Ionic Liquid Modified Polymer Intermediate Layer for Improved Charge Extraction toward Efficient and Stable Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells.

Monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells have been attracted much attention in recent years. Despite their high performances, the stability issue of perovskite-based devices is recognized as one of the key challenges to realize industrial application. When comes to the perovskite top subcell, the interface between perovskite and electron transporting layers (usually C60) significantly affects the device efficiency as well as the stability due to their poor adhesion. Here, different from the conventional interfacial passivation using metal fluorides, a hybrid intermediate layer is proposed-PMMA functionalized with ionic liquid (IL)-is introduced at the perovskite/C60 interface. The application of PMMA essentially improves the interfacial stability due to its strong hydrophobicity, while adding IL relieves the charge accumulation between PMMA and the perovskite. Thus, an optimal wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells achieves power conversion efficiency of 20.62%. These cells are further integrated as top subcells with silicon bottom cells in a monolithic tandem structure, presenting an optimized PCE up to 27.51%. More importantly, such monolithic perovskite/silicon cells exhibit superior stability by maintaining 90% of initial efficiency after 1200 h under continuous illumination.

Coherent dual-frequency signal generation in an optoelectronic oscillator.

Coherent dual-frequency microwave signal generation using an optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) is presented and demonstrated. In the proposed OEO, a dual-band bandpass filter (DB-BPF) is utilized to select two oscillation modes. An external signal is injected into the OEO loop with its frequency equaling the frequency interval of the two oscillation modes. Owing to the modulation nonlinearity of the Mach-Zehnder modulator, the two oscillation frequencies interact with the injection frequency. When the phase and gain conditions are satisfied within the loop, injection locking between the two oscillation signals will be established, and their phases will be synchronized. The effect of gain competition in the OEO loop, which leads to single-frequency oscillation, is suppressed. An experiment is carried out, and two frequencies, of 16.083 GHz and 9.998 GHz, are generated at the same time. The phase noise values are -140.1 and -141.0 dBc/Hz @ 10 kHz, respectively. The coherence between the generated signals and sidemode suppression performance are evaluated.

Effect of lentinan on gelling properties and structural changes of goose myofibrillar protein under oxidative stress.

BACKGROUND: The reduction of protein oxidation is important for maintaining the product quality of reconstituted meat. In this study, the dose-dependent effects of lentinan (LNT) on gelling properties and chemical changes in oxidatively stressed goose myofibrillar protein were investigated. RESULTS: Myofibrillar protein (MP) with 200 µmol g-1 protein LNT increased gel strength by 87.90 ± 9.26% in comparison with LNT-free myofibrillar protein after oxidation. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that the gel network containing LNT was compact, with small pores and uniform distribution. The absolute value of the zeta potential reduced significantly following oxidation of LNT with 200 µmol g-1 protein at 4 °C for 12 h compared with the zeta potential without LNT, according to the laser particle size analyzer. The incorporation of LNT increased protein solubility and -SH content, inhibited carbonyl formation, enhanced α-helix content and tryptophan intrinsic fluorescence intensity, and reduced exposure of hydrophobic groups and protein aggregation. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that adding LNT to myofibrillar protein could improve gel. This is related to its protective effect on conformational changes in the oxidation system. Lentinan is therefore recommended for oxidatively stressed goose meat processing to enhance the MP gelling potential. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Layered 2D Halide Perovskites beyond the Ruddlesden-Popper Phase: Tailored Interlayer Chemistries for High-Performance Solar Cells.

Layered halide perovskites (LHPs) with crystallographically 2D structures have gained increasing interest for photovoltaic applications due to their superior chemical stability and intriguing anisotropic properties, which are in contrast to their conventional 3D perovskite counterparts. The most frequently studied LHPs are Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) phases, which suffer from a carrier-transport bottleneck due to the van der Waals gap associated with their intrinsic organic interlayer structures. To address this issue, Dion-Jacobson (DJ) and alternating-cation-interlayer (ACI) LHPs have rapidly emerged, which exhibit unique structural and (opto)electronic characteristics that may resemble those of the 3D counterparts owing to the eliminated or reduced van der Waals gap. Improved photophysical properties have been achieved in DJ and ACI LHPs, leading towards better photovoltaic performance. Here we provide a comprehensive discussion on the merits and promises of DJ and ACI LHPs from a chemistry perspective. Then, we review recent progress on the synthesis and tailoring of DJ and ACI LHP crystals and thin films, as well as their optoelectronic properties and photovoltaic performance. Finally, we discuss possible pathways to overcome critical challenges to realize the full potential of DJ and ACI LHPs for high-performance solar cells and beyond.

