Strong-bonding hole-transport layers reduce ultraviolet degradation of perovskite solar cells.

The light-emitting diodes (LEDs) used in indoor testing of perovskite solar cells do not expose them to the levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation that they would receive in actual outdoor use. We report degradation mechanisms of p-i-n-structured perovskite solar cells under unfiltered sunlight and with LEDs. Weak chemical bonding between perovskites and polymer hole-transporting materials (HTMs) and transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) dominate the accelerated A-site cation migration, rather than direct degradation of HTMs. An aromatic phosphonic acid, [2-(9-ethyl-9H-carbazol-3-yl)ethyl]phosphonic acid (EtCz3EPA), enhanced bonding at the perovskite/HTM/TCO region with a phosphonic acid group bonded to TCOs and a nitrogen group interacting with lead in perovskites. A hybrid HTM of EtCz3EPA with strong hole-extraction polymers retained high efficiency and improved the UV stability of perovskite devices, and a champion perovskite minimodule-independently measured by the Perovskite PV Accelerator for Commercializing Technologies (PACT) center-retained operational efficiency of >16% after 29 weeks of outdoor testing.

Integrative analysis of genetics, epigenetics and RNA expression data reveal three susceptibility loci for smoking behavior in Chinese Han population.

Despite numerous studies demonstrate that genetics and epigenetics factors play important roles on smoking behavior, our understanding of their functional relevance and coordinated regulation remains largely unknown. Here we present a multiomics study on smoking behavior for Chinese smoker population with the goal of not only identifying smoking-associated functional variants but also deciphering the pathogenesis and mechanism underlying smoking behavior in this under-studied ethnic population. After whole-genome sequencing analysis of 1329 Chinese Han male samples in discovery phase and OpenArray analysis of 3744 samples in replication phase, we discovered that three novel variants located near FOXP1 (rs7635815), and between DGCR6 and PRODH (rs796774020), and in ARVCF (rs148582811) were significantly associated with smoking behavior. Subsequently cis-mQTL and cis-eQTL analysis indicated that these variants correlated significantly with the differential methylation regions (DMRs) or differential expressed genes (DEGs) located in the regions where these variants present. Finally, our in silico multiomics analysis revealed several hub genes, like DRD2, PTPRD, FOXP1, COMT, CTNNAP2, to be synergistic regulated each other in the etiology of smoking.

Alcohol drinking, DNA methylation and psychiatric disorders: A multi-omics Mendelian randomization study to investigate causal pathways.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Whether alcohol-related DNA methylation has a causal effect on psychiatric disorders has not been investigated. Furthermore, a comprehensive investigation into the causal relationship and underlying mechanisms linking alcohol consumption and psychiatric disorders has been lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the causal effect of general alcohol intake and pathological drinking behaviors on psychiatric disorders, alcohol-associated DNA methylation on gene expression and psychiatric disorders, and gene expression on psychiatric disorders. DESIGN: Two-sample design Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Various sensitivity and validation analyses, including colocalization analysis, were conducted to test the robustness of the results. SETTING: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) data mainly from GWAS and Sequencing Consortium of Alcohol and Nicotine use (GSCAN), Genetics of DNA Methylation Consortium (GoDMC) and Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) with European ancestry. PARTICIPANTS: The GWAS summary data on general alcohol intake (drinks per week, n = 941 280), pathological drinking behaviors (including alcohol use disorder [AUD, n = 313 959] and problematic alcohol use [PAU, n = 435 563]) and psychiatric disorders (including schizophrenia, major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, n = 51 710-500 199) were included. Alcohol-related DNA methylation CpG sites (n = 9643) and mQTL data from blood (n = 27 750) and brain (n = 1160), BrainMeta v2 and GTEx V8 eQTL summary data (n = 73-2865) were also included. MEASUREMENTS: Genetic variants were selected as instrumental variables for exposures, including drinks per week, AUD, PAU, alcohol-related DNA methylation CpG sites (mQTL) and genes selected (eQTL). FINDINGS: Pathological drinking behaviors were associated with an increased risk of psychiatric disorders after removing outliers or controlling for alcohol consumption. MR analysis identified 10 alcohol-related CpG sites with colocalization evidence that were causally associated with psychiatric disorders (P = 1.65 × 10-4-7.52 × 10-22). Furthermore, the expression of genes (RERE, PTK6, GATAD2B, COG8, PDF and GAS5) mapped to these CpG sites in the brain, led by the cortex, were significantly associated with psychiatric disorders (P = 1.19 × 10-2-3.51 × 10-7). CONCLUSIONS: Pathological drinking behavior and alcohol-related DNA methylation appear to have a causal effect on psychiatric disorders. The expression of genes regulated by the alcohol-related DNA methylation sites may underpin this association.

