Maximizing pollutant removal and greenhouse gas emission reduction in vertical flow constructed wetlands: an orthogonal experimental approach.

Owing to the impact of the effluent C/N from the secondary structures of urban domestic wastewater treatment plants, the denitrification efficiency in constructed wetlands (CWs) is not satisfactory, limiting their widespread application in the deep treatment of urban domestic wastewater. To address this issue, we constructed enhanced CWs and conducted orthogonal experiments to investigate the effects of different factors (C/N, fillers, and plants) on the removal of conventional pollutants and the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. The experimental results indicated that a C/N of 8, manganese sand, and calamus achieved the best denitrification efficiencies with removal efficiencies of 85.7%, 95.9%, and 88.6% for TN, NH4+-N, and COD, respectively. In terms of GHG emission reduction, this combination resulted in the lowest global warming potential (176.8 mg/m2·day), with N2O and CH4 emissions of 0.53 and 1.25 mg/m2·day, respectively. Characterization of the fillers revealed the formation of small spherical clusters of phosphates on the surfaces of manganese sand and pyrite and iron oxide crystals on the surface of pyrite. Additionally, the surface Mn (II) content of the manganese sand increased by 8.8%, and the Fe (III)/Fe (II) and SO42-/S2- on pyrite increased by 2.05 and 0.26, respectively, compared to pre-experiment levels. High-throughput sequencing indicated the presence of abundant autotrophic denitrifying bacteria (Sulfuriferula, Sulfuritalea, and Thiobacillus) in the CWs, which explains denitrification performance of the enhanced CWs. This study aimed to explore the mechanism of efficient denitrification and GHG emission reduction in the enhanced CWs, providing theoretical guidance for the deep treatment of urban domestic wastewater.

Training deaf college students to improve their theory of mind: based on a two-component model.

This paper explored the training methods to improve the level of deaf college students' ToM. Eighty deaf college students were selected as participants and randomly divided into experimental group and control group. The ToM training group received ToM training; The non-ToM training group received physical-conversation training. Cognitive ToM task and affective ToM task were used to investigate the training effect. After training, the level of ToM of deaf college students who received ToM training was significantly improved. The results show that ToM training can effectively promote the level of deaf college students' ToM.

Analysis of the success rate of conversion using ibutilide administration in radiofrequency catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation and its effects on postoperative recurrence.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of ibutilide administration during radiofrequency catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF), to explore the success rate of conversion and related influential factors, and to analyze the effects of ibutilide on postoperative recurrence. METHODS: A total of 192 patients with persistent AF who underwent catheter ablation from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2021. These patients failed in conversion of AF to normal sinus rhythm by intraoperative catheter ablation. Patients were categorized into effective group (115 cases) and ineffective group (77 cases) based on whether sinus rhythm was restored after application of ibutilide. RESULTS: The overall success rate of conversion using ibutilide administration was 59.9%. The success rate was associated with weight ((68.12 ± 11.72 vs. 72.83 ± 12.08) kg, P = 0.008), the duration of AF ((34.67 ± 55.68 vs. 66.52 ± 95.21) months, p = 0.008), diameter of left atrium (LAD) ((44.39 ± 5.80 vs. 47.36 ± 6.10) mm,P = 0.002), and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level ((854.85 ± 770.84 vs. 662.88 ± 659.18) pg/ml,P = 0.030). The results showed the duration of AF was associated with early recurrence, while early recurrence was not a risk factor for late recurrence. And duration of AF was associated with postoperative maintenance time of normal sinus rhythm, whereas successful conversion into normal sinus rhythm using ibutilide administration had no influence on postoperative maintenance time of normal sinus rhythm. CONCLUSION: Ibutilide showed to be effective in catheter ablation of AF, the success rate of conversion was correlated with the duration of AF, LA diameter, and NT-proBNP level. Besides, the duration of AF was found as a risk factor for early postoperative recurrence, while ibutilide administration for successful conversion had no influence on predicting postoperative recurrence and had no influence on postoperative maintenance time of sinus rhythm.

