Amorphous-Crystalline Interface Induced Internal Electric Fields for Electrochromic Smart Window.

Balancing optical modulation and response time is crucial for achieving high coloration efficiency in electrochromic materials. Here, internal electric fields are introduced to titanium dioxide nanosheets by constructing abundant amorphous-crystalline interfaces, ensuring large optical modulation while reducing response time and therefore improving coloration efficiency. Aberration-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) reveals the presence of numerous amorphous-crystalline phase boundaries in titanium dioxide nanosheets. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) exhibits an intense surface potential distribution, demonstrating the presence of internal electric fields. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm that the amorphous-crystalline heterointerfaces can generate internal electric fields and reduce diffusion barriers of lithium ions. As a result, the amorphous-crystalline titanium dioxide nanosheets exhibit better coloration efficiency (35.1 cm2 C-1) than pure amorphous and crystalline titanium dioxide nanosheets.

Matrix Stiffness of GelMA Hydrogels Regulates Lymphatic Endothelial Cells toward Enhanced Lymphangiogenesis.

Lymphatic vessel regeneration is crucial for various tissue engineering strategies, particularly in resolving inflammation and restoring tissue homeostasis. In our study, we focused on investigating how hydrogel matrix stiffness influences lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) in promoting lymphatic vessel regeneration. Gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) was chosen as our biomaterial due to its versatility in tissue engineering and biofabrication. We fabricated GelMA hydrogels at concentrations of 5, 7.5, and 15% (w/v) with corresponding Young's modulus values of 1.55 kPa (soft matrix), 12.02 kPa (medium matrix), and 48.50 kPa (stiff matrix). Among these, the 7.5% GelMA hydrogel exhibited optimal stiffness for promoting lymphangiogenesis. LECs seeded either on the hydrogel surface or within spontaneously formed a more stable lymphatic capillary network compared with other GelMA formulations. Furthermore, we investigated the enhancement of lymphangiogenesis by incorporating VEGF-C into the GelMA hydrogel, leveraging the synergistic effects of mechanical and chemical cues. Our results underscored the critical role of FAK-phosphorylation in this process; treatment with an FAK-specific inhibitor prevented the formation of tube-like structures by LECs and attenuated the expression of lymphatic markers. Overall, our findings highlight how the mechanical and chemical cues provided by GelMA hydrogels can effectively regulate LEC behavior toward enhanced lymphangiogenesis via the integrin/FAK mechanotransduction pathway. This study proposes a promising strategy for developing hydrogel-based scaffolds or bioinks tailored to promote lymphatic vessel regeneration in therapeutic applications.

In-situ atomic tracking of intermetallic compound formation during thermal annealing.

Intermetallic compounds (IMCs) with ordered atomic structure have gained great attention as nanocatalysts for its enhanced activity and stability. Although the reliance of IMC preparation on high-temperature annealing is well known, a comprehensive understanding of the formation mechanisms of IMCs in this process is currently lacking. Here, we employ aberration-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (AC-HAADF-STEM) to track the formation process of IMCs on carbon supports during in-situ annealing, by taking PtFe as a case study within an industry-relevant impregnation synthesis framework. We directly discern five different stages at the atomic level: initial atomic precursors; Pt cluster formation; Pt-Fe disordered alloying; structurally ordered Pt3Fe formation, and final Pt3Fe-PtFe IMC conversion. In particular, we find that the crucial role of high-temperature annealing resides in facilitating the diffusion of Fe towards Pt, enabling the creation of alloys with the targeted stoichiometric ratio, which in turn provides the thermodynamic driving force for the disorder-to-order transition.

A synthetic moving-envelope metasurface antenna for independent control of arbitrary harmonic orders.

Flexible frequency controls are crucial in many photonic and electronic applications, ranging from communications systems, spectroscopy, and metrology to quantum information processing. However, the state-of-the-art solutions based on nonlinear bulk media, electro-optic effect, and nonlinear metasurfaces incur very limited spectral controllability, and merely a couple of harmonic orders can be independently manipulated. Here, we theoretically propose and experimentally demonstrate synthetic moving-envelope metasurface antennas capable of simultaneously generating arbitrary harmonic orders and independently manipulating their wave properties in a software-defined manner. As proof-of-principle examples, we demonstrate unidirectional frequency transition, frequency comb generation, arbitrary harmonic orders independent control, and their applications in frequency-division multiplexing communications. All these complicated functionalities are achieved by the 1-bit spatiotemporally ON-OFF switching of meta-atoms of the waveguide-integrated metasurface antenna. Our proposed synthetic metasurface antenna solution greatly expands the frontiers of wave engineering and information manipulation, showing promising potential in wireless communications, spectroscopy, metrology, and quantum science.

