Development and external validation of clinical predictive model for stress urinary incontinence in Chinese women : a multicenter retrospective study.

Background: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI), the prevalent form of urinary incontinence, significantly impairs women's quality of life. This study aims to create a visual nomogram to estimate the risk of SUI within one year postpartum for early intervention in high-risk Chinese women.

Methods: We recruited 1,531 postpartum women who gave birth at two hospitals in Kunshan City from 2021 to 2022.

3D printing of hierarchically micro/nanostructured electrodes for high-performance rechargeable batteries.

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is capable of fabricating 3D hierarchical micro/nanostructures by depositing a layer-upon-layer of precursor materials and solvent-based inks under the assistance of computer-aided design (CAD) files. 3D printing has been employed to construct 3D hierarchically micro/nanostructured electrodes for rechargeable batteries, endowing them with high specific surface areas, short ion transport lengths, and high mass loading. This review summarizes the advantages and limitations of various 3D printing methods and presents the recent developments of 3D-printed electrodes in rechargeable batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, and lithium-sulfur batteries.

UHRF1/UBE2L6/UBR4-mediated ubiquitination regulates EZH2 abundance and thereby melanocytic differentiation phenotypes in melanoma.

Cellular heterogeneity in cancer is linked to disease progression and therapy response, although mechanisms regulating distinct cellular states within tumors are not well understood. We identified melanin pigment content as a major source of cellular heterogeneity in melanoma and compared RNAseq data from high-pigmented (HPCs) and low-pigmented melanoma cells (LPCs), suggesting EZH2 as a master regulator of these states. EZH2 protein was found to be upregulated in LPCs and inversely correlated with melanin deposition in pigmented patient melanomas.

Rationally designing a TiCT/CNTs-CoS heterostructure as a sulfur host with multi-functionality for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have been regarded as potential next-generation batteries owing to their ultrahigh theoretical capacity and abundance of sulfur. However, polysulfide shuttling, poor electronic conductivity, and severe volume expansion limit their commercial prospects. In this work, we rationally constructed a 3D porous TiCT/CNTs-CoS heterostructure derived from a zeolite imidazole framework (ZIF)/TiCT MXene composite carbonization and subsequent sulfidation.

Hierarchical MXene/transition metal chalcogenide heterostructures for electrochemical energy storage and conversion.

MXenes have gained rapidly increasing attention owing to their two-dimensional (2D) layered structures and unique mechanical and physicochemical properties. However, MXenes have some intrinsic limitations (, the restacking tendency of the 2D structure) that hinder their practical applications. Transition metal chalcogenide (TMC) materials such as SnS, NiS, MoS, FeS, and NiSe have attracted much interest for energy storage and conversion by virture of their earth-abundance, low costs, moderate overpotentials, and unique layered structures.

Unraveling the Critical Role of Melt-Spinning Atmosphere in Enhancing the Thermoelectric Performance of p-Type BiSbTe Alloys.

Melt spinning has proven effective in maintaining chemical homogeneity and introducing multiscale microstructures that can reduce the lattice thermal conductivity and consequently enhance the thermoelectric performance of consolidated bulk materials. In this work, p-type BiSbTe bulk alloys are fabricated by melt spinning (MS) followed by subsequent plasma activated sintering (PAS). The influence of different MS atmospheres (air, Ar, N, and He) on the morphologies of MS ribbons and the thermoelectric properties of MS-PAS bulk materials has been investigated systematically.

The Hippo pathway oncoprotein YAP promotes melanoma cell invasion and spontaneous metastasis.

Melanoma is a deadly form of skin cancer that accounts for a disproportionally large proportion of cancer-related deaths in younger people. Compared with most other skin cancers, a feature of melanoma is its high metastatic capacity, although the mechanisms that confer this are not well understood. The Hippo pathway is a key regulator of organ growth and cell fate that is deregulated in many cancers.

Forensic characteristics and genetic analysis of both 27 Y-STRs and 143 Y-SNPs in Eastern Han Chinese population.

Y-chromosome short tandem repeat (Y-STR) and Y-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphism (Y-SNP) frequency distributions provide resources for assessment of male population stratification among world-wide populations. Currently, the Y-STR Haplotype Reference Database (YHRD) contains numerous Y-chromosome haplotype profiles from various populations and countries around the world. However, for many of the recently discovered and already phylogenetically mapped Y-SNPs, the population data are scarce.

Somatic Hypermutation of the Oncogene in a Human Cutaneous Melanoma.

