Deciphering Fe@C amendment on long-term anaerobic digestion of sulfate and propionate rich wastewater: Driving microbial community succession and propionate metabolism.

This study evaluated the reflection of long-term anaerobic system exposed to sulfate and propionate. Fe@C was found to efficiently mitigate anaerobic sulfate inhibition and enhance propionate degradation. With influent propionate of 12000mgCOD/L and COD/SO42- ratio of 3.0, methane productivity and sulfate removal were only 0.06 ± 0.02L/gCOD and 63 %, respectively. Fe@C helped recover methane productivity to 0.23 ± 0.03L/gCOD, and remove sulfate completely. After alleviating sulfate stress, less organic substrate was utilized to form extracellular polymeric substances for self-protection, which enhanced mass transfer in anaerobic sludge. Microbial community succession, especially for alteration of key sulfate-reducing bacteria and propionate-oxidizing bacteria, was driven by Fe@C, thus enhancing sulfate reduction and propionate degradation. Acetotrophic Methanothrix and hydrogenotrophic unclassified_f_Methanoregulaceae were enriched to promote methanogenesis. Regarding propionate metabolism, inhibited methylmalonyl-CoA degradation was a limiting step under sulfate stress, and was mitigated by Fe@C. Overall, this study provides perspective on Fe@C's future application on sulfate and propionate rich wastewater treatment.

Application of the quality of recovery-40 questionnaire to evaluate the effectiveness of enhanced recovery after surgery protocols in gastric cancer.

Patient reported outcomes is currently considered to be an important supplement to evaluate the effectiveness of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) clinical practice. The Quality of Recovery-40 Questionnaire (QoR-40) is one of the most frequently used and validation tool to assess the subjective feelings of quality of life after surgery. The present study aimed to use the QoR-40 to evaluate the effectiveness of ERAS protocols in gastric cancer from the perspective of patient-reported quality of recovery. The study was designed as a prospective, non-randomized clinical trial, conducted in a single center. Patients in our hospital who were scheduled to undergo radical surgery for gastric cancer were divided into ERAS group and control group (Contr group). The QoR-40 were administered one day before surgery (Baseline) and on postoperative day 1, 3, 6, and 30. The difference in QoR-40 scores between the ERAS and Contr groups was compared by repeated-measures ANOVA. A total of 200 patients completed the study, including 100 patients in the ERAS group and 100 patients in the Contr group. The Baseline time point QoR-40 scores of the ERAS and Contr groups were 179.68 ± 14.46 and 180.12 ± 17.12, respectively, and no significant difference was noted between the two groups (p = 0.845). The postoperative QoR-40 score of the ERAS group was significantly higher than that of the Contr group, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.006). This study demonstrated that, in terms of patient-reported quality of recovery, the postoperative recovery effect of ERAS protocols in gastric cancer is significantly better than that of the traditional treatment model.

Electrically-assisted anaerobic digestion under ammonia stress: Facilitating propionate oxidation and activating methanogenesis via direct interspecies electron transfer.

Electrical assistance is an effective strategy for promoting anaerobic digestion (AD) under ammonia stress. However, the underlying mechanism of electrical assistance affecting AD is insufficiently understood. Here, electrical assistance to AD under 5 g N/L ammonia stress was provided, by employing a 0.6 V voltage to the carbon electrodes. The results demonstrated remarkable enhancements in methane production (104.6 %) and the maximal methane production rate (207.7 %). The critical segment facilitated by electro-stimulation was the microbial metabolism of propionate-to-methane, rather than ammonia removal. Proteins in extracellular polymer substances were enriched, boosting microbial resilience to ammonia intrusion. Concurrently, the promoted humic/fulvic-substances amplified the microbial electron transfer capacity. Metagenomics analysis identified the upsurge of propionate oxidation at the anode (by e.g. unclassified_c__Bacteroidia), and the stimulations of acetoclastic and direct interspecies electron transfer-dependent CO2-reducing methanogenesis at the cathode (by e.g. Methanothrix). This study provides novel insights into the effect of electrical assistance on ammonia-stressed AD.

