An Ultrasensitive Room-Temperature H2 Sensor Based on a TiO2 Rutile-Anatase Homojunction.

Metal oxide semiconductor hetero- and homojunctions are commonly constructed to improve the performance of hydrogen sensors at room temperature. In this study, a simple two-step hydrothermal method was employed to prepare TiO2 films with homojunctions of rutile and anatase phases (denoted as TiO2-R/A). Then, the microstructure of anatase-phase TiO2 was altered by controlling the amount of hydrochloric acid to realize a more favorable porous structure for charge transport and a larger surface area for contact with H2. The sensor used a Pt interdigital electrode. At an optimal HCl dosage (25 mL), anatase-phase TiO2 uniformly covered rutile-phase TiO2 nanorods, resulting in a greater response to H2 at 2500 ppm compared with that of a rutile TiO2 nanorod sensor by a factor of 1153. The response time was 21 s, mainly because the homojunction formed by the TiO2 rutile and anatase phases increased the synergistic effect of the charge transfer and potential barrier between the two phases, resulting in the formation of more superoxide (O2-) free radicals on the surface. Furthermore, the porous structure increased the surface area for H2 adsorption. The TiO2-R/A-based sensor exhibited high selectivity, long-term stability, and a fast response. This study provides new insights into the design of commercially competitive hydrogen sensors.

Identification and Functional Analysis of an Epsilon Class Glutathione S-Transferase Gene Associated with α-Pinene Adaptation in Monochamus alternatus.

Alpha-pinene is one of the main defensive components in conifers. Monochamus alternatus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), a wood borer feeding on Pinaceae plants, relies on its detoxifying enzymes to resist the defensive terpenoids. Here, we assayed the peroxide level and GST activity of M. alternatus larvae treated with different concentrations of α-pinene. Meanwhile, a gst gene (MaGSTe3) was isolated and analyzed. We determined its expression level and verified its function. The results showed that α-pinene treatment led to membrane lipid peroxidation and thus increased the GST activity. Expression of MaGSTe3 was significantly upregulated in guts following exposure to α-pinene, which has a similar pattern with the malonaldehyde level. In vitro expression and disk diffusion assay showed that the MaGSTe3 protein had high antioxidant capacity. However, RNAi treatment of MaGSTe3 did not reduce the hydrogen peroxide and malonaldehyde levels, while GST activity was significantly reduced. These results suggested MaGSTe3 takes part in α-pinene adaptation, but it does not play a great role in the resistance of M. alternatus larvae to α-pinene.

Prognostic Value of Postoperative Platelet to Mean Platelet Volume Ratio for In-hospital Mortality in Type A Acute Aortic Dissection Patients.

Surgical treatment is the most effective method to improve the prognosis of type A acute aortic dissection (TAAAD) patients. Thus, this investigation aimed to evaluate the value of postoperative platelet to mean platelet volume ratio (PMR) in predicting in-hospital mortality in postoperative TAAAD patients and to compare it with preoperative PMR.A retrospective study (171 postoperative patients) was conducted in the hospital from January 2017 to December 2019. Clinical (age, gender, and outcome of the patients' in-hospital mortality), preoperative PMR, and postoperative laboratory results were gathered. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and logistic regression were employed.Preoperative and postoperative PMR levels were higher in the survivors than in the nonsurvivors (13.44 ± 7.15 versus 9.15 ± 4.05, P = 0.002; 12.02 ± 6.79 versus 6.85 ± 2.42, P < 0.001; respectively). Multivariate logistic regression indicated that postoperative PMR was an independent factor even adjusted with different variables. Moreover, postoperative PMR had the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) (AUC: 0.778, 95% CI: 0.708-0.838, P < 0.001), with the best prognostic accuracy, followed by preoperative PMR (AUC: 0.721, 95% CI: 0.648-0.787, P < 0.001). The best cutoff value for postoperative PMR was 9.9206, with a high sensitivity (90.3%) and specificity (55.7%).Postoperative PMR should serve as an independent index to predict in-hospital mortality in TAAAD patients. In addition, postoperative PMR are superior to preoperative PMR to recognize high-risk patients.

USP10 exacerbates neointima formation by stabilizing Skp2 protein in vascular smooth muscle cells.

