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Spiral cores are crucial for designing efficient hole transporting materials (HTMs) for perovskite solar cells (PSCs), owing to their no-planar 3D architecture, high thermal stability, good solubility, and beneficial solid-state morphology. A lack of facile synthetic procedures for the spiral core limited the development of novel and stable spiral HTMs. In this regard, a one-step reaction is adopted to produce several novel acceptor-embedded spiral cores containing electron-withdrawing carbonyl group embedded orthogonal spiral conformation. After coupling with triphenylamine donors, symmetry-breaking spiral HTMs with uneven charge distribution can be obtained, bearing the advantages of adjustable dipole moment and enhanced structural stability. A combined theoretical and experimental study shows that the HTM with a stronger dipole moment can easily adsorb on the surface of perovskite via electrostatic potential, and the closer distance promoted facile hole transfer from perovskite to HTMs. In the end, PSCs based on strongly polarized spiro-BC-OMe achieved efficient hole extraction and thus an improved fill factor, promoting a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.15%, and a module-based PCE of 18.61% with an active area of 16.38 cm

Grain boundary management is critical to the performance and stability of polycrystalline perovskite solar cells (PSCs), especially large-area devices. However, typical passivators are insulating in nature and limit carrier transport. Here, we design a supramolecular binder for grain boundaries to simultaneously passivate defects and promote hole transport across perovskite grain boundaries. By doping the monoamine porphyrins (MPs, M = Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, or H) into perovskite films, MPs self-assemble into supramolecules at grain boundaries. Organic cations in perovskites protonate MPs in supramolecules to form ammonium porphyrins bound on the perovskite grain surface, to passivate defects and extract holes from the perovskite lattice. Periodic polarons in supramolecules (especially NiP-supramolecule) promote the transport of extracted holes across boundaries, reducing nonradiative carrier recombination. The NiP-doped PSCs reveal a certified efficiency of 22.1% for an active area of 1.0 cm2 with the remarkably improved open-circuit voltage and fill factor. The unencapsulated device retained over 80% initial performance under AM 1.5G solar light continuous illumination or heating at 85 °C over 3000 h.

Seed dormancy is an adaptive strategy for environmental evolution. However, the molecular mechanism of the breaking of seed dormancy at cold temperatures is still unclear, and the genetic regulation of germination initiated by exposure to cold temperature requires further investigation. In the initial phase of the current study, the seed coat characteristics and embryo development of Fritillaria taipaiensis P.Y.Li at different temperatures (0°C, 4°C, 10°C & 25°C) was recorded. The results obtained demonstrated that embryo elongation and the dormancy-breaking was most significantly affected at 4°C. Subsequently, transcriptome analyses of seeds in different states of dormancy, at two stratification temperatures (4°C and 25°C) was performed, combined with weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) and metabolomics, to explore the transcriptional regulation of seed germination in F. taipaiensis at the two selected stratification temperatures. The results showed that stratification at the colder temperature (4°C) induced an up-regulation of gene expression involved in gibberellic acid (GA) and auxin biosynthesis and the down-regulation of genes related to the abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthetic pathway. Thereby promoting embryo development and the stimulation of seed germination. Collectively, these data constitute a significant advance in our understanding of the role of cold temperatures in the regulation of seed germination in F. taipaiensis and also provide valuable transcriptomic data for seed dormancy for other non-model plant species.

Seed dormancy is an adaptive strategy for environmental evolution. However, the molecular mechanism of the breaking of seed dormancy at cold temperatures is still unclear, and the genetic regulation of germination initiated by exposure to cold temperature requires further investigation. In the initial phase of the current study, the seed coat characteristics and embryo development of

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The two-step sequential deposition is a commonly used method by researchers for fabricating perovskite solar cells (PSCs) due to its reproducibility and tolerant preparation conditions. However, the less-than-favorable diffusive processes in the preparation process often result in subpar crystalline quality in the perovskite films. In this study, we employed a simple strategy to regulate the crystallization process by lowering the temperature of the organic-cation precursor solutions. By doing so, we minimized interdiffusion processes between the organic cations and pre-deposited lead iodide (PbI2) film under poor crystallization conditions. This allowed for a homogenous perovskite film with improved crystalline orientation when transferred to appropriate environmental conditions for annealing. As a result, a boosted power conversion efficiency (PCE) was achieved in PSCs tested for 0.1 cm2 and 1 cm2, with the former exhibiting a PCE of 24.10% and the latter of 21.56%, compared to control PSCs, which showed a PCE of 22.65% and 20.69%, respectively. Additionally, the strategy increased device stability, with the cells holding 95.8% and 89.4% of the initial efficiency even after 7000 h of aging under nitrogen or 20–30% relative humidity and 25 °C. This study highlights a promising low-temperature-treated (LT-treated) strategy compatible with other PSCs fabrication techniques, adding a new possibility for temperature regulation during crystallization.

