circBRAF promotes the progression of triple-negative breast cancer through modulating methylation by recruiting KDM4B to histone H3K9me3 and IGF2BP3 to mRNA.

Understanding the molecular characteristics of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and developing more tailored treatment approaches is crucial. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), as potential therapeutic targets, remain largely unexplored in TNBC. This study utilized circRNA microarray analysis to determine the expression of circRNAs in TNBC, analyzing nine patient specimens. The characteristics of circBRAF were examined using divergent PCR primers, Sanger sequencing, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis, and the application of RNase and actinomycin D. The biological function of circBRAF in TNBC was further investigated through colony formation, tube formation, and transwell assays. Crucially, the mechanisms underlying the effects of circBRAF on TNBC progression were explored via RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-seq) data, MS2 pulldown, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis, circBRAF knockdown, histone H3K9me3 modification, and Chromatin Isolation by RNA Purification (ChIRP) tests followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). We focused particularly on hsa_circ_0007178, produced from exons 4-13 of the oncogene BRAF. Functional experiments revealed that circBRAF is crucial for the development of TNBC, with its knockdown preventing angiogenesis, metastasis, and cell division in vitro. Mechanistically, circBRAF interacts with KDM4B and IGF2BP3, promoting TNBC growth. Interaction of circBRAF with IGF2BP3 increased the expression of VCAN, FN1, CDCA3, or B4GALT3 by controlling mRNA stability through RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification. Furthermore, circBRAF upregulated the expression of ADAMTS14 and MMP9 through recruitment of KDM4B to enhance respective H3K9me3 modification. Furthermore, overexpression of circBRAF was able to overcome the inhibitory effects of siKDM4B and siIGF2BP3 on cell migration and invasion. Our findings suggest that circBRAF may act as an oncogene in TNBC through its specific interactions with KDM4B and IGF2BP3, implying that circBRAF could serve as a potentially effective novel therapeutic target for TNBC.

Role of ADAM33 short isoform as a tumor suppressor in the pathogenesis of thyroid cancer via oncogenic function disruption of full-length ADAM33.

Thyroid cancer is the most prevalent endocrine malignancy globally; however, its underlying pathogenesis remains unclarified. Reportedly, alternative splicing is involved in processes such as embryonic stem and precursor cell differentiation, cell lineage reprogramming, and epithelial-mesenchymal transitions. ADAM33-n, an alternative splicing isoform of ADAM33, encodes a small protein containing 138 amino acids of the N-terminal of full-length ADAM33, which constructs a chaperone-like domain that was previously reported to bind and block the proteolysis activity of ADAM33. In this study, we reported for the first time that ADAM33-n was downregulated in thyroid cancer. The results of cell counting kit-8 and colony formation assays showed that ectopic ADAM33-n in papillary thyroid cancer cell lines restricted cell proliferation and colony formation. Moreover, we demonstrated that ectopic ADAM33-n reversed the oncogenic function of full-length ADAM33 in cell growth and colony formation in the MDA-T32 and BCPAP cells. These findings indicate the tumor suppressor ability of ADAM33-n. Altogether, our study findings present a potential explanatory model of how the downregulation of the oncogenic gene ADAM33 promotes the pathogenesis of thyroid cancer.

The interaction between the soluble programmed death ligand-1 (sPD-L1) and PD-1+ regulator B cells mediates immunosuppression in triple-negative breast cancer.

Accumulating evidence suggests that regulatory B cells (Bregs) play important roles in inhibiting the immune response in tumors. Programmed death 1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) are important molecules that maintain the balance of the immune response and immune tolerance. This study aims to evaluate the soluble form of PD-L1 and its function in inducing the differentiation of B lymphocytes, investigate the relationship between soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) and B-cell subsets, and explore the antitumor activity of T lymphocytes after PD-L1 blockade in coculture systems. In an effort to explore the role of sPD-L1 in human breast cancer etiology, we examined the levels of sPD-L1 and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the serum of breast tumor patients and the proportions of B cells, PD-1+ B cells, Bregs, and PD-1+ Bregs in the peripheral blood of patients with breast tumors and assessed their relationship among sPD-L1, IL-10, and B-cell subsets. The levels of sPD-L1 and IL-10 in serum were found to be significantly higher in invasive breast cancer (IBCa) patients than in breast fibroadenoma (FIBma) patients. Meanwhile, the proportions and absolute numbers of Bregs and PD-1+ Bregs in the peripheral blood of IBCa patients were significantly higher than those of FIBma patients. Notably, they were the highest in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) among other subtypes of IBCa. Positive correlations of sPD-L1 and IL-10, IL-10 and PD-1+ Bregs, and also sPD-L1 and PD-1+ Bregs were observed in IBCa. We further demonstrated that sPD-L1 could induce Breg differentiation, IL-10 secretion, and IL-10 mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. Finally, the induction of regulatory T cells (Tregs) by Bregs was further shown to suppress the antitumor response and that PD-L1 blockade therapies could promote the apoptosis of tumor cells. Together, these results indicated that sPD-L1 could mediate the differentiation of Bregs, expand CD4+ Tregs and weaken the antitumor activity of CD4+ T cells. PD-L1/PD-1 blockade therapies might be a powerful therapeutic strategy for IBCa patients, particularly for TNBC patients with high level of PD-1+ Bregs.

