Enhanced Plastic Stability: Achieving High Performance in a Al6xxx Alloy Fabricated by Additive Manufacturing.

Additive manufacturing (AM) facilitates the creation of materials with unique microstructural features and distinctive phenomena as compared to conventional manufacturing methods. Among the various well-fabricated AM alloys, aluminum alloys garner substantial attention due to their extensive applications in the automotive and aerospace industries. In this work, an Al6xxx alloy is successfully fabricated with outstanding performance. A nucleation agent is introduced to diminish the susceptibility to cracking during the AM process, thereby inducing a heterogeneous microstructure in this alloy. However, the introduction of ultrafine grains induces plastic instability, evidenced by the presence of Lüders band. This work investigates the evolution of the Lüders band and the strategy to reduce their undesirable effect. The heterogeneity destabilizes the band propagation and thus deteriorates the ductility. Through a T6 heat treatment, the local Lüders strain decreases from 10.0% to 6.2%, leading to a substantial enhancement in plastic stability. With the increase in grain growth and the enlargement of coarse grain regions, the mismatch between the local and macroscopic Lüders strain disappears. Importantly, the strength and the thermal conductivity are concurrently increased. The findings demonstrate the significance of ensuring plastic stability to achieve improved strength-ductility trade-off in AM alloys with heterogeneous microstructures.

The luxS deletion reduces the spoilage ability of Shewanella putrefaciens: An analysis focusing on quorum sensing and activated methyl cycle.

The luxS mutant strains of Shewanella putrefaciens (SHP) were constructed to investigate the regulations of gene luxS in spoilage ability. The potential regulations of AI-2 quorum sensing (QS) system and activated methyl cycle (AMC) were studied by analyzing the supplementation roles of key circulating substances mediated via luxS, including S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), methionine (Met), homocysteine (Hcy) and 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione (DPD). Growth experiments revealed that the luxS deletion led to certain growth limitations of SHP, which were associated with culture medium and exogenous additives. Meanwhile, the decreased biofilm formation and diminished hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production capacity of SHP were observed after luxS deletion. The relatively lower total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) contents and higher sensory scores of fish homogenate with luxS mutant strain inoculation also indicated the weaker spoilage-inducing effects after luxS deletion. However, these deficiencies could be offset with the exogenous supply of circulating substances mentioned above. Our findings suggested that the luxS deletion would reduce the spoilage ability of SHP, which was potentially attributed to the disorder of AMC and AI-2 QS system.

The highly stable indicator film incorporating roselle anthocyanin co-pigmented with oxalic acid: Preparation, characterization and freshness monitoring application.

A novel stable PVA/HPMC/roselle anthocyanin (RAE) indicator film co-pigmented with oxalic acid (OA) was prepared, its properties, application effects and stability enhancement mechanism were investigated correspondingly. The structural characterization revealed that more stable network was formed due to the co-pigmentation facilitated generation of molecular interactions. Meanwhile, the co-pigmentation improved film mechanical and hydrophobic properties compared to both PVA/HPMC/RAE newly prepared (PHRN) or stored (PHRS) film, expressing as higher tensile strength values (12.25% and 14.44% higher than PHRN and PHRS), lower water solubility (7.22% and 10.09% lower than PHRN and PHRS) and water vapor permeability values (33.20% and 21.05% lower than PHRN and PHRS) of PVA/HPMC/RAE/OA newly prepared (PHON) or stored (PHOS) film. Compared with the PHRS film, the PHOS film still presented more distinguishable color variations when being applied to monitor shrimp freshness, owing to the stabilization behaviors of co-pigmentation in anthocyanin conformation. Hence, the co-pigmentation was an effective strategy to enhance film stability, physical and pH-responsive properties after long term storage, leading to better film monitoring effects when applied in real-time freshness monitoring.

Additive manufacturing of alloys with programmable microstructure and properties.

