[Correlation analysis between Pirani score and talo-navicular angle,calcaneo-cuboid angle and tibio-calcaneall angle of infant clubfoot under ultrasound]

Objective: To explore the evaluation effect of ultrasonography and Pirani score on tarsal deformity, treatment effect and pseudo-correction of congenital clubfoot in infants and young children, and the correlation between the two methods. Methods: This is a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 26 children (40 feet) with congenital clubfoot who were evaluated by ultrasonography in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to January 2023 were retrospectively collected. There were 16 males and 10 females. The age at the first ultrasound examination was (M(IQR)) 9.0 (18.0) days (range: 1 to 46 days). All patients were treated with Ponseti method by the same physician. The Pirani scores before and after treatment and at the last examination, and the talonavicular angle, calcaneocuboid angle and tibiocalcaneal angle measured by ultrasound were collected, and the treatment and follow-up were recorded. Paired sample t test, repeated measures analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis test were used for data comparison, and Spearman correlation analysis was used for correlation analysis. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to calculate the efficacy of ultrasound in evaluating different Pirani scores. Results: The number of plaster fixation in 26 children was 4.0 (1.0) times (range: 2 to 8 times). The medial talonavicular angle and posterior tibiocalcaneal angle were significantly improved after treatment and at the last follow-up compared with those before treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01). There was no difference in lateral calcaneocuboid angle before and after treatment and at the last follow-up (F=1.971, P>0.05). Pseudo-correction occurred in 2 cases (2 feet) during the treatment, with an incidence of 5%. Correlation analysis showed that there was a moderate positive correlation between talonavicular angle and Pirani midfoot score (r=0.480, P<0.01). There was no correlation between calcaneocuboid angle and Pirani midfoot score (r=0.114, P=0.105). There was a moderate negative correlation between tibial heel angle and Pirani hindfoot score (r=-0.566, P<0.01). The cut-off point of Pirani midfoot score of 1.5 was 38.78°, the sensitivity was 0.90, the specificity was 0.56, and the area under the curve was 0.75. The cut-off value of angle was 27.51 °, the sensitivity was 0.16, the specificity was 0.92, and the area under the curve was 0.44.The cut-off points of Pirani midfoot score of 3.0 were 45.08°and 9.96°, the sensitivity was 0.94 and 0.91, the specificity was 0.37 and 0.42, and the area under the curve was 0.59 and 0.62, respectively. The cut-off values of Pirani hindfoot score of 2.0 and 3.0 were 167.46° and 160.15°, respectively. The sensitivity was 0.75 and 0.67, the specificity was 0.81 and 0.83, and the area under the curve was 0.78 and 0.71, respectively. Conclusion: Ultrasound can complement with Pirani score, visually and dynamically observe the morphology and position changes of talonavicular joint, calcaneocuboid joint and tibiotalocalcaneal joint, monitor the recovery and pseudo-correction of tarsal bones, and better evaluate the therapeutic effect.

Interaction of tetrahydrofuran and methyl tert-butyl ether in waste gas treatment by a biotrickling filter bioaugmented with Piscinibacter caeni MQ-18 and Pseudomonas oleovorans DT4

Bioaugmented biotrickling filter (BTF) seeded with Piscinibacter caeni MQ-18, Pseudomonas oleovorans DT4, and activated sludge was established to investigate the treatment performance and biodegradation kinetics of the gaseous mixtures of tetrahydrofuran (THF) and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). Experimental results showed an enhanced startup performance with a startup period of 9 d in bioaugmented BTF (25 d in control BTF seeded with activated sludge). The interaction parameter I_2,1 of control (7.462) and bioaugmented BTF (3.267) obtained by the elimination capacity-sum kinetics with interaction parameter (EC-SKIP) model indicated that THF has a stronger inhibition of MTBE biodegradation in the control BTF than in the bioaugmented BTF. Similarly, the self-inhibition EC-SKIP model quantified the positive effects of MTBE on THF biodegradation, as well as the negative effects of THF on MTBE biodegradation and the self-inhibition of MTBE and THF. Metabolic intermediate analysis, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, biofilm-biomass determination, and high-throughput sequencing revealed the possible mechanism of the enhanced treatment performance and biodegradation interactions of MTBE and THF.

