De Garengeot Hernia, an acute appendicitis in the right femoral hernia canal, and successful management with transabdominal closure and appendectomy: a case Report.

Incarceration of the appendix within a femoral hernia is a rare condition of abdominal wall hernia about 0.1 to 0.5% in reported femoral hernia [1]. We report a case of a 56-year-old female whose appendix was trapped in the right femoral canal. There are few reports in the literature on entrapment of the appendix within a femoral hernia. The management of this condition includes antibiotics, drainage appendectomy, hernioplasty and mesh repair.

Validation of cardiac output estimation using the fourth-generation FloTrac/EV1000™ system in patients undergoing robotic-assisted off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery.

The pulmonary artery catheter (PAC)-despite its invasiveness-remains the gold standard for cardiac output (CO) monitoring. The FloTrac system, a less invasive hemodynamic monitor has been developed, which estimates CO using arterial pressure waveform analysis without external calibration. Recently, an upgraded version of FloTrac system with improved algorithm to follow changes in vascular resistance was introduced into the market. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of the CO estimated from the fourth-generation FloTrac/EV1000 system (COFT) compared to that measured with PAC using the thermodilution method (COPAC) during robotic-assisted off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery. COFT and COPAC were obtained simultaneously at 4 predefined time points during robotic-assisted OPCAB: 5 min after the induction of general anesthesia (T1), after starting one-lung ventilation (T2), after capnothorax (T3), and after mini-thoracotomy was performed (T4). The agreement of data was investigated by Bland-Altman analysis. Thirty-four patients were initially enrolled. After exclusion, 32 patients and a total of 128 paired CO measurements were obtained. The overall bias was 1.46 L/min, the 95% limits of agreements were - 3.40 to 6.33 L/min, and the percentage error was 72.98%. Regression analysis of the systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) and the bias between COPAC and COFT showed that the bias was moderately correlated with the SVRI (r2 = 0.43; p < 0.0001). Despite a software upgrade, the reliability of the fourth-generation FloTrac/EV1000™ system during robotic-assisted OPCAB to estimate CO was not acceptable, especially in patients with low SVRI.

The association between blood pressure and in-hospital mortality in traumatic brain injury: Evidence from a 10-year analysis in a single-center.

OBJECTIVE: Blood pressure in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with clinical outcome. However, evidence of blood pressure (BP) range is scarce and the association between BP and clinical outcome is mostly controversial. We aimed to investigate the association between blood pressure and clinical outcome in TBI. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study using the Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital trauma database from January 2009 to June 2019; totally, 13,114 patients were examined. The primary outcome of this investigation was in-hospital mortality and the secondary outcomes were intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate and prolong ICU stay (defined as stay in ICU ≥ 14 days). Subgroups analysis of Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Triage SBP was also conducted. RESULTS: A total of 1782 traumatic adult patients with TBI (AIS score < 3) were finally included. The cut-off points are 130 mmHg to 149 mmHg in all TBI patients with lower odds ratio of mortality. In different TBI severity, U-shape relationship also presented and we also found that cut-off points of 130 to 149 mmHg in mild TBI and 110 to 129 mmHg in moderate TBI have lower odds ratio of mortality. The mortality is significantly increased in BP below 90 mmHg and above 190 mmHg in TBI patients. CONCLUSIONS: Traumatic brain injury population presented a U-shape relationship between triage SBP and in-hospital mortality. Early resuscitation and correct hypotension/hypertension in TBI population with BP below 90 mmHg and above 190 mmHg may prevent from increased mortality.

