Small Capsule Research Articles

Molecular data and phylogenetic analysis of Myxobolus pseudonobilis n. sp. infecting the gill filaments of silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix Valenciennes, 1844.

In the present study, we combined morphological and phylogenetic methods to characterize Myxobolus pseudonobilis n. sp. infecting Hypophthalmichthys molitrix Valenciennes, 1844 from Chongqing, China. The morphology and molecular characteristics of M. pseudonobilis n. sp. were distinct from those of other previously described Myxobolus species. Mature myxospores were ovoid in frontal view with spore dimensions of 10.0±0.4 (9.3-10.9) μm in length and 8.5±0.2 (7.9-9.0) μm in width. Two polar capsules occupying approximately half of the myxospore length were unequal in size. The larger polar capsule containing 6 to 7 filament coils measured 5.2±0.3 (4.5-5.8) μm in length and 3.6±0.2 (3.2-3.9) μm in width, while the smaller capsule with 4 to 5 filament coils measured 3.9±0.3 (3.0-4.4) μm in length and 2.5±0.3 (2.1-3.6) μm in width. The comparison of molecular characteristics demonstrated similarities and genetic distances of 18S rDNA sequences of 95.19% - 98.20% and 1.82% - 5.46%, respectively, between M. pseudonobilis n. sp. and its morphologically similar species, and secondary structures were also distinctly different. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis showed that M. pseudonobilis n. sp. was clustered with other myxobolids possessing spores with a blunt anterior end and branched independently. In addition, the morphology of myxosporeans as an important indicator was discussed.

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Most of the more than one million cardiac pacemakers implanted each year have up to three leads that reach into the heart's chambers. The most modern pacemakers integrate all of the pacemaker functions into a small capsule that be directly implanted into the endocardium, resulting in what is known as a leadless cardiac pacemaker. However, these can typically only be used to stimulate a single chamber. By using intra-body communication, the operation of more than one leadless cardiac pacemaker can be synchronized, resulting in the ability to use this approach with multiple chambers of the heart. The paper by Mirko Maldari, Chadi Jabbour, Youcef Haddab, and Patricia Desgreys describes a system for such intra-body communication for pacemakers. The design and development of the system is described, as well as the optimization of the power usage of the system based on the signal waveform involved. The results demonstrated the telemetry-based synchronization of a dual-chamber leadless cardiac pacemaker system with minimum power consumption. This paper was based on one of the finalists for the 2021 URSI-France PhD Prize in Radio Science.

Capsule Size Alters the Timing of Metabolic Alkalosis Following Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation.

Introduction: Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) is a well-established nutritional ergogenic aid that is typically ingested as a beverage or consumed in gelatine capsules. While capsules may delay the release of NaHCO3 and reduce gastrointestinal (GI) side effects compared with a beverage, it is currently unclear whether the capsule size may influence acid–base responses and GI symptoms following supplementation.Aim: This study aims to determine the effects of NaHCO3 supplementation, administered in capsules of different sizes, on acid–base responses, GI symptoms, and palatability.Methods: Ten healthy male subjects (mean ± SD: age 20 ± 2 years; height 1.80 ± 0.09 m; weight 78.0 ± 11.9 kg) underwent three testing sessions whereby 0.3 g NaHCO3/kg of body mass was consumed in either small (size 3), medium (size 0), or large (size 000) capsules. Capillary blood samples were procured pre-ingestion and every 10 min post-ingestion for 180 min. Blood samples were analyzed using a radiometer (Radiometer ABL800, Denmark) to determine blood bicarbonate concentration ([]) and potential hydrogen (pH). GI symptoms were measured using a questionnaire at the same timepoints, whereas palatability was recorded pre-consumption.Results: Capsule size had a significant effect on lag time (the time [] changed, Tlag) and the timing of peak blood [] (Tmax). Bicarbonate Tlag was significantly higher in the large-sized (28 ± 4 min) compared with the small-sized (13 ± 2 min) capsules (P = 0.009). Similarly, Tmax was significantly lower in the small capsule (94 ± 24 min) compared with both the medium-sized (141 ± 27 min; P < 0.001) and the large-sized (121 ± 29 min; P < 0.001) capsules. The GI symptom scores were similar for small-sized (3 ± 3 AU), medium-sized (5 ± 3 AU), and large-sized (3 ± 3 AU) capsules, with no significant difference between symptom scores (F = 1.3, P = 0.310). Similarly, capsule size had no effect on palatability (F = 0.8, P = 0.409), with similar scores between different capsule sizes.Conclusion: Small capsule sizes led to quicker Tlag and Tmax of blood [] concentration compared to medium and large capsules, suggesting that individuals could supplement NaHCO3 in smaller capsules if they aim to increase extracellular buffering capacity more quickly.

