Unlocking the Effects of the RuCo Alloy Ratio on Alkaline Hydrogen Production.

Understanding the interaction between Ru and Co components and the alloy ratio effects on the catalytic process is a technical challenge that requires a precise alloy structural design. This study proposes an effective stepwise annealing method for the construction of RuCo alloy-based electrocatalysts with varied Ru:Co ratios. Interestingly, as the concentration of Co in the first-step pyrolysis products increases, the secondary pyrolysis results in RuCo composites undergoing a transition from incomplete alloying to alloy ratios of 1:1, 1:2, and 1:8.

Dual Photoswitching of a Diarylethene Ligand-Anchored Hofmann-Type Spin-Crossover Compound.

A diarylethene ligand-anchored two-dimensional Hofmann-type compound [Fe(BTEPy){Pt(CN)}](CHOH) (BTEPy = 1,2-bis[2-methyl-5-(4-pyridyl)-3-thienyl]cyclopentene) is synthesized, which undergoes a two-step spin-state transition and dual photoinduced magnetic switching.

Insights into the Chemical Exposome during Pregnancy: A Non-Targeted Analysis of Preterm and Term Births.

Human-made chemicals are ubiquitous, leading to chronic exposure to complex mixtures of potentially harmful substances. We investigated chemical exposures in pregnant women in New York City by applying a non-targeted analysis (NTA) workflow to 95 paired prenatal urine and serum samples (35 pairs of preterm birth) collected as part of the New York University Children's Health and Environment Study. We analyzed all samples using liquid chromatography coupled with Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry in both positive and negative electrospray ionization modes, employing full scan and data-dependent MS/MS fragmentation scans.

Strong and ductile cellulose film improved by the in situ incorporation of a genetically engineered protein conjugated synthetic polymer during bacterial cellulose growth.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) has been extensively applied to fabricate advanced biomaterials, although it remains challenging due to its poor toughness and water stability. Herein a genetically engineered protein-conjugated synthetic polymer is designed to improve BC film's strength and flexibility. Initially, the hybrid polymer is constructed by grafting Family 3 carbohydrate-binding modules (CBM3) to amphoteric polyacrylamide polymer (AmPAM), one of the paper industry's most widely used dry-strength agents.

Nitrogen and Sulfur Co-Doped Graphene-Quantum-Dot-Based Fluorescent Sensor for Rapid Visual Detection of Water Content in Organic Solvents.

Accurate water content detection is crucial for optimizing chemical reactions, ensuring product quality in pharmaceutical manufacturing, and maintaining food safety. In this study, nitrogen and sulfur co-doped graphene quantum dots (R-GQDs) were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method using o-phenylenediamine as the carbon source. The synthesis conditions, including reaction time, temperature, o-phenylenediamine concentration, and HSO/water ratio, were optimized using the Box-Behnken response surface methodology.

Synthesis of Natural Products Using Engineered Plants and Microorganisms.

Microorganisms and plants, particularly medicinal herbs, are abundant sources of diverse natural products, many of which are bioactive molecules with significant pharmaceutical or health benefits, and include artemisinin [...

Evaluating the Accuracy of Virtual Reality in Replicating Real-Life Human Postures and Forces for Injury Risk Assessment.

The objective of this study was to assess the accuracy of virtual reality (VR) technology in replicating real-life environments for the adoption of appropriate human postures and forces. Despite the widespread implementation of VR in various applications, there is a lack of research evaluating the accuracy of human postures and sensory aspects in the VR environment compared to real-life scenarios. A total of twenty-two student participants were recruited for this study, which involved a common lifting task.

Origin of the High Catalytic Activity of MoS in Na-S Batteries: Electrochemically Reconstructed Mo Single Atoms.

Room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries with high energy density and low cost are considered promising next-generation electrochemical energy storage systems. However, their practical feasibility is seriously impeded by the shuttle effect of sodium polysulfide (NaPSs) resulting from the sluggish reaction kinetics. Introducing a suitable catalyst to accelerate conversion of NaPSs is the most used strategy to inhibit the shuttle effect.

A universal method for seizure onset zone localization in focal epilepsy using standard deviation of spike amplitude.

