Differentially Expressed Proteins in the Serum of Elderly Patients Who Experienced Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorders Following Transurethral Resection of the Prostate.

OBJECTIVE: Perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND) are a group of prevalent neurological complications that often occur in elderly individuals following major or emergency surgical procedures. The etiologies are not fully understood. This study endeavored to investigate novel targets and prediction methods for the occurrence of PND. METHODS: A total of 229 elderly patients diagnosed with prostatic hyperplasia who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) combined with spinal cord and epidural analgesia were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups, the PND group and non-PND group, based on the Z-score method. According to the principle of maintaining consistency between preoperative and intraoperative conditions, three patients from each group were randomly chosen for serum sample collection. isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) proteomics technology was employed to analyze and identify the proteins that exhibited differential expression in the serum samples from the two groups. Bioinformatics analysis was performed on the proteins that exhibited differential expression. RESULTS: Among the 1101 serum proteins analyzed in the PND and non-PND groups, eight differentially expressed proteins were identified in PND patients. Of these, six proteins showed up-regulation, while two proteins showed down-regulation. Further bioinformatics analysis of the proteins that exhibited differential expression revealed their predominant involvement in cellular biological processes, cellular component formation, as well as endocytosis and phagocytosis Additionally, these proteins were found to possess the RING domain of E3 ubiquitin ligase. CONCLUSION: The iTRAQ proteomics technique was employed to analyze the variation in protein expression in serum samples from patients with PND and those without PND. This study successfully identified eight proteins that exhibited differential expression levels between the two groups. Bioinformatics analysis indicates that proteins exhibiting differential expression are primarily implicated in the biological processes associated with microtubules. Investigating the microtubule formation process as it relates to neuroplasticity and synaptic formation may offer valuable insights for enhancing our comprehension and potential prevention of PND. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered (ChiCTR2000028836). Date (20190306).

Metal Selenides as Efficient Counter Electrodes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

Solar energy is the most abundant renewable energy available to the earth and can meet the energy needs of humankind, but efficient conversion of solar energy to electricity is an urgent issue of scientific research. As the third-generation photovoltaic technology, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have gained great attention since the landmark efficiency of ∼7% reported by O'Regan and Grätzel. The most attractive features of DSSCs include low cost, simple manufacturing processes, medium-purity materials, and theoretically high power conversion efficiencies. As one of the key materials in DSSCs, the counter electrode (CE) plays a crucial role in completing the electric circuit by catalyzing the reduction of the oxidized state to the reduced state for a redox couple (e.g., I3-/I-) in the electrolyte at the CE-electrolyte interface. To lower the cost caused by the typically used Pt CE, which restricts the large-scale application because of its low reserves and high price, great effort has been made to develop new CE materials alternative to Pt. A lot of Pt-free electrocatalysts, such as carbon materials, inorganic compounds, conductive polymers, and their composites with good electrocatalytic activity, have been applied as CEs in DSSCs in the past years. Metal selenides have been widely used as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction and light-harvesting materials for solar cells. Our group first expanded their applications to the DSSC field by using in situ-grown Co0.85Se nanosheet and Ni0.85Se nanoparticle films as CEs. This finding has inspired extensive studies on developing new metal selenides in order to seek more efficient CE materials for low-cost DSSCs, and a lot of meaningful results have been achieved in the past years. In this Account, we summarize recent advances in binary and mutinary metal selenides applied as CEs in DSSCs. The synthetic methods for metal selenides with various morphologies and stoichiometric ratios and deposition methods for CE films are described. We emphasize that the in situ growth method exhibits advantages over other methods for fabricating stable and efficient CEs. We focus on the effect of morphology on the electocatalytic and photovoltaic performance. Application of transparent metal selenide CEs in bifacial DSSCs and the superiority of in situ-grown metal selenide nanosheet fiber CEs used for fiber DSSCs are presented. In addition, we show that metal selenides with a hollow sphere structure can function not only as an efficient electrocatalyst but also as a light-scattering layer. Finally, we present our views on the current challenges and future development of metal selenide CE materials.

