Buried interface molecular hybrid for inverted perovskite solar cells.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with an "inverted" architecture are a key pathway for commercializing this emerging photovoltaic technology due to the better power conversion efficiency (PCE) and operational stability as compared to the "normal" device structure. Specifically, PCEs of the inverted PSCs have exceeded 25% owing to the development of improved self-assembled molecules (SAMs)1-5 and passivation strategies6-8. Nevertheless, poor wettability and agglomerations of SAMs9-12 will cause interfacial losses, impeding further improvement in PCE and stability. Herein, we report on molecular hybrid at the buried interface in inverted PSCs by co-assembling a multiple carboxylic acid functionalized aromatic compound of 4,4',4''-nitrilotribenzoicacid (NA) with a popular SAM of [4-(3,6-dime-thyl-9H-carbazol-9-yl)butyl]phosphonic acid (Me-4PACz) to improve the heterojunction interface. The molecular hybrid of Me-4PACz with NA could substantially improve the interfacial characteristics. The resulting inverted PSCs demonstrated a record-certified steady-state efficiency of 26.54%. Crucially, this strategy aligns seamlessly with large-scale manufacturing, achieving the highest certified PCE for inverted mini-modules at 22.74% (aperture area: 11.1 cm2). Our device also maintained 96.1% of its initial PCE after more than 2,400 hours of 1-sun operation in ambient air.

Assembly of Metal-Phenolic Networks onto Microbubbles for One-Step Generation of Functional Microcapsules.

The one-step assembly of metal-phenolic networks (MPNs) onto particle templates can enable the facile, rapid, and robust construction of hollow microcapsules. However, the required template removal step may affect the refilling of functional species in the hollow interior space or the in situ encapsulation of guest molecules during the formation of the shells. Herein, a simple strategy for the one-step generation of functional MPNs microcapsules is proposed. This method uses bovine serum albumin microbubbles (BSA MBs) as soft templates and carriers, enabling the efficient pre-encapsulation of guest species by leveraging the coordination assembly of tannic acid (TA) and FeIII ions. The addition of TA and FeIII induces a change in the protein conformation of BSA MBs and produces semipermeable capsule shells, which allow gas to escape from the MBs without template removal. The MBs-templated strategy can produce highly biocompatible capsules with controllable structure and size, and it is applicable to produce other MPNs systems like BSA-TA-CuII and BSA-TA-NiII . Finally, those MBs-templated MPNs capsules can be further functionalized or modified for the loading of magnetic nanoparticles and the pre-encapsulation of model molecules through covalence or physical adsorption, exhibiting great promise in biomedical applications.

NIR Light-Fuse Drug-Free Photothermal Armor-Piercing Microcapsule for Femoral Vein Thrombosis Therapy.

Acute thrombosis and its complications are leading global causes of disability and death. Existing thrombolytic drugs, such as alteplase and urokinase (UK), carry a significant bleeding risk during clinical treatments. Thus, the development of a novel thrombolysis strategy is of utmost urgency. Based on the previous work, the hollow structure of microcapsules (MC) is fabricated. Subsequently, armor-piercing MC, known as Fucoidan/S-Nitrosoglutathione/Melanin@MC (FGM@MC) is obtained, using a layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly method. Utilizing near-infrared (NIR) light as a trigger, the FGM@MC demonstrated photothermal thrombolysis at the site of thrombus due to its stable and outstanding photothermal properties. Simultaneously, photothermal stimulation leads to the release of a significant amount of nitric oxide from the FGM@MC, resulting in cavitation effects for mechanical thrombolysis. In vivo experiments confirmed the stable release of nitric oxide under NIR light irradiation. Treatment of femoral vein thrombosis in rats revealed that the thrombolytic effectiveness of FGM@MC+NIR (53.71%) is comparable to that of UK (59.70%). Notably, FGM@MC does not interfere with the coagulation function of rats and exhibits a favorable safety profile. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the drug-free armor-piercing microcapsule has significant potential in the treatment of thrombosis, offering a safe and effective alternative to traditional thrombolytic therapies.

Image-free single-pixel keypoint detection for privacy preserving human pose estimation.

