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With the rapid development in information, communication, energy, medical care, and other fields, the demand for light, strong, flexible, and stable materials continues to grow. Carbon nanotube (CNT) films possess outstanding properties, such as flexibility, good tensile properties, low density, and high electrical conductivity, making them promising materials for a wide range of applications. This paper reports an effective strategy that combines stretching treatment, laser etching, and electron beam deposition to fabricate an iron-deposited CNT film, which can serve as a counter electrode (CE) of quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells. The study also investigates the influences of processing parameters, such as stretching ratio and iron-depositing thickness on the film’s stacking structure, electrical conductivity, and catalytic activity. Under optimized stretching ratios and depositing thicknesses, the catalytic activity of the reacted deposited layer and the high electrical conductivity of the flexible film basis can be fully utilized, allowing the photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of the solar cells to reach approximately 4.58%. Additionally, the CE exhibits flexibility, light transmission, and good stability, with its primary properties remaining above 97% after nearly 50 days. Thus, this research provides innovative material options and development strategies for the development of electrode materials.

To study the nucleation and growth mechanism of Ni/SiC composite coatings, electrodeposition was conducted in the Ni bath containing SiC particles with different sizes. Compared to the Ni coating electrodeposited from the bare Ni bath, the Ni/SiC composite coatings exhibited similar grain size but rougher surface morphology due to the incorporation of SiC particles. By means of chronoamperometry (CA) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) techniques, it was found that the introduction of SiC particles did not change the nucleation mode of Ni: the Scharifker-Hills three-dimensional instantaneous nucleation mode. However, the nucleation sites on the cathode were reduced due to the inert surface and low conductivity of SiC particles. At a step potential of −0.94 V, Ni presented the maximum nucleation density (N0) of 3.09 × 107 cm−2, which was reduced by one order of magnitude for the Ni/SiC. Furthermore, SiC particles in the bath would extend the diffusion path of Ni2+ions, resulting in the decrease in diffusion coefficient from 1.04 × 10−7 cm2 s−1(Ni) to 9.91 × 10−9 cm2 s−1(Ni/50 nm SiC), 1.83 × 10−8 cm2 s−1(Ni/500 nm SiC) and 2.29 × 10−8 cm2 s−1(Ni/5 μm SiC), suggesting the “Blocking effect”. COMSOL simulation further confirmed the “Blocking effect”. The “Blocking effect” would lead to excessive interface gaps around 5 μm SiC particles due to the uneven electrodeposition of Ni. To address the issue, we proposed that adding non-ionic surfactants into the bath to lower the electrochemical reaction rate of Ni2+ions and accordingly gained composite coatings with fine continuity.

With suitable band gap (Eg∼1.7 eV), superb optoelectronic properties, and thermal stability, CsPbI3has been widely acknowledged as a competitive candidate for photovoltaic devices. However, the spontaneous phase transition to a non-perovskite phase limits its further application. Mighty efforts and advances have been made to stabilize the perovskite structure of CsPbI3and improve power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells. In this review, we give insights regarding the origin of the instability of CsPbI3from intrinsic assessment to external stimulation and review the strategies and progress to improve the stability of CsPbI3perovskite structure and devices from the following aspects: (1) ionic incorporation, (2) regulating surface energy, (3) incorporating low-dimensional perovskites, and (4) surface termination. Finally, we give a brief outlook on the challenges and opportunities of all-inorganic CsPbI3perovskite.

A supramolecule photosensitizer (supra-photosensitizer) based on the host–guest complexation of cyclodextrins and a bis-chalcone dye (BDEA) was prepared. Methyl-β-cyclodextrin (Me-β-CD), with the highest inclusion rate, was confirmed as the best host among the four cyclodextrins. The host–guest properties of Me-β-CD and BDEA were characterized by FTIR, XRD, 1H NMR, PLQY, SEM, Job’s plot, Benesi–Hildebrand plot, and others. Compared to the conventional photosensitizers, the supra-photosensitizers showed higher fluorescence emission and longer fluorescence lifetime whether as a powder or distributed in a film. The improvement in fluorescence coincided with improvement in photoinitiation efficiency and was proven to enhance the generation of volume grating. It is expected that the supra-photosensitizer may open a new avenue for the design of high-performance photoinitiation systems.