The underlying mechanism of neointima formation remains unclear. Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 10 (USP10) is a deubiquitinase that plays a major role in cancer development and progression. However, the function of USP10 in arterial restenosis is unknown. Herein, USP10 expression was detected in mouse arteries and increased after carotid ligation. The inhibition of USP10 exhibited thinner neointima in the model of mouse carotid ligation. In vitro data showed that USP10 deficiency reduced proliferation and migration of rat thoracic aorta smooth muscle cells (A7r5) and human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs). Mechanically, USP10 can bind to Skp2 and stabilize its protein level by removing polyubiquitin on Skp2 in the cytoplasm. The overexpression of Skp2 abrogated cell cycle arrest induced by USP10 inhibition. Overall, the current study demonstrated that USP10 is involved in vascular remodeling by directly promoting VSMC proliferation and migration via stabilization of Skp2 protein expression.

An Analysis of Predictive Sample-to-Cutoff Index for HIV Infection Confirmation Using Elecsys® HIV Combi PT Assay.

Background: Early and rapid diagnosis is crucial in HIV preventing and treatment. However, the false-positive rate (FPR) by 4-th generation detection assays was high in low-HIV-prevalence regions. Objectives: To analyze the relation between sample-to-cutoff index (COI) and HIV confirmatory results, and to explore a new COI threshold in our own laboratory to predict HIV infection. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed primarily reactive results by Elecsys® HIV combi PT assays and their confirmatory results by western blot (WB) at Nanjing Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The mean COI values of true positive (TP), false positive (FP), and indeterminate groups were compared, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was performed to determine the optimal COI value for predicting HIV infection. Results: Totally 150,980 HIV serological results were reviewed, and 305 (0.2%) were primarily reactive. There are 82 (26.89%) true positives, 210 (71.92%) false positives, and 11 indeterminate samples confirmed by WB tests, and another 2 patients rejected WB tests. Mean COI values of TP (643.5) were greatly higher than that of FP (3.174) (P < 0.0001), but there is no significant difference between FP and indeterminate groups. Combining the requirement of HIV diagnosis and ROC analysis, 9.87 was established as the optimal threshold to predict the infection, with 100% sensitivity and 99.99% specificity. Conclusions: By adjusting the COI threshold, the FP samples can be reduced and the efficiency of screening assays can be increased, which can save much additional reagent and staff costs and much time for delivery of HIV test results.

Prognostic Value of Lymphocyte-to-White Blood Cell Ratio for In-Hospital Mortality in Infective Endocarditis Patients.

Background: The prognosis of Infective endocarditis (IE) is poor, and we conducted this investigation to evaluate the worth of admission lymphocyte-to-white blood cell ratio (LWR) for prediction of short-term outcome in IE patients. Methods: We retrospectively assessed the medical records of 147 IE patients from January 2017 to December 2019. Patients were divided into the survivor group and nonsurvivor group. Univariate and multivariate analyses were applied to estimate the independent factors contribution to in-hospital death, and receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve was utilized to check the performance. Results: The levels of LWR (0.17 ± 0.08 vs. 0.10 ± 0.06) were significantly increased among the survivor group compared with the nonsurvivor group (P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis displayed that LWR (hazard ratio (HR): 1.755, 1.304-2.362, P < 0.001) was not interfered by other confounding factors for early death. Moreover, ROC analysis suggested that LWR (cutoff value = 0.10) performed the best among assessed indexes for the forecast of primary outcome (area under curve (AUC) = 0.750, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.634-0.867, P < 0.001, sensitivity = 70.0%, specificity = 76.4%), and the proportion of in-hospital mortality was remarkably inferior in patients with LWR > 0.10 than in those with LWR ≤ 0.10. (5.83% vs. 31.8%, P < 0.001). Conclusions: LMR is an independent, simple, universal, inexpensive, and reliable prognostic parameter to identify high-risk IE patients for in-hospital mortality.

Prognostic Value of Platelet-to-Platelet Distribution Width Ratio in Postoperative Patients with Type A Acute Aortic Dissection.

