Recent advances in bladder cancer stem cells (BCSCs): A descriptive review of emerging therapeutic targets.

Bladder cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy of the urinary system, characterized by high recurrence due to limited specificity and efficacy of current therapies. Bladder cancer stem cells (BCSCs), a distinct subpopulation within BC, exhibit self-renewal, tumorigenicity, and resistance to conventional treatments, playing a critical role in BC initiation, progression, metastasis, and recurrence. This study reviews the origins, biomarkers, and therapeutic potential of BCSCs, emphasizing emerging strategies targeting these cells.

Towards Reliable Healthcare Imaging: A Multifaceted Approach in Class Imbalance Handling for Medical Image Segmentation.

Class imbalance is a dominant challenge in medical image segmentation when dealing with MRI images from highly imbalanced datasets. This study introduces a comprehensive, multifaceted approach to enhance the accuracy and reliability of segmentation models under such conditions. Our model integrates advanced data augmentation, innovative algorithmic adjustments, and novel architectural features to address class label distribution effectively.

Progress on liposome delivery systems in the treatment of bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer (BC) in the urinary system remains one of the most prevalent malignancies with high recurrence rate globally. Current treatment schemes against BC such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy have substantial limitations including side effects, drug resistance, and poor tumor targeting. Considering the above-mentioned challenges, nanotechnology has become a current research hotspot, particularly liposome-based drug delivery systems, which offer promising novel therapeutic strategies aimed at reducing systemic toxicity, overcoming drug resistance, and enhancing drug targeting.

Progress of fluorescence imaging in lymph node dissection surgery for prostate and bladder cancer.

Fluorescence imaging is a relatively new imaging method used to visualize different tissue structures to help guide intraoperative operations, which has potential advantages with high sensitivity and contrast compared to conventional imaging. In this work, we review fluorescent contrast agents and devices used for lymphatic system imaging. Indocyanine green is the most widely utilized due to its high sensitivity, specificity, low background fluorescence, and safety profile.

Phonon vortices at heavy impurities in two-dimensional materials.

The advent of monochromated electron energy-loss spectroscopy has enabled atomic-resolution vibrational spectroscopy, which triggered interest in spatially localized or quasi-localized vibrational modes in materials. Here we report the discovery of phonon vortices at heavy impurities in two-dimensional materials. We use density-functional-theory calculations for two configurations of Si impurities in graphene, Si-C and Si-C, to examine atom-projected phonon densities of states and display the atomic-displacement patterns for select modes that are dominated by impurity displacements.

Probing a Defect-Site-Specific Electronic Orbital in Graphene with Single-Atom Sensitivity.

Visualization of individual electronic states ascribed to specific unoccupied orbitals at the atomic scale can reveal fundamental information about chemical bonding, but it is challenging since bonding often results in only subtle variations in the whole density of states. Here, we utilize atomic-resolution energy-loss near-edge fine structure (ELNES) spectroscopy to map out the electronic states attributed to specific unoccupied p_{z} orbital around a fourfold coordinated silicon point defect in graphene, which is further supported by theoretical calculations. Our results illustrate the power of atomic-resolution ELNES towards the probing of defect-site-specific electronic orbitals in monolayer crystals, providing insights into understanding the effect of chemical bonding on the local properties of defects in solids.

Construction and Validation of a Prognostic Model of Metabolism-Related Genes Driven by Somatic Mutation in Bladder Cancer.

Background: Metabolic reprogramming is an important player in the prognosis of cancer patients. However, metabolism-related genes (MRGs) that are essential to the prognosis of bladder cancer (BLCA) are nor yet fully understood. The purpose of this study is to use bioinformatics methods to establish prognostic models based on MRGs in BLCA to screen potential biomarkers.

Disorder-tuned conductivity in amorphous monolayer carbon.

Correlating atomic configurations-specifically, degree of disorder (DOD)-of an amorphous solid with properties is a long-standing riddle in materials science and condensed matter physics, owing to difficulties in determining precise atomic positions in 3D structures. To this end, 2D systems provide insight to the puzzle by allowing straightforward imaging of all atoms. Direct imaging of amorphous monolayer carbon (AMC) grown by laser-assisted depositions has resolved atomic configurations, supporting the modern crystallite view of vitreous solids over random network theory.