Enhancing Perovskite Solar Cell Performance by Interface Engineering Using CH3NH3PbBr0.9I2.1 Quantum Dots.

To improve the interfacial charge transfer that is crucial to the performance of perovskite solar cells, the interface engineering in a device should be rationally designed. Here we have developed an interface engineering method to tune the photovoltaic performance of planar-heterojunction perovskite solar cells by incorporating MAPbBr3-xIx (MA = CH3NH3) quantum dots (QDs) between the MAPbI3 perovskite film and the hole-transporting material (HTM) layer. By adjustment of the Br:I ratio, the as-synthesized MAPbBr3-xIx QDs show tunable fluorescence and band edge positions. When the valence band (VB) edge of MAPbBr3-xIx QDs is located below that of the MAPbI3 perovskite, the hole transfer from the MAPbI3 perovskite film to the HTM layer is hindered, and hence, the power conversion efficiency decreases. In contrast, when the VB edge of MAPbBr3-xIx QDs is located between the VB edge of the MAPbI3 perovskite film and the highest occupied molecular orbital of the HTM layer, the hole transfer from the MAPbI3 perovskite film to the HTM layer is well-facilitated, resulting in significant improvements in the fill factor, short-circuit photocurrent, and power conversion efficiency.

Effect of the co-sensitization sequence on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells with porphyrin and organic dyes.

To obtain a broad spectral response in the visible region, TiO2 film is co-sensitized with a porphyrin dye (FNE57 or FNE59) and an organic dye (FNE46). It is found that the stepwise co-sensitization in one single dye solution followed by in another single dye solution is better than the co-sensitization in a cocktail solution in terms of photovoltaic performance. The stepwise co-sensitization first with a porphyrin dye and then with an organic dye outperforms that in a reverse order. DSSC devices based on co-sensitizers FNE57 + FNE46 and FNE59 + FNE46 with a quasi-solid-state gel electrolyte generate power conversion efficiencies of 7.88% and 8.14%, respectively, which exhibits remarkable efficiency improvements of 61% and 35%, as compared with devices sensitized with the porphyrin dyes FNE57 and FNE59, respectively. Co-sensitization brings about a much improved short-circuit photocurrent due to the complementary absorption of the two sensitizers. The observed enhancement of incident monochromatic photon-to-electron conversion efficiency from individual dye sensitization to co-sensitization is attributed to the improved charge collection efficiency rather than to the light harvesting efficiency. Interestingly, the open-circuit photovoltage for the co-sensitization system comes between the higher voltage for the porphyrin dye (FNE57 or FNE59) and the lower voltage for the organic dye (FNE46), which is well correlated with their electron lifetimes. This finding indicates that not only the spectral complementation but also the electron lifetime should be considered to select dyes for co-sensitization.

High-performance perovskite photoanode enabled by Ni passivation and catalysis.

Lead halide perovskites have achieved phenomenal successes in photovoltaics due to their suitable bandgaps, long diffusion lengths, and balanced charge transport. However, the extreme susceptibility of perovskites to water or air has imposed a seemingly insurmountable barrier for leveraging these unique materials into solar-to-fuel applications such as photoelectrochemical conversion. Here we developed a CH3NH3PbI3-based photoanode with an ultrathin Ni surface layer, which functions as both a physical passivation barrier and a hole-transferring catalyst. Remarkably, a much enhanced photocurrent density, an unassisted photoelectrochemical conversion capability, and a substantially better stability against water have been achieved, which are exceeding most of the previously reported photoanodes as well as a similar CH3NH3PbI3-based device structure but without the Ni surface layer. Our study suggests many exciting opportunities of developing perovskite-based solar-to-fuel conversion.

Growth of Cu particles on a Cu2O truncated octahedron: tuning of the Cu content for efficient glucose sensing.