OBJECTIVE: Acute type A aortic dissection (AAD) is a serious life-threatening cardiovascular emergency with high in-hospital mortality without aggressive clinical treatment. The study intended to identify the relationship between platelet (PLT) to platelet distribution width (PDW) ratio (PPR) and in-hospital mortality in postoperative patients with type A AAD. METHODS: A total of 171 type A AAD patients were recruited in this retrospective study from January 2017 to December 2019. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) were exploited to determine the best cut-off value of PPR, and then patients were sub-grouped into the low-PPR group and high-PPR group, according to the optimal value of PPR. Finally, univariate, and multivariate analyses were carried out to examine the prognostic value of PPR. RESULTS: The value of PPR was 9.76, and the mortality was statistically higher in the low-PPR group than in the high-PPR group (29.1% vs. 6.0%, P < 0.01). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of PPR was 0.724 (95% CI, 0.633-0.815; P < 0.001) with a 56.4% sensitivity and 80.6% specificity. Multivariate analysis showed that serum PPR was an independent factor associated with in-hospital mortality (hazard ratio (HR): 1.151; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.035 -1.297; P = 0.010). CONCLUSION: Serum PPR can be used as an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality in postoperative patients with type A AAD.

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Molecular Insights in Overwintering Monochamus alternatus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae).

Monochamus alternatus, the dominant vector of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Aphelenchida: Aphelenchoididae), has caused immense damage to forest resources. In China, this vector was native to the southern regions but has spread northward recently. To adapt to more challenging environments in the northern winter, M. alternatus has evolved an intricate strategy for overwintering, which remains largely unknown. Herein, we compared the transcriptome data of the overwintering and non-overwintering larvae of M. alternatus larvae to investigate the molecular mechanisms in overwintering. A total of 53.10 GB clean bases and 28, 245 unigenes were obtained by RNA-seq. Analysis of 2597 upregulated and 2429 downregulated unigenes, as well as the enrichment of DEGs showed that many genes and pathways were jointly involved in the overwintering period. Besides, the accuracy of the RNA-seq data was tested by using qPCR experiment involving 13 selected genes. The results revealed that the overwintering process relied largely on the energy allocation trade-off. Specifically, overwintering M. alternatus inhibited energy-intensive activities, such as growth and molting, detoxification, and trehalose transport, and the reserved energy was skewed towards the synthesis of antifreeze compounds and immune response to cope with the deleterious effects of winter.

A simple model predicting in-hospital death in patients with type A acute aortic dissection.

BACKGROUND: Type A acute aortic dissection (TAAAD) is a destructive cardiovascular disease, with high morbidity and mortality rates. Identifying the high-risk TAAAD patients at an early stage is urgently necessary. METHODS: A retrospective study of 160 patients was carried out. The admission data were retrospectively gathered. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) was utilized. RESULTS: Compared with the survivor group, the nonsurvivor group was older, had higher D-dimer levels, red blood cell distribution width (RDW) levels and platelet distribution width (PDW) levels, and lower fibrinogen levels, platelet levels and plateletcrit levels. Multivariate analysis displayed that four independent factors, age (hazard ratio (HR): 7.877, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.740-22.641, p < 0.001), D-dimer (HR: 3.791, 95% CI 1.520-9.452, p = 0.004), RDW (HR: 3.300, 95% CI 1.109-9.825, p = 0.032), PDW (HR: 3.755, 95% CI 1.436-9.815, p = 0.007) were incorporated into the model. The predict accuracy of the model (AUC 0.861, 95% CI 0.798-0.911, p < 0.001) was best. CONCLUSIONS: Age, D-dimer, RDW and PDW are independent markers of in-hospital death in TAAAD patients and the newly established model has better performance in predicting high-risk patients. This model can be used as a quick screening tool to assess the prognosis of patients in individualizing.

HSP70 promotes tumor progression by stabilizing Skp2 expression in gastric cancer cells.