Synergistic effects boost electrocatalytic reduction of bromate on supported bimetallic Ru-Cu catalyst.

Bromate is a commonly identified carcinogenic and genotoxic disinfection byproduct in water. In the present work, bimetallic Ru-Cu catalyst supported on carbon nanotube (RuCu/CNT) was prepared and the structural properties of the catalysts were characterized. The results show that the presence of Ru enhances the dispersion and reduction of Cu particles in the RuCu/CNT catalyst in comparison with the monometallic Cu catalyst supported on CNT (Cu/CNT). For electrocatalytic reaction on Cu/CNT, bromate is reduced on metallic Cu surface via a redox process. For Ru/CNT, highly active H* radicals are generated on metallic Ru surface via the Volmer process and are used for bromate reduction. As for the RuCu/CNT, bromate is reduced through two main pathways, including direct redox reaction on metallic Cu and indirect reduction by active H* radicals on Ru surface. Accordingly, RuCu/CNT exhibits the highest catalytic activity, ascribed to the synergistic effect between metallic Ru and Cu. Furthermore, the bimetallic catalyst displays much higher catalytic efficiency as compared with previously reported results. The pH, initial bromate concentration, in-situ electrochemical reduction of the electrodes and working potential have strong impacts on the removal efficiency of bromate on RuCu/CNT.

Circular RNA circRPPH1 promotes triple-negative breast cancer progression via the miR-556-5p/YAP1 axis.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), which are considered to be important functional regulators in cancer, have provided a new perspective regarding our understanding of tumor biology, including that of breast cancer. To investigate the regulatory effect of circRPPH1 on cellular behaviors of breast cancer and the potential mechanism, the expression of circRPPH1 and miR-556-5p in breast cancer tissues and cell lines were examined by quantitative RT-PCR. The regulatory effects of the circRPPH1/miR-556-5p/YAP1 axis on cellular behaviors of breast cancer cells were evaluated through functional experiments in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. The relationship between circRPPH1 and miR-556-5p/YAP1 was assessed using dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. PCR results showed that circRPPH1 levels were significantly upregulated in tumor tissues and breast cancer cells. Functionally, circRPPH1 promoted the proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis of breast cancer cell lines and tumor growth in vivo. Regarding the mechanism, dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays showed that circRPPH1 was capable of sponging miR-556-5p to increase expression of the oncogene YAP1. Our data reveal that circRPPH1 plays a vital regulatory role in breast cancer via the miR-556-5p/YAP1 axis and may serve as a promising therapeutic target for breast cancer treatment.

Liquid phase catalytic hydrogenation reduction of Cr(VI) using highly stable and active Pd/CNT catalysts coated by N-doped carbon.

Liquid catalytic hydrogenation is a green and cost-effective technique for the reductive removal of pollutants in water. Supported noble metals are the most frequently used catalysts in liquid phase catalytic hydrogenation, whereas marked catalyst deactivation is commonly identified. In this study, we coated supported Pd catalyst on carbon nanotube (denoted as Pd/CNT) by different overcoatings (including SiO2, carbon and N-doped carbon) to prevent catalyst deactivation. The activities of the coated catalysts for liquid phase catalytic hydrogenation reduction of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) differed with the overcoating properties. Negligible Cr(VI) conversion was observed on SiO2 coated Pd/CNT, while feasible Cr(VI) reduction was identified on carbon coated (denoted as Pd/CNT@C) and N-doped carbon coated catalysts (denoted as Pd/CNT@CN). Pd/CNT@CN exhibited a much higher catalytic activity than Pd/CNT@C, which was ascribed to the stronger Cr(VI) adsorption on CN overcoating. The catalytic activity of Pd/CNT@CN was positively correlated with the conductivity and hydrophilicity of CN overcoating, which could be optimized by varying carbonization temperature. Furthermore, Pd/CNT@CN retained its initial activity after ten consecutive catalyst cycles without any deactivation, whereas Pd/CNT only retained 8.2% of its initial activity, reflecting much higher catalytic stability of Pd/CNT@CN than Pd/CNT. The findings in the present study highlight that liquid catalytic reduction using Pd/CNT@CN as the catalyst is a highly stable and effective method to remove Cr(VI) in water.

