Case report: Recombinant human type II tumour necrosis factor receptor-antibody fusion protein induced occult hepatitis B virus reactivation leading to liver failure.

Recombinant human type II tumour necrosis factor receptor-antibody fusion protein (rh TNFR:Fc) is an immunosuppressant approved for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This case report describes a case of hepatitis B reactivation in a patient with drug-induced acute-on-chronic liver failure. A 58-year-old woman with a history of RA was treated with rh TNFR:Fc; and then subsequently received 25 mg rh TNFR:Fc, twice a week, as maintenance therapy. No anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) preventive treatment was administered. Six months later, she was hospitalized with acute jaundice. HBV reactivation was observed, leading to acute-on-chronic liver failure. After active treatment, the patient's condition improved and she recovered well. Following careful diagnosis and treatment protocols are essential when treating RA with rh TNFR:Fc, especially in anti-hepatitis B core antigen antibody-positive patients, even when the HBV surface antigen and the HBV DNA are negative. In the case of HBV reactivation, liver function parameters, HBV surface antigen and HBV DNA should be closely monitored during treatment, and antiviral drugs should be used prophylactically when necessary, as fatal hepatitis B reactivation may occur in rare cases. A comprehensive evaluation and medication should be administered in a timely manner after evaluating the patient's physical condition and closely monitoring the patient.

Treatment of rectal anastomotic atresia with transurethral prostate resection instrumentation: A report of three cases.

Dixon surgery for rectal cancer can lead to severe intestinal narrowing and blockage that is difficult to treat with open surgery or colonoscopy. The aim of the present study was to develop a minimally invasive approach for treating rectal anastomotic atresia based on three cases that were managed with transurethral prostate resection instrumentation. Preoperative imaging determined the distance from the anastomotic closure to the anal margin, the length of the anastomotic closure and the degree of proximal intestinal dilation for all cases. During the procedure, the anastomotic site was visualized, and a circular electrode was used to excavate and open the blockage. Membrane-like closures were directly incised to achieve satisfactory results, with an anastomotic diameter >20 mm. Those cases with tubular atresia required an initial incision using the prostate resectoscope to relieve the obstruction, followed by radial incisions until achieving an anastomotic diameter >20 mm. At 3-6 months post-dilation, two of the patients with anastomotic atresia >20 mm had satisfactory bowel movements, whereas the remaining patient experienced tumor recurrence at the anastomotic site and discontinued treatment. This case series demonstrates the potential of transurethral prostate resection instrumentation as a safe and effective minimally invasive approach for rectal anastomotic atresia. Given that prostate resection instrumentation is readily available in hospitals in China, this approach is widely accessible to most patients. Furthermore, the technique leverages existing surgical technology and practices, requiring only a shift in the surgical site.

Silent information regulator sirtuin 1 ameliorates acute liver failure via the p53/glutathione peroxidase 4/gasdermin D axis.

BACKGROUND: Acute liver failure (ALF) has a high mortality with widespread hepatocyte death involving ferroptosis and pyroptosis. The silent information regulator sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)-mediated deacetylation affects multiple biological processes, including cellular senescence, apoptosis, sugar and lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation. AIM: To investigate the association between ferroptosis and pyroptosis and the upstream regulatory mechanisms. METHODS: This study included 30 patients with ALF and 30 healthy individuals who underwent serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) testing. C57BL/6 mice were also intraperitoneally pretreated with SIRT1, p53, or glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) inducers and inhibitors and injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/D-galactosamine (D-GalN) to induce ALF. Gasdermin D (GSDMD)-/- mice were used as an experimental group. Histological changes in liver tissue were monitored by hematoxylin and eosin staining. ALT, AST, glutathione, reactive oxygen species, and iron levels were measured using commercial kits. Ferroptosis- and pyroptosis-related protein and mRNA expression was detected by western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. SIRT1, p53, and GSDMD were assessed by immunofluorescence analysis. RESULTS: Serum AST and ALT levels were elevated in patients with ALF. SIRT1, solute carrier family 7a member 11 (SLC7A11), and GPX4 protein expression was decreased and acetylated p5, p53, GSDMD, and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) protein levels were elevated in human ALF liver tissue. In the p53 and ferroptosis inhibitor-treated and GSDMD-/- groups, serum interleukin (IL)-1ß, tumour necrosis factor alpha, IL-6, IL-2 and C-C motif ligand 2 levels were decreased and hepatic impairment was mitigated. In mice with GSDMD knockout, p53 was reduced, GPX4 was increased, and ferroptotic events (depletion of SLC7A11, elevation of ACSL4, and iron accumulation) were detected. In vitro, knockdown of p53 and overexpression of GPX4 reduced AST and ALT levels, the cytostatic rate, and GSDMD expression, restoring SLC7A11 depletion. Moreover, SIRT1 agonist and overexpression of SIRT1 alleviated acute liver injury and decreased iron deposition compared with results in the model group, accompanied by reduced p53, GSDMD, and ACSL4, and increased SLC7A11 and GPX4. Inactivation of SIRT1 exacerbated ferroptotic and pyroptotic cell death and aggravated liver injury in LPS/D-GalN-induced in vitro and in vivo models. CONCLUSION: SIRT1 activation attenuates LPS/D-GalN-induced ferroptosis and pyroptosis by inhibiting the p53/GPX4/GSDMD signaling pathway in ALF.