Gastric cancer (GC) has one of the highest tumor incidences worldwide. Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) is highly expressed and plays a critical role in the occurrence, progression, metastasis, poor prognosis, and drug resistance of GC. However, the underlying mechanisms of HSP70 are not clear. To explore the regulatory role of HSP70 in GC, we performed cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and EdU staining assays to assess cell proliferation; immunohistochemistry and western blot analyses to assess protein expression; coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays to assess interactions between two proteins; and immunofluorescence to assess protein expression and localization. HSP70 was highly expressed in clinical samples from patients with GC and indicated a poor prognosis. HSP70 inhibition enhanced the sensitivity of GC cells to thermochemotherapy. Furthermore, we found that S phase kinase-associated protein 2 (Skp2) was highly expressed in GC and correlated with HSP70 in array data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Importantly, HSP70 inhibition promoted Skp2 degradation. Skp2 overexpression abrogated HSP70 inhibition-induced cell cycle arrest, suggesting that the role of HSP70 in GC depends on Skp2 expression. Our results illustrate a possible regulatory mechanism of HSP70 and may provide a therapeutic strategy for overcoming resistance to thermochemotherapy.

Inhibition of USP14 suppresses the formation of foam cell by promoting CD36 degradation.

Atherosclerosis is regarded as a chronic progressive inflammatory disease and is a basic pathophysiological process in coronary artery disease which is life threatening in clinic. The formation of foam cell plays a key role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. OxLDL is a significant factor in progression of coronary artery disease. Our studies have demonstrated that USP14 promotes cancer development and mediates progression of cardiac hypertrophy and LPS-induced inflammation. However, the underlying mechanism of USP14 is unknown. In this study, we found that the inhibition of USP14 significantly suppressed the oxLDL uptake, subsequently decreased the foam cell formation. Surprisingly, USP14 has an effect on the expression of CD36 but not SR-A, ABCA1, Lox-1, ABCG1 and SR-Bl. Furthermore, USP14 stabilizes CD36 protein via cleaving the ubiquitin chain on CD36. Blocking CD36 activation using antibody-dependent blocking assay remarkably attenuated the function of USP14 on the formation of foam cell. In summary, our results suggested that the inhibition of USP14 decreases foam cell formation by down-regulating CD36-mediated lipid uptake and provides a potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis.

The sp2 character of new two-dimensional AsB with tunable electronic properties predicted by theoretical studies.

As a competitive candidate for replacing graphene that possesses an appropriate fundamental bandgap, structural stability and tunable electronic properties, the recently synthesized honeycomb arsenene has rekindled much enthusiasm in the area of two-dimensional materials. By using first-principles calculations and acoustic phonon limited deformation potential theory, we identify a compelling two-dimensional electronic material, single-layer AsB, which is a direct-gap semiconductor with a bandgap (Eg) of 1.18 eV, almost the same as that of bulk silicon. The orbital projected band structure and electron density as well as partial density of states demonstrate that the frontier state of the planar atomic structural AsB is sp2 orbital hybridization, which is distinct from that of buckled arsenene monolayers. Layer thickness, stacking order and strain are effective ways to tune the frontier states, and thus the band structure and bandgap of AsB. Moreover, thicker AsB exhibits one-layer localized states in the AB-stacking structure, which is in sharp contrast to other layered materials such as MoS2 and phosphorene. Benefiting from the non-localized pz orbital and larger elastic modulus, the carrier mobility of AsB is in the range of 103-104 cm2 V-1 s-1, which is much higher than that of pristine arsenene and some other analogues. Our work provides an effective way to tailor the electronic properties of 2D arsenene, which may open up new avenues for applying it in future nano-optoelectronics and electronics.

Room-temperature Cu-catalyzed N-arylation of aliphatic amines in neat water.

A room-temperature and PTC-free copper-catalyzed N-arylation of aliphatic amines in neat water has been developed. Using a combination of CuI and 6,7-dihydroquinolin-8(5H)-one oxime as the catalyst and KOH as the base, a wide range of aliphatic amines are arylated with various aryl and heteroaryl halides to give the corresponding products in up to 95% yield.

Ubiquitin-specific protease 14 regulates cardiac hypertrophy progression by increasing GSK-3ß phosphorylation.

Cardiac hypertrophy, a compensatory response to various stimuli in the heart, independently predicts cardiovascular ailments and related deaths. Increasing evidence indicates ubiquitin-proteasome signaling contributes to cardiac hypertrophy regulation. Here, we identified ubiquitin-specific protease 14 (USP14), a 19S proteasome associated deubiquitinase (DUB), as a novel target for cardiac hypertrophy therapy via inhibition of the GSK-3ß pathway. Indeed, USP14 expression was increased in an animal model of abdominal aorta constriction. In an angiotensin II (AngII) induced primary neonatal rat cardiomyocyte hypertrophy model, USP14 expression was increased in a time-dependent manner, and reduced USP14 deubiquitinase activity or USP14 knockdown resulted in lower expression levels of the myocardial hypertrophy specific marker ß-MHC, and subsequent decreased GSK-3ß phosphorylation. In conclusion, USP14 mediates the development of cardiac hypertrophy by promoting GSK-3ß phosphorylation, suggesting that USP14 might represent a novel therapeutic target for cardiac hypertrophy treatment.