Anesthesia and Long-term Oncological Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Whether propofol elicits a survival benefit over volatile anesthetics during cancer surgery remains inconclusive. The primary aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to compare the effects of propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with any volatile anesthesia on long-term oncological outcomes. The secondary aim is to compare propofol-based TIVA with specific volatile agents on long-term oncological outcomes. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from inception through March 3, 2020. Randomized control trials and observational studies that compared the effects of propofol-based TIVA and volatile anesthesia on long-term oncological outcomes, which also reported hazard ratios (HR) as effect estimates, were considered eligible for inclusion. Using the inverse variance method with a random-effects model, HR and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Trial sequential analysis was incorporated to test if the results were subject to a type I or type II error. RESULTS: Nineteen retrospective observational studies were included. Patients who received propofol-based TIVA during cancer surgery were associated with significantly better overall survival than those who received volatile anesthesia (HR = 0.79, 95% CI, 0.66-0.94, P = .008, I2 = 82%). In contrast, no statistically significant difference was observed in recurrence-free survival between patients who received propofol-based TIVA and volatile anesthesia during cancer surgery (HR = 0.81, 95% CI, 0.61-1.07, P = .137, I2 = 85%). In the subgroup analysis by different volatile anesthetics, patients who received propofol-based TIVA were associated with better overall survival than those who received desflurane (HR = 0.54, 95% CI, 0.36-0.80, P = .003, I2 = 80%). In contrast, there was no statistically significant difference in overall survival between patients who received propofol-based TIVA and those who received sevoflurane (HR = 0.92, 95% CI, 0.74-1.14, P = .439, I2 = 70%). In the trial sequential analysis of overall survival, the cumulative Z curve reached the required heterogeneity-adjusted information size and crossed the traditional significance boundary. In contrast, in the trial sequential analysis of recurrence-free survival, the cumulative Z curve did not cross the traditional significance boundary. However, the required heterogeneity-adjusted information size has not yet been reached. CONCLUSIONS: Propofol-based TIVA is generally associated with better overall survival than volatile anesthesia during cancer surgery. Further large-scaled, high-quality randomized control trials are warranted to confirm our findings.

Pre-operative proteinuria, postoperative acute kidney injury and mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of pre-operative proteinuria with postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) development as well as the requirement for a renal replacement therapy (RRT) and mortality at short-term and long-term follow-up. BACKGROUND: Postoperative AKI is associated with surgical morbidity and mortality. Pre-operative proteinuria is potentially a risk factor for postoperative AKI and mortality. However, the results in literature are conflicting. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane Library from the inception through to 3 June 2020. Observational cohort studies investigating the association of pre-operative proteinuria with postoperative AKI development, requirement for RRT, and all-cause mortality at short-term and long-term follow-up were considered eligible. Using inverse variance method with a random-effects model, the pooled effect estimates and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: Twenty-eight studies were included. Pre-operative proteinuria was associated with postoperative AKI development [odds ratio (OR) 1.74, 95% CI, 1.45 to 2.09], in-hospital RRT (OR 1.70, 95% CI, 1.25 to 2.32), requirement for RRT at long-term follow-up [hazard ratio (HR) 3.72, 95% CI, 2.03 to 6.82], and long-term all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.50, 95% CI, 1.30 to 1.73). In the subgroup analysis, pre-operative proteinuria was associated with increased odds of postoperative AKI in both cardiovascular (OR 1.77, 95% CI, 1.47 to 2.14) and noncardiovascular surgery (OR 1.63, 95% CI, 1.01 to 2.63). Moreover, there is a stepwise increase in OR of postoperative AKI development when the quantity of proteinuria increases from trace to 3+. CONCLUSION: Pre-operative proteinuria is significantly associated with postoperative AKI and long-term mortality. Pre-operative anaesthetic assessment should take into account the presence of proteinuria to identify high-risk patients. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42020190065.

Uncovering the Role of Bicarbonate in Calcium Carbonate Formation at Near-Neutral pH.

Mechanistic pathways relevant to mineralization are not well-understood fundamentally, let alone in the context of their biological and geological environments. Through quantitative analysis of ion association at near-neutral pH, we identify the involvement of HCO3- ions in CaCO3 nucleation. Incorporation of HCO3- ions into the structure of amorphous intermediates is corroborated by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, complemented by quantum mechanical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. We identify the roles of HCO3- ions as being through (i) competition for ion association during the formation of ion pairs and ion clusters prior to nucleation and (ii) incorporation as a significant structural component of amorphous mineral particles. The roles of HCO3- ions as active soluble species and structural constituents in CaCO3 formation are of fundamental importance and provide a basis for a better understanding of physiological and geological mineralization.