Optimal irrigation and nitrogen (N) fertilization play essential roles in improving crops yield, but the interactive effects of irrigation and controlled-release N fertilizer on yield, photosynthesis characterizes, water, and N productivity in winter wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) were not well studied.

Halide perovskites have been widely utilized as the light-absorbing layer in a wide range of optoelectronic devices because of their superb optoelectronic properties. However, device performance still needs to be improved before the practical applications of these devices and various specific strategies can be developed. Among these strategies, incorporating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been the most general and versatile one. CNTs in the devices could serve as conducting substrates and electrodes, improve charge extraction and transport, act as additives in different components, make devices flexible and stable, and so on. Here, we summarize and discuss recent applications of CNTs in various perovskite-based devices, focusing on solar cells, photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes. First, basic knowledge regarding perovskite devices and CNTs isintroduced, and then the specific roles of CNTs in these devices are summarized and discussed. Finally, current issues are pointed out, accompanied by the corresponding suggested solutions.

ABSTRACTGBM (glioblastoma multiforme) is the most common and aggressive brain tumor with no curative options available. Therefore, it is imperative to develop novel potent therapeutic drugs for GBM treatment. Here, we show that regorafenib, an oral multi-kinase inhibitor, exhibits superior therapeutic efficacy over temozolomide, the first-line chemotherapeutic agent for GBM treatment both in vitroand in vivo. Mechanistically, regorafenib directly stabilizes PSAT1 (phosphoserine aminotransferase 1), a critical enzyme for serine synthesis, to trigger PRKAA-dependent autophagy initiation and inhibit RAB11A-mediated autophagosome-lysosome fusion, resulting in lethal autophagy arrest in GBM cells. Maintenance of PSAT1 at a high level is essential for regorafenib-induced GBM suppression. Together, our data provide novel mechanistic insights of regorafenib-induced autophagy arrest and suggest a new paradigm for effective treatment of GBM.Abbreviations:3-MA: 3-methyladenine; ACACA: acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase alpha; ACTB/β-actin: actin, beta; AMPK: adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase; ATG5: autophagy related 5; CTSD: cathepsin D; DN-: dominant-negative; GBM: glioblastoma multiforme; LAMP1: lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1; MAP1LC3B/LC3B: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; PIK3C3/VPS34: phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunit type 3; PRKAA/AMPKα: protein kinase AMP-activated catalytic subunit alpha; PSAT1: phosphoserine aminotransferase 1; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; TKIs: tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Trace amounts of long-chain gemini surfactants are essential for blade-coating of high-quality perovskite films, enabling a 17.05% efficient full printed carbon-based module (50 cm2active area).Only when the surfactant chain is over a critical length will the gemini surfactant be effective for blade-coating of perovskite films.The surfactants increase the capillary number of perovskite precursor solution, reduce the local disturbance and combat inhomogeneous solidification during blade coating, thus allowing high-quality perovskite films to be formed.

