Reducing nonradiative recombination for highly efficient inverted perovskite solar cells via a synergistic bimolecular interface.

Reducing interface nonradiative recombination is important for realizing highly efficient perovskite solar cells. In this work, we develop a synergistic bimolecular interlayer (SBI) strategy via 4-methoxyphenylphosphonic acid (MPA) and 2-phenylethylammonium iodide (PEAI) to functionalize the perovskite interface. MPA induces an in-situ chemical reaction at the perovskite surface via forming strong P-O-Pb covalent bonds that diminish the surface defect density and upshift the surface Fermi level. PEAI further creates an additional negative surface dipole so that a more n-type perovskite surface is constructed, which enhances electron extraction at the top interface. With this cooperative surface treatment, we greatly minimize interface nonradiative recombination through both enhanced defect passivation and improved energetics. The resulting p-i-n device achieves a stabilized power conversion efficiency of 25.53% and one of the smallest nonradiative recombination induced Voc loss of only 59 mV reported to date. We also obtain a certified efficiency of 25.05%. This work sheds light on the synergistic interface engineering for further improvement of perovskite solar cells.

MiR-380 inhibits the proliferation and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma cells by silencing LIS1.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to determine the role and regulatory mechanism of miR-380 in cholangiocarcinoma. METHODS: The TargetScan database and a dual-luciferase reporter assay system were used to determine if LIS1 was a target gene of miR-380. The Cell Counting Kit 8 assay, flow cytometry, and Transwell assay were used to detect the effects of miR-380 and LIS1 on the proliferation, S-phase ratio, and invasiveness of HCCC-9810/HuCCT1/QBC939 cells. Western blotting was used to determine the effect of miR-380 on MMP-2/p-AKT. Immunohistochemistry detected the regulatory effect of miR-380 on the expression of MMP-2/p-AKT/LIS1. RESULTS: Expression of miR-380 in cholangiocarcinoma was decreased but expression of LIS1 was increased. LIS1 was confirmed to be a target gene of miR-380. Transfection with miR-380 mimics inhibited the proliferation, S-phase arrest, and invasion of HCCC-9810/HuCCT1/QBC939 cells, and LIS1 reversed these inhibitory effects. miR-380 inhibitor promoted proliferation, S-phase ratio, and invasiveness of HCCC-9810/HuCCT1/QBC939 cells. si-LIS1 salvaged the promotive effect of miR-380 inhibitor. Overexpression of miR-380 inhibited expression of MMP-2/p-AKT/LIS1, but miR-380 inhibitor promoted their expression. CONCLUSION: An imbalance of miR-380 expression is closely related to cholangiocarcinoma, and overexpression of miR-380 inhibits the expression of MMP-2/p-AKT by directly targeting LIS1.

Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the Scale of Effects of Social Media on Eating Behaviour and research of its influencing factors.

BACKGROUND: Social media has become an indispensable part of contemporary young people's lives, and the influence of social media on college students' eating and other health-related behaviors has become increasingly prominent. However, there is no assessment tool to determine the effects of social media on Chinese college students' eating behavior. This study aims to translate the Scale of Effects of Social Media on Eating Behaviour (SESMEB) into Chinese. Its applicability to Chinese college students was examined through reliability and validity indexes, and the influencing factors of SESMEB were explored. METHODS: The questionnaire survey included 2374 Chinese college students. The Brislin translation model was used to translate the original scale into Chinese. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to test the construct validity of the scale, and the content validity of the scale was assessed through the content validity index. The internal consistency of the scale was assessed by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient, McDonald's Omega coefficient, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability. Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis was performed to identify potential influences on the effects of social media on eating behavior. RESULTS: EFA supported the one-factor structure, and the factor loadings of each item on this dimension were higher than 0.40. CFA showed good model fitness indexes. The content validity index of the scale was 0.94. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient and McDonald's Omega coefficient for the scale were 0.964, the split-half reliability coefficient was 0.953, and the test-retest reliability was 0.849. Gender, education, major, frequency of social media use, online sexual objectification experiences, fear of negative evaluations, and physical appearance perfectionism explained 73.8% of the variance in the effects of social media on eating behavior. CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of the SESMEB has good psychometric properties and is a valid measurement tool for assessing the effects of social media on college students' eating behavior. Subjects who were female, highly educated, non-medical, had frequent social media use, online sexual objectification experiences, fear of negative evaluations, and physical appearance perfectionism used social media to have a higher impact on eating behavior.