In metallurgy, mechanical deformation is essential to engineer the microstructure of metals and to tailor their mechanical properties. However, this practice is inapplicable to near-net-shape metal parts produced by additive manufacturing (AM), since it would irremediably compromise their carefully designed geometries. In this work, we show how to circumvent this limitation by controlling the dislocation density and thermal stability of a steel alloy produced by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology. We show that by manipulating the alloy's solidification structure, we can 'program' recrystallization upon heat treatment without using mechanical deformation. When employed site-specifically, our strategy enables designing and creating complex microstructure architectures that combine recrystallized and non-recrystallized regions with different microstructural features and properties. We show how this heterogeneity may be conducive to materials with superior performance compared to those with monolithic microstructure. Our work inspires the design of high-performance metal parts with artificially engineered microstructures by AM.

Ionic strength-mediated protein and flavor studies on thermally processed hairtail pieces.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of different ionic strengths on the texture, protein, and flavor of thermally processed hairtail pieces. Incorporating salt ions into the heat treatment process had a positive impact on the quality of the cooked hairtail pieces. The pieces treated with 2 M NaCl showed superior texture and sensory scores. The ionic strength had a significant positive correlation with the chewiness and cohesion of cooked hairtail (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the myofibrillar protein content and total sulfhydryl content increased significantly. Circular dichroism spectra analysis revealed a transition in the protein structure from a ß-sheet structure to an α-helical structure as the ionic strength decreased. The ionic strength had a significant impact on the interaction between protein and flavor compounds. Specifically, it impacted the expression of certain volatile components (p < 0.05). Our study suggests that selecting the appropriate cooking method is crucial for both healthiness and sensory quality of processed hairtail products, and ionic strength mediation is superior in both aspects.

Mesoscopic Model for Disjoining Pressure Effects in Nanoscale Thin Liquid Films and Evaporating Extended Meniscuses.

Disjoining pressure effect is the key to describe contact line dynamics, micro/nanoscale liquid-vapor phase change heat transfer, and liquid transport in nanopores. In this paper, by combining a mesoscopic approach for nanoscale liquid-vapor interfacial transport and a mean-field approximation of the long-range solid-fluid molecular interaction, a mesoscopic model for the disjoining pressure effect in nanoscale thin liquid films is proposed. The capability of this model to delineate the disjoining pressure effect is validated. We demonstrate that the Hamaker constant determined from our model agrees very well with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and that the transient evaporation/condensation mass flux predicted by this mesoscopic model is also consistent with the kinetic theory. Using this model, we investigate the characteristics of the evaporating extended meniscus in a nanochannel. The nonevaporating film region, the evaporating thin-film region, and the intrinsic meniscus region are successfully captured by our model. Our results suggest that the apparent contact angle and thickness of the nonevaporating liquid film are self-tuned according to the evaporation rate, and a higher evaporation rate results a in larger apparent contact angle and thinner nonevaporating liquid film. We also show that disjoining pressure plays a dominant role in the nonevaporating film region and suppresses the evaporation in this region, while capillary pressure dominates the intrinsic meniscus region. Strong evaporation takes place in the thin-film region, and both the disjoining pressure and capillary pressure contribute to the total pressure difference that delivers the liquid from the intrinsic meniscus region to the evaporating thin-film region, compensating for the liquid mass loss due to strong evaporation. Our work provides a new avenue for investigating thin liquid film spreading, liquid transport in nanopores, and microscopic liquid-vapor phase change heat/mass transfer mechanisms near the three-phase contact line region.

HSPA8 acts as an amyloidase to suppress necroptosis by inhibiting and reversing functional amyloid formation.

