Search

Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) are undesirable in the anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox)-driven nitrogen removal technologies in the modern wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Diverse strategies have been developed to suppress NOB based on their physiological properties that we have understood. But our knowledge of the diversity and mechanisms employed by NOB for survival in the modern WWTPs remains limited. Here, Three NOB species (NOB01–03) were recovered from the metagenomic datasets of a full-scale WWTP treating duck breeding wastewater. Among them, NOB01 and NOB02 were classified as newly identified lineage VII, tentatively named Candidatus (Ca.) Nitrospira NOB01 and Ca. Nitrospira NOB02. Analyses of genomes and in situ transcriptomes revealed that these two novel NOB were active and showed a high metabolic versatility. The transcriptional activity of Ca. Nitrospira could be detected in all tanks with quite different dissolved oxygen (DO) (0.01–5.01 mg/L), illustrating Ca. Nitrospira can survive in fluctuating DO conditions. The much lower Ca. Nitrospira abundance on the anammox bacteria-enriched sponge carrier likely originated from the intensification substrate (NO2−) competition from anammox and denitrifying bacteria. In particular, a highlight is that Ca. Nitrospira encoded and treanscribed cyanate hydratase (CynS), amine oxidase, urease (UreC), and copper-containing nitrite reductase (NirK) related to ammonium and NO production, driving NOB to interact with the co-existed AOB and anammox bacteria. Ca. Nitrospira strains NOB01 and NOB02 showed quite different niche preference in the same aerobic tank, which dominanted the NOB communities in activated sludge and biofilm, respectively. In addition to the common rTCA cycle for CO2 fixation, a reductive glycine pathway (RGP) was encoded and transcribed by NOB02 likely for CO2 fixation purpose. Additionally, a 3b group hydrogenase and respiratory nitrate reductase were uniquely encoded and transcribed by NOB02, which likely confer a survival advantage to this strain in the fluctuant activated sludge niche. The discovery of this new genus significantly broadens our understanding of the ecophysiology of NOB. Furthermore, the impressive metabolic versatility of the novel NOB revealed in this study advances our understanding of the survival strategy of NOB and provides valuable insight for suppressing NOB in the anammox-based WWTP.

Abstract At ASIACRYPT 2019, Zhang proposed a near collision attack on A5/1 claiming to recover the 64‐bit A5/1 state with a time complexity around 232 cipher ticks with negligible memory requirements. Soon after its proposal, Zhang's near collision attack was severely challenged by Derbez et al. who claimed that Zhang's attack cannot have a time complexity lower than Golic's memoryless guess‐and‐determine attack dating back to EUROCRYPT 1997. In this article, both the guess‐and‐determine and the near collision attacks for recovering A5/1 states with negligible memory complexities are studied. Firstly, a new guessing technique called the move guessing technique that can construct linear equation filters in a more efficient manner is proposed. Such a technique can be applied to both guess‐and‐determine and collision attacks for efficiency improvements. Secondly, the filtering strength of the linear equation systems is taken into account for complexity analysis. Such filtering strength are evaluated with practical experiments making the complexities more convincing. Based on such new techniques, the authors are able to give 2 new guess‐and‐determine attacks on A5/1: the 1st attack recovers the internal state s0 ${oldsymbol{s}}^{0}$ with time complexity 243.92; the 2nd one recovers a different state s1 ${oldsymbol{s}}^{1}$ with complexity 243.25. Golic's guess‐and‐determine attack and Zhang's near collision attacks are revisited. According to our detailed analysis, the complexity of Golic's s1 ${oldsymbol{s}}^{1}$ recovery attack is no lower than 246.04, higher than the previously believed 243. On the other hand, Zhang's near collision attack recovers s0 ${oldsymbol{s}}^{0}$ with the time complexity 253.19: such a complexity can be further lowered to 250.78 with our move guessing technique.

Conclusion: Titanium mesh is a safe and effective treatment for flail chest, which can improve pain, blood gas, hemodynamic indexes, and pulmonary function and promote fracture healing.