Investigating the prognostic and predictive value of the type II cystatin genes in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence indicates that type II cystatin (CST) genes play a pivotal role in several tumor pathological processes, thereby affecting all stages of tumorigenesis and tumor development. However, the prognostic and predictive value of type II CST genes in GC has not yet been investigated. METHODS: The present study evaluated the expression and prognostic value of type II CST genes in GC by using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and the Kaplan-Meier plotter (KM plotter) online database. The type II CST genes related to the prognosis of GC were then screened out. We then validated the expression and prognostic value of these genes by immunohistochemistry. We also used Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID), Gene Multiple Association Network Integration Algorithm (GeneMANIA), Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING), nomogram, genome-wide co-expression analysis, and other bioinformatics tools to analyze the value of type II CST genes in GC and the underlying mechanism. RESULTS: The data from the TCGA database and the KM plotter online database showed that high expression of CST2 and CST4 was associated with the overall survival (OS) of patients with GC. The immunohistochemical expression analysis showed that patients with high expression of CST4 in GC tissues have a shorter OS than those with low expression of CST4 (HR = 1.85,95%CI: 1.13-3.03, P = 0.015). Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that the high expression level of CST4 was an independent prognostic risk factor for OS. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that CST4 could serve as a tumor marker that affects the prognosis of GC and could be considered as a potential therapeutic target for GC.

Advances and challenges in biocathode microbial electrolysis cells for chlorinated organic compounds degradation from electroactive perspectives.

Microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) is a promising in-situ strategy for chlorinated organic compound (COC) pollution remediation due to its high efficiency, low energy input, and long-term potential. Reductive dechlorination as the most critical step in COC degradation which takes place primarily in the cathode chamber of MECs is a complex biochemical process driven by the behavior of electrons. However, no information is currently available on the internal mechanism of MEC in dechlorination from the perspective of the whole electron transfer procedure and its dependent electrode materials. This review addresses the underlying mechanism of MEC on the fundamental of the generation (electron donor), transmission (transfer pathway), utilization (functional microbiota) and reception (electron acceptor) of electrons in dechlorination. In addition, the vital role of varied cathode materials involved in the entire electron transfer procedure during COC dechlorination is emphasized. Subsequently, suggestions for future research, including model construction, cathode material modification, and expanding the applicability of MECs to removal gaseous COCs have been proposed. This paper enriches the mechanism of COC degradation by MEC, and thus provides the theoretical support for the scale-up bioreactors for efficient COC removal.

Internal driving mechanism of microbial community and metabolic pathway for psychrophilic anaerobic digestion by microbial electrolysis cell.

The system that microbial electrolysis cell coupled anaerobic digestion (termed MEC-AD) with metal organic framework-modified cathode was operated under different voltage levels (0-1.2 V) at 20 °C. The maximum methane yield increased to 0.23 ± 0.01 LCH4 g-1COD at 0.9 V, with 28% improvement compared to 0 V (0.18 ± 0.01 LCH4 g-1COD). Moreover, total volatile fatty acid and propionate accumulation decreased by 32% and 15% at 0.9 V, indicating the system has potential to alleviate acidity suppression. Acidogens and electroactive microorganisms was clearly enriched with increasing applied voltage. Specifically, the abundance of Smithella increased, which could degrade propionate to acetate. Methanosaeta was dominant, accounting for ca. 40.1%∼55.1% of the archaea community at 0.3-1.2 V. Furthermore, the system reinforced psychrophilic methanogenesis by activating important enzymes involved in related metabolism pathways. Overall, this study provides perspective on the future practical application for the regulation of psychrophilic AD in electrochemically integrated bioreactors.

Identification and verification of the molecular mechanisms and prognostic values of the cadherin gene family in gastric cancer.

