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A modified chemical vapour deposition set-up allowing extremely localized injection of carbon precursors on a Cu–Ni substrate is used for the fast growth of large-area single-crystalline monolayers of graphene. Wafer-scale single-crystalline graphene monolayers are highly sought after as an ideal platform for electronic and other applications 1 , 2 , 3 . At present, state-of-the-art growth methods based on chemical vapour deposition allow the synthesis of one-centimetre-sized single-crystalline graphene domains in ∼12 h, by suppressing nucleation events on the growth substrate 4 . Here we demonstrate an efficient strategy for achieving large-area single-crystalline graphene by letting a single nucleus evolve into a monolayer at a fast rate. By locally feeding carbon precursors to a desired position of a substrate composed of an optimized Cu–Ni alloy, we synthesized an ∼1.5-inch-large graphene monolayer in 2.5 h. Localized feeding induces the formation of a single nucleus on the entire substrate, and the optimized alloy activates an isothermal segregation mechanism that greatly expedites the growth rate 5 , 6 . This approach may also prove effective for the synthesis of wafer-scale single-crystalline monolayers of other two-dimensional materials.

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) has attracted significant attention because of its superior properties as well as its potential as an ideal dielectric layer for graphene-based devices. The h-BN films obtained via chemical vapour deposition in earlier reports are always polycrystalline with small grains because of high nucleation density on substrates. Here we report the successful synthesis of large single-crystal h-BN grains on rational designed Cu–Ni alloy foils. It is found that the nucleation density can be greatly reduced to 60 per mm 2 by optimizing Ni ratio in substrates. The strategy enables the growth of single-crystal h-BN grains up to 7,500 μm 2 , approximately two orders larger than that in previous reports. This work not only provides valuable information for understanding h-BN nucleation and growth mechanisms, but also gives an effective alternative to exfoliated h-BN as a high-quality dielectric layer for large-scale nanoelectronic applications. High nucleation density has thus far limited the quality and grain size of CVD-grown hexagonal boron nitride. Here, by optimizing the Ni ratio in Cu–Ni substrates, the authors successfully reduce nucleation density and report single-crystal hexagonal boron nitride grains up to 7500 μm 2 .

Multilayer hexagonal boron nitride ( h -BN) is highly desirable as a dielectric substrate for the fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, the controllable synthesis of multilayer h -BN in large areas is still limited in terms of crystallinity, thickness and stacking order. Here, we report a vapor–liquid–solid growth (VLSG) method to achieve uniform multilayer h -BN by using a molten Fe 82 B 18 alloy and N 2 as reactants. Liquid Fe 82 B 18 not only supplies boron but also continuously dissociates nitrogen atoms from the N 2 vapor to support direct h -BN growth on a sapphire substrate; therefore, the VLSG method delivers high-quality h -BN multilayers with a controllable thickness. Further investigation of the phase evolution of the Fe-B-N system reveals that isothermal segregation dominates the growth of the h -BN. The approach herein demonstrates the feasibility for large-area fabrication of van der Waals 2D materials and heterostructures. Multilayer hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is a desirable dielectric substrate for 2D electronics but its controllable synthesis is challenging. Here, the authors report a vapor–liquid–solid growth method to achieve uniform multilayer hBN by using a molten Fe 82 B 18 alloy and N 2 as reactants.

Atomically thin hexagonal boron nitride ( h -BN) is often regarded as an elastic film that is impermeable to gases. The high stabilities in thermal and chemical properties allow h -BN to serve as a gas barrier under extreme conditions. Here, we demonstrate the isolation of hydrogen in bubbles of h -BN via plasma treatment. Detailed characterizations reveal that the substrates do not show chemical change after treatment. The bubbles are found to withstand thermal treatment in air, even at 800 °C. Scanning transmission electron microscopy investigation shows that the h -BN multilayer has a unique aligned porous stacking nature, which is essential for the character of being transparent to atomic hydrogen but impermeable to hydrogen molecules. In addition, we successfully demonstrated the extraction of hydrogen gases from gaseous compounds or mixtures containing hydrogen element. The successful production of hydrogen bubbles on h -BN flakes has potential for further application in nano/micro-electromechanical systems and hydrogen storage. Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is a two-dimensional material with wide band gap and high thermal and chemical stability. Here the authors demonstrate the formation and trapping of hydrogen gas bubbles in hBN interlayers upon plasma treatment, promising for extracting and storing hydrogen.

Atrial electromechanical coupling time (AEMCT) can be used to evaluate atrial electrical remodeling and early structural remodeling. This study explores the predictive role of AEMCT in postoperative new-onset AF (POAF) after off-pump isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB). A total of 116 patients who underwent OPCAB and left atrial diameter (LAD)<44 mm were analyzed. According to 7-day continuous telemetry and Holter monitoring after OPCAB, the patients were divided into POAF group and non- POAF group. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether new-onset POAF occurred, namely, POAF group (38, 32.7%) and non-POAF group (78, 67.3%). There was no significant difference in LAD between two group. Multivariate analysis found that P-A LA ( P wave on ECG to the starting point of A´wave on tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) spectrum at the left atrial lateral wall of the mitral annulus), T LA (AEMCT in the left atrium) and HbA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin) in POAF group were significantly higher than that in non-POAF group, that is, higher HbA1c, prolonged P-A LA and T LA were independent risk factors for POAF after OPCAB. P-A LA had the highest diagnostic predicting value. The AUC of HbA1c, P-A LA and T LA with Cut -off was 0.766, 95% CI: 0.67–0.86, P  < 0.001. In OPCAB patients without significant LAD enlargement, when P-A LA ≥ 96. 50 ms, there is more than 90% probability of POAF. The combination of HbA1c, P-A LA and T LA has the highest predictive value of POAF. AEMCT measured with TDI has the advantages of low cost and high repeatability. Clinical Trial Registry Registration Number: ChiCTR2200056127.

