Application of Nanomaterials in the Production of Biomolecules in Microalgae: A Review.

Nanomaterials (NMs) are becoming more commonly used in microalgal biotechnology to empower the production of algal biomass and valuable metabolites, such as lipids, proteins, and exopolysaccharides. It provides an effective and promising supplement to the existing algal biotechnology. In this review, the potential for NMs to enhance microalgal growth by improving photosynthetic utilization efficiency and removing reactive oxygen species is first summarized. Then, their positive roles in accumulation, bioactivity modification, and extraction of valuable microalgal metabolites are presented. After the application of NMs in microalgae cultivation, the extracted metabolites, particularly exopolysaccharides, contain trace amounts of NM residues, and thus, the impact of these residues on the functional properties of the metabolites is also evaluated. Finally, the methods for removing NM residues from the extracted metabolites are summarized. This review provides insights into the application of nanotechnology for sustainable production of valuable metabolites in microalgae and will contribute useful information for ongoing and future practice.

A Two-Stage Annealing Strategy for Crystallization Control of CH3 NH3 PbI3 Films toward Highly Reproducible Perovskite Solar Cells.

The solvent-engineering method is widely used to fabricate top-performing perovskite solar cells, which, however, usually exhibit inferior reproducibility. Herein, a two-stage annealing (TSA) strategy is demonstrated for processing of perovskite films, namely, annealing the intermediate phase at 60 °C for the first stage then at 100 °C for the second stage. Compared to conventional direct annealing temperature (DHA) at 100 °C, using this strategy, MAPbI3 films become more controllable, leading to superior film uniformity and device reproducibility with the champion device efficiency reaching 19.8%. More specifically, the coefficient of variation of efficiency for 49 cells is reduced to 5.9%, compared to 9.8% for that using DHA. The TSA process is carefully studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. It is found that in comparison with DHA the formation of hydrogen bonding and crystallization of perovskite are much slower and can be better controlled when using TSA. The improvements in film uniformity and device reproducibility are attributed to: 1) controllable MAPbI3 crystal growth stemming from the progressive formation of hydrogen bonding between methylammonium and halide; 2) suppression of intermediate phase film dewetting, which is believed to be due to its decreased mobility at the initial low-temperature annealing stage.

Effects of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin on dysfunctional coronary circulation in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence of therapy for dysfunctional coronary circulation in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) is limited. This study was performed to compare the effects of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin on dysfunctional coronary circulation. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 597 consecutive patients with STEMI who underwent pPCI in 3 centers from June 2016 to December 2019. Dysfunctional coronary circulation was defined by the thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) grade and the TIMI myocardial perfusion grade (TMPG). Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the impact of different statin types on dysfunctional coronary circulation. RESULTS: The incidence of TIMI no/slow reflow did not differ between the two groups, but the incidence of TMPG no/slow reflow was significantly lower in the atorvastatin than rosuvastatin group (44.58% vs. 57.69%, respectively). After multivariate adjustment, the odds ratio with 95% confidence interval of rosuvastatin was 1.72 (1.17-2.52) for after pretreatment TMPG no/slow reflow and 1.73 (1.16-2.58) for after stenting TMPG no/slow reflow. Atorvastatin and rosuvastatin showed no significant differences in clinical outcomes during hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with rosuvastatin, atorvastatin was associated with better coronary microcirculatory perfusion in patients with STEMI who underwent pPCI.

Impact of Pregrown SiOx on the Carrier Selectivity and Thermal Stability of Molybdenum-Oxide-Passivated Contact for Si Solar Cells.

Thin SiOx interlayers are often formed naturally during the deposition of transition metal oxides on silicon surfaces due to interfacial reaction. The SiOx layer, often only several atomic layers thick, becomes the interface between the Si and deposited metal oxide and can therefore influence the electrical properties and thermal stability of the deposited stack. This work explores the potential benefits of controlling the properties of the SiOx interlayer by the introduction of pregrown high-quality SiOx which also inhibits the formation of low-quality SiOx from the metal-oxide deposition process. This work demonstrates that a high-quality pregrown SiOx can reduce the interfacial reaction and results in a more stoichiometric MoOx with improved surface passivation and thermal stability linked to its lower Dit. Detailed experimental data on carrier selectivity, carrier transport efficiency, annealing stability up to 250 °C, and in-depth material analysis are presented.

Operator Radiation and the Efficacy of Ceiling-Suspended Lead Screen Shielding during Coronary Angiography: An Anthropomorphic Phantom Study Using Real-Time Dosimeters.

Operator radiation and the radiation protection efficacy of a ceiling-suspended lead screen were assessed during coronary angiography (CA) in a catheterization laboratory. An anthropomorphic phantom was placed under the X-ray beam to simulate patient attenuation in eight CA projections. Using real-time dosimeters, radiation dose rates were measured on models mimicking a primary operator (PO) and an assistant. Subsequently, a ceiling-suspended lead screen was placed in three commonly used positions to compare the radiation protection efficacy. The radiation exposure to the PO was 2.3 to 227.9 (mean: 67.2 ± 49.0) µSv/min, with the left anterior oblique (LAO) 45°/cranial 25° and cranial 25° projections causing the highest and the lowest dose rates, respectively. The assistant experienced significantly less radiation overall (mean: 20.1 ± 19.6 µSv/min, P < 0.003), with the right anterior oblique (RAO) 30° and cranial 25° projections resulting in the highest and lowest exposure levels, respectively. Combined with table-side shielding, the ceiling-suspended lead screen reduced the radiation to the PO by 76.8%, 81.9% and 93.5% when placed close to the patient phantom, at the left side and close to the PO, respectively, and reduced the radiation to the assistant by 70.3%, 76.7% and 90.0%, respectively. When placed close to the PO, a ceiling-suspended lead screen provides substantial radiation protection during CA.