Quantitative correlation of the effects of crystallinity and additives on nanomorphology and solar cell performance of isoindigo-based copolymers.

The high power conversion efficiency of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells can be achieved from either low crystallinity (P3TI) or high crystallinity (P6TI) of isoindigo-based donor-acceptor alternating copolymers blended with PC71BM by controlling nanophase separation using additives. P3TI shows similar device performance regardless of the type of additives, while P6TI is significantly affected by whether the additive is aliphatic or aromatic. To understand the interplays of crystallinity of polymers and the type of additive on the formation of nanomorphology of BHJ, we employed the simultaneous grazing-incidence small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS and GIWAXS) technique to perform the quantitative investigation. By incorporating additives, the PC71BM molecules can be easily intercalated into the P3TI polymer-rich domain and the size of the PC71BM clusters is reduced from about 24 nm to about 5 nm by either aliphatic 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) or aromatic 1-chloronaphthalene (CN). On comparison, it is found to be more difficult for PC71BM molecules to be intercalated into the highly crystalline P6TI dense domain, and the PC71BM molecules have a higher tendency to be self-aggregated, which results in a larger size of PC71BM clusters of about 58 nm. The clusters can be reduced to about 7 nm by DIO and 13 nm by CN. The presence of crystallites in the P6TI domain can interact with the additive to tailor the crystallization of PC71BM clusters to a size similar to that of P6TI crystallites (∼12 nm) and form a connected network for efficient charge transportation. Thus, the power conversion efficiency of P6TI:PC71BM reaches its maximum of 7.04% using aromatic CN additives. This is a new finding of the effect of crystallinity, which is not observed in the common low crystalline donor-acceptor alternating copolymers such as PTB7. Our results provide a useful guideline to manipulate the desired morphology of BHJ films constructed from alternating copolymer with different crystallinity, which is critical for achieving high power conversion efficiency of solar cells.

High-Magnesium Calcite Mesocrystals: Formation in Aqueous Solution under Ambient Conditions.

Mesocrystals of high-magnesian calcites are commonly found in biogenic calcites. Under ambient conditions, it remains challenging to prepare mesocrystals of high-magnesian calcite in aqueous solution. We report that mesocrystals of calcite with magnesium content of about 20 mol % can be obtained from the phase transformation of magnesian amorphous calcium carbonate (Mg-ACC) in lipid solution. The limited water content on the Mg-ACC surface would reduce the extent of the dissolution-reprecipitation process and bias the phase transformation pathway toward solid-state reaction. We infer from the selected area electron diffraction patterns and the dark-field transmission electron microscopic images that the formation of Mg-calcite mesocrystals occurs through solid-state secondary nucleation, for which the phase transformation is initiated near the mineral surface and the crystalline phase propagates gradually toward the interior part of the microspheres of Mg-ACC.

Evaluation of Reflexology by "BIOCERAMIC Resonance" Operation producing Weak Force Field during Simultaneous Acupoint Stimulation of Urinary Bladder Point on Subject's Ear Resulting in Electric Current Change on Urinary Bladder reflex Point on Subject's Hands, and Related New Research Finding.