High-yield production of canine parvovirus virus-like particles in a baculovirus expression system.

An optimized VP2 gene from the current prevalent CPV strain (new CPV-2a) in China was expressed in a baculovirus expression system. It was found that the VP2 proteins assembled into virus-like particles (VLPs) with antigenic properties similar to those of natural CPV and with an especially high hemagglutination (HA) titer (1:2(20)). Dogs intramuscularly or orally immunized with VLPs produced antibodies against CPV with >1:80 hemagglutination inhibition (HI) units for at least 3 months. The CPV VLPs could be considered for use as a vaccine against CPV or as a platform for research on chimeric VLP vaccines against other diseases.

Carotid body denervation improves autonomic and cardiac function and attenuates disordered breathing in congestive heart failure.

In congestive heart failure (CHF), carotid body (CB) chemoreceptor activity is enhanced and is associated with oscillatory (Cheyne-Stokes) breathing patterns, increased sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) and increased arrhythmia incidence. We hypothesized that denervation of the CB (CBD) chemoreceptors would reduce SNA, reduce apnoea and arrhythmia incidence and improve ventricular function in pacing-induced CHF rabbits. Resting breathing, renal SNA (RSNA) and arrhythmia incidence were measured in three groups of animals: (1) sham CHF/sham-CBD (sham-sham); (2) CHF/sham-CBD (CHF-sham); and (3) CHF/CBD (CHF-CBD). Chemoreflex sensitivity was measured as the RSNA and minute ventilatory (VE) responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia. Respiratory pattern was measured by plethysmography and quantified by an apnoea-hypopnoea index, respiratory rate variability index and the coefficient of variation of tidal volume. Sympatho-respiratory coupling (SRC) was assessed using power spectral analysis and the magnitude of the peak coherence function between tidal volume and RSNA frequency spectra. Arrhythmia incidence and low frequency/high frequency ratio of heart rate variability were assessed using ECG and blood pressure waveforms, respectively. RSNA and VE responses to hypoxia were augmented in CHF-sham and abolished in CHF-CBD animals. Resting RSNA was greater in CHF-sham compared to sham-sham animals (43 ± 5% max vs. 23 ± 2% max, P < 0.05), and this increase was not found in CHF-CBD animals (25 ± 1% max, P < 0.05 vs. CHF-sham). Low frequency/high frequency heart rate variability ratio was similarly increased in CHF and reduced by CBD (P < 0.05). Respiratory rate variability index, coefficient of variation of tidal volume and apnoea-hypopnoea index were increased in CHF-sham animals and reduced in CHF-CBD animals (P < 0.05). SRC (peak coherence) was increased in CHF-sham animals (sham-sham 0.49 ± 0.05; CHF-sham 0.79 ± 0.06), and was attenuated in CHF-CBD animals (0.59 ± 0.05) (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). Arrhythmia incidence was increased in CHF-sham and reduced in CHF-CBD animals (213 ± 58 events h(-1) CHF, 108 ± 48 events h(-1) CHF-CBD, P < 0.05). Furthermore, ventricular systolic (3.8 ± 0.7 vs. 6.3 ± 0.5 ml, P < 0.05) and diastolic (6.3 ± 1.0 vs. 9.1 ± 0.5 ml, P < 0.05) volumes were reduced, and ejection fraction preserved (41 ± 5% vs. 54 ± 2% reduction from pre-pace, P < 0.05) in CHF-CBD compared to CHF-sham rabbits. Similar patterns of changes were observed longitudinally within the CHF-CBD group before and after CBD. In conclusion, CBD is effective in reducing RSNA, SRC and arrhythmia incidence, while improving breathing stability and cardiac function in pacing-induced CHF rabbits.

The impact of corporate digital transformation on firms' performance in utilities sector.

