Search Results (1,428)

In the treatment of high-salinity wastewater, the removal of nitrogen and organic pollutants remains a challenge, while the production of value-added compounds, such as ectoine from halophilic bacteria, offers a promising resource recovery pathway. In this study, halophilic activated sludge enriched with Thauera as the dominant strain was cultivated in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) to treat synthetic high-salinity wastewater (30 g/L NaCl) under different sludge retention times (SRTs). The optimal nitrogen and organic carbon removal performances were achieved at an SRT of 10 days, with an ammonia nitrogen removal rate of 77.67% and a total organic carbon (TOC) removal rate of 72.51%. Ectoine production was strongly SRT dependent, as volumetric ectoine concentration was ~2 mg/L at 5 d SRT, almost undetectable at 10 d SRT, ~10 mg/L at 16 d SRT, and peaked at 21.5 mg/L at 22 d SRT. Short SRTs favored dynamic ectoine utilization for osmoprotection and metabolic stability, whereas long SRTs led to passive ectoine accumulation and deteriorated treatment performance. The system realized stable short-cut heterotrophic nitrification with negligible nitrite and nitrate accumulation, indicating direct conversion of ammonia to gaseous nitrogen. These results demonstrate that SRT regulation effectively balances ectoine synthesis and pollutant removal, providing a feasible strategy for resource-oriented treatment of high salinity wastewater. Full article

Self-healing biomaterials have attracted significant attention due to their ability to restore structural integrity, extend material lifetime, and reduce maintenance costs without external intervention. In this study, Polyvinyl Alcohol/Graphene Oxide/Eggshell Particle (PVA/GO/ESP) composite hydrogels were synthesized via a freeze–thawing method and characterized using XRD, SEM/EDS, and FTIR analyses. The effect of ESP incorporation on the self-healing and mechanical properties of the hydrogels was systematically investigated. Tensile test results demonstrated that incorporation of 1 wt% ESP improved the tensile strength up to 0.326 MPa while maintaining high strain capacity. Healing efficiency values calculated from recovered tensile strength showed approximately 69%, 47%, and 67% recovery for PVA/GO, PVA/GO/ESP (0.5%), and PVA/GO/ESP (1%) hydrogels, respectively. The developed hydrogels demonstrated rapid self-healing behavior at room temperature without external stimuli. These findings suggest that ESP-reinforced PVA/GO hydrogels may serve as promising candidates for future biomaterial and soft tissue engineering studies. The developed hydrogels demonstrated enhanced tensile strength, rapid self-healing behavior, and promising swelling properties, indicating their potential use in soft tissue engineering and biomaterial applications. Full article

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), caused by PRRS virus (PRRSV), poses a serious threat to the global swine industry. Although modified live virus (MLV) vaccines have been widely used in the field for PRRS prevention for decades, the safety and efficacy of these vaccines have long been controversial. Here, we report a rare recombination pattern in China: the emergence of a novel NADC30-like PRRSV strain recombined from two MLV-like strains. Genome comparative analysis reveals that the SCMS2025 isolate has a non-continuous 136-amino acid deletion in the NSP2 protein and shares the highest nucleotide identity of 87.6% with lineage 5 (L5) strains. Phylogenetic analysis showed that SCMS2025 was classified into L1 (NADC30-like) strains based on ORF5 genotyping, whereas it belonged to a single branch between L1 and L5 strains based on the complete genomic sequences. Strikingly, genomic recombination analysis revealed that the newly emerged PRRSV isolate likely resulted from complex recombination events between NADC30-like and two MLV-like strains (RespPRRS MLV and TJbd14-1 MLV-like strains). Furthermore, SCMS2025 infection caused transient overt clinical signs followed by rapid recovery, indicating that the novel PRRSV isolate is a low pathogenic strain. Notably, all SCMS2025-inoculated piglets remained seronegative for PRRSV-specific antibodies throughout the entire 14-day observation period, suggesting a delayed onset of the host humoral immune response. Our study provides evidence for the ongoing evolution of PRRSV through inter lineage recombination and highlights the urgent need for safe and effective vaccines. Full article