OBJECTIVE: It was postulated in our previous publications that the meridian channels as conceived in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are various standing waves arising from harmonic rhythmic sound frequencies originating from the human heart beat. BIOCERAMIC is an artificial material able to produce a weak force field causing different biophysical and systemic health benefits, with the key characteristics of hydrogen bonds weakening and microcirculation enhancement. Since discovering that the effects of a BIOCERAMIC field can be transmitted via sound waves propagation, we then also developed a BIOCERAMIC Resonance device to produce weak force field throughout the body, and achieve resonance with the body's meridian channels to reinforce microcirculation. METHODS: Since our previous research proved BIOCERAMIC can produces changes in ectodermal current levels, the present evaluation on reflexology is done by the application of Electric Current Detection (ECD) to the palmar surface of the hands matching correlative organs and glands loci to reflex points according to standard reflexology. The procedure will compare changes in the electrical current observed before and after a session of BIOCERAMIC Resonance treatment on the soles of the subjects' feet. We also conducted a procedure using corona discharge (Kirlian) photography of the hands to examine whether the coronal intensities could be affected by application of the BIOCERAMIC patch. Intensities are shown on the screen of a computer using special software that categorizes intensities into five zones. RESULTS: Under the continuous treatment of BIOCERAMIC Resonance on soles of the feet and simultaneous stimulation on the specific point on the surface of the ear representing the urinary bladder. The electrical current (Aji ampere) on the areas in the hands are decreased from the beginning of the experiment, but only the specific area on the surface of the ear representing the urinary bladder was exhibited increased of the electrical current (Aji ampere), with statistically significant difference (p<0.05). To the other study we evaluated the validity of reflexology and corona discharge (Kirlian) photography by applying BIOCERAMIC Resonance and small adhesive patches made from the BIOCERAMIC material. Significant differences were evident on four out of five different zones of the computerized images. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest the existence of presupposed virtual channels or reflex points on the skin surface of the feet, hands, and ears that connect or somehow reflect back to specific internal organs, as mapped out on standard charts found in reflexology. Furthermore, the depicted corona intensities from five zones shown on a computer screen of corona discharge photography seem to indicate that the volunteer subjects are affected by the BIOCERAMIC patches. This study demonstrates the operation of the BIOCERAMIC Resonance device is able to produce weak force field through the body, which is objectively measurable and thereby scientifically integrating the concepts of reflexology, meridian channels and biofield therapy.

FXYD2c plays a potential role in modulating Na(+)/K (+)-ATPase activity in HK-2 cells upon hypertonic challenge.

Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase (NKA) is a widely found and important transporter in mammals. The kidney is a major osmoregulatory organ of which the proximal tubules play a crucial role in the maintenance of ionic homeostasis functioning via salt and water reabsorption. FXYD (FXYD domain-containing protein) 2, the γ-subunit of NKA, is the first identified and the most abundant member of FXYD family, affecting the sodium/potassium affinity of NKA in the kidney. Based on DNA microarray analysis, the expression levels of fxyd2 gene are markedly increased upon hypertonic challenge. Combined with bioinformatic analysis using the NCBI database, we identified an unnamed protein with 145 amino acids, of which the N-terminus involved the FXYD sequence similar to FXYD2a and FXYD2b, and thus, named as FXYD2c. However, the role of FXYD2c protein in the regulation of NKA expression in the kidney has not been elucidated. In this study, we found that the mRNA and protein levels of FXYD2c were significantly increased upon hypertonic challenge. Immunoprecipitation data revealed that FXYD2c interacts with the NKA α1 subunit. Subsequently, the functional inhibition of fxyd2c using short hairpin RNA abrogated NKA activity. Taken together, our study offers novel insight into the potential function of FXYD2c in promoting NKA activity upon hypertonic challenge in HK-2 cells.

Taurine protects HK-2 cells from oxidized LDL-induced cytotoxicity via the ROS-mediated mitochondrial and p53-related apoptotic pathways.

Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) induces a pro-oxidative environment and promotes apoptosis, causing the progression of renal diseases in humans. Taurine is a semi-essential amino acid in mammals and has been shown to be a potent endogenous antioxidant. The kidney plays a pivotal role in maintaining the balance of taurine. However, the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of taurine against oxLDL-induced injury in renal epithelial cells have not been clarified. In the present study, we investigated the anti-apoptotic effects of taurine on human proximal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells exposed to oxLDL and explored the related mechanisms. We observed that oxLDL increased the contents of ROS and of malondialdehyde (MDA), which is a lipid peroxidation by-product that acts as an indicator of the cellular oxidation status. In addition, oxLDL induced cell death and apoptosis in HK-2 cells. Pretreatment with taurine at 100 µM significantly attenuated the oxLDL-induced cytotoxicity. We determined that oxLDL triggered the phosphorylation of ERK and, in turn, the activation of p53 and other apoptosis-related events, including calcium accumulation, destabilization of the mitochondrial permeability and disruption of the balance between pro-apoptotic Bax and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins. The malfunctions induced by oxLDL were effectively blocked by taurine. Thus, our results suggested that taurine exhibits potential therapeutic activity by preventing oxLDL-induced nephrotoxicity. The inhibition of oxLDL-induced epithelial apoptosis by taurine was at least partially due to its anti-oxidant activity and its ability to modulate the ERK and p53 apoptotic pathways.