To ensure the safe functioning of lifting equipment, a data mining-based optimization study of a crane failure predictive control system is provided. To diagnose lifting machinery faults, the system employs decision tree categorization. Using association rules, a correlation study of hoisting machinery defect and failure was performed. When the minimal confidence and support degree are entered, a total of 244 instances of 18 frequent itemset A9 (safety protection device) may be obtained, indicating that lifting machinery does not perform well in this category. A6 (main parts) and A9 appeared a total of 98 times, with support and confidence of 29.4 and 35.6, respectively, indicating that the main parts can detect that the safety protection device is also having problems. A7 (electrical control system) and A9 appeared a total of 67 times, with support and confidence of 20.1 and 27.3, respectively, indicating that the electrical control system can detect that the safety protection device is also having problems; the correlation between them was also quite large. The system’s feasibility and efficacy shows that it has some application value.

Abstract g‐C3N4 was employed as a modified substance for modification engineering of wurtzite‐ZnS photocatalysts to overcome its limited light response and stability. The g‐C3N4/ZnS (CNZS) photocatalyst was synthesized by solvothermal reaction of g‐C3N4, thiourea and zinc acetate. The results show that wurtzite‐ZnS spheres were loaded on the surface of g‐C3N4 with well uniformed size. The photocatalytic activity of the catalyst was determined by the degradation of MB and Rh.B under visible light. The degradation rates of Rh.B and MB by CNZS were 96% and 97%, much better than that of pure ZnS. The addition of g‐C3N4 promoted the visible light response of wurtzite‐ZnS and inhibited the recombination of photogenerated electrons with holes. The density functional theory (DFT) results indicated that the components of both valence band and conductive band were changed for the CNZS system. Compared to pure ZnS, the band gap of CNZS was decreased about 0.5 eV, and the work function calculations were in good agreement with the experimental results. As a result, the heterostructure of CNZS made it beneficial to the electron transfer from g‐C3N4(2p of N) to ZnS (3p of S) and absorption edge has been extended to about 600 nm.

Abstract Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the most common malignancy of the oral and maxillofacial region, severely affects human health. However, current treatments for OSCC commonly show only a ~60% 5-year survival rate of patients with distant metastases, indicating an urgent need for targeted treatments for patients with advanced metastases. Here, we report a survival-related long non-coding RNA, CYTOR, which is highly expressed in the lesions of oral cancer patients. We found that CYTOR can promote both migration and invasion in oral cancer cells as well as the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). RNA-sequencing of CYTOR-knockdown oral cancer cells revealed that CYTOR can regulate mitochondrial respiration and RNA splicing. Mechanistically, we found that nuclear-localized CYTOR interacts with HNRNPC, resulting in stabilization of ZEB1 mRNAs by inhibiting the nondegradative ubiquitination of HNRNPC. By synthesizing CYTOR-targeting small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) encapsulated in Nanoscale Metal Organic Frameworks (NMOFs), we demonstrate the targeted suppression of CYTOR to inhibit invasion and metastasis of oral cancer cells in a nude mouse model. Cumulatively, this study reveals the potential role of the CYTOR-HNRNPC-ZEB1 axis in regulating mitochondrial metabolism and glycolysis of oral cancer cells, and illustrates the effective use of lncRNA targeting in anti-metastatic cancer therapies.

With the simple perovskite structure, Bi2WO6 could be utilized as a modifier to overcome the low visible light response of the wide energy band photocatalyst ZnS. Flower-like Bi2WO6 was simply synthesized by hydrothermal method and Bi2WO6/ZnS heterojunction was constructed via solvothermal reaction. The results showed that ZnS nanospheres were uniformly loaded on the flower-like structure, which was well kept under low concentration loading (≤20%ωt ZnS). The degradation of MB and Rh.B under visible light was used to measure the photocatalytic activity of the photocatalysts. The degradation rates of MB and Rh.B by 20%ωt-Bi2WO6/ZnS were as high as 94.3% and 92.8%, respectively. Moreover, the degradation performance of photocatalyst still maintained 89.3% after 4 times recycling tests. The visible light absorption ability of modified ZnS was improved, and the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes was inhibited due to the formation of heterojunction. According to the data from density functional theory calculation, the composition of the valence band and conductive band of the Bi2WO6/ZnS system has been altered. The band gap of Bi2WO6/ZnS was reduced by roughly 1.12 eV compared to that of pure ZnS, and the work function analysis were in good agreement with the experimental results. Under light stimulation, electrons were transferred from Bi2WO6 to ZnS to produce superoxide radicals which played key roles in the degradation reaction of dyes.

