Synergistic Effect Enables the Dual-Metal Doped Cobalt Telluride Particles as Potential Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Evolution in Alkaline Electrolyte.

Cobalt (Co)-based materials have been widely investigated as hopeful noble-metal-free alternatives for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline electrolytes, which is crucial for generating hydrogen by water electrolysis. Herein, cobalt-based telluride particles with good electronic conductivity as anodic electrocatalysts were prepared under vacuum by the solid-state strategy, which display remarkable activities toward the OER. Nickel (Ni) and iron (Fe) codoped cobalt telluride (NiFe-CoTe) exhibits an overpotential of 321 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm-2 and a Tafel slope of 51.8 mV dec-1, outperforming the performances of CoTe, CoTe2, and IrO2. According to the DFT calculation, the adsorbed hydroxyl-assisted adsorbate evolution mechanism was proposed for the OER process of NiFe-CoTe, which reveals the synergetic effect toward OER induced by codoping of the Ni and Fe atoms. This work proposes a rational strategy to prepare cobalt-based tellurides as efficient OER catalysts in alkaline electrolytes, providing a new strategy to prepare and regulate metal-based tellurides for catalysis and beyond.

Novel Predictive Scoring System for Intravenous Immunoglobulin Resistance Helps Timely Intervention in Kawasaki Disease: The Chinese Experience.

Background: Approximately 10%-20% of patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) are nonresponsive to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment, placing them at higher risk of developing coronary heart lesions. Early detection of nonresponsiveness is crucial to curtail this risk; however, the applicability of existing predictive scoring systems is limited to the Japanese population. Our study aimed to identify a predictive scoring system for IVIG resistance in KD specific to the Chinese population. We aimed to assess the utility of three commonly used risk-scoring systems in predicting IVIG resistance and compare them to the newly developed predictive scoring system. Methods: A total of 895 patients with KD were enrolled in this retrospective review and divided into two groups: IVIG responders and nonresponders. Clinical and laboratory variables were compared between the two groups. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to construct a new scoring system. The utility of the existing and new scoring systems was assessed and compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: Albumin levels, percentage of neutrophils, and hemoglobin were independent predictors of resistance by logistic regression analysis. The new predictive scoring system was derived with improved sensitivity (60.5%) and specificity (87.8%). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.818. Conclusion: This study developed a novel risk-scoring system for predicting resistance to IVIG treatment in KD specific to the Chinese population. Although this new model requires further validation, it may be useful for improving prognostic outcomes and reducing the risk of complications associated with KD.

Inositol-Triphosphate 3-Kinase C and DNA Methylation Involvement in NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation in Kawasaki Disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate ITPKC and NLRP3 expression in children with Kawasaki disease (KD) and investigate the relationship between serum pro-inflammatory cytokines triggered by NLRP3 and inflammatory indices. Simultaneously, the methylation level in the ITPKC promoter was evaluated in children with KD. METHODS: Children who satisfied the American Heart Association diagnostic criteria for KD were enrolled in the study from August 2018 to January 2019. The levels of ITPKC, NLRP3, IL-1ß, and IL-18 were measured. The effect of DNA methylation on the activity of the ITPKC promoter was observed. Methylation-specific PCR was used to verify methylation modification of the ITPKC promoter region in children with KD. RESULTS: ITPKC expression was downregulated in patients with KD, whereas NLRP3 was upregulated. Expression of the downstream cytokine, IL-18, was significantly upregulated in children with KD and correlated positively with inflammatory indices. Modifying DNA methylation significantly decreased the luciferase activity of the plasmid containing the ITPKC promoter region and thus, may inhibit ITPKC gene promoter activity. Furthermore, methylation modification was observed in the ITPKC promoter region of children with KD. CONCLUSION: Modification of DNA methylation inhibits ITPKC promoter activity and is involved in NLRP3 inflammasome activation in children with KD.

Simple sequence repeat markers associated/linked with agronomic traits, as core primers, are eminently suitable for DNA fingerprinting in Upland cotton.

Analyzing the genetic differences among crop germplasm resources scientifically and accurately is very important for the selection of core accessions, the identification of new cultivars, and the determination of seed purity. However, phenotypic selection per se is not sufficient to identify genetically distinct accessions. In this study, 26 out of 83 simple sequence repeat markers associated/linked with cotton important agronomic traits derived from our previous and other published research, corresponding to the 26 chromosomes of Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), were selected as core primers for DNA fingerprinting construction. The 26 markers showed clear band patterns, good repeatability and high polymorphism. The average alleles, gene diversity index and polymorphism information content were 3.12, 0.4312 and 0.3830, respectively. Using TM-1, a genetic standard line for Upland cotton, as the control, DNA fingerprinting pattern and DNA barcodes were obtained based on the core primers. There was a significant positive correlation between genetic distance matrix determined using 26 core primers and that determined using more primers (335) derived from previous research, further suggesting that the core primers were eminently suitable for DNA fingerprinting in Upland cotton. This study provides a molecular basis for assessing identification, authenticity and seed purity of cotton cultivars.