Fast Organic Cation Exchange in Colloidal Perovskite Quantum Dots toward Functional Optoelectronic Applications.

Colloidal quantum dots with lower surface ligand density are desired for preparing the active layer for photovoltaic, lighting, and other potential optoelectronic applications. In emerging perovskite quantum dots (PQDs), the diffusion of cations is thought to have a high energy barrier, relative to that of halide anions. Herein, we investigate the fast cross cation exchange approach in colloidal lead triiodide PQDs containing methylammonium (MA+) and formamidinium (FA+) organic cations, which exhibits a significantly lower exchange barrier than inorganic cesium (Cs+)-FA+ and Cs+-MA+ systems. First-principles calculations further suggest that the fast internal cation diffusion arises due to a lowering in structural distortions and the consequent decline in attractive cation-cation and cation-anion interactions in the presence of organic cation vacancies in mixed MA+-FA+ PQDs. Combining both experimental and theoretical evidence, we propose a vacancy-assisted exchange model to understand the impact of structural features and intermolecular interaction in PQDs with fewer surface ligands. Finally, for a realistic outcome, the as-prepared mixed-cation PQDs display better photostability and can be directly applied for one-step coated photovoltaic and photodetector devices, achieving a high photovoltaic efficiency of 15.05% using MA0.5FA0.5PbI3 PQDs and more precisely tunable detective spectral response from visible to near-infrared regions.

Controllable Colloidal Synthesis of MAPbI3 Perovskite Nanocrystals for Dual-Mode Optoelectronic Applications.

This study demonstrates an acetate ligand (AcO-)-assisted strategy for the controllable and tunable synthesis of colloidal methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) for efficient photovoltaic and photodetector devices. The size of colloidal MAPbI3 PNCs can be tuned from 9 to 20 nm by changing the AcO-/MA ratio in the reaction precursor. In situ observations and detailed characterization results show that the incorporation of the AcO- ligand alters the formation of PbI6 octahedral cages, which controls PNC growth. A well-optimized AcO-/MA ratio affords MAPbI3 PNCs with a low defect density, a long carrier lifetime, and unique solid-state isotropic properties, which can be used to fabricate solution-processed dual-mode photovoltaic and photodetector devices with a conversion efficiency of 13.34% and a detectivity of 2 × 1011 Jones, respectively. This study provides an avenue to further the precisely controllable synthesis of hybrid PNCs for multifunctional optoelectronic applications.

Sulfasalazine promotes ferroptosis through AKT-ERK1/2 and P53-SLC7A11 in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Ferroptosis has been reported to play a role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Sulfasalazine, a common clinical treatment for ankylosing spondylitis, also exerts pathological influence on the progression of rheumatoid arthritis including the induced ferroptosis of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs), which result in the perturbated downstream signaling and the development of RA. The aim of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanism so as to provide novel insight for the treatment of RA. METHODS: CCK-8 and Western blotting were used to assess the effect of sulfasalazine on FLSs. A collagen-induced arthritis mouse model was constructed by the injection of collagen and Freund's adjuvant, and then, mice were treated with sulfasalazine from day 21 after modeling. The synovium was extracted and ferroptosis was assessed by Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: The results revealed that sulfasalazine promotes ferroptosis. Compared with the control group, the expression levels of ferroptosis-related proteins such as glutathione peroxidase 4, ferritin heavy chain 1, and solute carrier family 7, member 11 (SLC7A11) were lower in the experimental group. Furthermore, deferoxamine inhibited ferroptosis induced by sulfasalazine. Sulfasalazine-promoted ferroptosis was related to a decrease in ERK1/2 and the increase of P53. CONCLUSIONS: Sulfasalazine promoted ferroptosis of FLSs in rheumatoid arthritis, and the PI3K-AKT-ERK1/2 pathway and P53-SLC7A11 pathway play an important role in this process.

Investigating the shared genetic architecture between breast and ovarian cancers.

