Each component layer in a perovskite solar cell plays an important role in the cell performance. Here, a few types of polymers including representative p‐type and n‐type semiconductors, and a ...classical insulator, are chosen to dope into a perovskite film. The long‐chain polymer helps to form a network among the perovskite crystalline grains, as witnessed by the improved film morphology and device stability. The dewetting process is greatly suppressed by the cross‐linking effect of the polymer chains, thereby resulting in uniform perovskite films with large grain sizes. Moreover, it is found that the polymer‐doped perovskite shows a reduced trap‐state density, likely due to the polymer effectively passivating the perovskite grain surface. Meanwhile the doped polymer formed a bridge between grains for efficient charge transport. Using this approach, the solar cell efficiency is improved from 17.43% to as high as 19.19%, with a much improved stability. As it is not required for the polymer to have a strict energy level matching with the perovskite, in principle, one may use a variety of polymers for this type of device design.
The doping of polymer additives into MAPbI3 films is reported. This allows for enlarged MAPbI3 crystal grains by controlling the crystallization processes and decreased trap‐state densities by passivating the MAPbI3 crystal grain boundaries. As a result, the device based on the formed continuous, few‐defect, large MAPbI3 grains demonstrates improved efficiency from 17.43 to 19.19%, and relatively improved moisture stability.
Considering the potential applications of all‐polymer solar cells (all‐PSCs) as wearable power generators, there is an urgent need to develop photoactive layers that possess intrinsic mechanical ...endurance, while maintaining a high power‐conversion efficiency (PCE).Herein a strategy is demonstrated to simultaneously control the intercalation behavior and nanocrystallite size in the polymer–polymer blend by using a newly developed, high‐viscosity polymeric additive, poly(dimethylsiloxane‐co‐methyl phenethylsiloxane) (PDPS), into the TQ‐F:N2200 all‐PSC matrix. A mechanically robust 10wt% PDPS blend film with a great toughness was obtained. Our results provide a feasible route for producing high‐performance ductile all‐PSCs, which can potentially be used to realize stretchable all‐PSCs as a linchpin of next‐generation electronics.
A mechanically robust photoactive layer, namely 10PDPS is achieved, enabling not only a high PCE of 6.87 % in conventional all‐PSCs but also a reliable PCE of 5.60 % in graphene electrode‐based flexible devices, for which 90 % of its PCE is retained after 100 bending cycles at a bending radius of 3 mm.
Pollution by heavy metals limits the area of land available for cultivation of food crops. A potential solution to this problem might lie in the molecular breeding of food crops for phytoremediation ...that accumulate toxic metals in straw while producing safe and nutritious grains. Here, we identify a rice quantitative trait locus we name cadmium (Cd) accumulation in leaf 1 (CAL1), which encodes a defensin-like protein. CAL1 is expressed preferentially in root exodermis and xylem parenchyma cells. We provide evidence that CAL1 acts by chelating Cd in the cytosol and facilitating Cd secretion to extracellular spaces, hence lowering cytosolic Cd concentration while driving long-distance Cd transport via xylem vessels. CAL1 does not appear to affect Cd accumulation in rice grains or the accumulation of other essential metals, thus providing an efficient molecular tool to breed dual-function rice varieties that produce safe grains while remediating paddy soils.
Combining Ising‐type magnetic anisotropy with collinear magnetic interactions in single‐molecule magnets (SMMs) is a significant synthetic challenge. Herein we report a Dy15‐MCCu‐5 (1‐Dy) SMM, where ...a DyIII ion is held in a central pseudo‐D5h pocket of a rigid and planar Cu5 metallacrown (MC). Linking two Dy15‐MCCu‐5 units with a single hydroxide bridge yields the double‐decker {Dy15‐MCCu‐5}2 (2‐Dy) SMM where the anisotropy axes of the two DyIII ions are nearly collinear, resulting in magnetic relaxation times for 2‐Dy that are approximately 200 000 times slower at 2 K than for 1‐Dy in zero external field. Whereas 1‐Dy and the YIII‐diluted Dy@2‐Y analogue do not show remanence in magnetic hysteresis experiments, the hysteresis data for 2‐Dy remain open up to 6 K without a sudden drop at zero field. In conjunction with theoretical calculations, these results demonstrate that the axial ferromagnetic Dy–Dy coupling suppresses fast quantum tunneling of magnetization (QTM). The relaxation profiles of both complexes curiously exhibit three distinct exponential regimes, and hold the largest effective energy barriers for any reported d–f SMMs up to 625 cm−1.
The magnetic hysteresis of a metallacrown magnet opens after introducing axial ferromagnetic by linking two mono‐decker Dy15‐MCCu‐5 units with a single hydroxide bridge to give the double‐decker {Dy15‐MCCu‐5}2 single‐molecule magnet in which the anisotropy axes of the two DyIII ions are nearly collinear and the magnetic relaxation times are approximately 200 000 times slower than for the mono‐decker unit.
Abstract Although some studies have reported potential associations of dietary patterns with depression risk, a consistent perspective hasn’t been estimated to date. Therefore, we conducted this ...meta-analysis to evaluate the relation between dietary patterns and the risk of depression. A literature research was conducted searching MEDLINE and EMBASE databases up to September 2016. In total, 21 studies from ten countries met the inclusion criteria and were included in the present meta-analysis. A dietary pattern characterized by a high intakes of fruit, vegetables, whole grain, fish, olive oil, low-fat dairy and antioxidants and low intakes of animal foods was apparently associated with a decreased risk of depression.A dietary pattern characterized by a high consumption of red and/or processed meat, refined grains, sweets, high-fat dairy products, butter, potatoes and high-fat gravy, and low intakes of fruits and vegetables is associated with an increased risk of depression. The results of this meta-analysis suggest that healthy pattern may decrease the risk of depression, whereas western-style may increase the risk of depression. However, more randomized controlled trails and cohort studies are urgently required to confirm this findings.
