Juvenile hormone induces reproduction via miR-1175-3p in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta.

Juvenile hormone (JH) acts in the regulation of caste differentiation between queens and workers (i.e., with or without reproductive capacity) during vitellin synthesis and oogenesis in social insects. However, the regulatory mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. Here, we identified a highly expressed microRNA (miRNA), miR-1175-3p, in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. We found that miR-1175-3p is prominently present in the fat bodies and ovaries of workers. Furthermore, miR-1175-3p interacts with its target gene, broad-complex core (Br-C), in the fat bodies. By utilizing miR-1175-3p agomir, we successfully suppressed the expression of the Br-C protein in queens, resulting in reduced vitellogenin expression, fewer eggs, and poorly developed ovaries. Conversely, decreasing miR-1175-3p levels led to the increased expression of Br-C and vitellogenin in workers, triggering the "re-development" of the ovaries. Moreover, when queens were fed with JH, the expression of miR-1175-3p decreased, whereas the expression of vitellogenin-2 and vitellogenin-3 increased. Notably, the suppression of fertility in queens caused by treatment with agomir miR-1175-3p was completely rescued by the increased vitellogenin expression induced by being fed with JH. These results suggest the critical role of miR-1175-3p in JH-regulated reproduction, shedding light on the molecular mechanism underlying miRNA-mediated fecundity in social insects and providing a novel strategy for managing S. invicta.

Labor division of worker ants can be controlled by insulin synthesis targeted through miR-279c-5p in Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

BACKGROUND: In social insects, the labor division of workers is ubiquitous and controlled by genetic and environmental factors. However, how they modulate this coordinately remains poorly understood. RESULTS: We report miR-279c-5p participation in insulin synthesis and behavioral transition by negatively regulating Rab8A in Solenopsis invicta. Eusocial specific miR-279c-5p is age-associated and highly expressed in nurse workers, and localized in the cytoplasm of neurons, where it is partly co-localized with its target, Rab8A. We determined that miR-279c-5p agomir suppressed Rab8A expression in forager workers, consequently decreasing insulin content, resulting in the behavioral shift to 'nurse-like' behaviors, while the decrease in miR-279c-5p increased Rab8A expression and increased insulin content in nurse workers, leading to the behavioral shift to 'foraging-like' behaviors. Moreover, insulin could rescue the 'foraging behavior' induced by feeding miR-279c-5p to nurse workers. The overexpression and suppression of miR-279c-5p in vivo caused an obvious behavioral transition between foragers and nurses, and insulin synthesis was affected by miR-279c-5p by regulating the direct target Rab8A. CONCLUSION: We first report that miR-279c-5p is a novel regulator that promotes labor division by negatively regulating the target gene Rab8A by controlling insulin production in ants. This miRNA-mediated mechanism is significant for understanding the behavioral plasticity of social insects between complex factors and potentially provides new targets for controlling red imported fire ants. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Biodegradation of trace sulfonamide antibiotics accelerated by substrates across oxic to anoxic conditions during column infiltration experiments.

Frequent occurrence of trace organic contaminants in aquatic environments, such as sulfonamide antibiotics in rivers receiving reclaimed water, is concerning. Natural attenuation by soil and sediment is increasingly relied upon. In the case of riverbank filtration for water purification, the reliability of antibiotic attenuation has been called into question due to incomplete understanding of their degradation processes. This study investigated influence of substrates and redox evolution along infiltration path on biotransformation of sulfonamides. Eight sand columns (length: 28 cm) with a riverbed sediment layer at 3-8 cm were fed by groundwater-sourced tap water spiked with 1 µg/L of sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfamethazine (SMZ), and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) each, with or without amendments of dissolved organic carbon (5 mg-C/L of 1:1 yeast and humics) or ammonium (5 mg-N/L). Two flow rates were tested over 120 days (0.5 mL/min and 0.1 mL/min). Iron-reducing conditions persisted in all columns for 27 days during the initial high flow period due to respiration of sediment organics, evolving to less reducing conditions until the subsequent low flow period to resume more reducing conditions. With surplus substrates, the spatial and temporal patterns of redox conditions differentiated among columns. The removal of SDZ and SMZ in effluents was usually low (15 ± 11%) even with carbon addition (14 ± 9%), increasing to 33 ± 23% with ammonium addition. By contrast, SMX removal was higher and more consistent among columns (46 ± 21%), with the maximum of 64 ± 9% under iron-reducing conditions. When sulfonamide removal was compared between columns for the same redox zones during infiltration, their enhancements were always associated with the availability of dissolved or particulate substrates, suggesting co-metabolism. Manipulation of the exposure time to optimal redox conditions with substrate amendments, rather than to simply prolong the overall residence time, is recommended for nature-based solutions to tackle target antibiotics.