High heritability and strong correlation have been observed in breast and ovarian cancers. However, their shared genetic architecture remained unclear. Linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) and heritability estimation from summary statistics (ρ-HESS) were applied to estimate heritability and genetic correlations. Bivariate causal mixture model (MiXeR) was used to qualify the polygenic overlap. Then, stratified-LDSC (S-LDSC) was used to identify tissue and cell type specificity. Meanwhile, the adaptive association test called MTaSPUsSet was performed to identify potential pleiotropic genes. The Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP) heritability was 13% for breast cancer and 5% for ovarian cancer. There was a significant genetic correlation between breast and ovarian cancers (rg=0.21). Breast and ovarian cancers exhibited polygenic overlap, sharing 0.4 K out 2.8 K of causal variants. Tissue and cell type specificity displayed significant enrichment in female breast mammary, uterus, kidney tissues, and adipose cell. Moreover, the 74 potential pleiotropic genes were identified between breast and ovarian cancers, which were related to the regulation of cell cycle and cell death. We quantified the shared genetic architecture between breast and ovarian cancers and shed light on the biological basis of the co-morbidity. Ultimately, these findings facilitated the understanding of disease etiology.

[Research Progress and Design Strategy of Hemostatic Adhesives].

Adhesives have emerged as an effective method for wound closure, hemostasis and tissue engineering in recent years, which not only are suitable for the adhesion of wet tissues, but also can adapt to the peristalsis and mechanical stretching of tissues and organs, especially for arteries and organize bleeding. With the further development of technology, existing adhesives can be modified through different strategies, and new materials are explored, giving new properties and uses to adhesives, such as drug delivery, temperature sensitivity, light sensitivity and so on. Nevertheless, there are many questions about the design and practical clinical application of adhesives in the future. The recent research progress of traditional adhesives and their application in hemostasis is reviewed, and the design and development ideas of future adhesives are discussed in the study.

Achieving High Fill Factor in Efficient P-i-N Perovskite Solar Cells.

Lead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have made unprecedented progress, exhibiting great potential for commercialization. Among them, inverted p-i-n PSCs provide outstanding compatibility with flexible substrates, more importantly, with silicon (Si) bottom devices for higher efficiency perovskite-Si tandem solar cells. However, even with recently obtained efficiency over 25%, the investigation of inverted p-i-n PSCs is still behind the n-i-p counterpart so far. Recent progress has demonstrated that the fill factor (FF) in inverted PSCs currently still underperforms relative to open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current density, which requires an in-depth understanding of the mechanism and further research. In this review article, the recent advancements in high FF inverted PSCs by adopting the approaches of interfacial optimization, precursor engineering as well as fabrication techniques to minimize undesirable recombination are summarized. Insufficient carrier extraction and transport efficiency are found to be the main factors that hinder the current FF of inverted PSCs. In addition, insights into the main factors limiting FF and strategies for minimizing series resistance in inverted PSCs are presented. The continuous efforts dedicated to the FF of high-performance inverted devices may pave the way toward commercial applications of PSCs in the near future.

A rapid screening platform for antibiotic susceptibility testing based on a simple colorimetric method.

Rapid screening platforms for antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) are important in inhibiting bacterial resistance in clinical practice. Herein, a rapid screening platform is reported for AST, which is based on nanofiber membrane enrichment bacteria-assisted cell counting Kit-8 (CCK8) colorimetry. The absorbance of CCK8 formazan has a linear relationship with the number of bacteria. The interference of antibiotics in the absorbance of CCK8 formazan could be eliminated by separating planktonic bacteria from the culture medium using nanofiber membranes. The total detection time is 7-9 h, using the new screening platform, which is significantly shorter than that with the traditional method, and the limit of detection of this method is 10 CFU mL-1. The evaluation results of antibiotic susceptibility are identical when using the new screening method and traditional methods. This method meets the definition of "rapid testing" for antibiotic susceptibility by most microbiologists. Furthermore, the new screening platform for antibiotic susceptibility testing ability in vitro was proved using E. coli in urine and blood, and S. aureus in wound fluid as practical samples. All the results showed that the new screening platform is a promising method for rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing in vitro.

Modulating Crystallization and Defect Passivation by Butyrolactone Molecule for Perovskite Solar Cells.