ABSTRACTBleomycin is a clinically potent anticancer drug used for the treatment of germ-cell tumors, lymphomas and squamous-cell carcinomas. Unfortunately, the therapeutic efficacy of bleomycin is severely hampered by the development of pulmonary fibrosis. However, the mechanisms underlying bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, particularly the molecular target of bleomycin, remains unknown. Here, using a chemical proteomics approach, we identify ANXA2 (annexin A2) as a direct binding target of bleomycin. The interaction of bleomycin with ANXA2 was corroborated both in vitro and in vivo. Genetic depletion of anxa2in mice mitigates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. We further demonstrate that Glu139 (E139) of ANXA2 is required for bleomycin binding in lung epithelial cells. A CRISPR-Cas9-engineered ANXA2E139Amutation in lung epithelial cells ablates bleomycin binding and activates TFEB (transcription factor EB), a master regulator of macroautophagy/autophagy, resulting in substantial acceleration of autophagic flux. Pharmacological activation of TFEB elevates bleomycin-initiated autophagic flux, inhibits apoptosis and proliferation of epithelial cells, and ameliorates pulmonary fibrosis in bleomycin-treated mice. Notably, we observe lowered TFEB and LC3B levels in human pulmonary fibrosis tissues compared to normal controls, suggesting a critical role of TFEB-mediated autophagy in pulmonary fibrosis. Collectively, our data demonstrate that ANXA2 is a specific bleomycin target, and bleomycin binding with ANXA2 impedes TFEB-induced autophagic flux, leading to induction of pulmonary fibrosis. Our findings provide insight into the mechanisms of bleomycin-induced fibrosis and may facilitate development of optimized bleomycin therapeutics devoid of lung toxicity.

Alumina-silica embedded zinc coatings with an enhanced protective performance for sintered NdFeB magnet were prepared using electro-deposition method from a mixture of alumina-silica sol (ASS) and zinc plating solution. The zinc-ASS coatings have been fabricated with various ASS concentrations in sol contained plating baths (SCPB). According to electrochemical results, the positively charged ASS particles adsorbed on cathode and deposited with the electro-deposition of zinc coatings. The influence of the ASS concentration in SCPBs on the deposited coating structure, composition and growth mechanism were investigated. With the increase of ASS concentration, more ASS particles got adsorbed on cathode surface during the deposition process, which affected the crystal structure and composition of the deposited zinc coatings. Among the prepared samples, ASS embedded zinc coating exhibited relatively good wetting behavior, adhesive and wear properties, which should be attributed to the adsorption and incorporation of ASS particles. The corrosion current density of 10%-SCPB prepared zinc coating was more than an order of magnitude lower than the sol free zinc coating. This kind of approach was helpful to fabricate zinc-ASS coatings with enhanced mechanical and anti-corrosion properties for NdFeB magnets.

Carbon-based perovskite solar cells (C-PSCs) are prized for their simple device structure, high cost-efficiency and good stability. However, the absolute efficiency of C-PSCs is still low due to inappropriate C/perovskite interfaces. Herein, we report a simple ultrasound spray method to deposit pure multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) films. When directly deposited on perovskite films, MWCNT could form a seamless contact at the perovskite/carbon interface, thus boosting the power-conversion efficiency (PCE) of C-PSCs to 14.07% as compared to drop cast MWCNT electrodes. In addition, when the perovskite surface was embedded with a sub-monolayer of nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) prior to the MWCNT deposition, we achieved a champion efficiency as high as 15.80%, which is among the highest C-PSCs efficiencies reported to date. Detailed characterizations revealed that by planting NiO NPs into the surface region of CH3NH3PbI3crystals, the hole extraction efficiency was effectively enhanced and interfacial recombination was reduced. With silicon dioxide (SiO2NPs) as a control, the NiO NPs layer was found to favorably bend the energy levels at the interface for selective hole extraction, thereby enhancing the overall photovoltaic performance. The combination of ultrasound spray and nanoparticle embedment technologies opens the way to cost-efficient and scalable production of C-PSCs.

Abstract

Solvent engineering has been extensively used to control the growth of a high-quality perovskite layer for solar cells by forming intermediate phases. However, the intermediate phase formation is often poorly understood and its effects on the perovskite layer growth are still elusive. Here, we have conducted a systematic and in-depth study on the above two issues through a strict control over the DMSO/DMF ratio in CH3NH3PbI3perovskite solutions, and thus an effective control over the compositions of intermediate films. The films thus obtained, including perovskite, perovskite/MA2Pb3I8(DMSO)2and MA2Pb3I8(DMSO)2, afford perovskite crystals via down-growth, down-and up-growth, and up-growth mechanisms, respectively. Significantly, the up-growth perovskite crystals from the pure MA2Pb3I8(DMSO)2exhibits the best interface contact with NiO substrate, optimal alignment without horizontal grain boundaries and a relatively large grain size, which facilitate charge transfer and reduce charge recombination in PSCs. As a result, the PIN planar PSCs based on NiO have achieved a PCE of 18.4%, a value which is among the highest for NiO-based PSCs, with the highest stability among the tested sample cells. Furthermore, the pure MA2Pb3I8(DMSO)2intermediate phase presents a high long-term stability, which enlarges the operating window for perovskite deposition and thus considerably improves the device processibility.

