Efficient detoxication of hydroxylamine and nitrite through heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification by Acinetobacter johnsonii EN-J1

The co-existence of hydroxylamine (NH2OH) and nitrite (NO2–-N) can aggravate the difficulty of wastewater treatment. The roles of hydroxylamine (NH2OH) and nitrite (NO2–-N) in accelerating the elimination of multiple nitrogen sources by a novel isolated strain of Acinetobacter johnsonii EN-J1 were investigated in this study. The results demonstrated that strain EN-J1 could eliminate 100.00% of NH2OH (22.73 mg/L) and 90.09% of NO2–-N (55.32 mg/L), with maximum consumption rates of 1.22 and 6.75 mg/L/h, respectively. Prominently, the toxic substances NH2OH and NO2–-N could both facilitate nitrogen removal rates. Compared with the control treatment, the elimination rates of nitrate (NO3–-N) and NO2–-N were enhanced by 3.44 and 2.36 mg/L/h after supplementation with 10.00 mg/L NH2OH, and those of ammonium (NH4+-N) and NO3–-N were improved by 0.65 and 1.00 mg/L/h after the addition of 50.00 mg/L NO2–-N. Furthermore, the nitrogen balance results indicated that over 55.00% of the initial total nitrogen was transformed into gaseous nitrogen by heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification (HN-AD). Ammonia monooxygenase (AMO), hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (HAO), nitrate reductase (NR), and nitrite reductase (NIR), which are essential for HN-AD, were detected at levels of 0.54, 0.15, 0.14, and 0.01 U/mg protein, respectively. All findings confirmed that strain EN-J1 could efficiently execute HN-AD, detoxify NH2OH and NO2–-N, and ultimately promote nitrogen removal rates

Functioning styles of personality disorders and five-factor normal personality traits: a correlation study in Chinese students

BACKGROUND: Previous studies show that both the categorical and dimensional descriptors of personality disorders are correlated with normal personality traits. Recently, a 92-item inventory, the Parker Personality Measure (PERM) was designed as a more efficient and precise first-level assessment of personality disorders. Whether the PERM constructs are correlated with those of the five-factor models of personality needs to be clarified. METHODS: We therefore invited 913 students from poly-technical schools and colleges in China to answer the PERM, the Five-Factor Nonverbal Personality Questionnaire (FFNPQ), and the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ). RESULTS: Most personality constructs had satisfactory internal alphas. PERM constructs were loaded with FFNPQ and ZKPQ traits clearly on four factors, which can be labelled as Dissocial, Emotional Dysregulation, Inhibition and Compulsivity, as reported previously. FFNPQ Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness and Extraversion formed another Factor, named Experience Hunting, which was not clearly covered by PERM or ZKPQ. CONCLUSION: The PERM constructs were loaded in a predictable way on the disordered super-traits, suggesting the PERM might offer assistance measuring personality function in clinical practice

Functions of Small Non-Coding RNAs in Salmonella–Host Interactions

Salmonella species infect hosts by entering phagocytic and non-phagocytic cells, causing diverse disease symptoms, such as fever, gastroenteritis, and even death. Therefore, Salmonella has attracted much attention. Many factors are involved in pathogenesis, for example, the capsule, enterotoxins, Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPIs), and corresponding regulators. These factors are all traditional proteins associated with virulence and regulation. Recently, small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) have also been reported to function as critical regulators. Salmonella has become a model organism for studying sRNAs. sRNAs regulate gene expression by imperfect base-pairing with targets at the post-transcriptional level. sRNAs are involved in diverse biological processes, such as virulence, substance metabolism, and adaptation to stress environments. Although some studies have reported the crucial roles of sRNAs in regulating host–pathogen interactions, the function of sRNAs in host–Salmonella interactions has rarely been reviewed. Here, we review the functions of sRNAs during the infection of host cells by Salmonella, aiming to deepen our understanding of sRNA functions and the pathogenic mechanism of Salmonella

Empirical evidence for the edge of a centralized regional market over a cross-province balancing market in allocating electricity resources: A case study of Yunnan in China

Alongside China’s new round of electricity reform, Yunnan has implemented medium- and long-term market reform in the electricity sector since 2015 with little progress seen in establishing an electricity spot market. To this end, this paper attempts to identify the pathway to an electricity spot market for Yunnan through its realities and lessons learned from Europe. As such, on the ground of the status quo of the energy mix, generation features, load structure and profiles, power supply–demand situations, and market progress in the Yunnan electricity system, this paper reviews two classical market frameworks commonly adopted worldwide, from the perspectives of market organizing and the core optimization model broadly used in coordinating system operation and clearing the market. Then the contrast of Yunnan with the European experience is analyzed with respect to the energy mix, generation, transmission, and exchange, as well as the political and economic institutional arrangements, market conditions, and driving forces. Moreover, the Yunnan case study scenarios and likely consequences and benefits under different market frameworks are further analyzed to verify the edge of a centralized optimal-power-flow-based regional market over a decentralized cross-province balancing market, in productively reducing price distortion, allocating resources, maintaining power supply–demand balance at all times, and promoting renewable energy integration across a wider region. Finally, policy suggestions concerning the pathway to an electricity spot market are provided for Yunnan in further deepening its electricity reform

