Clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with ulcerative colitis that shows rectal sparing at initial diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterised by mucosal inflammation from the rectum to its proximal area in a symmetric and continuous fashion. However, although uncommon, we encounter cases of UC with rectal sparing in the initial stage. AIM: To evaluate the clinical characteristics and clinical course for rectal sparing UC compared with typical UC. METHODS: We looked at records from 2004 to 2015, and selected patients who were newly diagnosed with UC, and who could be followed up for at least 5 years in our hospital. We then retrospectively analysed the medical records and endoscopic findings of those patients. To compare the clinical course and prognosis, we matched each patient with rectal sparing UC 1:3 with controls by age, sex, and disease extent. RESULTS: Of 619 UC patients, 24 (3.9%) showed rectal sparing at diagnosis. During the follow-up period (median 8 years), in two (8.3%) of the 24 patients, rectal sparing remained through follow-up inspections; but for the other 22 (91.7%) patients, obvious rectal inflammation was found at follow-up endoscopy. Of the 24 patients, 8 (33.3%) were initially misdiagnosed with infectious colitis. No diagnosis was changed to Crohn's disease. The uses of corticosteroid or biologic agents, hospitalisation rate, and colectomy rates were not different between the rectal sparing UC group and typical UC group. CONCLUSION: Some patients with UC can reveal atypical patterns of disease distribution, such as rectal sparing in its initial stage; but despite this, the clinical course and prognosis may not differ from those of typical UC patients.

Grain Boundary Healing of Organic-Inorganic Halide Perovskites for Moisture Stability.

Although organic-inorganic halide perovskite (OIHP)-based photovoltaics have high photoconversion efficiency (PCE), their poor humidity stability prevents commercialization. To overcome this critical hurdle, focusing on the grain boundary (GB) of OIHPs, which is the main humidity penetration channel, is crucial. Herein, pressure-induced crystallization of OIHP films prepared with controlled mold geometries is demonstrated as a GB-healing technique to obtain high moisture stability. When exposed to 85% RH at 30 °C, OIHP films fabricated by pressure-induced crystallization have enhanced moisture stability due to the enlarged OIHP grain size and low-angle GBs. The crystallographic and optical properties indicate the effect of applying pressure onto OIHP films in terms of moisture stability. The photovoltaic devices with pressure-induced crystallization exhibited dramatically stabilized performance and sustained over 0.95 normalized PCE after 200 h at 40% RH and 30 °C.

Improved Stability of Interfacial Energy-Level Alignment in Inverted Planar Perovskite Solar Cells.

Even though poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) has been commonly used as a hole extraction layer (HEL) for p-i-n perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the cells' photovoltaic performance deteriorates because of the low and unstable work functions (WFs) of PEDOT:PSS versus those of a perovskite layer. To overcome this drawback, we synthesized a copolymer (P(SS- co-TFPMA)) ionomer consisting of PSS and tetrafluoropropylmethacrylate (TFPMA) as an alternative to conventional PEDOT:PSS. The PEDOT:P(SS- co-TFPMA) copolymer solution and its film exhibited excellent homogeneity and high phase stability compared with a physical mixture of TFPMA with PEDOT:PSS solution. During spin coating, a self-organized conducting PEDOT:P(SS- co-TFPMA) HEL evolved and the topmost PEDOT:P(SS- co-TFPMA) film showed a hydrophobic surface with a higher WF compared to that of the pristine PEDOT:PSS film because of its chemically bonded electron-withdrawing fluorinated functional groups. Interestingly, the WF of the conventional PEDOT:PSS film dramatically deteriorated after being coated with a perovskite layer, whereas the PEDOT:P(SS- co-TFPMA) film represented a relatively small influence. Because of the superior energy-level alignment between the HEL and a perovskite layer even after the contact, the open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and fill factor of the inverted planar p-i-n PSCs (IP-PSCs) with PEDOT:P(SS- co-TFPMA) were improved from 0.92 to 0.98 V, 18.96 to 19.66 mA/cm2, and 78.96 to 82.43%, respectively, resulting in a 15% improvement in the power conversion efficiency vs that of IP-PSCs with conventional PEDOT:PSS. Moreover, the IP-PSCs with PEDOT:P(SS- co-TFPMA) layer showed not only improved photovoltaic performance but also enhanced device stability due to hydrophobic surface of PEDOT:P(SS- co-TFPMA) film.