Computer vision technology has been applied in various fields such as identification, surveillance, and robot vision. However, computer vision algorithms used for human-related tasks operate on human images, which raises data security and privacy concerns. In this Letter, we propose an image-free human keypoint detection technique using a few coded illuminations and a single-pixel detector. Our proposed method can complete the keypoint detection task at an ultralow sampling rate on a measured one-dimensional sequence without image reconstruction, thus protecting privacy from the data collection stage and preventing the acquisition of detailed visual information from the source. The network is designed to optimize both the illumination patterns and the human keypoint predictor with an encoder-decoder framework. For model training and validation, we used 2000 images from Leeds Sport Dataset and COCO Dataset. By incorporating EfficientNet backbone, the inference time is reduced from 4 s to 0.10 s. In the simulation, the proposed network achieves 91.7% average precision. Our experimental results show an average precision of 88.4% at a remarkably low sampling rate of 0.015. In summary, our proposed method has the advantages of privacy protection and resource efficiency, which can be applied to many monitoring and healthcare tasks, such as clinical monitoring, construction site monitoring, and home service robots.

High Performance Inverted RbCsFAPbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells Based on Interface Engineering and Defects Passivation.

Lead halide-based perovskites solar cells (PSCs) are intriguing candidates for photovoltaic technology due to their high efficiency, low cost, and simple fabrication processes. Currently, PSCs with efficiencies of >25% are mainly based on methylammonium (MA)-free and bromide (Br) free, formamide lead iodide (FAPbI3 )-based perovskites, because MA is thermally unstable due to its volatile nature and Br incorporation will induce blue shift in the absorption spectrum. Therefore, MA-free, Br-free formamidine-based perovskites are drawing huge research attention in recent years. The hole transporting layer (HTL) is crucial in fabricating highly efficient and stable inverted p-i-n structured PSCs by enhancing charge extraction, lowering interfacial recombination, and altering band alignment, etc. Here, this work employs a NiOx /PTAA bi-layer HTL combined with GuHCl (guanidinium hydrochloride) additive engineering and PEAI (phenylethylammonium iodide) passivation strategy to optimize the charge carrier dynamics and tune defects chemistry in the MA-free, Br-free RbCsFAPbI3 -based perovskite absorber, which boosts the device efficiency up to 22.78%. Additionally, the device retains 95% of its initial performance under continuous 1 sun equivalent LED light illumination at 45 °C for up to 500 h.

Zinc and selenium status in coronavirus disease 2019.

We systematically analyzed and attempted to discuss the possibility that deficiencies of zinc or selenium were associated with the incidence and severity of COVID-19. We searched for published and unpublished articles in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane up to 9 February 2023. And we selected healthy individuals, mild/severe, and even deceased COVID-19 patients to analyze their serum data. Data related to 2319 patients from 20 studies were analyzed. In the mild/severe group, zinc deficiency was associated with the degree of severe disease (SMD = 0.50, 95% CI 0.32-0.68, I2 = 50.5%) and we got an Egger's test of p = 0.784; but selenium deficiency was not associated with the degree of severe disease (SMD = - 0.03, 95% CI - 0.98-0.93, I2 = 96.7%). In the surviving/death group, zinc deficiency was not associated with mortality of COVID-19 (SMD = 1.66, 95%CI - 1.42-4.47), nor was selenium (SMD = - 0.16, 95%CI - 1.33-1.01). In the risk group, zinc deficiency was positively associated with the prevalence of COVID-19 (SMD = 1.21, 95% CI 0.96-1.46, I2 = 54.3%) and selenium deficiency was also positively associated with the prevalence of it (SMD = 1.16, 95% CI 0.71-1.61, I2 = 58.3%). Currently, serum zinc and selenium deficiencies increase the incidence of COVID-19 and zinc deficiency exacerbates the disease; however, neither zinc nor selenium was associated with mortality in patients with COVID-19. Nevertheless, our conclusions may change when new clinical studies are published.

