Effect of metal ions on moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) for nitrogen removal in wastewater: Performance characteristics, flocculation efficiency and bacterial community.

Advanced operational moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) has demonstrated to achieve simultaneous sludge yield minimization and pollutants removal. However, effect of different metal ions on MBBR performance for nutrients removal in wastewater under low carbon to nitrogen ratio is still unclear. Fate of NH-N and NO-N by MBBR were explored under the influence of Mn(II), Cu(II), and Fe(II) at carbon to nitrogen ratio of 5.

Effects of Substrate Temperature on Optical, Structural, and Surface Properties of Metal-Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy-Grown MgZnO Films.

MgZnO possesses a tunable bandgap and can be prepared at relatively low temperatures, making it suitable for developing optoelectronic devices. MgZnO (~0.1) films were grown on sapphire by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy under different substrate-growth temperatures of 350-650 °C and studied by multiple characterization technologies like X-ray diffraction (XRD), spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), Raman scattering, extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), and first-principle calculations.

New insights into the mechanisms of iron absorption: Iron dextran uptake in the intestines of weaned pigs through glucose transporter 5 (GLUT5) and divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) transporters.

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the mechanism of iron dextran (DexFe) absorption in the intestines. A total of 72 piglets (average BW = 7.12 ± 0.

Pseudokinase STK40 promotes T1 and T17 cell differentiation by targeting FOXO transcription factors.

Inappropriate CD4 T helper (T) cell differentiation leads to progression of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, yet the regulatory mechanisms governing stability and activity of transcription factors controlling T cell differentiation remain elusive. Here, we describe how pseudokinase serine threonine kinase 40 (STK40) facilitates T1/T17 differentiation under pathological conditions. STK40 in T cells is dispensable for immune homeostasis in resting mice.

Ptychographic Mueller matrix imaging (PMMI): principle and proof-of-concept demonstration.

Quantitative characterization of optical anisotropies is extremely important for wide fields and applications. The Mueller matrix, providing all the polarization-related properties of a medium, is a powerful tool for the comprehensive evaluation of optical anisotropies. Here, we propose a ptychographic Mueller matrix imaging (PMMI) technique, which features the Mueller matrix polarization modulation being introduced into the ptychography.

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) weakens corneal defense by downregulating thrombospondin-1 and tight junction proteins.

Background: Fine particulate matter (PM) induces ocular surface toxicity through pyroptosis, oxidative stress, autophagy, and inflammatory responses. However, the precise molecular pathways through which PM causes corneal damage remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the underlying mechanisms by exposing human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) to PM.

The correlation of acupuncture and moxibustion points for the treatment of diminished ovarian reserve and premature ovarian failure: A systematic review based on complex network.

Background: Infertility rates have risen in recent years, with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) affecting 10% of infertile women, accounting for approximately 20% of ovarian disorders. This highlights the importance of exploring effective treatments for DOR. This study investigates acupoint compatibility rules in acupuncture and moxibustion therapies for DOR and premature ovarian failure (POF) using complex network analysis.

Engineering a high-capacity and long-cycle-life magnesium/lithium hybrid-ion battery using a lamellar SnSe/SnSe/SnO cathode.

Since the safety and costs of current lithium-ion batteries are non-ideal, engineering a new energy-storage systems is needed. Magnesium/lithium hybrid-ion batteries (MLHBs) combining fast kinetics of Li ions and a dendrite-free Mg anode are promising. Here, we describe our development of an MLHB using lamellar SnSe/SnSe/SnO as cathode material and an all-phenyl complex (APC)-based electrolyte.

Green-Light-Triggered and Self-Calibrated Cascade Release of Nitric Oxide and Carbon Monoxide for Synergistic Glaucoma Therapy.

Glaucoma is an optic degenerative neuropathy that is driven by a vicious cycle of oxidative stress and mechanical stress. Current clinical treatments aim exclusively at alleviating mechanical stress by reducing the intraocular pressure (IOP). With the unattended oxidative stress, recurrence and deterioration of mechanical stress are inevitable.

Water quality and microbial interaction network topological parameters were the key factors affecting litter decomposition under wetland restoration.

Wetland restoration has a significantly impacts biogeochemical cycles. However, the specific mechanisms and potential microbial processes by which wetland restoration influences litter decomposition remain unclear. This knowledge gap hinders our ability to accurately predict ecological processes within wetland ecosystems across various restoration timeframes.

Regulatory roles of transcription factors T-bet and Eomes in group 1 ILCs.