Heterostructured materials show great potential to enhance the specific capacity, rate performance and cycling lifespan of lithium-ion batteries owing to their unique interfaces, robust architectures, and synergistic effects. Herein, a polypyrrole (PPy)-coated nanotube-like Mo3S4/CoMo2S4 heterostructure is prepared by the hydrothermal and subsequent in situ polymerization methods. The well-designed nanotube-like structure is beneficial to relieve the serious volume changes and facilitate the infiltration of electrolytes during the charge/discharge process. The Mo3S4/CoMo2S4 heterostructure could effectively enhance the electrical conductivity and Li+ transport kinetics owing to the refined energy band structure and the internal electric field at the heterostructure interface. Moreover, the conductive PPy-coated layer could inhibit the obvious volume expansion like a firm armor and further avoid the pulverization of the active material and aggregation of generated products. Benefiting from the synergistic effects of the well-designed heterostructure and PPy-coated nanotube-like architecture, the prepared Mo3S4/CoMo2S4 heterostructure delivers high reversible capacity (1251.3 mAh g−1 at 300 mA g−1), superior rate performance (340.3 mAh g−1 at 5.0 A g−1) and excellent cycling lifespan (744.1 mAh g−1 after 600 cycles at a current density of 2.0 A g−1). Such a design concept provides a promising strategy towards heterostructure materials to enhance their lithium storage performances and boost their practical applications.

Abstract Objective Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a major threat to public health. Pyroptosis is a form of inflammatory programmed cell death that is still incompletely understood. The role of pyroptotic cell death in HNSCC remains to be fully defined. As such, the present study was developed to explore the potential prognostic utility of a pyroptosis-related gene (PRG) signature in HNSCC. Methods PRG expression patterns and the associated mutational landscape in HNSCC were analyzed, after which a 6-gene prognostic model was constructed through least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and Cox regression analyses using the TCGA dataset, followed by validation with two GEO datasets (GSE41643 and GSE65858). The relative expression of the genes in the prognostic model was assessed via RT-qPCR in tumor and paired adjacent normal tissue samples from a 32-patient cohort. Potential predictors of patient outcomes associated with this 6-gene model were identified through topological degree analyses of a protein–protein interaction network. Moreover, the prognostic value of NLRP3 as a predictor of HNSCC patient prognosis was established through immunohistochemical (IHC) analyses of samples from 176 HNSCC patients. Lastly, in vitro studies were performed to further demonstrate the relevance of NLRP3 in the context of HNSCC development. Results Differentially expressed PRGs were able to readily differentiate between HNSCC tumors and normal tissues. Risk scores derived from the 6-gene PRG model were independent predictors of HNSCC patient prognosis, and genes that were differentially expressed between low- and high-risk groups were associated with tumor immunity. RT-qPCR assays also showed the potential protective role of NLRP3 in HNSCC patients. IHC analyses further supported the value of NLRP3 as a predictor of HNSCC patient outcomes. Invasion and migration assays demonstrated the potential role of NLRP3 in the inhibition of HNSCC development. Conclusions Overall, these results highlight a novel prognostic gene signature that offers value in the context of HNSCC patient evaluation, although additional research will be essential to elucidate the mechanisms linking these PRGs to HNSCC outcomes.