Integration of single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing data reveals that CYTOR is a potential prognostic and immunotherapeutic response marker for skin cutaneous melanoma.

Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is a highly malignant tumor that is prone to immune escape and distant metastasis. Immunotherapy is considered to be the best treatment for patients with SKCM. However, not all patients benefit from it. We observed a significant differential expression of the lncRNA CYTOR in patients with SKCM based on single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing data mining results. The results showed that compared to normal tissue lncRNA CYTOR expression was significantly upregulated in SKCM tissue. Subsequently, we validated this finding in clinical samples, and we also found that the expression of lncRNA CYTOR in SKCM was higher as it progressed. lncRNA CYTOR was differentially expressed in patients who responded to immunotherapy, suggesting that it may serve as a biomarker to predict the efficacy of SKCM immunotherapy. In-depth analysis revealed that lncRNA CYTOR expression was strongly correlated with immune cell infiltration, immune response, and immune checkpoint expression. Meanwhile, our experiments revealed that CYTOR affects SKCM cell invasion and clone formation and is associated with the activation of the EMT pathway. In summary, our findings illustrate, for the first time, the value of CYTOR as a potential prognostic and immunotherapeutic response marker in SKCM.

Surface-Diffusion-Induced Amorphization of Pt Nanoparticles over Ru Oxide Boost Acidic Oxygen Evolution.

Phase transformation offers an alternative strategy for the synthesis of nanomaterials with unconventional phases, allowing us to further explore their unique properties and promising applications. Herein, we first observed the amorphization of Pt nanoparticles on the RuO2 surface by in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate the low energy barrier and thermodynamic driving force for Pt atoms transferring from the Pt cluster to the RuO2 surface to form amorphous Pt. Remarkably, the as-synthesized amorphous Pt/RuO2 exhibits 14.2 times enhanced mass activity compared to commercial RuO2 catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Water electrolyzer with amorphous Pt/RuO2 achieves 1.0 A cm-2 at 1.70 V and remains stable at 200 mA cm-2 for over 80 h. The amorphous Pt layer not only optimized the *O binding but also enhanced the antioxidation ability of amorphous Pt/RuO2, thereby boosting the activity and stability for the OER.

Vertically Stacked Amorphous Ir/Ru/Ir Oxide Nanosheets for Boosted Acidic Water Splitting.

Integrating multiple functional components into vertically stacked heterostructures offers a prospective approach to manipulating the physicochemical properties of materials. The synthesis of vertically stacked heterogeneous noble metal oxides remains a challenge. Herein, we report a surface segregation approach to create vertically stacked amorphous Ir/Ru/Ir oxide nanosheets (NSs). Cross-sectional high-angle annular darkfield scanning transmission electron microscopy images demonstrate a three-layer heterostructure in the amorphous Ir/Ru/Ir oxide NSs, with IrOx layers located on the upper and lower surfaces, and a layer of RuOx sandwiched between the two IrOx layers. The vertically stacked heterostructure is a result of the diffusion of Ir atoms from the amorphous IrRuOx solid solution to the surface. The obtained A-Ir/Ru/Ir oxide NSs display an ultralow overpotential of 191 mV at 10 mA cm-2 toward acid oxygen evolution reaction and demonstrate excellent performance in a proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer, which requires only 1.63 V to achieve 1 A cm-2 at 60 °C, with virtually no activity decay observed after a 1300 h test.

Universal Synthesis of Amorphous Metal Oxide Nanomeshes.

