Interface Passivation of a Pyridine-Based Bifunctional Molecule for Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells.

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have recently been demonstrated to be promising renewable harvesters because of their prominent photovoltaic power conversion efficiency (PCE), although their stability and efficiency still have not reached commercial criteria. Trouble-oriented analyses showcase that defect reduction among the grain boundaries and interfaces in the prepared perovskite polycrystalline films is a practical strategy, which has prompted researchers to develop functional molecules for interface passivation. Herein, the pyridine-based bifunctional molecule dimethylpyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate (DPDC) was employed as the interface between the electron-transport layer and perovskite layer, which achieved a champion PCE of 21.37% for an inverted MAPbI3-based PSC, which was greater than 18.64% for the control device. The mechanistic studies indicated that the significantly improved performance was mainly attributed to the remarkably enhanced fill factor with a value greater than 83%, which was primarily due to the nonradiative recombination suppression offered by the passivation effect of DPDC. Moreover, the promoted carrier mobility together with the enlarged crystal size contributed to a higher short-circuit current density. In addition, an increase in the open-circuit voltage was also observed in the DPDC-treated PSC, which benefited from the improved work function for reducing the energy loss during carrier transport. Furthermore, the DPDC-treated PSC showed substantially enhanced stability, with an over 80% retention rate of its initial PCE value over 300 h even at a 60% relative humidity level, which was attributed to the hydrophobic nature of the DPDC molecule and effective defect passivation. This work is expected not only to serve as an effective strategy for using a pyridine-based bifunctional molecule to passivate perovskite interfaces to enhance photovoltaic performance but also to shed light on the interface passivation mechanism.

Hierarchical Hollow TiO2@Bi2WO6 with Light-Driven Excited Bi(3-x)+ Sites for Efficient Photothermal Catalytic CO2 Reduction.

Converting CO2 into valuable chemicals via sustainable energy sources is indispensable for human development. Photothermal catalysis combines the high selectivity of photocatalysis and the high yield of thermal catalysis, which is promising for CO2 reduction. However, the present photothermal catalysts suffer from low activity due to their poor light absorption ability and fast recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. Here, a TiO2@Bi2WO6 heterojunction photocatalyst featuring a hierarchical hollow structure was prepared by an in situ growth method. The visible light absorption and photothermal effect of the TiO2@Bi2WO6 photocatalyst is promoted by a hierarchical hollow structure, while the recombination phenomenon is significantly mitigated due to the construction of the heterojunction interface and the existence of excited Bi(3-x)+ sites. Such a catalyst exhibits excellent photothermal performance with a CO yield of 43.7 µmol h-1 g-1, which is 15 and 4.7 times higher than that of pure Bi2WO6 and that of physically mixed TiO2/Bi2WO6, respectively. An in situ study shows that the pathway for the transformation of CO2 into CO over our TiO2@Bi2WO6 proceeds via two important intermediates, including COO- and COOH-. Our work provides a new idea of excited states for the design and synthesis of highly efficient photothermal catalysts for CO2 conversion.

Study on Fu-Fang-Jin-Qian-Cao Inhibiting Autophagy in Calcium Oxalate-induced Renal Injury by UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS-based Metabonomics and Network Pharmacology Approaches.

INTRODUCTION: Fu-Fang-Jin-Qian-Cao is a Chinese herbal preparation used to treat urinary calculi. Fu-Fang-Jin-Qian-Cao can protect renal tubular epithelial cells from calcium oxalateinduced renal injury by inhibiting ROS-mediated autopathy. The mechanism still needs further exploration. Metabonomics is a new subject; the combination of metabolomics and network pharmacology can find pathways for drugs to act on targets more efficiently. METHODS: Comprehensive metabolomics and network pharmacology to study the mechanism of Fu-Fang-Jin-Qian-Cao inhibiting autophagy in calcium oxalate-induced renal injury. Based on UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS, combined with biochemical analysis, a mice model of Calcium oxalateinduced renal injury was established to study the therapeutic effect of Fu-Fang-Jin-Qian-Cao. Based on the network pharmacology, the target signaling pathway and the protective effect of Fu- Fang-Jin-Qian-Cao on Calcium oxalate-induced renal injury by inhibiting autophagy were explored. Autophagy-related proteins LC3-II, BECN1, ATG5, and ATG7 were studied by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Combining network pharmacology and metabolomics, 50 differential metabolites and 2482 targets related to these metabolites were found. Subsequently, the targets enriched in PI3KAkt, MAPK and Ras signaling pathways. LC3-II, BECN1, ATG5 and ATG7 were up-regulated in Calcium oxalate-induced renal injury. All of them could be reversed after the Fu-Fang-Jin-Qian- Cao treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Fu-Fang-Jin-Qian-Cao can reverse ROS-induced activation of the MAPK signaling pathway and inhibition of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, thereby reducing autophagy damage of renal tubular epithelial cells in Calcium oxalate-induced renal injury.

