Carbon Electrode with Sputtered Au Coating for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

Halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) represent a low-cost and high-efficiency solar technology. However, most of the highly efficient PSCs need a noble electrode, such as Au, through thermal evaporation. It is reported that a sputtered Au electrode on a PSC could damage the organic hole transport layer (HTL) and the perovskite layer. Here, we report a simple, yet effective sputtered gold nanoparticle decorated carbon electrode to fabricate efficient and stable planar PSCs. The sputtered Au layer on the doctor-bladed coated carbon electrode can be directly applied to the perovskite semicells by mechanical stacking. By optimizing the gold thickness, a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.87% was obtained for the composite electrode-based PSC, while the reference device recorded a PCE of 12.38%. The composite electrode-based device demonstrated 96% performance retention after being stored under humid conditions (50-60%) without encapsulation for ∼100 h. This demonstrates a promising pathway toward the commercialization of large-scale manufacturable sputtered electrodes for the PSC solar module.

KAT2-mediated acetylation switches the mode of PALB2 chromatin association to safeguard genome integrity.

The tumour suppressor PALB2 stimulates RAD51-mediated homologous recombination (HR) repair of DNA damage, whilst its steady-state association with active genes protects these loci from replication stress. Here, we report that the lysine acetyltransferases 2A and 2B (KAT2A/2B, also called GCN5/PCAF), two well-known transcriptional regulators, acetylate a cluster of seven lysine residues (7K-patch) within the PALB2 chromatin association motif (ChAM) and, in this way, regulate context-dependent PALB2 binding to chromatin. In unperturbed cells, the 7K-patch is targeted for KAT2A/2B-mediated acetylation, which in turn enhances the direct association of PALB2 with nucleosomes. Importantly, DNA damage triggers a rapid deacetylation of ChAM and increases the overall mobility of PALB2. Distinct missense mutations of the 7K-patch render the mode of PALB2 chromatin binding, making it either unstably chromatin-bound (7Q) or randomly bound with a reduced capacity for mobilisation (7R). Significantly, both of these mutations confer a deficiency in RAD51 foci formation and increase DNA damage in S phase, leading to the reduction of overall cell survival. Thus, our study reveals that acetylation of the ChAM 7K-patch acts as a molecular switch to enable dynamic PALB2 shuttling for HR repair while protecting active genes during DNA replication.

Neurointensive care of patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and intracerebral haemorrhage.

The aim was to review the neurointensive care (NIC) of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis patients with haemorrhage during a 15-year period. This is a severe condition with substantial mortality caused by increased intracranial pressure (ICP) and studies are lacking describing the complex picture of the NIC, which offers a large treatment arsenal for intracranial hypertension. Patients treated 2000-2015 were investigated. Data regarding patient characteristics, symptoms, imaging, ICP-treatment, NIC-treatment intensity, and outcome were collected and analysed. Twenty-four patients (13 women) were studied, mean age 46 (range 16-75). Twenty patients were in Glasgow coma scale motor score 6 (obeys), 2 in score 5 (localizes) and 2 in score 2 (extension) on admission. Mean haemorrhage volume was 17 ml (range 1-70). Twenty patients (83%) received unfractionated heparin and 3 (13%) low molecular weight heparin. Haemorrhagic progression occurred in 10 patients (42%). In 9 patients (38%), 4-6 of the treatment options mechanical ventilation, hyperventilation, ICP-monitoring, cerebrospinal fluid-drainage, osmotherapy, barbiturates or surgery were used. In 3 patients mechanical ventilation only was used (hyperventilation in 1). Twelve patients were not managed with any of those treatment options. At follow up, 15/24 patients (62%) had favourable outcome (4 missing). The study shows that many patients needed multiple actions to treat intracranial preassure but more than 60% achieved favourable clinical outcome. Preferably, patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and haemorrhage who are awake should have fast access to NIC because it appears difficult to predict who will deteriorate and promptly need NIC treatment.