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One quasi-direct gap phase (Amm2) and three indirect gap phases (C2/m-16, C2/m-20, and I-4) of silicon allotropes are proposed. The detailed theoretical study on the structure, density of states, elastic properties, sound velocities, and Debye temperature of these four phases is carried out by using first principles calculations. The elastic constants of these four phases are calculated by strain-stress method. The elastic constants and the phonon calculations manifest all novel silicon allotropes in this paper are mechanically and dynamically stable at ambient condition. The B/G values indicate that these four phases of silicon are brittle materials at ambient pressure. The anisotropy properties show that C2/m-20 phase exhibits a larger anisotropy in its elastic modulus, shear elastic anisotropic factors, and several anisotropic indices than others. We have found that the Debye temperature of the four novel silicon allotropes gradually reduces in the order of C2/m-20 > Amm2 > C2/m-16 > I-4 at ambient pressure. V

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PhoQ/PhoP is an important two-component system that regulates Shigella virulence. We explored whether the PhoQ/PhoP system is a promising target for new antibiotics against S. flexneri infection. By using a high-throughput screen and enzymatic activity coupled assay, four compounds were found as potential PhoQ inhibitors. These compounds not only inhibited the activity of SF-PhoQc autophosphorylation but also displayed high binding affinities to the SF-PhoQc protein in the Surface Plasmon Resonance response. A S. flexneri cell invasion assay showed that three of these potential PhoQ inhibitors inhibit the invasion of HeLa cells by S. flexneri 9380. In a Mouse Sereny test, mice inoculated with S. flexneri 9380 pre-treated with the potential PhoQ inhibitors 1, 2, 3 or 4 displayed no inflammation, whereas mice inoculated with S. flexneri 9380 alone displayed severe keratoconjunctival inflammation. All four potential PhoQ inhibitors showed no significant cytotoxicity or hemolytic activity. These data suggest that the four potential PhoQ inhibitors inhibited the virulence of S. flexneri and that PhoQ/PhoP is a promising target for the development of drugs against S. flexneri infection.

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The structural mechanical properties and electronic properties of a new silicon allotrope Si96 are investigated at ambient pressure by using a first-principles calculation method with the ultrasoft pseudopotential scheme in the framework of generalized gradient approximation. The elastic constants and phonon calculations reveal that Si96 is mechanically and dynamically stable at ambient pressure. The conduction band minimum and valence band maximum of Si96 are at the R and G point, which indicates that Si96 is an indirect band gap semiconductor. The anisotropic calculations show that Si96 exhibits a smaller anisotropy than diamond Si in terms of Young’s modulus, the percentage of elastic anisotropy for bulk modulus and shear modulus, and the universal anisotropic index AU. Interestingly, most silicon allotropes exhibit brittle behavior, in contrast to the previously proposed ductile behavior. The void framework, low density, and nanotube structure make Si96 quite attractive for applications such as hydrogen storage and electronic devices that work at extreme conditions, and there are potential applications in Li-battery anode materials.