Side-Stream Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (S2EBPR) enables effective phosphorus removal in a pilot-scale A-B stage shortcut nitrogen removal system for mainstream municipal wastewater treatment.

While the adsorption/bio-oxidation (A/B) process has been widely studied for carbon capture and shortcut nitrogen (N) removal, its integration with enhanced biological phosphorus (P) removal (EBPR) has been considered challenging and thus unexplored. Here, full-scale pilot testing with an integrated system combining A-stage high-rate activated sludge with B-stage partial (de)nitrification/anammox and side-stream EBPR (HRAS-P(D)N/A-S2EBPR) was conducted treating real municipal wastewater. The results demonstrated that, despite the relatively low influent carbon load, the B-stage P(D)N-S2EBPR system could achieve effective P removal performance, with the carbon supplement and redirection of the A-stage sludge fermentate to the S2EBPR. The novel process configuration design enabled a system shift in carbon flux and distribution for efficient EBPR, and provided unique selective factors for ecological niche partitioning among different key functionally relevant microorganisms including polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) and glycogen-accumulating organisms (GAOs). The combined nitrite from B-stage to S2EBPR and aerobic-anoxic conditions in our HRAS-P(D)N/A-S2EBPR system promoted DPAOs for simultaneous internal carbon-driven denitrification via nitrite and P removal. 16S rRNA gene-based oligotyping analysis revealed high phylogenetic microdiversity within the Accumulibacter population and discovered coexistence of certain oligotypes of Accumulibacter and Competibacter correlated with efficient P removal. Single-cell Raman micro-spectroscopy-based phenotypic profiling showed high phenotypic microdiversity in the active PAO community and the involvement of unidentified PAOs and internal carbon-accumulating organisms that potentially played an important role in system performance. This is the first pilot study to demonstrate that the P(D)N-S2EBPR system could achieve shortcut N removal and influent carbon-independent EBPR simultaneously, and the results provided insights into the effects of incorporating S2EBPR into A/B process on metabolic activities, microbial ecology, and resulted system performance.

Spatiotemporal informer: A new approach based on spatiotemporal embedding and attention for air quality forecasting.

Accurate prediction of air pollution is essential for public health protection. Air quality, however, is difficult to predict due to the complex dynamics, and its accurate forecast still remains a challenge. This study suggests a spatiotemporal Informer model, which uses a new spatiotemporal embedding and spatiotemporal attention, to improve AQI forecast accuracy. In the first phase of the proposed forecast mechanism, the input data is transformed by the spatiotemporal embedding. Next, the spatiotemporal attention is applied to extract spatiotemporal features from the embedded data. The final forecast is obtained based on the attention tensors. In the proposed forecast model, the input is a 3-dimensional data that consists of air quality data (AQI, PM2.5, O3, SO2, NO2, CO) and geographic information, and the output is a multi-positional, multi-temporal data that shows the AQI forecast result of all the monitoring stations in the study area. The proposed forecast model was evaluated by air quality data of 34 monitoring stations in Beijing, China. Experiments showed that the proposed forecast model could provide highly accurate AQI forecast: the average of MAPE values for from 1 h to 20 h ahead forecast was 11.61%, and it was much smaller than other models. Moreover, the proposed model provided a highly accurate and stable forecast even at the extreme points. These results demonstrated that the proposed spatiotemporal embedding and attention techniques could sufficiently capture the spatiotemporal correlation characteristics of air quality data, and that the proposed spatiotemporal Informer could be successfully applied for air quality forecasting.

Genome-wide analysis of the CSN genes in land plants and their expression under various abiotic stress and phytohormone conditions in rice.

The CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC9 (COP9) signalosome (CSN) is a multi-functional protein complex, which is involved in plant growth and abiotic stress response. However, the evolution and function of the CSN genes in land plants are still largely unclear. Here, we have identified 124 CSN genes and constructed phylogenetic trees of these CSN proteins to elucidate their feature and evolution in twelve land plants. Analysis of gene structure, protein property and protein motif composition shows the evolutional conservation and variation of the CSN proteins in land plants. These CSN genes might evolve through whole genome duplication (WGD)/segmental duplication (SD) and tandem duplication (TD). Analysis of promoter cis-elements shows that the CSN genes are implicated in diverse biological processes and different signaling pathways. RT-qPCR indicates that the transcript abundance of the OsCSN genes is up-regulated or down-regulated in response to abiotic stress and treatment with various hormones in rice. These results provide new insights into the CSN gene evolution and its possible function in land plants.

