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In recent years, the emergence of high‐efficiency nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) has pushed the power conversion efficiency (PCE) beyond 19% in organic solar cells (OSCs). For solution processing of the photoactive layers, the study of solvent properties on device performance has become a hot research topic toward up‐scaling. Herein, the key roles of balancing solvent polarity and drying kinetics for processing of small molecular NFAs toward high‐performance OSCs are revealed. It is demonstrated that the synergistic effect of solvent polarity and drying kinetics significantly affects the multilength scale morphology of solid films and photovoltaic performance. Furthermore, the self‐assembly of NFAs in solution and the resulting thin film microstructures induced by electrostatic interactions with polarized additives are even more sensitive to solvent polarity and drying kinetics. Finally, the optimized devices achieve an outstanding PCE of 18.54% by fine‐tuning the microstructure with polar solvent and fast‐drying kinetics to form improved molecular packing and structure size. The work provides a novel view and deeper insights into the general selection rules of solvents toward the solution processing of high‐performance nonfullerene OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of organic photovoltaics (OPVs), significant progress has been made in tailoring molecular structures to enhance the open‐circuit voltage and the short‐circuit current density. However, there remains a crucial gap in the development of coordinated material design strategies focused on improving the fill factor (FF). Here, we introduce a molecular design strategy that incorporates electrostatic potential fluctuation to design organic photovoltaic materials. By reducing the fluctuation amplitude of IT‐4F, we synthesized a new acceptor named ITOC6‐4F. When using PBQx‐TF as a donor, the ITOC6‐4F‐based cell shows a markedly low recombination rate constant of 0.66×10−14 cm3 s−1 and demonstrates an outstanding FF of 0.816, both of which are new records for binary OPV cells. Also, we find that a small fluctuation amplitude could decrease the energetic disorder of OPV cells, reducing energy loss. Finally, the ITOC6‐4F‐based cell creates the highest efficiency of 16.0 % among medium‐gap OPV cells. Our work holds a vital implication for guiding the design of high‐performance OPV materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benefiting from the synergistic development of material design, device engineering, and the mechanistic understanding of device physics, the certified power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of single‐junction non‐fullerene organic solar cells (OSCs) have already reached a very high value of exceeding 19%. However, in addition to PCEs, the poor stability is now a challenging obstacle for commercial applications of organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Herein, recent progress made in exploring operational mechanisms, anomalous photoelectric behaviors, and improving long‐term stability in non‐fullerene OSCs are highlighted from a novel and previously largely undiscussed perspective of engineering exciton and charge carrier pathways. Considering the intrinsic connection among multiple temporal‐scale photocarrier dynamics, multi‐length scale morphologies, and photovoltaic performance in OPVs, this review delineates and establishes a comprehensive and in‐depth property‐function relationship for evaluating the actual device stability. Moreover, this review has also provided some valuable photophysical insights into employing the advanced characterization techniques such as transient absorption spectroscopy and time‐resolved fluorescence imagings. Finally, some of the remaining major challenges related to this topic are proposed toward the further advances of enhancing long‐term operational stability in non‐fullerene OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have consistently demonstrated brain structure abnormalities, indicating the presence of shared etiological and pathological processes between PD and brain structures; however, the genetic relationship remains poorly understood. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of shared genetic architecture between PD and brain structural phenotypes (BSPs) and to identify shared genomic loci. Methods: We used the summary statistics from genome‐wide association studies to conduct MiXeR and conditional/conjunctional false discovery rate analyses to investigate the shared genetic signatures between PD and BSPs. Subsequent expression quantitative trait loci mapping in the human brain and enrichment analyses were also performed. Results: MiXeR analysis identified genetic overlap between PD and various BSPs, including total cortical surface area, average cortical thickness, and specific brain volumetric structures. Further analysis using conditional false discovery rate (FDR) identified 21 novel PD risk loci on associations with BSPs at conditional FDR < 0.01, and the conjunctional FDR analysis demonstrated that PD shared several genomic loci with certain BSPs at conjunctional FDR < 0.05. Among the shared loci, 16 credible mapped genes showed high expression in the brain