The mechanism of gut-lung axis in pulmonary fibrosis.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a terminal change of a lung disease that is marked by damage to alveolar epithelial cells, abnormal proliferative transformation of fibroblasts, excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM), and concomitant inflammatory damage. Its characteristics include short median survival, high mortality rate, and limited treatment effectiveness. More in-depth studies on the mechanisms of PF are needed to provide better treatment options. The idea of the gut-lung axis has emerged as a result of comprehensive investigations into the microbiome, metabolome, and immune system. This theory is based on the material basis of microorganisms and their metabolites, while the gut-lung circulatory system and the shared mucosal immune system act as the connectors that facilitate the interplay between the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems. The emergence of a new view of the gut-lung axis is complementary and cross-cutting to the study of the mechanisms involved in PF and provides new ideas for its treatment. This article reviews the mechanisms involved in PF, the gut-lung axis theory, and the correlation between the two. Exploring the gut-lung axis mechanism and treatments related to PF from the perspectives of microorganisms, microbial metabolites, and the immune system. The study of the gut-lung axis and PF is still in its early stages. This review systematically summarizes the mechanisms of PF related to the gut-lung axis, providing ideas for subsequent research and treatment of related mechanisms.

A Patient with Partial 17α-Hydroxylase Deficiency Initially Diagnosed with Asherman Syndrome and Pheochromocytoma.

This study present a case of a 49-year-old woman who suffered from resistant hypertension, hypokalemia, hypomenorrhea, and infertility. She was hospitalized 6 years earlier for hypomenorrhea and abdominal pain at the Xiamen Maternity and Child Health Hospital, where she was diagnosed with Asherman syndrome. During hospitalization, a computed tomography examination revealed an adrenal mass. She was referred to Xiamen University Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital for pheochromocytoma and underwent surgical resection of the left adrenal gland. The adrenal cortex adenoma was confirmed by pathological biopsy. Six years later, the patient also presented with hypertension and hypokalemia to our emergency department. A diagnosis of 17α-hydroxylase deficiency was established through the analysis of clinical and laboratory characteristics. The genetic analysis of CYP17A1 revealed compound heterozygous mutations, 1 of which was a mutation of c.1226 C>G, and the other c.297+2T>C.

A Modified Reverse Right-angled Triangle Osteotomy Using the Lateral Approach for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Cubitus Varus Deformity in Children.

BACKGROUND: Cubitus varus deformity is a complex 3-dimensional deformity. Various osteotomies have been introduced to correct this deformity, however, there is no consensus on the best procedure to correct the deformity while avoiding complications. In this retrospective study, we used a modified inverse right-angled triangle osteotomy to treat 22 children with posttraumatic cubitus varus deformity. The primary objective was to evaluate this technique by presenting its clinical and radiologic results. METHODS: Twenty-two consecutive patients with a cubitus varus deformity underwent a modified reverse right-angled triangle osteotomy between October 2017 and May 2020 and were then followed for a minimum of 24 months. We evaluated its clinical and radiologic results. Functional outcomes were assessed using Oppenheim criteria. RESULTS: The average follow-up period was 34.6 months (range, 24.0 to 58.1 months). The mean range of motion was 4.32 degrees (range, 0 degrees to 15 degrees)/122.73 degrees (range, 115 degrees to 130 degrees) (hyperextension/flexion) before surgery and 2.05 degrees (range, 0 degrees to 10 degrees)/127.27 degrees (range, 120 degrees to 145 degrees) at the final follow-up. There were significant ( P < 0.05) differences between the flexion and hyperextension angles before surgery and at the final follow-up. Based on Oppenheim criteria, results were excellent for 20, good for 2, and none of the patients had poor results. The mean humerus-elbow-wrist angle improved from 18.23 degrees (range, 10 degrees to 25 degrees) varus preoperatively to 8.45 degrees (range, 5 degrees to 15 degrees) valgus postoperatively ( P < 0.05). The mean of the preoperative lateral condylar prominence index was 3.52 (range, 2.5 to 5.2) and the average postoperative lateral condylar prominence index was -3.28 (range, -1.3 to -6.0). All patients were pleased with the overall appearance of their elbows. CONCLUSIONS: The modified reverse right-angled triangle osteotomy can precisely and stably correct the deformity in the coronal and sagittal planes, we recommend this technique as a simple, safe, and reliable correction of cubitus varus deformity. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV; case series; therapeutic studies-investigating the results of treatment.