Thermodynamically self-organized hole transport layers for high-efficiency inverted-planar perovskite solar cells.

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is a popular and promising hole transport material for making efficient inverted-planar perovskite solar cells (IP-PSCs). However, the mismatch between the work function of conventional PEDOT:PSS and the valence band maximum of perovskite materials is still a challenge for efficient hole extraction. Here, we report systematic studies on the work-function modification and thermodynamic morphological evolution of PEDOT:PSS films by tuning the PSS/PEDOT ratio, along with its effects on the photovoltaic responses of IP-PSCs. We found that the open-circuit voltage (VOC) of an IP-PSC could be enhanced by controlling the work function of PEDOT:PSS. Furthermore, the optical transmittance of the PEDOT:PSS film could be maximized by controlling the morphological evolution, which will further increase the short-circuit current density (JSC) of the IP-PSC. The VOC and JSC of the IP-PSC with the optimized PEDOT:PSS composition increased from 0.88 to 0.93 V and from 17.11 to 20.77 mA cm-2, respectively, compared with an IP-PSC containing commercial PEDOT:PSS, which results in a power conversion energy that is greatly improved from 12.39 to 15.24%.

Potassium Incorporation for Enhanced Performance and Stability of Fully Inorganic Cesium Lead Halide Perovskite Solar Cells.

Thermally unstable nature of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites has been a major obstacle to fabricating the long-term operational device. A cesium lead halide perovskite has been suggested as an alternative light absorber, due to its superb thermal stability. However, the phase instability and poor performance are hindering the further progress. Here, cesium lead halide perovskite solar cells with enhanced performance and stability are demonstrated via incorporating potassium cations. Based on Cs0.925K0.075PbI2Br, the planar-architecture device achieves a power conversion efficiency of 10.0%, which is a remarkable record in the field of inorganic perovskite solar cells. In addition, the device shows an extended operational lifetime against air. Our research will stimulate the development of cesium lead halide perovskite materials for next-generation photovoltaics.

Hybrid Silver Mesh Electrode for ITO-Free Flexible Polymer Solar Cells with Good Mechanical Stability.

Herein, we report a tailored Ag mesh electrode coated with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) polymer on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. The introduction of this highly conductive polymer solves the existing problems of Ag mesh-type transparent conductive electrodes, such as high pitch, roughness, current inhomogeneity, and adhesion problems between the Ag mesh grid and PEDOT polymer or PET substrate, to result in excellent electron spreading from the discrete Ag mesh onto the entire surface without sacrificing sheet conductivity and optical transparency. Based on this hybrid anode, we demonstrate highly efficient flexible polymer solar cells (PSCs) with a high fill factor of 67.11 %, which results in a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.9 % based on a poly({4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b'] dithiophene-2,6-diyl}{3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl) carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl}):[6,6]-phenyl-C71 -butyric acid methyl ester bulk heterojunction device. Furthermore, the PSC device with the Ag mesh electrode also exhibits a good mechanical bending stability, as indicated by a 70 % retention of the initial PCE after 500 bending cycles compared with the PSC device with a PET/indium tin oxide electrode, which retained 0 % of the initial PCE after 300 bending cycles.

Self-Position of Au NPs in Perovskite Solar Cells: Optical and Electrical Contribution.

Metallic nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and act as scattering centers and subwavelength antennas, so metallic NPs can be incorporated into perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to effectively improve the light absorption of light harvesting devices. Here, we have embedded Au nanoparticles (NPs) into the hole transport layer (HTL) of the PSCs to investigate the photovoltaic effect of the PSCs with Au NPs. Interestingly, it was found that Au NPs dispersed spiro-OMeTAD HTL solution could naturally end up located near the perovskite layer as the result of the spin-coating step. Solar cell performance observations indicate that the LSPR and electrical effects of Au NPs enhance the photovoltaic response of PSCs, in spite of a slight decrease in the open-circuit voltage (VOC), by causing an incredible improvement in the photocurrent density as a dominant factor.

Incorporation of a Metal Oxide Interlayer using a Virus-Templated Assembly for Synthesis of Graphene-Electrode-Based Organic Photovoltaics.