The role of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the role of HE infection in HCC development and the effect of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HEV coinfection on HCC risk. A hospital-based case-control study was conducted. A total of 474 eligible HCC cases and 586 control patients were successfully recruited. The fasting venous blood was collected from the patients at the first visited to hospital and HBV infection and HEV infection were examined within 5 days. Crude and adjusted odd ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were estimated by using logistic regression model. HBV infection (OR: 63.10, 95% CI: 42.02-97.26) rather than HEV infection (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 0.721-1.65) was associated with an increased risk of HCC after adjustment for confounders. The association between HBV infection and HCC risk was more remarkable in male (OR: 72.61, 95% CI: 45.10-121.38) than in female (OR: 61.89, 95% CI: 25.74-169.26). In comparison with patients who infected with neither HEV nor HBV, those who infected with only HBV (OR: 69.62, 95% CI: 40.90-123.52) and who coinfected with HEV and HBV (OR: 67.48, 95% CI:37.23-128.19) were significantly associated with an increased risk after adjustment for potential confounders. The results showed that HBV infection rather than HEV infection was associated with an increased risk of HCC, and the HEV infection may alleviate the promoting impact of HBV on HCC development.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have achieved tremendous success in advancing high power conversion efficiencies. However, defect-induced recombination at grain boundaries (GBs) and the surface of polycrystalline perovskites seriously hinder the further performance enhancement and environmental stability of PSCs. Here, a simple passivating molecule, 4-nitrophthalonitrile (4NPN) with σ–π accepting nitro (–NO2) and cyano groups (–CN), was employed to passivate the charged defects in perovskites. The addition of electron-deficient 4NPN into the perovskite layer of PSCs could not only enhance VOC and the FF, leading to high PCE over 22% but also improved environmental stability. These improvements were attributed to the effective passivation of the defects in the perovskite film by the strongly polarized nitro/cyano groups. In addition, the electron-deficient 4NPN could slightly adjust the energy level of the perovskite facilitating more efficient hole transfer. This work demonstrates the role of strong electron-withdrawing nitro/cyano groups in passivating the vacancy-defects of perovskites and 4NPN as a simple passivator conducive to obtaining high-performance PSCs.

High power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) surpassing 20% have been achieved on flexible single-junction perovskite solar cells recently. However, improvements of the open-circuit voltage (VOC) and fill factor (FF), limited by the nonradiative recombination, and the device durability are needed to boost the practical performance further. Herein, we report the use of artemisinin, an herb extract, to passivate the perovskite grains to improve the VOC and FF of flexible PSCs significantly. The incorporation of artemisinin (0.22 mol%) in the perovskite film reduces the film's trap density and thus the nonradiative recombination effectively. As a result, a best PCE of 21.10% is achieved, comparable with state-of-art values of flexible thin-film solar cells (CIGS, CdTe, etc.). VOC reaches 1.126 V, corresponding to a VOC loss of 0.437 V. Moreover, the flexible PSCs incorporated with artemisinin always exhibit excellent stabilities under different aging conditions. Strong interactions between the artemisinin molecules and the uncoordinated Pb2+ ions revealed by theoretical and experimental calculations are responsible for the suppressed formation of new deep-level trap defects, Pb clusters, upon aging.

It took only 11 years for the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to increase from 3.8% to 25.2%. It is worth noting that, as a new thin-film solar cell technique, defect passivation at the interface is crucial for the PSCs. Decorating and passivating the interface between the perovskite and electron transport layer (ETL) is an effective way to suppress the recombination of carriers at the interface and improve the PCE of the device. In this work, several acceptor–donor–acceptor (A–D–A) type fused-ring organic semiconductors (FROS) with indacenodithiophene (IDT) or indacenodithienothiophene (IDDT) as the bridging donor moiety and 1,3-diethyl-2-thiobarbituric or 1,1-dicyromethylene-3-indanone as the strong electron-withdrawing units, were deposited on the SnO2 ETL to prepare efficient planar junction PSCs. The PCEs of the PSCs increased from 18.63% for the control device to 19.37%, 19.75%, and 19.32% after modification at the interface by three FROSs. Furthermore, impedance spectroscopy, steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence spectra elucidated that the interface decorated by FROSs enhance not only the extraction of electrons but also the charge transportation at the interface between the perovskite and ETL. These results can provide significant insights in improving the perovskite/ETL interface and the photovoltaic performance of PSCs.