ZrO2 nanoparticles confined in metal organic frameworks for highly effective adsorption of phosphate.

Highly dispersed ZrO2 particles confined in the MIL-101 (denoted as MIL-101@Zr(DS)) with varied ZrO2 loading amounts were prepared by the double solvents method. For comparison, ZrO2 loaded MIL-101 samples were synthesized by the conventional impregnation method (denoted as MIL-101@Zr(I)) and the deposition method (denoted as MIL-101@Zr(D)). The characterization results indicated that for MIL-101@Zr(DS), ZrO2 particles were dominantly confined in MIL-101 with a much higher dispersion as compared with MIL-101@Zr(I) and MIL-101@Zr(D). The maximum phosphate adsorption capacity and ZrO2 content normalized phosphate adsorption capacity of the MIL-101@Zr(DS) were 21.28 mg P·g-1 and 1120.0 mg P·g-1, respectively. Additionally, the ZrO2 content normalized phosphate adsorption capacity was significantly larger than that for MIL-101@Zr(I) and MIL-101@Zr(D) as well as the reported values for other Zr-based adsorbents. The effects of solution chemistry on phosphate adsorption to MIL-101@Zr(DS), MIL-101@Zr(I) and MIL-101@Zr(D) were also examined. Compared with MIL-101@Zr(I) and MIL-101@Zr(D), the adsorption of phosphate on MIL-101@Zr(DS) was less affected by the coexistence of anions and dissolved humic acid. Increasing pH from 3 to 12 led to decreased phosphate adsorption capacity of MIL-101@Zr(DS) from 10.38 mg P·g-1 to 2.03 mg P·g-1. Accordingly, used MIL-101@Zr(DS) could be effectively regenerated under alkaline conditions and exhibited stable adsorption-desorption performance.

PD-L1 is a critical mediator of regulatory B cells and T cells in invasive breast cancer.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs), a key mediator in regulating anti-tumor immune suppression, tumor immune escape, metastasis and relapse, are considered an important therapeutic target in immunotherapy of human cancers. In the present investigation, elevated CD19+ CD24+ CD38+ regulatory B cells (Bregs) were observed in PBMCs of invasive carcinoma of breast (IBCa) patients compared with that in patients with fibroadenoma (FIBma) or healthy individuals, and the positive correlation existed between Bregs and CD4+ CD25+ CD127- Tregs (r = 0.316, P = 0.001). We found that PD-L1 expression was higher on Bregs in IBCa patients compared with patients with FIBma or healthy individuals (P < 0.05, respectively), and that a tight correlation exists between CD19+ CD24+ CD38+ PD-L1+ Bregs and CD19+ CD24+ CD38+ Bregs (r = 0.267, P = 0.007), poor TNM phases and up-regulated expression of PD-L1 on Bregs. The pattern of PD-1 expression on CD4+ T cells indicated that high level of PD-1hi expressed on CD4+ CD25+ CD127+ effector T cells (P < 0.001). More importantly, the presence of PD-L1 on Bregs was positively correlated with Tregs (r = 0.299, P = 0.003), but negatively correlated with PD-1hi effector T cells (r = -0.22, P = 0.031). Together, results of the present study indicated that PD-L1 is an important molecule on Bregs, mediated the generation of Tregs in IBCa.

PD-L1 mediated the differentiation of tumor-infiltrating CD19+ B lymphocytes and T cells in Invasive breast cancer.

