Assessment of Age-Related Microstructure Changes in Thigh Skeletal Muscle Based on Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging.

Background: Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) could offer information about the morphological properties of tissue. Diffusion microstructure imaging has been widely used, but the applicability of NODDI in skeletal muscle imaging remains to be explored.

Purpose: To evaluate microstructure parameters variations in skeletal muscle as indicators of age-related changes.

Performance and microbial community analysis of combined bioreactors in treating high-salinity hydraulic fracturing flowback and produced water.

The anoxic/oxic systems are a widely used biological strategy for wastewater treatment. However, little is known about the performance and microbial community correlation of different combined bioreactors in the treatment of high-COD and high-salinity hydraulic fracturing flowback and produced water (HF-FPW). In this study, the performance of Up-flow anaerobic sludge bed-bio-contact oxidation reactor (UASB-BCOR) and Fixed-bed baffled reactor (FBR-BCOR) in treating HF-FPW was investigated and compared.

Preparation of pH sensitive bacteriostatic W/O/W emulsion microcapsules.

This experiment was done to study the zeolite molecular sieve as a drug-binding effector, the non-antibiotic drug potassium diformate uniformly disperse in the internal aqueous phase of the 'egg box' structure formed by pectin-calcium ions. With oil phase as the intermediate phase and Xanthan gum Chitosan as the external water phase, the W/O/W type sustained release bacteriostatic microcapsules with pH response were prepared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetric, SEM, and TEM. It can be obtained through characterization experiments that the inner water phase, oil phase, and outer water phase were formed by observation, and W/O/W emulsion microcapsules were obtained and the bacteriostasis effect of microcapsules was verified by bacteriostasis experiment.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria are important contributors to rice yield in karst soils.

Unlabelled: The difficulty of releasing nutrients from soils in karst areas limits the yield of local crops and leads to poverty. In this study, two strains of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) were isolated from the rhizosphere soil of typical plants in karst areas, which were both identified as sp. and named GS1 and N1.

Preparation and properties of environmentally benign waterborne polyurethane composites from sodium-alginate-modified nano calcium carbonate.

Well-dispersed inorganic nanoparticles in organic polymers are critical in the preparation of high-performance nanocomposites. This study prepared a series of waterborne polyurethane (WPU)/calcium carbonate nanocomposites using the solution blending method. Next, FT-IR, TG-DTG and XRD tests were carried out to confirm that the biopolymer sodium alginate (SA) was successfully encapsulated on the surface of the calcium carbonate nanoparticles, and that SA achieved satisfactory surface modification of the calcium carbonate nanoparticles.

Construction of pH-sensitive sodium alginates/sodium carboxymethyl cellulose/zeolite P composite hydrogel microspheres loaded with potassium diformate.

As a substitute for feed antibiotics, potassium diformate (KDF) can effectively inhibit bacterial overgrowth in the gastrointestinal tract. To avoid the sudden release of KDF in the stomach, this article proposes a new controlled drug delivery system for controlled drug release. In this system, P-type zeolite molecular sieve (Zeolite P) and drug KDF are combined and embedded into the hydrogel microspheres of sodium alginate (ALG) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC).

Enhanced remediation of fracturing flowback fluids by the combined application of a bioflocculant/biosurfactant-producing Bacillus sp. SS15 and its metabolites.

Fracturing flowback fluids (FFFs), which is generated from the process of oil and gas exploitation, is one of the major environmental concerns. In this study, a bacterial strain, Bacillus sp. SS15, capable of producing both bioflocculant (BF) and biosurfactant (BS), was isolated from oil-contaminated mudflat sediment.

sp. nov., an anaerobic bacterium isolated from activated sludge of petroleum wastewater.

A Gram-stain-positive, anaerobic, spore-forming, rod-shaped (0.4-0.6 µm×2.

Two-step hydrothermal synthesis and conversion mechanism of zeolite X from stellerite zeolite.

We investigated the conversion mechanism of stellerite zeolite to zeolite X under two-step hydrothermal conditions. To elucidate the conversion mechanism, solid products were separated from the mixtures at different crystallization times and characterized by XRD, FESEM, FT-IR, Raman, solid-state NMR, XRF, and TEM. The results indicate that in this reaction process, the Si, Al, and Na in the gel solid phases were continuously dissolved and transformed into the gel-liquid-phase.

A biosurfactant-producing yeast Rhodotorula sp.CC01 utilizing landfill leachate as nitrogen source and its broad degradation spectra of petroleum hydrocarbons.

Biosurfactants (BSs) are known for their remarkable properties, however, their commercial applications are hampered partly by the high production cost. To overcome this issue, a biosurfactant producing strain, Rhodotorula sp.CC01 was isolated using landfill leachate as nitrogen source, while olive oil was determined as the best sole carbon source.