Background: Viral vectors are indispensable tools in gene therapy and neural circuit mapping, offering promising therapeutic strategies for diverse genetic diseases and advancing neuroscience research. To achieve high transduction efficiency while mitigating impurity-induced immunogenicity, the development of viral vectors with improved purity and quality is essential. However, this critical requirement is often unmet by conventional purification methods such as ultracentrifugation, which are time-consuming and frequently result in limited product purity. The pseudorabies virus (PRV) is extensively employed as a viral tool for mapping neural circuits, where improved purity contributes to enhanced accuracy of neural tracing. PRV531 is a retrograde trans-synaptic tracer modified from the PRV Bartha strain, specifically designed to facilitate the precise visualization of hierarchical neural networks. Methods: In this study, we developed a method for the concentration and purification of PRV531 by integrating hollow fiber ultrafiltration (HF) with Capto^TM Core 700 (CC700) chromatography. Initially, to concentrate the viral supernatant, a 500 kDa HF membrane was employed, maintaining a feed flow rate of 80 mL/min, a shear rate ranging from 2000 to 6000 s⁻¹, and a transmembrane pressure (TMP) between 0.5 and 1 bar. Following concentration, the virus underwent purification through CC700 chromatography, operating at linear flow rates ranging from 100 to 300 cm/h. Results: Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed distinct bands consistent with the expected sizes of major PRV structural proteins, each with molecular weights ranging from 25 kDa to 150 kDa, concurrently demonstrating a substantial reduction in host cell proteins (HCPs) contamination. The purified PRV531 achieved a high final infectious titer of 3.55 × 10⁹ PFU/mL, with an overall functional virus recovery of 8.88% from the crude supernatant to the final product. Conclusion: These data demonstrate that TFF combined with CC700 resin can efficiently purify retrograde trans-synaptic PRV tracer. Furthermore, this approach provides a promising strategy for purifying other viral-based tracers that traditionally rely on conventional centrifugation methods. Full article

Conventional crumb-rubber-modified asphalt (CRMA) often shows high viscosity, storage separation, and limited low-temperature relaxation, whereas existing engineered rubber or single-activation methods do not fully clarify the combined contribution of biomass–oil swelling and microwave treatment. This study develops a rapeseed heavy oil (RHO)–microwave composite activation route for CRMA. Microwave activation, RHO pre-swelling, and their composite treatment were compared by varying rubber size, microwave intensity, and oil-to-rubber ratio. Binder workability, storage stability, DSR/MSCR/BBR rheology, FTIR, SEM, fluorescence microscopy, TGA, and AC-13C mixture performance were evaluated. Microwave activation mainly reduced viscosity and improved rubber dispersion, whereas RHO pre-swelling improved ductility and storage stability. The optimal F84 binder (80-mesh rubber, RHO-to-rubber ratio 1:2, 1.2 kJ/g microwave) reduced 180 °C viscosity and top–bottom softening-point difference by 42.95% and 55.68%, respectively, and increased 10 °C ductility from 10.5 to 19.5 cm relative to inactivated CRMA. Although F84 weakened creep recovery compared with inactivated CRMA, it improved low-temperature relaxation and mixture failure strain (3527.8 µε). The composite route is therefore suitable for CRMA applications prioritizing workability, storage stability, low-temperature cracking resistance, and rubber valorization, while rutting-critical projects require mixture-level verification. Full article

This study presents an experimental characterization and numerical assessment of Cu–Al–Be (CAB) shape memory alloys (SMAs) for potential applications in U-shaped flexural plate (UFP) seismic dampers. Six alloy compositions were evaluated through monotonic tensile tests, ASTM F2516 superelastic protocols, and increasing-amplitude cyclic loading to identify the material exhibiting stable superelastic behavior at room temperature. Among the tested materials, alloy CAB4.76-A showed the most favorable response, with high transformation stress, stable pseudoelastic behavior, and strain recovery exceeding 95% for strains up to 2.5%. A phenomenological finite element model based on the Auricchio constitutive formulation was calibrated using experimental data within the validated strain range (ε ≤ 0.025), showing good agreement in stiffness and stress prediction. The calibrated model was subsequently applied to simulate the response of a UFP device under orthogonal cyclic loading. The results indicate a strong dependence on loading orientation due to coupled bending–torsion effects, with the 90° direction exhibiting significantly higher strength and energy dissipation capacity. Comparison with analytical formulations originally developed for steel UFPs showed that these expressions provide approximate estimates when applied to SMA-based devices. The results suggest that Cu–Al–Be alloys are a promising alternative for UFP applications, while highlighting the importance of loading orientation and the need for future experimental validation at a device scale. Full article

