Contemporary strategies and approaches for characterizing composition and enhancing biofilm penetration targeting bacterial extracellular polymeric substances

Extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)constitutes crucial elements within bacterial biofilms,facili-tating accelerated antimicrobial resistance and conferring defense against the host's immune cells.Developing precise and effective antibiofilm approaches and strategies,tailored to the specific charac-teristics of EPS composition,can offer valuable insights for the creation of novel antimicrobial drugs.This,in turn,holds the potential to mitigate the alarming issue of bacterial drug resistance.Current analysis of EPS compositions relies heavily on colorimetric approaches with a significant bias,which is likely due to the selection of a standard compound and the cross-interference of various EPS compounds.Considering the pivotal role of EPS in biofilm functionality,it is imperative for EPS research to delve deeper into the analysis of intricate compositions,moving beyond the current focus on polymeric materials.This ne-cessitates a shift from heavy reliance on colorimetric analytic methods to more comprehensive and nuanced analytical approaches.In this study,we have provided a comprehensive summary of existing analytical methods utilized in the characterization of EPS compositions.Additionally,novel strategies aimed at targeting EPS to enhance biofilm penetration were explored,with a specific focus on high-lighting the limitations associated with colorimetric methods.Furthermore,we have outlined the challenges faced in identifying additional components of EPS and propose a prospective research plan to address these challenges.This review has the potential to guide future researchers in the search for novel compounds capable of suppressing EPS,thereby inhibiting biofilm formation.This insight opens up a new avenue for exploration within this research domain.

Dark-Forest:Analysis on the Behavior of Dark Web Traffic via DeepForest and PSO Algorithm

The dark web is a shadow area hidden in the depths of the Internet,which is difficult to access through common search engines.Because of its anonymity,the dark web has gradually become a hotbed for a variety of cyber-crimes.Although some research based on machine learning or deep learning has been shown to be effective in the task of analyzing dark web traffic in recent years,there are still pain points such as low accuracy,insufficient real-time performance,and limited application scenarios.Aiming at the difficulties faced by the existing automated dark web traffic analysis methods,a novel method named Dark-Forest to analyze the behavior of dark web traffic is proposed.In this method,firstly,particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to filter the redundant features of dark web traffic data,which can effectively shorten the training and inference time of the model to meet the realtime requirements of dark web detection task.Then,the selected features of traffic are analyzed and classified using the DeepForest model as a backbone classifier.The comparison experiment with the current mainstream methods shows that Dark-Forest takes into account the advantages of statistical machine learning and deep learning,and achieves an accuracy rate of 87.84%.This method not only outperforms baseline methods such as Random Forest,MLP,CNN,and the original DeepForest in both large-scale and small-scale dataset based learning tasks,but also can detect normal network traffic,tunnel network traffic and anonymous network traffic,which may close the gap between different network traffic analysis tasks.Thus,it has a wider application scenario and higher practical value.

DMP1 prevents osteocyte alterations,FGF23 elevation and left ventricular hypertrophy in mice with chronic kidney disease

During chronic kidney disease (CKD),alterations in bone and mineral metabolism include increased production of the hormone fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) that may contribute to cardiovascular mortality.The osteocyte protein dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) reduces FGF23 and enhances bone mineralization,but its effects in CKD are unknown.We tested the hypothesis that DMP1 supplementation in CKD would improve bone health,prevent FGF23 elevations and minimize consequent adverse cardiovascular outcomes.We investigated DMP1 regulation and effects in wild-type (WT) mice and the Col4a3^-/- mouse model of CKD.Col4a3^-/- mice demonstrated impaired kidney function,reduced bone DMP1 expression,reduced bone mass,altered osteocyte morphology and connectivity,increased osteocyte apoptosis,increased serum FGF23,hyperphosphatemia,left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH),and reduced survival.Genetic or pharmacological supplementation of DMP1 in Col4a3^-/- mice prevented osteocyte apoptosis,preserved osteocyte networks,corrected bone mass,partially lowered FGF23 levels by attenuating NFAT-induced FGF23 transcription,and further increased serum phosphate.Despite impaired kidney function and worsened hyperphosphatemia,DMP1 prevented development of LVH and improved Col4a3^-/- survival.Our data suggest that CKD reduces DMP1 expression,whereas its restoration represents a potential therapeutic approach to lower FGF23 and improve bone and cardiac health in CKD.

