Structural Optimization of PA12/MVQ@POE-g-MAH Ternary Composite for Superior Toughness and Low-Temperature Resistance.

To enhance the low-temperature toughness and resistance of the engineering plastic polyamide PA12, this study introduces novel PA12/MVQ@POE-g-MAH ternary composites using a two-step process and dynamic curing. Analytical results indicate that incorporating MVQ@POE-g-MAH into the PA12 matrix markedly enhances its toughness and heat resistance. As the MVQ@POE-g-MAH content increases, the elongation at break of PA12 composites significantly expands from 52.83% to 204.69%, and the notch impact strength escalates from 8.69 to 74.34 kJ m-2. In addition, the brittleness temperature of PA12 decreases from -59.5 to -67.0 °C. Experimental findings confirm that POE-g-MAH is dispersed at the interface between MVQ and PA12, creating an encapsulated structure of MVQ@POE-g-MAH. This enhancement significantly broadens the potential applications of PA12 by improving its toughness, and resistance to both low and high temperatures, as well as impact endurance.

Three-dimensional on-chip mode converter.

The implementation of transverse mode, polarization, frequency, and other degrees of freedom (d.o.f.s) of photons is an important way to improve the capability of photonic circuits. Here, a three-dimensional (3D) linear polarized (LP) LP11 mode converter was designed and fabricated using a femtosecond laser direct writing (FsLDW) technique. The converter included multi-mode waveguides, symmetric Y splitters, and phase delaying waveguides, which were constructed as different numbers and arrangements of circular cross section waveguides. Finally, the modes (LP11a and LP11b) were generated on-chip with a relatively low insertion loss (IL). The mode converter lays a foundation for on-chip high-order mode generation and conversion between different modes, and will play a significant role in mode coding and decoding of 3D photonic circuits.

Impacts of SRT on Particle Size Distribution and Reactor Performance in Activated Sludge Processes.

Particle size distribution of the particulates is an essential characteristic of the wastewater quality. Particle size of activated sludge flocs may affect key sludge handling processes including sedimentation, thickening, digestion, and dewatering. This study evaluated the effects of solids retention time (SRT) on particle size distribution, sludge settleability, effluent turbidity, and removals of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and -N in a lab-scale Modified Ludzak-Ettinger (MLE) reactor and an integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) reactor. This study also surveyed particle size distribution profile of five full-scale water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs), including high purity oxygen (HPO), step-feed nitrification/denitrification (NDN), and MLE NDN processes. This study provides direct evidence of the effects of SRT on particle size distribution and sludge settleability in lab-scale reactors and full-scale WRRFs.

Removal of 17ß-estradiol in a Biological Active Carbon Reactor with Acetic Acid and Humic Acid.

The objective of this study is to characterize the removal of 17ß-estradiol (E2) and the microbial community of a biologically active carbon (BAC) reactor under acetic acid or humic acid as the primary carbon source. Influent E2 concentration was maintained at 20 µg/L. Higher than 99% removal of E2 was achieved by the BAC reactor. The concentration of E2 increased from below detection limit (<5.8 ng/L) to 48 ± 8 ng/L after switching the primary carbon source from acetic acid to humic acid in the reactor influent. Meanwhile, effluent estrone concentration increased from 50 ± 15 to 55 ± 15 ng/L after the switch of primary carbon source in the reactor influent. 17ß-estradiol degrading bacteria were isolated. Microbial community structures under different nutrient conditions were revealed by high throughput sequencing. The presence of readily biodegradable carbon source such as acetic acid benefited E2 removal in the BAC reactor.

Linking nitrification characteristic and microbial community structures in integrated fixed film activated sludge reactor by high-throughput sequencing.

The primary goal of this study is to investigate ammonia removal, abundance of nitrifying bacteria and microbial community structures in a laboratory-scale integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) reactor. The results of Illumina MiSeq sequencing based on 16S rRNA genes showed Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla in both biofilm and suspended sludge samples in the IFAS reactor. The dominant ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) species was Nitrosomonas and the dominant nitrite-oxidizing bacteria species was Nitrospira. The contribution of biofilm to ammonia removal increased from 4.0 ± 0.9% to 37.0 ± 2% when the temperature decreased from 25 °C to 10 °C. The real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) result showed the abundance of AOB in suspended sludge was higher than that in biofilm at the same time. However, nitrification is more dependent on attached growth than on suspended growth in the IFAS reactor at 15 °C and 10 °C and the abundance of AOB in biofilm was also higher than that in suspended sludge. The more robust ammonia removal rate at low temperatures by biofilm contributed to the relatively stable ammonia removal, and biofilm attached on carriers in the IFAS reactor is advantageous for nitrification in low-temperature environment.

Proteomic analysis of 17ß-estradiol degradation by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.

Microbial degradation plays a critical role in determining the environmental fate of steroid hormones, such as 17ß-estradiol (E2). The molecular mechanisms governing the microbial transformation of E2 and its primary degradation intermediate, estrone (E1), are largely unknown. The objective of this study was to identify metabolism pathways that might be involved in microbial estrogen degradation. To achieve the objective, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain ZL1 was used as a model estrogen degrading bacterium and its protein expression level during E2/E1 degradation was studied using quantitative proteomics. During an E2 degradation experiment, strain ZL1 first converted E2 to E1 stoichiometrically. At 16 h E1 reached its peak concentration, and microbial growth started. At the same time, enzymes involved in certain catabolic and anabolic pathways were most highly expressed compared to the other time points tested. Among those enzymes, the ones involved in protein and lipid biosyntheses were observed to be particularly active. Based on the metabolite information from a previous study and the proteomic data from this study, we hypothesized that S. maltophilia strain ZL1 was able to convert E1 to amino acid tyrosine through ring cleavage on a saturated ring of the E1 molecule and then utilize tyrosine in protein biosynthesis.

Removing 17ß-estradiol from drinking water in a biologically active carbon (BAC) reactor modified from a granular activated carbon (GAC) reactor.

Estrogenic compounds in drinking water sources pose potential threats to human health. Treatment technologies are needed to effectively remove these compounds for the production of safe drinking water. In this study, GAC adsorption was first tested for its ability to remove a model estrogenic compound, 17ß-estradiol (E2). Although GAC showed a relatively high adsorption capacity for E2 in isotherm experiments, it appeared to have a long mass transfer zone in a GAC column reactor, causing an early leakage of E2 in the effluent. With an influent E2 concentration of 20 µg/L, the GAC reactor was able to bring down effluent E2 to ≈ 200 ng/L. To further enhance E2 removal, the GAC reactor was converted to a biologically active carbon (BAC) reactor by promoting biofilm growth in the reactor. Under optimal operating conditions, the BAC reactor had an effluent E2 concentration of ≈ 50 ng/L. With the empty bed contact times tested, the reactor exhibited more robust E2 removal performance under the BAC operation than under the GAC operation. It is noted that estrone (E1), an E2 biodegradation intermediate, was frequently detected in reactor effluent during the BAC operation. Results from this study suggested that BAC could be an effective drinking water treatment process for E2 removal and in the meantime E1 accumulation needs to be addressed.