Organic‐inorganic halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have drawn tremendous attention owing to their remarkable photovoltaic performance and simple preparation process. However, conventional ...wet‐chemical synthesis methods inevitably create defects both in the bulk and at the interfaces of perovskites, leading to recombination of charge carriers and reduced stability. Herein, a bilateral interface modification to perovskites by doping room‐temperature synthesized CsPbBr3 nanocrystals (CN) is reported. The ultrafast transient absorption measurement reveals that CN effectively suppresses the defect at the SnO2/perovskite interface and boosts the interfacial electron transport. Meanwhile, the in situ Kelvin probe force microscopy and contact potential difference characterizations verify that the CN within the upper part of the perovskites enhances the built‐in electric field, facilitating oriented migration of the carriers within the perovskite. Combining the superiorities of CN modifiers on both sides, the bilaterally modified CH3NH3PbI3‐based planar PSCs exhibit optimal power conversion efficiency exceeding 20% and improved device stability.
Room‐temperature synthesized CsPbBr3 nanocrystal (CN) is exploited as the bilateral interface modifier in perovskite layer for efficient planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Owing to the CN induced bilateral interfacial passivation and boosted built‐in electric field, the charge separation and transfer are significantly ameliorated, which contribute to the superior power conversion efficiency exceeding 20% in CH3NH3PbI3‐based planar PSCs.
Polymer electrolytes have aroused wide interest in lithium batteries, but their comprehensive performances (including ionic conductivity, electrochemical window, and mechanical strength) need to be ...enhanced for high‐energy lithium batteries. A rigid–flexible coupling strategy is proposed to enhance the comprehensive performances of polymer electrolytes. To date, “rigid–flexible coupling” has been widely applied in gel and solid polymer electrolytes. For many kinds of polymer electrolytes, their ionic conductivity, electrochemical window, interfacial stability, and mechanical properties are significantly improved by “rigid–flexible coupling,” breaking their inherent application barriers in high‐energy lithium battery. Herein, recent key progress in rigid–flexible coupling polymer electrolytes is reviewed in terms of their design concepts, chemical‐physical properties, electrochemical performances, and battery properties. This overview also conducts a perspective for rigid–flexible coupling polymer electrolytes. It is hoped that fresh and established researchers can obtain a clear perspective of “rigid–flexible coupling” and this mini review can also throw light on the exploration of high‐energy polymer lithium batteries.
The “rigid–flexible coupling” strategy has significantly improved ionic conductivity, electrochemical window, and mechanical properties of many polymer electrolytes, breaking their inherent application barriers in lithium batteries. This paper reviews recent progress in rigid–flexible coupling polymer electrolytes and conducts their perspectives and challenges, hoping to obtain a clear perspective of “rigid–flexible coupling” and throw light on the exploration of high‐energy polymer lithium batteries.
•Flow-sediment relationships across annual, monthly and daily scales were detected.•Flow-sediment relationships revealed time dependence over different stages and time scales.•Variability of ...flow-sediment relationships was mainly regulated by vegetation restoration measures.•Sediment concentration decreased linearly with the fraction of area under land use/cover treatment.
Flow-sediment relationships provide insights into the erosion and transport of materials within catchments. Investigating the flow-sediment relationships across multiple timescales can reveal trends related to the effects of natural and human-caused changes to catchments. This study chose fourteen main catchments in the Loess Plateau of China, which are the major sediment sources of Yellow River, to extract the temporal patterns of flow-sediment relationships during the 1950s–2014 period. The study revealed quantifiable effects of land use/cover changes (LUCC) on the variability of flow-sediment relationships. The LUCC induced by the soil and water conservation measures (SWCMs) during 1970–1999 and vegetation restoration campaign since 2000 resulted in significant reductions of annual streamflow, sediment yield and sediment concentration. The mean daily sediment concentration under different flow conditions also decreased greatly. The flow-sediment relationships revealed time dependence over different stages and time scales. Before 2000, the annual and monthly flow-sediment relationships could be generally characterized by the linear functions, and the power-law sediment rating curve was able to describe the daily flow-sediment relationship. As vegetation restoration campaign took effect, the flow-sediment relationship became much weaker, which could not be described by a clear relationship. This suggests that the variability of flow-sediment relationships over the entire period was mainly regulated by the vegetation restoration campaign. In addition, the sediment concentration exhibited a linear decreasing relationship with the area under land use/cover treatment. In this way, the study has brought out the roles of ecological restoration measures in controlling the temporal variability of flow-sediment relationships at the catchment scale.