Accumulating evidence suggests that B cells play important roles in inhibiting the immune response in autoimmune disorders and human tumors as well as murine tumor models. In an effort to explore the role of B cells in human breast cancer etiology, we examined the presence of CD19+ B lymphocytes in 134 cases of invasive breast carcinoma (IBCa) and 31 breast fibroadenoma, and assessed its relationship with PD-L1 (programmed death-ligand 1) expression in breast cancer. We found that the density of CD19+ B lymphocytes was higher in IBCa compared with fibroadenoma, and significantly associated with increasing tumor grade, negative estrogen status. Similar findings were observed for the expression of IL-10 in IBCa. Meanwhile, CD19+ B lymphocytes were shown to be highly coincident with PD-L1 and IL-10 in IBCa. We further demonstrated that CD19+ B cells can differentiate into CD19+CD24+CD38+ B cells when co-cultured with PD-L1hi MDA-MB231 cells. In addition, the percentage of CD19+CD24+CD38+ B cells was higher in breast tissue and peripheral blood cells of IBCa patients than that of benign tumor and health individuals. And CD19+CD24+CD38+ B cells were found to be IL-10 secreting B cells. Finally, we showed that CD19+ B cells from IBCa patients but not healthy individuals induced formation of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells when co-cultured with T cells from IBCa patients and healthy subjects (80.4% and 30.8% respectively). The induction of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells by CD19+ B cells was further shown to be mediated by PD-L1. Together, these results are suggestive of a role for CD19+ B lymphocytes in immune suppression and tumor evasion via PD-L1 in breast cancer.

Effect of heat treatment on sorption of polar and nonpolar compounds to montmorillonites and soils.

Batch sorption isotherms of 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene, 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, and tetracycline to organic-free montmorillonites and soils receiving heat treatment (375°C for 24 h) were compared with those to unheated sorbents. Sorption of the nonpolar 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene to soil was lowered after the removal of humus by heating, consistent with the mechanism of hydrophobic partition into organic matter. For 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, the enhanced sorption to heated soils was attributed to specific interactions with exchangeable cations facilitated by heating-induced irreversible partial dehydration of the clay interlayer. For tetracycline, an additional mechanism for sorption enhancement could be due to increased exposure of strong complexation sites on clay minerals after removal of the humic coating. These hypotheses were supported by the sorption data to heated and unheated Na-, K-, and Cs-saturated montmorillonites. The combustion method is commonly adopted to measure the content of black carbon in soils and sediments. However, findings from the present study indicate that combustion may greatly modify the structural properties of clay minerals, leading to misinterpreted sorption contributions of different soil components to sorption of polar or ionic compounds.

[Catalytic hydrodechlorination of 2,4-dichlorophenol over Pd/TiO2].

Pd/TiO2 catalysts were prepared by the deposition-precipitation and impregnation methods, and were further characterized by TEM, XRD and ICP-AES. The liquid catalytic hydrodechlorination of 2,4-dichlorophenol over the catalysts was investigated. It is demonstrated that despite catalyst prepared by deposition-precipitation method exhibits higher activity than that synthesized from impregnation method, both catalysts show good performance in hydrodechlorination process. When initial concentration of the reactant was 3.11 mmol x L(-1), pH was 12 and amount of catalyst used was 50 mg, hydrodechlorination of 2,4-dichlorophenol was completed within 45 min. Acidic condition facilitates hydrodechlorination process. The initial activity was not significantly influenced when the amount of catalyst used varied between 15-80 mg, which proves that mass transport limitation exerts little impact on hydrodechlorination reaction. Finally, the initial activity sharply enhanced with the increase of initial concentration of 2,4-dichlorophenol when the concentration was in the range of 0.62-3.11 mmo x L(-1) while it almost remained constant with further increasing the initial concentration. Therefore, the catalytic hydrodechlorination of 2,4-dichlorophenol over Pd/TiO2-DP follows the Langumuir-Hinshelwood model, indicating that the catalytic hydrodechlorination is controlled by 2,4-dichlorophenol adsorption.

Enhanced photocatalytic reduction of aqueous Pb(II) over Ag loaded TiO2 with formic acid as hole scavenger.

