Basement membrane-associated gene expression as a predictor of survival in oral cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study sought to investigate the prognostic value of basement membrane (BM)-associated gene expressions in oral cancer. METHODS: We harvested and integrated data on BM-associated genes (BMGs), the oral cancer transcriptome, and clinical information from public repositories. After identifying differentially expressed BMGs, we used Cox and Lasso regression analyses to create a BMG-based risk score for overall survival at various intervals. We then validated this score using the GSE42743 cohort as a validation set. The prognostic potential of the risk scores and their relations to clinical features were assessed. Further, we conducted functional pathway enrichment, immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoint analyses to elucidate the immunological implications and therapeutic potential of the BMG-based risk score and constituent genes. To confirm the expression levels of the BMG LAMA3 in clinical samples of oral cancer tissue, we performed quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: The BMGs LAMA3, MMP14, and GPC2 demonstrated notable prognostic significance, facilitating the construction of a BMG-based risk score. A higher risk score derived from BMGs correlated with a poorer survival prognosis for oral cancer patients. Moreover, the risk-associated BMGs exhibited a significant relationship with immune function variability (P < 0.05), discrepancies in infiltrating immune cell fractions, and immune checkpoint expressions (P < 0.05). The upregulated expression levels of LAMA3 in oral cancer tissues were substantiated through qRT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining. CONCLUSION: The BMG-based risk score emerged as a reliable prognostic tool for oral cancer, meriting further research for validation and potential clinical application.

Enhancing Stability of SAPO-37 Molecular Sieve through Aluminum Phosphate Utilization: Synthesis, Stability Mechanism, and Catalytic Performance.

SAPO-37 molecular sieve, characterized by its three-dimensional 12-membered-ring FAU structure, has drawn wide attention due to its unique properties and catalytic potential. However, its susceptibility to framework collapse under low-temperature and humid conditions hinders practical applications, affecting both the reaction performance and sample storage. To tackle this, we utilized aluminum phosphate as a precursor for synthesizing SAPO-37, aiming to modify Si incorporation mechanisms and improve P and Al environments. Solid NMR spectroscopy combined with other techniques proves that the resulting SAPO-37-AP has enriched silicon islands, leading to reduced water adsorption, more reversible structural change, and significantly enhanced stability after low-temperature vapor treatment compared to conventional SAPO-37. Remarkably, SAPO-37-AP, after water vapor treatment, still exhibits superior performance in the liquid-phase Beckmann rearrangement reaction. This approach enhances stability, reduces templating agent amounts, and improves the solid product yield, offering promising practical applications.

KLF5-mediated CDCA5 expression promotes tumor development and progression of epithelial ovarian carcinoma.

Cell division cycle associated 5 (CDCA5) is correlated with the development and progression of many malignant tumors. However, little is known about its role in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) progression. In this study, the clinical value, biological function and underlying mechanisms of CDCA5 in EOC were evaluated. CDCA5 mRNA and protein levels were substantially upregulated in EOC and had a significant positive correlation with adverse clinicopathological characteristics and a poor prognosis. CDCA5 facilitated proliferation, invasion, and metastasis and disrupted mitochondrial-mediated endogenous apoptosis by activating the cell cycle pathway and inhibiting the P53 pathway in EOC cells. Conversely, knockdown of CDCA5 expression blocked the malignant activities of EOC cells and suppressed the growth of xenograft tumors in vivo. Mechanistically, the transcription factor KLF5 bound to a specific site in the CDCA5 promoter and promoted CDCA5 expression. Moreover, KLF5 overexpression rescued the negative regulation of inhibited CDCA5 expression on EOC cell proliferation. In conclusion, our findings revealed that CDCA5 promoted tumor progression of EOC via the KLF5/CDCA5/cell cycle and P53 axes, which might provide new insights into the roles of CDCA5 in EOC.

Preparation of composite calcium phosphate cement scaffold loaded with Hedysarum polysaccharides and its efficacy in repairing bone defects.