Constructing the pore structures in amorphous metal oxide nanosheets can enhance their electrocatalytic performance by efficiently increasing specific surface areas and facilitating mass transport in electrocatalysis. However, the accurate synthesis for porous amorphous metal oxide nanosheets remains a challenge. Herein, a facile nitrate-assisted oxidation strategy is reported for synthesizing amorphous mesoporous iridium oxide nanomeshes (a-m IrOx NMs) with a pore size of ∼4 nm. X-ray absorption characterizations indicate that a-m IrOx NMs possess stretched Ir─O bonds and weaker Ir-O interaction compared with commercial IrO2. Combining thermogravimetric-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with differential scanning calorimetry measurements, it is demonstrated that sodium nitrate, acting as an oxidizing agent, is conducive to the formation of amorphous nanosheets, while the NO2 produced by the in situ decomposition of nitrates facilitates the generation of pores within the nanomeshes. As an anode electrocatalyst in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer, a-m IrOx NMs exhibit superior performance, maintaining a cell voltage of 1.67 V at 1 A cm-2 for 120 h without obvious decay with a low loading (0.4 mgcatalyst cm-2). Furthermore, the nitrate-assisted method is demonstrated to be a general approach to prepare various amorphous metal oxide nanomeshes, including amorphous RhOx, TiOx, ZrOx, AlOx, and HfOx nanomeshes.

One-Dimensional High-Entropy Compounds.

One-dimensional (1D) high-entropy compounds (HECs) with subnano diameters are highly attractive because long-range electron delocalization may occur along the high-entropy atomic chain, which results in extraordinary properties. Nevertheless, synthesizing such 1D HECs presents a substantial challenge, and the physicochemical attributes of these novel structures remain ambiguous. Herein, we developed a comelting-filling-freezing-modification (co-MFFM) method for synthesizing 1D high-entropy metal phosphide (HEP) by simultaneously encapsulating various metal cations within single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) followed with a phosphorization process. The resulting 1D HEP nanowires confined within SWCNTs exhibit crucial features, including an ultrafine, high-entropy, and amorphous structure, along with a core-shell arrangement. The SWCNT as a shell could donate π electrons to 1D HEP for enhanced electron delocalization and protect 1D HEP as an atomically single-layered protective covering, thus boosting high electrocatalytic activity and stability. Moreover, the co-MFFM method demonstrates scalability for mass production and displays universal applicability to the synthesis of various 1D HECs.

A retrospective study of the detection of sepsis pathogens comparing blood culture and culture-independent digital PCR.

Fast and precise identification of microorganisms in the early diagnosis of sepsis is crucial for enhancing patient outcomes. Digital PCR (dPCR) is a highly sensitive approach for absolute quantification that can be utilized as a culture-independent molecular technique for diagnosing sepsis pathogens. We performed a retrospective investigation on 69 ICU patients suspected of sepsis. Our findings showed that a multiplex dPCR diagnostic kit outperformed blood culture in detecting the 15 most frequent bacteria that cause sepsis. Ninety-two bacterial strains were identified using dPCR at concentrations varying from 34 copies/mL to 105,800 copies/mL. The detection rate of dPCR was much greater than that of BC, with 27.53% (19/69) versus 73.91% (51/69). The sensitivity of dPCR was 63.2%. Our research indicated that dPCR outperforms blood culture in the early detection of sepsis-causing microorganisms. The diagnostic kit can detect a greater variety of pathogens with quantitative data, including polymicrobial infections, and has a quicker processing time. DPCR is a valuable technique that could aid in the proper management of sepsis.

A multifunctional flavoprotein monooxygenase HspB for hydroxylation and C-C cleavage of 6-hydroxy-3-succinoyl-pyridine.