A simple and versatile hydrothermal method is developed to synthesize Cu-Cu2O, in which Cu particles grow on the surface of a Cu2O truncated octahedron. Through the reduction of Cu(2+) by glucose in an alkaline solution, the Cu2O truncated octahedron is quickly formed via a kinetic control process, and then Cu particles selectively nucleate on the high-energy (110) facets of Cu2O, generating a heterostructure. The amount of Cu in the sample is successfully tuned by varying the reaction temperature. Compared to Cu2O, the hybrid Cu-Cu2O architecture shows superior electrocatalytic performance for glucose oxidation due to the synergistic effect between more electrocatalytic active but less conductive Cu2O and more conductive but less electrocatalytic active Cu. By tuning the content of Cu in the heterostructure, the highest electrocatalytic activity is achieved at the Cu/Cu2O molar ratio of 0.83.

Development and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers (SSRs) for an endemic plant, Pseudolarix amabilis (Nelson) Rehd. (Pinaceae).

Pseudolarix (Pinaceae) is a vulnerable (sensu IUCN) monotypic genus restricted to southeastern China. To better understand levels of genetic diversity, population structure and gene flow among populations of P. amabilis, we developed five compound SSR markers and ten novel polymorphic expressed sequence tags (EST) derived microsatellites. The results showed that all 15 loci were polymorphic with the number of alleles per locus ranging from two to seven. The expected and observed heterozygosities varied from 0.169 to 0.752, and 0.000 to 1.000, respectively. The inbreeding coefficient ranged from -0.833 to 1.000. These markers will contribute to research on genetic diversity and population genetic structure of P. amabilis, which in turn will contribute to the species conservation.

Controlling the charge transfer in D-A-D chromophores based on pyrazine derivatives.

A series of symmetrical donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) chromophores bearing various electron-withdrawing groups, such as quinoxaline (Qx), benzo[g]quinoxaline (BQ), phenazine (Pz), benzo[b]phenazine (BP), thieno[3,4-b]pyrazine (TP), and thieno[3,4-b]quinoxaline (TQ), has been designed and synthesized. Intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) interactions can be found for all the chromophores due to the electron-withdrawing properties of the two imine nitrogens in the pyrazine ring and the electron-donating properties of the other two amine nitrogens in the two triphenylamines. Upon the fusion of either benzene or thiophene ring on the pyrazine acceptor unit, the ICT interactions are strengthened, which results in the bathochromically shifted ICT band. Moreover, the thiophene ring is superior to the benzene ring in enlarging the ICT interaction and expanding the absorption spectrum. Typically, when a thiophene ring is fused on the Qx unit in DQxD, a near-infrared dye is realized in simple chromophore DTQD, which displays the maximum absorption wavelength at 716 nm with the threshold over 900 nm. This is probably due to the enhanced charge density on the acceptor moiety and better orbital overlap, as revealed by theoretical calculation. These results suggest that extending the conjugation of a pyrazine acceptor in an orthogonal direction to the D-A-D backbone can dramatically improve the ICT interactions.

Separating the redox couple for highly efficient solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells.

To minimize the charge recombination between electrons and the electron acceptor in solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells, we propose a separated electron donor and acceptor of a redox couple in the photoanode and in the cathode, respectively. Owing to the absence of the acceptor in the photoanode initially, the charge recombination rate is retarded remarkably, resulting in an increase of the short-circuit photocurrent by >2-fold, open-circuit photovoltage by 71 mV and power conversion efficiency by >2.5-fold.

Differential effects of lichens versus liverworts epiphylls on host leaf traits in the tropical montane rainforest, Hainan Island, China.

Epiphylls widely colonize vascular leaves in moist tropical forests. Understanding the effects of epiphylls on leaf traits of host plants is critical for understanding ecological function of epiphylls. A study was conducted in a rain forest to investigate leaf traits of the host plants Photinia prunifolia colonized with epiphyllous liverworts and foliicolous lichens as well as those of uncolonized leaves. Our results found that the colonization of lichens significantly decreased leaf water content (LWC), chlorophyll (Chl) a and a + b content, and Chl a/b of P. prunifolia but increased Chl b content, while that of liverworts did not affect them as a whole. The variations of net photosynthetic rates (P n ) among host leaves colonized with different coverage of lichens before or after removal treatment (a treatment to remove epiphylls from leaf surface) were greater than that colonized with liverworts. The full cover of lichens induced an increase of light compensation point (LCP) by 21% and a decrease of light saturation point (LSP) by 54% for their host leaves, whereas that of liverworts displayed contrary effects. Compared with the colonization of liverworts, lichens exhibited more negative effects on the leaf traits of P. prunifolia in different stages of colonization. The results suggest that the responses of host leaf traits to epiphylls are affected by the epiphyllous groups and coverage, which are also crucial factors in assessing ecofunctions of epiphylls in tropical forests.

