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This work presents an experimental study of the fluctuating properties of hydraulic jump rollers for high-Froude-number and pre-aerated inflow conditions, to investigate the validity of empirical relationships in the literature that are derived typically from experiments for smaller Froude numbers and clear-water approach flows. The jump roller fluctuations are evaluated in terms of the dimensions of the roller surface profile, the fluctuation magnitudes and frequencies of the instantaneous jump toe positions and water elevations, including at the tailwater surface, and the formation frequency and advection velocity of internal vortices in the shear layer. The effects of pre-aeration are found primarily in the length-scale properties such as jump length and surface fluctuation magnitudes, while the time-scale properties such as characteristic frequencies of the unsteady motions are not affected. Extrapolation of existing quantitative prediction of jump roller dynamic properties to high-Froude-number flow conditions should be performed carefully. An assessment of the fluctuating bubble counts within fixed time intervals yields close frequencies between the bubble grouping motions in the shear layer and the jump toe and tailwater wave motions, thus implying possible correlations between the roller surface deformations and air entrainment.

Background: Transcriptional remodeling is known to contribute to heart failure (HF). Targeting stress-dependent gene expression mechanisms may represent a clinically relevant gene therapy option. We recently uncovered a salutary mechanism in the heart whereby JP2 (junctophilin-2), an essential component of the excitation-contraction coupling apparatus, is site-specifically cleaved and releases an N-terminal fragment (JP2NT [N-terminal fragment of JP2]) that translocates into the nucleus and functions as a transcriptional repressor of HF-related genes. This study aims to determine whether JP2NT can be leveraged by gene therapy techniques for attenuating HF progression in a preclinical pressure overload model. Methods: We intraventricularly injected adeno-associated virus (AAV) (2/9) vectors expressing eGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein), JP2NT, or DNA-binding deficient JP2NT (JP2NT ΔbNLS/ARR ) into neonatal mice and induced cardiac stress by transaortic constriction (TAC) 9 weeks later. We also treated mice with established moderate HF from TAC stress with either AAV-JP2NT or AAV-eGFP. RNA-sequencing analysis was used to reveal changes in hypertrophic and HF-related gene transcription by JP2NT gene therapy after TAC. Echocardiography, confocal imaging, and histology were performed to evaluate heart function and pathological myocardial remodeling following stress. Results: Mice preinjected with AAV-JP2NT exhibited ameliorated cardiac remodeling following TAC. The JP2NT DNA-binding domain is required for cardioprotection as its deletion within the AAV-JP2NT vector prevented improvement in TAC-induced cardiac dysfunction. Functional and histological data suggest that JP2NT gene therapy after the onset of cardiac dysfunction is effective at slowing the progression of HF. RNA-sequencing analysis further revealed a broad reversal of hypertrophic and HF-related gene transcription by JP2NT overexpression after TAC. Conclusions: Our prevention- and intervention-based approaches here demonstrated that AAV-mediated delivery of JP2NT into the myocardium can attenuate stress-induced transcriptional remodeling and the development of HF when administered either before or after cardiac stress initiation. Our data indicate that JP2NT gene therapy holds great potential as a novel therapeutic for treating hypertrophy and HF.

Based on the current situation of tourism resources in Hohhot and the strategy of establishing a “regional leisure resort”, this paper puts forward solutions accordingly. By using central strategy, Hohhot gives full play to the advantages of tourism resources to form a unique city image symbol, telling a good story with tourism, and promoting the development of tourism industry.

Ferulic acid (FA) is one of the most abundant bound phenolics in whole grains, partly contributing to its preventive effects on metabolic syndrome (MetS). The study aims to investigate if FA mediates MetS through the regulation of hepatic metabolisms and the insulin receptor related pathways in the palmitate-treated HepG2 cells (MetS model). We found that FA (50, 100, and 200 μM) dramatically ameliorated the lipid accumulation in the MetS model. FA significantly decreased the activities of the gluconeogenic enzymes, G6Pase and PEPCK, downregulated the lipogenic enzyme FAS-1, and upregulated the lipolytic enzyme CPT-1 by regulating a series of transcriptional factors including HNF4α, FOXO-1, SREBP-1c, and PPAR-γ. Notably, we found that FA's ability to alleviate MetS is achieved by activating the insulin receptor/PI3K/AKT pathway. Our results validated the effects of FA on mediating the metabolic disorders of lipid and glucose pathways and unveiled its potential intracellular mechanisms for the prevention of MetS.