Predicting battery impedance spectra from 10-second pulse tests under 10 Hz sampling rate.

Onboard measuring the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for lithium-ion batteries is a long-standing issue that limits the technologies such as portable electronics and electric vehicles. Challenges arise from not only the high sampling rate required by the Shannon Sampling Theorem but also the sophisticated real-life battery-using profiles. We here propose a fast and accurate EIS predicting system by combining the fractional-order electric circuit model-a highly nonlinear model with clear physical meanings-with a median-filtered neural network machine learning. Over 1000 load profiles collected under different state-of-charge and state-of-health are utilized for verification, and the root-mean-squared-error of our predictions could be bounded by 1.1 mΩ and 2.1 mΩ when using dynamic profiles last for 3 min and 10 s, respectively. Our method allows using size-varying input data sampled at a rate down to 10 Hz and unlocks opportunities to detect the battery's internal electrochemical characteristics onboard via low-cost embedded sensors.

Preparation of a Novel Resin Based Covalent Framework Material and Its Application in the Determination of Phenolic Endocrine Disruptors in Beverages by SPE-HPLC.

A new type of economical covalent organic framework material(COF), namely resin based covalent organic framework material, was prepared by combining resin and covalent organic framework material by hydrothermal synthesis, which was based on the preparation of traditional COF material(TpBD COF). The properties of the material and covalent organic framework material were compared in the way of characterization, and the possible reaction mechanism was analyzed. The solid phase extraction separation (SPE) ability of this material for four kinds of phenolic endocrine disrupting compounds (bisphenol F, bisphenol A, octylphenol and nonylphenol) in beverage samples was investigated. The results showed that the prepared COF materials had abundant internal channels, ordered structure, large specific surface area (TpBD COF: 814.6 m2/g and resin based COF: 623.9 m2/g) and good thermal stability (pyrolysis temperature was 443 °C and 437 °C, respectively). Solid phase extraction experiments demonstrated that the two COF materials as adsorbent of solid phase extraction column had ideal adsorption separation effect and good anti-interference ability, and had strong anti-interference ability. The SPE effect was superior to the traditional solid phase extraction column. The precision RSD of this method was less than 3%. This SPE method had high recovery and could be reused (carbonated beverage: 98.18-102.18% and beverage: 98.52-101.79%), In addition, the recovery of the material did not change significantly in the 50 cycles of solid phase extraction, indicating that the material had good stability and could be reused, which could meet the requirements for the detection and analysis of trace pollutants in environmental samples. The resin based COF material prepared in this study could reduce the cost of monomer uses and provide a possibility for its industrial production. At the same time, as an efficient SPE adsorbent, it also provided a new research scheme for the enrichment of trace phenolic endocrine disruptors in beverage samples.

Redox-dependent biotransformation of sulfonamide antibiotics exceeds sorption and mineralization: Evidence from incubation of sediments from a reclaimed water-affected river.