BACKGROUND Hepatitis E virus (HEV) superinfection is a suspected promoting factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis. However, to date, very few cases of HEV-related HCC have been reported. Nevertheless, the role of HEV re-infection in cirrhotic liver without other chronic hepatitis infections has rarely been explored. CASE SUMMARY A 53-year-old male farmer was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis and splenomegaly in August 2016, accompanied with negative HEV-IgM and positive HEV-IgG. No evidence of hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus infection was found. Since then the patient was evaluated for liver function and viral parameters every 3 mo. In June 2017, the patient presented severe fatigue with whole body itching and was diagnosed with HCC. Afterwards this patient experienced quick HCC development, progression, relapse, and metastasis in the following 8 mo, and presented persistent dual positivity of HEV-IgM and HEV-IgG. This patient had a long history of smoking and alcohol consumption. CONCLUSION This unique case invokes the importance of HEV surveillance and treatment among cirrhotic patients, HCC cases, and blood donors.

Florfenicol (FF), used popularly in prevention and treatment of virus infections in livestock and poultry, has widely been found in eggs and harmful to human health. In this work, a sensitive and quantitative on-site detecting solution, monoclonal antibody-based carboxylated fluorescent microsphere immunochromatographic test strip assay (FM-ICTS), is design and applied for FF detection. The proposed method can sensitively detect FF in low detection limit of 0.030 ng/g and quantitatively measure its concentration from 0.1 ng/mL to 8.1 ng/mL (R

A dopant-free polymeric hole selective contact (HSC) layer is ubiquitous for stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the intrinsic nonwetting nature of the polymeric HSC impedes the uniform spreading of the perovskite precursor solution, generating a terrible buried interface. Here, we dexterously tackle this dilemma from the perspective of dispersive and polar component surface energies of the HSC layer. A novel triarylamine-based HSC material, poly[bis(4-phenyl)(2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)amine] (2MeO-PTAA), was designed by introducing the polar methoxy groups to the para and ortho positions of the dangling benzene. These nonsymmetrically substituted electron-donating methoxy groups enhanced the polar components of surface energy, allowing more tight interfacial contact between the HSC layer and perovskite and facilitating hole extraction. When utilized as the dopant-free HSC layer in inverted PSCs, the 2MeO-PTAA-based device with CH

The defects on the surface of low-temperature-processed electronic transport layers hindered the development of efficient flexible perovskite solar cells. Herein, we develop a universal NdCl3 dosin...

Owing to excellent performance and dopability, spiro-OMeTAD remains an irreplaceable hole transporting material (HTM) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In order to further improve the performance of spiro-OMeTAD based PSCs, a Lewis base can be introduced into the structure of spiro-OMeTAD wisely, which can keep the advantages of spiro-OMeTAD while incorporating the functionality of a Lewis base in passivating the surface of the perovskite. Therefore, spiro-type HTMs (spiro-CN-OMeTAD with a dicyano group and spiro-PS-OMeTAD with a thiocarbonyl group) were synthesized and confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and X-ray single-crystallographic diffraction. Spiro-CN-OMeTAD as an HTM is certified to have a suitable interfacial band alignment with the perovskite, good film quality and effective defect passivation, which facilitate the resulting device to achieve an efficiency of 19.90% with a high open-circuit voltage, low hysteresis, and improved stability. This study provides an alternative strategy for the molecular design of better HTMs in high-performance PSCs.

Two new compounds verboncin A (1) and verboncin B (4) and 14 known compounds (2–3 and 5–16) were isolated from Verbena bonariensis, and these 14 compounds were first obtained from this plant. Their chemical structures were established by one and two-dimensional NMR and HRESIMS analysis and the results were compared with literature values. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by calculating electronic circular dichroism (ECD). The cytotoxicity of some of the compounds against MCF-7, HCT-116, MDA-MB-231, and SW620 human cancer cell lines were evaluated, in which compound 4 showed negligible cytotoxic activity with an IC50 value of 68.08 ± 0.35 µM against the MCF-7 cell line.