Facial Expression Recognition Method Based on Shallow Small Convolution Kernel Capsule Network

Aiming at the problem of CNNs recognition and classification ability for the facial expression cannot accurately express the relative position relationship of facial organs and the problem of network training parameters, so a shallow and small convolution kernel capsule network structure optimization is designed for facial expression recognition. In this method, the capsule network is used to establish the spatial relationship of facial expression features. On the premise of ensuring the accuracy of the network, a shallow small convolution kernel is used to reduce the network parameters of the capsule network, which optimizes the quantity and quality of capsule of the capsule network to improve the calculation efficiency. The SCapsNet proposed in this paper is compared and verified with multiple benchmark models. The research results show that the SCapsNet has a higher accuracy rate in processing facial expression classification problems on the facial expression data sets CK+ and JAFFE.

First complete description of the dark-mouth skate Raja arctowskii Dollo, 1904 from Antarctic waters, assigned to the genus Bathyraja (Elasmobranchii, Rajiformes, Arhynchobatidae)

The dark-mouth skate, Raja arctowskii Dollo, 1904 from Antarctic waters is an extraordinary case in skate taxonomy. For more than 100 years, this species has been known only from three empty egg capsules and the species as such has remained undescribed due to the lack of specimens that could be assigned to Dollo’s small capsules. Since trawled egg capsules and an egg capsule containing a near-term embryo became available, it finally was possible to connect specimens with the empty egg capsules and completely describe Dollo’s R. arctowskii with detailed external morphology, skeletal features, clasper morphology, and clasper skeleton and assign it to the genus Bathyraja Ishiyama, 1958a. Bathyraja arctowskii is one of the smallest known species of Bathyraja, attaining only a 61 cm total length (TL). It is characterized by an at least partly, usually completely medium to dark grayish pigmented mouth cavity, as well as the often dark underside of the nasal curtain from very small juvenile stages onwards. It further differs from most congeners in Antarctic and Subantarctic waters in the absence of thorns on the dorsal disc. It appears to be a wide-ranging, circumantarctic species found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean sectors of the Southern Ocean. The species seems to be locally common at least in the Atlantic sector, with up to 94 juvenile to subadult specimens caught in one single haul.

Quality performance measures for small capsule endoscopy: Are the ESGE quality standards met?

Background and study aims The European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) recently issued a quality performance measures document for small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE). The aim of this nationwide survey was to explore SBCE practice with ESGE quality measures as a benchmark. Patients and methods A dedicated per-center semi-quantitative questionnaire based on ESGE performance measures for SBCE was created by a group of SBCE experts. One-hundred-eighty-one centers were invited to participate and were asked to calculate performance measures for SBCE performed in 2018. Data were compared with 10 ESGE quality standards for both key and minor performance measures. Results Ninety-one centers (50.3 %) participated in the data collection. Overall in the last 5 years (2014–2018), 26,615 SBCEs were performed, 5917 of which were done in 2018. Eighty percent or more of the participating centers reached the minimum standard established by the ESGE Small Bowel Working Group (ESBWG) for four performance measures (indications for SBCE, complete small bowel evaluation, diagnostic yield and retention rate). Conversely, compliance with six minimum standards established by ESBWG concerning adequate bowel preparation, patient selection, timing of SBCE in overt bleeding, appropriate reporting, reading protocols and referral to device-assisted enteroscopy was met by only 15.5 %, 10.9 %, 31.1 %, 67.7 %, 53.4 %, and 32.2 % of centers, respectively. Conclusions The present survey shows significant variability across SBCE centers; only four (4/10: 40 %) SBCE procedural minimum standards were met by a relevant proportion of the centers ( ≥ 80 %). Our data should help in identifying target areas for quality improvement programs in SBCE.

