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Objective To investigate the effect of the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor dapagliflozin on renal function and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in elderly patients with early diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Methods A total of 97 elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who attended our hospital from September 1, 2019 to August 1, 2021 were enrolled, and according to urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), they were divided into normal UACR group and early DKD group. A random number table was further used to determine whether each patient in the above two groups was treated with dapagliflozin. Finally, all patients were divided into normal-UACR dapagliflozin group (group A), normal-UACR control group (group B), early-DKD dapagliflozin group (group C), and early-DKD control group (group D), and these four groups were compared in terms of the changes in related clinical indices at 1 year after treatment. Results After 1 year of treatment, group A had significant changes in body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, UACR, annualized relapse rate (ARR), fasting blood glucose, and fasting insulin (t=2.098-7.122,P

The abnormality in N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation is involved in the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD), while the intervention of 27-Hydroxycholesterol (27-OHC) can affect the m6A methylation modification in the brain cortex. Disordered gut microbiota is a key link in 27-OHC leading to cognitive impairment, and further studies have found that the abundance of Roseburia intestinalis in the gut is significantly reduced under the intervention of 27-OHC. This study aims to investigate the association of 27-OHC, Roseburia intestinalis in the gut, and brain m6A modification in the learning and memory ability injury. In this study, 9-month-old male C57BL/6J mice were treated with antibiotic cocktails for 6 weeks to sweep the intestinal flora, followed by 27-OHC or normal saline subcutaneous injection, and then Roseburia intestinalis or normal saline gavage were applied to the mouse. The 27-OHC level in the brain, the gut barrier function, the m6A modification in the brain, and the memory ability were measured. From the results, we observed that 27-OHC impairs the gut barrier function, causing a disturbance in the expression of m6A methylation-related enzymes and reducing the m6A methylation modification level in the brain cortex, and finally leads to learning and memory impairment. However, Roseburia intestinalis supplementation could reverse the negative effects mentioned above. This study suggests that 27-OHC-induced learning and memory impairment might be linked to brain m6A methylation modification disturbance, while Roseburia intestinalis, as a probiotic with great potential, could reverse the damage caused by 27-OHC. This research could help reveal the mechanism of 27-OHC-induced neural damage and provide important scientific evidence for the future use of Roseburia intestinalis in neuroprotection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, lead‐free Sn‐based perovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs) have attracted wide attention due to their near‐infrared emission and environmental friendliness. However, desired Sn2+ is easily oxidized to Sn4+ in the crystallization process, resulting in defects and intrinsically p‐doped properties in the perovskite films. The uncontrollable oxidation affects the charge injection balance and radiative recombination, leading to poor device performance. Herein, a bi‐functional conductive molecular, 2,7‐bis(diphenylphosphoryl)‐9,9′‐spirobifluorene (SPPO13) with two P═O functional groups, is used to interact with perovskite to passivate defects and suppress the oxidation of Sn2+. Moreover, the SPPO13 modification layer inserted between the perovskite emitter and the electron transport layer can regulate the carrier injection and transport, thus promoting the charge balance. As a result, the high‐performance near‐infrared CsSnI3 PeLEDs with a record external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 6.60% and ultra‐low efficiency roll‐off are achieved. The work provides a novel approach to regulate defect passivation and charge transport for efficient Sn‐based PeLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal halide perovskite light‐emitting diodes (Pero‐LEDs) have gained great attention due to their promising applications in lighting and displays. However, in their conventional three‐layered sandwich structure, some undeserved carrier behaviors, such as imbalanced carrier injection, severe carrier loss, and unstable recombination zone, limit the device's performance. Herein, a four‐layered design by inserting a nickel acetate (Ni(OAc)2) interlayer between the emitter and hole‐transport layer(HTL) to manage carrier behavior and improve radiative recombination efficiency is proposed. Specifically, the Ni(OAc)2 interlayer is poorly conductive and can partially block the hole injection, making the hole‐electron injection more balanced. And the Ni(OAc)2 interlayer avoids the direct contact between the perovskite emitter and hole transporter, reducing the interfacial carrier quenching. Moreover, the Ni(OAc)2 interlayer inhibits the electron‐migrated recombination at the hole transporter interface, confining the carrier recombination zone in the emitter layer. As a result, the corresponding Pero‐LEDs achieve a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQEmax) of 24.6% with good reproducibility, showing an average EQEmax of over 20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tin‐based perovskite solar cells (TPSCs) have received great attention due to their eco‐friendly properties and high theoretical efficiencies. However, the fast crystallization feature of tin‐based perovskites leads to poor film quality and limits the corresponding device performance. Herein, a chlorofullerene, C60Cl6, with six chlorine attached to the C60 cage, is applied to modulate the crystallization process and passivate grain boundary defects of the perovskite film. The chemical interactions between C60Cl6 and perovskite components retard the transforming process of precursors to perovskite crystals and obtain a high‐quality tin‐based perovskite film. It is also revealed that the C60Cl6 located at the surfaces and grain boundaries can not only passivate the defects but also offer a role in suturing grain boundaries to suppress the detrimental effects of water and oxygen on perovskite films, especially the oxidation of Sn2+ to Sn4+. As a result, the C60Cl6‐based device yields a remarkably improved device efficiency from 10.03% to 13.30% with enhanced stability. This work provides a new strategy to regulate the film quality and stability of TPSCs using functional fullerene materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Author(s): Fuqiang Lu [1,2]; Wenjing Feng [2]; Mengying Gao [2]; Hualing Bi (corresponding author) [1,2]; Suxin Wang [2] In the article titled “The Fourth-Party Logistics Routing Problem Using Ant Colony [...]