tissues and were primarily associated with immune function–related biological processes. Conclusions: We confirmed the polygenic overlap with mixed directions of allelic effects between PD and BSPs and identified multiple shared genomic loci and risk genes, which are likely related to immune‐related biological processes. These findings provide insight into the complex genetic architecture associated with PD. © 2023 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep‐red/near‐infrared (DR/NIR) organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) are promising for applications such as night‐vision readable marking, bioimaging, and photodynamic therapy. To tune emission spectra into the DR/NIR region, red emitters generally require assistance from intermolecular interactions. But such interactions generally lead to sharp efficiency declines resulting from unwanted quenching events. To overcome this challenge, herein, an advanced method via strategically managing the intermolecular interactions of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters is proposed. The proof‐of‐concept molecule called DCN‐SPTPA exhibits impressive resistance to quenching while delivering controllable aggregation behavior for redshifting the emission by installing an end‐spiro group. Consequently, two emitters demonstrate similar photophysical properties and device performance at very low doping levels; while DCN‐SPTPA‐based OLEDs demonstrate a 1.3–1.4‐fold enhancement of the external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) with respect to the control molecule at 5–20 wt.% doping ratios, affording DR/NIR emission at 656, 688, 696, and 716 nm with record‐breaking EQEs of 36.1%, 29.3%, 28.2%, and 24.0%, respectively. Moreover, DCN‐SPTPA‐based nondoped NIR device also retains a state‐of‐the‐art EQE of 2.61% peaked at 800 nm. This work first demonstrates instructive guidance for accurately manipulating the intermolecular interactions of red TADF emitters, which will spur future developments in high‐performance DR/NIR OLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in organic photodetectors (OPDs) have enabled high detectivity, high quantum efficiency, and fast response, due to their broad spectral response, easy processing, compatibility with flexible devices, and cooling‐free operations. The advantages of combining ultrathin and self‐powered OPDs are rarely explored, as technological limitations and lack of knowledge on the underlying mechanisms may lead to low light absorption efficiency and carrier recombination issues. Here, a modification layer‐assisted approach is developed to construct ultrathin self‐powered OPDs with enhanced sensitivity and ultrafast response time performance due to efficient exciton dissociation, energy transfer, and charge extraction processes. Specifically, this strategy enables a reduced exciton binding energy (42.4 meV) for efficient dissociation, as well as an increased dielectric constant of the photosensitive layer that shields undesirable lattice binding effects of photogenerated excitons. As a result, a remarkable device responsivity (0.45 A W−1), improved response detectivity (1.25 × 1012 Jones), and enhanced energy transfer efficiency (78.7%) are observed in the modified ultrathin organic photodetector. These findings illustrate a clear correlation between the exciton dissociation process, photogenerated exciton yields, and energy transfer channels, providing essential insight into the design of efficient ultrathin organic photodetectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current power conversion efficiencies of laboratory‐sized organic solar cells (OSCs), based on the spin‐coating process with halogenated solvents, have exceeded 19%. Environmentally friendly printing is needed to bridge the gap between laboratory and industrialization by being compatible with roll‐to‐roll large‐area production. Here, the molecular design rules are revealed for enhancing the green printing potential of the state‐of‐the‐art photovoltaic martial systems by investigating the detailed structure formation dynamic and the key determining factors. By comparing two model systems based on D18:Y6 and D18:BTP‐eC9, it is found that disordered preaggregation in liquid state can result in over‐sized domains with reduced crystallinity and disordered molecular orientation, which significantly limits device performance. By systematically tuning the length of the inner alkyl side chains with multiple Y‐series materials, the authors demonstrate that molecular side‐chain engineering can effectively supress the detrimental disordered preaggregation in liquid state during environmentally friendly printing process, leading to enhanced crystallization with preferential faceon molecular orientation, more efficient exciton dissociation and charge carrier transport, and finally high upscaling potential. The work provides deeper insights into molecular engineering and structure formation dynamics toward environmentally friendly production of OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is a highly lethal malignancy characterized by massive fibrosis and has ineffective adjuvant therapies. Here, we demonstrate the potential of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in targeting iCCA. Methods: Masson's trichrome