Background Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae has become a public health concern. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of patients with nonurinary source bacteraemia caused by ESBL-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) or Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-producing EK) receiving β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations (BLICs) versus carbapenem treatment and assess the risk factors of mortality with these two drugs. Methods We conducted a retrospective single-centre study of adult hospitalised patients with ESBL-producing EK bloodstream infection (BSI) from nonurinary source at our centre over a 4-year period. One hundred and eighty patients who received BLICs or carbapenems were included in the analysis. The outcome variables were 14-day treatment failure and 30-day mortality. For more reliable results, propensity score analysis was performed to compare the efficacy of the two drugs and analyse their risk factors for 30-day mortality. Results Out of 180 patients, 114 received BLICs, and 66 received carbapenem therapy. Compared to carbapenem-treated patients, those treated with BLICs were older and had higher age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index, but they had shorter stay in the hospital. Additionally, their Pitt bacteraemia score, SOFA score, rate of leukaemia, and immune compromise were lower. After propensity score matching (PSM), the baseline characteristics of patients in the two treatment groups were balanced. BLICs were associated with a higher 14-day treatment failure rate (20.6%, 13/63) than carbapenems (16.3%, 7/43), although the difference was not significant in either univariate analysis (P = 0.429) or multivariate analysis (P = 0.122). And the 30-day mortality rate in BTG (11.1%, 7/63) and CTG (11.6%, 5/43) did not significantly differ (univariate analysis, P = 0.926; multivariate analysis, P = 0.420). In the multivariate analysis, after PSM, leukaemia was the only independent predictor of mortality in both BTG and CTG. Conclusions Our study showed that BLICs had higher 14-day treatment failure rate compared with carbapenems, although there were no statistically significant differences because of the small number of patients, therefore, further evaluation of the efficacy of BLICs is needed.

Securinine is an alkaloid identified from the roots and leaves of the shrub Flueggea suffruticosa (Pall.) Baill. The molecular structure of securinine consists of four rings, including three chiral centers. It has been suggested that securinine can be chemically synthesized from tyrosine and lysine. Securinine has long been used to treat central nervous system diseases. In recent years, more and more evidence shows that securinine also has anticancer activity, which has not been systematically discussed and analyzed.This study aims to propose an overall framework to describe the molecular targets of securinine in different signal pathways, and discuss the current status and prospects of each pathway, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the development securinine as an effective anticancer drug.The research databases on the anticancer activity of securinine from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect to 2021 were systematically searched. This paper follows the Preferred Reporting Items and Meta-Analysis guidelines.Securinine has the ability to kill a variety of human cancer cells, including, leukemia as well as prostate, cervical, breast, lung, and colon cancer cells. It can regulate the signal pathways of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin, Wnt and Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription, promote cancer cell apoptosis and autophagy, and inhibit cancer cell metastasis. Securinine also has the activity of inducing leukemia cell differentiation.Although there has been some experimental evidence indicating the anticancer effect of securinine and its possible pharmacology, in order to design more effective anticancer drugs, it is necessary to study the synergy of intracellular signaling pathways. More in vivo experiments and even clinical studies are needed, and the synergy between securinine and other drugs is also worth studying.

SnO2-based electron transport layers (ETLs) offer outstanding band alignment, excellent chemical and UV stability, high transmittance, high conductivity, and processability at low temperatures. However, unfortunately, the state-of-the-art SnO2 colloid precursor suffered from agglomeration over time and structural defects such as dangling hydroxyl groups and oxygen vacancies, which deteriorate both the morphology and electronic quality of the resulting ETL. Especially, these trap states near the valence band can hinder charge extraction and transport of electrons to couple with non-radiative recombination loss. Here, we introduce a novel WO3 @SnO2 nanocomposite ETL, which is synthesized by in situ peptizations of WO3 in commercial alkaline SnO2 colloid nanocrystals. The hydrated (peptized) WO3 forms H2WO4 (WO42-) to effectively stabilize the SnO2 nanocrystals in the dispersion and bind to the defect sites. Intriguingly, the H2WO4 converts back to the WO3 phase to form nanoheterostructured composite with SnO2 particles during the process of film fabrication, further promoting passivation and charge extraction. Through the novel method, we could achieve molecular level passivation of SnO2 layer by WO3, and a power conversion efficiency of 23.6% for a 0.1 cm2 PSC device with ultra-high FF of 85.8% was demonstrated. Furthermore, a modified detailed balance model was used to verify the drastically lessened surface & bulk defect-induced recombination loss in WO3 @SnO2 based devices. Finally, the corresponding unencapsulated cell retained ~91% of its initial efficiency after 2000 h of damp exposure. This work provides a promising method to access the Shockley-Queisser limit of fill factor for single-junction PSC.