In the present study, photocatalytic Pb(II) reduction over TiO(2) and Ag/TiO(2) catalysts in the presence of formic acid was explored to eliminate Pb(II) pollution in water. Ag/TiO(2) catalysts were prepared by the photo-deposition method and characterized using UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra, X-ray reflection diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Ag deposition on TiO(2) led to enhanced photocatalytic Pb(II) reduction and the Ag/TiO(2) catalyst with a Ag loading amount of 0.99 wt.% exhibited the optimum photocatalytic activity. For Pb(II) reduction over Ag/TiO(2) with a Ag loading amount of 0.99 wt.%, initial Pb(II) reduction rate was found to be dependent on the initial concentrations of formic acid and Pb(II). Increasing initial Pb(II) concentration led to linearly increased initial Pb(II) reduction rate. At low formic acid concentration, in parallel, initial Pb(II) reduction rates increased with formic concentration, but remained nearly identical at high formic acid concentration. Solution pH impacted the photocatalytic Pb(II) reduction and after irradiation for 100 min Pb(II) was removed by 11.8%, 91.2% and 98.6% at pH of 0.8, 2.0 and 3.5, respectively, indicative of enhanced Pb(II) reduction with pH in the tested pH range. The results showed that Ag/TiO(2) displayed superior catalytic activity to TiO(2), highlighting the potential of using Ag/TiO(2) as a more effective catalyst for photocatalytic Pb(II) reduction.

Sorption of aromatic ionizable organic compounds to montmorillonites modified by hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium and polydiallyldimethyl ammonium.

Environmental residues of aromatic ionizable organic compounds (AIOCs) have received considerable attention due to their potential human health and ecological risks. The main objective of this study was to investigate the key factors and mechanisms controlling sorption of a series of anionic and zwitterionic AIOCs (two aromatic sulfonates, 4-methyl-2,6-dinitrophenol, tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, and tannic acid) to montmorillonites modified with hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium (HDTMA) and polydiallyldimethyl ammonium (PDADMA). Compared with naphthalene (a nonpolar and nonionic solute), all AIOCs showed stronger sorption (the sorbent-to-solution distribution coefficient was in the order of 10-10 L kg) to the two organoclays in spite of the much lower hydrophobicity, indicating the predominance of electrostatic interaction in sorption. The proposed electrostatic mechanism of the tested AIOCs was supported by the pH dependency of sorption to the two organoclays. The two organoclays manifested weaker sorption affinity but faster sorption kinetics for bulky AIOCs than commercial activated carbon, resulting from the high accessibility of sorption sites in the open, ordered clay interlayer. The findings of this study highlight the potential of using HDTMA- and PDADMA-exchanged montmorillonites as effective sorbents for AIOCs in water and wastewater treatments.

Adsorption of pharmaceuticals to microporous activated carbon treated with potassium hydroxide, carbon dioxide, and steam.

Adsorption of sulfapyridine, tetracycline, and tylosin to a commercial microporous activated carbon (AC) and its potassium hydroxide (KOH)-, CO-, and steam-treated counterparts (prepared by heating at 850°C) was studied to explore efficient adsorbents for the removal of selected pharmaceuticals from water. Phenol and nitrobenzene were included as additional adsorbates, and nonporous graphite was included as a model adsorbent. The activation treatments markedly increased the specific surface area and enlarged the pore sizes of the mesopores of AC (with the strongest effects shown on the KOH-treated AC). Adsorption of large-size tetracycline and tylosin was greatly enhanced, especially for the KOH-treated AC (more than one order of magnitude), probably due to the alleviated size-exclusion effect. However, the treatments had little effect on adsorption of low-size phenol and nitrobenzene due to the predominance of micropore-filling effect in adsorption and the nearly unaffected content of small micropores causative to such effect. These hypothesized mechanisms on pore-size dependent adsorption were further tested by comparing surface area-normalized adsorption data and adsorbent pore size distributions with and without the presence of adsorbed antibiotics. The findings indicate that efficient adsorption of bulky pharmaceuticals to AC can be achieved by enlarging the adsorbent pore size through suitable activation treatments.

Adsorption of tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole on crop residue-derived ashes: implication for the relative importance of black carbon to soil sorption.

The main objective of this study was to investigate the key factors and mechanisms of antibiotic adsorption on crop residue-derived black carbon, as well as the relative importance of black carbon to the overall sorption to soil. Batch sorption experiments were performed for two reference antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline) on wheat- and maize-residue-derived black carbon. After removal of the mineral fraction from the raw black carbon by acidification, tetracycline exhibited less enhanced adsorption than sulfamethoxazole, implying stronger complexation of tetracycline on the mineral components. The antibiotic adsorption on the demineralized black carbon was very strong (The measured K(d) was in the order of 10(3)-10(5) L/kg). The adsorbent surface area-normalized adsorption of sulfamethoxazole was higher on the demineralized black carbon than on nonporous graphite due to the micropore-filling effect. The opposite trend observed for bulky tetracycline was attributed to the size-exclusion effect. Owing to the strong surface complexation and/or cation exchange reaction, sorption of tetracycline to Na(+)-exchanged montmorillonite, soil humic acids, and bulk soil was remarkably stronger than sulfamethoxazole. It was estimated that the contribution of black carbon to the overall sorption to bulk soil was important for sulfamethoxazole, but negligible for tetracycline.