staining was used to assess the effect of ARBs in iCCA specimens, CCK8 and gel contraction assays in vitro and in xenograft models in vivo. RNA‐seq and ATAC‐seq were used for mechanistic investigations. Results: Patients with iCCA who were administered ARBs had a better prognosis and a lower proportion of tumour stroma, indicating alleviated fibrosis. The presence of AGTR1, the ARBs receptor, is associated with a poor prognosis of iCCA and is highly expressed in tumour tissues and cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs). The ARBs strongly attenuated the viability of AGTR1+CAFs in vitro and retarded tumour progression and fibrosis in xenograft models of co‐cultured CAFs and iCCA cells. Still, they did not have a significant effect on AGTR1−CAFs. Moreover, ARBs decreased the secretion of AGTR1+CAF‐derived MFAP5 via the Hippo pathway, weakened the interaction between CAFs and iCCA cells, and impaired the aggressiveness of iCCA cells by attenuating the activation of the Notch1 pathway in iCCA cells. Conclusions: ARBs exhibit anti‐fibrotic function by inhibiting the viability of AGTR1+CAFs. These findings support using ARBs as a novel therapeutic option for targeting iCCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence points to the indispensable function of alveolar macrophages (AMs) in normal lung development and tissue homeostasis. However, the importance of AMs in bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) has not been elucidated. Here, we identified a significant role of abnormal AM proliferation and polarization in alveolar dysplasia during BPD, which is closely related to the activation of the IL‐33‐ST2 pathway. Compared with the control BPD group, AMs depletion partially abolished the epithelialmesenchymal transition process of AECII and alleviated pulmonary differentiation arrest. In addition, IL‐33 or ST2 knockdown has protective effects against lung injury after hyperoxia, which is associated with reduced AM polarization and proliferation. The protective effect disappeared following reconstitution of AMs in injured IL‐33 knockdown mice, and the differentiation of lung epithelium was blocked again. In conclusion, the IL‐33‐ST2 pathway regulates AECII transdifferentiation by targeting AMs proliferation and polarization in BPD, which shows a novel strategy for manipulating the IL‐33–ST2‐AMs axis for the diagnosis and intervention of BPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the identification of a novel mutation on the ABO*B.01 allele associated with a B subtype in the Chinese population. The ABO blood group system is important in clinical medicine, and it is crucial to identify aberrant expression of ABO antigens to prevent transfusion reactions or ABO-incompatible transplantations. The study used serologic tests and genetic sequencing to identify the novel mutation at position 77 (c.77T>G) in exon 2 of the ABO gene. The results suggest that this mutation is responsible for the B subtype in the Chinese population. Further investigation is needed to understand the impact of this mutation on protein structure and function. [Extracted from the article]

All‐polymer solar cells (all‐PSCs) have received attention in recent years for their desirable properties in power conversion efficiency and long‐term operational stability. However, it is still a big challenge to acquire an "ideal" vertical‐phase distribution of polymer/polymer blends due to the non‐ideal molecular conformations and mixing behaviors. Herein, a ternary‐assisted sequential solution deposition (SSD) strategy is adopted to regulate the vertical compositional profile of all‐PSCs. A favorable acceptor(donor)‐enriched phase near the cathode(anode) can be obtained by a ternary‐assisted SSD strategy. With such a compositional profile, the exciton yield and carrier density can be enhanced by the vertical component gradient. Remarkably, the non‐geminate recombination is suppressed with an improved exciton diffusion length (15.36 nm) that delivers an outstanding power conversion efficiency over 16% of the ternary PM6/PY‐IT:PDI‐2T SSD devices. This work demonstrates the success of ternary‐assisted SSD strategy in reorganizing the vertical‐phase distribution, which provides a feasible route for a potential ternary device construction toward efficient all‐polymer photovoltaics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates that the parity‐time (PT$PT$)‐symmetric non‐Hermitian Hamiltonian for a periodically driven system can be generated from a kernel Hamiltonian by a generalized gauge transformation. The kernel Hamiltonian is Hermitian and static, while the time‐dependent transformation operator has to be PT$PT$ symmetric and non‐unitary in general. Biorthogonal sets of eigenstates appear necessarily as a consequence of the non‐Hermitian Hamiltonian. The wave functions and associated non‐adiabatic Berry phase γn$\gamma _{n}$ for the nth eigenstate are obtained analytically. The classical version of the non‐Hermitian Hamiltonian becomes a complex function of canonical variables and time. The corresponding kernel Hamiltonian is derived with PT$PT$ symmetric canonical‐variable transfer in the classical gauge transformation. Moreover, with the change of position‐momentum to angle‐action variables it is revealed that the non‐adiabatic Hannay's angle ΔθH$\Delta \theta _{\text{H}}$ and Berry phase satisfy precisely the quantum‐classical correspondence, γn=(n+1/2)ΔθH$\gamma _{n}= (n+1/2)\Delta \theta _{\text{H}}$. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Tabernaesine J (1), an unprecedented vincamine‐type indole alkaloid with 6/5/6/6/6/5/5 heptacyclic‐ring system, as well as one new biogenetically related vincamine‐type indole alkaloid (2), were isolated from leaves of Tabernaemontana pachysiphon. Their structures were established by a combination of HRESIMS, NMR, single crystal X‐ray diffraction, and ECD calculation. The unprecedented penta‐lactone ring in tabernaesine J (1) was postulated to be derived from acetyl‐CoA enolate anion. Alkaloid 2 combined with fluconazole has the potential to overcome fluconazole resistance in Candida albicans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kinetic aggregation of nonfullerene acceptors under nonequilibrium conditions can induce electron–phonon interaction roll‐off and electronic band structure transition, which represents an important limitation for long‐term operational stability of organic solar cells (OSCs). However, the fundamental underlying mechanisms have received limited attention. Herein, a photophysical correlation picture between intermolecular electron–phonon coupling and trapping of electronic excitation is proposed based on the different aggregation behaviors of BTP‐eC9 in bulk‐heterojunction and layer‐by‐layer processed multicomponent OSCs. Two separate factors rationalize their correlation mechanisms: 1) the local lattice and/or molecular deformation can be regarded as the results of BTP‐eC9 aggregates in binary system under continuous heating, which brings about attenuated intermolecular electron–phonon coupling with intensified photocarrier trapping. 2) The higher density of trap states with more extended tails into the bandgap give rise to the formation of highly localized trapped polarons with a longer lifetime. The stabilized intermolecular electron–phonon coupling through synergistic regulation of donor and acceptor materials effectively suppresses unfavorable photocarrier trapping, delivering the improved device efficiency of 18.10% and enhanced thermal stability in quaternary OSCs. These results provide valuable property–function insights for further boosting photovoltaic stability in view of modulating intermolecular electron–phonon coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main observation and conclusion: Eleven biogenetically related polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (PPAPs), including four novel skeletons (1—4) and five new compounds (5—9), were isolated from the flowers of Hypericum monogynum. Hypermonones A—D (1—4) represented the first example of a unique dilactone structure containing carbonyl bonded single δ‐lactone and tricyclic γ‐lactone moieties. Their structures were elucidated by NMR analysis, X‐ray crystallography, and ECD calculations. Moreover, we revised the structure of hyperibrin B to hypermonone I (9) via NMR analysis, a quantum computational chemistry method, and hypothetic biosynthetic considerations. Three compounds (5, 6, and 9) with significant MDR reversal activity (RF ranging from 61 to 223) were superior to the positive control verapamil (MCF‐7/ADR, RF: 53; HepG2/ADR, RF: 124). Mechanism study for compound 5 indicated that this compound could inhibit the function of P‐gp transport rather than its expression, and the possible recognition mechanism between compound 5 and P‐gp was predicted by molecular docking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone widely used in malaria treatment, was discovered in the medicinal plant Artemisia annua. The biosynthesis of artemisinin is efficiently regulated by jasmonate (JA) and abscisic acid (ABA) via regulatory factors. However, the mechanisms linking JA and ABA signalling with artemisinin biosynthesis through an associated regulatory network of downstream transcription factors (TFs) remain enigmatic. Here we report AaTCP15, a JA and ABA dual‐responsive teosinte branched1/cycloidea/proliferating (TCP) TF, which is essential for JA and ABA‐induced artemisinin biosynthesis by directly binding to and activating the promoters of DBR2 and ALDH1, two genes encoding enzymes for artemisinin biosynthesis. Furthermore, AaORA, another positive regulator of artemisinin biosynthesis responds to JA and ABA, interacts with and enhances the transactivation activity of AaTCP15 and simultaneously activates AaTCP15 transcripts. Hence, they form an AaORA‐AaTCP15 module to synergistically activate DBR2, a crucial gene for artemisinin biosynthesis. More importantly, AaTCP15 expression is activated by the multiple reported JA and ABA‐responsive TFs that promote artemisinin biosynthesis. Among them, AaGSW1 acts at the nexus of JA and ABA signalling to activate the artemisinin biosynthetic pathway and directly binds to and activates the AaTCP15 promoter apart from the AaORA promoter, which further facilitates formation of the AaGSW1‐AaTCP15/AaORA regulatory module to integrate JA and ABA‐mediated artemisinin biosynthesis. Our results establish a multilayer regulatory network of the AaGSW1‐AaTCP15/AaORA module to regulate artemisinin biosynthesis through JA and ABA signalling, and provide an