Gastric Mucosa-associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma Mimicking Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma

Gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is the most common type of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Endoscopic findings are nonspecific and variable; therefore, differentiation of this malignancy from early gastric cancer is challenging during endoscopy. Although an endoscopic biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosis, a biopsy may not conclusively establish the diagnosis in all cases. Diagnostic confirmation requires interpretation of the biopsy specimen findings by an experienced histopathologist, and an additional immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) rearrangement test may aid with accurate diagnosis. We present a case of gastric MALT lymphoma that histopathologically mimicked signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) on evaluation of repeat endoscopic biopsies. Following endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), we confirmed the final diagnosis of gastric MALT lymphoma based on histopathological findings of prominent lymphoid infiltrates accompanied by lymphoepithelial lesions and results of the monoclonal IgH rearrangement test. Notably, a few carcinoma-like signet ring cells (SRCs) in the specimen were attributed to a reactive change. Clinicians should be mindful of possible SRCs in gastric MALT lymphoma specimens to avoid misdiagnosis of SRCC in patients with gastric MALT lymphoma. Confirmatory ESD may be useful for accurate diagnosis and appropriate management of such lesions.

A Case of Spontaneous Hemothorax with a Ruptured Variceal Phrenic Vein.

Spontaneous hemothorax is rare, with limited data available on its etiology and treatment. We report a case of massive spontaneous hemothorax with a ruptured variceal phrenic vein during pregnancy, likely a complication of the Kasai procedure. Despite closed thoracostomy, the patient's symptoms and imaging findings did not improve. Emergent open thoracotomy and bleeding control were performed.

Controlling of lattice strains for crack-free and strong ferroelectric barium titanate films by post-thermal treatment.

In this study, we experimentally demonstrate fabrication of ultra-smooth and crystalline barium titanate (BTO) films on magnesium oxide (MgO) substrates by engineering lattice strain and crystal structure via thermal treatment. We observe that oxygen-depleted deposition allows growth of highly strained BTO films on MgO substrates with crack-free surface. In addition, post-thermal treatment relaxes strain, resulting in an enhancement of ferroelectricity. Surface roughening of the BTO films caused by recrystallization during post-thermal treatment is controlled by chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) to retain their initial ultra-smooth surfaces. From Raman spectroscopy, reciprocal space map (RSM), and capacitance-voltage (C-V) curve measurements, we confirm that the ferroelectricity of BTO films strongly depend on the relaxation of lattice strain and the phase transition from a-axis to c-axis oriented crystal structure.

An antigen-targeting assay for Lyme disease: Combining aptamers and SERS to detect the OspA protein.

Lyme disease is the fastest growing vector-borne disease in the United States. However, current testing modalities are ill suited to detection of Lyme disease, leading to the diagnosis of many cases after treatment is effective. We present an improved, direct method Lyme disease diagnosis, where the Lyme specific biomarker Outer Surface Protein A (OspA) in clinical serum samples is identified using a diagnostic platform combining surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and aptamers. Employing orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis, the system accurately identified 91% of serum samples from Lyme patients, and 96% of serum samples from symptomatic controls. In addition, the OspA limit-of-detection, determined to be 1 × 10-4 ng/mL, is greater than four orders of magnitude lower than that found in serum samples from early Lyme disease patients. The application of this platform to detect this difficult-to-diagnose disease suggests its potential for detecting other diseases that present similar difficulties.

A Super-Boosted Hybrid Plasmonic Upconversion Process for Photodetection at 1550 nm Wavelength.

A super-boosted hybrid plasmonic upconversion (UC) architecture comprising a hierarchical plasmonic upconversion (HPU) film and a polymeric microlens array (MLA) film is proposed for efficient photodetection at a wavelength of 1550 nm. Plasmonic metasurfaces and Au core-satellite nanoassembly (CSNA) films can strongly induce a more effective plasmonic effect by providing numerous hot spots in an intense local electromagnetic field up to wavelengths exceeding 1550 nm. Hence, significant UC emission enhancement is realized via the amplified plasmonic coupling of an HPU film comprising an Au CSNA and UC nanoparticles. Furthermore, an MLA polymer film is synergistically coupled with the HPU film, thereby focusing the incident near-infrared light in the micrometer region, including the plasmonic nanostructure area. Consequently, the plasmonic effect super-boosted by microfocusing the incident light, significantly lowers the detectable power limit of a device, resulting in superior sensitivity and responsivity at weak excitation powers. Finally, a triple-cation perovskite-based photodetector coupled with the hybrid plasmonic UC film exhibits the excellent values of responsivity and detectivity of 9.80 A W-1 and 8.22 × 1012 Jones at a weak power density of ≈0.03 mW cm-2 , respectively, demonstrating that the device performance is enhanced by more than 104 magnitudes over a reference sample.