Antibiotic resistance bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are emerging contaminants posing risk to human health. To investigate the pathogenic ARBs and the horizontal gene transfer (HGT) via both extracellular ARGs (eARGs) and intracellular ARGs (iARGs), an in vitro digestion simulation system was established to monitoring the ARB and ARGs passing through the artificial digestive tract. The results showed that ARB was mostly affected by the acidity of the gastric fluid with about 99% ARB (total population of 2.45 × 109–2.54 × 109) killed at pH 2.0 and severe damage of bacterial cell membrane. However, more than 80% ARB (total population of 2.71 × 109–3.90 × 109) survived the challenge when the pH of the gastric fluid was 3.0 and above. Most ARB died from the high acidity, but its ARGs, intI1 and 16 S rRNA could be detected. The eARGs (accounting for 0.03–24.56% of total genes) were less than iARGs obviously. The eARGs showed greater HGT potential than that of iARGs, suggesting that transformation occurred more easily than conjugation. The transferring potential followed: tet (100%) > sul (75%) > bla (58%), related to the high correlation of intI1 with tetA and sul2 (p

Abstract Background Mastoscopic surgery is proven to have lower incidence of postoperative complications and better postoperative recovery than traditional breast cancer surgery. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of mastoscopic modified radical mastectomy (MRM) with skin nipple-areola preservation under air cavity-free suspension hook and stage I silicone prosthesis implantation (SMALND) compared with routine MRM. Methods This was a retrospective study of patients who underwent MRM for breast cancer at the Shengjing Hospital Affiliated to China Medical University between January 1, 2019, and June 30, 2019. Surgical outcomes, complications, satisfaction, and quality of life (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast [FACT-B] [Chinese version]) were compared between the two groups. Results A total of 87 patients were enrolled, with 30 underwent SMALND and 57 underwent routine MRM. The intraoperative blood loss in the SMALND group was lower than in the control group (165.3±44.1 vs. 201.4±52.7 ml, P=0.001), the operation time was longer (220.5±23.9 vs. 155.6±9.2 min, P

Understanding the effect of a tradable green certificate (TGC) and renewable portfolio standard (RPS) policy mix is of great importance for sustainable renewable-energy development and carbon neutrality, given that the demand side subjects are the responsible subjects under China’s RPSs and studies from the demand-side perspective are relatively limited. To fill this gap, this paper analyzes the coupled relationship between the TGC market and the electricity market as well as the reflexivity of the TGC market. Meanwhile, on the basis of modeling TGC prices and renewable-energy uncertainty, this paper constructs a Markov decision process (MDP) model to simulate the sequential decision-making process of the demand side and further proposes a solution model based on dynamic programming and evolutionary algorithms. The results show that: (1) In addition to policy parameters such as RPS weight, TGC price caps and penalties, a preference for short-term benefits and renewable-energy uncertainty also affect transaction behaviors on the demand side. (2) Increasing RPS weight within an appropriate range can stimulate demand for renewable power and TGC, while excessively low RPS weight will result in accumulation of unsold TGC. In addition, the preference for short-term benefits can stimulate demand for renewable power and curb demand for TGC. (3) An increase in the TGC price cap can stimulate demand for renewable power and restrain demand for TGC, but this phenomenon may not exist when RPS weight is too low or responsible subjects prefer short-term benefits. (4) Setting a penalty of no less than the TGC price cap is of great significance to ensure the operation of the TGC market and RPSs.

Abstract Compelling evidence has demonstrated the potential functions of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in breast cancer (BC) tumorigenesis. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism by which circRNAs regulate BC progression is still unclear. The purpose of present research was to investigate the novel circRNA circRNF20 (hsa_circ_0087784) and its role in BC. CircRNA microarray sequencing revealed that circRNF20 was one of the upregulated transcripts in BC samples. Increased circRNF20 level predicted the poor clinical outcome in BC specimens. Functionally, circRNF20 promoted the proliferation and Warburg effect (aerobic glycolysis) of BC cells. Mechanistically, circRNF20 harbor miR-487a, acting as miRNA sponge, and then miR-487a targeted the 3’-UTR of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). Moreover, HIF-1α could bind with the promoter of hexokinase II (HK2) and promoted its transcription. In conclusion, this finding illustrates the vital roles of circRNF20 via the circRNF20/ miR-487a/HIF-1α/HK2 axis in breast cancer progress and Warburg effect, providing an interesting insight for the BC tumorigenesis.