Hybrid Nano-Phase Ion/Electron Dual Pathways of Nickel/Cobalt-Boride Cathodes Boosting Intercalation Kinetics for Alkaline Batteries.

Nickel-based hydroxides and their derivatives exhibit relatively low capacities and unsatisfactory durability as cathode materials for rechargeable alkaline batteries. In this work, a hybrid NiCo-B nanosheet cathode, integrating electrolyte ion-shuttling channels and electron-transferring networks into a metal-organic framework (MOF), was devised delicately. In the structure, the hybrid ion/electron dual pathways were constructed by NiCo-MOF frameworks and NiCo-B interpenetration networks. It revealed that nano-phase electron-transferring pathways in the MOF obviously boosted ion intercalation kinetics. The as-obtained hybrid NiCo-B nanosheets as cathode materials exhibited reversible capacity as high as 280 mA h g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1 and excellent rate capability with a capacity retention of 78% from 1 to 10 A g-1. After 2000 charge/discharge cycles at 4 A g-1, the capacity still remained at 94% of the initial one. A full battery assembled with a hybrid NiCo-B cathode and a Fe2O3 anode showed a high capacity of 250 mA h g-1 and a considerable stability of 89% after 1000 cycles. Ragone plots indicated the highest energy density of 409 W h kg-1 and the lowest power density of 1.5 kW kg-1, outperforming other aqueous batteries. It revealed that a syngenetic structure of ion/electron hybrid dual pathways integrated into an MOF could be a potential strategy to optimize ion intercalation electrode materials for alkaline batteries.

Benefits of collaborative remembering in older and younger couples: the role of conversation dynamics and gender.

We experimentally explored whether and how conversation dynamics would benefit collaborative remembering in intimate couples over time. To this end, we ran a study with a three-factor mixed design with relationship type (couples vs. strangers) and age (older adults vs. younger adults) as between-participants variables, and remembering condition (collaborative vs. individual) as a within-participants variable. Thirty pairs of intimate couples (fifteen long-term relationship older couples, fifteen short-term relationship younger couples) and thirty pairs of corresponding stranger-pairs (including older strangers and younger strangers) were compared with respect to recall accuracy and conversation dynamics, specifically considering the role of gender. Results revealed significant collaborative facilitation only in older couples. Also, females' communication behaviours facilitated males' collaborative remembering performance only in older (vs. younger) couples. In addition, a gender-specific pattern of shifts from the individual to collaborative context emerged only in older couple (vs. strangers). The findings are consistent with the notion that a longer experience of collaboration and more effective conversation dynamics allow older (vs. younger) couples to perform better at collaborative remembering. We discuss processes underlying the observed gender differences, and the social and motivational implications of collaborative remembering.

PGC-1α Affects Epileptic Seizures by Regulating Mitochondrial Fusion in Epileptic Rats.