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a global problem for the healthcare system, complicating the therapy of bacterial infections. It is noted that patients infected with MDR strains often require prolonged hospitalization, have a high risk of mortality, and remain vulnerable to reinfection after recovery. In this study, recombinant phage-encoded depolymerase DepKP144 was produced using the Escherichia coli expression system and purified. The depolymerase DepKP144 protein was able to reduce viable bacterial counts following capsule degradation in 95% of the tested strains of type K1 and 85% of the tested strains of type K2 Klebsiella pneumoniae. The depolymerase DepKP144 was active against K. pneumoniae K1-type and K2-type planktonic cells and destroyed the biofilms formed by clinical MDR strains of K. pneumoniae. In in vivo experiments, DepKP144 at a dose of 180 μg/mouse resulted in a 50% survival of the mice infected with K2-type K. pneumoniae and in a 17% survival of the mice infected with K1-type K. pneumoniae. This depolymerase is promising for further development of prevention and therapeutic candidates against MDR K. pneumoniae. Full article

Bovine endometritis remains one of the most significant postpartum uterine disorders. It impairs uterine recovery, compromises fertility, and causes substantial economic losses in dairy production. Growing evidence suggests that the disease cannot be attributed solely to postpartum bacterial contamination; rather, it should be understood as a multifactorial failure to restore uterine homeostasis after calving. This review summarises the latest research findings on six interconnected aspects: the clinical significance of postpartum uterine disease; the diagnostic and biological differences between clinical and subclinical endometritis; the role of microbes in the uterus in health and disease; interactions between the host and uterine bacteria; the mechanisms of persistent inflammatory regulation; and current as well as emerging treatment strategies. Current evidence indicates that postpartum uterine disease is more strongly associated with dysbiosis, reduced microbial diversity, and disturbed microbial succession than with the presence of any single pathogen. Disease progression is driven by complex interplay among microbial ligands, epithelial and stromal immune responses, virulence-associated tissue injury, endocrine disruption, and impaired inflammatory resolution. Furthermore, persistent uterine inflammation is regulated by multilayered networks involving cytokines, prostaglandins, noncoding RNAs, extracellular vesicles, metabolic remodeling, and oxidative stress. Although conventional therapies remain relevant in certain clinical cases, microbiota-oriented approaches, particularly probiotic interventions, have emerged as promising adjunctive strategies for the prevention and control of the condition. Overall, bovine endometritis should be viewed as a disorder caused by disrupted interactions between the host, microbiota and inflammation. Future progress will depend on longitudinal, strain-resolved, and function-oriented studies to enable more precise and less antimicrobial-dependent interventions for postpartum uterine health. Full article

Conductive hydrogels are promising materials for fabricating flexible wearable strain sensors. However, their practical application remains limited by several challenges, including poor mechanical strength, unstable sensitivity, restricted stretchability, and poor structural durability. In this study, a zirconium-reinforced conductive hydrogel (PSPZr) with a dual chemical–physical cross-linked network was designed and developed. In the structural framework, polypyrrole-decorated silk fibroin (SF/PPy) functioned as a conductive reinforcing component, acrylamide and sulfobetaine methacrylate constituted the flexible polymer basis, and zirconium ions (Zr⁴⁺) acted as ionic cross-linkers to construct a dual cross-linked structure and improve mechanical stability. Due to the synergistic contributions of hydrogen bonding, ionic coordination interactions, and SF/PPy, the optimized PSPZr hydrogel exhibited a tensile strength of 166 kPa and a maximum strain 559%. Additionally, it achieved improved elasticity and reliable shape recovery. Furthermore, the optimized PSPZr hydrogel exhibited a broad working range, sensitivity with a gauge factor of 2.8, rapid response, recovery kinetics, and exceptional cycling stability over 1000 stretching–releasing cycles as wearable strain sensors. This performance enabled real-time and accurate monitoring of diverse human motions. Therefore, this study presents a feasible and versatile strategy for developing mechanically robust and electrically stable conductive hydrogel, providing a new pattern for advanced applications in wearable sensors. Full article