Control of Hot Carrier Relaxation in CsPbBr3 Nanocrystals Using Damping Ligands.

In photon-conversion processes, rapid cooling of photo-induced hot carriers is a dominant energy loss channel. We herein report a 3-fold reduced hot carrier cooling rate in CsPbBr3 nanocrystals capped with a cross-linked polysiloxane shell in comparison to single alkyl-chain oleylamine ligands. Relaxation of hot charge carriers depends on the carrier-phonon coupling (CPC) process as an important channel to dissipate energies in nanostructured perovskite materials. The CPC strengths in the two samples were measured through cryogenic photoluminescence spectroscopic measurements. The effect of organic ligands on the CPC in CsPbBr3 nanocrystals is elucidated based on a damped oscillation model. This supplements the conventional polaron-based CPC model, by involving a damping effect on the CPC from the resistance of the ligands against nanocrystal lattice vibrations. The model also accounts for the observed linear temperature-dependence of the CPC strength. Our work enables predictions about the effect of the ligands on the performance of perovskite nanocrystals in future applications.

Pien-Tze-Huang attenuates neuroinflammation in cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rats through the TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK pathway.

CONTEXT: Pien-Tze-Huang (PTH) is traditionally applied to treat various inflammation-related diseases including stroke. However, literature regarding the anti-inflammatory effects and possible mechanisms of PTH in ischaemic stroke is unavailable. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the anti-inflammatory effects and its underlying mechanism of PTH on ischaemic stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion injury was induced through 2 h middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by 24 h reperfusion in male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats receiving oral pre-treatment with PTH (180 mg/kg) for 4 days. TLR4 antagonist TAK-242 (3 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally at 1.5 h after MCAO. MRI, HE staining, qRT-PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence methods were employed. RESULTS: PTH treatment markedly reduced cerebral infarct volume (by 51%), improved neurological function (by 33%), and ameliorated brain histopathological damage in MCAO rats. It also reduced the levels of four inflammatory mediators including IL-1ß (by 70%), IL-6 (by 78%), TNF-α (by 60%) and MCP-1 (by 58%); inhibited microglia and astrocyte activation; and decreased protein expression of iNOS and COX-2 in injured brains. Moreover, PTH down-regulated the protein expressions of TLR4, MyD88, and TRAF6; reduced the expression and nuclear translocation of NF-κB; and lowered the protein expressions of p-ERK1/2, p-JNK, and p-p38. Similar effects were observed in MCAO rats with TAK-242 treatment. However, combined administration of PTH and TAK-242 did not significantly reinforce the anti-inflammatory effects of PTH. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: PTH improved cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting neuroinflammation partly via the TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK signalling pathway, which will help guide its clinical application.

Efficient and High-Luminance Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes Based on CsPbBr3 Nanocrystals Synthesized from a Dual-Purpose Organic Lead Source.

Rational engineering of the surface properties of perovskite nanocrystals (PeNCs) is critical to obtain light emitters with simultaneous high photoluminescence efficiency and excellent charge transport properties for light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, the commonly used lead halide sources make it hard to rationally optimize the surface compositions of the PeNCs. In addition, previously developed ligand engineering strategies for conventional inorganic nanocrystals easily deteriorate surface properties of the PeNCs, bringing additional difficulties in optimizing their optoelectronic properties. In this work, a novel strategy of employing a dual-purpose organic lead source for the synthesis of highly luminescent PeNCs with enhanced charge transport property is developed. Lead naphthenate (Pb(NA)2 ), of which the metal ions work as lead sources while the naphthenate can function as the surface ligands afterward, is explored and the obtained products under different synthesis conditions are comprehensively investigated. Monodispersed cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr3 ) with controllable size and excellent optical properties, showing superior photoluminescence quantum yields up to 80%, is obtained. Based on the simultaneously enhanced electrical properties of the Pb(NA)2 -derived PeNCs, the resultant LEDs demonstrate a high peak external quantum efficiency of 8.44% and a superior maximum luminance of 31 759 cd cm-2 .

Transition-Metal-Ion (Fe, Co, Cr, Mn, Etc.) Doping of TiO2 Nanotubes: A General Approach.

Transition-metal (TM)-ion-doped TiO2 materials are of great importance for photocatalysis- and photoelectrochemical (PEC)-related applications. We introduced a facile, low-cost, and scalable doping method of TM ions (Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, etc.) into TiO2 nanotubes (NTs), while maintaining their high-ordered tubular structures (with ∼120 nm outside diameter). Both crystallization and doping processes were simultaneously accomplished in aqueous solution at a temperature as low as ∼90 °C, and the fastest doping process could be accomplished in 30 min for Fe doping. Besides, the surface areas of the doped TiO2 NTs were increased to 129.0 m2/g, and their absorption ranges could be expanded from 380 to >500 nm. This study shed light on a facile method for doping TM ions that is extendable to other semiconductors in the field of PEC water splitting and could improve their efficiencies as well.

