Growth trajectory of full-term small-for-gestational-age infants: a 3-year longitudinal study in China.

OBJECTIVE: Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants are at risk of impaired growth and developmental outcomes, even for those who were born at full term. The growth trajectory of full-term SGA infants remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the growth trajectory of full-term SGA infants from birth to 3 years old in East China. METHODS: Full-term SGA infants were followed up from birth to 3 years old. The weight and length were measured at 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months. Rate of catch-up growth and rates of growth deviations including short stature, emaciation, underweight, overweight and obesity, were calculated at different time points. Latent class analysis was applied to describe growth trajectories from birth to 36 months. RESULTS: A total of 816 full-term SGA infants were enrolled in this study and 303 had complete follow-up data at 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months. At 24 months, the rate of catch-up growth was 42.4% in girls and 48.6% in boys; while at 36 months, this rate was 43.3% in girls and 52.1% in boys. The latent class analysis identified two trajectories of weight and length in boys and girls. Girls showed different growth trajectories of weight since 12 months compared with boys. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reported a relatively low rate of catch-up growth in full-term SGA infants and has identified different growth trajectories of length and weight in boys and girls. We call for attention from health professionals on the growth trajectory of full-term SGA infants to eventually promote their health potentials.

Epidemiological characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus infection in pediatric patients before, during the COVID-19 pandemic and after easing of COVID-19 restrictive measures in China.

We aimed to assess the epidemiological characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in Chinese children at different phases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, that is, before, during the pandemic and after easing of restrictive measures. We included 123 623 patients aged 0-18 years with respiratory infection symptoms who were suspected with RSV infection from January 1, 2019 to June 30, 2023 in Hangzhou Children's Hospital. Clinical information and RSV test result were extracted from the laboratory information system. We calculated the positive rate of RSV detection by age groups, gender, seasons, types of patients and phases of COVID-19 pandemic. Nonlinear associations between age and risk of RSV infection in three phases of pandemic were assessed by restricted cubic spline regression models. Among 123 623 patients, 3875 (3.13%) were tested as positive. The highest positive rate was observed in children aged 0-28 days (i.e., 12.28%). RSV infection was most prevalent in winter (6.04%), and followed by autumn (2.52%). Although there is no statistical significance regarding the positive rate at three phases of the pandemic, we observed that the rate was lowest during the pandemic and increased after easing the measures in certain age groups (p < 0.05), which was consisted with results from the nonlinear regression analyses. In addition, regression analyses suggested that the age range of children susceptible to RSV got wider, that is, 0-3.5 years, after easing all restrictive measures compared with that before (i.e., 0-3 years) and during the pandemic (i.e., 0-1 year). Based on our findings, we called for attention from health professionals and caregivers on the new epidemiological characteristics of RSV infection in the post-pandemic era after easing the restrictive measures.

Application of MFI-5 in severe complications and unfavorable outcomes after radical resection of colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is considered a characteristic manifestation of physiological decline in multiple organ systems, which significantly increases the vulnerability of elderly individuals with colorectal cancer (CRC) and is associated with a poor prognosis. While studies have demonstrated that the 11-factor Modified Frailty Index (mFI-11) can effectively predict adverse outcomes following radical resection of CRC, there is a lack of research on the applicability of the 5-factor Modified Frailty Index (mFI-5) within this patient population. METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, we examined a cohort of CRC patients aged 65 years and above who had undergone radical resection. For each patient, we calculated their mFI-5 score, considering a score of ≥ 2 as an indication of frailty. We conducted univariate and multivariate analyses to assess the association between the mFI-5 and adverse outcomes as well as postoperative complications. RESULTS: Patients with an mFI-5 score ≥ 2 exhibited a significantly higher incidence of serious postoperative complications (53% vs. 30%; P = 0.001) and experienced a longer hospital stay [19.00 (15.00-24.50) vs. 17.00 (14.00-20.00); P < 0.05]. Notably, an mFI-5 score greater than 2 emerged as an independent risk factor for severe postoperative complications (odds ratio: 2.297; 95% confidence interval: 1.216 to 4.339; P = 0.01). Furthermore, the mFI-5 score displayed predictive capabilities for severe postoperative complications with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.629 (95% confidence interval: 0.551 to 0.707; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The mFI-5 demonstrates a high level of sensitivity in predicting serious complications, prolonged hospital stays, and mortality following radical resection of colorectal carcinoma. As a practical clinical assessment tool, the mFI-5 enables the identification of high-risk patients and facilitates preoperative optimization.

