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[Display omitted] • 2-TPAA is adopted to post-treat CsPbI 2 Br perovskite film. • The Pb2+ defects are passivated by carboxyl and thiophene group respectively. • The α-CsPbI 2 Br is stable in air via surface reconstruction and passivation effect. Inorganic CsPbX 3 (X = Cl, Br, I) perovskite without volatile organic components in crystal lattice, has outstanding thermal stability and broad application prospects. Various strategies have been adopted to restrain the notorious phase transition process (from cubic to orthorhombic phase) for high photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE). Nevertheless, most studies simply focus on the surface passivation of perovskite films, ignoring the influence of surface element segregation, which is inevitable during perovskite crystallization and growth process. Herein, 2-thiopheneacetic acid (2-TPAA) was adopted to reconstruct the surface of CsPbI 2 Br film via secondary growth process. The constituent elements of CsPbI 2 Br especially Br- enrich on the surface under the action of 2-TPAA. Meanwhile, the carboxyl and thiophene groups of 2-TPAA bidentate anchor Pb2+ ions respectively, forming protective layer to inhibit the invasion of external factors. In addition, the film morphology, moisture resistance, thermodynamic stability as well as carrier transport performance of perovskite films also get improved significantly. The black phase of CsPbI 2 Br survives in air ambient for several days, via the synergism of surface reconstruction and passivation effect. Furthermore, the device PCE increased to 15.03%, and retained 90% initial PCE during 400 d aging. The surface reconstruction strategy provides a convenient method to improve the phase stability of CsPbI 2 Br perovskite films in air ambient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a spin coating method to investigate the use of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) and F, Al co-doped ZnO (FAZO) films using zinc acetate as a zinc source and aluminum nitrate and ammonia fluoride as the dopant. Different processing temperatures have been conducted in-depth research on the AZO and FAZO thin film structures, morphology and photoelectric properties. The results show that for the AZO film, the intensity of the (002) diffraction peak (DP) first increases and then decreases with temperature, while the intensity of the (002) DP of the FAZO film gradually increases with temperature, effectively improving the thermal stability of the prepared AZO film. With the incorporation of F, the optimum growth of ZnO films along the c -axis perpendicular to the substrate surface is promoted, and the grain size on the film surface increases. Meanwhile, the introduction of F inhibits the generation of interstitial Zn atoms, O vacancy, and Zn vacancy; reduces the adsorption of –CO 3 , H 2 O, OH−, and O 2 on the surface; and significantly improves the film stability. The optimum electrical resistivity (ρ) values of FAZO and AZO films prepared at 450 °C are 3.32 × 10−3 Ωcm and 5.66 × 10−3 Ωcm, respectively, and the average transmittance (T A) within the range of 380–1600 nm is 92.84% and 88.65%, respectively. • Al doped ZnO films were prepared by sol–gel spin coating. • F and Al co-doped ZnO films were prepared by sol–gel spin coating. • Good electrical properties of F and Al co-doped ZnO films were achieved. • Over 92.84% average transmittance in the optical range of 380–1600 nm was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Stabilize SnO 2 colloids with EDTA-2M (M represents K, Rb or Cs). • Improve the electrical and surface properties of the SnO 2 films with EDTA-2M. • Promote the quality of the perovskite films with EDTA-2M. • The 1.57 eV bandgap PSCs realized a champion efficiency of 23.30% (V OC = 1.171V). • The 1.69eV bandgap PSCs reached an efficiency of 19.76% (V OC = 1.266V). The electron transport layer (ETL) is of great importance for preparing high-efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Here we introduced EDTA-2 M (M represents K, Rb or Cs) molecules to stabilize SnO 2 colloids, and improve the electrical and surface properties of the SnO 2 films. With the help of EDTA-2 M, the electron mobility of SnO 2 -based perovskite films is increased from 3.6 × 10-4 to 1.27 × 10-3 cm2V-1s−1. In addition, EDTA-2 M molecules can effectively passivate the interface defects of SnO 2 and promote the quality of the perovskite films. All the improvements suppress the carrier recombination, leading to a smaller open circuit voltage (V OC) loss. Finally, the 1.57 eV bandgap PSCs based on EDTA-2 M modified SnO 2 realized a champion efficiency of 23.30% (V OC = 1.171 V) with a negligible hysteresis, while the 1.69 eV bandgap perovskite device reached an efficiency of 19.76% (V OC = 1.266 V). The unencapsulated PSCs based on EDTA-2 M modified SnO 2 only drop 5% of the initial efficiency after being exposed to the ambient atmosphere for 1200 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eliminating the carrier recombination loss is of great significance for the performance of the perovskite solar cells. Here, three small molecules with the same core unit (ITIC) but different end groups (nominally IT-M and IT-4F) were incorporated into the perovskite films by engineering the composition of the perovskite precursor solutions. It is suggested that the molecules not only increase the grain size and passivate the non-coordinated Pb2+ cations among the grain boundaries, but also balance the carrier transport by regulating the electronic structure of the perovskite/molecule hybrid films (PMHFs), and produce a hydrophobic surface to prohibit the moisture permeation into the active layers. Finally, the devices based on PMHFs exhibits a significant improvement in photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) and the stability. The PSCs based on IT-4F realizes a champion PCE of 19.75% (reverse sweep up to 20.08%), which is far larger than those control ones (16.65%). Cells sustain over 90% of their initial efficiency after 20 days in a N 2 -filled glove box. Image 1 • Small molecules are introduced into perovskite precursor solution. • Interface defects are suppressed. • The electrons and holes give rise to a more balanced transporting behavior. • PSCs have improved stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ti 3 C 2 @CTAB-Se is more conducive to the surface adsorption and diffusion of AlCl 4 −. • The Ti2+/Ti4+ and Se0/Sex+ undergo a reversible redox reaction in Ti 3 C 2 @CTAB-Se. • Ti 3 C 2 @CTAB-Se exhibits a reversible capacity of 583.7 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1. Recently, aluminum-based batteries have received extensive attention and research in various countries because of their absolute advantages in terms of cost, energy density, and safety performance compared to other metals-based batteries. Herein, we successfully synthesized composite two-dimensional layered structure (Ti 3 C 2 @CTAB-Se) through HF etching, CTAB expansion and subsequent selenium treatment. Through electrochemical and XPS analysis of Ti 3 C 2 @CTAB-Se, it is known that Ti2+/Ti4+ and Se0/Sex+ undergo a reversible redox reaction during charging/discharging. Moreover, it is surprisingly found by density functional theory (DFT) that Ti 3 C 2 O 2 after selenidation treatment is more conducive to the surface adsorption and diffusion of AlCl 4 − compared to Ti 3 C 2 O 2. Therefore, Ti 3 C 2 @CTAB-Se exhibits excellent electrochemical performance. It shows a reversible discharge specific capacity of 583.7 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1, and its capacity is still 132.6 mAh g−1 after 400 cycles. In addition, Ti 3 C 2 @CTAB-Se exhibits absolute advantages in both voltage and capacity for graphite-based, oxides, sulfide and other electrode materials in aluminum-based and other batteries cathode materials. Therefore, the advantages of this work in voltage and capacity will promote the development of aluminum batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The contact time between hail and membrane is related to the membrane stiffness and impact velocity. • The resistance to external loads is not only related to the pretension but also the rise-span ratio. • The relaxation effect due to the hail may significantly reduce the critical wind speed of membrane. In this paper, the dynamic response of a typical four-point pretensioned saddle membrane structure under hail impact load is investigated by numerical simulations and experimental studies. Firstly, the initial shape of saddle membrane is obtained by form-finding analysis using the finite element analysis software ANSYS. The complex