Ultrathin quantum light source with van der Waals NbOCl crystal.

Interlayer electronic coupling in two-dimensional materials enables tunable and emergent properties by stacking engineering. However, it also results in significant evolution of electronic structures and attenuation of excitonic effects in two-dimensional semiconductors as exemplified by quickly degrading excitonic photoluminescence and optical nonlinearities in transition metal dichalcogenides when monolayers are stacked into van der Waals structures. Here we report a van der Waals crystal, niobium oxide dichloride (NbOCl), featuring vanishing interlayer electronic coupling and monolayer-like excitonic behaviour in the bulk form, along with a scalable second-harmonic generation intensity of up to three orders higher than that in monolayer WS.

Single atom catalysts in Van der Waals gaps.

Single-atom catalysts provide efficiently utilized active sites to improve catalytic activities while improving the stability and enhancing the activities to the level of their bulk metallic counterparts are grand challenges. Herein, we demonstrate a family of single-atom catalysts with different interaction types by confining metal single atoms into the van der Waals gap of two-dimensional SnS. The relatively weak bonding between the noble metal single atoms and the host endows the single atoms with more intrinsic catalytic activity compared to the ones with strong chemical bonding, while the protection offered by the layered material leads to ultrahigh stability compared to the physically adsorbed single-atom catalysts on the surface.

Atomically dispersed Ir/α-MoC catalyst with high metal loading and thermal stability for water-promoted hydrogenation reaction.

Synthesis of atomically dispersed catalysts with high metal loading and thermal stability is challenging but particularly valuable for industrial application in heterogeneous catalysis. Here, we report a facile synthesis of a thermally stable atomically dispersed Ir/α-MoC catalyst with metal loading as high as 4 wt%, an unusually high value for carbide supported metal catalysts. The strong interaction between Ir and the α-MoC substrate enables high dispersion of Ir on the α-MoC surface, and modulates the electronic structure of the supported Ir species.

Boosting Activity and Stability of Metal Single-Atom Catalysts via Regulation of Coordination Number and Local Composition.

Controlling the chemical environments of the active metal atom including both coordination number (CN) and local composition (LC) is vital to achieve active and stable single-atom catalysts (SACs), but remains challenging. Here we synthesized a series of supported Pt SACs by depositing Pt atoms onto the pretuned anchoring sites on nitrogen-doped carbon using atomic layer deposition. In hydrogenation of -chloronitrobenzene, the Pt SAC with a higher CN about four but less pyridinic nitrogen (N) content exhibits a remarkably high activity along with superior recyclability compared to those with lower CNs and more N.

Dynamic Behavior of Single-Atom Catalysts in Electrocatalysis: Identification of Cu-N as an Active Site for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Atomically dispersed M-N-C (M refers to transition metals) materials represent the most promising catalyst alternatives to the precious metal Pt for the electrochemical reduction of oxygen (ORR), yet the genuine active sites in M-N-C remain elusive. Here, we develop a two-step approach to fabricate Cu-N-C single-atom catalysts with a uniform and well-defined Cu-N structure that exhibits comparable activity and superior durability in comparison to Pt/C. By combining X-ray absorption spectroscopy with theoretical calculations, we unambiguously identify the dynamic evolution of Cu-N to Cu-N and further to HO-Cu-N under ORR working conditions, which concurrently occurs with reduction of Cu to Cu and is driven by the applied potential.

Anomalous thickness dependence of Curie temperature in air-stable two-dimensional ferromagnetic 1T-CrTe grown by chemical vapor deposition.

The discovery of ferromagnetic two-dimensional van der Waals materials has opened up opportunities to explore intriguing physics and to develop innovative spintronic devices. However, controllable synthesis of these 2D ferromagnets and enhancing their stability under ambient conditions remain challenging. Here, we report chemical vapor deposition growth of air-stable 2D metallic 1T-CrTe ultrathin crystals with controlled thickness.

A stable low-temperature H-production catalyst by crowding Pt on α-MoC.