Trace levels of sulfonamide antibiotics are ubiquitous in reclaimed water, yet environmental pathways to completely remove those chemicals are not well understood when such water is used to restore flows in dried rivers. This study investigated sulfonamide sorption-desorption, biodegradation, and mineralization processes with seven sediments from a reclaimed water-dominant river. Batch experiments were conducted under oxic and anoxic (nitrate-reducing) conditions, and each removal process of sulfamethazine, sulfadiazine, and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) was evaluated individually at environmentally relevant concentrations (≤ 10 µg/L). Over 28 days, 44 ± 32% of sulfonamides were biodegraded, while the full mineralization to carbon dioxide was < 1%. Around 5% of sulfonamides were removed via sediment sorption, with a positive correlation with sediment organic contents. Detailed investigation of SMX biodegradation revealed that although its transformation appeared to be faster in anoxic than oxic tests by day 2, it reversed over 28 days with a longer apparent half-life in anoxic tests (69 ± 25 days) than that in oxic tests (12 ± 11 days). This is attributed to the formation of reversible metabolites at denitrifying conditions, such as DesAmino-SMX of which the production was affected by nitrite concentrations. Despite measurements of three frequently reported metabolites, > 70% biotransformation products remained unknown in this study. The findings highlight the persistency of sulfonamides and their derivatives, with research needed to further elucidate degradation mechanisms and to perform risk assessment of reclaimed water reuse.

Optical inspection path planning for large liquid crystal glass substrate detection instrument.

A large liquid crystal glass substrate detection instrument usually uses the air flotation platform to support a glass substrate. The glass substrate will be deformed by air pressure on the air flotation platform, which will affect the accuracy of detection. In this paper, combined with the characteristics of the detection method of the detection instrument, an optimal detection scanning path with the minimum deflection variation range of the glass substrate is planned so as to minimize the influence of glass substrate deformation on the detection accuracy. In theory, the calculation model of the deflection variation ranges of different paths on the glass substrate is established, the numerical method is used to solve it, and finally, the optimal scanning path for the optical inspection is obtained. The experimental results verify the correctness of the model.

Proton pump inhibitor use increases hepatic encephalopathy risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have been conducted to explore the association between the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) risk in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, their results are controversial. AIM: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the HE risk among PPI users. METHODS: A systematic search on PubMed, Web of Science, EMBase, and ScienceDirect databases was conducted up to December 31, 2018 for eligible studies involving PPI use and HE risk. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the fixed or random effects model. Publication bias was evaluated using Begg's test, Egger's test, and trim-and-fill method. RESULTS: Seven studies with 4574 patients were included in the present meta-analysis. The meta-analysis results indicated a significant association between the PPI use and HE risk (OR = 1.50; 95%CI: 1.25-1.75) with low heterogeneity (I 2 = 14.2%, P = 0.321). Although publication bias existed when Egger's tests were used (P = 0.005), the trim-and-fill method verified the stability of the pooled result. Sensitivity analyses suggested that the results of this meta-analysis were robust. CONCLUSION: The current evidence indicates that PPI use increases HE risk in patients with liver cirrhosis. Further studies with a large data set and well-designed models are needed to validate our findings.

The pH dependency of N-converting enzymatic processes, pathways and microbes: effect on net N2 O production.

Nitrous oxide (N2 O) is emitted during microbiological nitrogen (N) conversion processes, when N2 O production exceeds N2 O consumption. The magnitude of N2 O production vs. consumption varies with pH and controlling net N2 O production might be feasible by choice of system pH. This article reviews how pH affects enzymes, pathways and microorganisms that are involved in N-conversions in water engineering applications. At a molecular level, pH affects activity of cofactors and structural elements of relevant enzymes by protonation or deprotonation of amino acid residues or solvent ligands, thus causing steric changes in catalytic sites or proton/electron transfer routes that alter the enzymes' overall activity. Augmenting molecular information with, e.g., nitritation or denitrification rates yields explanations of changes in net N2 O production with pH. Ammonia oxidizing bacteria are of highest relevance for N2 O production, while heterotrophic denitrifiers are relevant for N2 O consumption at pH > 7.5. Net N2 O production in N-cycling water engineering systems is predicted to display a 'bell-shaped' curve in the range of pH 6.0-9.0 with a maximum at pH 7.0-7.5. Net N2 O production at acidic pH is dominated by N2 O production, whereas N2 O consumption can outweigh production at alkaline pH. Thus, pH 8.0 may be a favourable pH set-point for water treatment applications regarding net N2 O production.

Applying rheological analysis to better understand the mechanism of acid conditioning on activated sludge dewatering.