We have demonstrated a two-step wet-chemical route to prepare dense a SnO2 blocking layer (BL) for boosting efficaciously the optoelectronic performance of mesoporous-TiO2 based perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Through SnCl4 water-bath for moderate time, the surface features of SnO2 BL are availably optimized and recombination loss of the devices is perceptibly suppressed. The influence of bath-time upon the microstructures and photoelectronic properties of SnO2 BL and photovoltaic characteristics of the corresponding PSCs, has been discussed detailedly. Deep-going explorations on charge dynamics confirm that SnCl4 bath would facilitate charge transport, hinder charge accumulation and inhibit nonradiative recombination. Upon the basis of surface decoration of SnO2, we improve the open-circuit photovoltage from 1.02 V of initial cell to 1.06 V, and achieve a maximum photovoltaic efficiency of 17.14% and null hysteresis. Accordingly, the device with large area (1.0 cm2) based on modified SnO2 have higher PCE of 14.35% and weaker hysteresis index of 0.019 than its unmodified SnO2 courtpart.

Background: Ca2+ plays an important role in the regulation of vasoconstriction. Ca2+ signaling is regulated by a number of Ca2+-handling proteins. However, whether differences in Ca2+ handling affect the regulation of vasoconstriction in different arteries remains elusive. Objective: To determine whether differences in Ca2+ handling affect the response to vasoconstrictors in different arteries. Methods: Arterial ring contraction was measured using a Multi Myograph System. Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were digested with type 2 collagenase in DMEM, then intracellular calcium concentration was measured with the Ca2+ probe fluo-4/AM in the isolated cells. Calcium-related proteins were assayed by Western blotting. Results: Phenylephrine did not induce ­coronary arterial contraction. There were differences in ­5-hydroxytryptamine, 9,11-dideoxy-11a,9a-epoxymethano-prostaglandin F2a, and endothelin 1-induced vasoconstriction in different solutions between coronary and renal arteries. Vasoconstrictions in the presence of Bay K8644 were stronger in coronary than in renal arteries. Store-operated calcium (SOC) channels could mediate Ca2+ influx in VSMCs of both groups. SOC channels did not participate in the contraction of coronary arteries. In addition, there were significant differences in the expressions of receptors and ion channels between the two groups. Conclusions: Ca2+ handling contributed to the different responses to vasoconstrictors between coronary and renal arteries.

It took only 11 years for the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to increase from 3.8% to 25.2%. It is worth noting that, as a new thin-film solar cell technique, defect passivation at the interface is crucial for the PSCs. Decorating and passivating the interface between the perovskite and electron transport layer (ETL) is an effective way to suppress the recombination of carriers at the interface and improve the PCE of the device. In this work, several acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) type fused-ring organic semiconductors (FROS) with indacenodithiophene (IDT) or indacenodithienothiophene (IDDT) as the bridging donor moiety and 1,3-diethyl-2-thiobarbituric or 1,1-dicyromethylene-3-indanone as the strong electron-withdrawing units, were deposited on the SnO

The defects on the surface of low-temperature-processed electronic transport layers hindered the development of efficient flexible perovskite solar cells. Herein, we develop a universal NdCl

Supplemental material, Supplement_table_1 for Efficacy and Safety of Intra-Articular Cell-Based Therapy for Osteoarthritis: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis by Wei Ding, Yong-qing Xu, Ying Zhang, An-xu Li, Xiong Qiu, Hong-jie Wen and Hong-bo Tan in CARTILAGE

Objective: The objective is to observe the effect of Kuanxiong aerosol (KXA) on angina and the quality of life of patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Materials and Methods: Six hundred patients with angina after PCI (AAP) were randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group (n = 300 in each group) and received basic treatment with KXA or basic treatment (respectively) for 8 weeks. The Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) and visual analog scale (VAS) scores of the two groups during the screening period and five follow-up periods were compared. Results: A total of 179 patients were included in this interim report, including 85 in the experimental group and 94 in the control group. Among the five-dimensional scores of the SAQ, the improvement in the angina frequency and quality of life scores in the experimental group was better than those in the control group after treatment (P < 0.01), and the difference in scores of the remaining dimensions was not statistically significant (P > 0.01). The difference in VAS scores between the two groups was not statistically significant (P > 0.01). No obvious adverse reactions were observed between the two groups. Conclusions: KXA can reduce the frequency of AAP and improve patients' quality of life.