It's imperative to create a more ideal biological scaffold for bone defect repair. Calcium phosphate bone cements (CPC) could be used as a scaffold. Some ingredients and osteogenic factors could be added to improve its poor mechanical properties and biological activity. As a macromolecule extracted from traditional Chinese medicine, Hedysarum polysaccharides (HPS) would significantly promote the osteogenic activity of bone biomaterials. Zirconium oxide and starch were added to the solid phase and citric acid was added to the liquid phase to optimize CPC. HPS was loaded onto the scaffold as an osteogenic factor, and the prepared CPS + HPS was characterized. Further, the cytocompatibility of CPS + HPS was assessed according to activity, differentiation, and calcification in neonatal rat calvarial osteoblasts, and the biosafety of CPS + HPS was evaluated according to acute toxicity, pyrogen, sensitization, and hemolysis. The success of CPS + HPS in repairing bone defects was evaluated by using a rabbit femur implantation experiment. After optimization, CPS-20-CA-5 containing 10% starch and 5% citric acid displayed the highest mechanical strength of 28.96 ± 0.03 MPa. HPS-50 was demonstrated to exert the best osteogenic effect. The combination of CPS + HPS achieved HPS-loaded CPC. Material characterization, cytocompatibility, biosafety, and femoral implantation experiments indicated that CPS + HPS possessed better pressure resistance and improved osteogenic ability in bone defect repair.CPS + HPS demonstrated effective pressure resistance and superior osteogenic ability, which may be of great significance for bone defects and bone tissue engineering to promote bone regeneration and repair.

Synthetic Microbial Community Members Interact to Metabolize Caproic Acid to Inhibit Potato Dry Rot Disease.

The potato dry rot disease caused by Fusarium spp. seriously reduces potato yield and threatens human health. However, potential biocontrol agents cannot guarantee the stability and activity of biocontrol. Here, 18 synthetic microbial communities of different scales were constructed, and the synthetic microbial communities with the best biocontrol effect on potato dry rot disease were screened through in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results show that the synthetic community composed of Paenibacillus amylolyticus, Pseudomonas putida, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Serratia proteamaculans, Actinomycetia bacterium and Bacillus subtilis has the best biocontrol activity. Metabolomics results show that Serratia protoamaculans interacts with other member strains to produce caproic acid and reduce the disease index to 38.01%. Furthermore, the mycelial growth inhibition after treatment with caproic acid was 77.54%, and flow cytometry analysis showed that the living conidia rate after treatment with caproic acid was 11.2%. This study provides potential value for the application of synthetic microbial communities in potatoes, as well as the interaction mechanisms between member strains of synthetic microbial communities.

Correlation of serum complement factor 5a level with inflammatory response and cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer's disease of different severity.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common cause of dementia. Serum complement factor 5a (C5a) is exceedingly implicated in AD. We explored the role of C5a levels in AD patients of different severity. METHODS: Mild, moderate, and severe AD patients, and healthy controls were included. C5a and pro-inflammatory factor (TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, CRP) levels were assessed by ELISA, and cognitive function was evaluated by Mini-Mental state examination (MMSE) score. The correlations between C5a, inflammatory factor levels, MMSE score, and plasma Aß42/Aß40 ratio were analyzed by Pearson tests. Independent risk factors for AD aggravation were assessed by logistic multivariate regression analysis. According to the cut-off value of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of C5a level, AD patients were assigned into low/high expression groups, and severe AD incidence was compared. Severe AD cumulative incidence was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier curve. RESULTS: Serum C5a, TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and CRP levels were raised, and MMSE score was lowered in AD. Serum C5a, TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and CRP levels in severe AD patients were higher than those in mild/moderate AD patients, but there were no significant differences in these cytokines between moderate and mild AD groups. The MMSE score of severe AD patients was lower than that of mild/moderate AD patients. Serum C5a level was positively correlated with serum TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, and CRP levels, and negatively correlated with MMSE score, with no obvious correlation with plasma Aß42/Aß40 ratio. Serum C5a level was one of the independent risk factors for AD aggravation. The occurrence of severe AD might be related to an increase in serum C5a level. CONCLUSION: Serum C5a level increased with AD severity, and its expression was positively correlated with serum pro-inflammatory factor levels, and negatively correlated with cognitive function.