Characterization on the formation of porosity and tensile properties prediction in die casting Mg alloys

The 3D visualization of the porosity in high-pressure die casting(HPDC)Mg alloys AZ91D and Mg4Ce2Al0.5Mn(EA42)was investigated by X-ray computed tomography.It was demonstrated that the volumetric porosity at the near-gate location for alloy EA42 was significantly higher than that far from the gate location.This difference resulted from the low valid time during intensified casting pressure conditions.Specimens of alloy EA42 exhibited a narrow pore distribution in the side view(~0.5 mm)compared to the wide distribution(~1.8 mm)of alloy AZ91D,which was mainly attributed to the formation mechanism of the defect band.The formation of microporosity in the defect band of alloy EA42 was inhibited because of the significant latent heat released by a large amount of the Al11Ce3phase segregated in the defect band during solidification.Additionally,an effective estimator(Z-Propagation)was introduced,which is proposed to predict the projected area fraction of the porosity(f)involved during tensile failure with better effectiveness compared with traditional methods based on the actual fractured surface.By coupling the Z-Propagation method with the critical local strain model,the logarithmic fracture strain and true fracture stress of the specimens were predicted within 3.03%and 1.65%of the absolute value of the average relative error(AARE),respectively.

A Comparison between TGT and Cz Grown Nd:YAG

Large sized neodymium-doped Y3Al5O12 （Nd：YAG） laser crystals have been grown by temperature gradient technique （TGT） method and compared with Czochralski （Cz） method. The comparison of these two crystal growth methods has been listed. The results showed that the TGT method has many advantages over the Cz method. The concentration distribution of Nd ions in the crystals was determined and the absorption spectra of these crystals have been investigated and compared. The TGT grown highly doped Nd：YAG crystal has a larger absorption FWHM than that of Cz grown Nd：YAG crysral. Highly doped Nd：YAG （～2.8 at. pct） crystals could be obtained by TGT.

Enhancing strength-ductility synergy in a Mg-Gd-Y-Zr alloy at sub-zero temperatures via high dislocation density and shearable precipitates

The strength-ductility trade-offdilemma is hard to be evaded in high-strength Mg alloys at sub-zero temperatures,especially in the Mg alloys containing a high volume fraction of precipitates.In this paper,we report an enhanced strength-ductility synergy at sub-zero temperatures in an aged Mg-7.37Gd-3.1Y-0.27Zr alloy.The tensile stress-strain curves at room temperature(RT),−70℃ and−196℃ show that the strength increases monotonically with decreasing temperature,but the elongation increases first from RT to−70℃ then declines from−70℃ to−196℃.After systematic investigation of the microstructure evolutions at different deformation temperatures via synchrotron X-ray diffraction,electron backscattered diffraction(EBSD)and transmission electron microscopy(TEM),it is found that a high dislocation density with sufficient<c+a>dislocations promotes good tensile ductility at−70℃,which is attributed to the minimized critical resolved shear stress(CRSS)ratio of non-basal<c+a>to basaldislocations.In ad-dition,more shearable precipitates can further improve the ductility via lengthening the mean free path of dislocation glide.The present work demonstrates that an excellent strength-ductility synergy at sub-zero temperatures can be achieved by introducing a high dislocation density and shearable precipitates in high-strength Mg alloys.

Effect of Sb-induced oxygen octahedral distortion on piezoelectric performance and thermal stability of Pb(In,Nb)O_(3)-Pb(Hf,Ti)O_(3)ceramics

The combination of excellent thermal stability and outstanding electrical performance is of great sig-nificance for piezoelectric ceramics.Herein,we have prepared 0.11Pb(In_(0.5)Nb_(0.5))O_(3)-0.89Pb(Hf_(0.47)Ti_(0.53))O_(3)-Sb_(2)O_(5)(PIN-PHT-x Sb)ceramics by solid-phase method and investigated the effect of oxygen octahedral lattice distortion on microstructure and macroscopic electrical properties.The distortion index of oxygen octahedra is studied by Rietveld refinement,showing that optimal octahedral distortion can soften B-O repulsion,disrupt long-range ordered ferroelectric domains,and enhance local heterogeneities,signifi-cantly increasing piezoelectric properties.Moreover,outstanding thermal stability and ultrahigh piezo-electric response of PIN-PHT-1.2Sb ceramics are realized under the synergistic influence of octahedral distortion,excellent density,and large grain size.Compared with PIN-PHT ceramics,PIN-PHT-1.2Sb ce-ramics exhibit ultrahigh piezoelectric responses(d_(33)=706 pC/N,k_(p)=0.68,ε_(r)=3244),a high Curie temperature(T C)of 300℃,excellent thermal stability,and anti-fatigue properties.