Melanoma is usually driven by mutations in BRAF or NRAS, which trigger hyperactivation of MAPK signaling. However, MAPK-targeted therapies are not sustainably effective in most patients. Accordingly, characterizing mechanisms that co-operatively drive melanoma progression is key to improving patient outcomes.

CCL27/CCL28-CCR10 Chemokine Signaling Mediates Migration of Lymphatic Endothelial Cells.

Metastasis via the lymphatic vasculature is an important step in cancer progression. The formation of new lymphatic vessels (lymphangiogenesis), or remodeling of existing lymphatics, is thought to facilitate the entry and transport of tumor cells into lymphatic vessels and on to distant organs. The migration of lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC) toward guidance cues is critical for lymphangiogenesis.

Reaction Packaging CoSe Nanoparticles in N-Doped Carbon Polyhedra with Bifunctionality for Overall Water Splitting.

Water electrolysis is a promising approach for green and large-scale hydrogen production; however, there are still challenges for developing efficient and stable bifunctional electrocatalysts toward the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. Herein, zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 was used as the precursor for the construction of CoSe nanoparticles trapped in N-doped carbon (NC) polyhedra. Among as-obtained CoSe-NC hybrid, highly active CoSe nanoparticles in sizes of 10-20 nm are encapsulated in N-doped few-layer carbon shell, avoiding their easy aggregations of CoSe nanoparticles as well as enhancing the long-term stability.

Self-Assembly-Assisted Facile Synthesis of MoS-Based Hybrid Tubular Nanostructures for Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalysis.

In this work, MoS-based hybrid tubular nanostructures are facilely synthesized via a self-assembly-assisted process and evaluated as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs) and oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs). By simply mixing the reactants under ambient conditions, (NH)MoS/polydopamine (PDA) hybrid nanospheres are formed. The protonated dopamine is linked to tetrahedral [MoS] via weak N-H···S and O-H···S interactions, causing the PDA nanospheres merging together and forming nanorods under stirring-induced shear force.

Ultralight and Highly Elastic Graphene/Lignin-Derived Carbon Nanocomposite Aerogels with Ultrahigh Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Performance.

Ultralight and highly elastic reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/lignin-derived carbon (LDC) composite aerogels with aligned micron-sized pores and cell walls are prepared using a facile freeze-drying method. The presence of a small fraction of LDC in the cell walls enhances the interfacial polarization effect while almost maintaining the amount of charge carriers and conductivity of the cell walls, greatly boosting the wave absorption capability of the cell walls. RGO/LDC aerogels also show a greater number of large cell walls with better integrity than RGO aerogels, further improving the multiple reflection ability of the aligned cell walls.

Highly stretchable, sensitive strain sensors with a wide linear sensing region based on compressed anisotropic graphene foam/polymer nanocomposites.

Nanocomposite strain sensors composed of compressed honeycomb-like reduced-graphene-oxide (RGO) foam embedded in polydimethylsiloxane are facilely fabricated via unidirectional freeze-drying and simple mechanical compression. The microstructural characteristics of the nanocomposites endow the sensors with excellent flexibility, high stretchability and sensing sensitivity, as well as anisotropic mechanical and sensing performance when stretched along directions vertical and parallel to the aligned RGO cell walls (defined as transverse and longitudinal directions, respectively). In particular, the compression of the aligned RGO foam into a thinner film results in more conductive pathways, greatly increasing the sensing sensitivity of the nanocomposite sensors.

The fibrinolysis inhibitor α-antiplasmin restricts lymphatic remodelling and metastasis in a mouse model of cancer.

Remodelling of lymphatic vessels in tumours facilitates metastasis to lymph nodes. The growth factors VEGF-C and VEGF-D are well known inducers of lymphatic remodelling and metastasis in cancer. They are initially produced as full-length proteins requiring proteolytic processing in order to bind VEGF receptors with high affinity and thereby promote lymphatic remodelling.

Bacterial cellulose-based sheet-like carbon aerogels for the in situ growth of nickel sulfide as high performance electrode materials for asymmetric supercapacitors.

Electroactive materials, such as nickel sulfide (NiS), with high theoretical capacities have attracted broad interest to fabricate highly efficient supercapacitors. Preventing aggregation and increasing the conductivity of NiS particles are key challenging tasks to fully achieve excellent electrochemical properties of NiS. One effective approach to solve these problems is to combine NiS with highly porous and conductive carbon materials such as carbon aerogels.

A non-canonical role for desmoglein-2 in endothelial cells: implications for neoangiogenesis.