Seed-Assisted Interzeolite Conversion Strategy for Fabricating Lewis Acid Sn-CHA Zeolites.

Small-pore Lewis acid zeolites have been showing increasing potential in shape-selective reactions regarding small-molecule conversion. In this study, Sn-CHA with tunable framework Sn contents was facilely prepared via a fluoride-free, seed-assisted interzeolite conversion (IZC) pathway. Commercially available dealuminated USY functioned as the parent sample, and seeding played a vital role in accelerating the transformation process, promoting the target zeolite yield, and guiding the attached-growth pathway. Notably, a proto-zeolite phase with a semi-constructed pore structure was captured during the IZC process, which represents a crucial intermediate stage for developing the complete CHA structure and ensuring a well-defined Sn status. The detailed synthesis mechanism was explored in multiscale by a series of techniques. The obtained Sn-CHA and proto-Sn-CHA exhibited excellent catalytic performance in converting 1,3-dihydroxyacetone to methyl lactate. Proto-Sn-CHA was proven to be a highly effective glucose isomerization catalyst owing to its larger pore size and Lewis acidic nature.

Preparation of magnetic biochar and its catalytic role in degradation of Cu-EDTA by heterogeneous Fenton reaction.

In this study, magnetic biochar (Fe-BC) was synthesized from phoenix tree leaves and FeSO4·7H2O by impregnation-pyrolysis method, and was used to activate H2O2 to degrade Cu-EDTA. The effects of preparation parameters on the degradation of Cu-EDTA by Fe-BC/H2O2 system were investigated by degradation experiments and characterization methods (SEM, BET, FTIR, XRD and XPS). The results showed that the magnetic biochar prepared under the pyrolysis temperature of 400 °C, pyrolysis time of 3 h and iron content of 3 wt% had the best catalytic activity. Within 120 min, the breaking efficiency of Cu-EDTA binding, precipitation efficiency of Cu2+ and removal efficiency of TOC could reach 78.48, 71.65 and 46.54% at the conditions of adding 1.0 g/L magnetic biochar and 25 mM H2O2 and the iron dissolution was only 0.32 mg/L. The characterization results and comparison experiments demonstrated that the catalytic effect of magnetic biochar not only depends on the transfer of electrons to H2O2 by the loaded iron oxides, but also the active oxygen functional groups (OFGs) and persistent free radicals (PFRs) contained on the surface can transfer electrons to H2O2 or even dissolved oxygen to produce an amount of hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and superoxide anion radicals (O2·-).

Defect-Guided Synthesis of Hierarchical Sn-B-Beta Zeolite with Highly Exposed Sn Sites.

Selectively anchoring active centers on the external surface for forming highly exposed acid sites is a highly desirable but challenging task in zeolite catalyst synthesis. Herein, a defect-guided etching-regrowth strategy is rationally designed for facilely positioning Sn Lewis acid sites on the outer surface of the Sn-B-Beta while fabricating a bifunctional hierarchical structure. The synthesis was conducted by hydrothermal treatment of the as-made B-Beta (uncalcined), which has intrinsic defects of the BEA structure, with Sn source and basic organic structure directing agent (SDA). Under a moderate SDA concentration, with blocked micropore channels, such SDA-triggered etching-regrowth will proceed along the defect defined pathway, which ensures Sn selectively anchored on the external surface. Moreover, this methodology has exclusively introduced tetrahedrally coordinated framework Sn with open Sn sites as the predominated species. Mono- and disaccharide isomerizations in ethanol over different Sn-Beta catalysts proved the prominent advantages of the hierarchical structure with highly exposed and synergetic acid sites.

H2A Histone Family Member Z (H2AFZ) Serves as a Prognostic Biomarker in Lung Adenocarcinoma: Bioinformatic Analysis and Experimental Validation.