Comparison of multivariate linear regression and a machine learning algorithm developed for prediction of precision warfarin dosing in a Korean population.

BACKGROUND: Personalized warfarin dosing is influenced by various factors including genetic and non-genetic factors. Multiple linear regression (LR) is known as a conventional method to develop predictive models. Recently, machine learning approaches have been extensively implemented for warfarin dosing due to the hypothesis of non-linear association between covariates and stable warfarin dose. OBJECTIVE: To extend the multiple linear regression algorithm for personalized warfarin dosing in a Korean population and compare with a machine learning--based algorithm. METHOD: From this cohort study, we collected information on 650 patients taking warfarin who achieved steady state including demographic information, indications, comorbidities, comedications, habits, and genetic factors. The dataset was randomly split into training set (90%) and test set (10%). The LR and machine learning (gradient boosting machine [GBM]) models were developed on the training set and were evaluated on the test set. RESULT: LR and GBM models were comparable in terms of accuracy of ideal dose (75.38% and 73.85%), correlation (0.77 and 0.73), mean absolute error (0.58 mg/day and 0.64 mg/day), and root mean square error (0.82 mg/day and 0.9 mg/day), respectively. VKORC1 genotype, CYP2C9 genotype, age, and weight were the highest contributors and could obtain 80% of maximum performance in both models. CONCLUSION: This study shows that our LR and GMB models are satisfactory to predict warfarin dose in our dataset. Both models showed similar performance and feature contribution characteristics. LR may be the appropriate model due to its simplicity and interpretability.

Long-Term Left Atrial Function after Device Closure and Surgical Closure in Adult Patients with Atrial Septal Defect.

BACKGROUND: Studies comparing left atrial (LA) function after surgical closure or percutaneous closure in patients with an atrial septal defect (ASD) are lacking. METHODS: Between 1 and 3 years after ASD treatment, we retrospectively analyzed the medical records and transthoracic echocardiographic images of patients who had been diagnosed with an ASD after 20 years of age and who had undergone surgical closure (ASD-S) or percutaneous device closure (ASD-D). We measured LA peak systolic, early diastolic, and late diastolic strain values using 2-dimensional (2D) speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) and calculated reservoir, conduit, and contraction strain. RESULTS: The reservoir strain value of the ASD-D groups was 25.2% ± 7.4%, which was lower compared to the control group (33.6% ± 5.5%) (p = 0.004). The LA conduit strain and the LA contraction values of the ASD-D group were also lower compared to the control group (-13.8% ± 5.8% vs. -20.4% ± 4.7%, p = 0.034; -11.3% ± 4.2% vs. -13.2% ± 2.5%, p = 0.037, respectively). The reservoir, conduit, and contraction strains of the ASD-S group were 27.8% ± 8.8%, -15.3% ± 6.4%, and -12.5% ± 5.8%, respectively, and were not different from those of the control group or the ASD-D group. CONCLUSIONS: The 2D STE is a suitable method for evaluating LA function after ASD closure. Our results demonstrate that 1 year after device closure, the LA reservoir, conduit and contraction function were reduced in ASD-D group compared to healthy controls, while there was no difference between the ASD-S and ASD-D groups.

Comparative Chemico-Physical Analyses of Strain-Free GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As Quantum Dots Grown by Droplet Epitaxy.

We investigate the quantum confinement effects on excitons in several types of strain-free GaAs/Al 0 . 3 Ga 0 . 7 As droplet epitaxy (DE) quantum dots (QDs). By performing comparative analyses of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy with the aid of a three-dimensional (3D) envelope-function model, we elucidate the individual quantum confinement characteristics of the QD band structures with respect to their composition profiles and the asymmetries of their geometrical shapes. By precisely controlling the exciton oscillator strength in strain-free QDs, we envisage the possibility of tailoring light-matter interactions to implement fully integrated quantum photonics based on QD single-photon sources (SPSs).

Enhanced deflocculation of dehydrated sludge by rhamnolipid treatment coupled with thermal hydrolysis.