Efficacy and safety of early drain removal following pancreatic resections: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: No consensus was reached with regard to the effect of EDR on postoperative outcomes after pancreatic surgery. The meta-analysis was designed to explore the efficacy and safety of early drain removal (EDR). METHODS: Systematic literature search was performed. Data extraction and correction were performed by three researchers. For dichotomous and continuous outcomes, we calculated the pooled risk difference and mean difference with 95% confidence intervals, respectively. The heterogeneity of included studies was evaluated using Cochran's Q and I2 test. The stratified analyses of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and distal pancreatectomy (DP) were performed. RESULTS: A total of 10 studies including 3 RCTs and 7 non RCTs were included for meta-analysis, among which 1780 patients with EDR and 5613 patients with late drain removal (LDR) were enrolled. The meta-analysis of both all the available studies and studies only with selected low risk patients indicated that EDR group had significantly lower incidences of Grade B/C postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) and total complications for both PD and DP. However, no advantages of EDR were observed in the meta-analysis of the 3 RCTs. In addition, EDR was associated with a lower incidence of intra-abdominal infection after PD. While for DP, EDR group had decreased risk of delayed gastric emptying and re-operation, and shorter postoperative in-hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: The meta-analysis demonstrates that EDR is effective and safe for both PD and DP considering POPF and total complications, especially for patients with low concentration of postoperative drain fluid amylase.

A high activity zinc transporter OsZIP9 mediates zinc uptake in rice.

Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient for most organisms including humans, and Zn deficiency is widespread in human populations, particularly in underdeveloped regions. Cereals such as rice (Oryza sativa) are the major dietary source of Zn for most people. However, the molecular mechanism underlying Zn uptake in rice is still not fully understood. Here, we report that a member of the ZIP (ZRT, IRT-like protein) family, OsZIP9, contributes to Zn uptake in rice. It was expressed in the epidermal and exodermal cells of lateral roots, localized in the plasma membrane and induced during Zn deficiency. Yeast-expressed OsZIP9 showed much higher Zn influx transport activity than other rice ZIP proteins in a wide range of Zn concentrations. OsZIP9 knockout rice plants showed a significant reduction in growth at low Zn concentrations, but could be rescued by a high Zn supply. Compared with the wild type, accumulation of Zn in root, shoot and grain was much lower in knockout lines, particularly with a low supply of Zn under both hydroponic and paddy soil conditions. OsZIP9 also showed Co uptake activity. Natural variation of OsZIP9 expression level is highly associated with Zn content in milled grain among rice varieties in the germplasm collection. Taken together, these results show that OsZIP9 is an important influx transporter responsible for the take up of Zn and Co from external media into root cells.

Genome-Wide Association Studies Reveal the Genetic Basis of Ionomic Variation in Rice.

Rice (Oryza sativa) is an important dietary source of both essential micronutrients and toxic trace elements for humans. The genetic basis underlying the variations in the mineral composition, the ionome, in rice remains largely unknown. Here, we describe a comprehensive study of the genetic architecture of the variation in the rice ionome performed using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of the concentrations of 17 mineral elements in rice grain from a diverse panel of 529 accessions, each genotyped at ∼6.4 million single nucleotide polymorphism loci. We identified 72 loci associated with natural ionomic variations, 32 that are common across locations and 40 that are common within a single location. We identified candidate genes for 42 loci and provide evidence for the causal nature of three genes, the sodium transporter gene Os-HKT1;5 for sodium, Os-MOLYBDATE TRANSPORTER1;1 for molybdenum, and Grain number, plant height, and heading date7 for nitrogen. Comparison of GWAS data from rice versus Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) also identified well-known as well as new candidates with potential for further characterization. Our study provides crucial insights into the genetic basis of ionomic variations in rice and serves as an important foundation for further studies on the genetic and molecular mechanisms controlling the rice ionome.

Physiochemical, rheological, microstructural, and antioxidant properties of yogurt using monk fruit extract as a sweetener.