Application of Micro-Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (Micro-PCNL) combined with FURL in 1-2 cm symptomatic, refractory lower calyceal stones.

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of Micro-Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (Micro-PCNL) combined with flexible ureteroscopic lithotomy (FURL) in the treatment of 1-2 cm symptomatic, refractory lower calyceal stones. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed concerning the clinical data of 28 patients with 1-2 cm symptomatic, refractory lower calyceal stones. When there was a difficulty in performing FURL in Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University from January 2019 to February 2022, ultrasound-guided F4.8 visual puncture was performed on the lower calyceal stone,with a holmium laser was then used to treat the remaining stones, followed by drainage using a flexible ureteroscopic sheath and postoperative indwelling of the ureteral stent without a nephrostomy tube. The surgery time, intraoperative bleeding and stone-free rate(SFR) were recorded, and the VAS score was used to evaluate the patients' pain status. Results: The surgery was completed successfully in an average of 43.46 ± 10.04 minutes, and the puncture time was 3.46 ± 0.69 minutes. The SFR was 85.71%(24/28) and 92.86%(26/28) at one day and 30 days after surgery, respectively. Two patients with residual stones greater than 0.6 cm in size underwent extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy four weeks after surgery. Patients were followed up for three months after surgery, and the SFR was revised to 96.43%(27/28). In addition, the VAS scores of all patients decreased significantly from before to after surgery, and the difference was statistically significant(p< 0.05). Conclusion: Micro-Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (Micro-PCNL) combined with FURL is safe and effective in the treatment of 1-2 cm symptomatic, refractory lower calyceal stones.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms rs148582811 regulates its host gene ARVCF expression to affect nicotine-associated hippocampus-dependent memory.

Although numerous susceptibility loci are nominated for nicotine dependence (ND), no report showed any association of ARVCF with ND. Through genome-wide sequencing analysis, we first identified genetic variants associated nominally with ND and then replicated them in an independent sample. Of the six replicated variants, rs148582811 in ARVCF located in the enhancer-associated marker peak is attractive. The effective-median-based Mendelian randomization analysis indicated that ARVCF is a causal gene for ND. RNA-seq analysis detected decreased ARVCF expression in smokers compared to nonsmokers. Luciferase reporter assays indicated that rs148582811 and its located DNA fragment allele-specifically regulated ARVCF expression. Immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that transcription factor X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 5 (XRCC5) bound to the DNA fragment containing rs148582811 and allele-specifically regulated ARVCF expression at the mRNA and protein levels. With the Arvcf knockout mouse model, we showed that Arvcf deletion not only impairs hippocampus-dependent learning and memory, but also alleviated nicotine-induced memory deficits.

Mixed reality in primary retroperitoneal tumour surgery: Evaluation of preoperative and intraoperative application value.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility and application value of mixed reality technology (MR) in Primary retroperitoneal tumour (PRT) surgery. METHODS: From 276 patients who underwent PRT resection at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, we screened 46 patients who underwent MR-assisted retroperitoneal tumour resection and 46 patients who underwent tumour resection without MR assistance. The intraoperative and postoperative recovery of the patients in both groups were compared, and the reliability and validity of the application of MR were further examined using the Likert scale. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the mean intraoperative bleeding volume between the two groups, but it was reduced in the MR group. The results of the Likert scale showed higher scores in the MR group than non-MR group. CONCLUSIONS: MR can be used to assist PRT resection and has great potential to improve the rate of complete retroperitoneal tumour resection.

Solar-CO2 -to-Syngas Conversion Enabled by Precise Charge Transport Modulation.