The effect of a biosurfactant, rhamnolipid (RL), coupled with a thermal treatment was investigated to determine its impact on improving the deflocculation of dehydrated sludge from wastewater treatment processes. Results showed that the RL treatment positively impacted sludge conditioning to weak acidity and hydrolyzed the carbohydrates and proteins released from the matrix of the extracellular polymeric substance. When RL was coupled with high temperature thermal treatments (65 and 95 °C), soluble chemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand solubilization increased by 9.6-19.7 times and 13.4-29.3%, respectively. The RL treatment reduced antibiotic resistant bacteria by 5.4-98.4%, and antibiotic activity was further accelerated by high temperature thermal treatment. The combination of biosurfactant and thermal treatment can effectively deflocculate dehydrated sludge and should be considered an alternative technology for the sludge management process.

Highly transparent phototransistor based on quantum-dots and ZnO bilayers for optical logic gate operation in visible-light.

Highly transparent optical logic circuits operated with visible light signals are fabricated using phototransistors with a heterostructure comprised of an oxide semiconductor (ZnO) with a wide bandgap and quantum dots (CdSe/ZnS QDs) with a small bandgap. ZnO serves as a highly transparent active channel, while the QDs absorb visible light and generate photoexcited charge carriers. The induced charge carriers can then be injected into the ZnO conduction band from the QD conduction band, which enables current to flow to activate the phototransistor. The photoexcited charge transfer mechanism is investigated using time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy, scanning Kelvin probe microscopy, and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. Measurements show that carriers in the QD conduction band can transfer to the ZnO conduction band under visible light illumination due to a change in the Fermi energy level. Moreover, the barrier for electron injection into the ZnO conduction band from the QD conduction band is low enough to allow photocurrent generation in the QDs/ZnO phototransistor. Highly transparent NOT, NOR, and NAND optical logic circuits are fabricated using the QDs/ZnO heterostructure and transparent indium tin oxide electrodes. This work provides a means of developing highly transparent optical logic circuits that can operate under illumination with low-energy photons such as those found in visible light.

Whole lung lavage using a rapid infusion system to treat a patient with pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.

Whole lung lavage (WLL) is a therapeutic procedure to remove accumulated material by infusing and draining the lungs with lavage fluid. This procedure has been regarded as the current standard of care to treat pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. However, the WLL protocol has not yet been standardized and the technique has been refined and modified a number of times. A rapid infusion system is a device used to infuse blood or other fluids at precise rates and normothermic conditions. This device is not typically used in WLL, which relies on the passive infusion of fluids using the gravitational force. However, in this study we performed WLL using a rapid infusion system, since we aimed to take advantage of its shorter operation time and greater degree of control over fluid volume and temperature. The patient's symptoms improved without the occurrence of any complications.

Strain-induced control of a pillar cavity-GaAs single quantum dot photon source.

Herein, we present the calculated strain-induced control of single GaAs/AlGaAs quantum dots (QDs) integrated into semiconductor micropillar cavities. We show precise energy control of individual single GaAs QD excitons under multi-modal stress fields of tailored micropillar optomechanical resonators. Further, using a three-dimensional envelope-function model, we evaluated the quantum mechanical correction in the QD band structures depending on their geometrical shape asymmetries and, more interestingly, on the practical degree of Al interdiffusion. Our theoretical calculations provide the practical quantum error margins, obtained by evaluating Al-interdiffused QDs that were engineered through a front-edge droplet epitaxy technique, for tuning engineered QD single-photon sources, facilitating a scalable on-chip integration of QD entangled photons.

Performance of sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification and denitrifiers for wastewater treatment under acidic conditions.

Autotrophic denitrification under acidic conditions using sulfide (S2-), elemental sulfur (S0), and thiosulfate (S2O32-) as electron donors are evaluated. Results from batch and column experiments show that when different S species were supplied, different pH conditions and denitrifier communities were required for denitrification to occur. Nitrate and nitrite were removed via autotrophic denitrification at pH ranging from 4 to 8, when S2- or S2O32- was the electron donor, while with S0 denitrification was only observed at pH > 6. When S2- was used as electron donor, it was converted to S0, and S0 was not used while S2- was available. When addition of S2- was discontinued, or S2- depleted, S0 that had accumulated was used as electron donor for denitrification. These findings demonstrate that sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification can proceed under acidic conditions, but that the addition of appropriate S species and the presence of an effective denitrifier community are required.

The capacity of wastewater treatment plants drives bacterial community structure and its assembly.