Flavoprotein monooxygenases catalyze reactions, including hydroxylation and epoxidation, involved in the catabolism, detoxification, and biosynthesis of natural substrates and industrial contaminants. Among them, the 6-hydroxy-3-succinoyl-pyridine (HSP) monooxygenase (HspB) from Pseudomonas putida S16 facilitates the hydroxylation and C-C bond cleavage of the pyridine ring in nicotine. However, the mechanism for biodegradation remains elusive. Here, we refined the crystal structure of HspB and elucidated the detailed mechanism behind the oxidative hydroxylation and C-C cleavage processes. Leveraging structural information about domains for binding the cofactor flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and HSP substrate, we used molecular dynamics simulations and quantum/molecular mechanics calculations to demonstrate that the transfer of an oxygen atom from the reactive FAD peroxide species (C4a-hydroperoxyflavin) to the C3 atom in the HSP substrate constitutes a rate-limiting step, with a calculated reaction barrier of about 20 kcal/mol. Subsequently, the hydrogen atom was rebounded to the FAD cofactor, forming C4a-hydroxyflavin. The residue Cys218 then catalyzed the subsequent hydrolytic process of C-C cleavage. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the versatile functions of flavoproteins in the natural transformation of pyridine and HspB in nicotine degradation.IMPORTANCEPseudomonas putida S16 plays a pivotal role in degrading nicotine, a toxic pyridine derivative that poses significant environmental challenges. This study highlights a key enzyme, HspB (6-hydroxy-3-succinoyl-pyridine monooxygenase), in breaking down nicotine through the pyrrolidine pathway. Utilizing dioxygen and a flavin adenine dinucleotide cofactor, HspB hydroxylates and cleaves the substrate's side chain. Structural analysis of the refined HspB crystal structure, combined with state-of-the-art computations, reveals its distinctive mechanism. The crucial function of Cys218 was never discovered in its homologous enzymes. Our findings not only deepen our understanding of bacterial nicotine degradation but also open avenues for applications in both environmental cleanup and pharmaceutical development.

New insights into GATOR2-dependent interactions and its conformational changes in amino acid sensing.

Eukaryotic cells coordinate growth under different environmental conditions via mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). In the amino-acid-sensing signalling pathway, the GATOR2 complex, containing five evolutionarily conserved subunits (WDR59, Mios, WDR24, Seh1L and Sec13), is required to regulate mTORC1 activity by interacting with upstream CASTOR1 (arginine sensor) and Sestrin2 (leucine sensor and downstream GATOR1 complex). GATOR2 complex utilizes ß-propellers to engage with CASTOR1, Sestrin2 and GATOR1, removal of these ß-propellers results in substantial loss of mTORC1 capacity. However, structural information regarding the interface between amino acid sensors and GATOR2 remains elusive. With the recent progress of the AI-based tool AlphaFold2 (AF2) for protein structure prediction, structural models were predicted for Sentrin2-WDR24-Seh1L and CASTOR1-Mios ß-propeller. Furthermore, the effectiveness of relevant residues within the interface was examined using biochemical experiments combined with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Notably, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) analysis detected the structural transition of GATOR2 in response to amino acid signals, and the deletion of Mios ß-propeller severely impeded that change at distinct arginine levels. These findings provide structural perspectives on the association between GATOR2 and amino acid sensors and can facilitate future research on structure determination and function.

The Effect of PGAM5 on Regulating Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic stroke is an acute cerebrovascular disease with high mortality rates and poor prognoses. The influence of ischemic stroke includes a heavy economic burden to patients and society, making the exploration of new therapeutic targets for preventing and treating ischemic stroke urgent. This study aimed to explore the effect of phosphoglycerate mutase family member 5 (PGAM5) on oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in ischemic stroke. METHODS: The model of ischemic neuronal brain injury was established through culturing purchased human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) by oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R). There were six experimental groups, including the OGD/R model group (SH-cells of OGD/R model), OE-NC group (cells of OGD/R model transfected with scramble cDNA), OE-PGAM5 group (cells of OGD/R model transfected with full-length sequence of PGAM5), si-NC group (cells of OGD/R model transfected with negative control small interference (si)RNA), si-PGAM5 group (cells of OGD/R model transfected with siRNA for PGAM5 knockdown), and a control group (cells cultured normally). Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry were used to determine the activity and apoptosis of cells. Subsequently, the effects of PGAM5 expression on oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction were analyzed. Mitochondrial morphology was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was determined by JC-1 fluorescent probe. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured by flow cytometry, and levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay. The expression of light chain (LC)3-II/I and autophagy-related gene 5 (ATG5) proteins were measured, and the regulation of PGAM5 expression on PTEN-induced putative protein kinase 1 (PINK1)/Parkin pathway was also explored. RESULTS: PGAM5 overexpression in OGD/R cells decreased the cell viability (p < 0.001) while increasing cell apoptosis (p < 0.01) compared to the OGD/R group. Inhibition of PGAM5 expression reversed the decreased cell viability (p < 0.001) and the increased cell apoptosis (p < 0.01). The JC-1 fluorescence showed that OGD/R treatment reduced mitochondrial membrane potential (p < 0.001) and TEM showed an obvious increase in phagosomes. In addition, OGD/R treatment enhanced oxidative stress (increased ROS, p < 0.01; increased MDA, p < 0.001; decreased SOD, p < 0.001), which could be further enhanced by overexpression of PGAM5 (ROS, p < 0.001; MDA, p < 0.001; SOD, p < 0.001) while reversed by the inhibition of PGAM5 (ROS, p < 0.01; MDA, p < 0.001; SOD, p < 0.001). The OGD/R-activated PINK1/Parkin pathway was inhibited by the knockdown of PGAM5 (p < 0.01) but promoted by the overexpression of PGAM5 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PGAM5 stimulates oxidative stress and impairs mitochondrial function in ischemic stroke, and regulates the PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway. Therefore, PGAM5 is likely to be a target for the therapy of ischemic stroke.