Enhanced biodegradation of n-hexane in a two-phase partitioning bioreactor inoculated with Pseudomonas mendocina NX-1 under chitosan stimulation

Two-phase partitioning bioreactors (TPPBs) have been extensively used for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) removal. To date, most studies have focused on improving the mass transfer of gas phases/non-aqueous phases (NAPs)/aqueous phases, whereas the NAP/biological phases and gas/biological phases transfer has been neglected. Herein, chitosan was introduced into a TPPB to increase cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) and improve the n-hexane mass transfer. The performance and stability of the TPPB with chitosan for n-hexane biodegradation were investigated, and it was found out that the TPPB with chitosan achieved maximum removal efficiency and elimination capacity of 80.6% and 26.5 g m^-3 h^-1, thereby reaching much higher values than those obtained without chitosan (61.3% and 15.2 g m^-3 h^-1). Chitosan not only obvio usly increased cell surface hydrophobicity and cell dry biomass on the surface of silicone oil, but might also allow hydrophobic cells in aqueous phases to directly capture and biodegrade n-hexane, resulting in an obvious improvement of mass transfer from the gas phase to biomass. Stability enhancement was another attractive advantage from chitosan addition. This study might provide a new strategy for the development of TPPB in the hydrophobic VOCs treatment.

Removal of gaseous tetrahydrofuran via a three-phase airlift bioreactor loaded with immobilized cells of GFP-tagged Pseudomonas oleovorans GDT4

Tetrahydrofuran (THF) is a common highly toxic cyclic aliphatic ether that frequently exists in waste gases. Removal of gaseous THF is a serious issue with important environmental ramifications. A novel three-phase airlift bioreactor (TPAB) loaded with immobilized cells was developed for efficient THF removal from gas streams. An effective THF-degrading transformant, Pseudomonas oleovorans GDT4, which contains the pTn-Mod-OTc-gfp plasmid and was tagged with a green fluorescent protein (GFP), was constructed. Continuous treatment of THF-containing waste gases was succeeded by the GFP-labelled cells immobilized with calcium alginate and activated carbon fiber in the TPAB for 60 days with >90% removal efficiency. The number of fluorescent cells in the beads reached 1.7 × 10¹¹ cells·g^-1 of bead on day 10, accounting for 83.3% of the total number of cells. The amount further increased to 3.0 × 10¹¹ cells·g^-1 of bead on day 40. However, it decreased to 2.5 × 10¹¹ cells·g^-1 of bead with a substantial increase in biomass in the liquid because of cell leakage and hydraulic shock. PCR-DGGE revealed that P. oleovorans was the dominant microorganism throughout the entire operation. The maximum elimination capacity was affected by empty bed residence time (EBRT). The capacity was only 25.9 g m^-3·h^-1 at EBRT of 80 s, whereas it reached 37.8 g m^-3·h^-1 at EBRT of 140 s. This work provides an alternative method for full-scale removal of gaseous THF and presents a useful tool for determining the biomass of a specific degrader in immobilized beads.

Enhancing Chlorobenzene Biodegradation by Delftia tsuruhatensis Using a Water-Silicone Oil Biphasic System

In this study, a water-silicone oil biphasic system was developed to enhance the biodegradation of monochlorobenzene (CB) by Delftia tsuruhatensis LW26. Compared to the single phase, the biphasic system with a suitable silicone oil fraction (v/v) of 20% allowed a 2.5-fold increase in the maximum tolerated CB concentration. The CB inhibition on D. tsuruhatensis LW26 was reduced in the presence of silicone oil, and the electron transport system activity was maintained at high levels even under high CB stress. Adhesion of cells to the water-oil interface at the water side was observed using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Nearly 75% of cells accumulated on the interface, implying that another interfacial substrate uptake pathway prevailed besides that initiated by cells in the aqueous phase. The 8-fold increase in cell surface hydrophobicity upon the addition of 20% (v/v) silicone oil showed that silicone oil modified the surface characteristics of D. tsuruhatensis LW26. The protein/polysaccharide ratio of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from D. tsuruhatensis LW26 presented a 3-fold enhancement. These results suggested that silicone oil induced the increase in the protein content of EPS and rendered cells hydrophobic. The resulting hydrophobic cells could adhere on the water-oil interface, improving the mass transfer by direct CB uptake from silicone oil.