The hierarchical BiOClxBr1–x was synthesized by a simple solvothermal method. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller adsorption method. Compared to pure BiOCl or BiOBr, the BiOClxBr1–x solid solution has enhanced photocatalytic degradation activity for rhodamine B. This phenomenon can be explained to the hierarchical structure, lager specific surface area and appropriate energy gap of the obtained BiOClxBr1–x solid solution. The renewability and stability of photocatalyst were determinated and a possible mechanism of photocatalytic degradation was also proposed.

As game-changers in the photovoltaic community, perovskite solar cells are making unprecedented progress while still facing grand challenges such as improving lifetime without impairing efficiency. Herein, two structurally alike polyaromatic molecules based on naphthalene-1,8-dicarboximide (NMI) and perylene-3,4-dicarboximide (PMI) with different molecular dipoles are applied to tackle this issue. Contrasting the electronically pull-pull cyanide-substituted PMI (9CN-PMI) with only Lewis-base groups, the push-pull 4-hydroxybiphenyl-substituted NMI (4OH-NMI) with both protonic and Lewis-base groups can provide better chemical passivation for both shallow- and deep-level defects. Moreover, combined theoretical and experimental studies show that the 4OH-NMI can bind more firmly with perovskite and the polyaromatic backbones create benign midgap states in the excited perovskite to suppress the damage by superoxide anions (energetic passivation). The polar and protonic nature of 4OH-NMI facilitates band alignment and regulates the viscosity of the precursor solution for thicker perovskite films with better morphology. Consequently, the 4OH-NMI-passivated perovskite films exhibit reduced grain boundaries and nearly three-times lower defect density, boosting the device efficiency to 23.7%. A more effective design of the passivator for perovskites with multi-passivation mechanisms is provided in this study.

Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic vascular complications, although the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The present study investigated the alterations in TXA2 receptor signal transduction in type 2 diabetic renal arteries. The contraction of renal arterial rings in control (db/m+) mice and type 2 diabetic (db/db) mice was measured by a Multi Myograph System. Intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in vascular smooth muscle cells was measured by Fluo-4/AM dye and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analysis were used to determine gene and protein expression levels, respectively. A stable TXA2 mimic U46619 caused markedly stronger dose-dependent contractions in the renal arteries of db/db mice than in those of db/m+ mice. This response was completely blocked by a TXA2 receptor antagonist GR32191 and significantly inhibited by U73122. U46619-induced vasoconstriction was increased in the presence of nifedipine in db/db mice compared with that in db/m+ mice, whereas the response to U46619 did not differ between the two groups in the presence of SKF96365. Sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release-mediated and CaCl2-induced contractions did not differ between the two groups. In db/db mice, store-operated Ca2+(SOC) entry-mediated contraction in the renal arteries and SOC entry-mediated Ca2+ influx in smooth muscle cells were significantly increased. And the gene and protein expressions of TXA2 receptors, Orai1 and Stim1 were upregulated in the diabetic renal arteries. Therefore the enhancement of U46619-induced contraction was mediated by the upregulation of TXA2 receptors and downstream signaling in the diabetic renal arteries.

The hierarchical BiOX (X=Cl, Br, I) microflowers were successfully synthesized via simple precipitation method at 160 °C for 24 h and characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, UV-vis DRS and N2 adsorption-desorption techniques. The as-prepared samples were pure phases and of microflowers composed of nanosheets which intercrossed with each other. The specific surface areas were about 22.9, 17.3 and 16.2 m2/g for BiOCl, BiOBr and BiOI, respectively. The photocatalytic activities of BiOX powers were evaluated by RhB degradation under UV-vis light irradiation in the order of BiOCl > BiOBr > BiOI. Also, the kinetics of RhB degradation over BiOI was selectively investigated, demonstrating that the kinetics of RhB degradation follows apparent first-order kinetics and fits the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model.

Summary Effect of ZnO nanorod surface on fabricating the perovskite solar cell and its performance were studied. Varied thickness of ZnO nanorod arrays with rough surface condition were achieved through the control of hydrothermal growth time and acid treatment. Samples based on modified ZnO nanorod arrays exhibit an impressive increase on the open-circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor (FF) compared with the untreated ones. Further research onto the surface topography and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy test indicates that the improvement should be attributed to the suppression of the charge recombination rate at the ZnO nanorod/CH3NH3PbI3 interface. In order to enhance the short-circuit current density (Jsc) performance one step further, Cl-doped perovskite crystal was introduced into the cell. Because of its longer electron diffusion length, an impressive Jsc is received. The final combination of the two methods with the optimized thickness of the ZnO nanorod brought a total power conversion efficiency of 13.3% together with Voc~0.92 V, Jsc~23.1 mA/cm2, and FF~63%. This work highlights the importance of the surface morphology of the electron transport layer and its interface contact with the light absorbing layer in a solar cell structure. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