BACKGROUND H2A histone family member Z (H2AFZ) is a special subtype in the H2A histone family, which participates in the regulation of gene transcription. Nevertheless, little is known about the role of H2AFZ in the tumor microenvironment and genetic factors associated with lung cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS The expression of H2AFZ in LUAD was analyzed via Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases at the mRNA level. To detect the protein expression level of H2AFZ, immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed using LUAD tissues and non-tumor lung tissues. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were conducted to identify the effect of H2AFZ expression on overall survival (OS) based on TCGA-LUAD and the GEO dataset GSE68465 cohorts, and our LUAD patient cohort was used for validation. Identification of signaling pathways associated with the expression of H2AFZ was performed using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). The influences of expression of H2AFZ on tumor immune-infiltrating cell (TIICs) were assessed via TIMER and CIBERSORT. RESULTS The expression of H2AFZ was increased in LUAD tissues at both mRNA and protein levels. In addition, high expression of H2AFZ predicted poor OS and might be an independent prognostic predictor in LUAD patients. Moreover, H2AFZ affected the relative proportion of TIICs and was positively associated with Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) infiltration level in LUAD. CONCLUSIONS H2AFZ was upregulated in LUAD and related to poor prognosis of LUAD patients; thus, it could be an underlying prognostic biomarker correlated with immune infiltration in LUAD.

Study on treatment of acid red G with bio-carbon compound immobilized white rot fungi.

Corn straw biochar was used as a carrier to immobilize white rot fungi and the removal performance of immobilized pellets for acid red G (ARG) dye was studied. The results showed that the removal rate of ARG could reach 96.17% under the best preparation conditions of immobilized pellets (3% sodium alginate concentration, 0.7% corn straw biochar, 5% white rot fungus mycelium suspension, 4% CaCl2, and 36 h immobilization time). The orthogonal test results showed that the best combination was the immobilized pellets dosage of 200/100 mL, pH of 4.5, rotation speed of 150 r/min, and initial concentration of 20 mg/L dye at 30 °C. The degradation pathway of ARG by immobilized microspheres was studied by ultraviolet-visible spectrometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results showed that ARG was degraded into aniline and 5-(acetamino)-4-hydroxy-3-amino-2,7-naphthalene disulfonic acid. Aniline was further deaminated to form benzene, and benzene was ring opened to form other organic compounds; 5-(acetylamino)-4-hydroxy-3-amino-2,7-naphthalene disulfonic acid was dehydroxylated to form 5-(acetylamino)-3-amino-2,7-naphthalene disulfonic acid. This study shows that the prepared biochar immobilized pellets can be used as an efficient water treatment material to remove ARG dye from wastewater.

[Analysis of phenotype and FH gene variation in a pedigree affected with hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze clinical phenotype and genetic variants in a Chinese pedigree of hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma (HLRCC) syndrome. METHODS: Whole exome sequencing was carried out for the proband from the pedigree. Suspected FH gene variants were validated by Sanger sequencing. Clinical manifestation and histopathological examination were used to analyze the pedigree comprehensively. RESULTS: The pedigree met the clinical diagnostic criteria for HLRCC syndrome. The whole exome sequencing showed that the FH gene of the proband had a heterozygous missense variant of c.1490T>C (p.F497S), which was consistent with the Sanger sequencing. The mother, daughter and son of the proband all had the heterozygous missense variant of c.1490T>C (p.F497S). According to the American Society of Medical Genetics and Genomics Classification Standards and Guidelines for Genetic Variations, c.1490T>C (p.F497S) (PM2+PP1-M+PP3+PP4) was a possible pathogenic variant. Based on our literature search, this variant was a new variant that had not been reported. CONCLUSION: The FH gene missense variant of c.1490T>C (p.F497S) may be the cause of the HLRCC syndrome pedigree, which provides a basis for the genetic diagnosis and genetic counseling of the HLRCC syndrome.

Synergistic photocatalytic activity of a combination of carbon nanotubes-graphene-nickel foam nanocomposites enhanced by dielectric barrier discharge plasma technology for water purification.