Understanding base and backbone contributions of phosphorothioate DNA for molecular recognition with SBD proteins.

Bacterial DNA phosphorothioate (PT) modification provides a specific anchoring site for sulfur-binding proteins (SBDs). Besides, their recognition patterns include phosphate links and bases neighboring the PT-modified site, thereby bringing about genome sequence-dependent properties in PT-related epigenetics. Here, we analyze the contributions of the DNA backbone (phosphates and deoxyribose) and bases bound with two SBD proteins in Streptomyces pristinaespiralis and coelicolor (SBDSco and SBDSpr). The chalcogen-hydrophobic interactions remained constantly at the anchoring site while the adjacent bases formed conditional and distinctive non-covalent interactions. More importantly, SBD/PT-DNA interactions were not limited within the traditional "4-bp core" range from 5'-I to 3'-III but extended to upstream 5'-II and 5'-III bases and even 5''-I to 5''-III at the non-PT-modified complementary strand. From the epigenetic viewpoint, bases 3'-II, 5''-I, and 5''-III of SBDSpr and 3'-II, 5''-II, and 5''-III of SBDSco present remarkable differentiations in the molecular recognitions. From the protein viewpoint, H102 in SBDSpr and R191 in SBDSco contribute significantly while proline residues at the PT-bound site are strictly conserved for the PT-chalcogen bond. The mutual and make-up mutations are proposed to alter the SBD/PT-DNA recognition pattern, besides additional chiral phosphorothioate modifications on phosphates 5'-II, 5'-II, 3'-I, and 3'-II.

Amorphization-Induced Cation Exchange in Indium Oxide Nanosheets for CO2-to-Ethanol Conversion.

Cation exchange (CE) in metal oxides under mild conditions remains an imperative yet challenging goal to tailor their composition and enable practical applications. Herein, we first develop an amorphization-induced strategy to achieve room-temperature CE for universally synthesizing single-atom doped In2O3 nanosheets (NSs). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidate that the abundant coordination-unsaturated sites present in a-In2O3 NSs are instrumental in surmounting the energy barriers of CE reactions. Empirically, a-In2O3 NSs as the host materials successfully undergo exchange with unary cations (Cu2+, Co2+, Mn2+, Ni2+), binary cations (Co2+Mn2+, Co2+Ni2+, Mn2+Ni2+), and ternary cations (Co2+Mn2+Ni2+). Impressively, high-loading single-atom doped (over 10 atom %) In2O3 NSs were obtained. Additionally, Cu/a-In2O3 NSs exhibit an excellent ethanol yield (798.7 µmol g-1 h-1) with a high selectivity of 99.5% for the CO2 photoreduction. This work offers a new approach to induce CE reactions in metal oxides under mild conditions and constructs scalable single-atom doped catalysts for critical applications.

Sodium butyrate (SB) ameliorated inflammation of COPD induced by cigarette smoke through activating the GPR43 to inhibit NF-κB/MAPKs signaling pathways.