mechanical process of hail impact on the flexible membrane is simulated by LS-DYNA/Explicit dynamic analysis program, and the dynamic response of membrane, including displacement, velocity and acceleration, etc, is characterized. Then the experiment of saddle membrane under hail impact is carried out by applying the same loading conditions with the numerical analysis. The comparison between the numerical and experimental results shows good agreement, which verifies the reliability of the numerical simulations. It is discovered that the pretension relaxation induced by the hail impact may decrease the critical wind speed of membrane, and significantly increase the risk of membrane instability subject to hailstorm. Finally, the dynamic characteristics of typical four-point tensioned saddle membrane are summarized, which may provide reference for the design, construction and maintenance of membrane structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, ternary organic solar cells, which enable extended spectral response range compared to their binary counterpart, have been emerging as an attractive strategy for obtaining impressive photovoltaic properties. In this work, the third component of PBDB-T with a medium bandgap was introduced into PBT7-Th: PC 71 BM host system to fabricate high efficiency ternary solar cells. It was revealed that PBDB-T not only broadens the light absorption range, but also provides pathway for energy transfer via a Firster resonance energy transfer (FRET) regime. Finally, a champion PCE of 9.45% is achieved for the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) ternary solar cells with 15 wt% PBDB-T, which is 11% enhancement in PCE compared with the host binary OSCs. These results indicate that broadening absorption range is an effective strategy to improve OSCs performance. Image 109082 • We introduce PBDB-T as the third component to PTB7-Th: PC 71 BM organic solar cells. • The absorption spectrum of PBDB-T supplements the absorption spectra of PTB7-Th: PC 71 BM system. • Non-radiation Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) regime take place between PBDB-T and PTB7-Th. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-efficiency organic solar cells (OSCs) based on low-temperature (LT) processed SnO 2 electron transport layer (ETL) are promising for their commercial use. However, high density of traps and large contact barrier for carriers at the interface between LT SnO 2 and the active layer has been reported. To solve the problem, various interface modifying layer materials, such as PFN, has been introduced. Currently, the fabrication process of such interface modifying layer materials is complex and expensive. Herein, a facile strategy involved a polar solvent ethanolamine (EA) is introduced to modify LT SnO 2 surface. By soaking the SnO 2 film into EA solution in 2-Methoxyethanol (2-ME), EA can easily anchor into SnO 2 film surface and forms a continuous monomolecular layer via dehydration reaction. The whole process is green and highly compatible with a roll-to-roll process. Further study suggests that the deep trap centers on SnO 2 surface are substantially reduced and the built-in potential in OSCs is reinforced. Finally, OSCs based on EA-modified SnO 2 demonstrated an enhanced power conversion efficiency from 10.71% to 12.45% which was comparable to those based on ZnO (12.26%) under the same experiment parameters. Our work boosts the development of the inverted OSCs with easy fabrication and compatibility with roll-to-roll process. Image 1 • The EA molecules are bound to the SnO2 film surface through a dehydration reaction. • The EA treatment significantly suppresses the hydroxyl groups related deep-level traps at the SnO2/BHJ interface. • The built-in potential of OSCs is reinforced by using EA treatment at SnO2/BHJ interface. • The EA treatment boosts the efficiency of PBDB-TF:IT-4F based OSCs from 10.71% to 12.45%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aims: To identify the metabolic underpinnings of retinal aging and examine how it is related to mortality and morbidity of common diseases., Methods: The retinal age gap has been established as essential aging indicator for mortality and systemic health. We applied neural network to train the retinal age gap among the participants in UK Biobank and used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to profile plasma metabolites. The metabolomic signature of retinal ageing (MSRA) was identified using an elastic network model. Multivariable Cox regressions were used to assess associations between the signature with 12 serious health conditions. The participants in Guangzhou Diabetic Eye Study (GDES) cohort were analyzed for validation., Results: This study included 110 722 participants (mean age 56.5±8.1 years at baseline, 53.8% female), and 28 plasma metabolites associated with retinal ageing were identified. The MSRA revealed significant correlations with each 12 serious health conditions beyond traditional risk factors and genetic predispositions. Each SD increase in MSRA was linked to a 24%-76% higher risk of mortality, cardiovascular diseases, dementia and diabetes mellitus. MSRA showed dose-response relationships with risks of these diseases, with seven showing non-linear and five showing linear increases. Validation in the GDES further established the relation between retinal ageing-related metabolites and increased risks of cardiovascular and chronic kidney diseases (all p<0.05)., Conclusions: The metabolic connections between ocular and systemic health offer a novel tool for identifying individuals at high risk of premature ageing, promoting a more holistic view of human health., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Wide-bandgap (WBG) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are employed as top cells of tandem cells to break through the theoretical limits of single-junction photovoltaic devices. However, WBG PSCs exhibit severe open-circuit voltage (V oc ) loss with increasing bromine content. Herein, inhomogeneous halogen-phase distribution is pointed out to be the reason, which hinders efficient extraction of carriers. We thus propose to form homogeneous halogen-phase distribution to address the issue. With the help of density functional theory, we construct a double-layer structure (D-2P) based on 2-(9H-Carbazol-9-yl)ethyl]phosphonic acid molecules to provide nucleation sites for perovskite crystallization. Homogeneous perovskite phase is achieved through bottom-up templated crystallization of halogen component. The efficient carrier extraction reduces the Shockley-Read-Hall recombination, resulting in a high V oc of 1.32 V. As a result, D-2P-treated device (1.75 eV) achieves a record power conversion efficiency of 20.80% (certified 20.70%), which is the highest value reported for WBG (more than 1.74 eV) PSCs., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the rapid rate of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thinning in short-term is associated with the future risk of developing diabetic retinopathy (DR)., Methods: This prospective cohort study utilized 4-year follow-up data from the Guangzhou Diabetic Eye Study. The pRNFL thickness was measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT). DR was graded by seven-field fundus photography after dilation of the pupil. Correlations between pRNFL thinning rate and DR were analyzed using logistic regression. The additive predictive value of the prediction model was assessed using the C-index, net reclassification index (NRI), and integrated discriminant improvement index (IDI)., Results: A total of 1012 patients with diabetes (1012 eyes) without DR at both baseline and 1-year follow-up were included in this study. Over the 4-year follow-up, 132 eyes (13%) developed DR. After adjusting for confounding factors, a faster rate of initial pRNFL thinning was significantly associated with the risk of DR (odds ratio per standard deviation [SD] decrease = 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.08 to 1.23, P < 0.001). Incorporating either the baseline pRNFL thickness or its thinning rate into conventional prediction models significantly improved the discriminatory power. Adding the rate of pRNFL thinning further enhanced the discriminative power compared with models with only baseline pRNFL thickness (C-index increased from 0.685 to 0.731, P = 0.040). The IDI and NRI were 0.114 and 0.463, respectively (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: The rate of initial pRNFL thinning was associated with DR occurrence and improved discriminatory power of traditional predictive models. This provides new insights into the management and screening of DR.