[Preparation of a Nutritional Slow-release Packing Material with Function Microorganisms and Its Characteristics Evaluation]

A nutritional slow-release packing material with function microorganisms (SC) was prepared using emulsification and the cross-linked method. Its potential as packing material in biotrickling filters (BTF) for butyl acetate removal was evaluated. The physicochemical properties show that the packing has a porosity of 92.6%, bulk density of 40.75 kg·m^-3, surface area of 2.45 m²·g^-1, and real density of 551.52 kg·m^-3. The packing material contains hydrophilic groups (O-H, C O) on its surface and nutrient elements (N, P), which are distributed uniformly, with release rates of 22.35 and 8.36 mg·(L·d)^-1, respectively. The biomass concentration of the packing (protein/packing) is 14.61 mg·g^-1. After storage for 7 and 30 d, the microorganisms fixed on the packing material could still remove more than 96% of butyl acetate. The BTF using SC as packings reach stable performance within a short time (8 d) and the removal efficiency is maintained at 94% unless there nutrition is supplied or the pH is adjusted. The BTF with polyurethane as packing material need a longer time to start up and the removal efficiency decreases to 80% under the same operating conditions. High-throughput sequencing analysis shows that the fixed degrading stains are dominant during the whole operation and the microbial structure is more stable, which could sustain the stable removal of butyl acetate in BTF using SC.

Piscinibacter caeni sp. nov., isolated from activated sludge

A yellowish-pigmented bacterial strain, designated as MQ-18^T, was isolated from a sample of activated sludge collected from a pharmaceutical factory in Zhejiang, China. The strain was characterized through a polyphasic taxonomy approach. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis demonstrated that strain MQ-18^T showed high similarities to Piscinibacter defluvii SH-1^T (99.7 %) and Piscinibacter aquaticus IMCC1728^T (98.4 %), thereby suggesting that it belongs to the genus Piscinibacter. The DNA-DNA relatedness values of this strain to strains SH-1^T and IMCC1728^T were only 35.4 and 33.3 %, respectively. Cells of MQ-18^T were Gram-negative, aerobic, motile, rod-shaped and non-spore forming. This strain exhibited growth at 25-37 °C (optimum: 30 °C) in the presence of 0-3.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0 % NaCl) and at pH 5.0-8.0 (pH 7.0). The predominant fatty acids were C12 : 0 (5.5 %), C16 : 0 (33.7 %), summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c; 38.5 %), and summed feature 4 (anteiso-C17 : 1 B and/or iso C17 : 1 I; 11.6 %). The main quinone type was ubiquinone-8, and the major polyamines were cadaverine and putrescine. The major polar lipid profile consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The DNA G+C content was 70.1 mol%. On the basis of its phylogenetic, phenotypic and physiological characteristics, strain MQ-18^T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Piscinibacter, for which the name Piscinibacter caeni sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is MQ-18^T (CCTCC AB 2017223^T=JCM 32138^T).

[Association between the ratio of early diastolic transmitral velocity to early diastolic mitral annular velocity and invasive measured left atrial pressure in patients with atrial fibrillation and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction]

Objective: To evaluate the association between the ratio of early diastolic transmitral velocity to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/E') and left atrial pressure (LAP) estimated from invasive catheter measurements in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: A total of 46 consecutive patients with non-valvular AF and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) admitted in our department to receive the first radiofrequency ablation from May to July 2017 were included. All patients underwent echocardiography at 24-48 hours before radiofrequency ablation, and LAP was invasively measured during the ablation procedure. According to mean LAP, patients were divided into 2 groups of normal LAP (LAP≤12 mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa, n=31) and elevated LAP (LAP>12 mmHg, n=15). Linear correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between E/E' and LAP. Results: E/E' correlated well with LAP (septal E/E' (E/E'(sep)), r= 0.397, P=0.006; lateral E/E' (E/E'(lat)), r=0.433, P=0.003; mean E/E' (E/E'(mean)), r=0.431, P=0.003). Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, the optimal cut-off for E/E'(sep) was 12.5 (sensitivity 73.3%, specificity 67.7%), E/E'(lat) was 10.8 (sensitivity 80.0%, specificity 77.4%), E/E'(mean) was 11.0 (sensitivity 86.7%, specificity 64.5%) to predict mean LAP>12 mmHg. Conclusion: E/E', especially the E/E'(lat), is positively correlated with LAP in patients with AF and preserved LVEF, and may be used to estimate the diastolic function in AF patients with preserved LVEF.

A solid composite microbial inoculant for the simultaneous removal of volatile organic sulfide compounds: Preparation, characterization, and its bioaugmentation of a biotrickling filter

Volatile organic sulfide compounds (VOSCs) are usually resistant to biodegradation, thereby limiting the performance of traditional biotechnology dealing with waste gas containing such pollutants especially in mixture. In this study, a solid composite microbial inoculant (SCMI) was prepared to remove dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and propanethiol (PT). Given that the DMS degradation activity of Alcaligenes sp. SY1 is inducible and the PT-degradation activity of Pseudomonas putida S-1 is constitutive, different strategies are designed for cell cultivation to obtain high VOSC removal rates of SCMI. Compared with the microbial suspension, the prepared SCMI exhibited better storage stability at 4 and 25°C. Inoculation of the SCMI in biotrickling filters (BTFs) could effectively shorten the start-up period and enhance the removal performance. Microbial analysis by Illumina MiSeq indicated that Alcaligenes sp. SY1 and P. putida S-1 might be dominant and persistent among the microbial communities of the BTF during the operation.