While cadherin (CDH) genes are aberrantly expressed in cancers, the functions of CDH genes in gastric cancer (GC) remain poorly understood. The clinical significance and molecular mechanisms of CDH genes in GC were assessed in this study. Data from a total of 1226 GC patients included in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Kaplan-Meier plotter database were used to independently explore the value of CDH genes in clinical application. The TCGA RNA sequencing dataset was used to explore the molecular mechanisms of CDH genes in GC. Using enrichment analysis tools, CDH genes were found to be related to cell adhesion and calcium ion binding in function. In TCGA cohort, 12 genes were found to be differentially expressed between GC para-carcinoma and tumor tissue. By analyzing GC patients in two independent cohorts, we identified and verified that CDH2, CDH6, CDH7 and CDH10 were significantly associated with a poor GC prognosis. In addition, CDH2 and CDH6 were used to construct a GC risk score signature that can significantly improve the accuracy of predicting the 5-year survival of GC patients. The GSEA approach was used to explore the functional mechanisms of the four prognostic CDH genes and their associated risk scores. It was found that these genes may be involved in multiple classic cancer-related signaling pathways, such as the Wnt and phosphoinositide 3-kinase signaling pathways in GC. In the subsequent CMap analysis, three small molecule compounds (anisomycin, nystatin and bumetanide) that may be the target molecules that determine the risk score in GC, were initially screened. In conclusion, our current study suggests that four CDH genes can be used as potential biomarkers for GC prognosis. In addition, a prognostic signature based on the CDH2 and CDH6 genes was constructed, and their potential functional mechanisms and drug interactions explored.

Doping Ag/AgCl in zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) to enhance the performance of photodegradation of methylene blue.

In this work, zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) was successfully synthesized by a facile reaction via water and alcohol solvents at room temperature. Additionally, Ag/AgCl@ZIF-8 was successfully fabricated by doping Ag/AgCl onto ZIF-8, which were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), along with UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-vis DRS). The Ag/AgCl@ZIF-8 nanoparticles exhibited high photocatalytic activity, durability, and efficiency for the degradation of methylene blue dye (MB). The results illustrate that the band gap of Ag/AgCl@ZIF-8 is lower than that of ZIF-8, which explains the enhancement of MB degradation under UV light irradiation. The conditions affecting the photocatalytic degradation, including the dosage of photocatalyst, the initial concentration of MB, pH value, and hardness of water were systematically evaluated. In addition, the photocatalytic mechanism was explored by three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (3D-EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy, the effect of ZnO to photocatalytic activity was excluded, and a possible pathway of MB degradation was proposed by analysis of intermediates via liquid chromatography in combination with hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS). The high photocatalytic ability of Ag/AgCl@ZIF-8 shows great application potential for the oxidation of organic pollutants in water.

Removal of organics by combined process of coagulation-chlorination-ultrafiltration: optimization of overall operation parameters.

To gain the run parameters of the combined process of coagulation/in situ chlorination/ultrafiltration (UF) so that the system can remove as much organic contaminants as possible without serious membrane fouling, the impacts of operation conditions in coagulation and pre-chlorination unit were investigated in a pilot-scale test. The characteristics of organics in UF influent were examined by excitation emission matrix spectroscopy to find out fouling behavior of different natural organic matter compositions to UF membrane. Thereafter, the operation parameters of different processing units of the hybrid device were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). The results showed that the tests with the agitation speed of 40 r min-1 had the lowest membrane fouling rate and the highest CODMn removal, in addition, inappropriate dosage of sodium hypochlorite in membrane influent might exert negative impacts on membrane by lowering UV254 rejection, especially during the high algae laden period. The predominant factors of membrane fouling were the existence of tryptophan protein-like substances and the soluble microbial products. Optimum values of the mechanical rotation speed in coagulation unit, chemical dosage in pre-chlorination unit, and membrane flux in UF unit of the integrative process were 41.79 r min-1, 1.40 mg L-1, and 82.26 LMH, respectively.