Junctophilin-2 (JP2) is a critical structural protein in the heart by stabilizing junctional membrane complexes between the plasma membrane and sarcoplasmic reticula responsible for precise Ca

Fucoxanthin attracts increasing attentions due to its potential health benefits, which has been exploited in several food commodities. However, fucoxanthin available for industrial application is mainly derived from macroalgae, and is not yet sufficiently cost-effective compared with microalgae. This review focuses on the strategies to improve fucoxanthin productivity and approaches to reduce downstream costs in microalgal production. Here we comprehensively and critically discuss ways and methods to increase the cell growth rate and fucoxanthin content of marine microalgae, including strain screening, condition optimization, design of culture mode, metabolic and genetic engineering, and scale-up production of fucoxanthin. The approaches in downstream processes provide promising alternatives for fucoxanthin production from marine microalgae. Besides, this review summarizes fucoxanthin improvements in solubility and bioavailability by delivery system of emulsion, nanoparticle, and hydrogel, and discusses fucoxanthin metabolism with gut microbes. Fucoxanthin production from marine microalgae possesses numerous advantages in environmental sustainability and final profits to meet incremental global market demands of fucoxanthin. Strategies of adaptive evolution, multi-stage cultivation, and bioreactor improvements have tremendous potentials to improve economic viability of the production. Moreover, fucoxanthin is promising as the microbiota-targeted ingredient, and nanoparticles can protect fucoxanthin from external environmental factors for improving the solubility and bioavailability.

With the growing development of hydropower projects all over the world, the excessive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from increasing reservoirs have drawn public concern. While precise evaluations of GHG emissions are urgently needed, the widely applied methods including floating chamber (FC) method and thin boundary layer (TBL) method are unsatisfactory. In this paper, a new methodology of estimating CO

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) contribute to immune activity suppression and promote the tumor progression. Elimination of MDSCs is a promising cancer therapeutic strategy, and some chemotherapeutic agents have been reported to hamper tumor progression by suppressing MDSCs. Juglone has been showed to exert a direct cytotoxic effect on tumor cells. However, the effect of juglone on MDSCs and anti-tumor immune statue has remained unexplored. In our study, we observed that juglone suppressed tumor growth and metastasis markedly, and the tumor growth suppression in immunocompetent mice was more drastic than that in immunodeficient mice. Juglone reduced the accumulation of MDSCs and increased IFN-γ production by CD8+ T cells. Consistently, juglone affected myeloid cells differentiation and maturation, impairing the immunosuppressive functions of MDSCs. Moreover, juglone down-regulated the level of IL-1β which was mediating accumulation of MDSCs. In addition, juglone inhibited 5FU-induced liver injury in a colorectal carcinoma-bearing mice model. Thus, our work suggests that the anti-tumor effect of juglone is mediated, at least in part, by eliminating accumulation of MDSCs.

Metformin (Met), a first-line drug for type 2 diabetes, lowers blood glucose levels by suppressing gluconeogenesis in the liver, presumably through the liver kinase B1-dependent activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) after inhibiting respiratory chain complex I. Met is also implicated as a drug to be repurposed for cancers; its mechanism is believed identical to that of gluconeogenesis inhibition. However, AMPK activation requires high Met concentrations at more than 1 mM, which are unachievable in vivo. The immune-mediated antitumor response might be the case in a low dose Met. Thus, we proposed activating or expanding tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells (CD8TILs) in a mouse model by orally administering Met in free drinking water. Here we showed that Met, at around 10 μM and a physiologically relevant concentration, enhanced production of IFNγ,TNFα and expression of CD25 of CD8+ T cells upon TCR stimulation. Under a glucose-rich condition, glycolysis was exclusively involved in enhancing IFNγ production. Under a low-glucose condition, fatty acid oxidation or autophagy-dependent glutaminolysis, or both, was also involved. Moreover, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1), converting oxaloacetate to phosphoenolpyruvate, became essential. Importantly, the enhanced IFNγ production was blocked by a mitochondrial ROS scavenger and not by an inhibitor of AMPK. In addition, IFNγ production by CD8TILs relied on pyruvate translocation to the mitochondria and PCK1. Our results revealed a direct effect of Met on IFNγ production of CD8+ T cells that was dependent on differential metabolic pathways and determined by nutrient conditions in the microenvironment.