Ultra-stable fibrous structure is a hallmark of amyloids. In contrast to canonical disease-related amyloids, emerging research indicates that a significant number of cellular amyloids, termed 'functional amyloids', contribute to signal transduction as temporal signaling hubs in humans. However, it is unclear how these functional amyloids are effectively disassembled to terminate signal transduction. RHIM motif-containing amyloids, the largest functional amyloid family discovered thus far, play an important role in mediating necroptosis signal transduction in mammalian cells. Here, we identify heat shock protein family A member 8 (HSPA8) as a new type of enzyme - which we name as 'amyloidase' - that directly disassembles RHIM-amyloids to inhibit necroptosis signaling in cells and mice. Different from its role in chaperone-mediated autophagy where it selects substrates containing a KFERQ-like motif, HSPA8 specifically recognizes RHIM-containing proteins through a hydrophobic hexapeptide motif N(X1)φ(X3). The SBD domain of HSPA8 interacts with RHIM-containing proteins, preventing proximate RHIM monomers from stacking into functional fibrils; furthermore, with the NBD domain supplying energy via ATP hydrolysis, HSPA8 breaks down pre-formed RHIM-amyloids into non-functional monomers. Notably, HSPA8's amyloidase activity in disassembling functional RHIM-amyloids does not require its co-chaperone system. Using this amyloidase activity, HSPA8 reverses the initiator RHIM-amyloids (formed by RIP1, ZBP1, and TRIF) to prevent necroptosis initiation, and reverses RIP3-amyloid to prevent necroptosis execution, thus eliminating multi-level RHIM-amyloids to effectively prevent spontaneous necroptosis activation. The discovery that HSPA8 acts as an amyloidase dismantling functional amyloids provides a fundamental understanding of the reversibility nature of functional amyloids, a property distinguishing them from disease-related amyloids that are unbreakable in vivo.

Effect of Ca2+ on 3D printing accuracy and antioxidant efficacy of nano starch-lutein surimi: mechanical properties, chemical bonds and release rate.

BACKGROUND: Nano starch-lutein (NS-L) can be used in three-dimensional (3D) printed functional surimi. However, the lutein release and printing effect are not ideal. The purpose of this study was to facilitate the function and printing properties of surimi by adding the combination of calcium ion (Ca2+ ) and NS-L. RESULTS: Printing properties, lutein release and antioxidation of printed Ca2+ -NS-L-surimi were determined. The NS-L-surimi with 20 mM kg-1 Ca2+ had the best printing effects (fine accuracy, 99 ± 1%). Compared to NS-L-surimi, the structure became denser after adding Ca2+ , the gel strength, hardness, elasticity, yield stress (τ), water holding capacity of Ca2+ -NS-L-surimi increased by about 17 ± 4%, 3 ± 1%, 9 ± 2%, 20 ± 4%, 40 ± 5% respectively. These enhanced mechanical strength and self-supporting ability to resist binding deformation and improve printing accuracy. Moreover, salt dissolution and increased hydrophobic force by Ca2+ stimulated protein stretching and aggregation, leading to enhancement of gel formation. Decreased printing effects of NS-L-surimi with excessive Ca2+ (> 20 mM kg-1 ) caused by excessive gel strength and τ, leading to strong extrusion force and low extrudability. Additionally, Ca2+ -NS-L-surimi had higher digestibility and lutein release rate (increased from 55 ± 2% to 73 ± 3%), because Ca2+ made NS-L-surimi structure porous, which promoted contact of enzyme-protein. Furthermore, weakened ionic bonds reduced electron binding bondage that combined with released lutein to provide more electrons for enhancing antioxidation. CONCLUSION: Collectively, 20 mM kg-1 Ca2+ could better promote printing process and function exertion of NS-L-surimi, facilitating the application of 3D printed functional surimi. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Solid-state NMR studies of amyloids.

Amyloids have special structural properties and are involved in many aspects of biological function. In particular, amyloids are the cause or hallmarks of a group of notorious and incurable neurodegenerative diseases. The extraordinary high molecular weight and aggregation states of amyloids have posed a challenge for researchers studying them. Solid-state NMR (SSNMR) has been extensively applied to study the structures and dynamics of amyloids for the past 20 or more years and brought us tremendous progress in understanding their structure and related diseases. These studies, at the same time, helped to push SSNMR technical developments in sensitivity and resolution. In this review, some interesting research studies and important technical developments are highlighted to give the reader an overview of the current state of this field.