Background: Precisely localizing the seizure onset zone (SOZ) is critical for focal epilepsy surgery. Existing methods mainly focus on high-frequency activities in stereo-electroencephalography, but often fail when seizures are not driven by high-frequency activities. Recognized as biomarkers of epileptic seizures, ictal spikes in SOZ induce epileptiform discharges in other brain regions.

Detecting the presence of different Retzius periodicities at the population level from repetitive linear enamel hypoplasia among Lufengpithecus lufengensis and Pongo pygmaeus.

Objectives: Reconstruction of life histories for fossil and living primates draws on rate of enamel layering, termed Retzius periodicity (RP in days) expressed as surface perikymata, during dental crown formation. Disclosure of RP through thin sectioning is destructive; consequently, sample sizes are inadequate to detect the range of RPs present in discrete taxa. We propose an additional method to detect RPs at the population level based on twice-yearly average recurrence of linear enamel hypoplasia (rLEH) in apes shown by prior studies.

Structural characteristics and antioxidant activity of a low-molecular-weight jujube polysaccharide by ultrasound assisted metal-free Fenton reaction.

This study used an ultrasonically accelerated metal-free Fenton (HO-V system) reaction to promote water-extracted degrading polysaccharides from (DZMP). A novel jujube polysaccharide (DPZMP3) was obtained by degradation using DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow and Sephacryl S-100 column chromatography. Methylation analysis, HPGPC, ion chromatography, FT-IR, and NMR spectroscopies were used to clarify the chemical structures of DPZMP3.

Substrate specificity and protein stability drive the divergence of plant-specific DNA methyltransferases.

DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mechanism essential for transposon silencing and genome integrity. Across evolution, the substrates of DNA methylation have diversified between kingdoms. In plants, chromomethylase3 (CMT3) and CMT2 mediate CHG and CHH methylation, respectively.

GABA in early brain development: A dual role review.

This comprehensive review examines the multifaceted roles of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in early brain development. GABA, traditionally recognized for its inhibitory functions in the mature brain, also exhibits excitatory effects during early neural development. This article explores the mechanisms behind GABA's dual roles, detailing its impact on the properties of the immature brain, the mechanisms of GABA-mediated excitation, the role of GABA-mediated presynaptic inhibition, the trophic actions of GABA during early development, GABA regulation of neurite growth and GABA-mediated cell differentiation in the immature brain.

Ustekinumab affects myofibroblast metabolism to alleviate intestinal fibrosis by targeting KDELC1 in Crohn's disease through multi-machine learning combined with single-cell sequencing analysis.

Background: Ustekinumab (UST), a biologic against interleukin (IL)-12/23, is commonly used to treat Crohn's disease (CD). Myofibroblast (MF) is known as one of the most important factors causing intestinal fibrosis, and UST has been reported to alleviate this condition. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying UST's effects on CD remain unclear.

Noninvasive Monitoring of Programmed Death-Ligand 2 Expression with Positron Emission Tomography using Ga-labeled Peptide Antagonist in Preclinical and Exploratory Human Studies.

While the expression of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is associated with response to immune therapy, PD-L1-negative patients may still benefit from immune treatment. Programmed death ligand-2 (PD-L2), another crucial immune checkpoint molecule interacting with PD-1, correlates with the efficacy of various tumor immune therapies. This study investigates the expression of PD-L2 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients following anti-PD-1 therapy and its predictive value for clinical survival outcomes.

Amorphous/crystalline Ni-Fe based electrodes with rich oxygen vacancies enable highly active oxygen evolution in seawater electrolysis.

To realize large-scale production of hydrogen through seawater electrolysis, it is highly crucial to engineer high-activity and robustly stable catalytic materials for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Here, a facile etching growth strategy based on Ni foam (NF) is employed to fabricate an amorphous/crystalline Ni-Fe based electrode with rich oxygen vacancies as a promising OER electrocatalyst (a/c-NiFeOH@NF). Of note, the introduction of Fe induces the generation of plentiful Ni(Fe)OOH species, which can contribute to the remarkable OER behavior.

Cordycepin enhances the Anticancer efficacy of PD-L1 blockade by modulating the tumor microenvironment of colon cancer.

Background: PD-L1 blockade has been found to be effective in treating multiple malignancies. Combined therapy is proposed to provide better therapeutic effects. Cordycepin, a prominent bioactive compound found in cordyceps, can inhibit the development of various cancers.