Staining of subfossil chironomid head capsules: a method for improving the extraction process from lake sediments and peat

Subfossil chironomids are regarded as a useful biological proxy for palaeoenvironmental research, but picking chironomid head capsules from aquatic sediments is extremely time-consuming. This is often the case for finding and isolating small head capsules from the deflocculated sediment. In this study, two stains (aniline blue and cotton blue) were used to dye chironomid head capsules in lake and peat sediments to improve the traditional pretreatment method and boost the picking efficiency. The results suggested that: (1) there were sharp contrasts between chironomids and residues after staining, which could shorten picking time for both lake and peat samples; (2) different parts of head capsules showed distinctive colour in stained samples and thus facilitated identification and taxonomy of subfossil chironomids; (3) the dyeing effects of two stains were comparable and no significant effect of staining on chironomid composition has been observed compared with unstained samples. This study demonstrates that aniline blue and cotton blue stain can promote picking efficiency of subfossil chironomids, and can be widely applied to pretreatment of sedimentary chironomids in palaeoenvironmental studies on lakes and peatlands.

Engineering encapsulated ionic liquids for next-generation applications.

Ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted considerable attention in several sectors (from energy storage to catalysis, from drug delivery to separation media) owing to their attractive properties, such as high thermal stability, wide electrochemical window, and high ionic conductivity. However, their high viscosity and surface tension compared to conventional organic solvents can lead to unfavorable transport properties. To circumvent undesired kinetics effects limiting mass transfer, the discretization of ILs into small droplets has been proposed as a method to increase the effective surface area and the rates of mass transfer. In the present review paper, we summarize the different methods developed so far for encapsulating ILs in organic or inorganic shells and highlight characteristic features of each approach, while outlining potential applications. The remarkable tunability of ILs, which derives from the high number of anions and cations currently available as well as their permutations, combines with the possibility of tailoring the composition, size, dispersity, and properties (e.g., mechanical, transport) of the shell to provide a toolbox for rationally designing encapsulated ILs for next-generation applications, including carbon capture, energy storage devices, waste handling, and microreactors. We conclude this review with an outlook on potential applications that could benefit from the possibility of encapsulating ILs in organic and inorganic shells.

Myxobolus freitasi n. sp. (Myxozoa: Bivalvulida), a parasite of the brain of the electric knifefish in the Brazilian Amazon region.

A total of 30 specimens of the Amazonian electric knifefish, Brachyhypopomus beebei Schultz, 1944 (Gymnotiformes: Hypopomidae), were collected from the Peixe-Boi River in the state of Pará, Brazil (1°06'59" S; 47°18'26" W). Fragments of the brain tissue were extracted for analysis via optical microscopy, and 18 specimens (60%) presented microparasites of the genus Myxobolus, with unequal capsules. The spores were 18.6 µm (17.7-19.8 µm) long and 8.6 µm (8.4-9.0 µm) wide; the largest polar capsule was 13.0 µm (12.4-13.4 µm) long and 5.6 µm (5.3-6.0 µm) wide, and the smallest capsule was 5.0 µm (4.5-5.3 µm) long and 2.5 µm (2.3-2.6 µm) wide. Infected brain fragments were extracted for histological processing and staining with hematoxylin-eosin and Ziehl-Neelsen. Some fragments were conserved in ethanol for molecular genetics analysis. A partial sequence of the 18S DNA gene was obtained from the spores, which did not correspond to any other sequences deposited in GenBank, although it did form a clade with other Myxobolus parasites of the nervous system. The morphological data, together with molecular phylogeny, supported the designation of a new species Myxobolus freitasi n. sp.

Flight and Recovery Operation of HTV Small Re-entry Capsule

Flight and Recovery Operation of HTV Small Re-entry Capsule

Hemosuccus pancreaticus due to a small arterial pseudoaneurysm detected by CE-EUS and successfully treated with angiographic coiling (with video).