Degradation activity of plasma catalysis between dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and carbon nanotubes-graphene-nickel foam (CNTs-G-Nif) has been studied in treatment of dye wastewater. CNTs-G-Nif was prepared through a two-step chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach. The composite has been characterized by different techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. SEM results showed that the Nif as the growth substrate was evenly wrapped by G and then CNTs were successfully grown on G as the support. The growth mechanism of composite was proposed. The possible coupled catalytic mechanism between DBD and CNTs-G-Nif were addressed. In addition, the modification on G-Nif was found by SEM during the discharge process in liquid phase. And the modification mechanism of DBD plasma (DBDP) acting on composites was discussed. Finally, by means of analyses of ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), the general degradation pathway and stepwise degradation pathways of alizarin green (AG) were proposed in detail.

Dual-Emission Fluorescent Probe for the Simultaneous Detection of Nitrite and Mercury(II) in Environmental Water Samples Based on the Tb3+-Modified Carbon Quantum Dot/3-Aminophenylboronic Acid Hybrid.

Nitrite (NO2-) and mercury (Hg2+) ions are recognized as two typical inorganic contaminations that can cause severe damage to the environment and humans. In this paper, the energy transfer from carbon quantum dots (CQDs) to Tb3+ by the antenna effect was found, which can promote the f-f transition of Tb3+ and emit strong characteristic fluorescence of Tb3+. Based on CQD-Tb3+ and 3-aminophenylboronic acid (APBA), which have respectively sensitive and specific fluorescent response to NO2- and Hg2+ with different fluorescent signals, a dual-emission fluorescent probe of the CQD-Tb3+/APBA hybrid was thus fabricated for the simultaneous detection of NO2- and Hg2+ in environmental water samples. They emit dual-emission fluorescence peaks centered at 373 and 545 nm, respectively. A good linearity between the quenching efficiency of (F0 - F)/F0 and the concentrations of NO2- and Hg2+ was in the range of 5.0-1200.0 nM for NO2- and 0.1-6.0 µM for Hg2+. The limit of detection (LOD, 3σ/K) is ultrasensitive for NO2- (2.0 nM), and the LOD for Hg2+ is 38.1 nM. The dual-emission fluorescent probe was successfully applied for the determination of NO2- and Hg2+ in various environmental water samples. The possible luminescence and fluorescence quenching mechanisms of the probe are also discussed in detail. This study provides a new approach for fabricating a multifunctional fluorescent probe or sensor and a prospective application in environmental monitoring.

Dissolved organic matter and bacterial population changes during the treatment of solid potato waste in a microbial fuel cell.

This study investigated the effect of mixed feeding of anaerobically cultured waste activated sludge (WAS) on the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) in the treatment of solid potato waste. The maximum current densities of the four MFCs was estimated as 36, 5, 10 and 150 mA/m2, with the columbic efficiencies of 6.1, 0.3, 0.9 and 31.1%, respectively. Composition changes of dissolved organic matter (DOM) coupled with its interrelation with electricity generation and total and viable bacterial population at the end of the operation were investigated. The experimental results demonstrated that mixing WAS into solid potato enhanced the presence of the tyrosine-like aromatic amino acids and aromatic protein-like substances from the beginning of the operation and promoted hydrolysis and humification of the solid potato. In the final solution of the anodic chamber, more viable bacteria were detected for the reactors treating solid potato alone and the mixed feedstock with the smaller amount of sludge, where distinct electricity generation was observed.

Study on the adsorption of polystyrene microplastics by three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide.

In this paper, a study on the removal of imitated polystyrene (PS) microplastics in water was carried out based on the adsorption capacity of three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide (3D RGO). Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry characterization showed that the freeze-dried 3D RGO formed a distinct porous spatial structure. Different experimental parameters, such as pH, ion concentration (C0), contact time (t), and temperature (T), were studied to investigate the PS microplastic adsorption performance of 3D RGO. The adsorption mechanism was mainly attributed to the strong π-π interaction between the carbon ring of 3D RGO and the benzene ring of PS microplastics. Sorption kinetic and isothermal data were obtained by the well-fitted Langmuir adsorption isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Furthermore, the result of thermodynamic analysis showed that the adsorption of PS microplastics was a spontaneous endothermic process. Under the optimal conditions of pH = 6, C0 = 600 mg/L, t = 120 min, and T = 26 °C, the maximum adsorption capacity of the prepared 3D RGO on PS microplastics was 617.28 mg/g. Furthermore, this method exhibited good feasibility in tap water and lake water.