Enhanced photocatalytic activities of Nd-doped TiO2 under visible light using a facile sol-gel method

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles modified with neodymium in the range of 1 mol% to 5 mol% were prepared with template-free sol-gel method.The structures of obtained samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction analysis.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.The photocatalytic activity of the obtained samples was evaluated by photodegradation of methyl orange in aqueous solution under ultraviolet-visible(λ> 350 nm) and visible(λ> 420 nm) irradiation.The experimental results show that the 1 mol% Nd-doped TiO2 exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity,of which the degradation can reach to 96.5% under visible irradiation.According to the XRD results,the pristine samples are combined with anatase TiO2 and rutile TiO2.while the Nd-doped TiO2 samples are anatase TiO2 only.This transformation has made an obvious promotion of photocatalyst activity after modification.

B7-H7 (HHLA2) inhibits T-cell activation and proliferation in the presence of TCR and CD28 signaling

Modulation of T-cell responses has played a key role in treating cancers and autoimmune diseases.Therefore,understanding how different receptors on T cells impact functional outcomes is crucial.The influence of B7-H7(HHLA2)and CD28H(TMIGD2)on T-cell activation remains controversial.Here we examined global transcriptomic changes in human T cells induced by B7-H7.Stimulation through TCR with OKT3 and B7-H7 resulted in modest fold changes in the expression of select genes;however,these fold changes were significantly lower than those induced by OKT3 and B7-1 stimulation.The transcriptional changes induced by OKT3 and B7-H7 were insufficient to provide functional stimulation as measured by evaluating T-cell proliferation and cytokine production.Interestingly,B7-H7 was coinhibitory when simultaneously combined with TCR and CD28 stimulation.This inhibitory activity was comparable to that observed with PD-L1.Finally,in physiological assays using T cells and APCs,blockade of B7-H7 enhanced T-cell activation and proliferation,demonstrating that this ligand acts as a break signal.Our work defines that the transcriptomic changes induced by B7-H7 are insufficient to support full costimulation with TCR signaling and,instead,B7-H7 inhibits T-cell activation and proliferation in the presence of TCR and CD28 signaling.

Enhanced catalysis of ultrasmall Au-MoS_2 clusters against reactive oxygen species for radiation protection

Ionizing radiation produces excessive reactive oxygen species(ROS) which impose detrimental effects on biological systems. Thus, it is important to explore clinically safe and efficacious radioprotection agents to scavenge ROS and reduce the risks of radiotherapy. Recently, emerging catalytic nanomaterials such as sulfide nanomaterials have shown capability of clearing ROS in vivo by unique electron transfers between atoms, but their catalytic activities are yet suboptimal. As such, there is an unmet need to improve catalytic properties for stronger antioxidant activities and radiation protection. Herein, we prepared ultrasmall Au-MoS_2 clusters(~2.5 nm) and they showed enhanced catalytic properties via gold intercalation facilitating increased active sites and synergistic effects. Electrocatalysis results revealed that the catalytic activity of Au-MoS_2 towards H2O_2 was superior to ultrasmall MoS_2 without Au. As a result, we found that improving the electrocatalytic property of Au-MoS_2 can effectively enhance corresponding antioxidant activities and radioprotection effects in vivo. In addition, Au-MoS_2 also showed significant radioprotection in vitro and dramatically reduced the excess of radiation-induced adverse ROS. It also rescued radiation-induced DNA damages and protected the bone marrow hematopoietic system from ionizing radiation.

Optimization of the ultrasonic-microwave assisted enzymatic hydrolysis of freshwater mussel meat

In the present study,the Ultrasonic-Microwave(US-MW)technique was applied for assisting enzymatic hydrolysis of freshwater mussel meat.The operating parameters of enzymatic hydrolysis were investigated and the properties and qualities of the freshwater mussel hydrolysates were also analyzed.The considerable optimum conditions for enzymatic hydrolysis of mussel meat were ratio of liquid to material of 10.36:1,power of 360.52 W,processing time of 6.91 min,enzymolysis time of 4 h.Under these conditions,a degree of hydrolysis(DH)of 48.40% was obtained.The hydrolysates produced under optimum conditions,were characterized in terms of electrophoretic profile,amino acid composition and infrared spectrum analysis.SDS-PAGE profiles of the hydrolysates revealed that several protein bands were cleaved and several light myosin chains(25 kDa and 15 kDa,respectively)and peptides of molecular weight lower than 6.5 kDa were identified.The infrared spectrum absorption peak of amide band A and band III shifted after US-MW pre-treatment,which indicated that the N-H(hydrogen bonding)stretching vibration and triple helix structure of samples were affected.The essential amino acids in hydrolysates with or without US-MW pre-treatment were 36.62 mg/100 g and 33.40 mg/100 g.It was proved that US-MW assisted enzymatic hydrolysis is an effective technology to utilize freshwater mussel meat.