The attainment of a well-crystallized photo-absorbing layer with minimal defects is crucial for achieving high photovoltaic performance in polycrystalline solar cells. However, in the case of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), precise control over crystallization and elemental distribution through solution processing remains a challenge. In this study, we propose the use of a multifunctional molecule, α-amino-γ-butyrolactone (ABL), as a modulator to simultaneously enhance crystallization and passivate defects, thereby improving film quality and deactivating nonradiative recombination centers in the perovskite absorber. The Lewis base groups present in ABL facilitate nucleation, leading to enhanced crystallinity, while also retarding crystallization. Additionally, ABL effectively passivates Pb2+ dangling bonds, which are major deep-level defects in perovskite films. This passivation process reduces recombination losses, promotes carrier transfer and extraction, and further improves efficiency. Consequently, the PSCs incorporating the ABL additive exhibit an increase in conversion efficiency from 18.30% to 20.36%, along with improved long-term environmental stability. We believe that this research will contribute to the design of additive molecular structures and the engineering of components in perovskite precursor colloids.

Ligand-Assisted Coupling Manipulation for Efficient and Stable FAPbI3 Colloidal Quantum Dot Solar Cells.

For emerging perovskite quantum dots (QDs), understanding the surface features and their impact on the materials and devices is becoming increasingly urgent. In this family, hybrid FAPbI3 QDs (FA: formamidium) exhibit higher ambient stability, near-infrared absorption and sufficient carrier lifetime. However, hybrid QDs suffer from difficulty in modulating surface ligand, which is essential for constructing conductive QD arrays for photovoltaics. Herein, assisted by an ionic liquid formamidine thiocyanate, we report a facile surface reconfiguration methodology to modulate surface and manipulate electronic coupling of FAPbI3 QDs, which is exploited to enhance charge transport for fabricating high-quality QD arrays and photovoltaic devices. Finally, a record-high efficiency approaching 15 % is achieved for FAPbI3 QD solar cells, and they retain over 80 % of the initial efficiency after aging in ambient environment (20-30 % humidity, 25 °C) for over 600 h.

Rich Self-Generated Phase Boundaries of Heterostructured VS4 /Bi2 S3 @C Nanorods for Long Lifespan Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Rationally designing on sundry multiphase compounds has come into the spotlight for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to enhanced structural stability and improved electrochemical performances. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of thorough understanding of the reaction mechanism of high-active phase boundaries existing between multiphase compounds. Here, a VS4 /Bi2 S3 @C composite anode for SIBs with rich phase boundaries in heterostructure is successfully synthesized. In situ X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrate a multistep redox mechanism in the heterostructures and ex situ transmission electron microscopy results confirm that tremendous self-generated phase boundaries are obtained and well-maintained during cycling, dramatically leading to stable reaction interfaces and better structural integrity. Combining experimental and theoretical results, a self-built-in electric field forming between phase boundaries acts as a dominate driving force for Na+ transport kinetics. Benefiting from the fast reaction kinetics of phase boundaries, the heterojunction provides an efficient approach to avoid abnormal voltage failure. As expected, the VS4 /Bi2 S3 @C heterostructure displays superior sodium storage performances, especially an excellent long-term cycling stability (379.0 mAh g-1 after 1800 cycles at a current density up to 2 A g-1 ). This work confirms a critical role of phase boundaries on superior reversibility and structural stability, and provides a strategy for analogous conversion/alloying-type anodes.

Temperature-insensitive polarimetric vibration sensor.

Vibration measurement is a frequent measurement requirement in a number of areas. Optical vibration sensors have many advantages over electrical counterparts. A common approach is to optically detect the vibration induced mechanical movement of a cantilever. Nevertheless, their practical applications are hindered by the cross-sensitivity of temperature and dynamic instability of the mechanical structure, which lead to unreliable vibration measurements. Here, we demonstrate a temperature insensitive vibration sensor that involves an enclosed suspended cantilever integrated with a readout fiber, providing in-line measurement of vibration. The cantilever is fabricated from a highly birefringent photonic crystal fiber by chemical etching and fused to a single-polarization fiber. Mechanical vibration induced periodic bending of the cantilever can significantly modify the state of polarization of the light that propagates along the photonic crystal fiber. The single-polarization fiber finally converts the state of polarization fluctuation into the change of output optical power. Therefore, the vibration could be demodulated by monitoring the output power of the proposed structure. Due to the special design of the structure, the polarization fluctuation induced by a variation of the ambient temperature can be significantly suppressed. The sensor has a linear response over the frequency range of 5 Hz to 5 kHz with a maximum signal-to-noise ratio of 60 dB and is nearly temperature independent.