Two-dimensional (2D) organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite materials have recently attracted tremendous attention for use in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) by virtue of their considerable long-term ...stability. However, the primary stumbling block for their application in PSC is their relatively lower power conversion efficiency (PCE) compared with the conventional 3D perovskite. In this work, through a binary solvent engineering of dimethylformamide (DMF)/dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in the precursor solution, high-performance 2D perovskite planar solar cells are fabricated with beyond 10% PCE and outstanding environmental stability. In the formation of the 2D perovskite film during the hot-coating process, heterogeneous nucleation primarily occurs at the air–liquid interface, contributing to the formation of the thin, flaky cap layer on the outmost surface of the film. Sequentially, for the unary solvent DMF, its fast volatilization facilitates homogeneous nucleation, resulting in random-orientated perovskite grains in the inner layer. In contrast, with the binary solvent engineering of DMF/DMSO, the formation of intermediate can slow the crystallization process, making the perovskite cap layer serve as the seed that impels the subsequent perovskite crystallization to be vertically orientated in the inner layer of the perovskite film. These findings provide not only a new understanding of the 2D perovskite crystallization process but also a simple and effective method to fabricate high-performance 2D perovskite-based photovoltaics.
Cancers are composed of populations of cells with distinct molecular and phenotypic features, a phenomenon termed intratumor heterogeneity (ITH). ITH in lung cancers has not been well studied. We ...applied multiregion whole-exome sequencing (WES) on 11 localized lung adenocarcinomas. All tumors showed clear evidence of ITH. On average, 76% of all mutations and 20 out of 21 known cancer gene mutations were identified in all regions of individual tumors, which suggested that single-region sequencing may be adequate to identify the majority of known cancer gene mutations in localized lung adenocarcinomas. With a median follow-up of 21 months after surgery, three patients have relapsed, and all three patients had significantly larger fractions of subclonal mutations in their primary tumors than patients without relapse. These data indicate that a larger subclonal mutation fraction may be associated with increased likelihood of postsurgical relapse in patients with localized lung adenocarcinomas.
Subclonal mutations reveal important features of the genetic architecture of tumors. However, accurate detection of mutations in genetically heterogeneous tumor cell populations using next-generation ...sequencing remains challenging. We develop MuSE ( http://bioinformatics.mdanderson.org/main/MuSE ), Mutation calling using a Markov Substitution model for Evolution, a novel approach for modeling the evolution of the allelic composition of the tumor and normal tissue at each reference base. MuSE adopts a sample-specific error model that reflects the underlying tumor heterogeneity to greatly improve the overall accuracy. We demonstrate the accuracy of MuSE in calling subclonal mutations in the context of large-scale tumor sequencing projects using whole exome and whole genome sequencing.
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification plays a critical role in various physiological and pathological conditions. However, the role of m6A modification in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma ...(HNSCC) remains elusive.
In this study, the expression of m6A demethylases was detected by HNSCC tissue microarray. m6A-RNA immunoprecipitation (MeRIP) sequencing and RNA sequencing were used to identify downstream targets of ALKBH5. Comprehensive identification of RNA-binding proteins by mass spectrometry (ChIRP-MS) was used to explore the m6A "readers". Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes were analyzed in SCC7-bearing xenografts in C3H mice.
Here, we demonstrate the downregulation of m6A status and upregulation of two demethylases in HNSCC. Silencing the m6A demethylase alkB homolog 5, RNA demethylase (ALKBH5) suppresses tumor progression in vitro and in vivo. m6A-RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing reveals that ALKBH5 downregulates the m6A modification of DDX58 mRNA. Moreover, RIG-I, encoded by the DDX58 mRNA, reverses the protumorigenic characteristics of ALKBH5. ChIRP-MS demonstrates that HNRNPC binds to the m6A sites of DDX58 mRNA to promote its maturation. ALKBH5 overexpression inhibits RIG-I-mediated IFNα secretion through the IKKε/TBK1/IRF3 pathway. The number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in C3H immunocompetent mice is reduced by ALKBH5 overexpression and restored by IFNα administration. Upregulation of AKLBH5 negatively correlates with RIG-I and IFNα expression in HNSCC patients.
These findings unveil a novel mechanism of immune microenvironment regulation mediated by m6A modification through the ALKBH5/RIG-I/IFNα axis, providing a rationale for therapeutically targeting epitranscriptomic modulators in HNSCC.
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•Zircon xenocrysts from the northern Alxa and its nearby regions were statistical studied.•The basement of the north part of the region (ZS) is similar to CAOB and the south part ...(YNH) to the Alxa Block.•The southern boundary of CAOB to the Alxa block is located between the ZS and YNH zones.•Isotopic mapping of zircon xenocrysts is an effective way to trace deep crust and to separate tectonic units.