Bacterial communities in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) affect plant functionality through their role in the removal of pollutants from wastewater. Bacterial communities vary extensively based on plant operating conditions and influent characteristics. The capacity of WWTPs can also affect the bacterial community via variations in the organic or nutrient composition of the influent. Despite the importance considering capacity, the characteristics that control bacterial community assembly are largely unknown. In this study, we discovered that bacterial communities in WWTPs in Korea and Vietnam, which differ remarkably in capacity, exhibit unique structures and interactions that are governed mainly by the capacity of WWTPs. Bacterial communities were analysed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and exhibited clear differences between the two regions, with these differences being most pronounced in activated sludge. We found that capacity contributed the most to bacterial interactions and community structure, whereas other factors had less impact. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that microorganisms from high-capacity WWTPs are more interrelated than those from low-capacity WWTPs, which corresponds to the tighter clustering of bacterial communities in Korea. These results will contribute to the understanding of bacterial community assembly in activated sludge processing.

Characterization of a nifH-Harboring Bacterial Community in the Soil-Limited Gotjawal Forest.

Using a high-throughput metagenomic approach, we evaluated nifH-harboring bacterial communities and their assembly in the Gotjawal forest, which was naturally formed on basalt rocks with thin layer of soil. Significant differences in soil properties and community structure were observed in comparison with similar communities in various habitats, including other lava-formed forests (on Jeju Island and in Hawaii) and in regions with high humidity (Florida) or low temperatures (Alaska). nifH-harboring bacterial communities were found to assemble along gradients of environmental factors, particularly cation-exchange capacity. Unlike in other regions, in the Gotjawal forest, Paenibacillus and Clostridium, which belong to the phylum Firmicutes, were present in significantly higher proportion than in other regions. Network analysis suggested that much fewer co-occurrence relationships occurred in the Gotjawal forest than in other lava-formed forests. Our results indicate that the unique nifH-harboring bacterial community and its assembly in the Gotjawal forest are due to its distinctive soil properties, which has implications for microbial interactions and functional potentials.

Survey of IgE Reactivity to Nonbiting Midges in Korea and Identification of IgE-Binding Protein.

PURPOSE: Chironomids (nonbiting midges) are widely and abundantly distributed near ponds, rivers, and artificially dammed pools used for irrigation. Chironomids contain allergens and cause airway allergy in humans. In this study, we aimed to examine the allergic potential of chironomids in inhabitants living near artificially dammed pools. METHODS: We examined immunoglobulin E (IgE) reactivity to chironomid extracts in the sera of residents living around installed dams and assessed the correlations of IgE responses between chironomids (Chironomus flaviplumus, Chironomus kiiensis, Cricotopus bicinctus) and house dust mites (Dermatophagoides farinae). In addition, we identified potential IgE binding proteins specific for adult C. bicinctus, a popular species in Korea. Specific IgE antibodies in sera collected from the participants against the extracts were tested using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: The average IgE-positive rates were 10.4%, 8.1%, and 8.2% in C. bicinctus, C. flaviplumus, and C. kiiensis, respectively. The IgE-positive rate and IgE titer of C. bicinctus antigen were higher in residents living around installed dams than in those who lived other places (P = 0.013). Western blotting using sera having high IgE titers to C. bicinctus in ELISA showed the presence of a protein of approximately 42 kDa that was homologous to the actin protein isoform in C. bicinctus extracts as demonstrated using mass spectrometry. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that people living near installed dams were more sensitized to C. bicinctus and that the 42 kDa IgE-binding protein could be useful for further studies on chironomid allergic disease and clinical applications.

Impact Ionization Induced by Accelerated Photoelectrons for Wide-Range and Highly Sensitive Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds at Room Temperature.

Ionization-based volatile organic compound (VOC) sensors that use photons or electrons operating at room temperature have attracted considerable attention as a promising alternative to conventional metal oxide-based sensors that require high temperature for sensing function. However, the photoionization sensors cannot ionize many gas species for their limited photon energy, and field emission-based ionization sensors that rely on the breakdown voltage of specific gas species in a pure state may not tell different concentration. This work demonstrates the detection of VOCs using impact ionization induced by accelerated photoelectrons. Although the photoelectrons emitted by relatively low photon energy typically have insufficient kinetic energy to cause impact ionization, in this approach, they are accelerated between microgap electrodes to enhance their kinetic energy such that the impact ionization of VOCs can be achieved. The demonstrated gas sensor sensitively detects toluene concentration in a wide range from 1000 ppm to 100 ppb with fast response and recovery time at room temperature. Additionally, diverse VOC species including benzene, p-xylene, and even acetylene with high ionization energy can be detected. The proposed method could be a viable solution for VOC sensors with low cost, scalable producibility, and high performance.