SnO 2 nanoparticle film has been synthesized via low- temperature (∼180 °C) solution-processing and proposed as compact layer in mesostructure perovskite-type solar cell (PSC). Low-temperature processed SnO 2 compact layer (cl-SnO 2 ) brings perfect crystal-lattice and band-gap matching between electron selective layer and FTO substrate and close interface-contact between cl-SnO 2 and mesoporous TiO 2 layer (mp-TiO 2 ), which contributes to suppressing carrier recombination and optimizing device performance. In varied thickness cells, 70 nm cl-SnO 2 device exhibits maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE). In order to further restrain photoelectron recombination and improve the photovoltaic performance, the surface modification of cl-SnO 2 by SnCl 4 aqueous solution has been carried out. The recombination behavior in the cell interior is greatly retarded via SnCl 4 treatment and champion PSC after SnCl 4 treatment has acquire PCE of 15.07%, which is higher than PCE of cl-TiO 2 based PSC fabricated with same mp-TiO 2 and perovskite procedures (13.3%). The stability of cl-SnO 2 PSC via SnCl 4 treatment has also been measured and its PCE reduces to 13.0% after 2 weeks in air.

To quantitatively investigate the effects of Ringer's solution with different concentrations of alcohol (1%～80%) on biphasic compound action potentials (AP) from frog sciatic nerve trunk, and their recoveries from alcohol effects.Individual segments of frog sciatic nerve trunk with a length of 6 to 8 cm were prepared. Ringer's solution with different concentrations of alcohol (0%, 1%, 2%, 4%, 8%, 16%, 32%, 48%, 64% and 80%) was applied onto the segment of the trunk between the stimulus and ground electrodes via an agent reservoir which was newly armed in a nerve trunk shielded chamber for 5 minutes. The nerve trunk was respectively electro-stimulated to generate the biphasic compound AP which was recorded using the experimental system of BL-420F. This was followed by 5 times washout plus 5 min administration with Ringer's solution before recovery recording of AP.Compared to normal Ringer's solution, Ringer's solution with alcohol at ≤4% did not have dramatic impacts on the AP amplitude and conduction velocity, while Ringer's solution with alcohol at ≥8% there was significant decrease in these two parameters. Ringer's solution with alcohol at the conentrations of 16%, 32% and ≥48% could prevent a small proportion (30%), a large proportion (90%) and all (100%) of sciatic nerve trunks, respectively, from generating AP. Washout with normal Ringer's solution after alcohol application at the concentration of ≤32%, AP could totally recover to normal status. While alcohol at the concentration of 48%, 64% and 80%, the probabilities to regenerate APs were 90%, 40% and 0%, and the AP amplitudes were decreased to 60%, 36% and 0%, respectively. After washout, AP conduction velocity showed no difference with alcohol at the concentration of ≤8% when compared with that before washout, while it could not be recovered to normal under alcohol at ≥16%.Ringer's solution with different concentrations of alcohol exerts different effects on biphasic compound AP amplitude and conduction velocity. Hopefully, our findings could be helpful for the alcoholic usage and its recovery from alcoholic damage.

To detect the expression of miR-99a-5p in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), to predict the target genes and to analyze its function by using bioinformatics.The expression levels of bone marrow miR-99a-5p in MDS patients were detected by qRT-PCR, and the correlation of miR-99a-5p expression with clinical pathological characteristics, percentage of marrow blasts , chromosome karyotype and peripheral blood hemogram were analyzed. The target genes of miR-99a-5p were predicted by Targetscan, Miranda and Microcosm, and the intersection of the predicted results of 3 softwares was used as a potential target gene for miR-99a-5p.The expression level of bone marrow miR-99a-5p in MDS patients was significantly higher than that of healthy controls (P0.01); According to the prognostic score of IPSS, MDS patients were divided into relatively low risk group (including low risk group and intermediate risk group 1) and relatively high risk group (including intermediate risk group 2 and high risk group). Analysis showed that the expression level of bone marrow miR-99a-5p in relatively low risk group was 2.40 times higher than that in healthy control group (P0.01), the expression level of bone marrow miR-99a-5p in relatively high risk group was 6.66 times higher than that in healthy control group (P0.01), the expression level of miR-99a-5p in relatively high risk group was 2.80 times higher than that in the relatively low risk group ( P0.01) ; the expression level of bone marrow miR-99a-5p in t-MDS group was 6.35 times higher than that in healthy control group (P0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between the expression level of miR-99a-5p and the percentage of marrow blasts (P0.01), but the expression of miR-99a-5p did not correlate with chromosome karyotype and peripheral blood hemogram; In this study it was obtained that ST5 might participate in pathological mechanism of MDS by bioinformatic analyses and references.The expression levels of miR-99a-5p is up-regulated in MDS patients, and its expression showed a rising tendency which may be involved in the pathogenesis of MDS by regulating target gene ST5.

