Decoding the Hume-Rothery Rule in a Bifunctional Tetra-metallic Alloy for Alkaline Water Electrolysis.

The 90-year-old Hume-Rothery rule was adapted to design an outstanding bifunctional tetra-metallic alloy electrocatalyst for water electrolysis. Following the radius mismatch principles, Fe (131 pm) and Ni (124 pm) are selectively incorporated at the Pd (139 pm) site of MoPd nanosheets. Analogously, Cu (132 pm) alloys with only Pd, while Ag (145 pm) alloys with both Pd and Mo (154 pm).

Dredging and sediment discharge in a river with floodplain. Physicochemical and microbiological effects in Paraná river.

Alterations caused by human activities in the environment, such as dredging, modify the physicochemical conditions and affect the habitat. Maintenance dredging that allows large vessels access to inland ports is a recurring disruptive action. The study aimed to evaluate, during a maintenance dredging operation in a port area of the Paraná River, the modifications in the structure of the river, the presence of contaminants and bacterial organisms.

Genome-wide association study identifies candidate genes affecting body conformation traits of Zhongwei goat.

Background: Identifying markers or genes crucial for growth traits in Zhongwei goats is pivotal for breeding. Pinpointing genetic factors linked to body size gain enhances breeding efficiency and economic value. In this study, we used the MGISEQ-T7 platform to re-sequence 240 Zhongwei goats (133 male; 107 female) belonging to 5 metrics of growth traits at different growth stages (40 days and 6 months, here in after referred to as 40d and 6 m), namely, Body Weight (BW), Body Height (BH), Body Length (BL), Chest Circumference (CC), Tube Circumference (TC) were examined.

Determinants of Racial and Ethnic Differences in Maternal Cardiovascular Health in Early Pregnancy.

Background: Suboptimal cardiovascular health (CVH) in pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal and offspring outcomes. To guide public health efforts to reduce disparities in maternal CVH, we determined the contribution of individual- and neighborhood-level factors to racial and ethnic differences in early pregnancy CVH.

Methods: We included nulliparous individuals with singleton pregnancies who self-identified as Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black (NHB), or non-Hispanic White (NHW) and participated in the nuMoM2b cohort study (Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-Be).

A Two-in-One Strategy to Simultaneously Boost the Site Density and Turnover Frequency of Fe-N-C Oxygen Reduction Catalysts.

Site density and turnover frequency are the two fundamental kinetic descriptors that determine the oxygen reduction activity of iron-nitrogen-carbon (Fe-N-C) catalysts. However, it remains a grand challenge to simultaneously optimize these two parameters in a single Fe-N-C catalyst. Here we show that treating a typical Fe-N-C catalyst with ammonium iodine (NH4I) vapor via a one-step chemical vapor deposition process not only increases the surface area and porosity of the catalyst (and thus enhanced exposure of active sites) via the etching effect of the in-situ released NH3, but also regulates the electronic structure of the Fe-N4 moieties by the iodine dopants incorporated into the carbon matrix.

Lentivirus-mediated gene therapy for Fabry disease: 5-year End-of-Study results from the Canadian FACTs trial.

Background: Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder due to a deficiency of α-galactosidase A (α-gal A) activity. Our goal was to correct the enzyme deficiency in Fabry patients by transferring the cDNA for α-gal A into their CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). Overexpression of α-gal A leads to secretion of the hydrolase; which can be taken up and used by uncorrected bystander cells.

Efficacy of GABA aminotransferase inactivator OV329 in models of neuropathic and inflammatory pain without tolerance or addiction.

Dysregulation of GABAergic inhibition is associated with pathological pain. Consequently, enhancement of GABAergic transmission represents a potential analgesic strategy. However, therapeutic potential of current GABA agonists and modulators is limited by unwanted side effects.

Prussian Blue Analogues "Dressed" in MXene Nanosheets Tightly for High Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries.