Bi2MoO6 was one of the important bismuth-based semiconductors with a narrow bandgap, and has been widely used in selective oxidation catalysts, supercapacitors, and energy-storage devices. A series of Bi2MoO6/ZnO composite photocatalysts with different mass ratios were synthesized by the hydrothermal method. The synthesized samples were characterized by XRD, PL, UV-Vis, SEM, TEM, XPS, and BET analysis techniques. Under visible light conditions, Methylene blue (MB) was used as the target degradation product to evaluate its photocatalytic performance. The results showed that the degradation rate constant of Bi2MoO6/ZnO (0.4-BZO) was about twice that of the traditional photocatalysis of ZnO. The Bi2MoO6/ZnO composite catalyst maintained stable performance after four consecutive runs. The high photocatalytic activity of Bi2MoO6/ZnO was attributed to the efficient electron transport of the heterojunction, which accelerates the separation of electron-hole pairs and reduces the probability of carrier recombination near the Bi2MoO6/ZnO heterojunction. Bi2MoO6/ZnO nanocomposites have potential applications in the field of photodegradation.

In recent years, in order to promote animal growth and reduce the risk of disease, a variety of antibiotics are frequently added to the animal feed of livestock and poultry. However, these antibiotics can not be fully digested by animals and most of them are excreted with feces, consequently causing the enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and huge environmental risks. Nowadays, composting is a better option to solve these problems. Accordingly, this study explored the effects of co-composting swine manure with different inoculants dominated by Phanerochaete chrysosporium (p), Aspergillus niger (a), and Bacillus licheniformis (b) on the simultaneous removal of multiple antibiotics and resistance genes and evolution of the bacterial community. The results showed that the highest removal extent of tetracycline and oxytetracycline occurred in pile D (p:b:a=1:5:5, biomass) reaching 89.2% and 87.8%, respectively, while the highest removal extent of doxycycline and enrofloxacin occurred in pile A (p:b:a=1:0:0, biomass) reaching 98.6% and 89%, respectively. Compared with the levels in pile B (control check), in pile D, ARGs, except those for sulfonamides, decreased by 1.059 × 10−3–6.68 × 10−2 gene copies/16S rRNA copies. Inoculation with p alone effectively reduced intI1 and intI2. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) that microbial community structure evolution had a greater influence on ARGs than environmental factors. In summary, this study provided a feasible way to efficiently remove the antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in pig manure.

A high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS) method was developed to analyze and identify small molecule compounds in distillery wastewater. According to identification confidence levels, 4 levels of compounds were identified. The five antimicrobial compounds (lactic acid, succinic acid, acetophenone, cinnamic acid, and phenyllactic acid), which shown in high concentrations, were at the highest level of confidence (level 1, confirmed structure). Thus, a rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed to simultaneously quantify these antimicrobial compounds. The analysis was performed in the selective reaction monitoring (SRM) mode via the electrospray ionization (ESI) source operating in the negative ionization mode. Linear calibration curves were obtained over the concentration range of 50–1000 ng/mL for succinic acid, acetophenone, cinnamic acid, phenyllactic acid, and 375–7500 ng/mL for lactic acid. Precision and recovery of the analytes were all satisfactory (relative standard deviation < 10%). The validated method was successfully applied to quantitative analysis of the five antimicrobial compounds in distillery wastewater. • Analyze and identify 4 levels of small molecule compounds in distillery wastewater. • Simple method for quantification of five antimicrobial compounds. • Column temperature affected the lactic and succinic acid chromatographs significantly.