Improved thermal stability of roselle anthocyanin by co-pigmented with oxalic acid: Preparation, characterization and enhancement mechanism.

The enhancement effects of co-pigmentation on thermal stability of roselle anthocyanin extract (RAE) were investigated. The introduction of organic acids maintained color stability of RAE, and RAE co-pigmented with oxalic acid (OA) presented less color fading rates (19.46 ± 0.33 %) and higher redness (41.33 ± 3.51). Subsequently, suitable co-pigmentation concentration (OA:RAE = 1:2) was obtained regarding with lower ΔE (48.70 ± 2.36). Then, improvement behaviors of co-pigmentation on OA-RAE were evaluated. Results demonstrated that OA-RAE exhibited better thermal stability, as manifested by larger retention rates and more favorable thermal degradation kinetic parameters. Furthermore, both molecular docking simulation and experimental structural characterization revealed that hydrogen bonds and other non-covalent bonds made up the main parts of molecular interactions, leading to formation of stable binary complex. As a result, the aromatic ring of RAE was protected. In conclusion, the co-pigmentation of RAE via introduction of OA was effective in stability enhancement due to the generation of molecular bindings.

Analysis of factors associated with the prognosis of papillary thyroid cancer and the construction of a survival model.

OBJECTIVE: To study the survival prediction value of lymph node ratio (LNR) and preoperative thyroglobulin (Tg) in the prognosis of thyroid papillary carcinoma (PTC). METHODS: A total of 495 patients with PTC and lymph node metastasis treated at the Cancer Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University were selected for a retrospective study. The disease-free survival (DFS) of patients was the follow-up endpoint. DFS was calculated for all patients. The Cox proportional risk regression model and nomogram were used to predict the survival prognosis of PTC with lymph node metastasis by index. LNR and preoperative Tg level cutoff values were obtained using ROC curves. To express DFS, Kaplan-Meier survival curves were created. Using 3- and 5-year calibration curves and AUC values, the prognostic models' precision and discrimination were assessed. Clinical decision curve analysis was used to forecast clinical benefitability. Finally, the results were validated using internal cross-validation. RESULTS: The cutoff values of LNR and preoperative Tg level were 0.295 and 50.24, respectively, and they were divided into two groups according to the cutoff values. Multifactorial Cox regression models showed that NLNM, LNR, and preoperative Tg level (all p < 0.05) were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of PTC with lymph node metastasis. Kaplan-Meier curves showed higher DFS rates in the group with low NLNM (<10), LNR (<0.295), and preoperative Tg level (<50.24) groups. The 3-year and 5-year calibration curves showed good agreement. A ROC curve analysis was performed on the nomogram model, and its AUC values at 3 and 5 years were, respectively, 0.805 and 0.793. Clinical decision curves indicate good clinical benefit. Finally, internal cross-validation demonstrated the legitimacy of the prognostic model. CONCLUSION: The LNR and preoperative Tg levels, in combination with other independent factors, were effective in predicting the survival prognosis for patients with PTC.

Coalescence-Induced Bubble Departure: Effects of Dynamic Contact Angles.

Coalescence-induced bubble departure is a common phenomenon in boiling and gas evolution reactions, which has significant impacts on the heat/mass transport. In this work, we systematically investigate the effects of dynamic contact angles on the coalescence and departure processes of two equal-sized bubbles. A critical contact angle (θcr) of 76° is determined for an ideal surface on the basis of a surface energy analysis, beyond which the coalesced bubble does not depart from the wall. Using 3D multi-relaxation-time (MRT) lattice Boltzmann simulations, we demonstrate that the advancing contact angle mainly governs the movement of the outer side of the contact lines, and the increase of the advancing contact angle may delay or even prevent the departure of the coalesced bubble. On the other hand, the receding contact angle dominates the motion of the inner side of the contact lines, and the decrease of the receding contact angle facilitates the departure of the coalesced bubble. We identify a regime map for the coalescence-induced bubble departure with respect to the contact angles, which includes four regions: the all-departure region, the advancing contact angle dominated region, the receding contact angle dominated region, and the nondeparture region. Numerically simulated critical contact angles that separate the above-mentioned regions agree well with theoretical analyses. The results of this study will contribute to the manipulation of bubble behaviors and the optimal design of working surfaces in a variety of energy systems involving boiling and gas-evolving reaction processes.