Nitrite accumulation performance and microbial community of Algal-Bacterial symbiotic system constructed by Chlorella sp. And Navicula sp.

Chlorella sp. and Navicula sp. were separately used to construct an algal-bacterial symbiotic system in two identical sequencing batch reactors (R1 and R2) to explore the influence of algal species differences on nitrite accumulation. The Navicula-bacterial symbiotic system showed a higher nitrite accumulation efficiency of 85% and a stronger resistance to ammonia load. It secreted twice as many extracellular polymeric substances than the Chlorella-bacterial symbiotic system. Nitrospira and SM1A02 were the dominant functional genera of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in R1. The dominant functional genus of ammonium-oxidizing bacteria and the dominant functional genus of denitrifying bacteria were Ellin6067 and unclassified_Saprospiraceae in R2, respectively. In general, this research provided some reference for the construction of an algal-bacterial symbiotic system and achieving nitrite accumulation through an algal-bacterial symbiotic system.

Autoimmune hepatitis-primary biliary cholangitis overlap syndrome complicated by various autoimmune diseases: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) are two common clinical autoimmune liver diseases, and some patients have both diseases; this feature is called AIH-PBC overlap syndrome. Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) is the most frequently overlapping extrahepatic autoimmune disease. Immunoglobulin (IgG) 4-related disease is an autoimmune disease recognized in recent years, characterized by elevated serum IgG4 levels and infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells in tissues. CASE SUMMARY: A 68-year-old female patient was admitted with a history of right upper quadrant pain, anorexia, and jaundice on physical examination. Laboratory examination revealed elevated liver enzymes, multiple positive autoantibodies associated with liver and thyroid disease, and imaging and biopsy suggestive of pancreatitis, hepatitis, and PBC. A diagnosis was made of a rare and complex overlap syndrome of AIH, PBC, AITD, and IgG4-related disease. Laboratory features improved on treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid, methylprednisolone, and azathioprine. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the importance of screening patients with autoimmune diseases for related conditions.

The coupling of anammox with microalgae-bacteria symbiosis: Nitrogen removal performance and microbial community.

The partial nitrification-anammox process for ammonia nitrogen wastewater treatment requires mechanical aeration to provide oxygen, which is not conducive to energy saving. The microalgae-bacteria symbiotic system (MaBS) has the advantages of low carbon and energy saving in wastewater biological nitrogen removal. Therefore, this study combined the MaBS with an anammox process to provide oxygen, through the photosynthesis of microalgae instead of mechanical aeration. We investigated the nitrogen removal efficiency and long-term operation of a co-culture system comprising microalgae, nitrifying bacteria (NB), denitrifying bacteria (DnB), and anaerobic ammonium-oxidation bacteria (AnAOB) in a sequencing batch reactor without mechanical aeration. The experiment was divided into three steps: firstly, cultivating NB; then, adding three kinds of microalgae which were Chlorella sp., Anabaena sp., and Navicula sp. to the bioreactor to construct a microalgae-bacteria symbiotic system; finally, adding anammox sludge to construct the anammox and microalgae-bacteria symbiosis (Anammox-MaBS) system. The results demonstrated that nitrification, denitrification, and anammox processes were coupled successfully, and the maximum TN removal efficiency of the stable Anammox-MaBS system was 99.51 % when the concentration of the influent NH4+-N was 100 mg/L. The addition of microalgae in ammonia wastewater promoted the enrichment of DnB and AnAOB, which were Denitratisoma, Haliangium, unclassified_Rhodocyclaceae, and Candidatus_Brocadia. Furthermore, the unique biofilm structure could effectively alleviate the photoinhibition of light-sensitive bacteria, which may be the reason for the long-term adaptation of Candidatus_Brocadia to light conditions. This research can provide a low-cost solution to bacterial photoinhibition in the coexistence system of microalgae and bacteria without mechanical aeration, offering theoretical support for low-carbon and energy-efficient treatment of wastewater.