HBV integrations reshaping genomic structures promote hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), mostly characterised by HBV integrations, is prevalent worldwide. Previous HBV studies mainly focused on a few hotspot integrations. However, the oncogenic role of the other HBV integrations remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate HBV integration-induced tumourigenesis further. DESIGN: Here, we illuminated the genomic structures encompassing HBV integrations in 124 HCCs across ages using whole genome sequencing and Nanopore long reads. We classified a repertoire of integration patterns featured by complex genomic rearrangement. We also conducted a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-based gain-of-function genetic screen in mouse hepatocytes. We individually activated each candidate gene in the mouse model to uncover HBV integration-mediated oncogenic aberration that elicits tumourigenesis in mice. RESULTS: These HBV-mediated rearrangements are significantly enriched in a bridge-fusion-bridge pattern and interchromosomal translocations, and frequently led to a wide range of aberrations including driver copy number variations in chr 4q, 5p (TERT), 6q, 8p, 16q, 9p (CDKN2A/B), 17p (TP53) and 13q (RB1), and particularly, ultra-early amplifications in chr8q. Integrated HBV frequently contains complex structures correlated with the translocation distance. Paired breakpoints within each integration event usually exhibit different microhomology, likely mediated by different DNA repair mechanisms. HBV-mediated rearrangements significantly correlated with young age, higher HBV DNA level and TP53 mutations but were less prevalent in the patients subjected to prior antiviral therapies. Finally, we recapitulated the TONSL and TMEM65 amplification in chr8q led by HBV integration using CRISPR/Cas9 editing and demonstrated their tumourigenic potentials. CONCLUSION: HBV integrations extensively reshape genomic structures and promote hepatocarcinogenesis (graphical abstract), which may occur early in a patient's life.

Regulating Perovskite Crystallization through Interfacial Engineering Using a Zwitterionic Additive Potassium Sulfamate for Efficient Pure-Blue Light-Emitting Diodes.

Quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) perovskites are emerging as efficient emitters in blue perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs), while the imbalanced crystallization of the halide-mixed system limits further improvements in device performance. The rapid crystallization caused by Cl doping produces massive defects at the interface, leading to aggravated non-radiative recombination. Meanwhile, unmanageable perovskite crystallization is prone to facilitate the formation of nonuniform low-dimensional phases, which results in energy loss during the exciton transfer process. Here, we propose a multifunctional interface engineering for nucleation and phase regulation by incorporating the zwitterionic additive potassium sulfamate into the hole transport layer. By using potassium ions (K+ ) as heterogeneous nucleation seeds, finely controlled growth of interfacial K+ -guided grains is achieved. The sulfamate ions can simultaneously regulate the phase distribution and passivate defects through coordination interactions with undercoordinated lead atoms. Consequently, such synergistic effect constructs quasi-2D blue perovskite films with smooth energy landscape and reduced trap states, leading to pure-blue PeLEDs with a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 17.32 %, spectrally stable emission at 478 nm and the prolonged operational lifetime. This work provides a unique guide to comprehensively regulate the halide-mixed blue perovskite crystallization by manipulating the characteristics of grain-growth substrate.

Association between depression and quality of life in older adults with type 2 diabetes: A moderated mediation of cognitive impairment and sleep quality.

BACKGROUND: The acceleration of aging and the increase in life expectancy have resulted in an increasing number of older adults developing physical and mental comorbidities. We examined the association between depression and quality of life (QoL) using cognitive impairment (COI) as a mediator and sleep quality (SQ) as a moderator among older adults with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A total of 2646 participants from Weifang, Shandong, China completed the survey. Their depression, cognitive function, SQ, and QoL were assessed. PROCESS was used to investigate mediating and moderating effects. RESULTS: COI mediated the association between depression and QoL (indirect effect = -0.1058, bootstrapped 95 % CI [-0.1417, -0.0725]). Moderated mediation analyses indicated that SQ moderated the first half of the pathway of depression's impact on QoL through COI (moderating effect = -0.1128, bootstrapped 95 % CI [-0.1981, -0.0348]). Depression negatively impacted cognitive function in participants with poor (vs. better) SQ. LIMITATIONS: First, multiple assessment tools should be considered to increase objective assessment. Second, the cross-sectional design limited our ability to make causal inferences. Third, additional diabetes-related variables should be included to explore this relationship. Finally, the pathways of influence and mechanisms of action of COI in older adults should be explored further. CONCLUSION: Depression could impair the QoL of older adults by aggravating their COI. Fortunately, improving patients' SQ may undermine this negative effect. These findings may play an integral role in promoting the psychiatric health of older adults with type 2 diabetes.

Ripretinib in combination with tyrosine kinase inhibitor as a late-line treatment option for refractory gastrointestinal stromal tumors: two case reports and literature review.

Background: This case report presents two clinical cases of metastatic refractory gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) with treatment history of 6-14 years. The follow-up treatment of both cases comprised ripretinib dose escalation and its combination with other tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that explored ripretinib combination therapy in the late-line treatment of GISTs. Case description: Case-1 represents a 57-year-old female patient who underwent surgical resection for retroperitoneal GIST in 2008. After tumor recurrence in 2009, imatinib was started with complete response for 8 years. Imatinib was followed by sunitinib and regorafenib treatment. In March 2021, due to progressive disease (PD), the patient started ripretinib (150 mg QD) and achieved partial response (PR). Six months later, the patient showed PD. Subsequently, ripretinib dose was increased (150 mg BID) followed by ripretinib (100 mg QD) and imatinib (200 mg QD) combination. CT performed in February 2022 revealed stable lesions with internal visible necrosis. Combination therapy achieved stable disease (SD) for 7 months. On further follow-up in July 2022, the patient showed PD and died in September 2022. Case-2: represents a 73-year-old female patient diagnosed with unresectable duodenal GIST with liver, lung, and lymph node metastases in 2016. After treatment with imatinib, followed by sunitinib, regorafenib, and imatinib rechallenge, ripretinib (150 mg QD) was administered in May 2021, and SD was achieved. Ripretinib dose was increased (200 mg QD) due to PD in December 2021. The tumor showed heterogeneous manifestations, with overall size increase and regression in right posterior lobe. In February 2022, ripretinib (150 mg) plus sunitinib (25 mg) QD was commenced. On follow-up in April 2022, the patient showed slightly improved symptoms with stable hematologic parameters. Combination therapy achieved SD for 5 months and the patient showed PD in July 2022 and discontinued the treatment later. The patient was in poor general condition and was receiving nutritional therapy until last follow-up in October 2022. Conclusion: This case report provides evidence that combination therapy of ripretinib with other TKIs could be an effective late-line treatment option for refractory GIST patients.