Photoactive black-phase formamidinium lead triiodide (α-FAPbI 3 ) perovskite has dominated the prevailing high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs), normally for those spin-coated, conventional n-i-p structured devices. Unfortunately, α-FAPbI 3 has not been made full use of its advantages in inverted p-i-n structured PSCs fabricated via blade-coating techniques owing to uncontrollable crystallization kinetics and complicated phase evolution of FAPbI 3 perovskites during film formation. Herein, a customized crystal surface energy regulation strategy has been innovatively developed by incorporating 0.5 mol % of N-aminoethylpiperazine hydroiodide (NAPI) additive into α-FAPbI 3 crystal-derived perovskite ink, which enabled the formation of highly-oriented α-FAPbI 3 films. We deciphered the phase transformation mechanisms and crystallization kinetics of blade-coated α-FAPbI 3 perovskite films via combining a series of in-situ characterizations and theoretical calculations. Interestingly, the strong chemical interactions between the NAPI and inorganic Pb-I framework help to reduce the surface energy of (100) crystal plane by 42 %, retard the crystallization rate and lower the formation energy of α-FAPbI 3 . Benefited from multifaceted advantages of promoted charge extraction and suppressed non-radiative recombination, the resultant blade-coated inverted PSCs based on (100)-oriented α-FAPbI 3 perovskite films realized promising efficiencies up to 24.16 % (~26.5 % higher than that of the randomly-oriented counterparts), accompanied by improved operational stability. This result represented one of the best performances reported to date for FAPbI 3 -based inverted PSCs fabricated via scalable deposition methods., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Purpose: To identify longitudinal metabolomic fingerprints of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and to evaluate their usefulness in predicting DR development and progression., Design: Multicenter, multiethnic cohort study., Participants: This study included 17 675 participants from the UK Biobank (UKB) who had baseline prediabetes or diabetes, identified in accordance with the 2021 American Diabetes Association guidelines, and were free of baseline DR and an additional 638 participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus from the Guangzhou Diabetic Eye Study (GDES) for external validation. Diabetic retinopathy was determined by ICD-10 codes in the UKB cohort and revised ETDRS grading criteria in the GDES cohort., Methods: Longitudinal DR metabolomic fingerprints were identified through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) assay in UKB participants. The predictive value of these fingerprints for predicting DR development were assessed in a fully withheld test set. External validation and extrapolation analyses of DR progression and microvascular damage were conducted in the GDES cohort using NMR technology. Model assessments included the concordance (C) statistic, net classification improvement (NRI), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), calibration, and clinical usefulness in both cohorts., Main Outcome Measures: DR development and progression and retinal microvascular damage., Results: Of 168 metabolites, 118 were identified as candidate metabolomic fingerprints for future DR development. These fingerprints significantly improved the predictability for DR development beyond traditional indicators (C statistic, 0.802 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.760-0.843] vs. 0.751 [95% CI, 0.706-0.796]; P = 5.56 × 10 -4 ). Glucose, lactate, and citrate were among the fingerprints validated in the GDES cohort. Using these parsimonious and replicable fingerprints yielded similar improvements for predicting DR development (C statistic, 0.807 [95% CI, 0.711-0.903] vs. 0.617 [95% CI, 0.494-0.740]; P = 1.68 × 10 -4 ) and progression (C statistic, 0.797 [95% CI, 0.712-0.882] vs. 0.665 [95% CI, 0.545-0.784]; P = 0.003) in the external GDES cohort. Improvements in NRIs, IDIs, and clinical usefulness also were evident in both cohorts (all P < 0.05). In addition, lactate and citrate were associated with microvascular damage across macular and optic nerve head regions among Chinese GDES (all P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Metabolomic profiling may be effective in identifying robust fingerprints for predicting future DR development and progression, providing novel insights into the early and advanced stages of DR pathophysiology., Financial Disclosure(s): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article., (Copyright © 2024 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the longitudinal rate of choriocapillaris flow deficits (CFD) in healthy participants and patients with diabetes mellitus., Methods: This prospective cohort study included healthy individuals and diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy (non-DR) or with mild-to-moderate non-proliferative DR (NPDR). The swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was adopted for quantifying CFD annually, and linear mixed models were used to analyse the CFD change and its 95% CI overtime., Results: A total of 1025 individuals were included, including 465 healthy controls, 454 in the non-DR group and 106 in the NPDR group. Significant increase in CFDs was observed in NPDR group (0.423%, 95% CI 0.230% to 0.616%) and non-DR group (0.319%, 95% CI 0.225% to 0.412%), which were higher than the CFD in healthy controls (0.173%, 95% CI 0.079% to 0.266%). After adjusting for other factors, the non-DR and NPDR group had a greater annual elevation of CFD by 0.171% (95% CI 0.060% to 0.283%; p=0.003) and 0.258% (95% CI 0.068% to 0.449%; p=0.008) in comparisons with controls. Furthermore, higher serum creatinine and glycated haemoglobin levels, poorer best-corrected visual acuity, lower OCTA image quality scores and smaller CFD at baseline were independently related to accelerated CFD worsening (all p<0.05)., Conclusions: The CFD among healthy individuals and patients with diabetes increased consistently overtime, regardless of the presence or absence of DR, suggesting that CFD alterations could be an early indicator of microvascular complications, potentially aiding in the earlier DR detection., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death. However, the prognostic value of the tumor shrinkage rate (TSR) after chemotherapy for SCLC is still unknown., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 235 patients with SCLC. The TSR cutoff was determined based on receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis. The associations of TSR with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Survival curves were obtained by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Recurrence patterns after first-line treatment were summarized in a pie chart. A nomogram was constructed to validate the predictive role of the TSR in SCLC., Results: The TSR cutoff was identified to be  - 6.6%. Median PFS and OS were longer in the group with a TSR < -6.6% than in the group with a TSR ≥ - 6.6%. PFS and OS were also longer in patients with extensive SCLC when the TSR was < - 6.6% than when it was > - 6.6%. Brain metastasis-free survival was better in the group with a TSR < - 6.6%. There was a significant positive correlation between TSR and PFS. Furthermore, univariate and multivariate regression analyses showed that the TSR, patient age, and previous radiotherapy were independent prognostic factors for OS while TSR and M stage were independent prognostic factors for PFS., Conclusions: The TSR may prove to be a good indicator of OS and PFS in patients receiving chemotherapy-based first-line treatment for SCLC., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To investigate the long-term patterns and risk factors of visual field defect (VFD) development in nonpathologic high myopia (HM) over an 8-year