The combination of uridine and nitrogen-deprivation promotes the efficient formation of astaxanthin-rich motile cells in Haematococcus pluvialis.

Astaxanthin accumulation in Haematococcus pluvialis typically occurs alongside the formation of secondary cell wall (SCW), hindering astaxanthin extraction and bio-accessibility. A potential solution lies in cultivating astaxanthin-rich motile cells lacking SCW. This study explored the influence and underlying mechanism of nitrogen-deprivation (ND) on SCW formation and established a connection between pyrimidine metabolism and SCW development. Then, various pyrimidine and ND combinations were examined to cultivate astaxanthin-rich motile cells. The results indicated that, compared to the nitrogen-replete group, the combination of uridine and ND increased the proportion of motile cells by 25-33 times, achieving 95 %, and enhanced astaxanthin yield by 26.52 %. Moreover, the efficiency of astaxanthin extraction from intact, wet motile cells was 91 % - 95 %, which was 5.6-9.0 times that from non-motile cells. This study not only presents a promising method for producing astaxanthin-rich motile cells in H. pluvialis but also provides insights into the relationship between pyrimidine metabolism and SCW development.

Investigation of denitrification to Anammox phase transformation performance of Up-Flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor.

For investigating the microbial community and nitrogen removal performance during the transformation from heterotrophic denitrification (HtDn), mixotrophic denitrification (MtDn), and autotrophic denitrification (AtDn) to anaerobic ammonia oxidation (Anammox), an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor was constructed by changing the influent substrates and their ratios. The reactor got a total nitrogen removal efficiency (TNRE) of 98.0 % at the molar ratio of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur sources was 5:8:4 in the MtDn process. In the last phase, the conversion of AtDn to Anammox was successful in 33 days, and a stable TNRE was 87.7 %. The dominant functional bacteria of the microbial communities were Thauera and unclassified_Comamonadaceae in the HtDn process; Thiobacillus, Thauera, Denitratisoma, and Pseudoxanthomonas in the MtDn process; Thiobacillus and Sulfurimonas in the AtDn process; and unclassified_Gemmatimonadaceae, unclassified_SBR1031, and Candidatus_Brocadia in the Anammox process.

TMEM2 inhibits the development of Graves' orbitopathy through the JAK-STAT signaling pathway.

A mouse model was used to investigate the role of the hyaluronidase, transmembrane protein 2 (TMEM2), on the progression of Graves' orbital (GO) disease. We established a GO mouse model through immunization with a plasmid expressing the thyroid stimulating hormone receptor. Orbital fibroblasts (OFs) were subsequently isolated from both GO and non-GO mice for comprehensive in vitro analyses. The expression of TMEM2 was assessed using qRT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry in vivo. Disease pathology was evaluated by H&E staining and Masson's trichrome staining in GO mouse tissues. Our investigation revealed a notable reduction in TMEM2 expression in GO mouse orbital tissues. Through overexpression and knockdown assays, we demonstrated that TMEM2 suppresses inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species production. TMEM2 also inhibits the formation of lipid droplets in OFs and the expression of adipogenic factors. Further incorporating Gene Set Enrichment Analysis of relevant GEO datasets and subsequent in vitro cell experiments, robustly confirmed that TMEM2 overexpression was associated with a pronounced upregulation of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. In vivo, TMEM2 overexpression reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, adipogenesis, and fibrosis in orbital tissues. These findings highlight the varied regulatory role of TMEM2 in GO pathogenesis. Our study reveals that TMEM2 plays a crucial role in mitigating inflammation, suppressing adipogenesis, and reducing fibrosis in GO. TMEM2 has potential as a therapeutic target and biomarker for treating or alleviating GO. These findings advance our understanding of GO pathophysiology and provide opportunities for targeted interventions to modulate TMEM2 for therapeutic purposes.