Intermittent fasting (IF) has been reported to have beneficial effects on improving gut function via lowering gut inflammation and altering the gut microbiome diversity. In this study, we aimed to investigate the differential effects of three different common IF treatments, alternate day fasting (ADF), time-restricted fasting (TRF), and intermittent energy restriction (IER), on a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. The results indicated that TRF and IER, but not ADF improved the survival rates of the colitis mice. TRF and IER, but not ADF, reversed the colitis pathological development by improving the gut barrier integrity and colon length. Importantly, TRF and IER suppressed the inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in colon tissues. Interestingly, TRF and IER also attenuated colitis-related anxiety-like and obsessive-compulsive disorder behavior and alleviated the neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. TRF and IER also altered the gut microbiota composition, including the decrease of the enrichments of colitis-related microbes such as Shigella and Escherichia Coli, and increase of the enrichments of anti-inflammatory-related microbes. TRF and IER also improved the short chain fatty acid formation in colitis mice. In conclusion, the TRF and IER but not ADF exhibited the protective effects against colitis and related behavioral disorders, which could be partly explained by improving the gut microbiome compositions and preventing gut leak, and consequently suppressing the inflammation and oxidative damages in both colon and brain. The current research indicates that proper IF regimens could be effective strategies for nutritional intervention for the prevention and treatment of colitis.

With the growing development of hydropower projects all over the world, the excessive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from increasing reservoirs have drawn public concern. While precise evaluations of GHG emissions are urgently needed, the widely applied methods including floating chamber (FC) method and thin boundary layer (TBL) method are unsatisfactory. In this paper, a new methodology of estimating CO2 emission coupling FC and TBL methods was proposed. Three efforts were achieved stepwise:1) the CO2 transfer coefficient was determined combining the measurements of FC method and TBL model; 2) a semi-empirical model connecting gas-water transfer coefficient and near-surface water turbulence in reservoir was proposed; 3) finally, since surface turbulence in the reservoir could be describe in detail by numerical simulation, integration thousands of discrete cells of local fluxes could be applied to estimate the total CO2 emission with an improved precision. Nine locations in Xiangjiaba Reservoir were selected as a demo study for applying the method, the CO2 emission in the whole reservoir was about 1.37 kg/s. With a deeper insight into the law of gas transfer and an elaborate consideration of the whole reservoir, this study is expected to provide a new approach and technical support to estimate the CO2 emissions accurately in reservoirs.

Intermittent fasting (IF) has been reported to have beneficial effects on improving gut function via lowering gut inflammation and altering the gut microbiome diversity. In this study, we aimed to investigate the differential effects of three different common IF treatments, alternate day fasting (ADF), time-restricted fasting (TRF), and intermittent energy restriction (IER), on a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. The results indicated that TRF and IER, but not ADF improved the survival rates of the colitis mice. TRF and IER, but not ADF, reversed the colitis pathological development by improving the gut barrier integrity and colon length. Importantly, TRF and IER suppressed the inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in colon tissues. Interestingly, TRF and IER also attenuated colitis-related anxiety-like and obsessive-compulsive disorder behavior and alleviated the neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. TRF and IER also altered the gut microbiota composition, including the decrease of the enrichments of colitis-related microbes such as Shigella and Escherichia Coli, and increase of the enrichments of anti-inflammatory-related microbes. TRF and IER also improved the short chain fatty acid formation in colitis mice. In conclusion, the TRF and IER but not ADF exhibited the protective effects against colitis and related behavioral disorders, which could be partly explained by improving the gut microbiome compositions and preventing gut leak, and consequently suppressing the inflammation and oxidative damages in both colon and brain. The current research indicates that proper IF regimens could be effective strategies for nutritional intervention for the prevention and treatment of colitis., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Intermittent fasting regimens TRF and IER but not ADF attenuate DSS-induced colitis. • TRF and IER protect the gut barrier and the mucosal layer integrity from colitis. • TRF and IER alleviate colitis-related anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. • TRF and IER suppress inflammation and oxidative stress in both gut and brain. • TRF and IER balance gut microbiota composition and metabolites production.

The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has increased over the decades. Lycopene (LYC), a major carotenoid present in tomato, has been previously demonstrated to possess liver-protecting and lipid-lowering bioactivities. However, the underlying mechanism of how LYC impact on the lipid metabolism in the liver is elusive. Here, we found that LYC significantly suppressed lipid accumulation in palmitate- treated HepG2 hepatocytes cell line by stimulating PPARα expression and enhanced lipolysis consequently. It has also been revealed that LYC prevented palmitate-induced mitochondrial dysfunction by improving mitochondrial complex expression and activating mitochondrial biogenesis pathway AMPK/SIRT1/PGC1α. Moreover, in line with in vitro study, LYC treatment significantly suppressed lipid accumulation and enhanced PPARα expression in western diet-feeding mice liver. LYC also enhanced the expressions of mitochondrial complexes and antioxidant related enzymes HO-1/NQO1. In conclusion, the mediating effects of LYC on mitochondrial function and PPARα signaling might play pivotal roles in its beneficial effects on NAFLD.

