•CO2-effect on microalgal-bacterial granular sludge (MBGS) process was evaluated.•CO2 could maintain the compact structure and the stable performance of MBGS.•CO2 could enhance the organics and ...phosphorus removal of MBGS process.•CO2 could promote the growth of algae and phosphorus accumulating organisms.•CO2 supply for MBGS process could achieve a carbon-negative objective.
As a promising wastewater treatment technology, little is known about whether the greenhouse gas CO2 can be applied for microalgal-bacterial granular sludge (MBGS) process. This article applied CO2 for improving MBGS process. It was found that the physical structure of MBGS with no CO2 addition appeared to have a trend to be loose and disintegrated, with a sludge volume index at 5 min (SVI5) of over 150 mL/g and an average pore size of 35 nm in 60 d operation. However, CO2 could maintain the compact and integrated structure of MBGS with a SVI5 lower than 50 mL/g and an average pore size ranging from 10 to 13 nm. CO2 could enhance the production of extracellular polysaccharides and aromatic protein, thus favoring the granular stability of MBGS. CO2 could change the aqueous environment, e.g. lowering the pH values, which resulted in different microbial communities as well as metabolic potentials of MBGS. As for the reactor performance, CO2 could significantly improve the removals of organics and phosphorus, evidenced by the enhancement of genes encoding acetate-CoA ligase and ATPase, respectively. Although the mass ratio of algae to bacteria was elevated by CO2 addition, the ammonia removal related enzymes of glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamine synthetase could be negatively and positively impacted by CO2, respectively. Mass balance analysis of carbon indicated that CO2 could provide additional carbon source as well as enhance the buffering capacity for the MBGS system. Further estimations suggested that the MBGS process could achieve a carbon-negative objective for municipal wastewater treatment by supplying CO2 as additional carbon source. Hence, CO2 supply for MBGS process in municipal wastewater treatment can be deemed as a two-birds-one-stone strategy, i.e. maintaining the granular stability and eliminating the carbon emission. This article can advance our basic knowledge on MBGS process towards environment-sustainable wastewater treatment.
Display omitted
The mainstream deammonification has been believed as a viable technology for the energy-neutral municipal wastewater treatment, which can be realized through two approaches known as partial ...nitrification-anammox (PN/AMX) and partial denitrification-anammox (PDN/AMX). However, large-scale applications of these deammonification processes for municipal wastewater treatment have been rarely reported thus far. Given such a situation, this review examined the mainstream PN/AMX and PDN/AMX processes with the focus on their engineering feasibility, economic viability and potential challenges. It was revealed that soluble COD and stable nitrite production were the main challenges for mainstream deammonification. Pre-capture of COD was essential for mitigating the competition between denitrifiers and anammox bacteria on nitrite, while NOB suppression and partial denitrification control to nitrite stage were critical issues for stable nitrite production in PN and PDN processes respectively. Compared to nitrification-denitrification, the unit oxygen demand for nitrogen removal in PN/AMX and PDN/AMX could be reduced by 57.3% and 47.7%, while the sludge production could also be cut off by 83.7% and 66.3% in PN/AMX and PDN/AMX respectively. These clearly showed the greater economic viability and environmental sustainability of PN/AMX against PDN/AMX. Consequently, more effort is needed to improve the engineering feasibility of large-scale mainstream deammonification for municipal wastewater treatment.
Display omitted
•PN/AMX and PDN/AMX were two feasible approaches for mainstream deammonification.•Soluble COD and nitrite production were the major challenges for the applications.•Prior COD capture is necessary for obtaining favorable COD/N ratios for PDN/AMX.•PN/AMX showed advantages in economic viability and environmental sustainability.•Engineering solutions are needed for sustainable PN and PDN at large scale.