An elevated preoperative cholesterol-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts unfavourable outcomes in colorectal cancer liver metastasis patients receiving simultaneous resections: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: To explore the clinical prognostic utility of the preoperative cholesterol-to-lymphocyte ratio (CLR) in outcomes for colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM) patients receiving simultaneous resection of the primary lesion and liver metastases. METHODS: A total of 444 CRLM patients receiving simultaneous resections were enrolled. The optimal cut-off value for CLR was determined using the highest Youden's index. Patients were divided into the CLR < 3.06 group and the CLR≥3.06 group. Propensity score matching analysis (PSM) and the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method were conducted to eliminate bias between the two groups. The outcomes included short-term outcomes and long-term outcomes. Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests were used to analyse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: In the short-term outcome analysis, after 1:1 PSM, 137 patients were distributed to the CLR < 3.06 group and CLR≥3.06 group. No significant difference was noted between the two groups (P > 0.1). Compared with patients with CLR < 3.06, patients with CLR≥3.06 had comparable operation times (320.0 [272.5-421.0] vs. 360.0 [292.5-434.5], P = 0.088), blood loss (200.0 [100.0-400.0] vs. 200.0 [150.0-450.0], P = 0.831), postoperative complication rates (50.4% vs. 46.7%, P = 0.546) and postoperative ICU rates (5.8% vs. 11.7%, P = 0.087). In the long-term outcome analysis, Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that compared with patients with CLR < 3.06, patients with CLR≥3.06 had worse PFS (P = 0.005, median: 10.2 months vs. 13.0 months) and OS (P = 0.002, median: 41.0 months vs. 70.9 months). IPTW-adjusted Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the CLR≥3.06 group had worse PFS (P = 0.027) and OS (P = 0.010) than the CLR < 3.06 group. In the IPTW-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, CLR≥3.06 was an independent factor for PFS (HR = 1.376, 95% CI 1.097-1.726, P = 0.006) and OS (HR = 1.723, 95% CI 1.218-2.439, P = 0.002). IPTW-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression analysis including postoperative complications, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative blood transfusion and postoperative chemotherapy revealed that CLR≥3.06 was an independent factor for PFS (HR = 1.617, 95% CI 1.252-2.090, P < 0.001) and OS (HR = 1.823, 95% CI 1.258-2.643, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The preoperative CLR level predicts unfavourable outcomes in CRLM patients receiving simultaneous resection of the primary lesion and liver metastases and should be taken into consideration when developing treatment and monitoring strategies.

Enhanced binding of ß-catenin and ß-TrCP mediates LMPt's anti-CSCs activity in colorectal cancer.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a subpopulation of tumor cells with the features of self-renewal, tumor initiation, and insensitivity to common physical and chemical agents, are the key to cancer relapses, metastasis, and resistance. Accessible CSCs inhibitory strategies are primarily based on small molecule drugs, yet toxicity limits their application. Here, we report a liposome loaded with low toxicity and high effectiveness of miriplatin, lipo-miriplatin (LMPt) with high miriplatin loading, and robust stability, exhibiting a superior inhibitory effect on CSCs and non-CSCs. LMPt predominantly inhibits the survival of oxaliplatin-resistant (OXA-resistant) cells composed of CSCs. Furthermore, LMPt directly blocks stemness features of self-renewal, tumor initiation, unlimited proliferation, metastasis, and insensitivity. In mechanistic exploration, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) revealed that LMPt downregulates the levels of pro-stemness proteins and that the ß-catenin-mediated stemness pathway is enriched. Further research shows that either in adherent cells or 3D-spheres, the ß-catenin-OCT4/NANOG axis, the vital pathway to maintain stemness, is depressed by LMPt. The consecutive activation of the ß-catenin pathway induced by mutant ß-catenin (S33Y) and OCT4/NANOG overexpression restores LMPt's anti-CSCs effect, elucidating the key role of the ß-catenin-OCT4/NANOG axis. Further studies revealed that the strengthened binding of ß-catenin and ß-TrCP initiates ubiquitination and degradation of ß-catenin induced by LMPt. In addition, the ApcMin/+ transgenic mouse model, in which colon tumors are spontaneously formed, demonstrates LMPt's potent anti-non-CSCs activity in vivo.