follow-up., Methods: This was an observational cohort study. The VFD classification adhered to the Glaucoma Suspects with High Myopia Study Group. Logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations were used to identify risk factors for VFD development., Results: A total of 330 eyes from 194 patients were included. Among them, 49.4% of eyes developed VFD, with enlarged blind spot and nonspecific defect ranked as the most common VFDs, followed by partial arcuate defect, vertical step, nasal step, paracentral defect, and combined defects. Longer axial length (odds ratio [OR] = 1.43 per 1-mm increase; 95% CI, 1.04-1.95; P = 0.026), thinner central corneal thickness (OR = 1.01 per 1-µm decrease; 95% CI, 1.003-1.02; P = 0.013), worse mean deviation of visual field (OR = 1.51 per 1-dB decrease; 95% CI, 1.14-2.00; P = 0.004), and the presence of peripapillary γ-zone (OR = 5.57; 95% CI, 3.06-10.15; P < 0.001) at baseline correlated with the development of any VFD. By incorporating these factors, the prediction models achieved area under the curves of 0.789 (95% CI, 0.726-0.853) and 0.828 (95% CI, 0.714-0.943) for discriminating the development of any VFD and moderate/severe VFD, respectively, with good calibration power., Conclusions: The development of VFD occurred frequently in individuals with nonpathologic HM and can be effectively predicted using relevant metrics. The findings will aid in expanding our knowledge of optic neuropathy in HM.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate prediction model for myopic macular degeneration (MMD) progression in patients with high myopia., Methods: The Zhongshan High Myopia Cohort for model development included 660 patients aged 7 to 70 years with a bilateral sphere of ≤-6.00 diopters (D). Two hundred twelve participants with an axial length (AL) ≥25.5 mm from the Chinese Ocular Imaging Project were used for external validation. Thirty-four clinical variables, including demographics, lifestyle, myopia history, and swept source optical coherence tomography data, were analyzed. Sequential forward selection was used for predictor selection, and binary classification models were created using five machine learning algorithms to forecast the risk of MMD progression over 10 years., Results: Over a median follow-up of 10.9 years, 133 patients (20.2%) showed MMD progression in the development cohort. Among them, 69 (51.9%) developed newly-onset MMD, 11 (8.3%) developed patchy atrophy from diffuse atrophy, 54 (40.6%) showed an enlargement of lesions, and 9 (6.8%) developed plus signs. Top six predictors for MMD progression included thinner subfoveal choroidal thickness, longer AL, worse best-corrected visual acuity, older age, female gender, and shallower anterior chamber depth. The eXtreme Gradient Boosting algorithm yielded the best discriminative performance (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUROC] = 0.87 ± 0.02) with good calibration in the training cohort. In a less myopic external validation group (median -5.38 D), 48 patients (22.6%) developed MMD progression over 4 years, with the model's AUROC validated at 0.80 ± 0.008., Conclusions: Machine learning model effectively predicts MMD progression a decade ahead using clinical and imaging indicators. This tool shows promise for identifying "at-risk" high myopes for timely intervention and vision protection.

Wide-bandgap mixed-halogen perovskite materials are widely used as top cells in tandem solar cells. However, serious open-circuit voltage (V oc ) loss restricts the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, it is shown that the resulting methylammonium vacancies induce lattice distortion in methylammonium chloride-assisted perovskite film, resulting in an inhomogeneous halogen distribution and low V oc . Thus, a lattice strain regulation strategy is reported to fabricate high-performance wide-bandgap PSCs. Rubidium (Rb) cations are introduced to fill the A-site vacancy caused by the methylammonium volatilization, which alleviates shrinkage strain of the perovskite crystal. The reduced lattice distortion and increased halide ion migration barrier result in a homogeneous mixed-halide perovskite film. Due to improved carrier transport and suppressed nonradiative recombination, the Rb-treated wide-bandgap PSC (1.68 eV) achieves an excellent PCE of 21.72%, accompanied by a high V oc of 1.22 V. The resulting device maintains more than 90% of its initial PCE after 1500 h under 1-sun illumination conditions., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Purpose: The purpose is to investigate the association between handgrip strength (HGS) and the risk of future diabetic complications in multicountry cohorts., Methods: The association between HGS and diabetic complications was evaluated using cox models among 84 453 patients with pre-diabetes and diabetes from the UK Biobank with a 12-year follow-up. The association between HGS and longitudinal microcirculatory damage rates was assessed among 819 patients with diabetes from the Guangzhou Diabetic Eye Study (GDES) with a 3-year follow-up. Participants were divided into three age groups (<56, 56-65 and ≥65 years), and each group was further subdivided into three HGS tertiles., Results: A 5 kg reduction in HGS was associated with increased risk for all-cause mortality (women, HR=1.10, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.14; p<0.001; men, HR=1.13, 95% CI: 1.11 to 1.15; p<0.001). Women and men in the lowest HGS group exhibited 1.6-times and 1.3-1.5-times higher risk of myocardial infarction and stroke compared with the highest HGS group. In men, there was a higher risk of developing end-stage renal disease (HR=1.83, 95% CI: 1.30 to 2.57; p=0.001), while this was not observed in women. Both sexes in the lowest HGS group had a 1.3-times higher risk of diabetic retinopathy compared with the highest HGS group. In the GDES group, individuals with the lowest HGS showed accelerated microcirculatory damage in retina (all p<0.05)., Conclusions: Reduced HGS is significantly associated with a higher risk of diabetic complications and accelerated microvascular damage. HGS could serve as a practical indicator of vascular health in patients with pre-diabetes and diabetes., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

In the past decade, perovskite solar cell (PSC) photoelectric conversion efficiency has advanced significantly, and tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) has been extensively used as the electron transport layer (ETL). Due to its high electron mobility, strong chemical stability, energy level matching with perovskite, and easy low-temperature fabrication, SnO 2 is one of the most effective ETL materials. However, the SnO 2 material as an ETL has its limitations. For example, SnO 2 films prepared by low-temperature spin-coating contain a large number of oxygen vacancies, resulting in energy loss and high open-circuit voltage ( V OC ) loss. In addition, the crystal quality of perovskites is closely related to the substrate, and the disordered crystal orientation will lead to ion migration, resulting in a large number of uncoordinated Pb 2+ defects. Therefore, interface optimization is essential to improve the efficiency and stability of the PSC. In this work, 2-(5-chloro-2-benzotriazolyl)-6- tert -butyl-p-cresol (CBTBC) was introduced for ETL modification. On the one hand, the hydroxyl group of CBTBC forms a Lewis mixture with the Sn atom, which reduces the oxygen vacancy defect and prevents nonradiative recombination. On the other hand, the SnO 2 /CBTBC interface can effectively improve the crystal orientation of perovskite by influencing the crystallization kinetics of perovskite, and the nitrogen element in CBTBC can effectively passivate the uncoordinated Pb 2+ defects at the SnO 2 /perovskite interface. Finally, the prevailing PCE of PSC (1.68 eV) modified by CBTBC was 20.34% ( V OC = 1.214 V, J SC = 20.49 mA/cm 2 , FF = 82.49%).