An inevitable decrease in oil production from reservoirs all over the world necessitates the application of microbial enhancement of oil recovery (MEOR) technologies. The high total salinity of formation water is a factor strongly suppressing the growth of most industry-applicable strains of hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria. The halotolerant strain Ectopseudomonas guguanensis G3 isolated from an oil reservoir (Republic of Kazakhstan) has demonstrated high efficiency of oil degradation and presumable biosurfactant production. The ability of the strain to utilize crude oil, n-alkanes, toluene, and xylene and its resistance to NaCl concentrations up to 6% were shown, as well as a high decrease in the interfacial tension of the culture liquid. Genomic analysis of the strain confirmed its ability to oxidize aromatic oil compounds and a wide range of n-alkanes (with a chain length up to C₃₀) and revealed its potential capabilities to produce alginate, consume nitrate and urea as nitrogen sources, and synthesize betaine as an osmoprotectant. These findings demonstrate the high potential of E. guguanensis strain G3 to be used in oil reservoirs with high-salinity formation water in the biotechnology of oil displacement through oil degradation and in situ microbial metabolite production. Full article

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is a critical public health threat because infections caused by this pathogen are associated with high morbidity, mortality, and limited effective therapeutic options. Whilst the majority of studies have concentrated on inter-patient bacterial transmission, within-host genomic analysis offers unprecedented resolution for tracking dynamic clone predominance, plasmid rearrangements, and microevolution under clinical selection pressures. Methods and Results: Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of nine isolates recovered from oral and rectal swabs revealed an exceptional case of CRKP clonal turnover in an intensive care unit (ICU) patient. Three distinct high-risk clones were identified during the 18 days of surveillance: an initial ST101 (Clonal Group (CG) 101) strain (days 1–7) followed by concurrent colonization with ST395 (carrying bla_NDM-5) and ST512 lineages (both CG258, days 11–18). Conclusions: This study describes a rare instance of within-host heterogeneity of CRKP, involving three distinct STs spanning two CGs. Whole-genome analysis revealed potential structural rearrangements of resistance- and virulence-associated plasmids between coexisting lineages. These genomic shifts likely reflect rapid adaptation under the intense selective pressure of broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, culminating in the persistence of a less virulent yet multidrug-resistant ST512 clone and a favorable clinical outcome with patient recovery. Full article

The fast-growing cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 11901 is emerging as a promising chassis for photosynthetic biomanufacturing. Here we report recombinant protein production in PCC 11901 via signal peptide-mediated secretion, enabling direct recovery of target proteins from the culture medium without cell disruption. Seven signal peptides spanning both Sec and Tat pathways are screened using eYFP as a reporter, with secretion quantified daily over seven days by fluorescence measurements. FutA, belonging to the Tat pathway from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, achieves 92.2% extracellular export by day 7, substantially outperforming all Sec candidates, including the best Sec signal peptide thermitase from Cyanobacterium aponinum PCC 10605 (55.7%). Signal peptide-bearing strains exhibit growth reductions of up to 26% relative to the wild-type, with FutA most affected, indicating a general metabolic cost correlated with secretion efficiency. The best-performing signal peptides from both pathways, FutA and thermitase, are validated with secretion of lichenase. Notably, the rank order of signal peptide performance is reversed for lichenase: thermitase demonstrates 2.6-fold higher extracellular activity than FutA, indicating that optimal signal peptide selection is cargo-dependent. These results establish PCC 11901 as a secretion-competent chassis and provide a rational framework for matching signal peptide pathways to target protein properties. Full article