Ca2+ plays an important role in the regulation of vasoconstriction. Ca2+ signaling is regulated by a number of Ca2+-handling proteins. However, whether differences in Ca2+ handling affect the regulation of vasoconstriction in different arteries remains elusive.To determine whether differences in Ca2+ handling affect the response to vasoconstrictors in different arteries.Arterial ring contraction was measured using a Multi Myograph System. Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were digested with type 2 collagenase in DMEM, then intracellular calcium concentration was measured with the Ca2+ probe fluo-4/AM in the isolated cells. Calcium-related proteins were assayed by Western blotting.Phenylephrine did not induce -coronary arterial contraction. There were differences in -5-hydroxytryptamine, 9,11-dideoxy-11a,9a-epoxymethano-prostaglandin F2a, and endothelin 1-induced vasoconstriction in different solutions between coronary and renal arteries. Vasoconstrictions in the presence of Bay K8644 were stronger in coronary than in renal arteries. Store-operated calcium (SOC) channels could mediate Ca2+ influx in VSMCs of both groups. SOC channels did not participate in the contraction of coronary arteries. In addition, there were significant differences in the expressions of receptors and ion channels between the two groups.Ca2+ handling contributed to the different responses to vasoconstrictors between coronary and renal arteries.

Controlled ZnO nanostructures were synthesized via spin-coating and in situ thermal decomposition processing using ZnO paster with/without zinc acetate as precursor. The perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 solar cells (PSCs) based on these ZnO nanostructures were fabricated and their photovoltaic performances have also been investigated. Effects of zinc acetate concentration on morphologies of ZnO nanostructures and the photovoltaic properties of corresponding PSCs have been discussed. Interestingly, the morphologies of ZnO nanostructures were varied from separate nanoparticles to interconnect net-like nanostructures and the space of ZnO nanoparticles became large when the concentration of zinc acetate was increased from 0 to 0.13 M. The space and the connection degree of ZnO nanostructure obtained from 0.05 M zinc acetate are the best choice for perovskite infiltration and charge transport, which leads to corresponding cells have highest power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 9.30 %. Post-treatment of ZnO nanostructures improved further Voc and FF, leading to PCE to 13.1 %.

Objective Evidence shows that both macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and GLUT4 glucose transporter are involved in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), but it remains largely unknown whether and how MIF regulates GLUT4 expression in cardiomyocytes. The present study aims to investigate the mechanism underlying the modulation of GLUT4 by MIF in cardiomyocytes. Material and methods Activations of AKT and AMPK signaling, and expressions of MIF, GLUT4 and the candidate GLUT4 regulation associated transcription factors in the diabetic mouse myocardium were determined. The screened transcription factors mediating MIF-promoted GLUT4 expression were verified by RNA interference (RNAi) and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), respectively. Results MIF was increased, but GLUT4 was decreased in the diabetic mouse myocardium. MIF could enhance glucose uptake and up-regulate GLUT4 expression in NMVCs. Expressions of transcription factor MEF2A, -2C, -2D and Zac1 were significantly up-regulated in MIF-treated neonatal mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes (NMVCs), and markedly reduced in the diabetic myocardium. Knockdown of MEF2A, -2C, -2D and Zac1 could significantly inhibit glucose uptake and GLUT4 expression in cardiomyocytes. Moreover, EMSA results revealed that transcriptional activities of MEF2 and Zac1 were significantly increased in MIF-treated NMVCs. AMPK signaling was activated in MIF-stimulated NMVCs, and AMPK activator AICAR could enhance MEF2A, -2C, -2D, Zac1 and GLUT4 expression. Additionally, MIF effects were inhibited by an AMPK inhibitor compound C and siRNA targeting MIF receptor CD74, suggesting the involvement of CD74-dependent AMPK activation. Conclusions Transcription factor MEF2 and Zac1 mediate MIF-induced GLUT4 expression through CD74-dependent AMPK activation in cardiomyocytes.