interesting avenue for future research exploring the special transcriptional regulation module of TCP genes associated with specialized metabolites in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite considerable advances devoted to improving the operational stability of organic solar cells (OSCs), the metastable morphology degradation remains a challenging obstacle for their practical application. Herein, the stabilizing function of the alloy states in the photoactive layer from the perspective of controlling the aggregation characteristics of non‐fullerene acceptors (NFAs), is revealed. The alloy‐like model is adopted separately into host donor and acceptor materials of the state‐of‐the‐art binary PM6:BTP‐4Cl blend with the self‐stable polymer acceptor PDI‐2T and small molecule donor DRCN5T as the third components, delivering the simultaneously enhanced photovoltaic efficiency and storage stability. In such ternary systems, two separate arguments can rationalize their operating principles: (1) the acceptor alloys strengthen the conformational rigidity of BTP‐4Cl molecules to restrain the intramolecular vibrations for rapid relaxation of high‐energy excited states to stabilize BTP‐4Cl acceptor. (2) The donor alloys optimize the fibril network microstructure of PM6 polymer to restrict the kinetic diffusion and aggregation of BTP‐4Cl molecules. According to the superior morphological stability, non‐radiative defect trapping coefficients can be drastically reduced without forming the long‐lived, trapped charge species in ternary blends. The results highlight the novel protective mechanisms of engineering the alloy‐like composites for reinforcing the long‐term stability of NFA‐based ternary OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic solar cells (OSCs), as a promising photovoltaic technology, have made great progress recently due to the various optimization methods and designs of new materials. However, the general strategies show some restrictions on photovoltaic systems and commercialization of OSCs. Insulating polymers with low costs exhibit rich functionality, enhance device performance, and stabilize film morphology in air or at a high temperature. Herein, the strategies of the ternary, interface layer, and block copolymer in insulator‐modified OSCs (i‐OSCs) reported in recent years are highlighted. In addition, the corresponding underlying mechanisms, such as crystallinity, self‐assembly, dipole interaction, and charge transfer, are also discussed. The applications of insulating polymers in OSCs open a novel avenue for optimizing device performance and bestow a potential pathway to achieve large‐scale industrial production in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary of main observation and conclusion: Interfacial engineering is expected to be a feasible strategy to improve the charge transport properties of the hole transport layer (HTL), which is of crucial importance to boost the device performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). In this study, two types of alcohol soluble materials, 2,3,5,6‐tetrafluoro‐7,7,8,8‐tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4‐TCNQ) and di‐tetrabutylammoniumcis–bis(isothiocyanato)bis (2,2'‐bipyridyl‐4,4'‐dicarboxylato) ruthenium(II) (N719) dye were selected as the dopant for HTL. The doping of F4‐TCNQ and N719 dye in poly (ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) with and without integrating a graphene quantum‐dots (G‐QDs) layer has been explored in poly[[2,6′‐4‐8‐di(5‐ethylhexylthienyl)benzo[1,2‐b:3,3‐b]dithiophene][3‐fluoro‐2[(2‐ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4‐b]thio‐phenediyl:(2,2′‐((2Z,2′Z)‐(((4,4,9, 9‐tetrakis(4‐hexylphenyl)‐4,9‐dihydro‐s‐indaceno[1,2‐b:5,6‐b′]dithiophene‐2,7‐diyl)bis(4‐((2‐ethylhexyl)oxy)thiophene‐5,2‐diyl))bis(methanylylidene))bis(5,6‐difluoro‐3‐oxo‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐indene‐2,1‐diylidene))dimalononitrile (PTB7‐Th:IEICO‐4F) OSCs. The power conversion efficiency of the non‐fullerene OSCs has been increased to 10.12% from 8.84%. The influence of HTL modification on the nano‐morphological structures and photophysical properties is analyzed based on the comparative studies performed on the control and modified devices. The use of chemical doping and bilayer strategy optimizes the energy level alignment, nanomorphology, hole mobility, and work‐function of HTL, leading to considerable reduction of the leakage current and recombination losses. Our work demonstrates that the doping of HTL and the incorporation of G‐QDs layer to constitute a bilayer HTL is an promising strategy to fabricate high performance non‐fullerene polymer solar cells [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A ternary bulk‐heterojunction (BHJ) strategy that synergistically combines the merits of fullerene and nonfullerene acceptors has been regarded as a promising approach to enhance the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of organic solar cells (OSCs). Herein, the fullerene derivative ICBA as the morphology regulator is incorporated into a nonfullerene‐based PBDB‐T‐2F:BTP‐4Cl (PM6:BTP‐4Cl) system to fabricate the high‐performance ternary OSCs. The amorphous ICBA prefers to homogeneously distribute in the BTP‐4Cl phase to form the well‐mixed acceptor domains