Efficient planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells by vapour deposition.

Many different photovoltaic technologies are being developed for large-scale solar energy conversion. The wafer-based first-generation photovoltaic devices have been followed by thin-film solid semiconductor absorber layers sandwiched between two charge-selective contacts and nanostructured (or mesostructured) solar cells that rely on a distributed heterojunction to generate charge and to transport positive and negative charges in spatially separated phases. Although many materials have been used in nanostructured devices, the goal of attaining high-efficiency thin-film solar cells in such a way has yet to be achieved. Organometal halide perovskites have recently emerged as a promising material for high-efficiency nanostructured devices. Here we show that nanostructuring is not necessary to achieve high efficiencies with this material: a simple planar heterojunction solar cell incorporating vapour-deposited perovskite as the absorbing layer can have solar-to-electrical power conversion efficiencies of over 15 per cent (as measured under simulated full sunlight). This demonstrates that perovskite absorbers can function at the highest efficiencies in simplified device architectures, without the need for complex nanostructures.

Proteomic Analysis of Milk Fat Globule Membrane Protein Modulation of Differently Expressed Proteins in Lactobacillus plantarum under Bile Salt Stress.

Tolerance to bile stress is a crucial property for lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to survive in the gastrointestinal tract and exert their beneficial effects. Whey powder enriched with milk fat globule membrane proteins (M-WPI) as a functional component is protective for strains under stress conditions. The current study investigated the key mechanisms of action involved in Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) CGMCC 23701 survival in the presence of bile and the protective mechanism of M-WPI. According to proteomic analysis (proteomics), there could be several reasons for the greater protective effect of M-WPI. These include promoting the synthesis of fatty acids and peptidoglycans to repair the structure of the cell surface, regulating the metabolism of carbohydrates and amino acids to release energy and produce a range of precursors, enabling the expression of the repair system to repair damaged DNA, and promoting the expression of proteins associated with the multidrug efflux pump, which facilitates the exocytosis of intracellular bile salts. This study helps us to better understand the changes in proteome of L. plantarum CGMCC 23701 under bile salt stress and M-WPI protection, which will provide a new method for the protection and development of functional LAB.

A protective mechanism of heat inactivation to enhance Levilactobacillus brevis PDD-2 against alcohol-induced chronic liver disease based on proteomic analysis.

A proteomics-based analysis of the effect of heat inactivation on the alleviation of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) using Levilactobacillus brevis PDD-2 is presented, aimed at exploring the potential and mechanisms of postbiotic elements prepared through heat inactivation in the treatment of ALD. It was found that L. brevis PDD-2 and its postbiotic (heat-inactivated L. brevis PDD-2) alleviate chronic ALD via the gut-liver axis. In particular, heat-inactivated L. brevis PDD-2 significantly increased the relative abundance of Erysipelotrichaceae and better facilitated the oxidative stress balance in the liver. The tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomics technique analyses revealed that heat-inactivated L. brevis PDD-2 was associated with up-regulated expression levels of proteins related to the redox system, cellular metabolism, amino acid and oligopeptide transport, and surface proteins with immunomodulatory capacity. These findings provide a theoretical basis for developing novel therapeutic strategies and lay a solid foundation for further revealing its exhaustive mechanisms.

Binary probiotic fermentation promotes signal (cyclic AMP) exchange to increases the number of viable probiotics, anthocyanins and polyphenol content, and the odor scores of wolfberry fermented beverages.

The effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of binary probiotics (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum CGMCC 1.5953 and Lacticaseibacillus casei CGMCC 1.5956) on the quality of wolfberry fermented beverages (WFB) were investigated. The results indicated that binary probiotics increased the number of probiotics, anthocyanin (89.92 ± 1.64 mg/L), polyphenol content (283.04 ± 3.81 µg/mL), and odor score (24.19) in WFB. Metabolomics found that they could enhance signal exchange (cyclic AMP) between binary probiotics and improve the utilization of citrulline, d-proline, d-glucose, and d-galactose through galactose metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis pathway to promote probiotics growth. Furthermore, HS-SPME-GC-MS and GS-IMS revealed that the improvement in flavor was mainly due to an increase in the content of the aromatic flavor substances 3-heptanol, glutaraldehyde, and 2-heptanone, and a decrease in the content of the off-flavor substances methyl isobutyl ketone-D and 2-undecanone. This is strategically important for the development of WFB with high probiotic content and unique flavor.