Highly efficient A-site cation exchange in perovskite quantum dot for solar cells.

The mixed cation colloidal Cs1-XFAXPbI3 perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) obtained by cation exchange between CsPbI3 and FAPbI3 PQDs have been reported to exhibit enhanced photovoltaic performance. However, the cation exchange mechanism requires further in-depth investigation in terms of both material properties and device application. In this work, the impact of PQD weight ratio, PQD concentration, and host solvent polarity during cation exchange is comprehensively investigated for the first time. In addition, the whole exchange process under varying conditions is monitored by photoluminescence spectroscopy. As a result, we observe extremely fast cation exchange (∼20 min) under a condition at a CsPbI3/FAPbI3 PQD weight ratio of 1:1, a concentration of 70 mg/ml, and a host solvent using toluene. Moreover, we directly fabricate a PQD solar cell device using these obtained mixed cation Cs0.5FA0.5PbI3 PQDs and achieved an enhanced power conversion efficiency of 14.58%. We believe that these results would provide more insights into the cation exchange in emerging PQDs toward efficient photovoltaic fabrication and application.

Trends and influence factors in the prevalence, intervention, and control of metabolic syndrome among US adults, 1999-2018.

AIM: We aimed to describe the trends in the prevalence, intervention, and control of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among US adults through 1999-2018. Additionally, the influence factors of MetS and its control were further explored. METHODS: We included participants older than 20 using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2018 (n = 22,114). The rate of prevalence, intervention, and control of MetS were caculated by survey weights. Joinpoint regression and survey-weighted generalized linear models were used to analyze trends and influence factors, respectively. RESULTS: The prevalence of MetS increased from 28.23 to 37.09% during 1999-2018 (P for trend < 0.05). The former smoker (OR = 1.20, 95%CI: 1.07, 1.36) and current smoker (OR = 1.27, 95%CI: 1.11, 1.45) increased the prevalence of MetS. While vigorous activity (OR = 0.53, 95%CI: 0.47, 0.61) decreased it. Among MetS components, the prevalence of elevated blood-glucose (from 21.18 to 34.68%) and obesity (from 44.81 to 59.06%) raised (P for trend < 0.05), with an uptrend in the use of antidiabetic (from 9.87 to 28.63%) and a downtrend of vigorous activity (from 23.79 to 16.53%) (P for trend < 0.05). Decreased trends were observed in the control of Hb1Ac (< 7%) (from 87.13 to 84.06%) and BMI (<25 kg/m2) (from 11.36 to 7.49%). Among MetS underwent antidiabetic, 45-64 years old and male decreased the control of Hb1Ac (< 7%). The control of BMI (<25 kg/m2) among individuals with physical activity was reduced mainly in the population of younger (aged 20-44 years old), male, non-Hispanic black, middle income and smoker (former and current). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of MetS increased significantly through 1999-2018. Elevated blood glucose and obesity were the main causes of MetS burden. Quitting smoking and increasing physical activity may decrease the prevalence of MetS. In the control of blood-glucose and obesity, we should screen out the focus population to modify treatment and improve lifestyle.

The use of ribosome-nascent chain complex-seq to reveal the translated mRNA profile and the role of ASN1 in resistance to Verticillium wilt in cotton.