In hemosuccus pancreaticus,[1] potentially life-threatening bleeding into the pancreatic duct is usually caused by a large arterial pseudoaneurysm (average size of 52 mm) in chronic pancreatitis.[2] Bleeding from the papilla can be seen by endoscopy, and pseudoaneurysm can be detected by standard cross-sectional imaging. In this case report, a small pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery with a fistula to the pancreatic duct could only be discovered by contrast-enhanced EUS (CE-EUS). A 54-year-old man with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug intake and history of chronic alcohol pancreatitis was admitted for tarry stools. A cause for bleeding could not be identified by gastroscopy, ileocolonoscopy, abdominal ultrasound, and computed tomography [Figure 1]. However, the gastrointestinal bleeding continued. Small bowel video capsule endoscopy was performed and showed traces of blood in the duodenum. Repeated duodenoscopy presented a slight hemobilia from the papilla [Figure 2]. Therefore, hemosuccus pancreaticus was assumed, and CE-EUS indeed detected an arterial fistula to the pancreatic duct [Figure 3 and Video 1]. In the following, angiography showed a small pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery [Figure 4], which was successfully treated by angiographic coiling [Figure 5] according to common guidelines.[3] Bleeding stopped after transfusion of summed up 9 units of blood. In some cases, EUS combined with Doppler ultrasound might be sufficient for the detection of the fistula[4] but failed in this patient. The useful application of CE-EUS in hemosuccus pancreaticus was previously shown in only one case report, in which the feeding vessel of a large pseudoaneurysm (42 mm) could not have been detected by angiography.[5] In conclusion, CE-EUS might be useful to detect hemosuccus pancreaticus due to small arterial pseudoaneurysms in patients with occult gastrointestinal bleeding.Figure 1: Computed tomography of the abdomen showing chronic pancreatitis with calcifications but cannot identify the source of gastrointestinal bleedingFigure 2: Slight hemobilia from the papilla is shown in repeated duodenoscopyFigure 3: Selected image from Video 1 showing the fistula from the arterial pseudoaneurysm to the pancreatic ductFigure 4: Selective angiography showing a small pseudoaneurysm (<20 mm) of the splenic artery. Fistula from the pseudoaneurysm to the pancreatic duct is not demonstratedFigure 5: Successfully treated pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery by angiographic coiling. Direct application of the coils into the pseudoaneurysm had to be avoidedBRIEF DESCRIPTION CE-EUS was helpful to detect hemosuccus pancreaticus due to a small arterial pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery in a patient with chronic pancreatitis and on-going occult gastrointestinal bleeding. Hemosuccus pancreaticus was successfully treated by angiographic coiling. Declaration of patient consent The authors certify that they have obtained all appropriate patient consent forms. In the form the patient has given his consent for his images and other clinical information to be reported in the journal. The patient understands that his name and initials will not be published and due efforts will be made to conceal his identity, but anonymity cannot be guaranteed. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.

Estimation of Dynamic Stability Characteristics for the HTV Small Re-entry Capsule and Its Comparison with the Flight Data

Estimation of Dynamic Stability Characteristics for the HTV Small Re-entry Capsule and Its Comparison with the Flight Data

Microcapsule from PCL/PEG as Controlled Nifedipine Drug Delivery Carrier

Problems related to controlled drug release are important to immediately find a solution because of the dangers of drug side effects if consumed repeatedly every day. The drug used is Nifedipine which is a hydrophobic drug. This research used a synthetic combination of poly(caprolactone) and poly(ethylene glycol) with surfactants in the form of tween 80 and span 80 while the method used was microencapsulation. Microencapsulation is a process in which active substances are coated by extremely small capsules. Once the drug was in the intestine, it was released in a controlled manner so as to minimize side effects and maximize drug release. The results showed that the composition of the best poly(caprolactone) (PCL): (PEG) poly(ethylene glycol) combination was 80:20 with a molecular weight of PEG 400 g/mol. The result of the encapsulation efficiency percentage obtained 97.84% ± 0.01 and the result of dissolution test was 44.77%.

The exploration of size and toddler interaction with liquid laundry detergent capsules.

Liquid laundry capsules have been involved in multiple poisoning incidents with young children in the home. There are a range of contributing factors for these incidents, including influences from industry, culture, home environments, and parenting/supervision. There also are influences from children’s behaviour and decisions in reaction to potential hazards. Previous research examined the influence of capsule product appearance and colour on children’s behaviour around hazardous household items, but little research examines the influence of product size. This research explored if differences in the size of liquid laundry capsules result in different levels of toddler interaction. We compared two commercially available capsule designs that are identical in physical appearance but differ in physical size. Our research was conducted using three studies: Study 1, forced-choice test in an out-of-context laboratory setting; Study 2, an ecologically-valid, simulated real-world setting replicating a home laundry cabinet with a container of capsules left open; and Study 3, a second ecologically-valid study replicating a home laundry cabinet, this time with a capsule left outside its container. Capsule interaction was measured by grasping choice among samples of 156 toddlers ages 9–36 months. The same sample was used for Studies 1 and 2, and a second identically sized sample recruited for Study 3. Results from Study 1 indicated toddlers selected the small (49.8% selection) and large (50.2%) capsule with nearly identical frequency. Study 2 largely replicated Study 1: Toddlers selected the small capsule or container of small capsules 26.8% of the time and the large capsule or container of large capsules 22.3% of the time. Study 3 also replicated previous findings: Toddlers selected the smaller capsule 18.0% of the time and the larger 19.2%. We discuss study results, which suggest no appreciable difference in toddler’s grasping choice to smaller versus larger laundry capsules.