MXenes, have been considered as a new generation anode material in lithium-ion batteries for lower lithium-ion diffusion barriers and superior conductivity. Unfortunately, their structures are prone to aggregation and stacking, hindering further shuttle of lithium ions and electrons, resulting in lower discharge capacity. Therefore, the introduction of interlayer spacers for the preparation of MXene-based hybrids has attracted much attention.

CASR, CLDN 14, ALPL & SLC34A1 genes are associated with the risk of nephrolithiasis in Egyptian children.

Backgrounds: The pathophysiology of nephrolithiasis is complex, influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. Calcium is the most prevalent metabolite present in the stone matrix. Stimulating the basolateral calcium sensing receptor (CASR) in the renal tubules leads to an increase in claudin-14 expression, reducing paracellular calcium permeability and increasing urinary Ca excretion.

Binding the Power of Cycloaddition and Cross-Coupling in a Single Mechanism: An Unexpected Bending Journey to Radical Chemistry of Butadiynyl with Conjugated Dienes.

What if an experiment could combine the power of cycloaddition and cross-coupling with the formation of an aromatic molecule in a single collision? Crossed molecular beam experiments augmented with electronic structure and statistical calculations provided compelling evidence on a novel radical route involving 1,3-butadiynyl (HCCCC; X∑) radicals synthesizing (substituted) arylacetylenes in the gas phase upon reactions with 1,3-butadiene (CHCHCHCH; XA) and 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene (isoprene; CHC(CH)CHCH; XA'). This elegant mechanism merges two previously disconnected concepts of cross-coupling and cycloaddition-aromatization in a single collision event via the formation of two new C(sp)-C(sp) bonds and bending the 180° moiety of the linear 1,3-butadiynyl radical out of the ordinary by 60° to 120°. In addition to its importance to fundamental organic chemistry, this unconventional mechanism links two previously separated routes of gas-phase molecular mass growth processes of polyacetylenes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), respectively, in low-temperature environments such as in cold molecular clouds like the Taurus Molecular Cloud (TMC-1) and in hydrocarbon-rich atmospheres of planets and their moons such as Titan, which revises the established understanding of low-temperature molecular mass growth processes in the Universe.

Racism and Postpartum Blood Pressure in a Multiethnic Prospective Cohort.

Background: Postpartum hypertension is a key factor in racial-ethnic inequities in maternal mortality. Emerging evidence suggests that experiences of racism, both structural and interpersonal, may contribute to disparities. We examined associations between gendered racial microaggressions (GRMs) during obstetric care with postpartum blood pressure (BP).

Controlled Structural Activation of Iridium Single Atom Catalyst for High-Performance Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis.

Iridium single atom catalysts are promising oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts for proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE), as they can reduce the reliance on costly Ir in the OER catalysts. However, their practical application is hindered by their limited stability during PEMWE operation. Herein, we report on the activation of Ir-doped CoMnO in acidic electrolyte that leads to enhanced activity and stability in acidic OER for long-term PEMWE operation.

Biomedical Application Prospects of Gadolinium Oxide Nanoparticles for Regenerative Medicine.

Background/objectives: The aim was to study the possibilities of biomedical application of gadolinium oxide nanoparticles (GdO NPs) synthesized under industrial conditions, and evaluate their physicochemical properties, redox activity, biological activity, and safety using different human cell lines.

Methods: The powder of GdO NPs was obtained by a process of thermal decomposition of gadolinium carbonate precipitated from nitrate solution, and was studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX). The redox activity of different concentrations of GdO NPs was studied by the optical spectroscopy (OS) method in the photochemical degradation process of methylene blue dye upon irradiation with an optical source.

Effects of Tai Chi Chuan on physical function and health in breast cancer patients.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the effects of Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) on physical function, hematological metabolic biomarkers, sleep quality, and mental health in breast cancer patients.

Methods: This was a prospective clinical trial that involved 37 breast cancer patients who had completed surgery treatment. Participants' motor function, hematological examination, and self-rated questionnaire were assessed at the baseline and after the intervention.

Antimicrobial polyketides from the endophytic fungus Fusarium asiaticum QA-6 derived from medicinal plant Artemisia argyi.