BACKGROUND: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), regulated by AMPK, is an important regulator of mitochondrial fusion. At present, whether the AMPK/PGC-1α signaling pathway regulates mitochondrial dynamics in epileptic rats is still unknown. METHODS: Adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into fourgroups: the control group (0.9% saline, n = 5), the EP groups (lithium-pilocarpine was used to induce epilepsy, and tissues were harvested at 6 and 24 h, every time point, n = 5), the EP + Compound C group (the specific inhibitor of PGC-1α, 15 mg/kg in 2% DMSO, n = 5), and the EP + DMSO group (0.9% saline + 2% DMSO, n = 5). To investigate whether PGC-1α participates in seizures by regulating the expression of mitofusin1/2(MFN1/2)in rats. RESULTS: In this study, the behavioral results indicate that the seizure susceptibility of the rats to epilepsy was increased when the expression of PGC-1α was inhibited. Subsequently, Western blot results suggested that the expression level of both MFN1 and MFN2 in the hippocampus was higher at 6 and 24 h after an epileptic seizure. Besides, the expression of PGC-1α and MFN2 was significantly decreased in the hippocampus when the epileptic rats were treated with Compound C. Furthermore, the immunofluorescence analysis of the localization of MFN1/2 and PGC-1α showed that MFN1/2 was mainly expressed in neurons but not astrocytes in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of rats. Meanwhile, PGC-1α colocalized with the excitatory post-synaptic marker PSD95, suggesting that PGC-1α may regulate the seizure susceptibility of the rats by mediating excitatory post-synaptic signaling. CONCLUSION: The AMPK/PGC-1α signaling pathway may play an important role in the lithium-pilocarpine-induced epileptic rat model by mediating the expression of fusion proteins.

The effects of cognitive information processing and social cognitive career group counseling on high school students' career adaptability.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of cognitive information processing (CIP) and social cognitive career theory (SCCT) group counseling on high school students' career adaptability. The study involved 81 students from grade 10 and grade 11 in a Chinese public high school. Among the 81 participants, 27 were in the CIP group, 28 were in the SCCT group, while the rest were in the control group. All participants completed a pre-test, post-test, and tracking-test assessment of their career adaptability. Results indicated that the interventions were effective for the students with low career adaptability, the CIP group counseling improved the career concern after the intervention, whereas the SCCT group revealed a more robust effect on career adaptability after 3 months of the intervention. The practical implications of the study for career interventions are also discussed.

Predictive value of HMGB1 for atrial fibrillation recurrence after cryoballoon ablation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation patients.

BACKGROUND: Cryoballoon ablation (CBA) is recommended for patients with symptomatic drug refractory paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (pAF). However, substantial atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence is common during follow-up. Searching for a potential biomarker representing both myocardial injury and inflammation to identify patients at high risk of AF recurrence after CBA is very meaningful for postoperative management of AF patients. HYPOTHESIS: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein released from the left atrium to predict AF recurrence in pAF patients after CBA at 1-year follow-up. METHODS: We included 72 pAF patients who underwent CBA. To determine the expression levels of HMGB1, left atrial blood samples were collected from the patients before CBA and after the procedure through the transseptal sheath. Patients were followed up for AF recurrence for 1 year. RESULTS: A total of 19 patients of the 72 experienced AF recurrence. The level of postoperative HMGB1 (HMGB1post) was higher in the AF recurrence group than in the AF non recurrence group (p = .03). However, no differences were noted in the levels of other biomarkers such as preoperative high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), postoperativehs-CRP, and preoperative HMGB1 between the two groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that a higher level of serum HMGB1post was associated with AF recurrence (odds ratio: 5.29 [1.17-23.92], p = .04). Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that HMGB1post had a moderate predictive power for AF recurrence (area under the curve: 0.68; sensitivity: 72%; and specificity: 68%). The 1-year AF-free survival was significantly lower in patients with a high HMGB1post level than in those with a low HMGB1post level (hazard ratio: 3.81 [1.49-9.75], p = .005). CONCLUSION: In pAF patients who under went CBA, the level of HMGB1 after CBA was associated with AF recurrence and demonstrated a moderate predictive power. Thus, we offer a potential biomarker to identify pAF patients at high risk of AF recurrence.