Enhanced bioremediation of diesel oil-contaminated seawater by a biochar-immobilized biosurfactant-producing bacteria Vibrio sp. LQ2 isolated from cold seep sediment.

This study investigated the effect of immobilized biosurfactant-producing bacteria on the bioremediation of diesel oil-contaminated seawater. Initially, a biosurfactant-producing bacterium, LQ2, was isolated from a marine cold-seep region, and identified as Vibrio sp. The biosurfactant produced by LQ2 was characterized as a phospholipid, exhibiting high surface activity with strong stability.

Isolation and characterization of biosurfactant-producing Serratia marcescens ZCF25 from oil sludge and application to bioremediation.

A biosurfactant (BS) is a surface-active metabolite that is secreted by microbial metabolism, and can be used as a substitute for chemically synthesized surfactants. The first and most critical step to the successful application of BSs is to isolate bacterial strains with strong BS-producing capabilities. In this study, a BS-producing Serratia marcescens ZCF25 was isolated from the sludge of an oil tanker.

Adsorption of As(V) from Aqueous Solution on Chitosan-Modified Diatomite.

A novel chitosan (CS)-modified diatomite (Dt) was prepared by a simple mixture in the mass ratio to remove As(Ⅴ) from aqueous solution in this research. The CS-modified Dt adsorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis. The parameters to influence the adsorption of As(Ⅴ) ion were studied under such conditions as kinetics, adsorption isotherm, and pH effect.

Clostridium beihaiense sp. nov., an anaerobic bacterium isolated from activated sludge.

A Gram-positive, strictly anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium, designated YB-7, was isolated from activated sludge of an anaerobic baffled reactor pond in Weizhou terminal wastewater treatment plant, Beihai, Guangxi, China. Strain YB-7 grew at pH 5.0-12.

[Correlations Between Substrate Structure and Microbial Community in Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetlands].

To identify the microbial factors that cause the differences in the purification performance of constructed wetlands with different substrate structures, the relationship between the substrate structure and the microbial community composition in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (HSSFCWs) was studied by high throughput sequencing. The results revealed that the purification performance of a six-layer constructed wetland (CW6), of which the permeability coefficient gradually increased from the surface layer to the bottom layer, was the highest among the three constructed wetland systems. The average concentrations of COD, TN, NO-N, and NH-N in the effluent were 39, 11, 0.

Effect of multilayer substrate configuration in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands: assessment of treatment performance, biofilm development, and solids accumulation.

This study investigates the influence of multilayer substrate configuration in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (HSCWs) on their treatment performance, biofilm development, and solids accumulation. Three pilot-scale HSCWs were built to treat campus sewage and have been operational for 3 years. The HSCWs included monolayer (CW1), three-layer (CW3), and six-layer (CW6) substrate configurations with hydraulic conductivity of the substrate increasing from the surface to bottom in the multilayer CWs.

Effect of artificial aeration, temperature, and structure on nutrient removal in constructed floating islands.

To study the optimal performance characteristics and maximize the removal efficiency of contaminants by the constructed floating islands (CFIs), four kinds of parallel pilot-scale CFIs with different structures were set up outdoors to treat eutrophic water for approximately 6 months. The contribution of artificial aeration to nutrient removal on the basis of gas-water ratios was investigated, and the influences of the structure and temperature were evaluated simultaneously. It was noted that the nutrient removal rate of the multi-medium CFI was greater than those of others.

Effects of ORP, recycling rate, and HRT on simultaneous sulfate reduction and sulfur production in expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactors under micro-aerobic conditions for treating molasses distillery wastewater.

An expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor was adopted to incubate the sludge biogranule that could simultaneously achieve sulfate reduction and sulfide reoxidization to elemental sulfur for treating molasses distillery wastewater. The EGSB reactor was operated for 175 days at 35 °C with a pH value of 7.0, chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading rate of 4.

Treatment of high-strength corn steep liquor using cultivated polyvinyl alcohol gel beads in an anaerobic fluidized-bed reactor.

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) gel beads cultivated in an upflow anaerobic sludge-blanket reactor treating synthetic corn steep liquor (CSL) wastewater were used to seed a lab-scale anaerobic fluidized-bed (AFB) reactor also treating CSL. Under steady-state conditions in the AFB reactor, a COD removal efficiency in excess of 96% was achieved at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 25 g/l/d with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 10 h. Furthermore, a removal efficiency of 91% was achieved at an OLR of 27.

Solubility and stability of barium arsenate and barium hydrogen arsenate at 25 degrees C.

The inconsistency among current thermodynamic data of Ba3(AsO4)2(c) and BaHAsO4.H2O(c) led the authors to obtain independent solubility data of barium arsenate by both precipitation and dissolution experiments. Low and neutral pH (3.