Systemic Inflammatory Biomarkers Predict Survival of Patients Treated With Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to retrospectively investigate whether the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR) can predict the prognosis of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treated with sunitinib or sorafenib. METHODS: We retrospectively identified 210 patients with mRCC treated with sunitinib or sorafenib from 2007 to 2017 at Fudan University- and Hexi University-affiliated hospitals. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate regression analysis was used to evaluate predictors of PFS and OS. RESULTS: Low NLR (<2.85) and MLR (<.30) were strongly associated with increased PFS and OS. Multivariable analyses verified that the NLR and MLR were both independent prognostic factors. Additionally, the NLR was negatively correlated with CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell infiltration in tumors. CONCLUSION: In patients with mRCC treated with sunitinib and sorafenib, an NLR <2.85 and MLR <.30 was associated with superior PFS and OS, which may be related to the reduced lymphocytic infiltration of tumors.

ABCB4 gene mutation-associated cirrhosis with systemic amyloidosis: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Gene mutations in ATP-binding cassette, subfamily B (ABCB4) lead to autosomal recessive disorders. Primary light amyloidosis is a rare and incurable disease. Here, we report a rare case of liver cirrhosis caused by ABCB4 gene mutation combined with primary light amyloidosis. CASE SUMMARY: We report a case of a 25-year-old female who was hospitalized due to recurrent abdominal pain caused by calculous cholecystitis and underwent cholecystectomy. Pathological examination of the liver tissue suggested liver cirrhosis with bile duct injury. Exon analyses of the whole genome from the patient's peripheral blood revealed the presence of a heterozygous mutation in the ABCB4 gene. Bone marrow biopsy tissues, renal puncture examination, and liver mass spectrometry confirmed the diagnosis of a rare progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 3 with systemic light chain type κ amyloidosis, which resulted in cirrhosis. Ursodeoxycholic acid and the cluster of differentiation 38 monoclonal antibody daretozumab were administered for treatment. Following treatment, the patient demonstrated significant improvement. Urinary protein became negative, peripheral blood-free light chain and urine-free light chain levels returned to normal, and the electrocardiogram showed no abnormalities. Additionally, the patient's lower limb numbness resolved, and her condition remained stable. CONCLUSION: This report presents the diagnosis and treatment of liver cirrhosis, a rare disease that is easily misdiagnosed or missed.

Recent Advancements in Pathogenic Mechanisms, Applications and Strategies for Entomopathogenic Fungi in Mosquito Biocontrol.

Fungal diseases are widespread among insects and play a crucial role in naturally regulating insect populations. Mosquitoes, known as vectors for numerous infectious diseases, pose a significant threat to human health. Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) have emerged as highly promising alternative agents to chemical mosquitocides for controlling mosquitoes at all stages of their life cycle due to their unique infection pathway through direct contact with the insect's cuticle. In recent years, significant advancements have been made in understanding the infection pathways and pathogenic mechanisms of EPF against mosquitoes. Various strategies involving the use of EPF alone or combinations with other approaches have been employed to target mosquitoes at various developmental stages. Moreover, the application of genetic technologies in fungi has opened up new avenues for enhancing the mosquitocidal efficacy of EPF. This review presents a comprehensive summary of recent advancements in our understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of EPF, their applications in mosquito management, and the combination of EPF with other approaches and employment of transgenic technologies. The biosafety concerns associated with their use and the corresponding approaches are also discussed. The recent progress suggests that EPF have the potential to serve as a future biorational tool for controlling mosquito vectors.

Dibutyl Phthalate Adsorbed on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Causes Fetal Developmental Toxicity in Balb/C Mice.

This study investigated whether using multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a carrier for dibutyl phthalate (DBP) could delay the degradation rate of DBP in mice and increase its estrogen-like interference effect. Pregnant Balb/C mice were divided into four groups and exposed to different treatments via tail-vein injection every 3 days until gestational day 20. The female and male mice were then sacrificed for toxicological study. The results showed that the combination of MWCNTs and DBP resulted in a higher fetal mortality rate than if the mice were exposed to MWCNTs or DBP alone. H&E staining showed that the estrous period of the exposed mice was delayed, the development of oocytes was blocked in the combination group, the number of spermatogenic cells decreased, and the quality of sperm decreased. Our experiment showed that the expression levels of the genes involved in sex hormone synthesis in the testis and ovaries were significantly increased after combined treatment compared with the MWCNT group (p < 0.01). The study suggests that DBP degradation is delayed when absorbed on MWCNTs, which increases its estrogen-like interference and interferes with fetal development, ultimately leading to increased fetal mortality.