Sesamol, a lignan in sesame, possesses several bioactivities, such as antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and neuroprotective capability. In this study, the effects of sesamol on aging-caused cognitive defects are investigated. Twelve-month-old mice were treated with sesamol (0.1%, w/w) as dietary supplementation for 12 weeks. Behavioral tests revealed that sesamol improved aging-associated cognitive impairments. Sesamol decreased aging-induced oxidative stress via suppression of malondialdehyde production and increased antioxidant enzymes. Histological staining showed that sesamol treatment improved aging-induced neuronal damage and synaptic dysfunction in the hippocampus. Furthermore, sesamol significantly reduced aging-induced neuroinflammation by inhibiting the microglial overactivation and inflammatory cytokine expressions. Meanwhile, the accumulation of Aβ1-42 was reduced by sesamol treatment. Moreover, sesamol protected the gut barrier integrity and reduced LPS release, which was highly associated with its beneficial effects on behavioral and inflammatory changes. In conclusion, our findings indicated that the use of sesamol is feasible in the treatment of aging-related diseases.

Glycolipid metabolism disorder is one of the causes of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Alternate-day fasting (ADF) is an effective dietary intervention to counteract T2D. The present study is aimed to determine the underlying mechanisms of the benefits of ADF metabolic on diabetes-induced glycolipid metabolism disorders in db/db mice. Here, leptin receptor knock-out diabetic mice were subjected to 28 days of isocaloric ADF. We found that ADF prevented insulin resistance and bodyweight gain in diabetic mice. ADF promoted glycogen synthesis in both liver and muscle. ADF also activated recombinant insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1)/protein kinase B (AKT/PKB) signaling，inactivated inflammation related AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and the inflammation-regulating nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling in the liver. ADF also suppressed lipid accumulation by inactivating the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c). Furthermore, ADF elevated the expression of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and down-stream signaling AMPK/silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α) in the liver of diabetic mice. The mitochondrial biogenesis and autophagy were also stimulated by ADF. Interestingly, ADF also enhanced the bile acids (BAs) metabolism by generating more cholic acid (CA), deoxycholic acid (DCA) and tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) in db/db mice. In conclusion, ADF could significantly inhibit T2D induced insulin resistance and obesity, promote insulin signaling，reduce inflammation, as well as promote glycogen synthesis and lipid metabolism. It possibly depends on FGF21 and BA metabolism to enhance mitochondrial biosynthesis and energy metabolism.

WHIRLY transcription factors play critical roles in responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, but their other biological functions remain unclear. In this study, SlWHY2, a member of the WHIRLY family, was isolated from Solanum lycopersicum. The role of SlWHY2 was studied using transgenic tobacco plants. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that SlWHY2 expression was induced by polyethylene glycol, NaCl, salicylic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and bacterial pathogens. SlWHY2 overexpression in tobacco caused enhanced tolerance to drought stress, as indicated by lower accumulation of malondialdehyde and relative electrolyte leakage, as well as higher relative water content and activities of superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase. Moreover, higher expression of cytochrome oxidase 1 (NtCOX1) and open reading frame 1 (NtORF1) were observed under drought in the transgenic lines. This suggested that overexpression of SlWHY2 enhanced tolerance to drought stress by regulating the transcription of mitochondrial genes and stabilizing mitochondrial function. Transgenic tobacco also displayed greater resistance to Pseudomonas solanacearum infection as evidenced by lower reactive oxygen species content and higher expression of defence-related genes. Overall, these findings suggest that SlWHY2 acts as a positive regulator in response to biotic and abiotic stresses.