The southern boundary of the central segment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) with the Precambrian Alxa Block is not well constrained due to poor recognition of deep crust. Statistical analysis of zircon xenocrysts within igneous rocks from the northern Alxa and its adjacent regions was applied to resolve this problem. We compiled new and previously published geochronological zircon age data obtained by SHRIMP, SIMS, TIMS, and LA-ICP-MS for 316 igneous rock samples of which 61 samples contain zircon xenocrysts. New and previously published Hf isotopic compositions of these zircon xenocrysts are combined with zircon ages in this study. The zircon xenocrysts are mainly contained within Permian rocks from the Yabulai–Nurgong–Honggueryulin (YNH) zone and igneous rocks from the northwestern margin of the North China Craton (WNCC). A few xenocrysts were also found in Permian igneous rocks from the Zongnaishan–Shalazhashan (ZS) zone, Neo-proterozoic and Paleo-proterozoic intrusive rocks in the YNH zone, as well as Devonian to Carboniferous granitoids and volcanic rocks from southern Mongolia. Altogether we analyzed more than 270 zircon xenocrysts and considered only ages that are less than 10% discordant. Xenocryst ages within the Permian igneous rocks from the ZS zone are mainly around ca. 350Ma, ca. 600Ma and ca. 1400Ma. The oldest age of zircon xenocrysts in this zone is similar to those of zircon xenocrysts from the CAOB (∼1.1Ga). By contrast, abundant zircon xenocrysts within Permian igneous rocks from the YNH zone show highly variable age populations at ca. 2.6–2.1Ga, 1.8–1.6Ga, 930–750Ma and 460–300Ma. Zircon xenocrysts from the ZS zone have positive εHf(t) values of +6.3 to +13.9, whereas those from the YNH zone display highly variable εHf(t) values from −16.1 to +11.6. From the southern CAOB and the ZS zone to the YNH zone, the zircon xenocrysts show a significant shift from juvenile to crustal Hf isotopic compositions, suggesting that the area between the ZS and the YNH zones constitutes the southern boundary of the CAOB in the deep crust within this region. Our study indicates that statistical analysis (or isotopic mapping) of zircon xenocrysts is an effective method to trace the nature of the deep continental crust and to separate between newly-formed orogenic domain and ancient cratons.
Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) are representative phthalic acid esters (PAEs), a class of environmental endocrine disruptors used as plasticizers. PAEs exposure is ...associated with glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, and glucose tolerance; however, the mechanism and various PAE effects on human glucose metabolism remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of DEHP, DBP, and their mixture on rat insulinoma (INS-1) cell apoptosis and the mechanism involved in vitro. The INS-1 cells were cultured in RPMI-1640 + 10% fetal bovine serum for 24 h and pretreated with dimethyl sulfoxide (vehicle, <0.1%), DEHP (30 μM), DBP (30 μM), and their mixture (30 μM DEHP + 30 μM DBP). The methyl-thiazolyl tetrazolium bromide test was used to measure cell viability. Hoechst 33342/propidium iodide (PI) staining and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate assay, and glucose-induced insulin secretion assay were used to detect cell apoptosis rates, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and insulin secretion in INS-1, respectively. The mRNA expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase 9, Caspase 8, Caspase 3, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), and Akt were detected using real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR; their protein expression levels were detected using western blotting. To the best of our knowledge, this study was the first to show that the combined effect of the two PAEs promotes a ROS-mediated PI3K/Akt/Bcl-2 pathway-induced pancreatic β cell apoptosis that is significantly higher than the effects of each PAE. Thus, safety standards and studies do not consider this effect as a significant oversight when blending PAEs. We assert that this must be addressed and corrected for establishing more impactful and safer standards.
Schematic diagram of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/Bcl-2 signaling pathway involved in β-cell dysfunction induced by DEHP, DBP, and their mixture. Our results show that exposure to DEHP and/or DBP can induce oxidative damage and apoptosis in INS-1 cells and decrease insulin secretion. The primary underlying mechanisms include inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/Bcl-2 signaling pathway and enhanced expression of cleaved-Caspase 9, cleaved-Caspase 3, and Bax in INS-1 cells through oxidative damage. Display omitted
•INS-1 cell proliferation was decreased by DEHP, DBP, and their mixture.•ROS production in the DEHP, DBP, and mixture groups was higher than that in the control.•PI3K, p-Akt, and Bcl-2 mRNA expression in DEHP, DBP, and mixture group was decreased.
PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockades have dramatically changed the landscape for second-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Based on the promising results of Keynote-024 presented so ...far, pembrolizumab has been approved as first-line treatment for advanced PD-L1 positive NSCLC patients. However, overall response rate (ORR) is limited to PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockades when used as single agent. Combining with chemotherapy, anti-CTLA-4 antibodies, targeted therapy, radiotherapy or other treatment options is perceived as an appealing method aimed at achieving higher efficacy. There are many clinical trials on going or finished assessing the efficacy and safety of the PD-1/PD-L1 blockades alone or combining with other approaches in first-line or second-line treatments. A lot of challenges need to be overcome before PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockades are widely used in the patients with NSCLC including the identification of optimal combination, treatment-related adverse effects, the high cost and lack of effective predictive markers. In this review, we focus on outlining current clinical trials and challenges for future research of PD-1/PD-L1 pathway checkpoint blockades in NSCLC.
•PD-1/PD-L1 blockades present a new paradigm shift in treating NSCLC.•Pembrolizumab achieved great success over chemotherapy in first-line setting.•Combination with other treatments has the potential to achieve higher efficacy.•A lot of challenges need to be overcome before PD-1/PD-L1 blockades are widely used.
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