Discovery of Dual MER/AXL Kinase Inhibitors as Bifunctional Small Molecules for Inhibiting Tumor Growth and Enhancing Tumor Immune Microenvironment.

A series of bifunctional compounds have been discovered for their dual functionality as MER/AXL inhibitors and immune modulators. The furanopyrimidine scaffold, renowned for its suitability in kinase inhibitor discovery, offers at least three distinct pharmacophore access points. Insights from molecular modeling studies guided hit-to-lead optimization, which revealed that the 1,3-diketone side chain hybridized with furanopyrimidine scaffold that respectively combined amino-type substituent and 1H-pyrazol-4-yl substituent on the top and bottom of the aryl regions to produce 22 and 33, exhibiting potent antitumor activities in various syngeneic and xenograft models. More importantly, 33 demonstrated remarkable immune-modulating activity by upregulating the expression of total T-cells, cytotoxic CD8+ T-cells, and helper CD4+ T-cells in the spleen. These findings underscored the bifunctional capabilities of 33 (BPR5K230) with excellent oral bioavailability (F = 54.6%), inhibiting both MER and AXL while modulating the tumor microenvironment and highlighting its diverse applicability for further studies to advance its therapeutic potential.

The impact of holiday season and weekend effect on traumatic injury mortality: Evidence from a 10-year analysis.

Objectives: Trauma is one of the leading causes of death and its incidence increases annually. The "weekend effect" and "holiday season effect" on traumatic injury mortality remain controversial, whereby traumatic injury patients admitted during weekends and/or holiday season have a higher risk of in-hospital death. The present study is aimed to explore the association between "weekend effect" and "holiday season effect" and mortality in traumatic injury population. Materials and Methods: This retrospective descriptive study included patients from the Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital Trauma Database between January 2009 and June 2019. The exclusion criterion was age of < 20 years. The primary outcome was the in-hospital mortality rate. The secondary outcomes included intensive care unit (ICU) admission, ICU re-admission, length of stay (LOS) in the ICU, ICU admission duration ≥ 14 days, total hospital LOS, total hospital LOS ≥ 14 days, need for surgery, and re-operation rate. Results: In this study, 11,946 patients were included in the analysis, and 8143 (68.2%) patients were admitted on weekdays, 3050 (25.5%) on weekends, and 753 (6.3%) on holidays. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that the admission day was not associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality. In other clinical outcome analyses, we found no significant increase in the risk of in-hospital mortality, ICU admission, ICU LOS ≥ 14 days, or total LOS ≥ 14 days in the weekend and holiday season groups. The subgroup analysis showed that the association between holiday season admission and in-hospital mortality was noted only in the elderly and shock condition populations. The holiday season duration did not differ in terms of in-hospital mortality. Longer holiday season duration was also not associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality, ICU LOS ≥14 days, and total LOS ≥14 days. Conclusion: In this study, we did not find any evidence that weekend and holiday season admissions in the traumatic injury population were associated with an increased risk of mortality. In other clinical outcome analyses, there was no significant increase in the risk of in-hospital mortality, ICU admission, ICU LOS ≥ 14 days, or total LOS ≥ 14 days in the weekend and holiday season groups.