Enhanced adsorption of humic acids on ordered mesoporous carbon compared with microporous activated carbon.

Humic acids are ubiquitous in surface and underground waters and may pose potential risk to human health when present in drinking water sources. In this study, ordered mesoporous carbon was synthesized by means of a hard template method and further characterized by X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption, transition electron microscopy, elemental analysis, and zeta-potential measurement. Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate adsorption of two humic acids from coal and soil, respectively, on the synthesized carbon. For comparison, a commercial microporous activated carbon and nonporous graphite were included as additional adsorbents; moreover, phenol was adopted as a small probe adsorbate. Pore size distribution characterization showed that the synthesized carbon had ordered mesoporous structure, whereas the activated carbon was composed mainly of micropores with a much broader pore size distribution. Accordingly, adsorption of the two humic acids was substantially lower on the activated carbon than on the synthesized carbon, because of the size-exclusion effect. In contrast, the synthesized carbon and activated carbon showed comparable adsorption for phenol when the size-exclusion effect was not in operation. Additionally, we verified by size-exclusion chromatography studies that the synthesized carbon exhibited greater adsorption for the large humic acid fraction than the activated carbon. The pH dependence of adsorption on the three carbonaceous adsorbents was also compared between the two test humic acids. The findings highlight the potential of using ordered mesoporous carbon as a superior adsorbent for the removal of humic acids.

Purified terephthalic acid wastewater biodegradation and toxicity.

The biodegradation and toxicity of the purified terephthalic acid (PTA) processing wastewater was researched at NJYZ pilot with the fusant strain Fhhh in the carrier activated sludge process (CASP). Sludge loading rate (SLR) for Fhhh to COD of the wastewater was 1.09 d(-1) and to PTA in the wastewater was 0.29 d(-1). The results of bioassay at the pilot and calculation with software Ebis3 showed that the 48h-LC50 (median lethal concentration) to Daphnia magna for the PTA concentration in the wastewater was only 1/10 of that for the chemical PTA. There were 5 kinds of benzoate pollutants and their toxicities existing in the wastewater at least. The toxicity parameter value of the pure chemical PTA cannot be used to predicate the PTA wastewater toxicity. The toxicity of the NJYZ PTA wastewater will be discussed in detail in this paper.

Pilot regulation of MnP-SA for treating PTA wastewater.

In the pilot study of treating the purified terephthalic acid (PTA) wastewater with the functional Strain Fhhh in the carrier activated sludge process (CASP), the ratio of COD: TN: TP and the concentrations of Cu, Mn, Se and Zn were controlled to improve the manganese peroxidase (MnP) levels for increasing the treatment efficiency. When the ratio of COD: TN: TP was 100: 0.36: 0.15 and the concentrations of Cu, Mn, Se and Zn were 0.54, 5.07, 0.00 and 0.08 mg/L, the MnP specific activity (MnP-SA) reached 689 U/L, and the sludge loading rate to COD(SLRC) was 1.09 d(-l), which was 4--7 fold of that in other processes reported. The data indicated that improving MnP level could enhance the degradability of Fhhh. And the potentials of Fhhh and CASP will be also discussed in this paper.

[Effects of phosphorus sources of different forms on phosphorus metabolism of Microcystis aeruginosa and adhesive Pseudomonas sp].

The effects of different forms of phosphorus sources on the phosphorus metabolism of Microcystis aeruginosa and attached Pseudomonas sp. were investigated after four substance of different phosphrus forms: NaH2PO4, Natrium-beta-glycerophosphate (NaGly), Ca3(PO4)2 and lecithin were added in the non-phosphorus MA culture. The growth of Microcystis aeruginosa, total phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase activity in water and total phosphorus in Microcystis aeruginosa were measured every day or every two days. Results show that attached Pseudomonas sp. could accelerate the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa, and transform some phosphrus forms which could not be assimilated very easily by Microcystis aeruginosa to some forms as phosphate to utilize for Microcystis aeruginosa. Alkaline phosphatase plays an important role in the utilization of large molecular organic phosphorus by Microcystis aeruginosa and attached Pseudomonas sp.