Herein, the authors review the self-regulation system secured by well-designed hybrid materials, composites, and complex system. As a broad concept, the self-regulated material/system has been defined in a wide research field and proven to be of great interest for use in a biomedical system, mechanical system, physical system, as the fact of something such as an organisation regulating itself without intervention from external perturbation. Here, they focus on the most recent discoveries of self-regulation phenomenon and progress in utilising the self-regulation design. This paper concludes by examining various practical applications of the remarkable materials and systems including manipulation of the oil/water interface, cell out-layer structure, radical activity, electron energy level, and mechanical structure of nanomaterials. From material science to bioengineering, self-regulation proves to be not only viable, but increasingly useful in many applications. As part of intelligent engineering, self-regulatory materials are expected to be more used as integrated intelligent components.

The electricity output from microbial fuel cell (MFC) with a microalgae assisted cathode is usually higher than that with an air cathode. The output of electricity from a photosynthetic microalgae MFC was positively correlated with the dissolved oxygen (DO) level in the microalgae assisted biocathode. However, DO is highly affected by the photosynthesis of microalgae, leading to the low stability in the electricity output that easily varies with the change in microalgae growth. In this study, to improve the electricity output stability of the MFC, a partially submerged carbon cloth cathode electrode was first investigated to use oxygen from both microalgae and air, with synthetic piggery wastewater used as the anolyte and anaerobically digested swine wastewater as the catholyte. When the DO levels dropped from 13.6−14.8 to 1.0−1.6 mg/L, the working voltages in the MFCs with partially submerged electrodes remained high (256−239 mV), whereas that for the conventional completely submerged electrodes dropped from 259 to 102 mV. The working voltages (average, 297 ± 26 mV) of the MFCs with the 50% submerged electrodes were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than with other partially or completely submerged electrodes. The associated maximum lipid production from wastewater was 250 ± 42 mg/L with lipid content of 41 ± 6% dry biomass. Although the partially submerged electrode had no significant effects on lipid production or nitrogen removal in wastewater, there was significant improvement in the stability of the electricity generated under variable conditions.

The ubiquitin ligase RAD18 is involved in post replication repair pathways via its recruitment to stalled replication forks, and its role in the ubiquitylation of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Recently, it has been reported that RAD18 is also recruited to DNA double strand break (DSB) sites, where it plays novel functions in the DNA damage response induced by ionizing radiation (IR). This new role is independent of PCNA ubiquitylation, but little is known about how RAD18 functions after IR exposure. Here, we describe a role for RAD18 in the IR-induced DNA damage signaling pathway at G2/M phase in the cell cycle. Depleting cells of RAD18 reduced the recruitment of the DNA damage signaling factors ATM, γH2AX, and 53BP1 to foci in cells at the G2/M phase after IR exposure, and attenuated activation of the G2/M checkpoint. Furthermore, depletion of RAD18 increased micronuclei formation and cell death following IR exposure, both in vitro and in vivo. Our data suggest that RAD18 can function as a mediator for DNA damage response signals to activate the G2/M checkpoint in order to maintain genome integrity and cell survival after IR exposure.

This study investigates the enhancement of molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanoparticles with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to improve peroxidase activity and antibiotic degradation capabilities. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed successful modification, showing shifts in Mo and S binding energies. Scanning electron microscopy revealed an increase in nanoparticle size from 117.8–178.74 nm (MoS₂) to 99.73–200.20 µm (MoS₂-PEG), likely due to agglomeration. MoS₂-PEG demonstrated optimal peroxidase activity at 60 µg/mL concentration and 12 mM H₂O₂, with maximum efficiency at pH 5 and 30 °C, highlighting its pH sensitivity and moderate thermal stability. Under these conditions, MoS₂-PEG achieved nearly complete degradation of 10 mg/L Cefotaxime (CFX) within 312 min, identifying three metabolites (CFX 1, CFX 2, and CFX 3) in the degradation pathway. The study concludes that MoS₂-PEG nanoparticles are effective for peroxidase reactions and antibiotic degradation, positioning them as promising candidates for wastewater treatment. Their stability, reusability, and potential for sustainable applications underscore their value in developing cost-effective solutions for removing antibiotics from contaminated water sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]