RACK1 deficiency synergizes with all-trans retinoic acid to induce apoptosis in human acute promyelocytic leukemia cells.

As a classic differentiation agent, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has been widely used in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). However, the clinical application of ATRA has strict limitations, for its severe side effects due to the accumulation of peripheral blood leukocytes. The scaffold protein RACK1 (Receptor for activated C kinase 1), which regulates multiple signaling pathways, has been proposed to contribute to the survival of leukemic progenitors. But it remains unclear whether it is also involved in the oncogenic growth of APL. In the present study, we demonstrate that silencing of endogenous RACK1 expression synergized with ATRA to promote the death of NB4 and HL-60 APL cells without effect on cell differentiation induced by ATRA. Interestingly, RACK1 knockdown combined with ATRA treatment mainly induces apoptosis. It is distinct to the necrotic cell death induced by idarubicin in combination with ATRA, a regimen extensively used in the clinic to prevent neutrophil accumulation. Further exploration revealed that the lysosome-autophagy pathway is likely to be responsible for the anti-apoptotic role of RACK1. Taken together, our findings indicate that RACK1 is essential in maintaining the malignant features of APL, and targeting RACK1 may have promising therapeutic implications in the treatment of APL.

Ratiometric fluorometric determination of silver(I) by using blue-emitting silicon- and nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots and red-emitting N-acetyl-L-cysteine-capped CdTe quantum dots.

A ratiometric fluorometric assay for silver(I) is described. The method makes use of a dually emitting quantum dot hybrid, which is composed of (a) blue-fluorescent silicon- and nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (CQDs), and (b) of red-emitting CdTe quantum dots (QDs) capped with N-acetyl-L-cysteine. The red-emitting CdTe QDs undergo strong and specific quenching by Ag(I), whereas the blue-emitting N,Si-CQDs are not quenched. The two kinds of QDs are mixed and used as a ratiometric fluorescent probe. A linear relationship is found between the log of intensities [(I608/I441)0/(I608/I441)] and the concentration of Ag(I) in the range from 5.0-1000 nM, and the limit of detection (at S/N = 3) is 1.7 nM. Possible interferents (including 17 general metal ions, 12 anions and fulvic acid) do not interfere with the determination. The assay was successfully used for the determination of Ag(I) in surface water and wastewater samples. The fluorescence quenching mechanism of the ratiometric assay system was also discussed in detailed. Graphical abstract Schematic representation of a ratiometric probe composed of silicon- and nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (N,Si-CQDs) and CdTe quantum dots capped by N-acetyl-L-cysteine (CdTe QDs). This dual-emission QDs hybrid was fabricated for ultrasensitive and highly selective detection of silver(I) in water samples.

Enhancing microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance in treatment of solid potato waste by mixed feeding of boiled potato and waste activated sludge.

The effects of mixed feeding of boiled potato and waste activated sludge (WAS) on the performance of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) in treating solid potato waste were investigated. The coulombic efficiency (CE) of four MFCs fed with potato cubes containing 0, 48.7, 67.3 and 85.6% of boiled potato was 53.5, 70.5, 92.7 and 71.1%, respectively, indicating enhanced electricity generation and the existence of an optimum mixing ratio. The hydrolysis rate estimated using a first-order sequential hydrolysis model increased from 0.061 to 0.191 day-1, leading to shortening of the startup time for current density reaching its maximum from 25 to 5 days. The final chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal reached 85%. The CE of seven MFCs, fed with raw potato alone, sterilized/unsterilized WAS alone, and four mixed samples of raw potato with sterilized WAS at ratios of 2:1 and 4:1 and unsterilized WAS at 2:1 and 4:1, was found to be 6.1, 43.6, 0.3, 31.0, 16.5, 0.9 and 31.1%, respectively. The hydrolysis rate increased from 0.056 to 0.089 day-1, and the final COD removal changed from 39.5 to 89.6% following the order: potato alone > mixture of potato & WAS > sterilized WAS alone > unsterilized WAS alone.