T-bet and Eomes, both T-box transcription factors, have been extensively studied for their critical roles in the differentiation and functional maintenance of various immune cells. In this review, we provide a focused overview of their contributions to the transcriptional activation and differentiation, development, and terminal maturation of natural killer cells and innate lymphoid cell 1 cells. Furthermore, the interplay between T-bet and Eomes in regulating NK cell function, and its subsequent implications for immune responses against infections and tumors, is thoroughly examined.

Conjugated diamine cation based halide perovskitoid enables robust stability and high photodetector performance.

Low-dimensional lead halide materials have proved to be intrinsically stable semiconductor materials. However, the development of one-dimensional (1D) perovskites or perovskitoids with both robust water stability and high optoelectronic performance still faces significant challenges. Here, we report a new class of 1D (TzBIPY)PbX (X = Cl, Br, I) perovskitoids featuring a π-conjugated diamine cation (TzBIPY = 2,5-di(pyridin-4-yl)thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole).

Kernel-Based Decentralized Policy Evaluation for Reinforcement Learning.

We investigate the decentralized nonparametric policy evaluation problem within reinforcement learning (RL), focusing on scenarios where multiple agents collaborate to learn the state-value function using sampled state transitions and privately observed rewards. Our approach centers on a regression-based multistage iteration technique employing infinite-dimensional gradient descent (GD) within a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS). To make computation and communication more feasible, we employ Nyström approximation to project this space into a finite-dimensional one.

Pursuing Extreme Descriptive Power and Generality in Chemical Bond Theories: A Method to Decipher "Interatomic Genomes" from Interatomic Electron Structures.

The description and analysis of chemical bonds have been difficult following the popularization of electronic structure calculations. Although many attempts have been made from the perspective of electronic structure, the sheer volume of information in the electronic structure has left contemporary chemical bond analysis methods grappling with an inescapable "Trilemma" where the model briefness, generality, and descriptiveness (descriptive power) cannot be obtained simultaneously. To push the generality and descriptiveness to their extremes, herein a general machine learning-based framework is introduced to compact chemical bonds into a detailed residue-by-residue "genome" with matched encoding/decoding tools.

The Driving Mechanism of Phytoplankton Resource Utilization Efficiency Variation on the Occurrence Risk of Cyanobacterial Blooms.

Algae are highly sensitive to environmental factors, especially nutrient fluctuations; excessive nutrients can lead to the proliferation of specific algae species, resulting in dominance. In this study, we aimed to reevaluate changes in algal dominance from the perspective of resource utilization efficiency (RUE). We established 80 monitoring sites across different water systems, collecting water and phytoplankton samples.

The hijacking of HBV by small extracellular vesicles inhibits M1 macrophages to facilitate immune evasion.

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) have the ability to transfer genetic material between cells, but their role in mediating HBV infection and regulating M1 macrophages to promote immune evasion remains unclear. In this study, we utilized PMA + LPS + IFN-γ to induce THP-1 into M1 macrophages. We then extracted sEVs from HepG2.

Variations, effectiveness and its associated factors of a nationwide web-based hypertension management training project in China: insights from a government-led campaign for 1.2 million lay health workers.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of a large-scale, web-based, in-service hypertension management training project among lay health workers (LHWs) at primary care health (PHC) settings in China, and to examine the factors contributing to the variations of effectiveness.

Methods: We used data from a web-based national hypertension management training project implemented in 2018, it was designed to facilitate LHWs to learn, understand, and apply the relevant knowledge and skills in hypertension management through providing training courses by use of the web-based platform with unified standards. All LHWs were required to participate in the exams before and after training to acquire scores for the use of evaluating their performance of hypertension management knowledge.

Macroinvertebrate community dynamics following wetland restoration: Insights from taxonomic structure and functional feeding groups in response to water quality.

Continuous wetland restoration initiatives in China are increasing, due to the global degradation of wetland ecosystems. However, monitoring of the restoration situation remains incomplete. In this study, we investigated the effects of wetland restoration on the macroinvertebrate taxonomic structure and feeding functional groups (FFGs) in the Naolihe National Nature Reserve (NNNR).

Characteristics, Treatment, and Mortality of Patients Hospitalized for First ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction without Standard Modifiable Risk Factors in China.

Background: Little is known of the characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) but without standard modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (SMuRFs, including smoking, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and hypertension) in developing countries like China. Moreover, contributors to the excess mortality of such SMuRF-less patients remain unclear.

Methods: This study was based on a nationally representative sample of patients presenting with STEMI and admitted to 162 hospitals in 31 provinces across mainland China between 2001 and 2015.