Application of a water-energy-carbon coupling index to evaluate the long-term operational stability of the anaerobic-anoxic-oxic-membrane bioreactor (A2/O-MBR) process under the influence of rainstorms.

In the context of global climate change, sudden rainstorms and typhoons induce fluctuations in hydraulic shocks to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in coastal areas, causing two challenges of stable effluent quality and low-carbon operation. We established a quantitative evaluation method for resistance of wastewater treatment processes to hydraulic shocks based on the water-energy-carbon nexus using operational data from a WWTP in southeast coastal China from July 2018 to December 2022. The effects of hydraulic shocks on the operational stability of the anaerobic-anoxic-oxic-membrane bioreactor (A2/O-MBR) process were analyzed following five steps. The results showed that the gray water footprint (GWF) of the process was 9.3% lower than that of the A2/O process. The energy footprint (ENF) and carbon footprint (CF) were approximately 2.1 times and 1.7 times higher than those of the A2/O process, respectively. The resistance to hydraulic shocks of the A2/O-MBR process is approximately 5.5 times higher than that of the A2/O process. In conclusion, the A2/O-MBR process exhibits higher process operational stability when subjected to hydraulic shocks, which is more conducive to the efficient and stable operation of WWTPs in rainstorm and typhoon-prone areas. The evaluation methodology provides qualitative technical support for selecting upgrading processes for WWTPs in different regions.

Toxoplasma Chinese 1 Strain of WH3Δrop16I/III /gra15II Genetic Background Contributes to Abnormal Pregnant Outcomes in Murine Model.

Toxoplasma gondii infection evokes a strong Th1-type response with interleukin (IL)-12 and interferon (IFN)-γ secretion. Recent studies suggest that the infection of pregnant mice with T. gondii may lead to adverse pregnancy results caused by subversion of physiological immune tolerance at maternofetal interface rather than direct invasion of the parasite. Genotype-associated dense granule protein GRA15II tends to induce classically activated macrophage (M1) differentiation and subsequently activating NK, Th1, and Th17 cells whereas rhoptry protein ROP16I/III drives macrophages to alternatively activated macrophage (M2) polarization and elicits Th2 immune response. Unlike the archetypal strains of types I, II, and III, type Chinese 1 strains possess both GRA15II and ROP16I/III, suggesting a distinct pathogenesis of Toxoplasma-involved adverse pregnancies. We constructed T. gondii type Chinese 1 strain of WH3Δrop16 based on CRISPR/Cas9 technology to explore the ROP16I/III-deficient/GRA15II-dominant parasites in induction of trophoblast apoptosis in vitro and abnormal pregnant outcomes of mice in vivo. Our study showed that Toxoplasma WH3Δrop16 remarkably induced apoptosis of trophoblasts. C57BL/6 pregnant mice injected with the tachyzoites of WH3Δrop16 presented increased absorptivity of fetuses in comparison with the mice infected with WH3 wild type (WH3 WT) parasites although no remarkable difference of virulence to mice was seen between the two strains. Additionally, the mice inoculated with WH3Δrop16 tachyzoites exhibited a notable expression of both IL-17A and IFN-γ, while the percentage of CD4+CD25+FoxP3 [T regulatory cells (Tregs)] were diminished in splenocytes and placenta tissues compared to those infected with WH3 WT parasites. Accordingly, expressions of IL-4, IL-10, and transforming growth factor beta 1, the pivotal cytokines of Th2 and Tregs response, were significantly dampened whereas IFN-γ and IL-12 expressions were upregulated in WH3Δrop16-infected mice, which gave rise to more prominent outcomes of abnormal pregnancies. Our results indicated that the WH3Δrop16 parasites with gra15II background of T. gondii type Chinese 1 strains may cause miscarriage and stillbirth due to subversion of the maternal immune tolerance and system immunity of the animals and the GRA15II effector contributes to the process of adverse pregnant consequences.

Wide Swath Stereo Mapping from Gaofen-1 Wide-Field-View (WFV) Images Using Calibration.

The development of Earth observation systems has changed the nature of survey and mapping products, as well as the methods for updating maps. Among optical satellite mapping methods, the multiline array stereo and agile stereo modes are the most common methods for acquiring stereo images. However, differences in temporal resolution and spatial coverage limit their application. In terms of this issue, our study takes advantage of the wide spatial coverage and high revisit frequencies of wide swath images and aims at verifying the feasibility of stereo mapping with the wide swath stereo mode and reaching a reliable stereo accuracy level using calibration. In contrast with classic stereo modes, the wide swath stereo mode is characterized by both a wide spatial coverage and high-temporal resolution and is capable of obtaining a wide range of stereo images over a short period. In this study, Gaofen-1 (GF-1) wide-field-view (WFV) images, with total imaging widths of 800 km, multispectral resolutions of 16 m and revisit periods of four days, are used for wide swath stereo mapping. To acquire a high-accuracy digital surface model (DSM), the nonlinear system distortion in the GF-1 WFV images is detected and compensated for in advance. The elevation accuracy of the wide swath stereo mode of the GF-1 WFV images can be improved from 103 m to 30 m for a DSM with proper calibration, meeting the demands for 1:250,000 scale mapping and rapid topographic map updates and showing improved efficacy for satellite imaging.