The rational design of the directional charge transfer channel represents an important strategy to finely tune the charge migration and separation in photocatalytic CO2 -to-fuel conversion. Despite the progress made in crafting high-performance photocatalysts, developing elegant photosystems with precisely modulated interfacial charge transfer feature remains a grand challenge. Here, a facile one-pot method is developed to achieve in situ self-assembly of Pd nanocrystals (NYs) on the transition metal chalcogenide (TMC) substrate with the aid of a non-conjugated insulating polymer, i.e., branched polyethylenimine (bPEI), for photoreduction of CO2 to syngas (CO/H2 ). The generic reducing capability of the abundant amine groups grafted on the molecular backbone of bPEI fosters the homogeneous growth of Pd NYs on the TMC framework. Intriguingly, the self-assembled TMCs@bPEI@Pd heterostructure with bi-directional spatial charge transport pathways exhibit significantly boosted photoactivity toward CO2 -to-syngas conversion under visible light irradiation, wherein bPEI serves as an efficient hole transfer mediator, and simultaneously Pd NYs act as an electron-withdrawing modulator for accelerating spatially vectorial charge separation. Furthermore, in-depth understanding of the in situ formed intermediates during the CO2 photoreduction process are exquisitely probed. This work provides a quintessential paradigm for in situ construction of multi-component heterojunction photosystem for solar-to-fuel energy conversion.

Education plays a crucial role in the pathway from poverty to smoking: a Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Disproportionately high rates of smoking have been found in low-income communities, but the causal direction and role of education in this relationship remains less well understood. Here, we used bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) to measure the causal relationships between smoking, income and education. DESIGN: Two-sample univariable and multivariable MR analyses were conducted to evaluate the total and direct effect of income and education on tobacco smoking. The effects of smoking on education and income were explored with reverse MR analysis. SETTING: European ancestry. PARTICIPANTS: The most recent large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data on educational attainment, household income and smoking (n = 143 210-766 345). MEASUREMENTS: Genetic variants for exposures including income, education and smoking. FINDINGS: Both income and education had protective effects against smoking, especially for smoking initiation (education: ß = -0.447, 95% CI = -0.508 to -0.387, P < 0.001; income: ß = -0.290, 95% CI = -0.43 to -0.149, P < 0.001) and cessation (education: ß = -0.364, 95% CI = -0.429 to -0.298, P < 0.001; income: ß = -0.323, 95% CI = -0.448 to -0.197, P < 0.001). Here, higher scores in cessation indicated a lower likelihood of quitting according to the coding scheme. There was little evidence that income influenced smoking once education was controlled for, whereas education could significantly affect smoking behaviours independently of income (P = 3.40 × 10-10 -0.0272). The reverse MR results suggested that smoking may result in a loss of years of schooling (ß = -0.190, 95% CI = -0.297 to -0.083, P < 0.001) and reduced earnings (ß = -0.204, 95% CI = -0.347 to -0.060, P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Education appears to play an important role in the relationship between income and smoking. There is a bidirectional association of smoking with socioeconomic status.

Pueraria montana (Kudzu vine) Ameliorate the Inflammation and Oxidative Stress against Fe-NTA Induced Renal Cancer.

Renal tissue plays a crucial function in maintaining homeostasis, making it vulnerable to xenobiotic toxicity. Pueraria montana has more beneficial potential against the various diseases and has long history used as a traditional Chinese medicine. But its effect against the renal cancer not scrutinize. The goal of this study is to see if Pueraria montana can protect rats from developing kidney tumors caused by diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and ferric nitrite (Fe-NTA). Wistar rats was selected for the current study and DEN (use as an inducer) and Fe-NTA (promoter) for induction the renal cancer. For 22 weeks, the rats were given orally Pueraria montana (12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg) treatment. At regular intervals, the body weight and food intake were calculated. The rats were macroscopically evaluated for identification of cancer in the renal tissue. The renal tumor makers, renal parameters, antioxidant enzymes, phase I and II enzymes, inflammatory cytokines and mediators were estimated at end of the experimental study. Pueraria montana treated rats displayed the suppression of renal tumors, incidence of the tumors along with suppression of tumor percentage. Pueraria montana treated rats significantly (p < 0.001) increased body weight and suppressed the renal weight and food intake. It also reduced the level of renal tumor marker ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and [3H] thymidine incorporation along with suppression of renal parameter such as uric acid, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), urea and creatinine. Pueraria montana treatment significantly (p < 0.001) altered the level of phase enzymes and antioxidant. Pueraria montana treatment significantly (p < 0.001) repressed the level of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and improved the level of interleukin-10 (IL-10). Pueraria montana treatment suppressed the level of prostaglandin (PGE2), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nuclear kappa B factor (NF-κB) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-ß1). Pueraria montana suppressed the inflammatory necrosis, size the bowman capsules in the renal histopathology. Pueraria montana exhibited the chemoprotective effect via dual mechanism such as suppression of inflammatory reaction and oxidative stress.