Mine tailings are detrimental to natural plant growth due to their physicochemical characteristics, such as high pH, high salinity, low water retention capacity, high heavy metal concentrations, and ...deficiencies in soil organic matter and fertility. Thus, the remediation of mine tailings has become a key issue in environmental science and engineering. Phytoremediation, an in situ cost-effective technology, is emerging as the most promising remediation method for mine tailings by introducing tolerant plant species. It is particularly effective in dealing with large-area mine tailings with shallow contamination of organic, nutrient and metal pollutants. In this review, the background, concepts and applications of phytoremediation are comprehensively discussed. Furthermore, proper amendments used to improve the physical, chemical and biological properties of mine tailings are systematically reviewed and compared. Emphasis is placed on the types and characteristics of tolerant plants and their role in phytoremediation. Moreover, the role of microorganisms and their mechanism in phytoremediation are also discussed in-depth.
•Mine tailings pose significant risk to the environment.•Reviewed the development of mine tailing remediation techniques.•Concept of phytoremediation of mine tailings is presented.•Factors affecting phytoremediation of mine tailings are discussed.
MicroRNA‐24‐3p (miR‐24‐3p) has been implicated as a key promoter of chemotherapy resistance in numerous cancers. Meanwhile, cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs) can secret exosomes to transfer ...miRNAs, which mediate tumour development. However, little is known regarding the molecular mechanism of CAF‐derived exosomal miR‐24‐3p in colon cancer (CC). Hence, this study intended to characterize the functional relevance of CAF‐derived exosomal miR‐24‐3p in CC cell resistance to methotrexate (MTX). We identified differentially expressed HEPH, CDX2 and miR‐24‐3p in CC through bioinformatics analyses, and validated their expression in CC tissues and cells. The relationship among HEPH, CDX2 and miR‐24‐3p was verified using ChIP and dual‐luciferase reporter gene assays. Exosomes were isolated from miR‐24‐3p inhibitor–treated CAFs (CAFs‐exo/miR‐24‐3p inhibitor), which were used in combination with gain‐of‐function and loss‐of‐function experiments and MTX treatment. CCK‐8, flow cytometry and colony formation assays were conducted to determine cell viability, apoptosis and colony formation, respectively. Based on the findings, CC tissues and cells presented with high expression of miR‐24‐3p and low expression of HEPH and CDX2. CDX2 was a target gene of miR‐24‐3p and could up‐regulate HEPH. Under MTX treatment, overexpressed CDX2 or HEPH and down‐regulated miR‐24‐3p reduced cell viability and colony formation and elevated cell apoptosis. Furthermore, miR‐24‐3p was transferred into CC cells via CAF‐derived exosomes. CAF‐derived exosomal miR‐24‐3p inhibitor diminished cell viability and colony formation and increased cell apoptosis in vitro and inhibited tumour growth in vivo under MTX treatment. Altogether, CAF‐derived exosomal miR‐24‐3p accelerated resistance of CC cells to MTX by down‐regulating CDX2/HEPH axis.
Globally increasing concerns have been raised on the high energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in conventional municipal wastewater treatment processes over the past decades. In this ...study, a self-sustaining synergetic microalgal-bacterial granular sludge process was thus developed to address these challenges. The results showed that the microalgal-bacterial granular sludge process was capable of removing 92.69%, 96.84% and 87.16% of influent organics, ammonia and phosphorus under non-aeration conditions over a short time of 6 h. The effluent could meet the increasingly stringent discharge standards in many countries worldwide. A tight synergetic interrelationship effect between microalgae and bacteria in granules was essential for such excellent process performance. The stoichiometric and functional genes analyses further revealed that most of organic matter and nutrients were removed through microalgal and bacterial assimilations. Moreover, it was found that there existed a desirable distribution of functional species of microalgae and bacteria in microalgal-bacterial granules, which appeared to be essential for the self-sustaining synergetic reactions and stability of microalgal-bacterial granules. Consequently, this work may offer a promising engineering alternative with great potential to achieve energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable municipal wastewater treatment.