Identification of Critical Genes and Pathways for Influenza A Virus Infections via Bioinformatics Analysis.

Influenza A virus (IAV) requires the host cellular machinery for many aspects of its life cycle. Knowledge of these host cell requirements not only reveals molecular pathways exploited by the virus or triggered by the immune system but also provides further targets for antiviral drug development. To uncover critical pathways and potential targets of influenza infection, we assembled a large amount of data from 8 RNA sequencing studies of IAV infection for integrative network analysis. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to investigate modules and genes correlated with the time course of infection and/or multiplicity of infection (MOI). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed to explore the biological functions and pathways of the genes in 5 significant modules. Top hub genes were identified using the cytoHubba plugin in the protein interaction network. The correlation between expression levels of 7 top hub genes and time course or MOI was displayed and validated, including BCL2L13, PLSCR1, ARID5A, LMO2, NDRG4, HAP1, and CARD10. Dysregulated expression of these genes potently impacted the development of IAV infection through modulating IAV-related biological processes and pathways. This study provides further insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms and potential targets in IAV infection.

Training College Students with Hearing Loss in Theory of Mind.

This paper explored training methods to improve the Theory of Mind levels of Chinese college students with hearing loss and investigated the transfer effect of training. Ninety Chinese college students with hearing loss were randomly divided into two groups: the ToM training group and the physical-conversation training group. The ToM training group received ToM training, and the physical-conversation training group as the control group received physical-conversation training. All the participants attended four separate 60-min lectures. The ToM Story Task and the False Belief Task were used to assess the training's effect, and the ToM animation task was adopted to investigate the transfer effect. Before training, the level of ToM of the two participant groups was similar. After training, the ToM level of Chinese college students with hearing loss who participated in ToM training was significantly higher than the students who underwent physical-conversation training. Moreover, the findings revealed that ToM training has long-term transfer effects. This study thus showed that ToM training can effectively improve the ToM level of Chinese college students with hearing loss.

More Lies Lead to More Memory Impairments in Daily Life.

Previous studies have demonstrated that lying can undermine memory and that its memory-undermining effects could be modulated by the cognitive resources required to tell lies. We extended the investigation of the memory-undermining effect by using a daily life setting in which participants were highly involved in a mock shopping task. Participants were randomly assigned to truth-telling, denying or mixed lying conditions. After finishing the shopping task, participants were told that two people wanted to know about their shopping lists and would ask them some questions in an interview. During the interview, participants were asked whether each of ten items were on the shopping list, five of which were randomly selected from the shopping list, while the other five were not sold in the store. In answering the interview questions, the truth-telling group was asked to respond honestly, the denying group was asked to give denial responses, and the mixed lying group was asked to respond deceptively. Thus, the denying group told five lies and the mixed lying group told ten lies in the interview. The item memory test, source memory test and destination memory test were given in an orderly manner 48 h after the interview. We found that the mixed lying group, rather than the denying group, forgot the lies they told in the interview and mistakenly believed they had lied about something that they had not lied about. Moreover, the mixed lying group retained fewer memories about the person they responded to than the honest group. In addition, participants in the mixed lying group had more non-believed memories than those in the truth-telling group in both item and source memory tests. We conclude that more lies could result in more memory disruptions in daily life.

Insights into high-solids anaerobic digestion of food waste enhanced by activated carbon via promoting direct interspecies electron transfer.

High-solids anaerobic digestion (HS-AD) of food waste frequently confronted the acidification and failure under high organic loading rates (OLRs). Results indicated powdered activated carbon (PAC) addition significantly enhanced methane production and process stability than granular activated carbon, and columnar activated carbon at higher OLRs via accelerating the propionate consumption. Potential direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) partners, including various syntrophic oxidation bacteria and methanogens, were enriched with the activated carbon (AC) addition. Furthermore, DIET contribution to methane production was 35% by PAC, predicated by the modified Anaerobic Digestion Model No.1 (ADM1). This study deeply elucidated the DIET mechanism and offered the potential foundations for the selection and applications of AC-based materials in HS-AD of food waste.