Analysis of the safety and efficacy of tacrolimus combined with glucocorticoid in the treatment of lupus nephritis.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of tacrolimus combined with glucocorticoids in the treatment of lupus nephritis. Methods: A total of 80 patients with lupus nephritis were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University and the First Hospital of Baoding from February 2017 to January 2019 randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group and the control group, with 40 cases in each group. Patients in the experimental group were treated with tacrolimus combined with glucocorticoids, while patients in the control group were treated with cyclophosphamide combined with glucocorticoids for one year. Clinical efficacy and adverse drug reactions were evaluated for all patients after treatment. The changes of CRP, IL-6, 24h urinary protein, serum albumin, serum creatinine, urea nitrogen and other indicators after treatment, as well as the differences in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), complement C3, C4, anti-dsDNA antibody positive rate and SLEDAI score and other indicators were also evaluated. Results: The total efficacy of the experimental group was 92.5%, which was significantly better than the 75% of the control group (p=0.03); The incidence of adverse reactions was 20% in the experimental group and 42.5% in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (p=0.03). After treatment, the levels of CRP, IL-6 and other inflammatory factors in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group, with a statistical significance (p<0.05); The indicators of the experimental group such as 24h urine protein quantification, serum albumin, blood creatinine, and urea nitrogen were improved compared with the control group, with statistically highly significant differences (p<0.001). In addition, ESR, anti-DSDNA antibody positive rate and SLEDAI score were decreased compared with the control group, while complement C3 and C4 levels were significantly increased (p<0.05). Conclusion: Tacrolimus combined with glucocorticoids is a safe and effective treatment regimen for patients with lupus nephritis, boasting a variety of benefits, such as significant efficacy and fewer adverse reactions. With such a regimen, the level of inflammatory factors can be significantly reduced, renal function indicators can be ameliorated, the ESR, complement C3, C4, anti-dsDNA antibody positive rate and SLEDAI score of the patients can be significantly improved.

Circ_0037866 Contributes to the Tumorigenesis of Renal Cell Carcinoma by Sequestering miR-384 to Elevate Chromobox 5 Expression.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) were demonstrated to have roles in the carcinogenesis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Hence, this work aimed to determine the functions and molecular mechanism of circ_0037866 in regulating the progression of RCC. METHODS: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were used to detect the levels of genes and proteins. In vitro assays, including colony formation, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine, flow cytometry, transwell assays, and in vivo tumor formation, were conducted to investigate the effects of circ_0037866 on RCC tumorigenesis. Dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA pull-down, and RNA immunoprecipitation assay were used to confirm the interaction between miR-384 and circ_0037866 or Chromobox 5 (CBX5). RESULTS: Circ_0037866 is a stable circRNA and was found to be increased in RCC tissues and cells. Functionally, circ_0037866 silencing suppressed RCC cell survival, invasion, and migration in vitro, and impeded RCC cell tumorigenesis in the subcutaneous xenograft model. Mechanistically, circ_0037866 could function as a sponge for miR-384 to elevate the expression of its target CBX5. Furthermore, a series of rescue experiments showed that miR-384 inhibition reversed the anticancer effects of circ_0037866 knockdown on RCC cells; besides that, miR-384 restoration suppressed RCC cell growth and mobility, which were attenuated by CBX5 overexpression. CONCLUSION: Circ_0037866 knockdown restrains the tumorigenesis of RCC by miR-384/CBX5, revealing a promising molecular target for RCC therapy.

