Impact of Long-Term Fertilization on Community Structure of Ammonia Oxidizing and Denitrifying Bacteria Based on amoA and nirK Genes in a Rice Paddy from Tai Lake Region,China

Ammonia oxidizing （AOB） and denitrifying bacteria （DNB） play an important role in soil nitrogen transformation in natural and agricultural ecosystems. Effects of long-term fertilization on abundance and community composition of AOB and DNB were studied with targeting ammonia monooxygenase （amoA） and nitrite reductase （nirK） genes using polymerase chain reaction- denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （PCR-DGGE） and real-time PCR, respectively. A field trial with different fertilization treatments in a rice paddy from Tai Lake region, centre East China was used in this study, including no fertilizer application （NF）, balanced chemical fertilizers （CF）, combined organic/inorganic fertilizer of balanced chemical fertilizers plus pig manure （CFM）, and plus rice straw return （CFS）. The abundances and riehnesses of amoA and nirK were increased in CF, CFM and CFS compared to NF. Principle component analysis of DGGE profiles showed significant difference in nirK and amoA genes composition between organic amended （CFS and CFM） and the non-organic amended （CF and NF） plots. Number of amoA copies was significantly positively correlated with normalized soil nutrient richness （NSNR） of soil organic carbon （SOC） and total nitrogen （T-N）, and that of nirK copies was with NSNR of SOC, T-N plus total phosphorus. Moreover, nitrification potential showed a positive correlation with SOC content, while a significantly lower denitrification potential was found under CFM compared to under CFS. Therefore, SOC accumulation accompanied with soil nutrient richness under long-term balanced and organic/inorganic combined fertilization promoted abundance and diversity of AOB and DNB in the rice paddy.

Effect of tellurium promoter on vanadium phosphate catalyst for partial oxidation of n-butane

Te-promoted （1%） vanadium phosphate catalyst （VPDTe） was prepared via VOPO4·2H2O by calcining its precursor VOHPO4·0.5H2O in a flow of n-butane/air.VPDTe catalyst has resulted a higher existence of V5＋ phase with V5＋/V4＋ ratio of 0.23.SEM micrographs show that Te addition altered the arrangement of the platelets from ＂rose-like＂ clusters to layer with irregular shape.Te addition has also markedly lowered the reduction activation energies of the vanadium phosphate catalyst as revealed by TPR profile.The amount of active oxygen species associated with V4＋ phase of the Te promoted catalyst was significantly higher than those of the unpromoted catalyst.These observations suggest that high mobility and availability of reactive oxygen species contributed to the enhancement of n-butane conversion up to 80% at 673 K,while only 47% over unpromoted catalyst （2400 h^-1,1.7% n-butane in air）.

Rice ferredoxin OsFd4 contributes to oxidative stress tolerance but compromises defense against blight bacteria

Ferredoxins(Fds)in plastids are the most upstream stromal electron receptors shuttling electrons to downstream metabolic systems and function in various physiological processes of dicots,but their roles in monocots’response to stresses are still unclear.In this study,the functions of OsFd4,the major non-photosynthetic type Fd in rice,were characterized under oxidative stress and Xanthomonas oryzae pv.oryzae(Xoo)infection.OsFd4-knockout mutants displayed no defects in key agronomic traits and blast resistance,but were more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide(H2O2)treatment than the wild type.Transient expression of OsFd4 alleviated H2O2-induced rice cell death,suggesting that OsFd4 contributes to rice tolerance to exogenous oxidative stress.Deletion of OsFd4 enhanced rice immune responses against Xoo.OsFd4 formed a complex in vivo with itself and OsFd1,the major photosynthetic Fd in rice,and OsFd1 transcripts were increased in leaf and root tissues of the OsFd4-knockout mutants.These results indicate that OsFd4 is involved in regulating rice defense against stresses and interplays with OsFd1.

中度嗜热菌Leptospirillum ferrooxidans和Acidithiobacillus caldus对砷的耐受性研究

以难处理金矿生物预氧化过程中使用的L.ferrooxidans(Leptospirillum ferrooxidans,氧化亚铁钩端螺旋菌)和A.caldus(Acidithiobacillus caldus,喜温嗜酸硫杆菌)这2种中度嗜热菌为主要研究对象,通过摇瓶实验研究不同价态的砷[As(Ⅲ)和As(Ⅴ)]对2种中度嗜热菌生物氧化处理金矿效果的影响,并与A.ferrooxidans(Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans,嗜酸氧化亚铁硫杆菌)和T.thiooxidans(Thiobacillus thiooxidans,氧化硫硫杆菌)这2种嗜中温菌进行比较。结果表明,中度嗜热菌对As(Ⅲ)的耐受性明显弱于嗜中温菌,但对As(Ⅴ)的耐受性与嗜中温菌接近。同时,As(Ⅲ)对铁氧化细菌生长的影响大于硫氧化细菌。实验发现,提高菌种接种量并对细菌进行驯化有利于中度嗜热菌对砷毒性的适应,在实际矿浆体系中通过提高接种量可以使中度嗜热菌最终适应高砷环境,最高质量浓度可达约1.54 g/L,获得较好的矿物氧化浸出效果,砷浸出率达到70%以上仅需10 d。