Highly Efficient Monolithic Perovskite/Perovskite/Silicon Triple-Junction Solar Cells.

Wide-bandgap metal halide perovskites have demonstrated promise in multijunction photovoltaic (PV) cells. However, photoinduced phase segregation and the resultant low open-circuit voltage (Voc) have greatly limited the PV performance of perovskite-based multijunction devices. Here, a alloying strategy is reported to achieve uniform distribution of triple cations and halides in wide-bandgap perovskites by doping Rb+ and Cl- with small ionic radii, which effectively suppresses halide phase segregation while promoting the homogenization of surface potential. Based on this strategy, a Voc of 1.33 V is obtained from single-junction perovskite solar cells, and a VOC approaching 3.0 V and a power conversion efficiency of 25.0% (obtained from reverse scan direction, certified efficiency: 24.19%) on an 1.04 cm2 photoactive area can be achieved in a perovskite/perovskite/c-Si triple-junction tandem cell, where the certification efficiency is by far the greatest performance of perovskite-based triple-junction tandem solar cells. This work overcomes the performance deadlock of perovskite-based triple-junction tandem cells by setting a materials-by-design paradigm.

Recent Progress in Interfacial Dipole Engineering for Perovskite Solar Cells.

Design and modification of interfaces have been the main strategies in developing perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Among the interfacial treatments, dipole molecules have emerged as a practical approach to improve the efficiency and stability of PSCs due to their unique and versatile abilities to control the interfacial properties. Despite extensive applications in conventional semiconductors, working principles and design of interfacial dipoles in the performance/stability enhancement of PSCs are lacking an insightful elucidation. In this review, we first discuss the fundamental properties of electric dipoles and the specific roles of interfacial dipoles in PSCs. Then we systematically summarize the recent progress of dipole materials in several key interfaces to achieve efficient and stable PSCs. In addition to such discussions, we also dive into reliable analytical techniques to support the characterization of interfacial dipoles in PSCs. Finally, we highlight future directions and potential avenues for research in the development of dipolar materials through tailored molecular designs. Our review sheds light on the importance of continued efforts in this exciting emerging field, which holds great potential for the development of high-performance and stable PSCs as commercially demanded.

Multisite Percutaneous Bone Augmentation for the Treatment of Acetabular Osteolytic Metastases Involving the Articular Surfaces: A Randomised Trial.

INTRODUCTION: For patients with acetabular osteolytic metastases involving the articular surfaces, current treatments cannot efficiently rebuild the acetabular bone frame structure and strengthen bone defect area mechanics for weight-bearing. The purpose of this study is to show the operational procedure and clinical outcomes of multisite percutaneous bone augmentation (PBA) for the treatment of incidental acetabular osteolytic metastases involving the articular surfaces. METHODS: According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 8 patients (4 males and 4 females) were included in this study. Multisite (3 or 4 sites) PBA was successfully performed in all patients. The pain and function evaluation and imaging observation were examined by VAS and Harris hip joint function scores at the different time points (pre-procedure, 7 days, one month, last follow-up in 5-20 months). RESULTS: There were significant differences (p<0.05) in VAS and Harris scores before and after the surgical procedure. Moreover, these two scores had no obvious changes during the follow-up process (7 days after the procedure, one month after the procedure, and the last follow-up) after the procedure. CONCLUSION: The proposed multisite PBA is an effective and safe procedure for the treatment of acetabular osteolytic metastases involving the articular surfaces.

Variation of Charge Carrier Dynamics for Polycrystalline Perovskite Films by One-Step Solution and Vapor-Deposition Methods.

To date, solution-processing and vapor-deposition fabrication methods have achieved huge successes in high-efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSCs) and satisfy special demanding requirements for diverse application purposes, respectively. Although people realize that the fabrication procedure is crucial in device performance, insightful studies of charge carrier dynamics in perovskite films by different methods still lack. In this work, we compare the carrier behaviors in one-step spin-coated and dual-source coevaporated MAPbI3 perovskite films by combining time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy and carrier dynamics simulation. We suggest that strains, lattice orientations, and defects at buried side of perovskite films, which are associated with different preparation processes, lead to variations in carrier behaviors. Hence fabrication of perovskite layers should be elaborately designed in order to satisfy the needs of different carrier behaviors in specified device configurations of PSCs such as smooth planar or textured monolithic tandem structures.

Astaxanthin nanoparticles ameliorate dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis by alleviating oxidative stress, regulating intestinal flora, and protecting the intestinal barrier.