Transition metal oxide (TMO) thin films have been exploited as interlayers for charge extraction between electrodes and active layers in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices. Additionally, graphene-electrode-based OPVs have received considerable attention as a means to enhance device stability. However, the film deposition process of a TMO thin-film layer onto the graphene electrode is highly restricted owing to the hydrophobic nature of the graphene surface; thus, the preparation of the device should rely on a vacuum process that is incompatible with solution processing. In this study, we present a novel means for creating a thin tungsten oxide (WO3 ) interlayer on a graphene electrode by employing an engineered biotemplate of M13 viruses, whereby nondestructive functionalization of the graphene and uniform synthesis of a WO3 thin interlayer are concurrently achieved. As a result, the incorporated virus-templated WO3 interlayer exhibited solar-conversion efficiency that was 20 % higher than that of conventional OPVs based on the use of a (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) ( PEDOT: PSS) interlayer. Notably, bilayer-structured OPVs with synergistically integrated WO3 /PEDOT:PSS achieved >60 % enhancement in device performance.

Tailoring dispersion and aggregation of Au nanoparticles in the BHJ layer of polymer solar cells: plasmon effects versus electrical effects.

Plasmonic effects that arise from embedding metallic nanoparticles (NPs) in polymer solar cells (PSCs) have been extensively studied. Many researchers have utilized metallic NPs in PSCs by either incorporating them into the PSC interlayers (e.g., the hole extraction and electron extraction layers) or blending them into the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) active layer. In such studies, the dispersity of the metallic NPs in each layer may vary due to both the different nature of the ligands and the amount of ligands on the metallic NPs. This in turn can produce different PSC performance parameters. Here, we systematically control the amount of attached organic ligands on Au NPs to control their dispersion behavior in the BHJ active layer of PSCs. By controlling the number of capping organic ligands on the Au NPs, the dispersity of the NPs in the BHJ layer is also controlled and the positive effects (particularly the plasmonic and electrical effects) of the Au NPs in the PSCs are investigated. From the obtained results, we find that the electrical contribution of the Au NPs is a more dominant factor for enhancing cell efficiency when compared to the plasmonic effect.

Unconventional pore and defect generation in molybdenum disulfide: application in high-rate lithium-ion batteries and the hydrogen evolution reaction.

A 2H-MoS2 (H=hexagonal) ultrathin nanomesh with high defect generation and large porosity is demonstrated to improving electrochemical performance, including in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), with the aid of a 3D reduced graphene oxide (RGO) scaffold as fast electron and ion channels. The 3D defect-rich MoS2 nanomesh/RGO foam (Dr-MoS2 Nm/RGO) can be easily obtained through a one-pot cobalt acetate/graphene oxide (GO) co-assisted hydrothermal reaction, in which GO, cobalt and acetate ions are co-morphology-controlling agents and defect inducers. As an anode material for LIBs, Dr-MoS2 Nm/RGO has only a 9% capacity decay at a 10 C discharge rate versus 0.2 C with stable cyclability at the optimized composition (5 wt% RGO to MoS2 and 2 mol% Co to Mo), and significantly achieves 810 mA h g(-1) at a high current density of 9.46 A g(-1) over at least 150 cycles. Moreover, Dr-MoS2 Nm/RGO exhibits superior activity for the HER with an overpotential as low as 80 mV and a Tafel slope of about 36 mV per decade. In contrast to the MoS2 nanosheet/RGO (MoS2 Ns/RGO), which is synthesized in the absence of cobalt ions, Dr-MoS2 Nm/RGO provides high interconnectivity for efficient lithium-ion transport, and rich defects as electrochemically active sites. DFT is used to prove the existence of rich defects due to anion replacement to become a Co-Mo-S atomic structure, releasing inert basal planes to active sites.

Enhanced performance and stability of polymer BHJ photovoltaic devices from dry transfer of PEDOT:PSS.

Polymer solar cells with enhanced initial cell performances and long-term stability were fabricated by performing a simple dry transfer of a hole extraction layer [poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)] onto an indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate. Due to the very flat surface of the polyurethane acrylate/polycarbonate (PUA/PC) film, which was used as a mold and resembled the surface of the original substrate (silicon wafer), the transferred layer had a very smooth surface morphology, resulting in enhancement of the interfacial characteristics. The work function of the PEDOT:PSS layer and the morphology of bulk hetero junction (BHJ) layer were tuned by controlling the position of PSS enrichment in the PEDOT:PSS layer using the dry transfer. The power conversion efficiency of PTB7:PC71 BM BHJ device prepared by the dry transfer was 8.06%, which was significantly higher than that of the spin-cast device (7.32%). By avoiding direct contact between the ITO substrate and the PEDOT:PSS solution in the dry transfer system, etching and diffusion of indium in the ITO substrate were greatly reduced, thereby improving the stability.