Astaxanthin has attracted extensive attention due to its multiple physiological functions, but its production from Haematococcus pluvialis remains challenging due to low biomass concentration. In this study, an efficient fed-batch strategy was designed to improve the astaxanthin productivity at a stable pH level during mixotrophic growth of H. pluvialis. The acid feeding position was equipped with feeding medium to provide sufficient nutrients based on pH changes. Results suggested that pH level was increasing during acetate cultivation, and was a limiting factor for H. pluvialis growth. The biomass concentration was enhanced by 25.7% through stabilizing pH levels in batch culture. Based on linear relationship between nutrient consumption and pH change, a fed-batch strategy was designed and tested, increasing the biomass concentration by 90.6% to 1.62 g L−1 in the photobioreactor. At the molecular level, the photosynthetic efficiency was limited by reducing Rubisco activity and increasing NADPH oxidase activity, while carbon metabolism was enhanced by elevating pyruvate and ace-CoA contents. Furthermore, astaxanthin productivity was increased to 4.5 mg L−1 d−1 within pH range from 5 to 6, which was accompanied by the elevated pyruvate, ace-CoA, and lipid contents. The fed-batch strategy was promising for microalgal production due to its easy operation and high astaxanthin productivity.

Large-scale reservoirs change downstream water and sediment conditions, causing adaptive adjustments in erosion and deposition along the riverbed, ultimately impacting sandbar morphology. This study examined the sandy reaches downstream of the China Three Gorges Project along the Yangtze River for river erosion and siltation, riverbed morphology, beach evolution, and other physical processes over the past 40 years, to explain the evolution of river geomorphology under human activities, such as reservoirs, improvement projects, and sand mining. The Shashi reach is approximately 52 km in length; it is the first sandy riverbed downstream of the China Three Gorges Dam. Analysis of topographic data from 1975 to 2018 showed that decreased sediment from the basin resulted in increased riverbed erosion (93.1%, in low-water channel), with sand mining activities destroying the integrity of the central bar. Simultaneously, total sandbar area decreased, thalwegs deepened, river morphological coefficients decreased, and the riverbed became narrower and deeper. The erosion and deposition patterns of the Shashi reach beach and channel have changed from “low shoal erosion-high shoal deposition” to “both low and high shoal erosion”. Additionally, waterway engineering has changed sandbar boundaries, and impacted the evolution of interactions among beach groups. Under quasi-natural conditions, strong interactions occur in sandbar evolution, such as the development of the Taipingkou Channel Bar (TPKCB), which led to Lalinzhou Point Bar (LLZPB) erosion, tail section widening, as well as Sanbatan (SBT) shrinkage and recession of its eastward edge. Owing to the implementation of waterway engineering, the linkage between the TPKCB and the upper section of the LLZPB weakened. The widening of the lower section of the latter has caused the SBT to shrink further and shift westward. Changes in the morphologies and dynamic axes of upstream beach groups have resulted in a sharp reduction of incoming sediment causing the downstream Jinchengzhou Point Bar (JCZPB) to gradually evolve into a shrunken channel bar.

This paper presented results of a numerical study on seven designs of T shape fishways. The trajectory equation of the maximum velocity line and the V/Va equation of the T shape fishways were obtained from the results. It was found that a width of 1.5bs for the T lateral baffle, a width of 5bs and a length of 6.25bs for the pools were very satisfactory for the dimensional design of T shape fishways, where bs was the slot width. From the seven designs studied, design 3 (D3, D denotes “design”) was recommended for practical use.

Maternal obesity has been reported to be related to neurodevelopmental disorders in the offspring. However, the underlying mechanisms and effective interventions remain unclear. This cross-sectional study with 778 children aged 7-14 years in China indicated that maternal obesity is strongly associated with children's lower cognition and sociality. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that maternal obesity in mice disrupted the behavior and gut microbiome in offspring, both of which were restored by a high-fiber diet in either dams or offspring via alleviating synaptic impairments and microglial maturation defects. Co-housing and feces microbiota transplantation experiments revealed a causal relationship between microbiota and behavioral changes. Moreover, treatment with the microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids also alleviated the behavioral deficits in the offspring of obese dams. Together, our study indicated that the microbiota-metabolites-brain axis may underlie maternal obesity-induced cognitive and social dysfunctions and that high dietary fiber intake could be a promising intervention.

The energy dissipation rate is a crucial parameter for system control and turbulence modeling but is difficult to quantify in gas–liquid two-phase flows. Little relevant information is available, especially in horizontal pipe flows. Based on the consideration that the bubble characteristics in a stable bubbly flow are a reflection of flow turbulence, the bubble shape and bubble size spectrum are investigated in a 10-m-long horizontal rectangular pipe by means of high-speed imaging and graphic processing techniques. The bubble size spectra indicate a critical length scale, deemed to be the Hinze scale, and the spectral shape is related to turbulent fragmentation and, thus, enables calculation of the turbulence dissipation rate. After careful validation of the approach for estimating the turbulence dissipation rate, an empirical prediction equation is proposed based on the present tested flow conditions, reflecting the effects of both the pipe flow velocity and the gas flow rate. Such information is useful for the modeling of turbulent two-phase flows.