Can digital transformation promote green innovation in enterprises? the moderating effect of heterogeneous environmental regulations.

Currently, digital transformation is having various impacts on enterprises around the world, including the green innovation. However, the current literature on the relationship between digitalization and green innovation in enterprises is scarce. What is the relationship between them, and whether heterogeneous environmental regulation has mediating effects, are questions that are worth exploring. Using a sample of listed manufacturing enterprises in China, this paper empirically tests the impact of digital transformation on enterprise green innovation. The results show that: (1) Digital transformation has a significant positive impact on green innovation, including green innovation output and green innovation capability. (2) Diverse environmental regulation may have mediating effects of digital transformation's influence on green innovation. (3) After a number of robustness tests, the conclusions are still valid. This paper can provide a reference for developing green development strategies for manufacturing enterprises.

Indoor Photovoltaic Fiber with an Efficiency of 25.53% under 1500 Lux Illumination.

Photovoltaic devices represent an efficient electricity generation mode. Integrating them into textiles offers exciting opportunities for smart electronic textiles-with the ultimate goal of supplying power for wearable technology-which is poised to change how electronic devices are designed. Many human activities occur indoors, so realizing indoor photovoltaic fibers (IPVFs) that can be woven into textiles to power wearables is critical, although currently unavailable. Here, a dye-sensitized IPVF is constructed by incorporating titanium dioxide nanoparticles into aligned nanotubes to produce close contact and stable interfaces among active layers on a curved fiber substrate, thus presenting efficient charge transport and low charge recombination in the photoanode. With the combination of highly conductive core-sheath Ti/carbon nanotube fiber as a counter electrode, the IPVF shows a certified power conversion efficiency of 25.53% under 1500 lux illuminance. Its performance variation is below 5% after bending, twisting, or pressing for 1000 cycles. These IPVFs are further integrated with fiber batteries as self-charging power textiles, which are demonstrated to effectively supply electricity for wearables, solving the power supply problem in this important direction.

Ionic conductor with high conductivity as single-component electrolyte for efficient solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells.

Imidazolium iodide is an often used component in iodine-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), but it cannot operate an efficient DSSC in the absence of iodine due to its low conductivity. For this study, lamellar solid iodide salts of imidazolium or piperidinium with an N-substituted propargyl group have been prepared and applied in solid-state DSSCs. Owing to the high conductivity arising from the lamellar structure, these solid-state ionic conductors can be used as single-component solid electrolytes to operate solid-state DSSCs efficiently without any additives in the electrolyte and post-treatments on the dye-loaded TiO2 films. With a propargyl group attached to the imidazolium ring, the conductivity is enhanced by about 4 × 10(4)-fold as compared to the alkyl-substituted imidazolium iodide. Solid-state DSSC with the 1-propargyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide as the single-component solid-state electrolyte has achieved a light-to-electricity power conversion efficiency of 6.3% under illumination of simulated AM1.5G solar light (100 mW cm(-2)), which also exhibits good long-term stability under continuous 1 sun soaking for 1500 h. This finding paves the way for development of high-conductivity single-component solid electrolytes for use in efficient solid-state DSSCs.

Enhanced charge transportation in a polypyrrole counter electrode via incorporation of reduced graphene oxide sheets for dye-sensitized solar cells.