Crossover from a heavy fermion to intermediate valence state in noncentrosymmetric Yb2Ni12(P,As)7

We report measurements of the physical properties and electronic structure of the hexagonal compounds Yb₂Ni₁₂Pn₇ (Pn = P, As) by measuring the electrical resistivity, magnetization, specific heat and partial fluorescence yield x-ray absorption spectroscopy (PFY-XAS). These demonstrate a crossover upon reducing the unit cell volume, from an intermediate valence state in Yb₂Ni₁₂As₇ to a heavy-fermion paramagnetic state in Yb₂Ni₁₂P₇, where the Yb is nearly trivalent. Application of pressure to Yb₂Ni₁₂P₇ suppresses T_FL, the temperature below which Fermi liquid behavior is recovered, suggesting the presence of a quantum critical point (QCP) under pressure. However, while there is little change in the Yb valence of Yb₂Ni₁₂P₇ up to 30 GPa, there is a strong increase for Yb₂Ni₁₂As₇ under pressure, before a near constant value is reached. These results indicate that any magnetic QCP in this system is well separated from strong valence fluctuations. The pressure dependence of the valence and lattice parameters of Yb₂Ni₁₂As₇ are compared and at 1 GPa, there is an anomaly in the unit cell volume as well as a change in the slope of the Yb valence, indicating a correlation between structural and electronic changes.

Allelopathy of the invasive plant Bidens frondosa on the seed germination of Geum japonicum var. chinense

Five gradient concentrations (0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, and 0.10 g/mL) of leaching liquors from the roots, stems, and leaves of the invasive plant Bidens frondosa were used as conditioning fluid to examine its influence on seed germination conditions of the native plant Geum japonicum var. chinense in Huangshan. All leaching liquors of organs suppressed the seed germination of Geum japonicum var. chinense and reduced the final germination percentage and rate, and increased the germination inhibition rate, with a bimodal dependence on concentration. The leaching liquor inhibited the seed germination significantly at the concentration of 0.02 g/mL respectively. The seed germination was also inhibited as the concentration reached to 0.04 g/mL and beyond. Hence the allelopathic effects of the organs were significantly enhanced respectively. This phenomenon represented the presence of allelopathy substances in the root, stem and leaf of Bidens frondosa.

[Performance evaluation of three novel biotrickling packings]

Packing is the support medium for microbial adhesion and water retention, and its characteristics are directly related to the removal of pollutants. In the present study, three novel biotrickling packings were developed: polyhedral sphere, burr sphere and polyhedral hollow column. The results showed that the structural characteristics of polyhedral sphere and polyhedral hollow column, with the specific surface area of 200 m2 x m(-3), were better than those of traditional biotrickling packings. The resistance coefficient zeta of polyhedral sphere was almost identical before and after the biofilm formation. Under the same condition, zeta of burr sphere increased much more. Investigations on the start-up time showed that the polyhedral hollow columns could contribute more to the quick biofilm formation. The performance of BTF which was packed with polyhedral sphere was better than the others. When the inlet concentrations of toluene and ethanol were 687.37 and 651.17 mg x m(-3), the removal efficiencies achieved 76.78% and 99.23%, respectively. Biomass measurements showed that the biomass adhering on these packings were more than that on the common polypropylene Bauer ring. Biofilm could be renewed and removed easily from the polyhedral sphere and the pressure drop could maintain at 51.6 Pa x m(-1) at the later stable running phase. However, the pressure drop in the BTF which used burr sphere as the packings increased much more (193.3 Pa x m(-1)), thus causing a clogging phenomenon.