Soil aggregation and aggregate-associated organic carbon under typical natural halophyte communities in arid saline areas of Northwest China

Information on the effects of halophyte communities on soil organic carbon(SOC)is useful for sequestrating C in arid regions.In this study,we identified four typical natural halophyte communities in the Manasi River Basin in Xinjiang Province,Northeast China,namely,Karelinia caspia(Pall.)Less.,Bassia dasyphylla(Fisch.et C.A.Mey.)Kuntze,Haloxylon ammodendron(C.A.Mey.)Bunge,and Tamarix ramosissima Lour.We compared soil aggregation and aggregated-associated SOC under these communities.The aggregate fraction of 0.053–0.25 mm accounted for 47%–75%of the total soil mass,significantly more than the>0.25 and<0.053 mm fractions,under all the halophyte communities.Significant differences in soil aggregate size distribution were observed among the plant communities,with the H.ammodendron and B.dasyphylla communities showing the highest proportions of>0.25 mm aggregates(13.3%–43.8%)and T.ramosissima community having more<0.053 mm aggregates(14.1%–27.2%).Aggregate-associated SOC concentrations were generally the highest in the>0.25 mm fraction,followed by the<0.053 mm fraction,and were the lowest in the 0.053–0.25 mm fraction;however,because of their large mass,0.25–0.053 mm aggregates contributed significantly more to the total SOC.Total SOC concentrations(0–60 cm depth)decreased in the order of H.ammodendron(5.7 g kg^-1)>T.ramosissima(4.9 g kg^-1)>K.caspia(4.2 g kg^-1)>B.dasyphylla(3.4 g kg^-1).The H.ammodendron community had the highest total SOC and aggregate-associated SOC,which was primarily because aggregate-associated SOC content at the 0–10 and 10–20 cm depths under this community were higher than those under other plant communities.The H.ammodendron community could be beneficial for increasing SOC in saline soils in the arid region.

Phase equilibria of long-period stacking ordered phase in the ternary Mg-Y-Al alloys

Phase equilibria focusing on the long-period stacking ordered(LPSO)phases have been experimentally in-vestigated in the Mg-Y-Al alloys.The microstructures of the eleven representative alloys annealed at 450,500 and 550°C were systematically investigated using X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron mi-croscopy(SEM)and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).Two thermodynamically stable LPSO poly-types were identified,including 18R and 10H structures.Meanwhile,the transformation of 18R→10H was detected in Mg-9.0Y-1.7Al(at.%)alloy,while the coexistence of 18R and 10H was observed in Mg-14.2Y-12.8Al(at.%)alloy.It was found that the LPSO phases were non-stoichiometric compounds with ternary solubilities.The 18R can dissolve up to 7.21 at.%-8.37 at.%Al and 10.75 at.%-12.01 at.%Y,while the 10H can dissolve up to 9.35 at.%-10.37 at.%Al and 14.50 at.%-14.94 at.%Y.All of the experimental re-sults were used to construct the isothermal sections,which is conducive to the design of Mg-Y-Al alloys.

Dominant Deformation Mechanisms in Mg–Zn–Ca Alloy

The coaddition of Zn and Ca has great potential to improve the ductility of Mg alloys.Herein,the mechanical properties of an extruded Mg-Zn-Ca solid-solution alloy were studied by quasi-in situ electron backscatter diffraction(EBSD)-assisted slip trace analysis.The dominant deformation mechanisms of the Mg-Zn-Ca alloy were studied,and the origins of enhanced ductility were systematically revealed.The results indicate that most grains deformed by basal slip.In addition,multiple non-bas al slip traces were detected(particularly prismatic,pyramidal I,and pyramidal I<c+a>slip traces),and their activation frequency was promoted with increasing tensile strain.The enhanced participation of non-basal slip systems is believed to play a critical role in achieving homogeneous plastic deformation,thus effectively promoting the ductility of the Mg-Zn-Ca alloy.Furthermore,first-principle calculations revealed that the coaddition of Zn and Ca significantly reduces the unstable stacking fault energy for non-basal slip,which contributes to the activation of non-basal slip systems during plastic deformation.

Catalytic PtPd bimetal nanocrystals with high-index facets for radiation injury repair

Radiotherapy is one of the most important clinical cancer treatments,which works mainly by delive ring a prescribed radiation dose to the tumor tissues.However,high doses of radiation may also lead many irreversible damages to the surrounding normal tissues.Thereby,how to effectively reduce these sideeffects has been a significant factor in influencing cancer therapeutic effect.In this work,we synthesized the hollow PtPd nanocubes with high-index facets,and investigated the radiation protection capability in vitro and in vivo.Our results showed the PtPd nanocrystals can decrease the ROS level and improve the survival rate of radiated cells.Meanwhile,survival rate of radiated mice can significantly increase from 0 to 30%after PtPd treatment.Consequently,the enzyme and ROS level in radiated mice can be recovered.