Superhydrophobic coatings have drawn much attention in recent years for their wide potential applications. However, a simple, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly approach is still lacked. Herein, a promising approach using nonhazardous chemicals was proposed, in which multiple hydrophobic functionalized silica nanoparticles (SiO2NPs) were first prepared as core component, through the efficient reaction between amino group containing SiO2NPs and the isocyanate containing hydrophobic surface modifiers synthesized by normal alcohols, followed by simply spraying onto various substrates for superhydrophobic functionalization. Furthermore, to further improve the mechanical durability, an organic–inorganic composite superhydrophobic coating was fabricated by incorporating cross-linking agent (polyisocyanate) into the mixture of hydrophobic-functionalized SiO2NPs and hydroxyl acrylic resin. The hybrid coating with cross-linked network structures is very stable with excellent mechanical durability, self-cleaning property and corrosion resistance.

The device instability has been an important issue for hybrid organic–inorganic halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs). This work intends to address this issue by exploiting inorganic perovskite (CsPbBr3) as light absorber, accompanied by replacing organic hole transport materials (HTM) and the metal electrode with a carbon electrode. All the fabrication processes (including those for CsPbBr3and the carbon electrode) in the PSCs are conducted in ambient atmosphere. Through a systematical optimization on the fabrication processes of CsPbBr3film, carbon-based PSCs (C-PSCs) obtained the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of about 5.0%, a relatively high value for inorganic perovskite-based PSCs. More importantly, after storage for 250 h at 80 °C, only 11.7% loss in PCE is observed for CsPbBr3C-PSCs, significantly lower than that for popular CH3NH3PbI3C-PSCs (59.0%) and other reported PSCs, which indicated a promising thermal stability of CsPbBr3C-PSCs.

Carbon-based hole transport material (HTM)-free perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted intense attention due to their relatively high stability. However, their power conversion efficiency (PCE) is still low, especially for the simplest paintable carbon-based PSCs (C-PSCs), whose performance is greatly limited by poor contact at the perovskite/carbon interface. To enhance interface contact, it is important to fabricate an even-surface perovskite layer in a porous scaffold, which is not usually feasible due to roughness of the crystal precursor. Herein, colloidal engineering is applied to replace the traditional crystal precursor with a colloidal precursor, in which a small amount of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is added into the conventional PbI2dimethylformamide (DMF) solution. After deposition, PbI2(DMSO) adduct colloids (which are approximately tens of nanometers in size) are stabilized and dispersed in DMF to form a colloidal film. Compared with PbI2and PbI2(DMSO) adduct crystal precursors deposited from pure DMF and DMSO solvents, respectively, the PbI2(DMSO) adduct colloidal precursor is highly mobile and flexible, allowing an ultra-even surface to be obtained in a TiO2porous scaffold. Furthermore, this ultra-even surface is well-maintained after chemical conversion to CH3NH3PbI3in a CH3NH3I solution. As a result, the contact at the CH3NH3PbI3/carbon interface is significantly enhanced, which largely boosts the fill factor and PCE of C-PSCs. Impressively, the achieved champion PCE of 14.58% is among the highest reported for C-PSCs.