We combined traditional mRNA-seq and RNC-seq together to reveal post-transcriptional regulation events impacting gene expression and interactions between the serious fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae and a susceptible host, Gossypium hirsutum TM-1. After screening the differentially expressed and translated genes, V. dahliae infection was observed to influence gene transcription and translation in its host. Interestingly, the asparagine synthase (ASN1) gene transcripts increased significantly with the increase of infection time, while the rate of ASN1 protein accumulation in host TM-1 was distinctly lower than that in resistant hosts. We knocked down the ASN1 gene in resistant plants (ZZM2), and found that Verticillium-resistance was significantly reduced upon knockdown of ASN1. Our study revealed both transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in TM-1 cotton plants infected by V. dahliae, and showed that ASN1 functions in the V. dahliae resistance process. These insights support breeding of disease resistance in cotton.

Risk Factors for Aortic Regurgitation Progression After Repair of Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysm.

BACKGROUND: The main treatment for a ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm (SVA) is surgical repair. Postoperative progression of aortic regurgitation (AR) following SVA repair increases the risk of reoperation, which decreases the long-term survival. Thus, identifying the risk factors for postoperative AR progression is of great significance. METHODS: Adult patients who were diagnosed with ruptured SVA and underwent surgical repair at the current centre were reviewed. Necessary data in the institutional database were extracted. The perioperative and follow-up assessments of the aortic valve by transthoracic echocardiography were also obtained. The aortic regurgitation progression was grouped into three categories: newly developing, recurrence, and worsening. Sixteen (16) variables were screened to identify potential risk factors by univariate logistic regression analysis or Chi-squared test. Variables with p-values <0.1 were further analysed by multivariate logistic regression models to find independent risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 198 consecutive patients from June 2006 to January 2018 were included. The overall incidence of postoperative AR progression was 19.2% (38 of 198). After the univariate analysis, SVA originating from the right coronary sinus, coexisting with ventricular septal defect, larger diameter of aortic annulus, and larger cardiothoracic ratio were screened as potential risk factors. Multivariate analysis indicated that coexisting with a ventricular septal defect (VSD) (OR, 2.82; 95% CI, 1.217-6.532; p=0.016) and larger cardiothoracic ratio (OR, 1.061; 95% CI, 1.001-1.124; p=0.047) were independent risk factors for postoperative AR progression. CONCLUSIONS: To prevent postoperative AR progression after surgical repair, more careful inspection and appropriate surgical techniques are necessary for patients coexisting with VSD or with a larger cardiothoracic ratio.

Interleukin-18 from neurons and microglia mediates depressive behaviors in mice with post-stroke depression.

Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a common and serious complication that is affecting one thirds of stroke patients which leaves them with a poor quality of life, high mortality rate, high recurrent rate, and slow recovery. Recent studies showed that serum interleukin-18 (IL-18) level is a biomarker for patients with PSD. However, the role of IL-18 in the pathology of PSD is still unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that the IL-18 level in the ischemic brain significantly increased in mice with depression-like behaviors that were caused by the combined use of chronic spatial restraint stress and middle cerebral artery occlusion. Interestingly, IL-18 expression was mainly found in neurons at early phase and in microglia at a later phase. Injection of the exogenous IL-18 into the amygdala, but not the hippocampus or the striatum caused severe depression-like behaviors. On the contrary, the blockage of endogenous IL-18 by IL-18 binding protein, a specific antagonist of IL-18, repressed depressive phenotypes in SIR mice. IL-18 KO mice exhibited the resistance to spatial restraint stress and cerebral ischemia injury. Finally, we found that IL-18 mediated depressive behaviors by the interaction of IL-18 receptor and NKCC1, a sodium-potassium chloride co-transporter that is related to GABAergic inhibition. Administration of NKCC1 antagonist bumetanide exerted a therapeutic effect on the in IL-18-induced depressive mice. In conclusion, we demonstrated that increased IL-18 in the brain causes depression-like behaviors by promoting the IL-18 receptor/NKCC1 signaling pathway. Targeting IL-18 and its downstream pathway is a promising strategy for the prevention and treatment of PSD.