Display omitted
•A microalgal-bacterial granular sludge process was developed for wastewater treatment.•High removal efficiencies under non-aeration conditions were achievable.•Synergized microalgal photosynthesis and bacterial respiration were established.•Assimilations were demonstrated to be the principle pathway of nutrients removal.•The process appeared to be energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable.
The t(8;21) fusion product, AML1/ETO, and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) form a feed-forward transcription loop that cooperatively transactivates the DNA methyltransferase 3a gene promoter that ...leads to DNA hypermethylation and drives leukemia cell growth. Suppression of the RNA N
-methyladenosine (m
A)-reader enzyme YTH N
-methyladenosine RNA binding protein 2 (YTHDF2) specifically compromises cancer stem cells in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) but promotes hematopoietic stem cell expansion without derailing normal hematopoiesis. However, the relevance of expression between AML1/ETO-HIF1α loop and YTHDF2, and its functional relationship with t(8;21) AML have not been documented. Here, we show that YTHDF2 is highly expressed in t(8;21) AML patients and associated with a higher risk of relapse and inferior relapse-free survival. Knockdown of YTHDF2 in leukemia cells causes an impaired cell proliferation rate in vitro and in mice. Mechanistically, HIF1α is able to bind to the hypoxia-response elements of the 5'-untranslated region of the YTHDF2 gene and promotes the transactivity of the YTHDF2 promoter. Knockdown and overexpression of either AML1/ETO or HIF1α resulted in decreased and increased YTHDF2 protein and mRNA expression in t(8;21) AML cells. In particular, knockdown of YTHDF2 resulted in increased global mRNA m
A levels in t(8;21) AML cells, accompanied by increased TNF receptor superfamily member 1b (TNFRSF1b) mRNA and protein expression levels. Last, we demonstrated that the m
A methylation and expression levels of the TNFRSF1b gene were both negatively correlated with HIF1α expression levels. In conclusion, YTHDF2 is a downstream target of the AML1/ETO-HIF1α loop and promotes cell proliferation probably by modulating the global m
A methylation in t(8;21) AML.
Primary lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in China. Approximately 60% of lung cancer patients have distant metastasis at the initial diagnosis, so it is necessary to find new ...tumor markers for early diagnosis and individualized treatment. Tumor markers contribute to the early diagnosis of lung cancer and play important roles in early detection and treatment, as well as in precision medicine, efficacy monitoring, and prognosis prediction. The pathological diagnosis of lung cancer in small biopsy specimens determines whether there are tumor cells in the biopsy and tumor type. Because biopsy is traumatic and the compliance of patients with multiple biopsies is poor, liquid biopsy has become a hot research direction. Liquid biopsies are advantageous because they are nontraumatic, easy to obtain, reflect the overall state of the tumor, and allow for real-time monitoring. At present, liquid biopsies mainly include circulating tumor cells, circulating tumor DNA, exosomes, microRNA, circulating RNA, tumor platelets, and tumor endothelial cells. This review introduces the research progress and clinical application prospect of liquid biopsy technology for lung cancer.
Display omitted
•The PAN nanofibers functionalized by SiO2 aerogel are fabricated by electrospinning.•The specific surface area of SiO2 aerogel/PAN membranes is increased greatly.•The membranes have ...good VOCs adsorption capacity even better than activated carbon.•The membranes are a good candidate as heat insulation material at the same time.