In the evolving business landscape, utility firms are undergoing transformative digital changes. The purpose of this study is to examine the unexplored link between utility firms' digital transformation and performance, by utilizing unique data from Chinese listed utilities. Empirical findings show a positive correlation between digital transformation and enhanced performance, with financial constraints and environmental performance as identified mechanisms. The research enriches understanding of digital transformation's economic consequences, providing practical insights for implementation, especially for environmentally conscious firms. Considering textual analysis and sample size limitations, future studies could assess utility firms' digital transformation across diverse economies with a more thorough evaluation of a firm's level of digital transformation.

AuPt/NF prepared with the lattice induction of substrate was applied to construct the electrochemical immunosensor for PCT detection.

For the electrodeposition, the conductivity and lattice structure of substrate is important to the morphology and lattice of the deposited material. In this study, gold-platinum (AuPt) nanopartical was deposited on nickel foam (NF) based on the lattice induced orientation of the Ni substrate, and the obtained AuPt/NF was applied to construct electrochemical impedimetric immunosensor for procalcitonin (PCT) detection. As a new immunosensor matrix, NF with higher electrical conductance, flexibility and specific surface area, which can improve the plasticity, sensitivity and universality of the immunoelectrode. Due to the lattice matching between Au and Ni, ultrathin AuPt nanolayer with good biocompatibility and large surface area can be modified on the NF surface, which can bind more biomolecules and amplifies the change of impedance signal. Based on the synergistic effect between AuPt and NF, PCT detection based on this electrochemical impedimetric immunosensor with a wide linear range (0.2 pg mL-1 to 20 ng mL-1) and low detection limit (0.11 pg mL-1). In addition, this impedimetric immunosensor exhibits high recovery in the PCT detection of serum samples. This work provides a new thought and method for the construction of electrochemical immunosensor.

Dual-signaling and ultrasensitive detection for PCT based on the photoelectric and electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution signals of Pt/Mo-CoFeS.

Few study has been carried out on the construction of immunesensors utilized the photoelectric and catalytic signal of nanomaterial. Here, a dual-signal electrochemical immunosensor was constructed for procalcitonin (PCT) detection based on the excellent photoelectric and hydrogen evolution performance of molybdenum-doped cobalt-iron sulfur nanosheets modified by platinum nanoparticles (Pt/Mo-CoFeS). Due to the electronic structure regulation between Pt and Mo-CoFeS, Pt/Mo-CoFeS exhibits superior photoelectric and hydrogen evolution performance compared to single Mo-CoFeS, which improved the sensitivity of the electrochemical immunosensor. Furthermore, the presence of Pt improves surface area and biocompatibility, achieving more antibodies loading and signal amplification. The linear range of PCT detection are 0.002-20 ng mL-1 and 0.002-50 ng mL-1, the detection limits are 0.0015 and 0.0012 ng mL-1. In addition, this electrochemical immunosensor was applied to the PCT analysis in human serum samples with high recoveries. F-test and t-test show that there is no significant difference in the test results between the HER and photoelectric signals, the mutual verification between above two signals can effectively improve the accuracy of detection result.

Enhancing Methane Gas Sensing through Defect Engineering in Ag-Ru Co-doped ZnO Nanorods.

Detection of leaks of flammable methane (CH4) gas in a timely manner can mitigate health, safety, and environmental risks. Zinc oxide (ZnO), a polar semiconductor with controllable surface defects, is a promising material for gas sensing. In this study, Ag-Ru co-doped into self-assembled ZnO nanorod arrays (ZnO NRs) was prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method. The Ag-Ru co-doped sample shows a good hydrophobic property as a result of its particular microstructure, which results in high humidity resistance. In addition, oxygen vacancy density significantly increased after Ag-Ru co-doping. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed an exceptionally high charge density accumulated at the Ru sites and the formation of a localized strong electric field, which provides additional energy for the CH4 reaction with •O2- at the surface at room temperature. Optimized AgRu0.025-ZnO demonstrated an outstanding CH4 sensing performance, with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 2.24 ppm under free-heat and free-light conditions. These findings suggest that introducing defects into the ZnO lattice, such as oxygen vacancies and localized ions, offers a promising approach to improving the gas sensing performance.