Who did I lie to that day? Deception impairs memory in daily life.

Research has demonstrated that deceptive responses can undermine item and source memories. However, previous studies have often randomly assigned participants to an honest or deception group and asked them to respond in specific ways in an interview, rather than providing them a choice of what response to give. Moreover, little attention has been given to destination memory in previous research. Using a daily life paradigm, we investigated the effects of deception on memory. After completing a mock shopping task, participants were told that someone would ask them questions about their shopping lists. The participants voluntarily chose to tell the truth or lie in the interview and were encouraged to respond as they would in their daily lives. An item memory test, source memory test and destination memory test were given 48 h after the interview. Source and destination memories but not item memories were impaired for participants who chose to lie. Specifically, liars forgot the things about which they lied and mistakenly believed that they lied about many things that they did not, and they also did not remember to whom they lied. We conclude that deception can disrupt memory in daily life.

Intervention and evaluation of the life design counseling: A case study.

This article aims to explore the effectiveness of Life Design Counseling (LDC) for a high school student before choosing the subject. To evaluate LDC outcomes, the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale-China Form was used before and after the intervention. Two measures were used to evaluate the process of LDC: the Innovative Moments Coding System (IMCS) and Future Career Autobiography (FCA). The results show that the LDC approach produced a significant change in career adaptability. In addition, the findings demonstrate a significant narrative movement or change with the evaluation of the process. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Effect of crosstalk among conspirators in tumor microenvironment on niche metastasis of gastric cancer.

In Traditional Chinese medicine, the metaphoric views of the human body are based on observations of nature guided by the theory of "Yin-Yang". The direct meanings of yin and yang are the bright and dark sides of an object, which often represent a wider range of opposite properties. When we shifted our view to gastric cancer (GC), we found that there are more distinctive Yin and Yang features in the mechanism of GC development and metastasis, which is observed in many mechanisms such as GC metastasis, immune escape, and stem cell homing. When illustrating this process from the yin-yang perspective, categorizing different cells in the tumor microenvironment enables new and different perspectives to be put forward on the mechanism and treatment of GC metastasis.

Safety, tolerability, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of CJC-1134-PC in healthy Chinese subjects and type-2 diabetic subjects.

BACKGROUND: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) mimetics are widely used for treating type 2 diabetes (T2D) with pleiotropic effects on heart and kidneys. The safety/tolerability and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics ((PK/PD) of CJC-1134-PC (a long-acting GLP-1) were investigated in Chinese. METHOD: Two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase I studies were conducted. Study A: 30 healthy subjects received (subcutaneously injected) a single dose (2 mg) or titrate doses (2 + 3 and 2 + 3 + 4 mg at weekly intervals) of CJC-1134-PC. Study B: 49 T2D subjects received 10 weekly doses (1, 2, 3, and 4 mg). RESULT: CJC-1134-PC was well tolerated with gastrointestinal (GI) side effects. Higher doses increased the adverse events risk. CJC-1134-PC was steadily absorbed, with maximum plasma concentrations(Cmax) occurring at 36-72 h and 48 h after administration in healthy and T2D subjects, respectively. The steady-state exposures in T2D subjects increased more than the dose-proportionality(1-3 mg). The mean t1/2 ranged from 111.6 to 127.6 h. After four- five weeks of targeting doses, steady state was reached in T2D subjects with apparent accumulation effect. At week 11 for T2D subjects, HbA1c mean baseline change was significantly different than that of the placebo, and the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was not significantly altered. CONCLUSION: The safety and PK/PD profiles of weekly CJC-1134-PC doses support Phase II studies with guidance on optimal-dose selection. Clinical trial registration: ChiCTR-IPC-15007190.