The detection and tracking of ships can be realized by using the laser forward and backward scattering characteristics of ship wake bubbles. In this paper, the detection ability of two kinds of scattering to wake bubbles is studied. Based on the distribution characteristics of ship wake and bubble targets, typical bubble targets are selected to study from both micro and macro aspects. The light scattering model of water is established from the microscopic aspect, and the forward and backward scattering light intensity equations of water are derived. The circumferential scattering characteristics of a single bubble are analyzed based on the Mie scattering theory. According to the transmission characteristics of light in wake bubbles, the secondary scattering model of wake bubbles is established, and the forward and backward scattering light intensity equations are derived. In the macroscopic aspect, the laser scattering simulation model of wake bubbles is established by Monte Carlo, and the forward and backward scattering characteristics of wake bubble clusters with different radii, densities, and thicknesses are analyzed emphatically. A laser forward scattering and backscattering detection system under typical bubble characteristics was built, and the composite scattering characteristics of wake bubbles with different parameter characteristics were experimentally analyzed. The theoretical and experimental results show that with the increase of bubble radius, density, and thickness, the amplitude of laser forward scattering signal of bubble groups decreases gradually, the amplitude of backward scattering signal increases gradually, the change rate of forward and backward scattering amplitude increases, and the change rate of backscattering is obviously larger than that of forward scattering. The detection of wake bubbles by backscattering has more characteristic changes than that by forward scattering, and the detection success rate is higher. The research results can provide theoretical and experimental support for the design of a ship wake laser detection system.

Importance: Identifying primary angle closure suspect (PACS) eyes at risk of angle closure is crucial for its management. However, the risk of progression and its prediction are still understudied in long-term longitudinal studies about PACS., Objective: To explore baseline predictors and develop prediction models for the 14-year risk of progression from PACS to primary angle closure (PAC)., Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study involved participants from the Zhongshan Angle Closure Prevention trial who had untreated eyes with PACS. Baseline examinations included tonometry, ultrasound A-scan biometry, and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) under both light and dark conditions. Primary angle closure was defined as peripheral anterior synechiae in 1 or more clock hours, intraocular pressure (IOP) greater than 24 mm Hg, or acute angle closure. Based on baseline covariates, logistic regression models were built to predict the risk of progression from PACS to PAC during 14 years of follow-up., Results: The analysis included 377 eyes from 377 patients (mean [SD] patient age at baseline, 58.28 [4.71] years; 317 females [84%]). By the 14-year follow-up visit, 93 eyes (25%) had progressed from PACS to PAC. In multivariable models, higher IOP (odds ratio [OR], 1.14 [95% CI, 1.04-1.25] per 1-mm Hg increase), shallower central anterior chamber depth (ACD; OR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.67-0.97] per 0.1-mm increase), and shallower limbal ACD (OR, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.93-0.99] per 0.01 increase in peripheral corneal thickness) at baseline were associated with an increased 14-year risk of progression from PACS to PAC. As for AS-OCT measurements, smaller light-room trabecular-iris space area (TISA) at 500 μm from the scleral spur (OR, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.77-0.96] per 0.01-mm2 increase), smaller light-room angle recess area (ARA) at 750 μm from the scleral spur (OR, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.88-0.98] per 0.01-mm2 increase), and smaller dark-room TISA at 500 μm (OR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.80-0.98] per 0.01-mm2 increase) at baseline were identified as predictors for the 14-year risk of progression. The prediction models based on IOP and central and limbal ACDs showed moderate performance (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.63-0.75) in predicting progression from PACS to PAC, and inclusion of AS-OCT metrics did not improve the model's performance., Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study suggests that higher IOP, shallower central and limbal ACDs, and smaller TISA at 500 μm and light-room ARA at 750 μm may serve as baseline predictors for progression to PAC in PACS eyes. Evaluating these factors can aid in customizing PACS management.