Promotional Effect of Bismuth as Dopant in Bi-Doped Vanadyl Pyrophosphate Catalysts for Selective Oxidation of n-Butane to Maleic Anhydride

Bismuth-promoted （1% and 3%） vanadyl pyrophosphate catalysts were prepared by refluxing Bi（NO3）4.5H2O and VOPO4.2H2O in isobutanol. The incorporation of Bi into the catalysts lattice increased the surface area and lowered the overall V oxidation state. Profiles of temperature programmed reduction （TPR） in H2 show a significant shift of the maxima of major reduction peaks to lower temperatures for the Bi-promoted catalysts. A new peak was also observed at the low temperature region for the catalyst with 3% of Bi dopant. The addition of Bi also increased the total amount of oxygen removed from the catalysts. The reduction pattern and reactivity information provide fundamental insight into the catalytic properties of the catalysts. Bi-promoted catalysts were found to be highly active （71% and 81% conversion for 1% and 3% Bi promoted catalysts, respectively, at 703 K）, as compared to the unpromoted material （47% conversion）. The higher activity of the Bi-promoted catalysts is due to that these catalysts possess highly active and labile lattice oxygen. The better catalytic performance can also be attributed to the larger surface area.

Effect of Cr and Co Promoters Addition on Vanadium Phosphate Catalysts for Mild Oxidation of n-Butane

In this study, Cr and Co promoted, as well as unpromoted vanadium phosphate （VPO） catalysts were synthesized by the reaction of V2O5 and o-H3PO4 in organic medium followed by calcination in n-butane/air environment at 673 K. The physico-chemical properties and the catalytic behavior were affected by the addition of Cr and Co dopants. H2-TPR was used to investigate the nature of oxidants in the unpromoted and promoted catalysts. The results showed that both the Cr and Co promoters remarkably lowered the temperature of the reduction peak associated with V^5＋. The amount of oxygen species originated from the active phase, V^4＋, removed was significantly increased for Co and Cr-promoted catalysts. Both Cr and Co dopants improve strongly the n-butane conversion without sacrificing the MA selectivity. A good correlation was observed between the amount of oxygen species removed from V^4＋ phase and the activity for n-butane oxidation to maleic anhydride. This suggested that V^4＋-O was the center for the activation of n-butane.

n-Butane Oxidation over γ-Al_2O_3 Supported Vanadium Phosphate Catalysts

Four vanadium phosphate catalysts supported on γ-A1203 （20 wt%） were synthesized via wetness impregnation of VOHPO4.0.5H2O precursor and calcined for different durations （6, 10, 30 and 75 h） at 673 K in a reaction flow of n-butane/air mixture. The samples calcined for 6 and 10 h produced only a single phase of （VO）2P2O7. However, the VOPO4 phase （β-VOPO4） was detected and became more prominent with only a minor pyrophosphate peaks were found after 30 h of calcination. All these pyrophosphate peaks disappeared after 75 h of calcination. The formation of V^5＋ phase was also observed in the SEM micrographs. The redox properties and the nature of oxidants of the catalysts employed in this study were investigated by H2-TPR analysis. Selective oxidation of n-butane to maleic anhydride （MA） over these catalysts shows that the percentage of n-butane conversion decreases with the transformation of the catalysts from V^4＋ to V^5＋ phases. An appropriate ratio of V^5＋/V^4＋ can enhance the performance of the VPO catalyst. However, a higher amount of V^5＋ and its associated oxygen species are responsible to promote the MA selectivity.

Impact of acetochlor on ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in microcosm soils

Acetochlor is an increasingly used herbicide on corn in North China. Currently, the effect of acetochlor on soil ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) communities is not well documented. Here, we studied the diversity and community composition of AOB in soil amended with three concentrations of acetochlor (50, 150, 250 mg/kg) and the control (0 mg acetochlor/kg soil) in a microcosm experiment by PCR-DGGE (polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) and the phylogenetic analysis of excised ...