Differentiation of three commercial tuna species through Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry based lipidomics and chemometrics.

Mislabeling and adulteration of tuna are common due to the diminishing of morphological characteristics during processing. The tuna authenticity is now being focused in the seafood supply chain. In this study, the lipid profiles of 3 commercial tuna species (skipjack tuna, bigeye tuna and yellowfin tuna) were investigated via ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS). A total of 439 lipid species were identified and semi-quantitated by MS-DIAL. Further biomarkers discovery was carried out by chemometrics, leading to 27 lipids being identified as potential lipid biomarkers. Comparisons to reference standards revealed that lipid biomarkers were effective for discrimination of different tuna species. Interestingly, the proposed lipid biomarkers were all glycerophospholipids, implying that they might be the focus of future study.

LuxS in Lactobacillus plantarum SS-128 Improves the Texture of Refrigerated Litopenaeus vannamei: Mechanism Exploration Using a Proteomics Approach.

This study illustrated the texture changes of Shewanella baltica-inoculated Litopenaeus vannamei during refrigerated storage with the exogenous addition of Lactobacillus plantarum SS-128. The group inoculated with SS-128 had an improved texture compared with that inoculated with the luxS-mutant group (ΔluxS). Proteomics were conducted to analyze the protein alterations in L. vannamei and supernatant, respectively. During storage, many texture-related proteins, including myosin heavy chain and beta-actin, were maintained due to luxS. Some endogenous enzymes related to the energy metabolism and hydrolysis of L. vannamei were downregulated. The luxS-induced interaction with S. baltica showed significant changes in the expression of some critical enzymes and pathways. The ATP-dependent zinc metalloprotease FtsH and protease subunit HslV were downregulated, and the oxidative phosphorylation and glycosaminoglycan degradation pathways in S. baltica were inhibited, resulting in the slow deterioration of L. vannamei. By exploring the mechanism underlying SS-128-led manipulation of the metabolism of spoilage bacteria, we clarified the texture maintenance mechanism of luxS in SS-128, providing theoretical evidence for SS-128 application in food preservation.

Host-guest stoichiometry affects the physicochemical properties of beta-cyclodextrin/ferulic acid inclusion complexes and films.

An inclusion system of embedding ferulic acid into ß-cyclodextrin (FACD) with different host-guest stoichiometries was prepared by a co-precipitation method. Then, the physicochemical properties and release kinetics of the FACD were evaluated. The results of thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) proved the successful embedding of FA into the ß-cyclodextrin matrix. Four mathematical models were applied to adjust the ferulic acid release profile and identify preferential kinetics. The results of physicochemical properties confirmed the successful formation of the complexes. The loading capacity (LC) and encapsulation efficiency (EE) of the inclusion complex (1 : 0.5) were 41.0 ± 3.28 mg g-1 and 52.1 ± 2.31%, respectively, which were significantly higher than other molar ratios. The release behaviour revealed that loaded FA molecules under various host-guest stoichiometries obey different release models. While lower host-guest stoichiometry (1 : 0.5) provided desirable EE, the moderate host-guest stoichiometry (1 : 1) exhibited faster release behaviour. The FACD inclusion complex could be a promising bioactive material for food preservation.

Chitosan-based films with antioxidant of bamboo leaves and ZnO nanoparticles for application in active food packaging.