RyhB in Avian Pathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Regulates the Expression of Virulence-Related Genes and Contributes to Meningitis Development in a Mouse Model

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is an important member of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC). It shares similar pathogenic strategies with neonatal meningitis E. coli (NMEC) and may threaten human health due to its potential zoonosis. RyhB is a small non-coding RNA that regulates iron homeostasis in E. coli. However, it is unclear whether RyhB regulates meningitis occurrence. To investigate the function of RyhB in the development of meningitis, we constructed the deletion mutant APEC XM∆ryhB and the complemented mutant APEC XM∆ryhB/pryhB, established a mouse meningitis model and evaluated the role of RyhB in virulence of APEC. The results showed that the deletion of ryhB decreased biofilm formation, adhesion to the brain microvascular endothelial cell line bEnd.3 and serum resistance. RNA-seq data showed that the expression of multiple virulence-related genes changed in the ryhB deletion mutant in the presence of duck serum. Deletion of ryhB reduced the clinical symptoms of mice, such as opisthotonus, diarrhea and neurological signs, when challenged with APEC. Compared with the mice infected with the wild-type APEC, fewer histopathological lesions were observed in the brain of mice infected with the ryhB deletion mutant APEC XM∆ryhB. The bacterial loads in the tissues and the relative expression of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) in the brain significantly decreased when challenged with the APEC XM∆ryhB. The expressions of tight junction proteins (claudin-5, occludin and ZO-1) were not reduced in the brain of mice infected with APEC XM∆ryhB; that is, the blood-brain barrier permeability of mice was not significantly damaged. In conclusion, RyhB contributes to the pathogenicity of APEC XM in the meningitis-causing process by promoting biofilm formation, adhesion to endothelial cells, serum resistance and virulence-related genes expression

RyhB Paralogs Downregulate the Expressions of Multiple Survival-Associated Genes and Attenuate the Survival of <i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis in the Chicken Macrophage HD11

RyhB-1 and RyhB-2 are small non-coding RNAs in Salmonella that act as regulators of iron homeostasis by sensing the environmental iron concentration. Expressions of RyhB paralogs from Salmonella Typhimurium are increased within microphages. RyhB paralogs restrain the growth of S. Typhimurium in RAW264.7 macrophages by modulating the expression of Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) genes sicA and rtsB. However, little is known about the regulatory role of RyhBs and their virulence-associated targets in Salmonella Enteritidis. We studied candidate targets of RyhB paralogs via RNA-Seq in conditions of iron limitation and hypoxia. RyhB paralogs were expressed when the S. Enteritidis strain CMCC(B)50336 (SE50336) interacted with the chicken macrophage line HD11. We analyzed gene expression associated with Salmonella survival and replication in macrophages in wild-type strain SE50336 and the RyhB deletion mutants after co-incubation with HD11 and screened out targets regulated by RyhBs. The expressions of both RyhB-1 and RyhB-2 were increased after co-incubation with HD11 for 8 h and several survival-associated genes within macrophages, such as ssaI, sseA, pagC, sodC, mgtC, yaeB, pocR, and hns, were upregulated in the ryhB-1 deletion mutant. Specifically, ssaI, the type-three secretion system 2 (T3SS-2) effector encoded by SPI-2, which promoted the survival of Salmonella in macrophages, was upregulated more than 3-fold in the ryhB-1 deletion mutant. We confirmed that both RyhB-1 and RyhB-2 downregulated the expression of ssaI to repress its mRNA translation by directly interacting with its coding sequence (CDS) region via an incomplete complementary base-pairing mechanism. The SPI-2 gene sseA was indirectly modulated by RyhB-1. The survival assays in macrophages showed that the ability of intracellular survival of ryhB-1 and/or ryhB-2 deletion mutants in HD11 was higher than that of the wild-type strain. These results indicate that RyhB paralogs downregulate survival-related virulence factors and attenuate the survival of S. Enteritidis inside chicken macrophage HD11

Simultaneous SERS Detection of Multiple Amino Acids Using ZIF-8@AuNPs as Substrate: Classified with 1D Convolutional Neural Network

Amino acids found in minor coarse cereals are essential for human growth and development and play a crucial role in efficient and rapid quantitative detection. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) enables nondestructive, efficient, and rapid sample detection. Traditional SERS detection efficiency is constrained by the use of a single target. In this study, three different amino acids (cysteine, valine, and tryptophan) were detected simultaneously using a ZIF-8@AuNPs composite substrate. The linear range of detection was 10−3 to 10−1 M, with limits of detection (LODs) of 2.40 × 10−4 M, 2.24 × 10−4 M, and 1.55 × 10−4 M, respectively. Same linear ranges and LODs were achieved with a one-dimensional convolutional neural network method. Furthermore, this substrate enabled the effective detection of amino acids in millet and efficient detection of cysteine in health products. This study presents a novel method for simultaneous detection of multiple analytes