Health-related quality of life of children with Williams syndrome and caregivers in China.

Introduction: Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder that impacts multiple systems and may cause developmental delays. These medical and developmental issues impose a heavy burden on affected children and their families. However, there was no study on children's health-related quality of life (HRQoL) with WS and only two studies about family quality of life globally. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to assess the HRQoL of children with WS and their caregivers in China, and the secondary purpose was to identify the potential determinants of children's and caregivers' HRQoL. Methods: In total, 101 children and caregivers were included. We applied the proxy-reported PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Module (PedsQL GCM) and PedsQL 3.0 Family Impact Module (FIM) to measure the HRQoL of children and caregivers. Additionally, we collected information on a comprehensive set of social demographic and clinical characteristics. Differences in HRQoL scores across subgroups were assessed by two-independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and post hoc tests. We also calculated effect sizes to indicate clinical relevance. Multivariate linear regression models were applied to assess the potential determinants of HRQoL. Results: We found that the HRQoL of children with WS and their caregivers was dramatically worse than the norm average scores of the healthy controls of children published in previous studies. Paternal educational level, household income, and the perceived financial burden significantly influenced the HRQoL of both children and families (p-values < 0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the perceived financial burden was independently associated with family quality of life (p-values < 0.05)., and the presence of sleeping problem was independently associated with children's HRQoL (p-value = 0.01). Conclusion: We call for attention from policymakers and other stakeholders on the health status and well-being of children with WS and their families. Supports are needed to relieve psychosocial distress and financial burden.

Epidemiological characteristics of norovirus infection in pediatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To assess the epidemiological characteristics of norovirus infection. We included 5564 patients under the age of 18 years who visited the hospital in which the study took place from December 2020 to November 2022 with a primary diagnosis of acute diarrhea. Clinical information was extracted from the electronic health record system. We calculated the prevalence of norovirus infection by age, gender, season, year, and type of patients. A nonlinear association between age and prevalence rates was assessed using a restricted cubic spline regression model. A total of 5564 patients completed the test for human norovirus, among whom 1442 (25.9%) tested positive. The prevalence of norovirus infection was significantly lower in 2022 than in 2021 (35.9% vs. 53.7%, p < 0.001), and the highest prevalence was observed in winter (35.1%) and then followed by autumn (27.5%). Regarding the age pattern, the highest rate was seen in children aged 1-3 years (37.5%). Children at age 1.5 years may have the highest risk of having norovirus infection (Pnonlinear < 0.001). The prevalence of norovirus infection of norovirus during the COVID-19 pandemic was similar to that before the pandemic shown in literatures. A relatively high rate was observed in cool seasons and in younger children (i.e., 1-3 years).

Determinants of depression, problem behavior, and cognitive level of adolescents in China: Findings from a national, population-based cross-sectional study.

Introduction: We aimed to assess the associated factors for adolescent depression, problem behavior and cognitive level in China. Methods: A total of 2,584 adolescents aged from 10 to 15 years old in 2018 were included for analyses. Information on a comprehensive set of potential determinants was collected by the questionnaire, including demographic, health-, school- and family-related factors. Differences in average scores of depression, problem behavior, and cognitive level across subgroups were assessed by two independent sample t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The clinical relevance among subgroups was assessed by the effect size. Multivariate linear regression models were applied to identify the statistically significant determinants. Results: School-related factors and parental depressive status were strongly associated with depression. Low maternal education, poor/bad health of adolescents, high academic pressure, and parental depression were significantly associated with behavior problems. The socioeconomic factors, poor academic performance and father's depression were significantly associated with adolescent cognitive level. Discussion: Multiple associated factors were identified for depression, problem behavior, and cognition of Chinese adolescents, which will provide insights into developing more targeted public health policies and interventions to improve their mental health.

Mitigating the inhibition of antibacterial agent chloroxylenol on nitrification system-The role of Rhodococcus ruber in a bioaugmentation system.