The Inhibitory Effects of Naringin in a Rat Model of Postoperative Intraperitoneal Adhesion Formation.

BACKGROUND: Many attempts have been made to inhibit the formation of postoperative intraperitoneal adhesions, but the results have been discouraging. Therefore, the identification of effective preventative measures or treatments is of great importance. In this study, the substantial potential of naringin (NG) to reduce peritoneal adhesions was validated in a rat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A rat peritoneal adhesion model was established by abrasion of the cecum and its opposite intraperitoneal region under aseptic surgical conditions. After the operation, three groups of NG-treated rats were given 2 mL of NG by gavage at different concentrations (40, 60, or 80 mg/kg/d). The sham, control, and hyaluronan (HA) groups were given equal volumes of normal saline daily. On the 8th day, all rats were sacrificed 30 min after the administration of an activated carbon solution (10 mL/kg) by oral gavage. Intraperitoneal adhesion formation was adequately evaluated by necropsy, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, Sirius red staining, immunofluorescence staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) probes. The gastrointestinal dynamics of the rats were assessed on the basis of a small intestinal charcoal powder propulsion test and the detection of motilin and gastrin levels in serum. RESULTS: Intraperitoneal adhesions were markedly reduced in the group of rats receiving high-dose NG. Compared with the control group, the high-dose NG group showed clear reductions in inflammatory reactions, oxidative stress, collagen deposition, and fibroblast formation in the adhesion tissue and enhanced gastrointestinal dynamics (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: NG alleviated the severity of intraperitoneal adhesions in a rat model by reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, collagen deposition, and fibroblast formation, highlighting the potential of NG as a drug candidate to prevent postoperative peritoneal adhesion formation.

MicroRNA-98-5p inhibits human mesangial cell proliferation and TNF-α and IL-6 secretion by targeting BTB and CNC homology 1.

MicroRNA (miR)-98-5p has been reported to be involved in the development of lupus nephritis (LN); however, its specific role in LN remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-98-5p on human mesangial cell proliferation and the secretion of TNF-α and IL-6. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blotting were used to analyze the level of gene and protein expression, respectively. Cellular proliferation was assessed using a Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. ELISA was used to detect the secretion of TNF-α and IL-6 by human mesangial cells. RT-qPCR analysis revealed that miR-98-5p expression was downregulated in LN renal tissues compared with control renal tissues. Overexpression of miR-98-5p inhibited human mesangial cell proliferation and the secretion of TNF-α and IL-6, whereas miR-98-5p-knockdown demonstrated the opposite effect. Dual luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that miR-98-5p directly targeted BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1). BACH1-overexpression promoted human mesangial cell proliferation and the secretion of TNF-α and IL-6, whereas BACH1-knockdown demonstrated the opposite effect. Notably, co-transfection with miR-98-5p mimic inhibited BACH1-overexpression induced human mesangial cell proliferation and the secretion of TNF-α and IL-6. The results of the present study indicated that miR-98-5p inhibited human mesangial cell proliferation and the secretion of TNF-α and IL-6 by targeting BACH1. Therefore, miR-98-5p and BACH1 may represent potential therapeutic targets for LN.

Updated review of research on the gut microbiota and their relation to depression in animals and human beings.

The gut microbiota are being called the human "second brain," as they play a key role in the regulation of the central nervous system (CNS). Recent findings provide strong evidence for the presence of bidirectional communication networks between the gut microbiota and the CNS, and such crosstalk has been correlated with alterations in major depressive disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. Further, germ-free animal models have been used to investigate the effect of the microbiota on MDD and other psychiatric disorders, which have greatly expanded our knowledge of the role of the microbiota in the etiology of MDD and promoted causality studies of this psychiatric disorder and others as well. In this review, we first introduce the methodological approaches used for microbiota research and then provide an overview of current research progress on the modulatory function and composition of the gut microbiota in MDD and the therapeutic effect of probiotics that has been gained using data from human studies as well as animal experiments. Future research should focus on identification and characterization of specific bacterial strains involved in MDD with the hope of applying these findings in the prevention and treatment of MDD.