Flexible polyacrylonitrile (PAN) composite nanofibers with high surface area functionalized by SiO2 aerogel were fabricated easily via the electrospinning technique for the first time. SiO2 aerogel with honeycomb porous structure assembled on the surface of PAN nanofibers as the solvent evaporated, which greatly improved the specific surface area of the resultant membranes. The high surface area played an important role in promoting the adsorption performance of membranes for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The adsorption results showed chloroform was the most highly adsorbed among four VOCs (chloroform, xylene, formic acid and methanol). And the PAN membrane containing 100 wt% SiO2 aerogel (based on PAN) showed the highest VOCs adsorption capacity, which was 2.5–4.7 times (for four VOCs) greater than that of pristine PAN membrane and even higher than activated carbon. The unchanged VOCs adsorption capacity during 10 cycles demonstrated the resultant membranes had excellent regeneration. Furthermore, the porous structure of SiO2 aerogel/PAN composite membranes also enhanced their thermal insulation property. The membrane with 20 wt% SiO2 aerogel exhibited the lowest thermal conductivity among all samples. These excellent performances endow SiO2 aerogel/PAN composite membranes with the potential applications in VOCs adsorption and thermal insulation.
The rapid outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a matter of international concern as the disease is spreading fast 1, 2. Considering that the contagious disease has led to an ...enormous impact globally, there is an urgent need to identify the risk populations with poor prognosis. Ageing is associated with certain changes in pulmonary physiology, pathology and function, during the period of lung infection. Therefore, age-related differences in responsiveness and tolerance become obvious and lead to worse clinical outcomes in elderly individuals 3. Previous studies have mentioned that older COVID-19 patients are at an increased risk of death 4–7. However, the age-related clinical characteristics, disease courses and outcomes other than death in COVID-19 patients remain unclear.
Age significantly determined the clinical features and prognosis of COVID-19. The prognosis was worse in patients older than 60 years, calling for clinicians to pay more attention to patients of this age.
https://bit.ly/34DTI05
Background American College of Radiology contrast agent-enhanced US Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (CEUS LI-RADS) was developed to improve the accuracy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ...diagnosis at contrast agent-enhanced US. However, to the knowledge of the authors, the diagnostic accuracy of the system in characterization of liver nodules 20 mm or smaller has not been fully evaluated. Purpose To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CEUS LI-RADS in diagnosing HCC in liver nodules 20 mm or smaller in patients at risk for HCC. Materials and Methods Between January 2015 and February 2018, consecutive patients at risk for HCC presenting with untreated liver nodules 20 mm or less were enrolled in this retrospective double-reader study. Each nodule was categorized according to the CEUS LI-RADS and World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (WFUMB)-European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB) criteria. Diagnostic performance of CEUS LI-RADS and WFUMB-EFSUMB characterization was evaluated by using tissue histologic analysis, multiphase contrast-enhanced CT and MRI, and imaging follow-up as reference standard and compared by using McNemar test. Results The study included 175 nodules (mean diameter, 16.1 mm ± 3.4) in 172 patients (mean age, 51.8 years ± 10.6; 136 men). The sensitivity of CEUS LR-5 versus WFUMB-EFSUMB criteria in diagnosing HCC was 73.3% (95% confidence interval CI: 63.8%, 81.5%) versus 88.6% (95% CI: 80.9%, 94%), respectively (
< .001). The specificity of CEUS LR-5 versus WFUMB-EFSUMB criteria was 97.1% (95% CI: 90.1%, 99.7%) versus 87.1% (95% CI: 77%, 94%), respectively (
= .02). No malignant lesions were found in CEUS LR-1 and LR-2 categories. Only two nodules (of 41; 5%, both HCC) were malignant in CEUS LR-3 category. The incidences of HCC in CEUS LR-4, LR-5, and LR-M were 48% (11 of 23), 98% (77 of 79), and 75% (15 of 20), respectively. Two of 175 (1.1%) histologic analysis-confirmed intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas were categorized as CEUS LR-M by CEUS LI-RADS and misdiagnosed as HCC by WFUMB-EFSUMB criteria. Conclusion The contrast-enhanced US Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (CEUS LI-RADS) algorithm was an effective tool for characterization of small (≤20 mm) liver nodules in patients at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Compared with World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology-European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology criteria, CEUS LR-5 demonstrated higher specificity for diagnosing small HCCs with lower sensitivity. Published under a CC BY 4.0 license. See also the editorial by Crocetti in this issue.
PDF
