Precisely Engineered Nitrogen Dopants in Pd/NC Catalysts: Synergistic Pyridinic-Pyrrolic-Graphitic Triad for Alkaline Methanol Electrooxidation.

Despite nitrogen-doped carbons (NC) enhancing metal-support interactions (MSI) in electrocatalysts, how specific N-configurations (pyridinic, pyrrolic, and graphitic) synergistically govern methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) pathways over Pd surfaces remains unknown. Herein, we hypothesize that precise thermal programming of ZIF-8 pyrolysis can tailor synergistic pyridinic-pyrrolic-graphitic N-triads to simultaneously enhance activity, CO tolerance, and stability. Guided by DFT predictions, Pd/NC- catalysts ( = 700-1100) were synthesized, where in situ pyrolysis controls N-configurations (validated by XPS) and wet impregnation immobilizes ultrafine Pd nanoparticles (3.

[Clinical features and immunotherapy for children with loss-of-function/gain-of-function mutations in the gene: an analysis of 10 cases].

Objectives: To investigate the clinical features of children with gene mutations, and to explore corresponding immunotherapy strategies.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 10 children with gene mutations who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, from October 2015 to October 2024. Exploratory immunotherapy was implemented in some refractory cases, and the changes in symptoms, imaging manifestations, and cytokine levels were assessed after treatment.

Trends in the molecular epidemiology of human papillomavirus in males from the plateau region of Southwest China: an 11-year retrospective analysis (2014-2024).

Background: Persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection may increase the risk of malignancies in males, including penile, rectal, anal, prostate, bladder, and oropharyngeal cancers. However, few studies focused on the epidemiology of human papillomavirus (HPV) in male patients. This study aims to retrospectively investigate the trends of HPV molecular epidemiology in males residing in the plateau region of Southwest China from 2014 to 2024.

Pulses of ocean acidification at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary.

Mass extinctions have repeatedly perturbed the history of life, but their causes are often elusive. Ocean acidification has been implicated during Triassic-Jurassic environmental perturbations, but this interval lacks direct reconstructions of ocean pH. Here, we present boron isotope data from well-preserved fossil oysters, which provide evidence for acidification of ≥ 0.

Deglycosylated PD-L1 is a biomarker for immune checkpoint blockade response: a real-world study in breast cancer patients in Taiwan.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by limited therapeutic options and a generally poor prognosis. Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies, particularly those targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis, offer promising treatment avenues, yet their effectiveness is contingent upon accurate assessment of PD-L1 expression. In this study, we collected 154 archived ICB-naïve TNBC tumor samples from multiple hospitals across Taiwan.

A Facile Method for Screening DPP IV Inhibitors in Living Cell System Based on Enzyme Activity Probe.

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV), one of the most essential peptidase, is widely distributed in various organs and tissues of the human body, which affects protein stability by acting on peptide bonds at the end of peptide chains and is further involved in physiological processes such as cellular metabolism and signaling. Recent studies have shown that DPP IV is not only involved in normal physiological processes but also closely related to various pathological processes, making it an important target for the treatment of metabolic diseases. Deciphering the relevance of DPP IV to human diseases and screening the inhibitors of DPP IV requires reliable tools, which can sense the function of this key enzyme in complex biological samples.

QSM predicts haemorrhage risk in brainstem cavernous malformations: a multicentre prospective study.

Background: This study investigates the predictive value of baseline quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) metrics for assessing the risk of future symptomatic haemorrhages in patients with brainstem cavernous malformations (CMs).

Methods: From July 2020 to September 2023, a prospective multicentre cohort of 155 patients with brainstem CMs was enrolled from 12 institutions. We analysed baseline QSM metrics, including lesional mean, median, IQR and maximum susceptibility.

Security analysis of mode-pairing quantum key distribution with flexible pairing strategy.

Mode-pairing quantum key distribution (MP-QKD) is advantageous for long-distance secure communication, leveraging its simple implementation and quadratic scaling capacity. The post-measurement pairing in MP-QKD alleviates the photon-coincidence demands, which are essential for surpassing the fundamental limit to the key-rate transmission. In this work, we propose an improved decoy-state MP-QKD protocol featuring a flexible and efficient pairing strategy.

A Novel Flavonoid Derivative of Icariside II (YS-10) Improves Erectile Dysfunction in a Diabetic Rat Model by Inhibiting Ferroptosis via Activation of the Nrf2/HO-1/GPX4 Pathway.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of YS-10, a novel flavonoid derivative of icariside II (ICA II), and to explore its mechanism of action in a diabetic rat model of erectile dysfunction (DMED).

Methods: Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: control, DMED, DMED + ICA II (2.5 mg/kg/day), and DMED + YS-10 (2.

Prevalence of Variants in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in Southwestern China.

Background And Purpose: The CYP2C19 enzyme is essential for activation of the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel. Genetic variations in CYP2C19 are known to influence individual drug responses. Here, differences in alleles, genotypes, and phenotypes in patients with cardiovascular disease from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau were systematically surveyed to provide a reference for appropriate treatment approaches.