Community analysis of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in activated sludge of eight wastewater treatment systems

We investigated the communities of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria （AOB） in activated sludge collected from eight wastewater treatment systems using polymerase chain reaction （PCR） followed by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism （T-RFLP）, cloning, and sequencing of the α-subunit of the ammonia monooxygenase gene （amoA）. The T-RFLP fingerprint analyses showed that different wastewater treatment systems harbored distinct AOB communities. However, there was no remarkable difference among the AOB T- RFLP profiles from different parts of the same system. The T-RFLP fingerprints showed that a full-scale wastewater treatment plant （WWTP） contained a larger number of dominant AOB species than a pilot-scale reactor. The source of influent affected the AOB community, and the WWTPs treating domestic wastewater contained a higher AOB diversity than those receiving mixed domestic and industrial wastewater. However, the AOB community structure was little affected by the treatment process in this study. Phylogenetic analysis of the cloned amoA genes clearly indicated that all the dominant AOB in the systems was closely related to Nitrosomonas spp. not to Nitrosospira spp. Members of the Nitrosomonas oligotropha and Nitrosomonas communis clusters were found in all samples, while members of Nitrosomonas europaea cluster occurred in some systems.

Phosphate modified carbon nanotubes for oxidative dehydrogenation of n-butane

Catalytic performance of phosphate-modified carbon nanotube（PoCNT） catalysts for oxidative dehydrogenation（ODH） of n-butane has been systematically investigated. The Po CNT catalysts are characterized by SEM, TEM, XPS and TG techniques. We set the products selectivity as a function of butane conversion over various phosphate loading, and it is found that the PoCNT catalyst with the 0.8% phosphate weight loading（0.8PoCNT） exhibits the best catalytic performance. When the phosphate loading is higher than 0.8 wt%, the difference of catalytic activity among the PoCNT catalysts is neglectable. Consequently, the ODH of n-butane over the 0.8PoCNT catalyst is particularly discussed via changing the reaction conditions including reaction temperatures, residence time and n-butane/O;ratios. The interacting mechanism of phosphate with the oxygen functional groups on the CNT surface is also proposed.

UV-Based Advanced Oxidation Processes for Antibiotic Resistance Control: Efficiency, Influencing Factors, and Energy Consumption

Antibiotic resistant bacteria(ARB)with antibiotic resistance genes(ARGs)can reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of antibiotics and thus threaten human health.The United Nations Environment Programme considers antibiotic resistance the first of six emerging issues of concern.Advanced oxidation processes(AOPs)that combine ultraviolet(UV)irradiation and chemical oxidation(primarily chlorine,hydrogen peroxide,and persulfate)have attracted increasing interest as advanced water and wastewater treatment technologies.These integrated technologies have been reported to significantly elevate the efficiencies of ARB inactivation and ARG degradation compared with direct UV irradiation or chemical oxidation alone due to the generation of multiple reactive species.In this study,the performance and underlying mechanisms of UV/chlorine,UV/hydrogen peroxide,and UV/persulfate processes for controlling ARB and ARGs were reviewed based on recent studies.Factors affecting the process-specific efficiency in controlling ARB and ARGs were discussed,including biotic factors,oxidant dose,UV fluence,pH,and water matrix properties.In addition,the cost-effectiveness of the UV-based AOPs was evaluated using the concept of electrical energy per order.The UV/chlorine process exhibited a higher efficiency with lower energy consumption than other UV-based AOPs in the wastewater matrix,indicating its potential for ARB inactivation and ARG degradation in wastewater treatment.Further studies are required to address the trade-off between toxic byproduct formation and the energy efficiency of the UV/chlorine process in real wastewater to facilitate its optimization and application in the control of ARB and ARGs.

Effect of hydraulic retention time and pH on oxidation of ferrous iron in simulated ferruginous acid mine drainage treatment with inoculation of iron-oxidizing bacteria

The effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and pH on the biooxidation of ferrous iron during simulated acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment was investigated.The simulated AMD was highly acidic (pH 2.5), rich in iron (about 1700 mg/L) and copper (about 200 mg/L), and contained high concentrations of sulfate (about 4700 mg/L).The biooxidation of ferrous iron was studied in a laboratory-scale upflow packed bed bioreactor (PBR).The HRT was shortened stepwise from 40 h to 20 h, 13 h, and 8 h under the acidic environment at a pH value of 2.2.Then, the influent pH value was changed from 2.2 to 1.2 at a constant suitable HRT.Physiochemical and microbial community structure analyses were performed on water samples and stuffing collected from the bioreactor under different conditions.The results indicate that the efficiency of ferrous iron oxidation gradually decreased with the decrease of HRT, and when the HRT exceeded 13 h, ferrous iron in AMD was almost completely oxidized.In addition, the best efficiency of ferrous iron oxidation was achieved at the influent pH value of 1.8.Microbial community structure analyses show that Leptospirillum is the predominant genus attached in the bioreactor, and low influent pH values are suitable for the growth of Leptospirillum.

Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Butane to Butadiene and Butene Using a Novel Inert Membrane Reactor

The oxidative dehydrogenation of butane to butadiene and butene was studied using a conventional fixed-bed ractor (FBR), inert membrane reactor (IMR) and mixed inert membrane reactor (MIMR). When IMR and MIMR were employed, a ceramic membrane modified by partially coating with glaze was used to distribute oxygen to a fixed-bed of 24-V-Mg-O catalyst. The oxygen partial pressure in the catalyst bed could be decreased. The effect of feeding modes and operation conditions were investigated. The selectivity of C4 dehydrogenation products (butene and butadiene) was found to be higher in IMR than in FBR. The feeding mode with 20% of air mixing with butane in MIMR was found to be more efficient than the feeding mode with all air permeating through ceramic membrane. The MIMR gave the most smooth temperature profile along the bed.

The in situ spectral methods for examining redox status of c-type cytochromes in metal-reducing/oxidizing bacteria

The membrane-associated c-type cytochromes(c-Cyts) have been well known as the key enzymes mediating extracellular electron transfer to terminal electron acceptors, resulting in biogeochemical elemental transformation, contaminant degradation, and nutrient cycling. Although c-Cyts-mediated metal reduction or oxidation have been mainly investigated with the purified proteins of metal reducing/oxidizing bacteria, the in vivo behavior of c-Cyts is still unclear, given the difficulty in measuring the proteins of intact cells. Fortunately, the in situ spectroscopy would be ideal for measuring the reaction kinetics of c-Cyts in intact cells under noninvasive physiological conditions. It can also help the establishment of kinetic/thermodynamic models of extracellular electron transfer processes, which are essential to understand the electron transfer mechanisms at the molecular scale. This review briefly summarizes the current advances in spectral methods for examining the c-Cyts in intact cells of dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria and Fe(Ⅱ)-oxidizing bacteria.

Distribution characteristics of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in the Typha latifolia constructed wetlands using fluorescent in situ hybridization(FISH)

A molecular biology method, fluorescent in situ hybridization（FISH）, in which the pre-treatment was improved in allusion to the media of the constructed wetlands（CW）, e.g. the soil and the grit, was used to investigate the vertical distribution characteristics of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria（AOB） quantity and the relation with oxidation-reduction potential（ORP） in the Typha latifolia constructed wetlands under three different Ioadings in summer from May to September. Results showed that the quantity of the AOB decreased in the Typha latifolia CW with the increase of vertical depth. However, the AOB quantity was 2-4 times the quantity of the control in the root area. Additionally, ORP in the rhizosphere was found to be higher than other areas, which showed that Typha latifolia CW was in an aerobic state in summer when using simulated non-point sewage at the rural area of Taihu Lake in China and small town combined sewage.

Corrosion and Electrochemical Behavior of 316L Stainless Steel in Sulfate-reducing and Iron-oxidizing Bacteria Solutions

Corrosion and electrochemical behavior of 316L stainless steel was investigated in the presence of aerobic iron-oxidizing bacteria IOB and anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria SRB isolated from cooling water systems in an oil refinery using electrochemical measurement, scanning electron microscopy SEM and energy dispersive atom X-ray analysisEDAX. The results show the corrosion potential and pitting potential of 316L stainless steel decrease distinctly in the presence of bacteria, in comparison with those observed in sterile medium under the same exposure time. SEM morphologies have shown that 316L stainless steel reveals no signs of pitting attack in the sterile medium. However, micrometer-scale corrosion pits were observed on 316L stainless steel sur- face in the presence of bacteria. The presence of SRB leads to higher corrosion rates than IOB. The interactions between the stainless steel surface, abiotic corrosion products, and bacterial cells and their metabolic products in- creased the corrosion damage degree of the passive film and accelerated pitting propagation.