Ion migration has recently piqued intensive attention with respect to the emerging perovskite solar cells (PSCs), but exactly how it impacts on cell performance is still elusive. In this paper, we validate a simple model to relate the scan rate-dependent hysteresis of the solar cells and the defect assisted ion migration in perovskite materials by means of halide substitution to form MAPbBrxI3−x(x~0–0.6), prepared by a modified two-step method so as to put the systematic study at a high solar cell efficiency level. Concurrent with the substantially increased power conversion efficiency (PCE), significantly reduced hysteresis has also been observed with increasing Br concentration. Bias-dependent kinetic measurements suggest that the hysteresis is caused by the redistribution of mobile ions (ion migration) under external bias and light illumination, which could be suppressed by Br substitution. Our Density Functional Theory study has borne out this notion by showing that the activation energy for I−(mobile species) migration has been increased from ~0.34eV in MAPbI3to ~0.46eV in MAPbBrxI3−x. This work provides a new approach to fabricating hysteresis-free, high-efficiency PSCs and deepens our understanding of the hysteresis behavior in perovskite materials.

This work explores the use of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs@P3HT) for the cathodes of hole transporter free, mesoscopic perovskite (CH3NH3PbI3) solar cells (PSCs), simultaneously achieving high-performance, high stability and low-cost PSCs. Here the thin P3HT modifier acts as an electron blocker to inhibit electron transfer into CNTs and a hydrophobic polymer binder to tightly cross-link the CNTs together to compact the carbon electrode film and greatly stabilize the solar cell. On the other hand, the presence of CNTs greatly improve the conductivity of P3HT. By optimizing the concentration of the P3HT modifier (2 mg/mL), we have improved the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of CNTs@P3HT based PSCs up to 13.43% with an average efficiency of 12.54%, which is much higher than the pure CNTs based PSCs (best PCE 10.59%) and the sandwich-type P3HT/CNTs based PSCs (best PCE 9.50%). In addition, the hysteresis of the CNTs@P3HT based PSCs is remarkably reduced due to the intimate interface between the perovskite and CNTs@P3HT electrodes. Degradation of the CNTs@ P3HT based PSCs is also strongly retarded as compared to cells employing the pure CNTs electrode when exposed to the ambient condition of 20%–40% humidity.

Rho-associated, coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) is an important regulator of focal adhesion, actomyosin contraction and cell motility. In this manuscript, a combination of the multi-complex-based pharmacophore (MCBP), molecular dynamics simulation and a hybrid protocol of a virtual screening method, comprised of multipharmacophore- based virtual screening (PBVS) and ensemble docking-based virtual screening (DBVS) methods were used for retrieving novel ROCK1 inhibitors from the natural products database embedded in the ZINC database. Ten hit compounds were selected from the hit compounds, and five compounds were tested experimentally. Thus, these results may provide valuable information for further discovery of more novel ROCK1 inhibitors.

Photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion systems, including photoelectrochemical water splitting and photoelectrochemical solar cells (dye-sensitized solar cells, DSSCs), are under intensive development aiming at efficiently harvesting and utilizing solar energy. Metal oxides carved into hierarchical nanostructures are thought to be promising for improving photoelectrochemical performance by enhancing charge separation and transport. Herein, we review the recent progress in the research on the design and applications of metal oxide hierarchical nanostructures in water splitting and DSSC systems with a view to understanding how they improve the device performance in terms of enhanced charge separation and transport properties. This review will end with a conclusion on metal oxide hierarchical nanostructures together with potential future research directions thereof.

We develop a dual porous (DP) TiO2film for the electron transporting layer (ETL) in carbon cathode based perovskite solar cells (C-PSCs). The DP TiO2film was synthesized via a facile PS-templated method with the thickness being controlled by the spin-coating speed. It was found that there is an optimum DP TiO2film thickness for achieving an effective ETL, a suitable perovskite/TiO2interface, an efficient light harvester and thus a high performance C-PSC. In particular, such a DP TiO2film can act as a scaffold for complete-filling of the pores with perovskite and for forming high-quality perovskite crystals that are seamlessly interfaced with TiO2to enhance interfacial charge injection. Leveraging the unique advantages of DP TiO2ETL, together with a dense-packed and pinhole-free TiO2compact layer, PCE of the C-PSCs has reached 9.81% with good stability.