Enhanced Interfacial Binding and Electron Extraction Using Boron-Doped TiO2 for Highly Efficient Hysteresis-Free Perovskite Solar Cells.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have witnessed astonishing improvement in power conversion efficiency (PCE), more recently, with advances in long-term stability and scalable fabrication. However, the presence of an anomalous hysteresis behavior in the current density-voltage characteristic of these devices remains a key obstacle on the road to commercialization. Herein, sol-gel-processed mesoporous boron-doped TiO2 (B-TiO2) is demonstrated as an improved electron transport layer (ETL) for PSCs for the reduction of hysteresis. The incorporation of boron dopant in TiO2 ETL not only reduces the hysteresis behavior but also improves PCE of the perovskite device. The simultaneous improvements are mainly ascribed to the following two reasons. First, the substitution of under-coordinated titanium atom by boron species effectively passivates oxygen vacancy defects in the TiO2 ETL, leading to increased electron mobility and conductivity, thereby greatly facilitating electron transport. Second, the boron dopant upshifts the conduction band edge of TiO2, resulting in more efficient electron extraction with suppressed charge recombination. Consequently, a methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) photovoltaic device based on B-TiO2 ETL achieves a higher efficiency of 20.51% than the 19.06% of the pure TiO2 ETL based device, and the hysteresis is reduced from 0.13% to 0.01% with the B-TiO2 based device showing negligible hysteresis behavior.

Template-Assisted Formation of High-Quality α-Phase HC(NH2)2PbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells.

Formamidinium (FA) lead halide (α-FAPbI3) perovskites are promising materials for photovoltaic applications because of their excellent light harvesting capability (absorption edge 840 nm) and long carrier diffusion length. However, it is extremely difficult to prepare a pure α-FAPbI3 phase because of its easy transformation into a nondesirable δ-FAPbI3 phase. In the present study, a "perovskite" template (MAPbI3-FAI-PbI2-DMSO) structure is used to avoid and suppress the formation of δ-FAPbI3 phases. The perovskite structure is formed via postdeposition involving the treatment of colloidal MAI-PbI2-DMSO film with FAI before annealing. In situ X-ray diffraction in vacuum shows no detectable δ-FAPbI3 phase during the whole synthesis process when the sample is annealed from 100 to 180 °C. This method is found to reduce defects at grain boundaries and enhance the film quality as determined by means of photoluminescence mapping and Kelvin probe force microscopy. The perovskite solar cells (PSCs) fabricated by this method demonstrate a much-enhanced short-circuit current density ( J sc) of 24.99 mA cm-2 and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.24%, which is the highest efficiency reported for pure FAPbI3, with great stability under 800 h of thermal ageing and 500 h of light soaking in nitrogen.

Therapeutic effects of visual standard channel combined with F4.8 visual puncture super-mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy on multiple renal calculi.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of visual standard channel combined with F4.8 visual puncture super-mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy (SMP) on multiple renal calculi. METHODS: The clinical data of 46 patients with multiple renal calculi treated in Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University from October 2015 to September 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 28 males and 18 females aged from 25 to 65 years old, with an average of 42.6. The stone diameters were 3.0-5.2 cm, (4.3 ± 0.8) cm on average. F4.8 visual puncture-assisted balloon expansion was used to establish a standard channel. After visible stones were removed through nephroscopy combined with ultrasound lithotripsy, the stones of other parts were treated through F4.8 visual puncture SMP with holmium laser. Indices such as the total time of channel establishment, surgical time, decreased value of hemoglobin, phase-I stone clearance rate and surgical complications were summarized. RESULTS: Single standard channel was successfully established in all cases with the assistance of F4.8 visual puncture, of whom 24 were combined with a single microchannel, 16 were combined with double microchannels, and six were combined with three microchannels. All patients were placed with nephrostomy tube which was not placed in the microchannels. Both F5 double J tubes were placed after surgery. The time for establishing a standard channel through F4.8 visual puncture was (6.8 ± 1.8) min, and that for establishing a single F4.8 visual puncture microchannel was (4.5 ± 0.9) min. The surgical time was (92 ± 15) min. The phase-I stone clearance rate was 91.3% (42/46), and the decreased value of hemoglobin was (12.21 ± 2.5) g/L. There were 8 cases of postoperative fever which was relieved after anti-inflammatory treatment. Four cases had 0.5-0.8 cm of stone residue in the lower calyx, and all stones were discharged one month after surgery by in vitro shock wave lithotripsy combined with position nephrolithotomy, without stone streets, delayed bleeding, peripheral organ damage or urethral injury. CONCLUSION: Combining visual standard channel with F4.8 visual puncture SMP for the treatment of multiple renal calculi had the advantages of reducing the number of large channels, high rate of stone clearance, safety and reliability and mild complications. The established F4.8 visual puncture channel was safer and more accurate.