Thermal-Hydraulic and Engineering Evaluations of New LOCA Testing Methods in TREAT

Design evaluations and thermal-hydraulic predictions were undertaken to compare three candidate options for loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA)–testing capabilities at the Transient Reactor Test facility (TREAT). These options included a small water capsule, a large natural circulation capsule, and a forced-convection water loop. All options were found to create reasonable approximations of radial temperature gradients in fuel specimens prior to blowdown to a secondary tank. Given its minimalist form factor, the small water capsule was predicted to perform remarkably well in mimicking the thermal response of a 20-pellet fuel rodlet during a postulated LOCA event, while sensitivity studies showed versatility in adjusting conditions for specific test phenomena priorities. The large natural circulation capsule predictions showed representative capsule pressure evolution but indicated it would likely struggle to capture the desired fuel temperature response in the blowdown transition, primarily due to nonrepresentative cooling as its tall water column was discharged. These results were compared to previous water loop evaluations that had shown a capability for representing ideal test conditions, especially for longer rodlet test specimens in small bundles, while being achievable in a self-contained form factor to facilitate test logistics. Considering the broader cost and capability spectrum needed to support fuel safety research, these efforts resulted in a recommendation to pursue the small water capsule for near-term data needs specific to high-burnup fuel fragmentation, while continuing detailed development of the water loop to address ultimate data needs.

S2121 Overt Small Bowel Bleeding From a Jejunal GIST

INTRODUCTION: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare causes of gastrointestinal malignancies. Herein we describe a cause of upper GI bleeding from a jejunal GIST. CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS: A 58-year-old male with history of chronic hepatitis B, hypertension and hyperlipidemia presented to the hospital with melena and lightheadedness. The patient was hemodynamically stable with an elevated BUN/creatinine ratio and initial hemoglobin of 11.5 g/dL. His repeat CBC twelve hours later revealed down trend of hemoglobin to 8.5 g/dL. Review of the patient’s past admission and outpatient history revealed the patient was admitted two years prior for GI bleed requiring multiple blood transfusions. At that time, upper endoscopy, colonoscopy and CT scan of the abdomen/pelvis were unrevealing as was a 99 Technetium bleeding scan. He was discharged and scheduled for outpatient small bowel video capsule but was lost to follow up. He returned to the clinic one year later and repeat upper endoscopy and colonoscopy were performed. Upper endoscopy revealed mild gastritis and colonoscopy revealed medium sized hemorrhoids but he had a poor colon bowel prep. Small bowel video capsule endoscopy revealed AVM's in the proximal small bowel but the study was also poor due to bile obscuring most of the small bowel mucosa. Due to concern for possible small bowel AVM bleed, we opted to perform upper endoscopy with push enteroscopy. A large ulcerated friable nodular mass with stigamata of recent bleeding was identified in the proximal jejunum. Bite on bite biopsies were obtained to evaluate the mass and a tattoo was placed for identification purposes. Despite the deep biopsies, pathology later returned as normal small bowel mucosa. A CT enterography was obtained revealing a 3.5 × 3.6 × 3.5 cm hyperenhancing mass arising from the proximal jejunum with adjacent wall thickening. Surgical consultation was obtained and the patient underwent laparoscopic resection of the mass. Pathology demonstrated low grade spindle-cell type gastrointestinal stromal tumor. DISCUSSION: Although an uncommon cause for GI bleeding overall, GISTs are a common cause of small bowel bleeding. Obtaining a thorough history and evaluation of the patient’s prior outpatient records proved useful in identifying the cause of bleeding in this case even though it was different from what was suspected.Figure 1Figure 2

S1311 CNN Analysis of Video Capsule Endoscopy Frames Reduces Miss Rate of Relevant Lesions