Establishment and Comparison of Two Different Animal Models of Graves' Orbitopathy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to construct an animal model of Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) by comparing recombinant adenovirus expressing human thyrotropin receptor A subunit (Ad-TSHR A) gene immunization and dendritic cell (DC) immunization. We evaluated the animal models that are closer to the pathology of human GO, and laid the foundation for the study of GO. Materials and Methods: Ad-TSHR A was injected intramuscularly into female BALB/c mice to induce the GO animal model. A GO animal model was constructed using TSHR combined with IFN-γ-modified primary DC immunized female BALB/c. The animal models constructed by the above two methods were evaluated in terms of ocular appearance, serology, pathology, and imaging to assess the modeling rate of the animal models, respectively. Results: Both modeled mice exhibited increased serological indexes of free thyroxine (FT4) and TSH receptor antibodies (TRAbs) levels and decreased TSH (P < 0.01). Thyroid pathology analysis revealed the number of thyroid follicles increases, the size varies, and the follicular epithelial cells proliferate to varying degrees in a cuboidal or tall columnar pattern, with a small amount of lymphocytic infiltration visible. Adipose tissue behind the eyeball was accumulated, the muscle outside the eyeball was broken and fibrotic, and hyaluronic acid (HA) behind the eyeball was increased. The animal model of GO constructed by immunization of TSHR with IFN-γ-modified DC had a modeling rate of 60%, whereas that of Ad-TSHR A gene immunization was 72%. Conclusions: Both gene immunization and cellular immunization can be used to construct GO models, and the modeling rate of gene immunization is higher than that of cellular immunization. Translational Relevance: In this study, two innovative methods, cellular immunity and gene immunity, were used to establish GO animal models, which improved the success rate to a certain extent. To our knowledge, this study presents the first cellular immunity modeling idea of TSHR combined with IFN-γ for the GO animal model, which provides an animal model basis for understanding the pathogenesis of GO and developing new treatment methods.

Application of transurethral prostate resection instrumentation for treating rectal anastomotic stenosis: Case series.

BACKGROUND: Anastomotic stenosis is a common complication of colorectal surgery with anastomosis. To explore a minimally invasive novel approach surgical method for the treatment of rectal anastomotic strictures using transurethral prostate resection instrumentation. METHODS: From 2012 to 2022, 18 patients for the treatment of rectal anastomotic strictures using transurethral prostate resection instrumentation. The transurethral prostate resection instrumentation enters the rectum through the anus to incise the narrow anastomotic orifice in a 4-point radial manner under the resectoscope. RESULTS: The surgery was successfully completed in 18 patients, and there were no postoperative complications. Postoperatively, 12 patients achieved satisfactory improvement in defecation after 1 incision, and 4 patients underwent another incision 3 months later. Two patients underwent incisions thrice, and the ease of defecation improved in a short period; however, they later underwent permanent colostomy due to repeated stenosis and pain. CONCLUSION: The transanal 4-point radial incision of the prostate using transurethral prostate resection instrumentation is a minimally invasive, safe, effective, and simple surgical method for the treatment of rectal anastomotic stenosis supplemented by postoperative dilatation, and is worthy of clinical application.

Method validation for detection of afidopyropen and M440I007 in tea.

BACKGROUND: Afidopyropen is a novel biorational insecticide for controlling piercing pests with great potential for application in tea gardens that can form the metabolite M440I007 when utilized for crops. However, because of a lack of analytical method for afidopyropen and M440I007 in tea, there is no means of monitoring the residues. Therefore, method development, validation and simultaneous determination of afidopyropen and M440I007 in fresh tea leaves, dried tea and tea infusion is of prime significance. RESULTS: A TPT cartridge-based method was developed for the solid phase extraction of afidopyropen and M440I007 from tea matrices. Extraction and clean-up conditions, including the composition, volume and temperature of elutions, were optimized to achieve the best results. Both targets were extracted using water and acetonitrile, with a water:acetonitrile (v/v) ratio of 4:10 for fresh leaves and 8:10 for dried tea, which were then cleaned and analyzed using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Both analytes demonstrated excellent linearity with a correlation coefficient above 0.998. The optimized analytical method offered limits of quantifications of 0.005, 0.005 and 0.002 mg kg-1 (converted to dried tea) in fresh tea shoots, dried tea and tea infusion for both targets, respectively. Average recoveries of afidopyropen and M440I007 ranged from 79.0% to 101.5%, with relative standard deviations ≤ 14.7%. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the method of determination for these insecticides in tea matrices was practical and efficient. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