Understanding charge separation and charge transport in mesoporous semiconductor films is crucial to designing high efficiency photoelectrochemical water splitting cells. In the present work, we systematically study the origin of the higher photoelectrochemical performance of mesoporous BiVO4film under FTO-side illumination (F-illumination) than that under BiVO4-side illumination (B-illumination). Via intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy in conjunction with modeling simulation of electron diffusion inside mesoporous BiVO4films with different thicknesses, we find that the F-illumination is more tolerant to recombination than the B-illumination, leading to a higher charge separation efficiency of the former. Specifically, we have identified a trap-free electron transport region of BiVO4vicinal to the FTO substrate and a trap-limited transport region farther away under F-illumination, whereas only a trap-limited transport exists under B-illumination. Simulated results accord well with the experimental data and further provide a deep insight of the detailed electron transport behavior: it is the higher electron density in the region proximal to the FTO under F-illumination that has led to the greater recombination tolerance than under B-illumination. Such a photogenerated electron transport characteristic in mesoporous films is expected to be common for other semiconductors and will inspire practicle strategies for designing high efficiency semiconductor nanostructure-based photoelectrochemical devices.

Hybrid organic/inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as a highly promising alternative renewable energy source because of their high efficiency and low-cost solution processable manufacturing technology. However, the commonly used spin coating process limits the large-scale manufacturing of perovskite layers for commercialization. Here we report on the development of an electrodeposition technique for fabricating perovskite layers and demonstrate its simplicity, versatility, scalability and roll-to-roll manufacturing compatibility. The key step is the electrodeposition of a PbO2layer on TiO2scaffold, which is then subjected to chemical bath conversion to sequentially generate PbI2and CH3NH3PbI3perovskite. Clearly demonstrated is the controllability of morphology and optical properties of the CH3NH3PbI3layer, leading to a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) reproducibility and a higher average PCE when incorporated into carbon-based PSCs than with the spin coating technique. Remarkably, the cell area of electrodeposited PSCs could be easily scaled up to 4cm2with an excellent perovskite film uniformity, rendering a PCE gain of 36.3% over the spin-coated counterpart. We further demonstrate the deposition of perovskite layers on complex shape substrates (e.g., stainless steel net), which would be rather difficult or impossible with other competing film deposition techniques. These results establish electrodeposition as a versatile and controllable route toward low-cost and large scalable manufacturing of high efficiency PSCs.

Despite its rising popularity, reports on the use of preoperative imatinib mesylate (IM) in patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) are limited. This study aims to explore the clinical efficacy of preoperative IM in patients with primarily unresectable or metastatic/recurrent GIST.

The suitable optical bandgap and high chemical stability have made inorganic CsPbI3perovskite become a promising light absorber in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, it is still a great challenge to obtain a high-quality CsPbI3perovskite film because of its phase instability, let alone composition manipulation. Herein, we report a new and general strategy, extracting ammonium halide by solvent (EAH-S), to solve the above problems. During the EAH-S process, ammonium halide is introduced into the traditional precursor solution to form a transitive compound (e.g. 3D, 2D and 1D hybrid perovskites). Then, the transitive compound is soaked in a solvent with moderate polarity (e.g. ethanol, methanol, isopropanol), during which ammonium halide would be extracted to promote the crystallization of CsPbI3perovskite. The extraction of ammonium halide is proved to be the vital process, which could release PbI2and prompt the nucleation of p-CsPbI3at the interface with the assistance of ammonium ions. By combining the EAH-S method with a conventional annealing process, the composition of CsPbI3perovskite film could be finely manipulated, and the film quality is well improved. More promisingly, the carbon-based CsPbI3PSCs without hole transporter achieve a efficiency of 15.35%, a new record for inorganic C-PSCs.

