Metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and proteomics reveal the metabolic mechanism of biofilm sequencing batch reactor with higher phosphate enrichment capacity under low phosphorus load.

The biofilm sequencing batch reactor (BSBR) process has higher phosphate recovery efficiency and enrichment multiple when the phosphorus load is lower, but the mechanism of phosphate enrichment at low phosphorus load remains unclear. In this study, we operated two BSBR operating under low and high phosphorus load (0.012 and 0.032 kg/(m3·d)) respectively, and used metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, and proteomics methods to analyze the community structure of the phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs) in the biofilm, the transcription and protein expression of key functional genes and enzymes, and the metabolism of intracellular polymers. Compared with at high phosphorus load, the BSBR at low phosphorus load have different PAOs and fewer types of PAOs, but in both cases the PAOs must have the PHA, PPX, Pst, and acs genes to become dominant. Some key differences in the metabolism of PAOs from the BSBR with different phosphorus load can be identified as follows. When the phosphorus load is low, the adenosine triphosphoric acid (ATP) and NAD(P)H in the anaerobic stage come from the TCA cycle and the second half of the EMP pathway. The key genes that are upregulated include GAPDH, PGK, ENO, ppdk in the EMP pathway, actP in acetate metabolism, phnB in polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) synthesis, and aceA, mdh, sdhA, and IDH1 in the TCA cycle. In the meantime, the ccr gene in the PHV pathway is inhibited. As a result, the metabolism of the PAOs features low glycogen with high PHB, Pupt, Prel, and low PHV. That is, more ATP and NAD(P)H flow to phosphorus enrichment metabolism, thus allowing the highly efficient enrichment of phosphorus from low concentration phosphate thanks to the higher abundance of PAOs. The current results provide theoretical support and a new technical option for the enrichment and recovery of low concentrations of phosphate from wastewater by the BSBR process.

[The clinical analysis of lung cancer with paraneoplastic syndrome as initial symptom].

BACKGROUND: To investigate the clinical characteristics and diagnosis of lung cancer with paraneoplastic syndrome as initial symptom. METHODS: The clinical data of 168 cases of lung cancer with paraneoplastic syndrome as initial symptom were analysed from Jan. 1990, to Nov. 2002, in the hospital. RESULTS: (1) Among the patients with lung cancer in the hospital, 11.8% (168/1 426) had paraneoplastic syndrome as initial symptom. The ratio of male to female was 4.25:1. There were 138 cases aged above 45 (82.1%) and 116 with smoking history (69.0%). (2)There were 62 cases of small cell lung cancer (36.9%) and 102 non small cell lung cancer (60.7%) and 4 carcinoid (2.4%). Thirty-three cases (37.5%) were central type and 82 (48.8%) peripheral type and 23 (13.7%) diffuse type. (3) The patients with paraneoplastic syndrome included: 48 cases of osteoarthopathy (28.6%), 27 cachexia (16.1%), 23 cancerous fever (13.7%), 14 myasthenia (8.3%), 12 vegetative nerve hyperfunction (7.1%), 11 cerebellar cortex degeneration (6.5%), 9 acanthosis nigricans (5.4%), 8 cutaneous pigmentation (4.8%), 7 dermatomyositis (4.2%), 5 encephalopathy (3.0%), and 4 gynecomastia (2.4%). (4)The misdiagnosis rate of the first consultation was 44.6% (75/168). (5)Initial chest X-ray positive rate was 61.9% (104/168); initial CT positive rate was 78.6% (132/168). (6)One hundred and thirty-two cases accepted the treatment of lung cancer: 32 cases accepted pure operation, 8 cases accepted pure chemotherapy, 35 cases accepted operation and chemotherapy, 39 cases accepted chemotherapy and radiotherapy, 18 cases accepted operation and chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Totally 8 cases were dead and 17 cases had abandoned treatment. One hundred and seven cases had improvement after complex treatment of lung cancer, including 83 cases with improvement or disappearance of paraneoplastic syndrome, 18 cases with no change, and 6 cases exacerbated. CONCLUSIONS: The lung cancer with paraneoplastic syndrome as initial symptom is difficult to diagnose because of its latent onset. The knowledge of paraneoplastic syndrome should be improved, chst X-ray or CT examination should be done for the high risk group of lung cancer with paraneoplastic syndrome, and these strategies could decrease misdiagnosis rate and increase diagnosis rate of lung cancer in early stage.