Polymer-free Vertical Transfer of Silicon Nanowires and their Application to Energy Storage.

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) for use as lithium-ion battery (LIB) anode materials have been studied for their one-dimensional (1D) properties and ability to accommodate large volume changes and avoid rapid capacity fading during cycling. Although the vertical transfer of SiNWs from their original substrate onto a conducting electrode is very important, to date, there has been no report of a direct integration method without polymer binders. Here, we propose for the first time a vertical transfer method for SiNWs grown on a Si substrate directly to the current-collecting electrode without using a polymer adhesive for the use as a binder-free LIB anode. The vertical SiNWs produced using a low-cost wafer-scale metal-assisted chemical etching (MaCE) process have been successfully transferred directly to a copper electrode coated with a thin Ag layer by using a simple hot pressing method. When evaluated as an LIB anode without using conventional polymeric binder and a conducting additive, the transferred vertically aligned SiNWs showed a high specific capacity (≈2150 mAh g(-1) ) and excellent rate performance. It is believed that the anode-manufacturing process is simple and fast, thus enabling a large-scale production that is of low-cost, broadly applicable, and provides new avenues for the rational engineering of Si-based electrode materials with enhanced power density and conductivity.

Photoelectrochemical properties of vertically oriented hematite/gold multi-block nanorod arrays and their comparison to pure hematite nanorod arrays.

Vertically oriented hematite/gold (alpha-Fe2O3/Au) multi-block nanorod arrays are prepared with the goal of achieving enhanced photocatalytic ability to produce hydrogen from water. The effects of the insertion of the Au block in the pure alpha-Fe2O3 nanorod on the photocurrent generation are firstly characterized by photocurrent-voltage. The insertion of Au is expected to play an important role in the enhancement of the transport of electrons generated in the alpha-Fe2O3. The multi-block nanorod arrays show an improved photocurrent density and negative shift of the onset potential under 100 mW cm(-2) simulated solar light illumination.

Polymer bulk heterojunction solar cells with PEDOT:PSS bilayer structure as hole extraction layer.

A high current density obtained in a limited, nanometer-thick region is important for high efficiency polymer solar cells (PSCs). The conversion of incident photons to charge carriers only occurs in confined active layers; therefore, charge-carrier extraction from the active layer within the device by using solar light has an important impact on the current density and the related to power conversion efficiency. In this study, we observed a surprising result, that is, extracting the charge carrier generated in the active layer of a PSC device, with a thickness-controlled PEDOT:PSS bilayer that acted as a hole extraction layer (HEL), yielded a dramatically improved power conversion efficiency in two different model systems (P3HT:PC60BM and PCDTBT:PC70BM). To understand this phenomenon, we conducted optical strength simulation, photocurrent-voltage measurements, incident photon to charge carrier efficiency measurements, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, and AFM studies. The results revealed that approximately 60 nm was the optimum PEDOT:PSS bilayer HEL thickness in PSCs for producing the maximum power conversion efficiency.

Layer-by-layer all-transfer-based organic solar cells.

For the first time, we describe a novel cost- and time-effective vacuum-free process to fabricate bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) organic photovoltaics (OPVs) via layer-by-layer selective stamping transfer of all layers. By controlling the surface properties of polyurethane acrylate (PUA) stamping molds with ultraviolet (UV)-ozone (UVO) exposure, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT/PSS), BHJ layer, and metal cathode were uniformly transferred layer by layer onto each of the bottom layers. Among several interfaces between each layer, we found that the interface between the active layer and metal cathode is a critical factor in obtaining conventional device-like efficiency. To enhance the interfacial connectivity between the BHJ layer and metal cathode and increase electron extraction from the BHJ layer, a titanium oxide (TiOx) interlayer was introduced. Cell performance was optimized by controlling the concentration of TiOx solution. The poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl)/[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT/PC60BM) BHJ device fabricated by transferring PEDOT/PSS, TiOx/active layer, and Al cathode showed 2.01% power conversion efficiency. This efficiency is not comparable to those of conventional OPVs, but our approach shows the possibility of fabricating OPVs via the layer-by-layer transfer method for the first time.