A yogurt using monk fruit extract (MFE) as a sweetener was developed. The aim of the study was to investigate the viability of using MFE to develop sweetened yogurts without the calories of added sugar. The physiochemical, rheological, microstructural, and antioxidant properties of yogurt were studied. Rheological results showed that MFE affected the yogurt fermentation process and its rheological properties. Yogurt sweetened with MFE had similar microstructural properties to yogurt sweetened with sucrose. Yogurt with MFE showed higher levels of gly-pro-p-nitroanilide and dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitory activities, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity, α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, and superoxide anion radical scavenging ability compared with other yogurt samples. Results indicated that MFE could be a novel sweetener and a food antioxidant for functional yogurt and related products.

Comprehensive analysis of variation of cadmium accumulation in rice and detection of a new weak allele of OsHMA3.

Excessive cadmium (Cd) accumulation in rice poses a potential threat to human health. Rice varieties vary in their Cd content, which depends mainly on root-to-shoot translocation of Cd. However, cultivars accumulating high Cd in the natural population have not been completely investigated. In this study, we analyzed the variation in Cd accumulation in a diverse panel of 529 rice cultivars. Only a small proportion (11 of 529) showed extremely high root-to-shoot Cd transfer rates, and in seven of these cultivars this was caused by two known OsHMA3 alleles. Using quantitative trait loci mapping, we identified a new OsHMA3 allele that was associated with high Cd accumulation in three of the remaining cultivars. Using heterologous expression in yeast and comparative analysis among different rice cultivars, we observed that this new allele was weak at both the transcriptional and protein levels compared with the functional OsHMA3 genotypes. The weak Cd transport activity was further demonstrated to be caused by a Gly to Arg substitution at position 512. Our study comprehensively analyzed the variation in root-to-shoot Cd translocation rates in cultivated rice and identified a new OsHMA3 allele that caused high Cd accumulation in a few rice cultivars.

Guanidinium: A Route to Enhanced Carrier Lifetime and Open-Circuit Voltage in Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells.

Hybrid perovskites have shown astonishing power conversion efficiencies owed to their remarkable absorber characteristics including long carrier lifetimes, and a relatively substantial defect tolerance for solution-processed polycrystalline films. However, nonradiative charge carrier recombination at grain boundaries limits open circuit voltages and consequent performance improvements of perovskite solar cells. Here we address such recombination pathways and demonstrate a passivation effect through guanidinium-based additives to achieve extraordinarily enhanced carrier lifetimes and higher obtainable open circuit voltages. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements yield carrier lifetimes in guanidinium-based films an order of magnitude greater than pure-methylammonium counterparts, giving rise to higher device open circuit voltages and power conversion efficiencies exceeding 17%. A reduction in defect activation energy of over 30% calculated via admittance spectroscopy and confocal fluorescence intensity mapping indicates successful passivation of recombination/trap centers at grain boundaries. We speculate that guanidinium ions serve to suppress formation of iodide vacancies and passivate under-coordinated iodine species at grain boundaries and within the bulk through their hydrogen bonding capability. These results present a simple method for suppressing nonradiative carrier loss in hybrid perovskites to further improve performances toward highly efficient solar cells.

Working Mechanism for Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells with Simplified Architecture.

In this communication, we report an efficient and flexible perovskite solar cell based on formamidinium lead trihalide (FAPbI3) with simplified configuration. The device achieved a champion efficiency of 12.70%, utilizing direct contact between metallic indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode and perovskite absorber. The underlying working mechanism is proposed subsequently, via a systematic investigation focusing on the heterojunction within this device. A significant charge storage has been observed in the perovskite, which is believed to generate photovoltage and serves as the driving force for charge transferring from the absorber to ITO electrode as well. More importantly, this simplified device structure on flexible substrates suggests its compatibility for scale-up fabrication, which paves the way for commercialization of perovskite photovoltaic technology.

Hole selective NiO contact for efficient perovskite solar cells with carbon electrode.

In this study, we communicate an investigation on efficient CH3NH3PbI3-based solar cells with carbon electrode using mesoporous TiO2 and NiO layers as electron and hole selective contacts. The device possesses an appreciated power conversion efficiency of 14.9% under AM 1.5G illumination. The detailed information can be disclosed with impedance spectroscopy via tuning the interfaces between CH3NH3PbI3 and different charge selective contacts. The results clearly show charge accumulation at the interface of CH3NH3PbI3. The NiO is believed to efficiently accelerate charge extraction to the external circuit. The extracted charge could improve photovoltaic performance by shifting hole Fermi level down, achieving a high device photovoltage. A fast interfacial recombination at the interface of CH3NH3PbI3/electron selective contact layer (mesoporous TiO2), occurring in millisecond domains, is the critical issue for charge carrier recombination loss.