Cigarette smoke is recognized as a major trigger for individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), leading to an amplified inflammatory response. The onset and progression of COPD are affected by multiple environmental and genetic risk factors, such as inflammatory mechanisms, oxidative stress, and an imbalance between proteinase and antiprotease. As a result, conventional drug therapies often have limited effectiveness. This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of sodium butyrate (SB) in COPD and explore its molecular mechanism, thereby deepening our understanding of the potential application of SB in the treatment of COPD. In our study, we observed an increase in the mRNA and protein expressions of inflammatory factors interleukin-1beta (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), Matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) and MMP12 in both NR8383 cell and rat models of COPD. However, these expressions were significantly reduced after SB treatment. Meanwhile, SB treatment effectively decreased the phosphorylation levels of nuclear transcription factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and inhibited the nuclear translocation of these proteins in the COPD cells, leading to a reduction in the expression of various inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, SB also inhibited the expression level of the Nod-like receptor pyrin domain 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, which consists of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC), and Caspase-1 in the cigeratte smoke extract (CSE)-stimulated cells. Our results showed that CSE down-regulated the mRNA levels of G-protein-coupled receptor 43 (GPR43) and GPR109A, while SB only up-regulated the expression of GPR43 and had no effect on GPR109A. Moreover, additional analysis demonstrated that the knockdown of GPR43 diminishes the anti-inflammatory effects of SB. It is evident that siRNA-mediated knockdown of GPR43 prevented the reduction in mRNA expression of IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, MMP9, and MMP12, as well as the expression of phosphorylated proteins NF-κB p65, JNK, and p38 MAPKs with SB treatment. These findings revealed a SB/GPR43 mediated pathway essential for attenuating pulmonary inflammatory responses in COPD, which may offer potential new treatments for COPD.

A universal metasurface antenna to manipulate all fundamental characteristics of electromagnetic waves.

Metasurfaces have promising potential to revolutionize a variety of photonic and electronic device technologies. However, metasurfaces that can simultaneously and independently control all electromagnetics (EM) waves' properties, including amplitude, phase, frequency, polarization, and momentum, with high integrability and programmability, are challenging and have not been successfully attempted. Here, we propose and demonstrate a microwave universal metasurface antenna (UMA) capable of dynamically, simultaneously, independently, and precisely manipulating all the constitutive properties of EM waves in a software-defined manner. Our UMA further facilitates the spatial- and time-varying wave properties, leading to more complicated waveform generation, beamforming, and direct information manipulations. In particular, the UMA can directly generate the modulated waveforms carrying digital information that can fundamentally simplify the architecture of information transmitter systems. The proposed UMA with unparalleled EM wave and information manipulation capabilities will spark a surge of applications from next-generation wireless systems, cognitive sensing, and imaging to quantum optics and quantum information science.

Extraction of large foreign bodies from the airway by gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Foreign body aspiration is a worldwide health problem that often results in life-threatening complications. Although flexible bronchoscopy is a safe procedure for removal of foreign bodies, it is usually unsuccessful in removing large foreign bodies from the airway. Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, which is frequently used to remove foreign bodies from the gastrointestinal tract, has not been reported for retrieval of airway foreign bodies. In this report, we described three successful cases of removal of large airway foreign bodies by GI endoscopy. To avoid rigid bronchoscopy, GI endoscopy can be considered if flexible bronchoscopy has failed to remove a large or heavy airway foreign body in adult patients.

Coupling Single-Atom Sites and Ordered Intermetallic PtM Nanoparticles for Efficient Catalysis in Fuel Cells.

The design of an efficient catalytic system with low Pt loading and excellent stability for the acidic oxygen reduction reaction is still a challenge for the extensive application of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. Here, a gas-phase ordered alloying strategy is proposed to construct an effective synergistic catalytic system that blends PtM intermetallic compounds (PtM IMC, M = Fe, Cu, and Ni) and dense isolated transition metal sites (M-N4 ) on nitrogen-doped carbon (NC). This strategy enables Pt nanoparticles and defects on the NC support to timely trap flowing metal salt without partial aggregation, which is attributed to the good diffusivity of gaseous transition metal salts with low boiling points. In particular, the resulting Pt1 Fe1 IMC cooperating with Fe-N4 sites achieves cooperative oxygen reduction with a half-wave potential up to 0.94 V and leads to a high mass activity of 0.51 A  mgPt -1 and only 23.5% decay after 30 k cycles, both of which exceed DOE 2025 targets. This strategy provides a method for reducing Pt loading in fuel cells by integrating Pt-based intermetallics and single transition metal sites to produce an efficient synergistic catalytic system.