The chloroxylenol (PCMX) degrading strain was successfully isolated from sludge and identified as Rhodococcus ruber (R. ruber). Afterwards, a bioaugmentation system was constructed by seeding R. ruber into nitrifying sludge to fasten degradation efficiency of highly toxic PCMX from wastewater. Results showed that R. ruber presented high PCMX-degrading performance under aerobic conditions, 25 °C, pH 7.0 and inoculum sizes of 4% (v/v). These optimized conditions were used in subsequent bioaugmentation experiment. In bioaugmentation system, R. ruber could detoxify nitrifiers by degrading PCMX, and the content of polysaccharide in extracellular polymeric substances increased. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction results exhibited that the absolute abundance of 16S rRNA gene and ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) slightly elevated in bioaugmentation system. After analyzing the results of high-throughput sequencing, it was found that the loaded R. ruber can colonize successfully and turn into dominant strains in sludge system. Molecular docking simulation showed that PCMX had a weaker suppressed effect on AOB than nitrite oxidizing bacteria, and R. ruber can alleviate the adverse effect. This study could provide a novel strategy for potential application in reinforcement of PCMX removal in wastewater treatment.

Different acesulfame potassium fate and antibiotic resistance propagation pattern in nitrifying and denitrifying sludge systems.

Acesulfame potassium (ACE-K) is a widely utilized sugar substitute with increasing demand, which is frequently detected in various environmental matrix due to recalcitrance. However, a general consensus on the contribution of nitrifying and denitrifying process to ACE-K removal is lacking. Therefore, ACE-K removal, its effects on antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) propagation and microbial community in nitrifying sequencing batch reactor (N-SBR) and denitrifying sequencing batch reactor (D-SBR) inoculated with the identical activated sludge were investigated. In this study, ACE-K can be eliminated in N-SBR with satisfying removal efficiency (96.76 ± 8.33 %) after 13 d acclimation, while it remained persistent (average ACE-K removal efficiency of 2.24 ± 1.86 %) in D-SBR during 84 d exposure. Moreover, ACE-K hardly affected the performances of these two types of reactors and had little impact on nitrifying and denitrifying functional genes. However, initial contact with ACE-K would increase ARGs abundance, network analysis showed functional bacteria in each reactor were possible ARGs hosts. Potential ACE-K degrading genera Chelatococcus, Bosea and Aquamicrobium were found in both reactors. LefSe analysis showed that Phyllobacteriaceae containing Aquamicrobium genus was a differentially enriched family in N-SBR. This research might provide a perspective for better understanding factor affecting ACE-K fate in wastewater treatment process and its ecological risks.

Spatiotemporally Controlled Formation and Rotation of Magnetic Nanochains In Vivo for Precise Mechanotherapy of Tumors.

Systemic cancer therapy is always accompanied with toxicity to normal tissue, which has prompted concerted efforts to develop precise treatment strategies. Herein, we firstly develop an approach that enables spatiotemporally controlled formation and rotation of magnetic nanochains in vivo, allowing for precise mechanotherapy of tumor. The nanochain comprised nanocomposites of pheophorbide-A (PP) modified iron oxide nanoparticle (IONP) and lanthanide-doped down-conversion NP (DCNP). In a permanent magnetic field, the nanocomposites would be aligned to form nanochain. Next, MnO2 NPs were subsequently administered to accumulate in tumor as suppliers of Mn2+ , which coordinates with PP to immobilize the nanochain. In a rotating magnetic field, the nanochain would rapidly rotate, leading to apoptosis/necrosis of tumor cell. The nanochain showed high T2 -MR and NIR-II fluorescence imaging signals, which facilitated guided therapy. The strategy has great potential in practical applications.

Unraveling the impact and mechanism of antipyretic paracetamol on intergenera conjugative plasmid transfer.

Antimicrobial resistance has been considered as a great threat to biosecurity and human health. And the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) by conjugated plasmid is a key factor in the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance. Paracetamol (PRC), one of nonopioid analgesics, is an extensively used antipyretic and mild analgesic worldwide available for numerous prescriptions. It was unclear whether PRC could promote the spread of ARGs. Here, it was demonstrated that PRC promoted intergenera conjugative plasmid transfer in an established conjugation model. Both donor and recipient strains treated by PRC emerged the variations of reactive oxygen species (ROS), SOS response and cell membrane permeability. Correspondingly, transcriptome analysis revealed that the gene expression involved in cell membrane permeability and SOS response was up-regulated significantly after PRC exposure. More directly, PRC also increased the expressions of conjugation related genes of trbG and trbP in donor. This study proved for the first time that PRC could enhance the intergenera conjugative plasmid transfer. Collectively, these findings manifested the potential threat associated with the existence of non-antibiotic substance PRC, which could provide an important insight into antimicrobial resistance spread.