The water-gas shift (WGS) reaction is an industrially important source of pure hydrogen (H) at the expense of carbon monoxide and water. This reaction is of interest for fuel-cell applications, but requires WGS catalysts that are durable and highly active at low temperatures. Here we demonstrate that the structure (Pt-Pt)/α-MoC, where isolated platinum atoms (Pt) and subnanometre platinum clusters (Pt) are stabilized on α-molybdenum carbide (α-MoC), catalyses the WGS reaction even at 313 kelvin, with a hydrogen-production pathway involving direct carbon monoxide dissociation identified.

Maximizing the Synergistic Effect of CoNi Catalyst on α-MoC for Robust Hydrogen Production.

We report the syntheses of highly dispersed CoNi bimetallic catalysts on the surface of α-MoC based on the strong metal support interaction (SMSI) effect. The interaction between the nearly atomically dispersed Co and Ni atoms was observed for the first time by the real-space chemical mapping at the atomic level. Combined with the ability of α-MoC to split water at low temperatures, the as-synthesized CoNi/α-MoC catalysts exhibited robust and synergistic performance for the hydrogen production from hydrolysis of ammonia borane.

Selective electrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide at zigzag edges of exfoliated molybdenum telluride nanoflakes.

The two-electron reduction of molecular oxygen represents an effective strategy to enable the green, mild and on-demand synthesis of hydrogen peroxide. Its practical viability, however, hinges on the development of advanced electrocatalysts, preferably composed of non-precious elements, to selectively expedite this reaction, particularly in acidic medium. Our study here introduces 2H-MoTe for the first time as the efficient non-precious-metal-based electrocatalyst for the electrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide in acids.

Electroreduction of CO to Formate on a Copper-Based Electrocatalyst at High Pressures with High Energy Conversion Efficiency.

Electrocatalytic CO reduction (CORR) to valuable fuels is a promising approach to mitigate energy and environmental problems, but controlling the reaction pathways and products remains challenging. Here a novel CuO nanoparticle film was synthesized by square-wave (SW) electrochemical redox cycling of high-purity Cu foils. The cathode afforded up to 98% Faradaic efficiency for electroreduction of CO to nearly pure formate under ≥45 atm CO in bicarbonate catholytes.

Strain-driven growth of ultra-long two-dimensional nano-channels.

Lateral heterostructures of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have offered great opportunities in the engineering of monolayer electronics, catalysis and optoelectronics. To explore the full potential of these materials, developing methods to precisely control the spatial scale of the heterostructure region is crucial. Here, we report the synthesis of ultra-long MoS nano-channels with several micrometer length and 2-30 nanometer width within the MoSe monolayers, based on intrinsic grain boundaries (GBs).

Optimizing Electron Densities of Ni-N-C Complexes by Hybrid Coordination for Efficient Electrocatalytic CO Reduction.

Metal-N-C is a type of attractive electrocatalyst for efficient CO reduction to CO. Because of the ambiguity in their atomic structures, the active sites and catalytic mechanisms of the catalysts have remained under debate. Here, the effects of N and C hybrid coordination on the activity of Ni-N-C catalysts were investigated, combining theoretical and experimental methods.

Structural defects on converted bismuth oxide nanotubes enable highly active electrocatalysis of carbon dioxide reduction.

Formic acid (or formate) is suggested to be one of the most economically viable products from electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction. However, its commercial viability hinges on the development of highly active and selective electrocatalysts. Here we report that structural defects have a profound positive impact on the electrocatalytic performance of bismuth.

Understanding the Enhanced Kinetics of Gradient-Chemical-Doped Lithium-Rich Cathode Material.

Although chemical doping has been extensively employed to improve the electrochemical performance of Li-rich layered oxide (LLO) cathodes for Li ion batteries, the correlation between the electrochemical kinetics and local structure and chemistry of these materials after chemical doping is still not fully understood. Herein, gradient surface Si/Sn-doped LLOs with improved kinetics are demonstrated. The atomic local structure and surface chemistry are determined using electron microscopy and spectroscopy techniques, and remarkably, the correlation of local structure-enhanced kinetics is clearly described in this work.