The p-i heterojunction imbedded underneath the perovskite layer plays a vital role in determining the efficiency and stability of inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). We found that poly[bis(4-phenyl) (2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) amine] (PTAA) suffers from the severely chain entanglement resulting in poor contact with perovskite. In this work, PTAA layer was treated by poly[(2,6-(4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexylthio)-4-fluorothiophen-2-yl)-benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b'] dithiophene))-alt-(5,5-(1',3'-di-2-thienyl-5',7'-bis(2-ethylhexyl) benzo[1',2'-c:4',5'-c'] dithiophene-4,8-dione)] (PBDB-T-SF) diluted solution in chlorobenzene. PBDB-T-SF, which contains dual carbonyl groups in its backbones and suitable electronic levels, can spontaneously fill the voids in chlorobenzene-washed PTAA (nano-PTAA). This not only promotes the work function of the substrate but also strengthens the coherence between perovskite and the substrate. Blade coated PSC (0.09 cm 2 ) containing PBDB-T-SF (s-PSCs) realized a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.83 %. After aging for more than 2000 h, s-PSCs maintains 88 % of the initial efficiency which is only 59 % for the control devices., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The retina is an important target organ of diabetes mellitus, with increasing evidence from patients and animal models suggesting that retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) may serve as an early marker for diabetes-related damages. However, their longitudinal relationship and the biological underpinnings remain less well understood. Here, we demonstrate that reduced in vivo measurements of RPE thickness (RPET) represents a significant risk factor for future type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its microvascular phenotypes. After performing systematic analyses of circulating plasma metabolites using two complementary approaches, we identify a wide range of RPET metabolic fingerprints that are independently associated with reduced RPET. These fingerprints hold their potential to improve predictability and clinical utility for stratifying future T2DM and related microvascular phenotypes beyond traditional clinical indicators, providing insights into the promising role of retinas as a window to systemic health., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

In this paper, molybdenum disulfide was grown on the surface of iron-containing tailings by hydrothermal method, and a series of highly efficient activated persulfate (PMS) iron-based catalysts were successfully prepared. The results show that in the CTM 1-200/PMS system, the additional ratio of tailings and the hydrothermal temperature have important effects on the catalyst. The catalyst prepared under the conditions of CT:MoS 2 (molar ratio 1:1) and hydrothermal temperature of 200 °C (CTM 1-200) had the best degradation effect on BPA, and the degradation effect was increased by four times. The reason for the improvement of degradation efficiency is that the introduction of MoS 2 accelerates the REDOX cycle between Fe(II)/Fe(III), and the reduction of Fe(III) is mainly related to Mo(IV), while the reduction capacity of S is relatively weak. Molybdenum disulfide/iron tailing composite material provides a way for tailings to solve the problem of water pollution.

Formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI 3 ) perovskite possesses an ideal optical bandgap and is a potential material for fabricating the most efficient single-junction perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Nevertheless, large formamidinium (FA) cations result in residual lattice strain, which reduces the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and operational stability of PSCs. Herein, the modulation of lattice strain in FAPbI 3 crystals via a π-conjugated organic amine, i.e., 4-pyrene oxy butylamine (PYBA), is proposed. PYBA pairs at the grain boundary serve as a template for the crystallization of FAPbI 3 perovskite, thereby inducing a highly oriented crystal and a pure α-phase film. The PYBA pairs with strong π-π interactions provide a solid fulcrum for external compression strain, thus compensating for the inherent tension strain of FAPbI 3 crystals. The strain release elevates the valence band of the perovskite crystals, thereby decreasing the bandgap and trap density. Consequently, the PYBA-regulated FAPbI 3 PSC achieves an excellent PCE of 24.76%. Moreover, the resulting device exhibits improves operational stability and maintains over 80% of its initial PCE after 1500 h under maximum power point tracking conditions., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Aims: To investigate the association between the choriocapillaris flow deficit percentage (CC FD%) and the 1-year incidence of referable diabetic retinopathy (RDR) in participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM)., Methods: This prospective cohort study included participants with type 2 DM. The DR status was graded based on the ETDRS-7 photography. The CC FD% in the central 1 mm area, inner circle (1.5 mm to 2.5 mm), outer circle (2.5 mm to 5.0 mm) and the entire area in the macular region were measured using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA). Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between baseline CC FD% and 1-year incident RDR., Results: A total of 1222 patients (1222 eyes, mean age: 65.1±7.4 years) with complete baseline and 1-year follow-up data were included. Each 1% increase in baseline CC FD% was significantly associated with a 1.69 times (relative risk 2.69; 95% CI 1.53 to 4.71; p=0.001) higher odds for development of RDR after 1-year follow-up, after adjusting for other confounding factors., Conclusions: A greater baseline CC FD% detected by SS-OCTA reliably predicted higher risks of RDR in participants with type 2 DM. Thus, CC FD% may act as a novel biomarker for predicting the onset and progression of DR., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) prophylaxis for patients with primary angle-closure suspect (PACS) after 14 years and to identify risk factors for the conversion from PACS to primary angle closure (PAC)., Design: Extended follow-up of the Zhongshan Angle-Closure Prevention Study., Participants: Eight hundred eighty-nine Chinese patients 50 to 70 years of age with bilateral PACS., Methods: Each patient received LPI in 1 randomly selected eye, with the fellow untreated eye serving as a control. Because the risk of glaucoma was low and acute angle closure (AAC) occurred only rarely, the follow-up was extended to 14 years despite substantial benefits of LPI reported after the 6-year visit., Main Outcome Measures: Incidence of PAC, a composite end point including peripheral anterior synechiae, intraocular pressure (IOP) of > 24 mmHg, or AAC., Results: During the 14 years, 390 LPI-treated eyes and 388 control eyes were lost to follow-up. A total of 33 LPI-treated eyes and 105 control eyes reached primary end points (P < 0.01). Within them, 1 LPI-treated eye and 5 control eyes progressed to AAC. Primary angle-closure glaucoma was found in 2 LPI-treated eyes and 4 control eyes. The hazard ratio for progression to PAC was 0.31 (95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.46) in LPI-treated eyes compared with control eyes. At the 14-year visit, LPI-treated eyes showed more severe nuclear cataract, higher IOP, and larger angle width and limbal anterior chamber depth (LACD) than control eyes. Higher IOP, shallower LACD, and greater central anterior chamber depth (CACD) were associated with an increased risk of end points developing in control eyes. In the treated group, eyes with higher IOP, shallower LACD, or less IOP elevation after the darkroom prone provocative test (DRPPT) were more likely to demonstrate PAC after LPI., Concluions: Despite a two-third decrease in PAC occurrence after LPI, the cumulative risk of progression was relatively low in the community-based PACS population over 14 years. Apart from IOP, IOP elevation after DRPPT, CACD, and LACD, more risk factors are needed to achieve precise prediction of PAC occurrence and to guide clinical practice., Financial Disclosure(s): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article., (Copyright © 2023 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Importance: The neural retina is considered a unique window to systemic health, but its biological link with systemic health remains unknown., Objective: To investigate the independent associations of retinal ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness (GCIPLT) metabolic profiles with rates of mortality and morbidity of common diseases., Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study evaluated UK Biobank participants enrolled between 2006 and 2010, and prospectively followed them up for multidisease diagnosis and mortality. Additional participants from the Guangzhou Diabetes Eye Study (GDES) underwent optical coherence tomography scanning and metabolomic profiling and were included for validation., Main Outcomes and Measures: Systematic analysis of circulating plasma metabolites to identify GCIPLT metabolic profiles; prospective associations of these profiles with mortality and morbidity of 6 common diseases with their incremental discriminative value and clinical utility., Results: Among 93 838 community-based participants (51 182 [54.5%] women), the mean (SD) age was 56.7 (8.1) years and mean (SD) follow-up was 12.3 (0.8) years. Of 249 metabolic metrics, 37 were independently associated with GCIPLT, including 8 positive and 29 negative associations, and most were associated with the rates of future mortality and common diseases. These metabolic profiles significantly improved the models for discriminating type 2 diabetes over clinical indicators (C statistic: 0.862; 95% CI, 0.852-0.872 vs clinical indicators only, 0.803; 95% CI, 0.792-0.814; P < .001), myocardial infarction (0.792; 95% CI, 0.775-0.808 vs 0.768; 95% CI, 0.751-0.786; P < .001), heart failure (0.803; 95% CI, 0.786-0.820 vs 0.790; 95% CI, 0.773-0.807; P < .001), stroke (0.739; 95% CI, 0.714-0.764 vs 0.719; 95% CI, 0.693-0.745; P < .001), all-cause mortality (0.747; 95% CI, 0.734-0.760 vs 0.724; 95% CI, 0.711-0.738; P < .001), and cardiovascular disease mortality (0.790; 95% CI, 0.767-0.812 vs 0.763; 95% CI, 0.739-0.788; P < .001). Additionally, the potential of GCIPLT metabolic profiles for risk stratification of cardiovascular diseases were further confirmed in the GDES cohort using a different metabolomic approach., Conclusions and Relevance: In this prospective study of multinational participants, GCIPLT-associated metabolites demonstrated the potential to inform mortality and morbidity risks. Incorporating information on these profiles may facilitate individualized risk stratification for these health outcomes.