A universal strategy for bridging Prussian blue analogues and sodium layered oxide cathodes: direct fast conversion, dynamic structural evolution, and sodium storage mechanisms.

Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) are widely recognized as one of the most promising cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, many unqualified PBAs with unsatisfactory electrochemical performance are difficult to dispose of and pose a risk of environmental contamination. Additionally, the production process of layered oxides, another popular cathode material for SIBs, requires prolonged high-temperature sintering, resulting in significant energy consumption.

Memory-promoting function of miR-379-5p attenuates CD8 T cell exhaustion by targeting immune checkpoints.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are epigenetic regulators of T cell maturation and exhaustion. However, the mechanisms by which miRNAs influence T cell function in tumor environments remain unclear. This study focuses on miR-379-5p, which counteracts T cell exhaustion and enhances antitumor responses.

Utility of preoperative 18F-flurodeoxyglucose PET/CT scanning in preoperative evaluation and surgical planning for pulmonary tuberculosis.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the utility of preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT scanning in preoperative evaluation and surgical planning for pulmonary tuberculosis.

Methods: The study involved a retrospective analysis of clinical data and preoperative chest 18F-FDG PET/CT data of 24 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis who underwent pneumonectomy at the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center between December 2017 and January 2022.

Results: All 24 patients successfully underwent chest 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging, and complete data pertaining to the maximum standardized uptake value, mean standardized uptake value, minimum standardized uptake value, total lesion glycolysis, and metabolic tumor volume were obtained.

Association between the heart rate to temperature ratio and 28-day mortality in patients with heart failure in intensive care unit: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a life-threatening condition with a high mortality rate. The precise relationship between the heart rate and temperature (HR/T) ratio and mortality in patients with HF remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the HR/T ratio and 28-day intensive care unit (ICU) mortality rates in patients with HF.

Enhanced electro-catalysis for methanol oxidation reaction performance by edge defects of ordered mesoporous carbon.

Heteroatom-doped carbon materials are widely used to improve the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol; however, the underlying mechanisms driving this enhancement remain poorly understood. A major challenge lies in developing non-doped carbon supports with tunable intrinsic defect types tailored for metal-based catalysts. In this study, we synthesize a series of ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) supports with adjustable edge defect densities by varying roasting temperatures and employing a zinc (Zn) evaporation strategy to systematically investigate the impact of edge defects on methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) performance.

Loss tolerance quantum key distribution based on the signal extraction model and advantage distillation technology.

Compared with traditional networks, quantum key distribution (QKD) offers the ultimate resources, allowing two remote users to share secret symmetric keys regardless of the capabilities of eavesdroppers. However, the widespread application of commercial QKD is still challenging due to the low photon detection efficiency and the extremely high transmission loss. Here we demonstrate a fully commercial phase-encoding QKD system using a signal extraction model and advantage distillation technology to suppress detector noise and perform real-time pre-error correction.

Association between the serum albumin-creatinine ratio and 28-day intensive care unit mortality among patients with sepsis: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Sepsis is a substantial global health challenge with a considerable disease burden. Despite advancements in sepsis research, the mortality rates associated with this condition remain high. The relationship between the serum albumin-to-creatinine ratio (sACR) and mortality in patients with sepsis remains unclear.

Machine learning algorithms able to predict the prognosis of gastric cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Background: Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated significant survival benefits in some patients diagnosed with gastric cancer (GC), existing prognostic markers are not universally applicable to all patients with advanced GC.

Aim: To investigate biomarkers that predict prognosis in GC patients treated with ICIs and develop accurate predictive models.

Methods: Data from 273 patients diagnosed with GC and distant metastasis, who un-derwent ≥ 1 cycle(s) of ICIs therapy were included in this study.

Antibiotic resistance at environmental multi-media interfaces through integrated genotype and phenotype analysis.

Antibiotic resistance is currently an unfolding global crisis threatening human health worldwide. While antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are known to be pervasive in environmental media, the occurrence of antibiotic resistance at interfaces between two or more adjacent media is largely unknown. Here, we designed a microcosm study to simulate plastic pollution in paddy soil and used a novel method, stimulated Raman scattering coupled with deuterium oxide (DO) labelling, to compare the antibiotic resistance in a single medium with that at the interface of multiple environmental media (plastic, soil, water).

A fluorescence-enhanced method specific for furfural determination in Chinese Baijiu based on luminescent carbon dots and direct surface reaction.

Detecting the furfural concentration in Baijiu can be used to assess the quality of Baijiu, allowing for the optimization of processing techniques and the enhancement of overall quality. In this paper, a fluorescence-enhanced method based on carbon dots (o-CDs) is developed for the furfural determination in Chinese Baijiu. In an environment full-filled with ·SO and ·OH, furfural undergone a direct surface reaction with the ortho-diamino groups at o-CDs.