The pH value is a key parameter and affects sludge dewatering. Comprehensive understanding of the effects and mechanism of pH is important for sludge treatment process and sludge dewatering. The goal of this study was to evaluate the proposed mechanism of acid conditioning on sludge dewatering based on rheological analysis. At lower sludge pH, changes in floc structure, surface properties, and flocculation improved the performance of dewatering. Additionally, lower sludge pH caused the hydrolysis of EPS and intracellular materials, which released greater amounts of bound water. These changes resulted in altered rheological properties, weakening network strength and shrinking the linear viscoelastic regime, making the sludge system sensitive to shear. Thus, both the sludge dewatering rate and moisture reduction efficiency were improved by lowering the pH. These factors demonstrate that rheological analysis can understand the mechanism of acid conditioning on activated sludge dewatering better.

Intermittent Aeration Suppresses Nitrite-Oxidizing Bacteria in Membrane-Aerated Biofilms: A Model-Based Explanation.

Autotrophic ammonium oxidation in membrane-aerated biofilm reactors (MABRs) can make treatment of ammonium-rich wastewaters more energy-efficient, especially within the context of short-cut ammonium removal. The challenge is to exclusively enrich ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). To achieve nitritation, strategies to suppress nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) are needed, which are ideally grounded on an understanding of underlying mechanisms. In this study, a nitrifying MABR was operated under intermittent aeration. During eight months of operation, AOB dominated, while NOB were suppressed. On the basis of dissolved oxygen (DO), ammonium, nitrite, and nitrate profiles within the biofilm and in the bulk, a 1-dimensional nitrifying biofilm model was developed and calibrated. The model was utilized to explore the potential mechanisms of NOB suppression associated with intermittent aeration, considering DO limitation, direct pH effects on enzymatic activities, and indirect pH effects on activity via substrate speciation. The model predicted strong periodic shifts in the spatial gradients of DO, pH, free ammonia, and free nitrous acid, associated with aerated and nonaerated phases. NOB suppression during intermittent aeration was mostly explained by periodic inhibition caused by free ammonia due to periodic transient pH upshifts. Dissolved oxygen limitation did not govern NOB suppression. Different intermittent aeration strategies were then evaluated for nitritation success in intermittently aerated MABRs: both aeration intermittency and duration were effective control parameters.

A rheological approach to analyze aerobic granular sludge.

Aerobic granular sludge is one promising biotechnology in wastewater treatment. Despite intensive researches on granular architecture and strategies to improve treatment efficiency, there are still some elusive material parameters needed to stimulate the granulation process. The main aim of this study was to evaluate aerobic granular sludge innovatively using the universal rheology methodology, in terms of processability or quality and texture. Steady shear and oscillatory measurements were performed. Basic rheological characterization showed that aerobic granular sludge was a shear-thinning Herschel-Bulkley fluid with yield pseudoplasticity. Meanwhile, granular sludge presented characterized viscoelastic behaviors in dynamic sweeps highlighting its superiority to flocculent sludge. Furthermore, a Wagner-type constitutive model incorporating a relaxation and damping function was introduced and able to describe the time-dependent and non-linear viscoelastic behaviors. This study could make a further step on predicting rheological properties, helping improve the actual sludge treatment process and the operation of sludge dewatering.

A novel approach for phosphorus recovery and no wasted sludge in enhanced biological phosphorus removal process with external COD addition.

In enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) process, phosphorus (P) in wastewater is removed via wasted sludge without actual recovery. A novel approach to realize phosphorus recovery with special external chemical oxygen demand (COD) addition in EBPR process was proposed. During the new operating approach period, it was found that (1) no phosphorus was detected in the effluent; (2) with an external addition of 10 % of influent COD amount, 79 % phosphorus in the wastewater influent was recovered; (3) without wasted sludge, the MLVSS concentration in the system increased from 2,010 to 3,400 mg/L and kept stable after day 11 during 24-day operating period. This demonstrates that the novel approach is feasible to realize phosphorus recovery with no wasted sludge discharge in EBPR process. Furthermore, this approach decouples P removal and sludge age, which may enhance the application of membrane bioreactor for P removal.