n-butane and isobutane are important petrochemical raw materials. Their separation is challenging because of their similar properties, including boiling point. Here, we report a zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8)/N,N-Dimethylpropyleneurea (DMPU)-water slurry as sorption material to separate butane mixtures. The isobutane/n-butane selectivity of ZIF-8/DMPU-water slurries is as high as 890 with high kinetic performance, which transcends the upper limit of various separation materials or membranes reported in the literature. More encouragingly, a continuous pilot separation device was established, and the test results show that the purity and recovery ratio of isobutane product are 99.46 mol% and 87%, respectively, which are superior to the corresponding performance (98.56 mol% and 54%) of the industrial distillation tower. To the best of our knowledge, the use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for gas separation in pilot scale remains underexplored, and thus this work provides a step forward to the commercial application of MOFs in gas separation. The separation of butane isomers, raw materials in petrochemical industry, is challenging. Here the authors report the separation of n-butane and isobutane using a metal-organic framework slurry; the separation can be performed at large scale in a pilot-scale separation tower.

Background Semaglutide has demonstrated potential in controlling hyperglycemia and lowering cardiovascular (CV) risk. However, its impact on arrhythmic, major CV, and renal outcomes is not well-defined. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess these effects in patients with overweight or obesity. Methods We searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases for eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reported up to January 2025. We calculated overall relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for these outcomes. In addition, subgroup analyses were performed based on age, treatment duration and obesity level. Results Ten RCTs involving 22,937 patients were included. Compared with the controls, semaglutide significantly reduced the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.63–0.99), sinus node dysfunction (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.19–1.00), acute myocardial infarction (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.60–0.85), and angina pectoris (RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.61–0.98). Subgroup analyses revealed greater efficacy in patients over 60 years old and those treated for more than 52 weeks, especially for acute myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, and acute kidney injury. Conclusion Semaglutide reduces the risk of AF, sinus node dysfunction, acute myocardial infarction, and angina pectoris in patients with overweight or obesity. However, its effects on other arrhythmic, CV, and renal outcomes remain uncertain.

The association between gut microbiota and central nervous system (CNS) development has garnered significant research attention in recent years. Evidence suggests bidirectional communication between the CNS and gut microbiota through the brain-gut axis. As a long and complex process, CNS development is highly susceptible to both endogenous and exogenous factors. The gut microbiota impacts the CNS by regulating neurogenesis, myelination, glial cell function, synaptic pruning, and blood-brain barrier permeability, with implication in various CNS disorders. This review outlines the relationship between gut microbiota and stages of CNS development (prenatal and postnatal), emphasizing the integral role of gut microbes. Furthermore, the review explores the implications of gut microbiota in neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder, Rett syndrome, and Angelman syndrome, offering insights into early detection, prompt intervention, and innovative treatments.

Accurate 3D object detection and localization in LiDAR point clouds are crucial for applications such as autonomous driving and UAV-based monitoring. However, existing detectors often suffer from the loss of critical geometric information during network processing, mainly due to downsampling and pooling operations. This leads to imprecise object boundaries and degraded detection accuracy, particularly for small objects. To address these challenges, we propose Edge-Aware Semantic Feature Fusion for Detection (EAS-Det), a lightweight, plug-and-play framework for LiDAR-based perception. The core module, Edge-Semantic Interaction (ESI), employs a dual-attention mechanism to adaptively fuse geometric edge cues with high-level semantic context, yielding multi-scale representations that preserve structural details while enhancing contextual awareness. EAS-Det is compatible with mainstream backbones such as PointPillars and PV-RCNN. Extensive experiments on the KITTI and Waymo datasets demonstrate consistent and significant improvements, achieving up to 10.34% and 8.66% AP gains for pedestrians and cyclists, respectively, on the KITTI benchmark. These results underscore the effectiveness and generalizability of EAS-Det for robust 3D object detection in complex real-world environments.

Background The lactate-to-albumin ratio (LAR) has emerged as a composite biomarker reflecting metabolic stress and nutritional status. This study aimed to evaluate the association between the LAR and 28 day mortality in hypertensive patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the MIMIC-IV v3.1 database. Patients were screened for inclusion based on predefined criteria, resulting in a final cohort of 1087 eligible patients. Mortality within 28 days of ICU admission was the primary endpoint. Statistical analyses included LASSO regression and multivariate Cox regression, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and Kaplan‒Meier survival curve analyses. Results The overall 28 day mortality rate was 22.8% ( n  = 248). Compared with survivors, nonsurvivors presented significantly higher LAR values (0.74 vs. 0.52, p  < 0.001). Multivariate analyses indicated that the LAR was an independent predictor of 28-day mortality (HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.06, p  < 0.05), even after adjusting for multiple clinical confounders. ROC analysis confirmed that the LAR had superior predictive ability (AUC 0.661) compared with other biomarkers. Kaplan‒Meier survival analysis revealed significant differences in mortality between the high- and low-LAR groups (HR 2.55, 95% CI 1.97–3.30, p  < 0.05). Conclusions The LAR is an independent predictor of short-term mortality in hypertensive patients with AF. As a practical and easily applicable biomarker, the LAR holds significant potential for early risk stratification and tailored management in this high-risk population. Our findings underscore the importance of integrating LAR into clinical practice to optimize patient outcomes in critical care settings.