Photoproducts can be formed rapidly in the initial phase of a marine oil spill. However, their toxicity is not well understood. In this study, oil was irradiated, chemically characterized, and tested for toxicity in three copepod species (Acartia tonsa, Temora longicornis, and Calanus finmarchicus). Irradiation led to a depletion of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and n-alkanes in oil residues, along with an enrichment in aromatic and aliphatic oil photoproducts. Target lipid model-based calculations of PAH toxicity units predicted that PAH toxicities were lower in water-accommodated fractions (WAFs) of irradiated oil residues (“irradiated WAFs”) than in WAFs of dark-control samples (“dark WAFs”). In contrast, biomimetic extraction (BE) measurements showed increased bioaccumulation potential of dissolved constituents of irradiated WAFs compared to dark WAFs, mainly driven by photoproducts present in irradiated oil. In line with the BE results, copepod mortality increased in irradiated WAFs compared to dark WAFs. However, low copepod toxicities were observed for WAFs produced with photo-oxidized oil slicks collected during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The results of this study suggest that while oil photoproducts have the potential to be a significant source of copepod toxicity, dilution and dispersion of these higher solubility products appear to help mitigate their toxicity at sea.

In this paper, ITO porous films were prepared by the doctor-blade technique to support metal sulfide (CuS, CoS, NiS, and PbS) counter electrodes (CEs) in quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs). The successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method was used to deposit metal sulfides on the ITO porous films. Since the ITO porous films have high mechanical properties and could offer a large surface area for the large deposition of metal sulfides, the ITO porous film-supported metal sulfide CEs exhibited much higher catalytic activity for polysulfide electrolyte than ITO glass-supported metal sulfide CEs. As a result, the photoeletrochemical performance of QDSCs was greatly improved. In addition, ITO porous film-supported CuS CEs at 12 SILAR cycles exhibited the highest catalytic activity and performance among different CEs, and ITO porous film-supported CoS CEs achieved the second highest catalytic activity and performance, still far higher than the Pt CE, while both ITO porous film-supported NiS and PbS CEs showed similar catalytic activity and performance, significantly lower than that of Pt CE. It is also suggested that many more CE materials can be easily explored and investigated by employing ITO porous films as substrates.

The application of CsPbI3inorganic perovskite in carbon-based perovskite solar cells without hole transporter (C-PSCs) is expected to enhance device stability. However, due to the lower hole selectivity of carbon electrode than that of hole transporter, the efficiency of CsPbI3C-PSCs is significantly suppressed. Herein, size mismatch-induced cation segregation in CsPbI3is studied and employed to solve the problem. After treating CsPbI3with CsX (XBr, Cl and F) ethanol solutions, the larger size mismatch between X-and I-ions would induce the more obvious cation segregation. The moderate size mismatch between I-and Cl-ions allows a partial substitution of I-ions with Cl-ions in CsPbI3to form energy level gradient, and the CsCl residue on the surface tends to react with CsPbI3to generate 2D Cs2PbI2Cl2nanosheets, serving as an electron blocking layer. The synergistic effect of the energy level gradient and the electron blocking layer well improves hole selectivity at CsPbI3/carbon interface to reduce carrier recombination loss. As a result, the C-PSCs based on the CsCl-treated CsPbI3achieve an efficiency of 15.23%, a record value for inorganic C-PSCs.

The occurrence and prevalence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is closely associated with age. More than 90% of CRC patients are diagnosed after 50 years old. However, CRC incidence of young individuals has been increasing since 1990s as overall CRC frequency declining. Distinct overall survival (OS) rates between young and aged CRC patients has been established. Tremendous efforts have been spent to clarify the underlying mechanisms of age-dependent clinical differences, but it still remains elusive. Here we performed proteomic profiling of 50 CRC patients, and revealed proteomic signatures of CRC across age groups. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that distinct age-dependent clinical outcomes might mainly attribute to varied MYC targets V1/V2, E2F targets and G2M checkpoint gene sets, which were associated with cancer cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, tumor growth and tumor metastasis. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed a large number of functional proteins, such as NOP2, CSE1L, NHP2, NOC2L and CDK1, with adjusted expression significantly correlated with age (p< 0.05). Among them, NHP2 is a core component of the telomerase complex associated with age. High NHP2 expression predicted poor OS, with a more significant correlation in aged CRC patients. Knockdown of NHP2 significantly suppressed cancer cell proliferation. In addition, we revealed some age-related potential clinically actionable targets, such as PSEN1, TSPO and CDK1, which might be more suitable for late-onset CRC patients. Collectively, this study identifies age-associated proteomic signatures and potential therapeutic targets of CRC, and may help to make a precise decision on CRC treatment.