SPE-UPLC-MS/MS for Determination of 36 Monomers of Alkylphenol Ethoxylates in Tea.

Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs) represent a non-ionic surfactant widely used as adjuvants in pesticide formulation, which is considered to cause an endocrine-disrupting effect. In the current study, we established a detection method for the APEOs residue in tea based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) for the simultaneous analysis of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOs) and octylphenol ethoxylates (OPEOs) by UPLC-MS/MS. In the spiked concentrations from 0.024 to 125.38 µg/kg for 36 monomers of APEOs (nEO = 3-20), the recoveries of APEOs range from 70.3-110.7% with RSD ≤ 16.9%, except for OPEO20 (61.8%) and NPEO20 (62.9%). The LOQs of OPEOs and NPEOs are 0.024-6.27 and 0.16-5.01 µg/kg, respectively. OPEOs and NPEOs are detected in 50 marketed tea samples with a total concentration of 0.057-12.94 and 0.30-215.89 µg/kg, respectively. The detection rate and the range of the monomers of NPEOs are generally higher than those of OPEOs. The current study provides a theoretical basis for the rational use of APEOs as adjuvants in commercial pesticide production.

The rapid start-up of CANON process through adding partial nitration sludge to ANAMMOX system.

This study aimed to start up the completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) process after adding partial nitration (PN) sludge to the ANAMMOX reactor, so as to help the rapid start-up and stable operation of the CANON process in practical engineering applications. There were three steps in the research: cultivating the PN sludge, building a reliable ANAMMMOX system, and finally starting and running the CANON process. The PN sludge was successfully cultivated in less than 45 days with around 90% nitrite accumulation rate. The ANAMMOX reactor enriched a significant quantity of red granular sludge within 70 days, achieving the maximum nitrogen removal rate of 1.74 kg/(m3·d). Eventually, the CANON reactor was started up successfully, which achieved 95.08% of average ammonium removal efficiency and 84.51% of average total nitrogen removal efficiency in 60 days. The residual recalcitrant nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in the CANON process was successfully inhibited by intermittent aeration and 12 mg/L free ammonia in UASB reactor. Besides, Candidatus Kuenenia, Candidatus Brocadia and Nitrosomonas were the main functional microorganisms involved in the CANON process.

Reproducibility and Validity of a Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire for Children Aged 6-12 in Western China.

The Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) is often used to assess dietary intake in large-scale epidemiological studies. This study aimed to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of the FFQ newly developed for children aged 6 to 12 in western China. A total of 133 children were included in the analysis, and all the children and their caregivers completed the FFQs twice with a three-month interval period, and three 24 h recalls were carried out one month after the first FFQ. We assessed the relative validity and reproducibility using various methods, such as the Spearman correlation coefficient, intra-class correlation coefficient, weighed Kappa, quartile agreement, and Bland-Altman analysis. The Spearman correlation coefficients for food ranged from 0.30 to 0.84, and for nutrients from 0.46 to 0.82 regarding reproducibility. The food intra-class correlation coefficients ranged from 0.20 to 0.85, while nutrients' ranged from 0.37 to 0.75. In terms of relative validity, the average Spearman correlation coefficients for food were 0.20, and 0.30 for energy and nutrients. The energy-adjusted and de-attenuation coefficients were calculated. Moreover, the average percentage of participants misclassified into the extreme quartile for food and nutrients was 8.0% and 7.0%, respectively. Weighted Kappa values indicated acceptable agreement between the FFQs and 24 h recalls. Furthermore, the percentage of results in the limits of agreement (LOA) were all above 93.0%. In conclusion, The FFQ showed good reproducibility and acceptable relative validity for assessing the dietary intake of children aged 6-12 in western China.