P =.49). Hemorrhage rates were significantly greater in the hook-wire group than in the lipiodol group (21.6% vs 5.83%, P <.001). The lipiodol procedure time was significantly longer than that of the hook-wire technique (20.69 ± 9.34 vs 17.15 ± 7.91 minutes, P =.001). The initially positive surgical resection margin was significantly greater in the hook-wire group than in the lipiodol group (10.89% vs 2.38%, P =.02). There was no significant difference in success rate between the hook-wire and lipiodol methods. However, the hemorrhage rate was significantly greater in the hook-wire group, whereas the hook-wire group showed greater initially positive surgical resection margins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, amorphous Ti-peroxo complexes (ATPC) were successfully synthesized by a facile exothermic sol-gel method without annealing process. The TiH 2 and H 2 O 2 are used as starting precursor and oxidative polymerization agent. The color of prepared ATPC powder was changed from green to yellow with increase of H 2 O 2 which directly induce the formation of small flakes on the ATPC, resulted in high surface area (154.1 m2/g). Raman and FT-IR spectra shows that the more peroxo groups such as Ti–OOH, Ti–O–O–Ti and -O-Ti-O- in yellow colored ATPC are formed than that of green colored ATPC. These peroxo groups not only accelerate the photocatalytic activity by abundant superoxide anion radicals, but also induce the formation of oxygen vacancies which can lead the visible-light activity. The prepared yellow colored ATPC shows remarkable visible-light induced photocatalytic activity with 95% decolorization of Rhodamine B within 30 min. Compare with previous researches related with titania based photocatalyst, the yellow colored ATPC shows excellent recycling property with maintained decolorization rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Even long-term antiviral prophylaxis in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients was recommend as standard preventive stratagem for varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection, epidemiology of VZV infection in pediatric autologous HCT recipients is uncertain. • The incidence of VZV infection differs by age. • Difference of VZV infection was evaluated between single and tandem autologous HCTs. • We explored the risk factors for severe VZV infection in the pediatric autologous HCT population. Although long-term antiviral prophylaxis is recommended to prevent varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection in seropositive recipients of allogeneic and autologous (auto-) hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), studies of VZV infections in pediatric auto-HCT recipients are rare. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and characteristics of VZV infection in pediatric auto-HCT recipients and explore the risk factors of VZV infection and its effect on survival outcomes. This study included all pediatric patients who underwent auto-HCT at Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, between January 1998 and December 2013. Before 2006, short-term acyclovir prophylaxis was provided until neutrophil engraftment; thereafter, routine prophylaxis was not provided. Patients who developed either herpes zoster or chickenpox within 2 years from transplantation were identified, and a chart review was performed. A total of 413 recipients and 698 auto-HCTs were included. Sixty-one episodes of VZV infections were identified in 54 patients. Fourteen cases of VZV infection (23%; 14 of 61) occurred within 30 days after auto-HCT. The cumulative incidence of the first episode of VZV infection at 2 years after transplantation was 14% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.9% to 22.8%) in all recipients and 9% (95% CI, 1.0 to 26.6) in VZV-seronegative patients. Notably, the VZV infection rate increased with age and the VZV infection rate in patients age 15 to 19 years was almost three times higher than in patients age 0 to 4 years (28% versus 10%; P =.003). However, there was no difference in the VZV infection rate between recipients of single auto-HCT and recipients of tandem auto-HCT. Two patients died of disseminated VZV infection. VZV infection is a considerable risk in auto-HCT recipients with or without short-term prophylaxis. Universal antiviral prophylaxis might be considered, particularly in older children, regardless of VZV serologic results. To our knowledge, this is the largest study of VZV infection in pediatric auto-HCT recipients reported to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Activated microporous polyacrylonitrile-based carbon nanofibers (APCFs) were synthesized by a sequential process of electrospinning, carbonization, and KOH activation. The porosity and surface chemistry of the APCFs strongly depended on the activation temperature. The specific surface area and pore volume varied from 15 to 1886 m2 g−1 and 0.021–1.196 cm3 g−1, respectively, as the activation temperature increased; this was accompanied by morphology changes at high temperature. The dominant microstructure and minor mesostructure improved the capacitance of carbon. Compared to the other samples, APCFs activated at an optimum temperature of 1000 °C showed the highest specific capacitance of 103.01 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 in 1 mol L−1 Na 2 SO 4 aqueous electrolyte, and an excellent cycling durability up to 3000 cycles. The improved electrochemical efficiency could be explained by the high specific surface area, suitable pore size, and influence of heteroatoms relative to the increased electrical double-layers. The change in the pore size distribution with activation temperature is also discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a