due to their better miscibility, which distinctly reduces the exciton decay loss driven by the unfavorable phase separation and enhances BHJ morphology stability of ternary blends. The appropriate addition of ICBA induces the efficient long‐range Förster resonance energy transfer to BTP‐4Cl and facilitates the ultrafast hole transfer process from BTP‐4Cl to PM6, thereby contributing to charge carrier generation in the actual devices. Ultimately, the optimal ternary OSCs not only yield an average PCE higher than 16.5% but also show the superior ultraviolet photostability relative to binary control devices due to the increased harvesting of ultraviolet photons, boosted charge transfer, more balanced charge transport, and more stable nanostructural morphology. The results provide new insights to enable the simultaneously improved device performance and ultraviolet durability in state‐of‐the‐art ternary OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a discotic liquid crystal (DLC) 2,3,6,7,10,11‐hexaacetoxytriphenylene (HATP) is used as the interlayer between poly(3,4‐ethylene‐dioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and the active layer to achieve 3D charge transportation for organic solar cells (OSCs). HATP exhibits a columnar structure with a dominantly edge‐on orientation. For a (non‐)fullerene OSC system based on face‐on orientation, HATP columns are favorable for the expansion of edge‐on and face‐on crystallite in the active layer. According to the surface energy, surrounding the HATP columns are mainly acceptors. The significantly improved electron mobility indicates that it is easier for the electron to hop into HATP columns to transport, which represents the formation of the 3D pathway. This transport mode typically can enhance the intermolecular charge transport and effectively suppress the generation of triplet excitons and recombination. Thus, the short‐circuit current density (JSC) is increased by 14% and 19% for fullerene and non‐fullerene systems, respectively. The power conversion efficiency is improved for non‐fullerene OSCs with different active layer thicknesses (≥150 nm) and fullerene OSCs with an active layer thickness of 140 nm. Overall, this work demonstrates an approach to introduce HATP columns on a PEDOT:PSS layer that has great potential to form a 3D pathway for achieving high‐performance (non‐)fullerene OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorination and chlorination have yielded a novel class of materials and achieved tremendous progress in enhancing photovoltaic efficiency in organic solar cells (OSCs). However, their effects on photocarrier dynamics remain elusive in these organic photovoltaic systems. Herein, a comprehensive study on the underlying mechanisms is conducted based on a 2 × 2 photovoltaic matrix, consisting of PBDB‐T, PBDB‐T‐2Cl, ITIC, and IT4F. Chlorination of donors enhances exciton migration and relaxation rates and promotes the extraction of polarons. The more efficient charge transfer and a larger proportion of long‐lived polarons are observed in fluorine‐containing acceptor‐based systems, which are in favor of charge generation in the actual devices. According to the enlarged dielectric constant in the PBDB‐T‐2Cl:IT4F blend, the improved exciton delocalization, the decreased exciton binding energy, and Coulomb capture radius are obtained relative to other three binary systems, which can increase charge separation efficiency and reduce the probability of bimolecular recombination. The simultaneous fluorination and chlorination can optimize molecular packing and nanoscale phase separation, facilitating effective exciton diffusion, exciton dissociation, and charge transport. These results highlight the important role of fluorination and chlorination on these fundamental mechanisms, possibly resulting in some new molecular design principles toward high‐performance OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prenatal nicotine exposure (PNE) induces developmental toxicity in offspring. However, the long-term harmful effects on bone development and the intrauterine programming mechanism attributed to PNE remain unclear. In the present research, pregnant Wistar rats were injected subcutaneously with nicotine (2 mg/kg/d) to obtain and analyze bone samples from the fetal and adult offspring. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were treated with nicotine during osteogenic differentiation to clarify the related molecular mechanisms. The results indicated that PNE led to bone dysplasia in the fetuses and reduced bone mass in the adult offspring, which was mediated by the sustained activation of the local bone renin angiotensin system (RAS) and suppressed osteogenic differentiation before and after birth. In vitro, nicotine suppressed BMSCs' osteogenic function through promoting angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) expression and activating RAS. Furthermore, nicotine induced histone acetylase p300 into the nuclei of the BMSCs by acting on the α4β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α4β2-nAChR), leading to the increased histone 3 lysine 9 acetylation level of ACE and RAS activation. Taken together, the sustained activation of local bone RAS mediated prenatal nicotine-induced osteopenia in adult offspring via the