Circadian misalignment induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) increases the risk of metabolic diseases. Methionine restriction (MR) is known to have the potential of alleviating obesity by improving insulin sensitivity. However, the role of the circadian clock in mediating the effects of MR on obesity-related metabolic disorders remains unclear. Ten-week-old male C57BL/6 J mice were fed with a low-fat diet (LFD) or a HFD for 4 wk., followed with a full diet (0.86% methionine, w/w) or a methionine-restricted diet (0.17% methionine, w/w) for 8 wk. Our results showed that MR attenuated insulin resistance triggered by HFD, especially at ZT12. Moreover, MR led to a time-specific enhancement of the expression of FGF21 and activated the AMPK/PGC-1α signaling. Notably, MR upregulated the cyclical levels of cholic acid (CA) and chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), and downregulated the cyclical level of deoxycholic acid (DCA) in the dark phase. MR restored the HFD-disrupted cyclical fluctuations of lipidolysis genes and BAs synthetic genes and improved the circulating lipid profile. Also, MR improved the expressions of clock-controlled genes (CCGs) in the liver and the brown adipose tissue throughout one day. In conclusion, MR exhibited the lipid-lowering effects on HFD-induced obesity and restored the diurnal metabolism of lipids and BAs, which could be partly explained by improving the expression of CCGs. These findings suggested that MR could be a potential nutritional intervention for attenuating obesity-induced metabolic misalignment.

Approaches to improve wastewater treatment by microalgae have objectives of greater culture control, efficient nutrient removal and increased lipid content. This work designed a bio-photoelectrolysis cell (BPE) system to modulate wastewater treatment by electric current. The electric current had the capacity to enrich entrapped cell weight with a 0.72-fold increase, which resulted in high daily nutrient removal, with 6.78 mg/L/d for nitrogen and 2.14 mg/L/d for phosphorus at 0.6 A/m2. As the nutrient removal was mostly dependent on cell growth, the 1.17-fold increase of lipid productivity was achieved. The harvesting at 6 A/m2 required lower energy input of 1.77 KWh/kg. For the recyclability of treatment, BPE system could continuously treat the fresh wastewater for at least three cycles with biomass and lipid productivities of 68.67 and 22.04 mg/L/d, respectively. The nitrogen removal model of Cst = 45.52–5.52exp(0.45 t) and phosphorus removal model of Cst = 12.54–1.48exp(0.45 t) were established to evaluate the stability of BPE system.

There is currently much interest in fucoxanthin due to its broad beneficial health effects. The major commercial source of fucoxanthin is marine seaweed, which has many shortcomings, and has thus restricted its large-scale production and more diversified applications. In this study, growth characteristics and fucoxanthin accumulation were evaluated to explore the potential of the marine diatom Nitzschia laevis in fucoxanthin production. The results suggested that heterotrophic culture was more effective for cell growth, while the mixotrophic culture was favorable for fucoxanthin accumulation. A two-stage culture strategy was consequently established. A model of exponential fed-batch culture led to a biomass concentration of 17.25 g/L. A mix of white and blue light significantly increased fucoxanthin content. These outcomes were translated into a superior fucoxanthin productivity of 16.5 mg/(L&middot, d), which was more than 2-fold of the best value reported thus far. The culture method established herein therefore represents a promising strategy to boost fucoxanthin production in N. laevis, which might prove to be a valuable natural source of commercial fucoxanthin.

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of treatment by C. zofingiensis, C. vulgaris and Scenedesmus sp. in terms of nutrient loading, lipid productivity and the activity of photosystem II. Results from nutrient loading suggested that the nitrogen loading of C. zofingiensis at 0.406 mg/L/h was higher than C. vulgaris and Scenedesmus sp., and the phosphorus loading of C. zofingiensis at 0.075 mg/L/h was higher than C. vulgaris. During the treating process, C. zofingiensis accumulated lipid with higher productivity of 26.57 mg/L/d than C. vulgaris and Scenedesmus sp. In combination with photosynthetic efficiency, C. zofingiensis possessed superior trophic transfer efficiency and absorption capability, even in worse environmental conditions. C. zofingiensis, therefore, exhibited the promising application prospect in wastewater treatment.