Multifunctional Fullerene Derivative for Interface Engineering in Perovskite Solar Cells.

In perovskite based planar heterojunction solar cells, the interface between the TiO2 compact layer and the perovskite film is critical for high photovoltaic performance. The deep trap states on the TiO2 surface induce several challenging issues, such as charge recombination loss and poor stability etc. To solve the problems, we synthesized a triblock fullerene derivative (PCBB-2CN-2C8) via rational molecular design for interface engineering in the perovskite solar cells. Modifying the TiO2 surface with the compound significantly improves charge extraction from the perovskite layer. Together with its uplifted surface work function, open circuit voltage and fill factor are dramatically increased from 0.99 to 1.06 V, and from 72.2% to 79.1%, respectively, resulting in 20.7% improvement in power conversion efficiency for the best performing devices. Scrutinizing the electrical properties of this modified interfacial layer strongly suggests that PCBB-2CN-2C8 passivates the TiO2 surface and thus reduces charge recombination loss caused by the deep trap states of TiO2. The passivation effect is further proven by stability testing of the perovskite solar cells with shelf lifetime under ambient conditions improved by a factor of more than 4, from ∼40 h to ∼200 h, using PCBB-2CN-2C8 as the TiO2 modification layer. This work offers not only a promising material for cathode interface engineering, but also provides a viable approach to address the challenges of deep trap states on TiO2 surface in planar perovskite solar cells.

Synergetic conditioning via oxalic acid enhanced Fe2+/CaO2 and skeleton construct to achieve deep dewatering of sewage sludge.

Extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) with highly hydrophilic groups and sludge with high compressibility are determined sludge dewaterability. Herein, Fe2+ catalyzed calcium peroxide (CaO2) assisted by oxalic acid (OA) Fenton-like process combined with coal slime was applied to improve sludge dewaterability. Results demonstrated that the sludge treated by 0.45/1/1.1-OA/Fe2+/CaO2 mM/g DS, the water content (WC), specific resistance to filtration and capillary suction time dropped to 53.01%, 24.3 s and 1.2 × 1012 m/kg, respectively. Under coal slime ratio as 0.6, WC and compressibility were further reduced to 42.72% and 0.66, respectively. The hydroxyl radicals generated by OA/Fe2+/CaO2 under near-neutral pH layer by layer collapsed EPS, resulting in the degradation and migration of inner releasing components and the exposure of inner sludge flocs skeleton. The hydrophilic tryptophan-like protein of TB-EPS were degraded into aromatic protein of S-EPS and exposed inner hydrophobic sites. The protein secondary structures were transformed by destroying hydrophilic functional groups, which were attributed to the reducing α-helix ratio and reconstructing ß-sheet. Moreover, coal slime as the skeleton builder lowered compressibility and formed more macropores to increase the filterability of pre-oxidized sludge for the higher intensity of rigid substances. This study deepened the understanding of OA enhanced Fenton-like system effects on sludge dewaterability and proposed a cost-effective and synergistic waste treatment strategy in sludge dewatering.

All-in-One Self-Powered Microneedle Device for Accelerating Infected Diabetic Wound Repair.