Simultaneous Ring Contraction and Expansion Reaction: Electrosynthesis of Heterocycle-Fused Fulleroids and Photovoltaic Application.

Simultaneous electrochemical ring contraction and expansion reactions remain unexplored to date. Herein, the reductive electrosynthesis of heterocycle-fused fulleroids from fullerotetrahydropyridazines and electrophiles in the presence of a trace amount of oxygen has been achieved with concurrent ring contraction and ring expansion. When trifluoroacetic acid and alkyl bromides are employed as electrophiles, heterocycle-fused fulleroids with a 1,1,2,6-configuration are regioselectively formed. In contrast, heterocycle-fused fulleroids with a 1,1,4,6-configuration are regioselectively produced as two separable stereoisomers if phthaloyl chloride is used as the electrophile. The reaction proceeds through multiple steps of electroreduction, heterocycle ring-opening, oxygen oxidation, heterocycle contraction, fullerene cage expansion, and nucleophilic addition. The structures of these fulleroids have been determined by spectroscopic data and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The observed high regioselectivities have been rationalized by theoretical calculations. Representative fulleroids have been applied in organic solar cells as the third component and exhibit good performance.

Study on degradation characteristics of imazamox by Streptomycetaceae.

The residues of imazamox (IMX) will cause phytotoxicity to subsequent crops after long-term use, and will also pollute the soil and its surrounding environment. This study isolates and identifies two strains of Streptomycetaceae JX02 and JX06 that can effectively degrade IMX. Use response surface method Box-Behnken design to optimize physicochemical parameters. The optimal degradation conditions of strains JX02 and JX06 are obtained and verified: IMX concentration is 150 mg L-1, the initial dosage is 9.9%, 9.1% (OD600 = 0.1), the temperature is 26.4 and 27.5 °C, and pH value is 7.0 and 7.7, respectively. The degradation rates of 150 mg L-1 IMX detected by HPLC within 4 d were 99 and 94%, respectively. After adding strains JX02 and JX06, the half-life of IMX in the soil is shortened to 11 d and 13 d, indicating that Streptomycetaceae had a positive effect on the remediation of soil. It is expected to provide scientific information for the rational use, environmental safety evaluation of IMX, and provide a basis for future research and development of microbial agents.

[Regularity of prescriptions for intermediate and advanced lung cancer based on latent structure combined with association rules].

The present study explored the regularity of prescriptions for the treatment of intermediate and advanced lung cancer to provide references for clinical medication. CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and CBM were searched for the research papers on the treatment of lung cancer by Chinese medicine published from database inception to May 31, 2021. The relevant information of qualified papers was extracted to establish a database. The Chinese medicines with frequency >3% underwent analysis of the latent structure and association rules by Lantern 5.0 and SPSS Molder 14.1, respectively, and the prescription regularity in the treatment of intermediate and advanced lung cancer was analyzed based on the frequency description. A total of 713 papers were included, involving 327 Chinese medicines with a cumulative frequency of 12 794 and 106 prescriptions with a cumulative frequency of 824. The commonly used Chinese medicines were dominated by deficiency-tonifying, heat-clearing, phlegm-resolving, and cough/dyspnea-relieving drugs, such as Astragali Radix, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Ophiopogonis Radix, Poria, and Hedyotis Diffusa, which are cold, warm, and plain in nature and sweet, bitter, and pungent in flavor, and mainly act on lung, spleen, and stomach meridians. Commonly used prescriptions included Shashen Maidong Decoction, Liujunzi Decoction, and Baihe Gujin Decoction. The latent structure analysis revealed 32 latent variables and 65 hidden classes. Six comprehensive clustering models and 11 core prescriptions were obtained by professional knowledge inference. The common syndromes of intermediate and advanced lung cancer were inferred to be Qi and Yin deficiency in the lung, Qi deficiency in the lung and spleen, Yin deficiency in the liver and kidney, combined phlegm and stasis, phlegm-heat obstructing lung, and Qi stagnation and blood stasis. Forty-four strong associations were screened out by association rules analysis, including four pairwise strong associations(Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma→Ophiopogonis Radix, Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma→Glehniae Radix, Amomi Fructus→Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, and Polygonati Rhizoma→Astragali Radix) and 40 triplet strong associations(such as Trichosanthis Radix+Glehniae Radix→Ophiopogonis Radix, Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma+Glehniae Radix→Ophiopogonis Radix, Trichosanthis Radix+Ophiopogonis Radix→Glehniae Radix, and Scutellariae Barbatae Herba+Codonopsis Radix→Hedyotis Diffusa). In the treatment of intermediate and advanced lung cancer, Qi-replenishing and Yin-nourishing drugs are mainly employed, assisted with cancer-resisting, toxin-removing, spleen-invigorating, phlegm/stasis-resolving, and blood-activating drugs based on syndrome differentiation. The roots were treated following the principles of tonifying lungs and replenishing the spleen, and symptoms following the principles of removing the toxin, dispelling stasis, and resolving phlegm.