Discrepancy of optimum ratio in bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices: initial cell efficiency vs long-term stability.

Organic photovoltaic devices are difficult to commercialize because of their vulnerability to chemical degradation related with oxygen and water and to physical degradation with aging at high temperatures. We investigated the photophysical degradation behaviors of a series of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/[6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC60BM) bulk heterojunctions (BHJs) as a model system according to the donor-acceptor ratio. We found that the optimum P3HT:PC60BM ratio in terms of long-term stability differs from that in terms of initial cell efficiency. On the basis of cell performance decays and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements, we investigated the effects of oxygen and material self-aggregation on the stability of an organic photovoltaic device. We also observed the changes in morphological geometry and analyzed the surface elements to verify the mechanisms of degradation.

Rapid selection of single cells with high antibody production rates by microwell array.

Selection of single cells capable of producing target proteins at high rates is crucial for the development of protein manufacturing processes. Here, we present the rapid selection of single cells producing immunoglobulin antibodies at high specific rates by microwell array and microengraving. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells secreting chimeric antibodies were deposited in a microwell array in a manner such that each microwell contained a single cell. Secreted antibodies in the microwells were transferred onto a glass slide by microengraving, followed by interrogation using fluorescence-based immunoassay. Single cells displaying high signal intensities were selected, retrieved, and clonally expanded to assess their specific antibody production rates. Three successive rounds of the process resulted in the selection of single cells showing significantly increased antibody production rates. The present approach can be applied to the selection of single cells for producing other therapeutic proteins in a high-throughput manner.

Array-based analysis of secreted glycoproteins for rapid selection of a single cell producing a glycoprotein with desired glycosylation.

The therapeutic efficacy and in vivo biological function of a glycoprotein is significantly affected by its glycosylation profile. For the development of glycoproteins with therapeutic applications, selection of cell lines producing a glycoprotein with adequate glycoform is crucial. Here, we demonstrate an array-based analysis of secreted glycoproteins for rapid and efficient selection of a single cell producing a glycoprotein with desirable glycosylation. Our approach relies on microengraving and interrogation of glycoproteins produced by individual cells in a microwell array in terms of glycosylation profile as well as the produced amount. On the basis of statistical analysis of the interrogation, single cells which are predicted to produce a desired glycoprotein are selected, retrieved, and expanded. We applied the approach to human recombinant erythropoietin (rhEPO)-producing CHO cells and verified the selection of a single CHO cell that produces rhEPO with a high sialylation degree. Human erythropoietin (hEPO) bearing highly sialylated oligosaccharide was shown to display a much longer plasma half-life, resulting in high therapeutic efficacy. This method may find widespread use in the clonal selection for the production of other glycoproteins with specific glycosylation as well as analysis of the heterogeneity in cell populations in a high-throughput manner.

A novel device for endoscopic submucosal dissection, the Fork knife.

AIM: To introduce and evaluate the efficacy and technical aspects of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) using a novel device, the Fork knife. METHODS: From March 2004 to April 2008, ESD was performed on 265 gastric lesions using a Fork knife (Endo FS) (group A) and on 72 gastric lesions using a Flexknife (group B) at a single tertiary referral center. We retrospectively compared the endoscopic characteristics of the tumors, pathological findings, and sizes of the resected specimens. We also compared the en bloc resection rate, complete resection rate, complications, and procedure time between the two groups. RESULTS: The mean size of the resected specimens was 4.27 +/- 1.26 cm in group A and 4.29 +/- 1.48 cm in group B. The en bloc resection rate was 95.8% (254/265 lesions) in group A and 93.1% (67/72) in group B. Complete ESD without tumor cell invasion of the resected margin was obtained in 81.1% (215/265) of group A and in 73.6% (53/72) of group B. The perforation rate was 0.8% (2/265) in group A and 1.4% (1/72) in group B. The mean procedure time was 59.63 +/- 56.12 min in group A and 76.65 +/- 70.75 min in group B (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The Fork knife (Endo FS) is useful for clinical practice and has the advantage of reducing the procedure time.