[Removal characteristics of DCM by biotrickling filter and biofilter]

A biofilter (BF) packed with nutrition slow-release material and a biotrickling filter (BTF) packed with ether-based polyurethane foam were set up to remove dichloromethane (DCM) from exhaust gas. Results showed that the biofilm formations in BTF and BF were completed by using the mixture of a special strain and a bacterial community, within 25d and 22d, respectively. Through the observation of the filter surface by SEM, the surface of packings in BF was loose with thin biofilm colonies, whereas the one in BTF was dense with thick biofilm. Under the condition of inlet DCM concentration of 100-1,500 mg x m(-3), EBRT of 25-85 s, the removal efficiency of DCM in BTF was better than that in BF, and the maximum removal load was 22.61 g x (m3 x h)(-1) and 29.05 g (m3 x h)(-1), respectively. The relationship between CO2 production and DCM removal was approximately linear, with the mineralization rate being 70.4% and 66.8% for BTF and BF, respectively. The dynamic behaviors of DCM in BTF and BF were described by the Michaelis-Menten model. Through the calculation, the unit volume maximum degradation rate r(max) was 22.7790 g x (m3 x h)(-1) and 28.5714 g x (m3 x h)(-1), while the gas phase saturation constant Ks was 0.1412 g x m(-3) and 0.1486 g x m(-3)

Photocatalytic conversion of gaseous ethylbenzene on lanthanum-doped titanium dioxide nanotubes

The photocatalytic properties of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) make it an attractive material for environmental remediation. In the present study, lanthanum (La(3+))-doped TiO2 nanotubes with excellent photocatalytic activity were fabricated by a combination of sol-gel method and hydrothermal technique. The optimal preparation parameters were determined by the structural characterization using a range of methods and the photocatalytic degradation of gaseous ethylbenzene (EB). Compared with pure TiO₂ nanoparticles, 1.2%-La(3+)-doped - titania nanotubes (1.2%-La(3+)-TNTs) exhibited higher activity under 254 nm UV for conversion of EB. The initial EB concentrations and relative humidity (RH) obviously influenced the photocatalytic activity of 1.2%-La(3+)-TNTs. Kinetic analysis showed that surface adsorption and surface reaction controlled the rate-determining step for RH of 40-50% and >80%, respectively. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry were used to analyze the intermediates generated in the conversion of EB, allowing a tentative decomposition pathway to be proposed. The prepared photocatalyst exhibited enhanced EB conversion compared with undoped TiO₂, and showed a promise for the decomposition of recalcitrant compounds before subsequent biopurification.

Treatment of gaseous alpha-pinene by a combined system containing photo oxidation and aerobic biotrickling filtration

Biofiltration of hydrophobic and/or recalcitrant volatile pollutants is intrinsically limited. In the present study, a combined ultraviolet-biotrickling filter (UV-BTF) was developed to improve the removal of these compounds, and a single BTF as the control was operated under the same conditions. The experimental results showed that the UV-BTF provided higher removal efficiencies than the single BTF at an inlet concentration range of 600-1500 mg m(-3) under shorter residence times. The maximum elimination capacities (ECs) obtained were 94.2 mg m(-3)h(-1) and 44 mg m(-3)h(-1) in the combined UV-BTF and single BTF, respectively. The mass ratio of carbon dioxide produced to α-pinene removed in the UV-BTF was approximately 2.74, which was much higher than that of the single BTF (1.99). Polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) analysis indicated that there was more complicated microbial community in the UV-BTF than that in the single BTF. In addition, we investigated the effect of starvation or stagnation on re-acclimation and removal performance from an engineering standpoint. The results showed that the combined UV-BTF could deal with fluctuating conditions or periods without any flow (air or liquid) supply much better than the single BTF.

Direct VUV photodegradation of gaseous α-pinene in a spiral quartz reactor: intermediates, mechanism, and toxicity/biodegradability assessment

Photodegradation of gaseous α-pinene by a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) in a spiral reactor was investigated under various gaseous reaction media and residence time, and their respective effects on types and biodegradability of the intermediates were studied. Analysis of carbon amounts showed that about 33% and 43% of total carbon were converted to soluble organic carbon in the air medium with a relative humidity (RH) of 35-40% at empty bed residence times (EBRTs) of 18 and 45 s. Based on the identified intermediates by GC/MS and IC, a photodegradation pathway was proposed by the combined roles of photolysis, OH. photooxidation and O₃ photooxidation. Biodegradability to active sludge, toxicity to Chlorella vulgaris and 96-well microplates showed that α-pinene could be largely converted to more biodegradable and less toxic compounds through photodegradation in the air reaction medium with a RH of 35-40% at an EBRT of 18s, in which the initial concentration was 600 mg m⁻³. Therefore, VUV photodegradation could be applied as an effective pre-treatment method for detoxification and biodegradability improvement under the optimized photodegradation conditions. Such results supported the potential use of VUV photodegradation to improve the removal capacity of conventional biological treatments for hydrophobic and poorly biodegradable compounds.