Se-Bearing Colloidal Particles Produced by Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria and Sulfide-Oxidizing Bacteria: TEM Study

As determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the reduction of selenate and selenite by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, a sulfate-reducing bacterium, produces spherical (Se, S) sub-micro particles outside the cell. The particles are crystalline or amorphous, depending on medium composition. Amorphous-like Se-rich spherical particles may also occur inside the bacterial cells. The bacteria are more active in the reduction of selenite than selenate. The Desulfovibrio desulfuricans bacterium is able to extract S in the (S, Se) solid solution particles and transform S-rich particles into Se-rich and Se crystals. Photoautotrophs, such as Chromatium spp., are able to oxidize sulfide (S2-). When the bacteria grow in sulfide- and selenide-bearing environments, they produce amorphous-like (S, Se) globules inside the cells. TEM results show that compositional zonation in the (S, Se) globules occur in Chromatium spp. collected from a top sediment layer of a Se-contaminated pond. S2-?may be from the products of sulfate-reducing bacteria. Both the sulfate-reducing bacteria and photosynthetic Chromatium metabolize S preferentially over Se. It is proposed that the S-rich zones are formed during photosynthesis (day) period, and the Se-rich zones are formed during respiration active (night) period. The results indicate that both Desulfovibrio desulfuricans and Chromatium spp. are able to immobilize the oxidized selenium (selenate and/or selenite) in the forms of elemental selenium and (Se, S) solid solutions. The bacteria reduce S in the (Se, S) particles and further enrich Se in the crystalline particles. The reduced S combines with Fe2+ to form amorphous FeS.

Variation of Potential Nitrification and Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacterial Community with Plant-Growing Period in Apple Orchard Soil

In this study, we investigated the potential nitrification and community structure of soil-based ammonia-oxidizing bacteria （AOB） in apple orchard soil during different growth periods and explored the effects of environmental factors on nitrification activity and AOB community composition in the soil of a Hanfu apple orchard, using a culture-dependent technique and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE）. We observed that nitrification activity and AOB abundance were the highest in November, lower in May, and the lowest in July. The results of statistical analysis indicated that total nitrogen （N） content, NH4＋-N content, NO3-N content, and pH showed significant correlations with AOB abundance and nitrification activity in soil. The Shannon-Winner diversity, as well as species richness and evenness indices （determined by PCR-DGGE banding patterns） in soil samples were the highest in September, but the lowest in July, when compared to additional sampled dates. The DGGE fingerprints of soil-based 16S rRNA genes in November were apparently distinct from those observed in May, July, and September, possessing the lowest species richness indices and the highest dominance indices among all four growth periods. Fourteen DGGE bands were excised for sequencing. The resulting analysis indicated that all AOB communities belonged to the 13-Proteobacteria phylum, with the dominant AOB showing high similarity to the Nitrosospira genus. Therefore, soil-based environmental factors, such as pH variation and content of NHa＋-N and NO3--N, can substantially influence the abundance of AOB communities in soil, and play a critical role in soil-based nitrification kinetics.

Photokilling of waterborne-resistant pathogenic bacteria using cobalt-doped zinc oxide doped on reduced graphene oxide nanoparticles

This study is aimed at the chemical synthesis of light-activated cobalt-doped zinc oxide and its further doping on reduced graphene oxide(RGO)and assessment of its antibacterial activity on antibiotic-resistant waterborne pathogens including Enterococcus faecalis,Staphylococcus aureus,Klebsiella pneumonia,and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized via UV–vis spectroscopy,scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS).The minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC)of nanoparticles portrayed a significant killing of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.The synthesized nanoparticles were further found as active killers of bacteria in drinking water.Further,these nanoparticles were found photothermally active alongside ROS generators.The photokilling activity makes them ideal replacement candidates for traditional water filters.

Optimization of Fermentation Media for Enhancing Nitrite-oxidizing Activity by Artificial Neural Network Coupling Genetic Algorithm

Two artificial intelligence techniques, artificial neural network and genetic algorithm, were applied to optimize the fermentation medium for improving the nitrite oxidization rate of nitrite oxidizing bacteria. Experiments were conducted with the composition of medium components obtained by genetic algorithm, and the experimental data were used to build a BP (back propagation) neural network model. The concentrations of six medium components were used as input vectors, and the nitrite oxidization rate was used as output vector of the model. The BP neural network model was used as the objective function of genetic algorithm to find the optimum medium composition for the maximum nitrite oxidization rate. The maximum nitrite oxidization rate was 0.952 g 2 NO-2-N·(g MLSS)-1·d-1 , obtained at the genetic algorithm optimized concentration of medium components (g·L-1 ): NaCl 0.58, MgSO 4 ·7H 2 O 0.14, FeSO 4 ·7H 2 O 0.141, KH 2 PO 4 0.8485, NaNO 2 2.52, and NaHCO 3 3.613. Validation experiments suggest that the experimental results are consistent with the best result predicted by the model. A scale-up experiment shows that the nitrite degraded completely after 34 h when cultured in the optimum medium, which is 10 h less than that cultured in the initial medium.