The function of chitosan film was reinforced by ZnO nanoparticles and antioxidant of bamboo leaves (AOB) for food packaging application. The results of structural characterization indicated the good compatibility among chitosan, ZnO nanoparticles and AOB. The chitosan film had the best mechanical strength and the highest light transmittance. The addition of AOB remarkably reduced the UV light transmittance and significantly enhanced the antioxidant activity of the films. Meanwhile, AOB and ZnO nanoparticles synergistically enhanced the antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. Our results suggested that the chitosan/ZnO/AOB films could be applied as potential active packaging materials in food industry to extend the shelf-life of packaged food.

CCAL1 enhances osteoarthritis through the NF-κB/AMPK signaling pathway.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disease characterized by articular cartilage degeneration and secondary osteogenesis. It has been previously demonstrated that the CCAL1 locus is the gene encoding tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 11B (TNFRSF11B). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the role of CCAL1 in OA progression and to elucidate its molecular mechanisms. We report that CCAL1 is highly expressed in the cartilage of OA patients and its expression level is positively correlated with the severity of OA. We found that CCAL1 causes a switch to the fibrosis-prone phenotype of Human Chondrocyte-Osteoarthritis (HC-OA) cells. In addition, CCAL1 enhances cell viability and promotes the proliferation of HC-OA cells. Finally, the detection of proteins associated with the NF-κB/AMPK signaling pathway by western blot suggested that CCAL1 exerts its role on HC-OA cells by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway and inhibiting the AMPK signaling pathway, which was verified through the addition of NF-κB inhibitor caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and AMPK activator 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside (AICAR). In summary, we report that CCAL1 may promote OA through the NF-κB and AMPK signaling pathways.

Production and optimization of curdlan produced by Pseudomonas sp. QL212.

Curdlan is a polysaccharide that consists of ß-1,3-linked glucose residues. A polysaccharide-producing bacterium isolated from soil samples was identified as Pseudomonas sp. QL212. The polysaccharide was purified to homogeneity via sequential ethanol precipitation, deproteinization, CM ion-exchange, and gel chromatography sequentially. Analysis of the purified polysaccharide revealed that it consisted of many glucosyl residues, and its molecular weight was only 6.18×10(5)Da. This low molecular weight endowed it with excellent solubility. Infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectral analysis confirmed that the polysaccharide was curdlan. Single-factor and Response surface methodology experiments were used to optimize the culture medium and conditions. The optimal culture conditions consisted of seed culture age of 12h, and an incubation temperature of 30°C, with 10% inoculum and a total fluid volume of 75mL in a 250-mL Erlenmeyer flask. The maximum curdlan yield of about 5.92gL(-1) was achieved with an optimal medium consisting of 30.11gL(-1) of sucrose, 5.94gL(-1) of yeast extract, and an initial pH of 8.03. To our best knowledge, this is the highest reported yield of curdlan produced by Pseudomonas sp., and the curdlan production medium components were much simpler than those in previous reports.

Chromium (VI) detoxification by oxidation and flocculation of exopolysaccharides from Arthrobacter sp. B4.

The exopolysaccharides from Arthrobacter sp. B4 (B4-EPS) exhibited an excellent chromium (VI) (Cr(VI)) removal capability without any pH adjustment, whereby 50mgL(-1) of Cr(VI) could be completely removed by 4gL(-1) of B4-EPS. The kinetics tests revealed that the first-order rate constant was 8.3×10(-5)s(-1) and the optimal reaction time was 720min. However, a low initial concentration of Cr(VI) (5-30mgL(-1)) would accelerate the reaction rate of Cr(VI) removal and shorten reaction time to less than 360min. Meanwhile, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectra indicated that Cr(VI) was reduced to Cr(III) by B4-EPS in accordance with the emergence of the green reaction products. Furthermore, the Fourier transform-infrared spectra (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) showed that carboxyl and hydroxyl groups of B4-EPS contributed to Cr(VI) reduction. Additionally, a feasible scheme for Cr(VI) detoxification by oxidation and flocculation of B4-EPS is presented.