Is N -acetylcysteine effective in treating patients with coronavirus disease 2019? A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It has brought tremendous challenges to public health and medical systems around the world. The current strategy for drug repurposing has accumulated some evidence on the use of N -acetylcysteine (NAC) in treating patients with COVID-19. However, the evidence remains debated. METHODS: We performed the systematic review and meta-analysis that complies with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Five databases and reference lists were searched from inception to May 14, 2022. Studies evaluating the efficacy of NAC in treating patients with COVID-19 were regarded as eligible. The review was registered prospectively on PROSPERO (CRD42022332791). RESULTS: Of 778 records identified from the preliminary search, four studies were enrolled in the final qualitative review and quantitative meta-analysis. A total of 355 patients were allocated into the NAC group and the control group. The evaluated outcomes included intubation rate, improvement, duration of intensive unit stay and hospital stay and mortality. The pooled results showed nonsignificant differences in intubation rate (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.16-1.89; p = 0.34; I2 = 75%), improvement of oxygenation ([MD], 80.84; 95% CI, -38.16 to 199.84; p = 0.18; I2 = 98%), ICU stay (MD, -0.74; 95% CI, -3.19 to 1.71; p = 0.55; I2 = 95%), hospital stay (MD, -1.05; 95% CI, -3.02 to 0.92; p = 0.30; I2 = 90%), and mortality (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.23-1.45; p = 0.24; I2 = 54%). Subsequent trial sequential analysis (TSA) showed conclusive nonsignificant results for mortality, while the TSA for the other outcomes suggested that a larger sample size is essential. CONCLUSIONS: The current evidence reveals NAC is not beneficial for treating patients with COVID- 19 with regard to respiratory outcome, mortality, duration of ICU stay and hospital stay.

Effects of opioids administered via intravenous or epidural patient-controlled analgesia after caesarean section: A network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Background: Post-caesarean section analgesia is important physiologically and psychologically for both mothers and infants. Patient-controlled analgesia is a well-established method of administering opioids for postoperative pain. However, to date, no study has systematically investigated the effects of opioids administered through intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IVPCA) or patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) in parturients who have undergone caesarean section. Methods: This systematic review and network meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the analgesic and adverse effects of opioids administered via IVPCA or PCEA in parturients who have undergone a caesarean section. PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception through 02 10, 2022 for relevant records. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared opioids administered via IVPCA or PCEA and reported outcomes of interest were included. Studies were excluded if the solution for patient-controlled analgesia contained antiemetics and/or other analgesics in addition to opioids. The methodological quality of RCTs was assessed using the revised Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Summary data were extracted from each eligible study. The primary outcome was pain intensity, and the secondary outcomes were opioid-related adverse effects. Frequentist network meta-analyses were performed using a contrast-based random-effects model. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42021254040. Findings: Twenty-three studies with 2589 parturients were included. Compared with IVPCA morphine as a reference treatment, PCEA fentanyl had better analgesic effects at 4 h (mean difference [MD] in the visual analogue scale score, -0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI] [-1.16, -0.34]) and 8 h (MD, -0.93; 95% CI [-1.57, -0.28]) and yielded lower odds of developing nausea/vomiting (odds ratio [OR], 0.27; 95% CI [0.09, 0.80]) and sedation/drowsiness (OR, 0.22; 95% CI [0.11, 0.45]). However, PCEA fentanyl may be more likely to cause pruritus than IVPCA treatments. Interpretation: Considering the analgesic efficacy; opioid-induced nausea, vomiting, and sedation; and the well-being of breastfed infants, PCEA fentanyl may be the treatment of choice for post-caesarean section analgesia. Funding: The Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation (TCRD-TPE-111-27).

High-Performance Perovskite Solar Cells and Modules Fabricated by Slot-Die Coating with Nontoxic Solvents.

Energy shortage has become a global issue in the twenty-firt century, as energy consumption grows at an alarming rate as the fossil fuel supply exhausts. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are a promising photovoltaic technology that has grown quickly in recent years. Its power conversion efficiency (PCE) is comparable to that of traditional silicon-based solar cells, and scale-up costs can be substantially reduced due to its utilization of solution-processable fabrication. Nevertheless, most PSCs research uses hazardous solvents, such as dimethylformamide (DMF) and chlorobenzene (CB), which are not suitable for large-scale ambient operations and industrial production. In this study, we have successfully deposited all of the layers of PSCs, except the top metal electrode, under ambient conditions using a slot-die coating process and nontoxic solvents. The fully slot-die coated PSCs exhibited PCEs of 13.86% and 13.54% in a single device (0.09 cm2) and mini-module (0.75 cm2), respectively.