α4β2-nAChR-p300-ACE pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Aims: Previous studies indicated that intraventricular injection of thrombin would induce hydrocephalus. But how thrombin works in this process remains unclear. Since cadherin plays a critical role in hydrocephalus, we aimed to explore the mechanisms of how thrombin acted on choroid plexus vascular endothelium and how thrombin interacted with vascular endothelial‐cadherin (VE‐cadherin) during hydrocephalus. Methods: There were two parts in this study. Firstly, rats received an injection of saline or thrombin into the right lateral ventricle. Magnetic resonance imaging was applied to measure the lateral ventricle volumes. Albumin leakage and Evans blue content were assessed to test the blood‐brain barrier function. Immunofluorescence and Western blot were applied to detect the location and the expression of VE‐cadherin. Secondly, we observed the roles of protease‐activated receptors‐1 (PAR1) inhibitor (SCH79797), Src inhibitor (PP2), p21‐activated kinase‐1 (PAK1) inhibitor (IPA3) in the thrombin‐induced hydrocephalus, and their effects on the regulation of VE‐cadherin. Results: Our study demonstrated that intraventricular injection of thrombin caused significant downregulation of VE‐cadherin in choroid plexus and dilation of ventricles. In addition, the inhibition of PAR1/p‐Src/p‐PAK1 pathway reversed the decrease of VE‐cadherin and attenuated thrombin‐induced hydrocephalus. Conclusions: Our results suggested that the thrombin‐induced hydrocephalus was associated with the inhibition of VE‐cadherin via the PAR1/p‐Src/p‐PAK1 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low-voltage multi-terminal DC system is becoming an important form of the distribution network in the future. However, the system stability margin will be weakened by the negative impedance characteristics of the DC network. The additional control method by using Lyapunov theory has become a feasible solution to improve system stability. However, the traditional way of using empirical values to design parameters of the weighted matrix cannot ensure that the solved feedback law is optimal, resulting in the limitation of control performance. In order to solve this problem, the dominant mode which determines the system stability margin is studied. Then an additional damping control method is further proposed, and its feedback law is designed and further improved by optimising the parameters of weighted matrix Q, based on the improved particle swarm optimisation algorithm, meanwhile, the optimal configuration of the dominant mode is used as the target for the parameter design. Finally, the proposed method is tested and verified, and the results show that the proposed method can significantly improve the system stability margin and dynamic performance with small control costs, and ensure the constant voltage of the DC network and safe system operation under disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) is a promising technology to suppress fault current in multi-terminal VSC-HVDC. However, the location and size of SFCLs determination have become a problem to be studied. This study proposes a location and size determination method of SFCLs in multi-terminal VSC-HVDC. In the proposed method, the current reduction ranking is developed to quantify the current limiting effect, and iterative process is utilised to deal with the non-linear characteristics of current reduction. With the iterative current reduction ranking, the location and size could be determined collaboratively under mathematical guidance, ensuring the optimality of current limiting effect. Fast calculation of current reduction is investigated to accelerate the determination process. Finally, the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method are validated in a four-terminal VSC-HVDC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction technique revealed that the microstructure of epitaxial Ni50Mn30Ga20 thin films are composed of six different orientated NM martensite variant colonies. In each martensite variant colony, there are eight different orientated NM martensite variants. The six NM and 7M martensite variant colonies are transformed from six (101)A planes of austenite, with the transformation consequence from Austenite to 7M martensite and then to NM martensite. Cross section TEM examination reveals the coexistence of 7M martensite and NM martensite. The habit plane between 7M martensite and NM martensite can be determined as (001)mono of 7M martensite and (112)Tetr of NM martensite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new carboline alkaloid, Trifiline D ( 1) and a new degraded diterpenoid, Trigoxyphin X ( 4) were isolated from the roots and stems of Trigonostemon lii. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses including 1D- and 2D- NMR techniques. Compound 1 exhibited weak inhibitory activity against MCF-7, A-549, MGC-803, and COLO-205 with IC50 values ranging from 27.4 to 35.4 μ m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Berry syndrome is a rare congenital cardiac malformation. We describe 4 cases of Berry syndrome diagnosed by fetal echocardiography. Based on our experience, the three‐vessel view is important for diagnosing the aortopulmonary window and aortic origin of the right pulmonary artery. Furthermore, the true cross‐sectional and sagittal views obtained by continuously scanning from the three‐vessel‐trachea view to the long‐axis view of the aortic arch are required to image the interruption or coarctation of the aortic arch. An early and accurate prenatal diagnosis of Berry syndrome is feasible and helps to improve patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new phragmalin-type limonoid orthoesters, velutabularins K-M ( 1- 3) and seven structurally related known compounds were isolated from the bark of Chukrasia tabularis var. velutina. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. The structure of 1 was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. In addition, the brine shrimp lethality of compounds 1, 3, and the known compounds was evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis and characterization of a series of biphenyl-derived binuclear ruthenium complexes with terminal {RuCl(CO)(PMe3)3} moieties and different structural arrangements of the phenyl rings are reported. Electrochemical studies revealed that the two metal centers of the binuclear ruthenium complexes interact with each other through the biphenyl bridge, and the redox splittings Δ E1/2 show a strong linear correlation with cos2 ϕ, where ϕ is the torsion angle between the two phenyl rings. A combination of electrochemical, UV/Vis/NIR, and in situ IR differential spectroelectrochemical analysis clearly showed that: 1) the intramolecular electronic couplings in the binuclear ruthenium complexes could be modulated by changing ϕ; 2) the electronic ground state of the mixed-valent cations changes from delocalized to localized through the biphenyl bridge with increasing torsion angle ϕ, that is, the redox processes of these complexes change from significant involvement of the bridging ligand to an oxidation behavior with less participation of the bridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new indole alkaloids, trigonoliimines D-G ( 1- 4, resp.), were isolated from Trigonostemon lii. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1D- and 2D-NMR experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atraphaxis has approximately 25 species and a distribution center in Central Asia. It has been previously used to hypothesize an origin from montane forest. We sampled 18 species covering three sections within the genus and sequenced five cpDNA spacers, atpB- rbcL, psbK- psbI, psbA- trnH, rbcL, and trnL- trnF. BEAST was used to reconstruct phylogenetic relationship and time divergences, and S-DIVA and Lagrange were used, based on distribution area and ecotype data, for reconstruction of ancestral areas and events. Our results appear compatible with designation of three taxonomic sections within the genus. The generic stem and crown ages were Eocene, approximately 47 Ma, and Oligocene 27 Ma, respectively. The origin of Atraphaxis is confirmed as montane, with an ancestral area consisting of the Junggar Basin and uplands of the Pamir-Tianshan-Alatau-Altai mountain chains, and ancestral ecotype of montane forest. Two remarkable paleogeographic events, shrinkage of the inland Paratethys Sea at the boundary of the late Oligocene and early Miocene, and the time intervals of cooling and drying of global climate from 24 (22) Ma onward likely facilitated early diversification of Atraphaxis, while rapid uplift of the Tianshan Mountains during the late Miocene may have promoted later diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY The unbuckling brace, acting as a combination of a conventional brace and displacement-dependent damper, can successfully avoid the bucking and consequent fracture compared with the conventional brace, which has been widely applied in concentrically braced frame structures. In this paper, the H-type steel unbuckling brace (SUB), which is welded by steel flats and core made of low-yield steel, is presented. The quasi-static tests, the shaking table tests of a steel structure with SUBs and conventional central braces and the numerical analysis of a real steel building with and without SUBs are conducted in this study to evaluate the performance of SUBs. The results demonstrate that the SUBs have excellent plastic deformation capacity, stable energy dissipation capacity and no stiffness degradation, and can provide certain initial stiffness to the structure and dissipate earthquake input energy by yielding behaviour. Moreover, it is effective in reducing the structural response, and in particular, in controlling the structural displacement. In conclusion, the SUB proposed is a lateral resistant member with high stiffness and strength and an excellent energy dissipation device, which is much more competitive than the conventional brace in improving lateral resistance and seismic performance of the frame structure. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new oleanane saponins, lobelioidosides A-D ( 1- 4, resp.), all endowed with 16-oxo and a 23-OH group, as well as with a 13,28-epoxy bridge as a common moiety, have been isolated from the 75% EtOH extract of the whole plant of Lysimachia lobelioides. Their structures were elucidated on the bases of MS, 1H- and 13C-NMR, HMQC, HMBC, and 1H,1H-COSY data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]