Mixed-cation, small band-gap perovskites via rationally alloying formamidinium (FA) and methylammonium (MA) together have been widely employed for blade-coated perovskite solar cells with satisfied efficiencies. One of the stringent challenges lies in difficult control of the nucleation and crystallization kinetics of the perovskites with mixed ingredients. Herein, a pre-seeding strategy by mixing FAPbI 3 solution with pre-synthesized MAPbI 3 microcrystals has been developed to smartly decouple the nucleation and crystallization process. As a result, the time window of initialized crystallization has been greatly extended by 3 folds (i.e. from 5 s to 20 s), which enables the formation of uniform and homogeneous alloyed-FAMA perovskite films with designated stoichiometric ratios. The resultant blade-coated solar cells achieved a champion efficiency of 24.31 % accompanied by outstanding reproducibility with more than 87 % of the devices showing efficiencies higher than 23 %., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Coffee and tea drinking are thought to be protective for the development and progression of neurodegenerative disorders. This study aims to investigate associations between coffee and tea consumption with macular retinal nerve fiber layer (mRNFL) thickness, a marker of neurodegeneration. After quality control and eligibility screening, 35,557 out of 67,321 United Kingdom (UK) Biobank participants from six assessment centers were included in this cross-sectional study. In the touchscreen questionnaire, participants were asked how many cups of coffee and tea were consumed daily on average over the last year. Self-reported coffee and tea consumption were divided into four categories including 0 cup/day, 0.5-1 cups/day, 2-3 cups/day, and ≥4 cups/day, respectively. The mRNFL thickness was measured by the optical coherence tomography (Topcon 3D OCT-1000 Mark II) and automatically analyzed by segmentation algorithms. After adjusting for covariates, coffee consumption was significantly associated with an increased mRNFL thickness (β = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.01~0.25), which was more prominent in those who drank 2~3 cups coffee per day (β = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.03~0.30). The mRNFL thickness was also significantly increased in tea drinkers (β = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.01~0.26), especially for those who drank more than 4 cups of tea per day (β = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.01~0.29). The positive associations with mRNFL thickness, indicating that both coffee and tea consumptions had likely neuroprotective potentials. Causal links and underlying mechanisms for these associations should be explored further.

It is well known that hypercholesterolemia in the body has pro-inflammatory effects through the formation of inflammasomes and augmentation of TLR (Toll-like receptor) signaling, which gives rise to cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases. However, the interaction between cholesterol-related lipids and acute pancreatitis (AP) has not yet been summarized before. This hinders the consensus on the existence and clinical importance of cholesterol-associated AP. This review focuses on the possible interaction between AP and cholesterol-related lipids, which include total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and apolipoprotein (Apo) A1, from the bench to the bedside. With a higher serum level of total cholesterol, LDL-C is associated with the severity of AP, while the persistent inflammation of AP is allied with a decrease in serum levels of cholesterol-related lipids. Therefore, an interaction between cholesterol-related lipids and AP is postulated. Cholesterol-related lipids should be recommended as risk factors and early predictors for measuring the severity of AP. Cholesterol-lowering drugs may play a role in the treatment and prevention of AP with hypercholesterolemia.

Background: Retinal structural abnormalities have been found to serve as biomarkers for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the association between retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and the incidence of CVD events remains inconclusive, and relevant longitudinal studies are lacking. Therefore, we aimed to examine this link in two prospective cohort studies., Methods: A total of 25,563 participants from UK Biobank who were initially free of CVD were included in the current study. Another 635 participants without retinopathy at baseline from the Chinese Guangzhou Diabetes Eye Study (GDES) were adopted as the validation set. Measurements of RNFL thickness in the macular (UK Biobank) and peripapillary (GDES) regions were obtained from optical coherence tomography (OCT). Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs), odd ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to quantify CVD risk., Results: Over a median follow-up period of 7.67 years, 1281 (5.01%) participants in UK Biobank developed CVD events. Each 5-μm decrease in macular RNFL thickness was associated with an 8% increase in incident CVD risk (HR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.01-1.17, p = 0.033). Compared with participants in the highest tertile of RNFL thickness, the risk of incident CVD was significantly increased in participants in the lowest thickness tertile (HR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.01-1.38, p = 0.036). In GDES, 29 (4.57%) patients developed CVD events within 3 years. Lower average peripapillary RNFL thickness was also associated with a higher CVD risk (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.11-1.65, p = 0.003). The additive net reclassification improvement (NRI) was 21.8%, and the absolute NRI was 2.0% by addition of RNFL thickness over the Framingham risk score. Of 29 patients with incident CVD, 7 were correctly reclassified to a higher risk category while 1 was reclassified to a lower category, and 21 high risk patients were not reclassified., Conclusions: RNFL thinning was independently associated with increased incident cardiovascular risk and improved reclassification capability, indicating RNFL thickness derived from the non-invasive OCT as a potential retinal fingerprint for CVD event across ethnicities and health conditions., Trial Registration: ISRCTN 15853192., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Aberrant epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation may contribute to the pathogenesis of DR. We aimed at elucidating the role of novel DNA methylation modifications in diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using an extreme phenotypic design., Methods/results: Two consecutive studies were conducted. A cross-sectional study using an extreme phenotypic design was conducted to identify rare methylation modifications that might contribute to DR pathogenesis. A 2-year longitudinal nested case-control study was conducted to validate the results and assess whether these novel methylation modifications could be used as biomarkers for predicting DR onset. A large number of differentially methylated CpG sites were identified in the cross-sectional study, and two (cg12869254 and cg04026387) corresponding to known genes were replicated in the longitudinal study. Higher methylation of cg12869254 significantly correlated with macular RNFL thinning in the superior and nasal subregions, and that of cg04026387 correlated