Diabetic wound healing remains a significant clinical challenge due to the complex microenvironment and attenuated endogenous electric field. Herein, a novel all-in-one self-powered microneedle device (termed TZ@mMN-TENG) is developed by combining the multifunctional microneedle carried tannin@ZnO microparticles (TZ@mMN) with the self-powered triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). In addition to the delivery of tannin and Zn2+, TZ@mMN also effectively conducts electrical stimulation (ES) to infected diabetic wounds. As a self-powered device, the TENG can convert biomechanical motion into exogenous ES to accelerate the infected diabetic wound healing. In vitro experiment demonstrated that TZ@mMN shows excellent conductive, high antioxidant ability, and effective antibacterial properties against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli (>99% antibacterial rates). Besides, the TZ@mMN-TENG can effectively promote cell proliferation and migration. In the diabetic rat full-thickness skin wound model infected with Staphylococcus aureus, the TZ@mMN-TENG can eliminate bacteria, accelerate epidermal growth (regenerative epidermis: ≈303.3 ± 19.1 µm), enhance collagen deposition, inhibit inflammation (lower TNF-α and IL-6 expression), and promote angiogenesis (higher CD31 and VEGF expression) to accelerate infected wound repair. Overall, the TZ@mMN-TENG provides a promising strategy for clinical application in diabetic wound repair.

Recent Advances in Interface Engineering for Enhanced Open-Circuit Voltage Regulation in Perovskite Solar Cells.

In recent years, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted significant attention due to their excellent photoelectric properties. However, several key performance parameters of these devices still fall short of their theoretical limits. Among these parameters, the regulation of open-circuit voltage (VOC ) has been a focal point of intensive research efforts, playing a pivotal role in advancing the efficiency of PSCs. This review first provides an overview of the generation and loss mechanism of VOC . It then discusses the significance of interface engineering in VOC regulation. Recent developments in high-efficiency PSCs realized via interface engineering have been summarized and categorized into three key areas: surface modification, interface structure optimization, and surface dimensional engineering. Finally, a comprehensive summary of past research in this domain and offered insights into the future prospects of enhancing VOC in PSCs is provided.

Transformable Magnetic Liquid-Metal Nanoplatform for Intracellular Drug Delivery and MR Imaging-Guided Microwave Thermochemotherapy.

Improved techniques for the administration of chemotherapeutic drugs are required to enhance tumor therapy efficacy and reduce the side effects of chemotherapy due to insufficient targeting and limited intratumoral drug release. Controlled drug delivery systems combined with thermotherapy are expected to play an important role in personalized tumor therapy. Herein, a novel microwave-responsive transformable magnetic liquid-metal (MLM) nanoplatform is designed for effective endosomal escape that facilitates intracellular drug delivery and enhanced anticancer therapy. The MLM nanoplatform exhibits a sensitive magnetic resonance imaging function for imaging-guided therapy and brilliant synergistic effects of chemotherapy with microwave thermal therapy to kill tumor cells. Once endocytosed by targeted tumor cells, the deep penetration of microwave energy can be absorbed by the MLM nanoplatform to convert heat and reactive oxygen species, which induces the shape transformation from nanospheres to large rods, resulting in the physical disruption of the endosomal membrane for intracellular drug release. Furthermore, the MLM nanoplatform synergistic therapy could activate immunomodulatory effects by M1 macrophage polarization and T cell infiltration, thus inhibiting tumor growth and lung metastasis. This work based on microwave-driven transformable magnetic liquid-metal nanoplatform provides novel ways to precisely control drug delivery and high-efficiency cancer therapy.

Suppressed Phase Segregation with Small A-Site and Large X-Site Incorporation for Photostable Wide-Bandgap Perovskite Solar Cells.

Wide-bandgap (WBG) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been widely used as the top cell of tandem solar cells. However, photoinduced phase segregation and high open-circuit voltage loss pose significant obstacles to the development of WBG PSCs. Here, a two-step small-size A-site and large-size X-site incorporation strategy is reported to modulate the lattice distortion and improve the film quality of WBG formamidinium-methylammonium (FAMA) perovskite films for photostable PSCs based on two-step deposition method. First, CsI with content of 0-20% is introduced to tune the lattice distortion and film quality of FAMA perovskite with a bandgap of 1.70 eV. Then, 4% RbI is incorporated to further modulate the perovskite growth and lattice distortion, leading to the suppression of photoinduced phase segregation in the resultant RbCsFAMA quadruple cation perovskites. As a result, the 20%CsI/4%RbI-doped device obtains a promising efficiency of 20.6%, and the corresponding perovskite film shows good photothermal stability. Even without encapsulation, the device can maintain 92% of its initial efficiency after 1000 h of continuous operation under 1 sun equivalent white light-emitting diode illumination.