Particulate-reinforced polymer composites (PRPCs) are susceptible to cracking under tensile loading, severely limiting their service life. Here, we propose a pressure-gradient-driven infiltration method that rapidly repairs narrow (<10 μm) cracks in a highly filled PRPC (95 wt.% BaSO₄/5 wt.% fluororubber). Microstructural evidence confirms that the adhesive completely fills the tortuous crack and forms a continuous adhesive–matrix interface capable of supporting load transfer. Semi-circular bend (SCB) testing demonstrates a substantially higher peak load and increased apparent structural stiffness after repair under the present semi-circular bend configuration, indicating apparent mechanical enhancement beyond simple load-bearing recovery. Digital image correlation (DIC) and fracture morphology show that repair suppresses notch-tip strain localization, reduces the strain concentration factor, shifts the failure-controlling zone away from the original notch tip, and deflects the crack propagation path. Phase-field simulations further show that the post-repair load-bearing capacity is governed by the adhesive–matrix interfacial strength; once this strength approaches or exceeds the tensile strength of the intact PRPC (~8.3 MPa), the repaired crack path is stabilized, enabling peak-load enhancement while suppressing damage localization along the original crack path and shifting failure to adjacent weaker regions. Overall, this work establishes a promising crack repair approach for highly filled PRPCs, while the underlying interface-controlled mechanism provides guidance for adhesive selection and repair design. Full article

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and Kawasaki disease (KD) are pediatric inflammatory conditions which share overlapping clinical features, yet their long-term cardiovascular trajectories remain incompletely characterized. Understanding differences in myocardial strain evolution and coronary artery Z-score progression is essential for optimizing surveillance strategies and risk stratification. Aims of this review were to comprehensively compare the long-term evolution of myocardial strain parameters and coronary artery Z-scores in children with MIS-C versus KD through mid- and long-term follow-up assessment studies, and to identify clinical implications for monitoring and management. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed to identify studies evaluating myocardial strain and coronary artery Z-scores in MIS-C and KD. Publications from January 2020 to February 2026 were considered for MIS-C, with earlier key studies on KD included to contextualize established cardiac outcomes. Observational studies and cohort reports describing echocardiographic findings and follow-up data were reviewed. Available evidence indicates that MIS-C commonly presents with acute myocardial dysfunction, frequently characterized by reduced global longitudinal strain despite preserved or mildly reduced ejection fraction; in most cases, myocardial strain abnormalities substantially improve within weeks to a few months following treatment. In contrast, myocardial strain impairment in KD, which typically presents at less than 5 years of age, is less pronounced; coronary artery involvement shows an opposite trend, as KD is more frequently associated with coronary dilations and aneurysm formation, reflected by persistent elevations in coronary artery Z-scores, whereas coronary abnormalities in MIS-C are milder and often transient. Recovery patterns therefore differ, with MIS-C demonstrating rapid myocardial functional recovery, and KD carrying a greater risk of long-term coronary artery sequelae. MIS-C and KD exhibit distinct cardiovascular phenotypes: MIS-C is primarily characterized by reversible myocardial dysfunction, whereas KD remains a condition most strongly associated with a risk of persistent coronary artery abnormalities. Deciphering these differences may help guide disease-specific cardiac monitoring and long-term follow-up strategies in affected children. Full article

Plastic forming of the workpiece is a key quality indicator during deforming broaching. This study aims at technological control over workpiece forming by establishing a relationship with technological factors, including broaching modes: interference, tool geometry, and workpiece wall thickness. The research methods used included numerical simulation of the deformation process and the stress–strain state of a plastic steel workpiece. The constructed simulation models allowed tracking stress and strain evolution on the inner and outer surfaces, revealing their differences. The approach’s originality lies in establishing the key influence of critical contact pressure in the deformation zone on strain state changes. Its appearance is influenced by interference, tool geometry, and workpiece wall thickness. Circumferential strain depends solely on interference and workpiece wall thickness, remaining independent of the angle, α. A relationship is provided to determine the interference ensuring the outer dimension. The calculation method for determining the processed hole diameter was improved, considering the real deformation zone scheme, simulation results, and elastic recovery. The relationship between the processed hole diameter, broaching modes, and workpiece wall thickness has been established. It is necessary to set the angle that ensures the absence of axial strain. A technological control scheme for forming is developed, and an application example is provided. Full article