Identification of a nonsense mutation in TNNI3K associated with cardiac conduction disease.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac conduction disease (CCD) is a common cardiovascular disease which can lead to life-threatening conditions. The importance of heredity in CCD has been realized in recent years. Several causal genes have been found to be implicated in CCD such as SCN5A, TRPM4, SCN1B, TNNI3K, LMNA, and NKX2.5. To date, only four genetic mutations in TNNI3K have been identified related to CCD. METHODS: Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was carried out in order to identify the underlying disease-causing mutation in a Chinese family with CCD. The potential mutations were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Real-time qPCR was used to detect the level of TNNI3K mRNA expression. RESULTS: A nonsense mutation in TNNI3K (NM_015978.2: g.170891C > T, c.1441C > T) was identified in this family and validated by Sanger sequencing. Real-time qPCR confirmed that the level of TNNI3K mRNA expression was decreased compared with the controls. CONCLUSIONS: This study found the first nonsense TNNI3K mutation associated with CCD in a Chinese family. TNNI3K harboring the mutation (c.1441C > T) implicated a loss-of-function pathogenic mechanism with an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. This research enriches the phenotypic spectrum of TNNI3K mutations, casting a new light upon the genotype-phenotype correlations between TNNI3K mutations and CCD and indicating the importance of TNNI3K screening in CCD patients.

A Long-Term Complication Occurred After Transcatheter Closure of Large Atrial Septal Defect.

Transcatheter closure of ostium secondum atrial septal defect has become an alternative method to surgical closure. However, the incidence of complications and long-term results of using large size (> 40 mm) Amplatzer septal occluders are unknown. This case reported a 59 years old woman, whom received transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect (36 mm) with a 40 mm Amplatzer septal occluder 10 years ago and was diagnosed with heart failure. Transthroacic echocardiography showed severe mitral valve regurgitation. Intra-operatively, we confirmed and removed the large device, but we found that the mitral annulus was badly damaged. Mitral valve replacement was performed. We believe large size devices need to be implanted cautiously, especially for the large defect with insufficient rims, and also routinely follow-up is necessary.

Spherical microcavity-based membrane-free Fizeau interferometric acoustic sensor.

The monitoring of acoustic waves is essential for a variety of applications, ranging from photoacoustic imaging to industrial non-destructive evaluation and monitoring. Optical acoustic sensors have many advantages over electrical counterparts such as passivity and immunity to electromagnetic interference, and can be quite compact with all-fiber structures. A common approach is to optically detect the acoustically induced mechanical movement of a cantilever or a reflective membrane. However, sensors based on moving mechanical parts have limitations, because they are influenced by the mechanical properties of the structures involved that behave as a coupled spring-mass system. Here a new type of optical acoustic sensing concept based on a spherical microcavity fiber Fizeau interferometer is described. The sensor is fabricated by inserting a section of single-mode fiber into a spherical microcavity to form a Fizeau interferometer. Thanks to the elasto-optic effect, the sound pressure modifies the refractive index of the microcavity; then a corresponding change in the interferometric spectrum can be observed. The sensor was successfully used to detect acoustic waves under the whole audible region, from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The experimental results show that the sensitivity can be improved via altering the length of microcavity. The structure is membrane-free, and the sensitivity will not be limited by these size restrictions which makes the technology an interesting alternative to conventional transducers for acoustic wave measurement.

Enhanced CO2 biofixation and protein production by microalgae biofilm attached on modified surface of nickel foam.

In this work, a photobioreactor with microalgae biofilm was proposed to enhance CO2 biofixation and protein production using nickel foam with the modified surface as the carrier for immobilizing microalgae cells. The results demonstrated that, compared with microalgae suspension, microalgae biofilm lowered mass transfer resistance and promoted mass transfer efficiency of CO2 from the bubbles into the immobilized microalgae cells, enhancing CO2 biofixation and protein production. Moreover, parametric studies on the performance of the photobioreactor with microalgae biofilm were also conducted. The results showed that the photobioreactor with microalgae biofilm yielded a good performance with the CO2 biofixation rate of 4465.6 µmol m-3 s-1, the protein concentration of effluent liquid of 0.892 g L-1, and the protein synthesis rate of 43.11 g m-3 h-1. This work will be conducive to the optimization design of microalgae culture system for improving the performance of the photobioreactor.