The inorganic CsPbI3perovskite obtained from dimethylammonium iodide (DMAI)-related strategies have greatly promoted the development of CsPbI3perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, deeper understandings are urgently needed to further enhance device performance. Herein, the crystallization processes of DMAI-based strategy are systematically studied and some new understandings are proposed. During annealing, β-phase-like CsPbI3is first formed and then gradually transits to γ-phase-like structure. DMA ions tend more to form DMAPbI3in the system, implying the amount of alloyed DMA ions in CsPbI3would be very limited. In addition, the pre-generated Cs4PbI6plays an important role in stabilizing CsPbI3perovskite phase at low temperature. These findings help us to finely manipulate film composition, and the quality of CsPbI3film is substantially improved after simultaneously suppressing the formation of δ-CsPbI3, minimizing DMAPbI3residual and generating PbI2passivator. More promisingly, the carbon-based CsPbI3PSCs without hole transporter achieve a record efficiency of 14.6%.

The power conversion efficiencies of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been boosted from 3.8% to over 25% in about ten years. However, low device stability still impedes their practical applications. In the last few years, the inorganic PSCs based on carbon electrodes (C–PSCs) have gradually become one of the promising resolutions, and up to now, much progress has been made. Herein, recent developments in C–PSCs, including (1) device structure and working principles, (2) categorical progress of CsPbBr3, CsPbI3-xBrx, CsPbI3and other inorganic C–PSCs, are reviewed. Promising research directions (e.g. developing suitable deposition methods, improving phase stability, tuning energy band structure, modifying perovskite/carbon interface and exploiting new inorganic perovskites) are then suggested to promote the development of inorganic C–PSCs.

ABSTRACTIvermectin is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic drug that has recently been demonstrated to exhibit potent anticancer activity against colon cancer, ovarian cancer, melanoma and leukemia. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this anticancer effect remains poorly understood. We recently found that ivermectin markedly inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells by stimulating cytostatic macroautophagy/autophagy in vitro and in vivo. Ivermectin inhibits the AKT-MTOR signaling pathway by promoting ubiquitination-mediated degradation of PAK1 (p21 [RAC1] activated kinase 1), leading to increased autophagic flux. Together, our work unravels the molecular mechanism underpinning ivermectin-induced cytostatic autophagy in breast cancer, and characterizes ivermectin as a potential therapeutic option for breast cancer treatment.

Alumina-silica embedded zinc coatings with an enhanced protective performance for sintered NdFeB magnet were prepared using electro-deposition method from a mixture of alumina-silica sol (ASS) and zinc plating solution. The zinc-ASS coatings have been fabricated with various ASS concentrations in sol contained plating baths (SCPB). According to electrochemical results, the positively charged ASS particles adsorbed on cathode and deposited with the electro-deposition of zinc coatings. The influence of the ASS concentration in SCPBs on the deposited coating structure, composition and growth mechanism were investigated. With the increase of ASS concentration, more ASS particles got adsorbed on cathode surface during the deposition process, which affected the crystal structure and composition of the deposited zinc coatings. Among the prepared samples, ASS embedded zinc coating exhibited relatively good wetting behavior, adhesive and wear properties, which should be attributed to the adsorption and incorporation of ASS particles. The corrosion current density of 10%-SCPB prepared zinc coating was more than an order of magnitude lower than the sol free zinc coating. This kind of approach was helpful to fabricate zinc-ASS coatings with enhanced mechanical and anti-corrosion properties for NdFeB magnets.