INTRODUCTION: Human reads of small bowel video capsule endoscopy (VCE) have a surprisingly high miss-rate for known lesions.1 We previously reported development of a convolutional neural networks (CNN) with very high sensitivity and specificity for detection of lesions on VCE images.2 We aimed to determine if this CNN can detect relevant lesions missed by human readers of VCE. METHODS: A total of 146 VCE studies (not previously exposed to CNN) were evaluated for this retrospective study. Each video was de-identified and analyzed by the CNN to select frames predicted to contain abnormalities. The frames saved by the original reader (‘OR’) were verified to include examples of all relevant lesions mentioned in the de-identified report. Abnormalities identified in ‘OR’ frames and CNN frames were reviewed and classified by 3 experts as clinically relevant, possibly relevant, or innocent. Each abnormality found by ‘OR’ and CNN were aligned by timestamp to determine if found by CNN only, ‘OR’ only, or by both CNN and reader. RESULTS: From these 146 VCEs, there were a total of 542 abnormal findings (17% were relevant, 47% were possibly relevant and 36% were innocent (Table 1). Of the definitely relevant findings, 68% were found by both the ‘OR’ and the CNN, 1% was found by only the ‘OR’ (missed by CNN), and 31% were found by only the CNN (missed by ‘OR’). Of the possibly relevant findings 36% were found by both, 5% were found by only the ‘OR’, and 36% were found by only the CNN. Of the innocent findings 55% were found by both, 19% were found by only the ‘OR’, and 58% were found by only the CNN. Broken down by lesion type, miss rates of definitely relevant lesions by ‘OR’ vs CNN are shown in Table 2. Of the 94,000 mean number of frames analyzed per video, the CNN generated a mean of 200 frames with abnormalities, of which, a mean of 31 were confirmed to have abnormalities (Table 3). CONCLUSION: This retrospective comparison of lesion detection by original reader vs CNN in 146 VCE studies suggests that use of CNN may significantly reduce miss rate of clinically relevant lesions, especially AVMs, bulges, and polypoid lesions.Table 1.: Relevance of abnormalities found reader vs CNNTable 2.: Miss rates among "Definitely Relevant" lesionsTable 3.: Total frames generated by VCE and CNN compared to frames with abnormalities

Sonerilacardamomensis (Melastomataceae), a new species from Cambodia.

Sonerilacardamomensis, a new species of family Melastomataceae from the Central Cardamom Protected Area in Koh Kong province of southwestern Cambodia, is described and illustrated. The species is similar to S.violifolia Hook.f. ex Triana, but is readily distinguished by its cordate leaf base, lack of setae at the nodes, longer pedicels, smaller petals, smaller hypanthiums and smaller capsules.

Small bioreactor platform capsules provide persistent digestive biomass for continuous bioreactors operated under short hydraulic retention times

Bioaugmentation treatments in general and the use of encapsulated selected microbial cultures in particular are gaining significant attention as a promising approach for the treatment of wastewater containing phenols and other organic pollutants. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the biodegradation performance of a Pseudomonas putida culture encapsulated in a unique 3-D capsule known as the small bioreactor platform (SBP). Batch and continuous bioreactors, bioaugmented with two different P. putida culture states, i.e., encapsulated and free suspended cells, were operated under different phenol loadings. During the batch experiments, the biodegradation rate of the suspended culture was equal to or higher than the encapsulated culture, except for the highest phenol concentration of 1000 mg/L, where the encapsulated bacterial culture exhibited a superior biodegradation rate (45 mg/L/h) relative to the free culture (16.7 mg/L/h). In addition, in the continuous bioreactor, at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of up to 1 h, the encapsulated P. putida completely biodegraded the phenol in the influent with 50 mg/L phenol, showing a maximal biodegradation rate of 45 mg/L/h. However, decreasing the HRT to 0.5 and 0.25 h resulted in incomplete biodegradation, despite higher biodegradation rates (90 and 70 mg/L/h, respectively). Furthermore, a sharp decrease in the biodegradation process efficiency was observed when the suspended culture was released from the SBP capsules by cutting the microfiltration membrane of the capsules. Therefore, this study demonstrates that, compared with suspended cultures, SBP culture encapsulation achieves superior performance as a bioaugmentation strategy, especially in continuous bioreactors, such that it can be applied in the treatment of phenol rich wastewater.

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Entosthodon elimbatus &lt;/em&gt;(Bryophyta, Funariaceae), a new species from the sub-alpine region in Yunnan and &lt;em&gt;E. physcomitrioides &lt;/em&gt;new for mainland China&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Entosthodon elimbatus W.Z. Ma, Shevock &amp; S. He, a new species from a sub-alpine area in Yunnan, China, is described here based on morphological and molecular data. Morphologically, the new species resembles the widespread species E. buseanus, but differs most notably in having significantly shortened setae, smaller capsules and nearly unbordered laminae. Images from the scanning electron microscope also show compound-papillose ornamentation over the spore surface, which is characteristic of this new species. The generic validation of the new species in Entosthodon is supported by a phylogenetic analysis based on the plastid rps4 sequence. Entosthodon physcomitrioides, characterized by its well-developed apophysis and peristome, is confirmed as a new record for mainland China. Detailed descriptions and illustrations for both species are provided.