Plant-microbial remediation of chlorpyrifos contaminated soil.

With the development of modern agriculture, the pollution caused by the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has become a serious problem, posing a threat to human health and the living environment. The remediation of plant microorganisms has been seen as an economical, effective, and eco-friendly method of cleaning up soils contaminated with organophosphorus pesticides. In this study, white-rot fungi were immobilized by adsorption method, a plant-microbial remediation met was established. The data results show that after 30 days, the combined remediation system for corn microbes increased the rate of chlorpyrifos degradation by 18% compared to the single remediation of the plant, and the rate of combined remediation of ryegrass microbes increased by 23%. The effect of CPF content in soil on the combined remediation is mainly reflected in the significant difference in the number of microorganisms (P < 0.05). In this article, plant-microbial remediation were applied to soil contaminated by CPF, which provides a new idea for the remediation of pesticide-contaminated soil. Combined bioremediation may be a better alternative to mitigate the impact of high pollution on microorganisms at different pollutant concentrations compared to single microbial remediation or phytoremediation.

Fu-Fang-Jin-Qian-Cao herbal granules protect against the calcium oxalate-induced renal EMT by inhibiting the TGF-ß/smad pathway.

CONTEXT: Nephrolithiasis is a major public health problem worldwide and Fu-Fang-Jin-Qian-Cao granules (FFJQC) is a traditional Chinese herbal formula that is used to treat nephrolithiasis. The main component of nephrolithiasis is calcium oxalate (CaOx) and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) shown to play a crucial role in CaOx-induced kidney injury. However, the mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of FFJQC on the CaOx-induced renal EMT is unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study explores the therapeutic benefits and mechanism of FFJQC in oxalate-induced kidney injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 60 male C57BL/6 mice were used in this experiment and divided into 6 groups. A mouse kidney stone model was created by intraperitoneal injection of glyoxylate at a dose of 100 mg/kg for 6 days. The standardized FFJQC was used to treat mouse crystal kidney injury by gavage at 1.35 and 2.7 g/kg, respectively. Western blotting and immunostaining for E-cadherin, cytokeratin 18 (CK18), vimentin, smooth muscle α-actin (α-SMA) and transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß)/Smad pathway were conducted on renal tissues. RESULTS: Following CaOx-induced kidney injury, the levels of E-cadherin and CK18 in kidney decreased, while vimentin and α-SMA levels increased. The FFJQC treatment increased the levels of E-cadherin and CK18 and decreased vimentin and α-SMA levels in varying degrees. What's more, the FFJQC reduced the expression of CaOx-induced fibrosis marker collagen II. CONCLUSION: FFJQC alleviated the CaOx-induced renal EMT and fibrosis by regulating TGF-ß/smad pathway. Therefore, the FFJQC is an important traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of CaOx-induced renal injury and fibrosis.

Metabolomic analysis reveals a protective effect of Fu-Fang-Jin-Qian-Chao herbal granules on oxalate-induced kidney injury.

Nephrolithiasis is one of the world's major public health burdens with a high incidence and a risk of persistent renal dysfunction. Fu-Fang-Jin-Qian-Chao granules (FFJQC), a traditional Chinese herb formula, is commonly used in treatment of nephrolithiasis. However, the therapeutic mechanism of FFJQC on kidney stone has still been a mystery. The objective of the present study is to explore the therapeutic mechanism of FFJQC on kidney injury and identify unique metabolomics patterns using a mouse model of kidney stone induced by a calcium oxalate (CaOx) deposition. Von Kossa staining and immuno-histopathological staining of osteopontin (OPN), cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) and calbindin-D28k were conducted on renal sections. Biochemical analysis was performed on serum, urine, and kidney tissues. A metabolomics approach based on ultra-HPLC coupled with quadrupole-TOF-MS (UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was used for serum metabolic profiling. The immunohistopathological and biochemical analysis showed the therapeutic benefits of FFJQC. The expression levels of OPN and CD44 were decreased while calbindin-D28k increased after the CaOx injured mice were treated with FFJQC. In addition, total of 81 serum metabolites were identified to be associated with protective effects of FFJQC on CaOx crystal injured mice. Most of these metabolites were involved in purine, amino acid, membrane lipid and energy metabolism. Potential metabolite biomarkers were found for CaOx crystal-induced renal damage. Potential metabolite biomarkers of CaOx crystal-induced renal damage were found. FFJQC shows therapeutic benefits on CaOx crystal injured mice via regulation of multiple metabolic pathways including amino acids, purine, pyrimidine, glycerolipid, arachidonic acid (AA), sphingolipid, glycerophospholipid, and fatty acid.