In this work, reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets are successfully introduced into the conductive polypyrrole (PPy) matrix as conductive channels and co-catalyst, through simple incorporation of graphene oxide (GO) into PPy and subsequent in situ reduction from GO/PPy to RGO/PPy composite film. The RGO/PPy film is fabricated as a counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells, and it exhibits excellent catalytic performance for reduction of triiodide. For this reason, the incorporated RGO sheets significantly improve short-circuit photocurrent density from 14.27 to 15.81 mA cm(-2) and power conversion efficiency from 7.11% to 8.14%, which is comparable with that for the cell based on a Pt cathode.

Intertwined aligned carbon nanotube fiber based dye-sensitized solar cells.

Metal wires suffer from corrosion in fiber-shaped dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). We report herein that stable, ultrastrong, and highly flexible aligned carbon nanotube fibers can be used not only as catalytic counter electrodes but also as conductive materials to support dye-loaded TiO(2) nanoparticles in DSSCs. The power conversion efficiency of this fiber solar cell can achieve 2.94%. These solar power fibers, exhibiting power conversion efficiency independent of incident light angle and cell length, can be woven into textiles via a convenient weaving technology.

MOF-Assisted Annealing-Free Crystallization Technology of Perovskites toward Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

Although annealing is a commonly used crystallization method for perovskite films in perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the high thermal energy consumption and limitations on flexible devices hinder their further industrial application. We herein propose an annealing-free crystallization technology for perovskite films, assisted by the Zr-metal-organic framework (MOF) interface between SnO2 and the perovskite. It is found that the Zr-MOF interface can accelerate the formation of perovskite intermediates and promote their conversion into perovskite crystals even without annealing. The trap density thus decreases by about one fold, accompanied by significant increases in electron and hole mobilities, resulting in enhanced carrier extraction and suppressed charge recombination. Therefore, the Zr-MOF-based PSC attains a power convention efficiency (PCE) of 20.24%, 2.2 times that (9.26%) of the pristine PSC. Furthermore, the Zr-MOF interface layer can significantly improve the air and thermal stabilities of PSCs. The Zr-MOF-based PSC exhibits 93% of its initial PCE versus 52% for the pristine PSC after 1018 h of storage in air. Additionally, after 360 h of continuous heating at 65 °C, the Zr-MOF-based PSC retains 91% of its initial PCE against 44% for the pristine PSC.

Constructing LiF/Li2CO3-rich heterostructured electrode electrolyte interphases by electrolyte additive for 4.5 V well-cycled lithium metal batteries.

The cycling performance of promising high-voltage Li||LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) batteries is determined by the interfacial stability between electrodes and electrolyte. However, it is challenging to achieve them under high voltage. Herein, we stabilized 4.5 V Li||NCM811 batteries via electrolyte engineering with pentafluorostyrene (PFBE) as the additive. PFBE contributes to the formation of highly Li+ conductive and mechanically robust LiF/Li2CO3-rich heterostructured interphases on NCM811 cathode and Li metal anode (LMA) surfaces. Such electrode-electrolyte interphases (EEIs) obviously alleviate irreversible phase transition, microcracks induced by stress accumulation and transition metal dissolution in the Ni-rich layered cathode. Meanwhile, the growth of Li dendrites on the LMA surface is effectively controlled. As expected, 4.5 V Li||NCM811 batteries sustain a capacity retention rate of 61.27% after 600 cycles at 0.5 C (100 mA g-1). More importantly, ∼6.69 Ah Li||NCM811 pouch cells with such electrolytes could represent a stable energy density of ∼485 Wh kg-1 based on all cell components.

Constructing Highly Li+ Conductive Electrode Electrolyte Interphases for 4.6 V Li||LiCoO2 Batteries via Electrolyte Additive Engineering.