Synergistic Integration and Pharmacomechanical Function of Enzyme-Magnetite Nanoparticle Swarms for Low-Dose Fast Thrombolysis.

Magnetic micro-/nanoparticles are extensively explored over the past decade as active diagnostic/therapeutic agents for minimally invasive medicine. However, sufficient function integration on these miniaturized bodies toward practical applications remains challenging. This work proposes a synergistic strategy via integrating particle functionalization and bioinspired swarming, demonstrated by recombinant tissue plasminogen activator modified magnetite nanoparticles (rtPA-Fe3 O4 NPs) for fast thrombolysis in vivo with low drug dosage. The synthesized rtPA-Fe3 O4 NPs exhibit superior magnetic performance, high biocompatibility, and thrombolytic enzyme activity. Benefiting from a customized magnetic operation system designed for animal experiments and preclinical development, these agglomeration-free NPs can assemble into micro-/milli-scale swarms capable of robust maneuver and reconfigurable transformation for on-demand tasks in complex biofluids. Specifically, the spinning mode of the swarm exerts focused fluid shear stresses while rubbing on the thrombus surface, constituting a mechanical force for clot breakdown. The synergy of the NPs' inherent enzymatic effect and swarming-triggered fluid forces enables amplified efficacy of thrombolysis in an in vivo occlusion model of rabbit carotid artery, using lower drug concentration than clinical dosage. Furthermore, swarming-enhanced ultrasound signals aid in imaging-guided treatment. Therefore, the pharmacomechanical NP swarms herein represent an injectable thrombolytic tool joining advantages of intravenous drug therapy and robotic intervention.

The fate and behavior mechanism of antibiotic resistance genes and microbial communities in flocs, aerobic granular and biofilm sludge under chloroxylenol pressure.

Chloroxylenol (PCMX), an antibacterial agent, has been widely detected in water environment and has toxic effects on biology and ecology. During 270 d, the influence of PCMX on the performance of three nitrification systems was investigated, including floc-based sequencing batch reactor (FSBR), aerobic granule-based SBR (AGSBR) and biofilm SBR (BSBR). The nitrification capability of three systems was inhibited by PCMX, but recovered after domestication, and PCMX made three systems realize partial nitrification for 10, 100 and 35 days, respectively. The extracellular polymeric substances of three systems increased first and then decreased with the increment of PCMX. The granular structure of AGSBR may be conducive to the enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and almost all ARGs of BSBR were reduced during the addition of 5.0 mg/L PCMX. The microbial community results showed that Rhodococcus as potential degrading bacteria was continuously enriched in three systems. Piscinibacter was regarded as the potential antibiotic resistant bacteria, which was positively associated with multiple ARGs in three systems. Additionally, quaternary ammonium compounds resistance genes had a variety of positive correlations with bacteria in three systems. This study provided a new perspective for the usage and treatment of PCMX.

Feeding low-level benzethonium chloride can promote the start-up, fast recovery and long-term stable maintenance of partial nitrification for low-ammonium wastewater.

The establishment of stable partial nitrification (PN) is beneficial to promote the application of anaerobic ammonium oxidation, especially for low-ammonium wastewater. This study demonstrated an innovative approach for achieving PN through feeding low-level benzethonium chloride (BZC). PN was started and maintained for 125 days after the sequential feeding of 0.2 and 1 mg/L BZC for 50 days. The damaged PN recovered rapidly within eight days by feeding 2 mg/L BZC, and it thrived for more than 172 days, indicating that nitrite-oxidizing bacteria did not adapt to BZC. The removal of BZC changed from adsorption to degradation gradually. Increased extracellular polymeric substances secretion and altered protein secondary structures explained sludge granulation during BZC feeding, which may be closely related to long-term stable maintenance of PN. PICRUSt2 revealed the underlying microbial mechanisms in depth. Overall, this research proposed a novel scheme to achieve robust PN treating low-ammonium wastewater through feeding low-level BZC.

Metagenomics insights into the selective inhibition of NOB and comammox by phenacetin: Transcriptional activity, nitrogen metabolism and mechanistic understanding.