[Influence of Reaction Time on Titanate Nanomaterials and Its Adsorptioi Capability for Lead in Aqueous Solutions].

Titanate nanomaterials (TNs) were synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method using TiO2 (ST-01) and NaOH as the raw materials, and presented different morphologies by adjusting the reaction time. The physico-chemical properties of the as-prepared TNs, such as morphology, structure, surface area, and chemical composition were characterized by XRD, SEM and BET. The adsorption capability and rules of Pb(II) in aqueous solutions were tested in the static system. The results showed that the TNs prepared with 12-72 h reaction time were pure monoclinic phase titanate and their specific surface areas were in the range from 243.05 m2 x g(-1) to 286.20 m2 x g(-1). TNs with reaction time between 12-36 h mainly showed sheet structure, and those with reaction time higher than 48 h showed linear structure. The adsorption capacity of Pb(II) by TNs-12, TNs-24, TNs-36, TNs-48, TNs-60 and TNs-72 was 479.40, 504.12, 482.00, 388.10, 364.60 and 399.00 mg x g(-1), respectively. The sheet TNs had a better adsorption capacity than the linear TNs. TNs-24 had the highest adsorbing capacity. The adsorption kinetics of Pb(II) by TNs-24 followed the pseudo-second-order model, and the equilibrium data was best fitted with the Langmuir isotherm model. The equilibrium adsorption time of TNs-24 was 120 min, and the adsorption was an exothermic process, with a high adsorption capacity at low temperature or room temperature; the optimal adsorption pH was 5.0. When pH was 1.0, the desorption rate of TNs-24 could reach 99.00%, and the removal efficiency of Pb(II) by regenerated TNs was still more than 97% after six times of usage. Therefore, TNs could efficiently remove Pb(II) in aqueous solutions, and the optimal reaction time should be controlled to 12-24 h. When Cd(II) or Ni(II) existed in the solution, the equilibrium adsorption capacity and removal rate of TNs-24 were decreased. The adsorption mechanism was mainly ion-exchanged between Pb(II) and H+/Na+ in TNs.

[Epidemiological study of high risk human papillomavirus infection in 25 to 54 years old married women in Beijing.].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate high risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) prevalence among married women in Beijing and to study the high risk factors. METHODS: During March 2007 to September 2008, a total of 6185 married women sampled from 137 communities in 12 districts were screened by HR-HPV DNA test and cytological test. The interview was carried out with unified questionnaires. The database was set up and twice entered in EpiData 3.0. After checked up, the data were analyzed in SPSS 15.0. RESULTS: (1) The HR-HPV infection rate was 9.89%. The HR-HPV infection rate of the city zone, the suburb and the exurb were 9.34%, 10.51% and 9.51% (P > 0.05). The HR-HPV infection rate of the native and the outlander were 9.53%, 11.30% (P < 0.05). (2) The age distribution of HR-HPV infection was that the rate was around 10% among 25 to 44 age groups, which was the highest (11.21%) in 30 to 34 age group; then the rate was descended as the age raising, the rate of 50 to 54 age group was the lowest (7.78%). (3) Multiple logistic regression showed that the related risk factors of HR-HPV infection mainly included 1000 RMB and above of family income per person per month, possessing more than 1 sexual partner of her husband, outlander and high levels of education. (4) The prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in HR-HPV positive group was significantly higher than that in HR-HPV negative group (29.76% vs 3.32%, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: (1) The HR-HPV infection rate among aged 25 to 54 years was 9.9% and there was no significant difference in area distribution. (2) The high risk population which should strengthen screening was the married bearing-age women with high level of family income, outlander, high levels of education and her husband possessing more than 1 sexual partner. (3) HR-HPV infection is the main risk factor for CIN and cervical cancer, while does not provide a causal relationship with them. The high risk population should be checked regularly to understand the development of HR-HPV infection and CIN incidence.