with reduced deep capillary plexus VD in the superior and inferior subregions after adjusting for covariates., Conclusions: Cg12869254 and cg04026387 hypermethylation may complement the known risk factors that contribute to the pathogenesis of DR and as novel biomarkers for disease prediction., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Tin-based perovskite solar cells (Sn-PSCs) have emerged as promising environmentally viable photovoltaic technologies, but still suffer from severe non-radiative recombination loss due to the presence of abundant deep-level defects in the perovskite film and under-optimized carrier dynamics throughout the device. Herein, we healed the structural imperfections of Sn perovskites in an "inside-out" manner by incorporating a new class of biocompatible chelating agent with multidentate claws, namely, 2-Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA), which passivated a variety of deep-level Sn-related and I-related defects, cooperatively reinforced the passivation efficacy, released the lattice strain, improved the structural toughness, and promoted the carrier transport of Sn perovskites. Encouragingly, an efficiency of 13.7 % with a small voltage deficit of ≈0.47 V has been achieved for the GAA-modified Sn-PSCs. GAA modification also extended the lifespan of Sn-PSCs over 1200 hours., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Previous researches have emphasized a trypsin-centered theory of acute pancreatitis (AP) for more than a century. With additional studies into the pathogenesis of AP, new mechanisms have been explored. Among them, the role of immune response bears great importance. Pro-inflammatory substances, especially damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), play an essential role in activating, signaling, and steering inflammation. Meanwhile, activated neutrophils attach great importance to the immune defense by forming neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which cause ductal obstruction, premature trypsinogen activation, and modulate inflammation. In this review, we discuss the latest advances in understanding the pathological role of DAMPs and NETs in AP and shed light on the flexible crosstalk between these vital inflammatory mediators. We, then highlight the potentially promising treatment for AP targeting DAMPs and NETs, with a focus on novel insights into the mechanism, diagnosis, and management of AP., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zhou, Jin, Pan, Lin, Yang, Ambe, Basharat, Zimmer, Wang and Hong.)

Fertility preservation is becoming a clinical duty in practice. Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology is potentially realize ovarian morphological repair and reproductive endocrine function rebuild. There is no published work on 3D bioprinting ovary using a decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM)-based bioink, though dECM is the preferred matrix choice for an artificial ovary. The study aimed to explore swine ovarian dECM-based bioink to fabricate 3D primary ovarian cells (POCs)-laden structures for mouse ovarian failure correction. In this study, the ovarian dECM was converted to dECM-based bioink by dECM solution mixed with a seaweed gelatin blend solution of bioink that was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, circular dichroism, rheology, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and immunohistochemistry. The 3D scaffolds were, then, printed with or without POCs by the extrusion 3D bioprinter. The laden POCs viability was detected with the live/dead assay kit. A female castrated mouse model was established, and the mice were treated with five different methods. The results revealed that the 3D scaffold encapsulating POCs group had more positive signals in neoangiogenesis, cell proliferation and survival than the 3D scaffold group, and ensured sex hormone secretion. Meanwhile, the expression of germ cells in the 3D scaffold encapsulating POCs group was more intensely than the non-printed hydrogel encapsulating POCs group. The work shows that the 3D bioprinting ovary employing ovarian dECM-based bioink is a promising approach for ovarian failure correction., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interests., (Copyright: © 2022 Zheng, et al.)

The high density of defects in MAPbI 3 perovskite films brings about severe carrier nonradiative recombination loss, which lowers the performance of MAPbI 3 -based perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Here, methylamine cyanate (MAOCN) molecules were introduced into MAPbI 3 solutions to manipulate the crystallizatsion of the MAPbI 3 films. MAOCN molecules can slow down the volatilization rate of the solvent and delay the crystallization process of the MAPbI 3 film. The crystal quality of the MAPbI 3 films is effectively optimized without an additive residue. Perovskite films treated by MAOCN have lower defect density and longer carrier lifetime, which lowers the carrier recombination loss. Meanwhile, the MAPbI 3 film based on MAOCN has a more hydrophobic surface. The final MAPbI 3 -based device efficiency reached 21.28% ( V OC = 1.126 V, J SC = 23.29 mA/cm 2 , and FF = 81.13). After 30 days of storage under atmospheric conditions, the efficiency of unencapsulated MAOCN-based PSCs only dropped by about 5%.

Background: Exosomes as the main therapeutic vectors of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatment and its mechanism remain unexplored. Tumor necrosis factor-α stimulated gene 6 (TSG-6) is a glycoprotein secreted by MSC with the capacities of tissue repair and immune regulation. This study aimed to explore whether TSG-6 is a potential molecular target of exosomes derived from MSCs (MSCs-Exo) exerting its therapeutic effect against colon inflammation and repairing mucosal tissue., Methods: Two separate dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced IBD mouse models were intraperitoneally administered MSCs-Exo extracted from human umbilical cord MSC (hUC-MSC) culture supernatant. Effects of MSCs-Exo on intestinal inflammation, colon barrier function, and proportion of T cells were investigated. We explored the effects of MSCs-Exo on the intestinal barrier and immune response with TSG-6 knockdown. Moreover, recombinant human TSG-6 (rhTSG-6) was administered exogenously and colon inflammation severity in mice was evaluated., Results: Intraperitoneal injection of MSCs-Exo significantly ameliorated IBD symptoms and reduced mortality rate. The protective effect of MSCs-Exo on intestinal barrier was demonstrated evidenced by the loss of goblet cells and intestinal mucosa permeability, thereby improving the destruction of tight junctions (TJ) structures and microvilli, as well as increasing the expression of TJ proteins. Microarray analysis revealed that MSCs-Exo administration downregulated the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines and upregulated the anti-inflammatory cytokine in colon tissue. MSCs-Exo also modulated the response of Th2 and Th17 cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN). Reversely, knockdown of TSG-6 abrogated the therapeutic effect of MSCs-Exo on mucosal barrier maintenance and immune regulation, whereas rhTSG-6 administration showed similar efficacy to that of MSCs-Exo., Conclusions: Our findings suggested that MSCs-Exo protected against IBD through restoring mucosal barrier repair and intestinal immune homeostasis via TSG-6 in mice.