Seven previously undescribed polyketide derivatives, fusariumtides A-G (1-7), together with three known analogues (8-10), were isolated from the culture extract of Fusarium asiaticum QA-6, an endophytic fungus obtained from the fresh stem tissue of the medicinal plant Artemisia argyi H. Lev. & Vaniot.

Defect-assisted surface modification of a g-CN@WC heterostructure for tetracycline degradation: DFT calculations, degradation pathways, and nematode-based ecological assessment.

Eliminating hazardous antibiotics from aquatic environments has become a major concern in recent years. Tetracycline (TC) compounds pose a challenge for the selective degradation of harmful chemical groups. In this study, we successfully designed carbon vacancies in a gCN@WC (GW) heterostructure for the effective removal of TC pollutants under visible light.

Two new strains of Streptomyces with metabolic potential for biological control of pear black spot disease.

Background: Pear black spot is caused by Alternaria tenuissima. It is one of the diseases of concern limiting pear production worldwide. Existing cultivation methods and fungicides are not sufficient to control early blight.

Early detection of bacterial pneumonia by characteristic induced odor signatures.

Introduction: The ability to detect pathogenic bacteria before the onsets of severe respiratory symptoms and to differentiate bacterial infection allows to improve patient-tailored treatment leading to a significant reduction in illness severity, comorbidity as well as antibiotic resistance. As such, this study refines the application of the non-invasive Secondary Electrospray Ionization-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (SESI-HRMS) methodology for real-time and early detection of human respiratory bacterial pathogens in the respiratory tract of a mouse infection model.

Methods: A real-time analysis of changes in volatile metabolites excreted by mice undergoing a lung infection by Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pneumoniae were evaluated using a SESI-HRMS instrument.

Stabilizing Polyoxometalate for Enhanced OER Performance Using a Porous Manganese Oxide Support.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a critical challenge in electrocatalytic water splitting, hindered by high energy demands and slow kinetics. Polyoxometalates (POMs), recognized for their unique redox capabilities, structural archetypes, and molecular precision, are promising candidates for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Yet, their application is hindered by high water solubility, causing rapid degradation and efficiency loss under harsh OER conditions.

Optimizing Acidic Oxygen Evolution with Manganese-Doped Ruthenium Dioxide Assembly.

Ruthenium dioxide (RuO) is one of the promising catalysts for the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, designing RuO catalysts with good activity and stability remains a significant challenge. In this work, we propose the manganese (Mn)-doped RuO assembly as a catalyst for the OER with improved activity and stability.

Exploring Compactness and Dynamics of Apomyoglobin.

Hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) approach has become a valuable analytical complement to traditional methods. HDX-MS allows the identification of dynamic surfaces in proteins. We have shown that the introduction of various mutations into the amino acid sequence of whale apomyoglobin (apoMb) leads to a change in the number of exchangeable hydrogen atoms, which is associated with a change in its compactness in the native-like condition.

Probing the synergistic effect of metal-organic framework derived Co-Nx rich interwoven hierarchical porous carbon tube encapsulated dual redox active nanoalloy for high-performance Zn-air battery and supercapacitor applications.

Rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs) with high-performance and stability is desirable for encouraging the transition of the technology from academia to industries. However, achieving this balance remains a formidable challenge, primarily due to the requirement of robust, earth-abundant reversible oxygen electrocatalyst. The present study introduces a simple strategy to synthesize Co-N rich nanoalloy with N-doped porous carbon tubes (NiCo@NPCTs).

DNA methylation-based predictors of metabolic traits in Scottish and Singaporean cohorts.

Exploring the molecular correlates of metabolic health measures may identify their shared and unique biological processes and pathways. Molecular proxies of these traits may also provide a more objective approach to their measurement. Here, DNA methylation (DNAm) data were used in epigenome-wide association studies (EWASs) and for training epigenetic scores (EpiScores) of six metabolic traits: body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, waist-hip ratio, and blood-based measures of glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and total cholesterol in >17,000 volunteers from the Generation Scotland (GS) cohort.