curative therapy for severe aplastic anemia (SAA); however, the optimal conditioning regimen for HSCT with an unrelated donor has not yet been defined. A previous study using a fludarabine (FLU), cyclophosphamide (Cy), and antithymocyte globulin (ATG) conditioning regimen (study A: 50 mg/kg Cy once daily i.v. on days −9, −8, −7, and −6; 30 mg/m 2 FLU once daily i.v. on days −5, −4, −3, and −2; and 2.5 mg/kg of ATG once daily i.v. on days −3, −2, and −1) demonstrated successful engraftment (100%) but had a high treatment-related mortality rate (32.1%). Therefore, given that Cy is more toxic than FLU, we performed a new phase II prospective study with a reduced-toxicity regimen (study B: 60 mg/kg Cy once daily i.v. on days −8 and −7; 40 mg/m 2 FLU once daily i.v. on days −6, −5, −4, −3, and −2; and 2.5 mg/kg ATG once daily i.v. on 3 days). Fifty-seven patients were enrolled in studies A (n = 28) and B (n = 29), and donor type hematologic recovery was achieved in all patients in both studies. The overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates of patients in study B was markedly improved compared with those in study A (OS: 96.7% versus 67.9%, respectively, P = .004; EFS: 93.3% versus 64.3%, respectively, P = .008). These data show that a reduced-toxicity conditioning regimen with FLU, Cy, and ATG may be an optimal regimen for SAA patients receiving unrelated donor HSCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We examined the possibility of using aerosol deposition (AD) as a simple, environmentally friendly and dry metallization process capable of acting as an alternative to the electroless and electroplating methods. Silver thick films were fabricated, their characteristics evaluated, and the factors influencing their growth investigated. As a result, silver thick films were successfully fabricated by AD with high deposition rates (10μm/min) at room temperature. The resistivity of the as-deposited silver thick films was 8–10 times larger than that of the bulk silver. Post-annealing increased the resistivity of the silver films by approximately 2–3 times compared to that of the bulk silver. Microstructural observations revealed an increase in the connectivity between the silver particles after the heat treatments, which reduced the resistivity of the as-deposited silver films. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a proinflammatory CXC chemokine that has been associated with the promotion of neutrophil chemotaxis, degranulation, and the pathogenesis of several neutrophil-infiltrating chronic inflammatory diseases. In the current study, we generated and characterized a 2′-fluoro-pyrimidine modified RNA aptamer (8A-35) against human IL-8. The 8A-35 aptamer binds to IL-8 with high specificity and affinity, yielding an estimated K D of 1.72 pM. NMR data revealed that the residues of Lys8, Leu10, Val63, Val66, Lys69 and Ala74 of IL-8 interact with aptamer. Moreover, the 8A-35 aptamer has a potent IL-8-neutralizing activity that can modulate multiple biological activities of IL-8 in human neutrophils, including migration, intracellular signaling, and intracellular Ca2+ mobilization. Our results suggest that the 8A-35 aptamer has great potential to be a lead structure in the development of effective therapeutic agents against inflammatory diseases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The ion exchange membrane bioreactor with two-reactor system has gained attention because it has been known to be beneficial to the simultaneous removal of organic and nitrogen. However, this system has a disadvantage for accumulation of nitrate in nitrification due to low diffusivity of nitrate through a cation exchange membrane. To resolve this problem, this study proposed a unique membrane bioreactor system bounded sulfonate membrane to be applied for simultaneous removal of organic and nitrogen in wastewater. The unique membrane bioreactor system consists of two reactors called reactors A and B. The reactor A was maintained in anoxic condition while the reactor B was operated in aerobic condition during the operation period. In ammonium migration experiment, the ammonium migration rates were determined by measuring ammonium concentrations in reactor A. As a result of the measurement, the maximum mass fluxes at the initial ammonia levels of 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 mg N/L resulted in 1.03, 2.06, 2.98, and 3.87 mg/m2• s, respectively. Those high fluxes indicated that the unique membrane bioreactor exhibited high ion diffusivity. The mass fluxes of ammonia nitrogen in this system were strongly correlated to the initial concentrations of ammonia. The nitrate produced in the reactor B by biological nitrification was effectively migrated to the reactor A, and then the migrated nitrate in the reactor A was converted to nitrogen gas by denitrifying bacteria. As a result, almost complete nitrogen removal efficiency was achieved as 99% in the batch system. Further interestingly, no severe nitrate accumulation problem was observed in reactor B in the unique membrane bioreactor, although such a problem commonly exists in the conventional cation exchange membrane bioreactor system. It is expected that this unique membrane system can be operated with low operation costs and high removal efficiencies of ammonia nitrogen. [Display omitted] • The sulfonated membrane is successfully applied for simultaneous organic and nitrogen removal. • The nitrogen removal without medium replacement was achieved in the unique bioreactor system. • The mass flux of ammonia nitrogen was highly related in the initial concentration of ammonia. • The average COD and nitrogen removal were observed 92.8 and 82.1% respectively in continuous mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]