This study aimed to develop a novel astaxanthin nanoparticle using gum arabic (GA) and whey protein powder enriched with milk fat globule membranes (MFGM-WPI) as carriers and to investigate its effect and alleviation mechanism on colitis in mice. We demonstrated that MFGM-GA-astaxanthin could improve the bioaccessibility of astaxanthin and cope with oxidative stress more effectively in a Caco-2 cell model. In vivo studies demonstrated that MFGM-GA-astaxanthin alleviated colitis symptoms and repaired intestinal barrier function by increasing the expression of mucin 2, occludin, and zonula occludens-1. This was attributed to the alleviating effect of MFGM-GA-astaxanthin on oxidative stress. Moreover, MFGM-GA-astaxanthin restored the abnormalities of flora caused by dextran sulfate sodium, including Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, Ruminococcus, and Shigella. This study provides a basis for the therapeutic effect of astaxanthin nanoparticles on colon diseases.

How Do Surface Polar Molecules Contribute to High Open-Circuit Voltage in Perovskite Solar Cells?

To date, the improvement of open-circuit voltage (VOC ) offers a breakthrough for the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) toward their theoretical limit. Surface modification through organic ammonium halide salts (e.g., phenethylammonium ions PEA+ and phenmethylammonium ions PMA+ ) is one of the most straightforward strategies to suppress defect density, thereby leading to improved VOC . However, the mechanism underlying the high voltage remains unclear. Here, polar molecular PMA+ is applied at the interface between perovskite and hole transporting layer and a remarkably high VOC of 1.175 V is obtained which corresponds to an increase of over 100 mV in comparison to the control device. It is revealed that the equivalent passivation effect of surface dipole effectively improves the splitting of the hole quasi-Fermi level. Ultimately the combined effect of defect suppression and surface dipole equivalent passivation effect leads to an overall increase in significantly enhanced VOC . The resulted PSCs device reaches an efficiency of up to 24.10%. Contributions are identified here by the surface polar molecules to the high VOC in PSCs. A fundamental mechanism is suggested by use of polar molecules which enables further high voltage, leading ways to highly efficient perovskite-based solar cells.

Transportation of whey protein-derived peptides using Caco-2 cell model and identification of novel cholesterol-lowering peptides.

Background: The increasing morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular disease have become a major factor in human death. Serum cholesterol is considered to be an important risk factor for inducing coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases. To screen intestinal absorbable functional small peptides with cholesterol-lowering activity by enzymatic hydrolysis of whey protein and develop cholesterol-based functional food that may become a substitute for chemically synthesized drugs, providing new ideas for diseases caused by high cholesterol. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the cholesterol-lowering activity of intestinal absorbable whey protein-derived peptides hydrolyzed by alkaline protease, trypsin and chymotrypsin, respectively. Method: The whey protein hydrolysates acquired by enzymatic hydrolysis under optimal conditions were purified by a hollow fiber ultrafiltration membrane with a molecular weight cutoff of 10 kDa. The fractions obtained by Sephadex G-10 gel filtration chromatography were transported through a Caco-2 cell monolayer. The transported peptides were detected in the basolateral aspect of Caco-2 cell monolayers using ultra- performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). Results: His-Thr-Ser-Gly-Tyr (HTSGY), Ala-Val-Phe-Lys (AVFK) and Ala-Leu-Pro-Met (ALPM) were unreported peptides with cholesterol-lowering activity. The cholesterol-lowering activities of the three peptides did not change significantly during simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Conclusion: This study not only provides theoretical support for the development of bioactive peptides that can be directly absorbed by the human body, but also provides new treatment ideas for hypercholesterolemia.

Protection Mechanism of Metal Ion Pre-Stress on Lactobacillus acidophilus CICC 6074 under Acid Tolerance.

The prerequisite for the probiotic effect of lactic acid bacteria is that they could survive the acid stress environment of production and application. In this experiment, the mechanism for the effect of different metal ion pre-stress on the acid-tolerant survival of Lactobacillus was investigated. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier infrared spectroscopy, and flow cytometry were used to analyze the condition of bacteria after acid treatment, which revealed that different metal ion pre-stress could improve the survival ability of Lactobacillus acidophilus CICC 6074 under low acid conditions by improving cell morphology, mitigating cell membrane damage, and regulating surface protein expression. Furthermore, Tandem Mass Tags (TMT) proteomic analysis revealed that Mn2+ pre-stress showed relatively more superior protective effects on acid tolerance in L. acidophilus CICC 6074 through activation of DNA replication, RNA synthesis, S-layer protein secretion, H+-ATPase enzyme activity, etc. This study will provide new ideas and a theoretical basis for the development and application of lactic acid bacteria.