Phenacetin (PNCT), a common antipyretic and analgesic drug, is often used to treat fever and headache. However, the effect of PNCT on nitrifiers in wastewater treatment processes remains unclear. The practicability of attaining partial nitrification (PN) through inhibitor-PNCT was investigated in this study. The optimal treatment conditions of soaking once for 18 h with 2.50 × 10-3 g PNCT/(g MLSS) were applied to the PN stability experiment. The results showed that ammonia oxidation activity recovered quickly after 3 cycles of operation, while nitrite oxidation activity was suppressed steadily. In addition, average ammonium removal efficiency and nitrite accumulation ratio during 138 cycles could reach 94.94% and 85.38%, respectively. Complimentary DNA high-throughput sequencing and oligotyping analysis showed that the activity of Nitrosomonas would gradually surpass Nitrospira after PNCT treatment only once. The decrease of Nitrospira activity was accompanied by the simplification of oligotypes after PNCT treatment, while Nitrosomonas could adapt to PNCT stress by reducing the differences between oligotypes. Metagenomics revealed that the decrease in the number of NXR in the nitrogen metabolism pathways was the key reason for achieving PN. The potential mechanisms might be that the dominant nitrite-oxidizing bacteria and complete ammonia oxidizers were bio-killed by PNCT.

Enhancement of antibiotic resistance dissemination by artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium: Insights from cell membrane, enzyme, energy supply and transcriptomics.

The abuse of antibiotics on animals could induce the development of antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB), and acesulfame potassium (ACE) is the widely used artificial sweetener in animal feed. Generally speaking, ACE and ARB often coexist in livestock wastewater, however, the impact of the co-occurrence of ACE and ARB on the transmission of ARGs is still unknown. In this study, the effects of ACE on vertical gene transfer (VGT) and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) were both evaluated. For VGT, ACE may hinder the spread of sul gene in Pseudomonas HLS-6 by blocking ARB growth. As for HGT (from Escherichia coli DH5α to Pseudomonas HLS-6), environmentally relevant ACE concentration could facilitate the conjugative transfer. The underlying mechanisms of HGT were characterized by enhanced cell membrane permeability, reactive oxygen species overproduction, SOS response, energy supply, which were all further verified by the changes in transcription levels of related genes. Interestingly, intracellular Mg2+ in donor strain was found for the first time as an indicator for the conjugation occurrence in ACE treated mating system. This study may provide new insights into the role of ACE on ARGs proliferation and highlight its potential environmental impacts.

Chloroxylenol at environmental concentrations can promote conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes by multiple mechanisms.

The intergeneric conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is recognized as an important way to the dissemination of antibiotic resistance. However, it is unknown whether the extensive use of chloroxylenol (para-chloro-meta-xylenol, PCMX) in many pharmaceutical personal care products will lead to the spread of ARGs. In this study, the abilities and mechanisms of PCMX to accelerate the intergeneric conjugative transfer were investigated. Results showed that exposure of bacteria to environmental concentrations of PCMX (0.20-1.00 mg/L) can significantly stimulate the increase of conjugative transfer by 8.45-9.51 fold. The phenotypic experiments and genome-wide RNA sequencing revealed that 0.02-5.00 mg/L PCMX exposure could increase the content of alkaline phosphatase and malondialdehyde, which are characteristic products of cell wall and membrane damage. In addition, PCMX could lead to excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by 1.26-2.00 times, the superoxide dismutase and catalase produced by bacteria in response to oxidative stress were not enough to neutralize the damage of ROS, thus promoting the conjugative transfer. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis indicated that cell membrane permeability, pili, some chemical compounds transport and energy metabolism affected conjugative transfer. This study deepened the understanding of PCMX in promoting propagation of ARGs, and provided new perspectives for use and treatment of personal care products.

Triclocarban shifted the microbial communities and promoted the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in nitrifying granular sludge system.

Triclocarban (TCC) is in great market demand especially after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, becoming an emerging pollutant. However, the impacts of TCC on the performance of nitrifying granular sludge system and the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were still unknown. This work explored the impacts of different concentrations of TCC on nitrifying granular sludge. Results showed that TCC suppressed the activities of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms and decreased the abundance of Nitrospira. Adsorption was the main way for the removal of TCC and the biodegradation efficiency of TCC increased to 28.00% under 19.70 mg/L TCC addition. TCC enriched the ARGs and promoted the risks of their transferring in microorganisms. Pseudomonas might not only have strong resistance to TCC, but also propagate ARGs. The removal process of TCC and bacterial communities were important factors to promote the spread of ARGs. Thus, the existence of TCC presented a great environmental risk.