To improve voltage is considered to effectively address the energy-density question of Li||LiCoO2 batteries. However, it is restricted by the instability of electrode electrolyte interphases in carbonate electrolytes, which mainly originates from Li dendrite growth and structural instability of LiCoO2 at high voltage. Herein, an electrolyte additive strategy is proposed for constructing efficient LiNx Oy -contained cathode electrolyte interphase for 4.6 V LiCoO2 and LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphase for Li anode to enhance the stability of Li||LiCoO2 battery using 4-nitrophthalic anhydride as the additive. As expected, the Li||LiCoO2 battery can stably operate up to 4.6 V, with a high specific capacity of 216.9 mAh g-1 during the 1st cycle and a capacity retention of 167.1 mAh g-1 after 200 cycles at 0.3 C. This work provides an available strategy to realize the application of high-voltage Li||LiCoO2 battery.

Phylogeny and Systematics of Sassafras (Lauraceae), an Interesting Genus with Disjunct Distributions in Eastern North America and East Asia.

The Lauraceae is a family of the order Laurales, with 2500-3000 species comprising 50 genera, mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests. Up to two decades ago, the systematic classification of the Lauraceae was based on floral morphology, but molecular phylogenetic approaches have made tremendous advances in elucidating tribe- and genus-level relationships within the family in recent decades. Our review focused on the phylogeny and systematics of Sassafras, a genus of three species with highly disjunct distributions in eastern North America and East Asia, whose tribe affiliation within the Lauraceae has long been controversial. By synthesizing information on the floral biology and molecular phylogeny of Sassafras, this review aimed to explore the position of Sassafras within the Lauraceae, and to provide suggestions and implications for future phylogenetic studies. Our synthesis highlighted Sassafras as a transitional type between Cinnamomeae and Laureae with a closer genetic relationship with Cinnamomeae, as revealed by molecular phylogenetic evidence, while it shares many similar characteristics with Laureae in morphology. We therefore discovered that several molecular and morphological methods should be concurrently considered to illuminate the phylogeny and systematics of Sassafras in Lauraceae.

Effectiveness of Chinese Herbal Medicine in Postoperative Fatigue Syndrome Following Total Joint Arthroplasty or Hip Fracture Surgery: Evidence from Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: There is no high-quality, evidence-based protocol for the treatment of postoperative fatigue syndrome (POFS) after total joint arthroplasty (TJA) or fracture surgery with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM). PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of CHM in the treatment of POFS after TJA or hip fracture surgery (HFS). METHODS: We searched six databases to obtain randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CHM for the treatment of POFS after TJA or HFS. The retrieval time limit was from the establishment of each database to August, 2022. According to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews version 5.1, we used RevMan 5.3 to evaluate the quality of the studies. Stata 14.0 software was used to merge and analyze the data. The weighted mean difference (WMD) was the effect estimate for statistical analysis. We also performed subgroup analyses according to different types of surgeries. RESULTS: A total of 11 RCTs were included in this study, comprising 430 cases in the CHM group and 432 cases in the control group (CG). The meta-analysis results showed that there was no significant difference in the Brief Profile of Mood States (BPOMS) score (WMD=0.08, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.29 to 0.45, P=0.688), Christensen Fatigue scale (CHFS) score (WMD = 0.15, 95% CI: -0.09 to 0.39, P=0.214) or Identity-Consequence Fatigue Scale (ICFS) score (WMD=-0.40, 95% CI: -1.84 to 1.05, P=0.589) between the CHM group and the CG on the first postoperative day. The use of CHM significantly reduced the BPOMS score (WMD=-0.85 and WMD=-3.01, respectively), CHFS score (WMD=-1.01 and WMD= -1.45, respectively), and ICFS score (WMD=-3.51 and WMD=-5.26) on postoperative days 3 and 7. Compared with the CG, the CHM group had significantly increased serum transferrin and IgG levels on postoperative days 3 and 7. The subgroup analysis results suggested that the application of CHM in HFS patients improved fatigue symptoms on postoperative days 3 and 7, while the application of CHM to treat POFS in TJA patients had great inconsistency in the evaluation of different indicators. CONCLUSION: The application of CHM improved the fatigue status of POFS patients after TJA or HFS and increased the levels of transferrin and IgG in serum, which is conducive to promoting the postoperative rehabilitation process of patients. The subgroup analysis results showed that the application of CHM to intervene in POFS in HFS patients had obvious benefits.