Desmogleins (DSG) are a family of cadherin adhesion proteins that were first identified in desmosomes and provide cardiomyocytes and epithelial cells with the junctional stability to tolerate mechanical stress. However, one member of this family, DSG2, is emerging as a protein with additional biological functions on a broader range of cells. Here we reveal that DSG2 is expressed by non-desmosome-forming human endothelial progenitor cells as well as their mature counterparts [endothelial cells (ECs)] in human tissue from healthy individuals and cancer patients.

Cotton Wool Derived Carbon Fiber Aerogel Supported Few-Layered MoSe2 Nanosheets As Efficient Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution.

Recent studies have proven that newly emerging two-dimensional molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) is a promising noble-metal-free electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Increasing the exposures of the active edges of MoSe2 nanostructures is a key issue to fully realize the excellent electrochemical properties of MoSe2. In this work, a few-layered MoSe2/carbon fiber aerogel (CFA) hybrids have been facilely obtained through the combination of high-temperature carbonization and one-pot solvothermal reaction.

VEGF-D promotes pulmonary oedema in hyperoxic acute lung injury.

Leakage of fluid from blood vessels, leading to oedema, is a key feature of many diseases including hyperoxic acute lung injury (HALI), which can occur when patients are ventilated with high concentrations of oxygen (hyperoxia). The molecular mechanisms driving vascular leak and oedema in HALI are poorly understood. VEGF-D is a protein that promotes blood vessel leak and oedema when overexpressed in tissues, but the role of endogenous VEGF-D in pathological oedema was unknown.

Three-Dimensional Nanoporous Graphene-Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Frameworks for Confinement of SnS2 Nanosheets: Flexible and Binder-Free Papers with Highly Reversible Lithium Storage.

The practical applications of transition-metal dichalcogenides for lithium-ion batteries are severely inhibited by their inferior structural stability and electrical conductivity, which can be solved by optimizing these materials to nanostructures and confining them within conductive frameworks. Thus, we report a facile approach to prepare flexible papers with SnS2 nanosheets (SnS2 NSs) homogeneously dispersed and confined within the conductive graphene-carbon nanotube (CNT) hybrid frameworks. The confinement of SnS2 NSs in graphene-CNT matrixes not only can effectively prevent their aggregation during the discharge-charge procedure, but also can assist facilitating ion transfer across the interfaces.

Polymer/Carbon-Based Hybrid Aerogels: Preparation, Properties and Applications.

Aerogels are synthetic porous materials derived from sol-gel materials in which the liquid component has been replaced with gas to leave intact solid nanostructures without pore collapse. Recently, aerogels based on natural or synthetic polymers, called polymer or organic aerogels, have been widely explored due to their porous structures and unique properties, such as high specific surface area, low density, low thermal conductivity and dielectric constant. This paper gives a comprehensive review about the most recent progresses in preparation, structures and properties of polymer and their derived carbon-based aerogels, as well as their potential applications in various fields including energy storage, adsorption, thermal insulation and flame retardancy.

Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanofiber/Molybdenum Disulfide Nanocomposites Derived from Bacterial Cellulose for High-Efficiency Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

To remit energy crisis and environmental deterioration, non-noble metal nanocomposites have attracted extensive attention, acting as a fresh kind of cost-effective electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this work, hierarchically organized nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber/molybdenum disulfide (pBC-N/MoS2) nanocomposites were successfully prepared via the combination of in situ polymerization, high-temperature carbonization process, and hydrothermal reaction. Attributing to the uniform coating of polyaniline on the surface of bacterial cellulose, the nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber network acts as an excellent three-dimensional template for hydrothermal growth of MoS2 nanosheets.

Vascular endothelial growth factor-d modulates caliber and function of initial lymphatics in the dermis.

The lymphatic vasculature is important for skin biology as it maintains dermal fluid homeostasis. However, the molecular determinants of the form and function of the lymphatic vasculature in skin are poorly understood. Here, we explore the role of vascular endothelial growth factor-d (Vegf-d), a lymphangiogenic glycoprotein, in determining the form and function of the dermal lymphatic network, using Vegf-d-deficient mice.

The propeptides of VEGF-D determine heparin binding, receptor heterodimerization, and effects on tumor biology.

VEGF-D is an angiogenic and lymphangiogenic glycoprotein that can be proteolytically processed generating various forms differing in subunit composition due to the presence or absence of N- and C-terminal propeptides. These propeptides flank the central VEGF homology domain, that contains the binding sites for VEGF receptors (VEGFRs), but their biological functions were unclear. Characterization of propeptide function will be important to clarify which forms of VEGF-D are biologically active and therefore clinically relevant.