Economic and disease burden of Japanese encephalitis in Zhejiang Province, 2013-2018.

BACKGROUND: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a mosquito-borne disease and associated with high mortality and disability rate among symptomatic cases. In the absence of local data, this study estimated the economic burden and the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to JE in Zhejiang Province, China during 2013-2018, to increase disease awareness and provide evidence for effective health policy. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: We merged multiple data sources, including National Notifiable Disease Registry System (NNDRS), patient interviews and medical records from corresponding hospitals for JE cases which occurred during 2013-2018 in Zhejiang Province. Direct costs were extracted from hospitals' billing systems and patient interviews. Indirect costs and disease burden were calculated based on questionnaire survey from patient interviews and follow-up assessment by general practitioners. Given under-reporting, an expansion factor (EF) was applied to extrapolate the JE burden to the provincial level. The total economic burden of JE during 2013-2018 was estimated at US $12.01 million with an EF = 3. Of this, $8.32 million was due to direct economic cost and $3.69 million to indirect cost. The disease burden of JE was 42.75 DALYs per million population (28.44 YLD, 14.28 YLL) according to the 1990 Global Burden of Disease (GBD 1990) methodology and 80.01 DALYs (53.67YLD, 26.34YLL) according to the GBD 2010 methodology. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the overall economic burden varied from US$ 1.73-36.42 million. The greatest variation was due to the prognosis of illness (-85.57%-203.17%), followed by occupation (-34.07%-134.12%) and age (-72.97%-47.69%). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: JE imposes a heavy burden for families and society in Zhejiang Province. This study provides comprehensive empirical estimates of JE burden to increase awareness and strengthen knowledge of the public. These data may support provincial level public health decision making for prevention and control of JE. Ongoing surveillance for acute meningitis and encephalitis syndrome (AEMS) in sentinel hospitals, is needed to further refine estimates of JE burden.

Cost-Effective, High-Yield Production of Biotemplated Catalytic Tubular Micromotors as Self-Propelled Microcleaners for Water Treatment.

Micro/nano-motors (MNMs) that combine attributes of miniaturization and self-propelled swimming mobility have been explored for efficient environmental remediation in the past decades. However, their progresses in practical applications are now subject to several critical issues including a complicated fabrication process, low production yield, and high material cost. Herein, we propose a biotemplated catalytic tubular micromotor consisting of a kapok fiber (KF, abundant in nature) matrix and manganese dioxide nanoparticles (MnO2 NPs) deposited on the outer and inner walls of the KF and demonstrate its applications for rapid removal of methylene blue (MB) in real-world wastewater. The fabrication is straightforward via dipping the KF into a potassium permanganate (KMnO4) solution, featured with high yield and low cost. The distribution and amount of MnO2 can be easily controlled by varying the dipping time. The obtained motors are actuated and propelled by oxygen (O2) bubbles generated from MnO2-triggered catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), with the highest speed at 615 µm/s (i.e., 6 body length per second). To enhance decontamination efficacy and also enable magnetic navigation/recycling, magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) are adsorbed onto such motors via an electrostatic effect. Both the Fe3O4-induced Fenton reaction and hydroxyl radicals from MnO2-catalyzed H2O2 decomposition can account for the MB removal (or degradation). Results of this study, taken together, provide a cost-effective approach to achieve high-yield production of the MNMs, suggesting an automatous microcleaner able to perform practical wastewater treatment.

A New Approach of Rpf Addition to Explore Bacterial Consortium for Enhanced Phenol Degradation Under High Salinity Conditions.

Only a small fraction of salt-tolerant phenol-degrading bacteria can be isolated by conventional plate separation methods, because most bacteria in nature are in a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state. The aims of this study were to screen out more effective functional bacteria using resuscitation-promoting factor (Rpf), and to determine whether a mixed bacterial consortium possesses better phenol-degrading capabilities under high salinity conditions. The results indicated that three strains unique to treatment group with Rpf addition were obtained. A mixed bacterial consortium consisting of two high-efficient strains which belonged to genera Bacillus and Corynebacterium was capable of utilizing phenol as a sole source of carbon at high salinity. Complete degradation of 100 mg/L phenol at 2% NaCl concentration was achieved within 8 h. This study provides new insights into resuscitation of VBNC bacteria for enhanced treatment of phenol-laden saline wastewater.