Incorporating 4-tert-Butylpyridine in an Antisolvent: A Facile Approach to Obtain Highly Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

The synthesis and growth of CH3NH3PbI3 films with controlled nucleation is a key issue for the high efficiency and stability of solar cells. Here, 4-tert-butylpyridine (tBP) was introduced into a CH3NH3PbI3 antisolvent to obtain high quality perovskite layers. In situ optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction patterns were used to prove that tBP significantly suppressed perovskite nucleation by forming an intermediate phase. In addition, a gradient perovskite structure was obtained by this method, which greatly improved the efficiency and stability of perovskites. An effective power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17.41% was achieved via the tBP treatment, and the high-efficiency device could maintain over 89% of the initial PCE after 30 days at room temperature.

Solvothermal Synthesis of Hierarchical TiO2 Microstructures with High Crystallinity and Superior Light Scattering for High-Performance Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

In this article, hierarchical TiO2 microstructures (HM-TiO2) were synthesized by a simple solvothermal method adopting tetra-n-butyl titanate as the titanium source in a mixed solvent composed of N,N-dimethylformamide and acetic acid. Due to the high crystallinity and superior light-scattering ability, the resultant HM-TiO2 are advantageous as photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells. When assembled to the entire photovoltaic device with C101 dye as a sensitizer, the pure HM-TiO2-based solar cells showed an ultrahigh photovoltage up to 0.853 V. Finally, by employing the as-obtained HM-TiO2 as the scattering layer and optimizing the architecture of dye-sensitized solar cells, both higher photovoltage and incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency value were harvested with respect to TiO2 nanoparticles-based dye-sensitized solar cells, resulting in a high power conversion efficiency of 9.79%. This work provides a promising strategy to develop photoanode materials with outstanding photoelectric conversion performance.

[Clinical study on patellar replacement in total knee arthroplasty].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of patellar replacement on total knee arthroplasty by comparing with non patellar replacement. METHODS: Between September 2010 and November 2010, 63 patients (63 knees) with osteoarthritis who met the selection criteria and underwent total knee arthroplasty, were randomly divided into 2 groups: patellar replacement in 32 cases (replacement group), non patellar replacement in 31 cases (non patellar replacement group). There was no significant difference in gender, age, disease duration, osteoarthritis grading, the clinical and functional scores of American Knee Society Score (KSS), the patellar tilt angle, tibiofemoral angle, and patellar ligament ratio between 2 groups (P > 0.05), they were comparable. After 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months of operation, clinical and imaging evaluation methods were used to assessment the effectiveness. RESULTS: Primary healing of incision was obtained in all patients of 2 groups. Deep venous thrombosis occurred in 6 cases of replacement group and in 8 cases of non patellar replacement group. All patients were followed up 12 months. The postoperative incidence of anterior knee pain in replacement group was significantly lower than that in non patellar replacement group (P < 0.05) at 3, 6, and 12 months after operation. No significant difference was found in the postoperative KSS clinical score between 2 groups at each time point (P > 0.05). The joint function score of the replacement group was significantly higher than that of the non patellar replacement group at the other time point (P < 0.05) except the score at 6 weeks and 3 months. Significant difference was found in the patella score between 2 groups at 12 months (P < 0.05), but no significant difference at the other time points (P > 0.05). X-ray film showed no patellar fracture and dislocation, or loosening and breakage of internal fixation. At 12 months after operation, the tibiofemoral angle, the patellar ligament ratio, and the patellar tilt angle showed no significant difference between 2 groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Patella replacement can improve knee function score and the patella score, and reduce the incidence of postoperative anterior knee pain.