There remains uncertainty about the impact of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) on women's health. A systematic, comprehensive assessment of the effects on multiple outcomes is lacking. We conducted ...an umbrella review to comprehensively summarize evidence on the benefits and harms of MHT across diverse health outcomes. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and 10 other databases from inception to November 26, 2017, updated on December 17, 2020, to identify systematic reviews or meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies investigating effects of MHT, including estrogen-alone therapy (ET) and estrogen plus progestin therapy (EPT), in perimenopausal or postmenopausal women in all countries and settings. All health outcomes in previous systematic reviews were included, including menopausal symptoms, surrogate endpoints, biomarkers, various morbidity outcomes, and mortality. Two investigators independently extracted data and assessed methodological quality of systematic reviews using the updated 16-item AMSTAR 2 instrument. Random-effects robust variance estimation was used to combine effect estimates, and 95% prediction intervals (PIs) were calculated whenever possible. We used the term MHT to encompass ET and EPT, and results are presented for MHT for each outcome, unless otherwise indicated. Sixty systematic reviews were included, involving 102 meta-analyses of RCTs and 38 of observational studies, with 102 unique outcomes. The overall quality of included systematic reviews was moderate to poor. In meta-analyses of RCTs, MHT was beneficial for vasomotor symptoms (frequency: 9 trials, 1,104 women, risk ratio RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.57, p < 0.001; severity: 7 trials, 503 women, RR 0.29, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.50, p = 0.002) and all fracture (30 trials, 43,188 women, RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.84, p = 0.002, 95% PI 0.58 to 0.87), as well as vaginal atrophy (intravaginal ET), sexual function, vertebral and nonvertebral fracture, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular mortality (ET), and colorectal cancer (EPT), but harmful for stroke (17 trials, 37,272 women, RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.29, p = 0.027) and venous thromboembolism (23 trials, 42,292 women, RR 1.60, 95% CI 0.99 to 2.58, p = 0.052, 95% PI 1.03 to 2.99), as well as cardiovascular disease incidence and recurrence, cerebrovascular disease, nonfatal stroke, deep vein thrombosis, gallbladder disease requiring surgery, and lung cancer mortality (EPT). In meta-analyses of observational studies, MHT was associated with decreased risks of cataract, glioma, and esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancer, but increased risks of pulmonary embolism, cholelithiasis, asthma, meningioma, and thyroid, breast, and ovarian cancer. ET and EPT had opposite effects for endometrial cancer, endometrial hyperplasia, and Alzheimer disease. The major limitations include the inability to address the varying effects of MHT by type, dose, formulation, duration of use, route of administration, and age of initiation and to take into account the quality of individual studies included in the systematic reviews. The study protocol is publicly available on PROSPERO (CRD42017083412). MHT has a complex balance of benefits and harms on multiple health outcomes. Some effects differ qualitatively between ET and EPT. The quality of available evidence is only moderate to poor.
The earthworm is particularly fascinating to biologists because of its strong regenerative capacity. However, many aspects of its regeneration in nature remain elusive. Here we report ...chromosome-level genome, large-scale transcriptome and single-cell RNA-sequencing data during earthworm (Eisenia andrei) regeneration. We observe expansion of LINE2 transposable elements and gene families functionally related to regeneration (for example, EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor) particularly for genes exhibiting differential expression during earthworm regeneration. Temporal gene expression trajectories identify transcriptional regulatory factors that are potentially crucial for initiating cell proliferation and differentiation during regeneration. Furthermore, early growth response genes related to regeneration are transcriptionally activated in both the earthworm and planarian. Meanwhile, single-cell RNA-sequencing provides insight into the regenerative process at a cellular level and finds that the largest proportion of cells present during regeneration are stem cells.
Abstract Purpose Emerging evidence has demonstrated that gut microbiome plays essential roles in the pathogenesis of human diseases in distal organs. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal ...neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of motor neurons. Treatment with the only drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in ALS, riluzole, extends a patient׳s life span by only a few months. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop novel interventions that for alleviate disease progression and improve quality of life in patients with ALS. Here we present evidence that intestinal dysfunction and dysbiosis may actively contribute to ALS pathophysiology. Methods We used G93A transgenic mice as a model of human ALS. The G93A mice show abnormal intestinal microbiome and damaged tight junctions before ALS disease onset. The mice were given 2% butyrate, a natural bacterial product, in the drinking water. Results In mice fed with butyrate, intestinal microbial homeostasis was restored, gut integrity was improved, and life span was prolonged compared with those in control mice. At the cellular level, abnormal Paneth cells—specialized intestinal epithelial cells that regulate the host–bacterial interactions—were significantly decreased in the ALS mice treated with butyrate. In both ALS mice and intestinal epithelial cells cultured from humans, butyrate treatment was associated with decreased aggregation of the G93A superoxide dismutase 1 mutated protein. Implications The findings from this study highlight the complex role of the gut microbiome and intestinal epithelium in the progression of ALS and present butyrate as a potential therapeutic reagent for restoring ALS-related dysbiosis.
Cancerous microvesicles (MVs), which are heterogeneous membrane-bound nanovesicles shed from the surfaces of cancer cells into the extracellular environment, have been widely recognized as promising ..."biofingerprints" for various cancers. High-performance identification of cancerous MVs plays a vital role in the early diagnosis of cancer, yet it is still technically challenging. Herein, we report a gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-decorated, dual-aptamer modified reduced graphene oxide (RGO) field-effect transistor (AAP-GFET) nanosensor for the label-free, specific, and sensitive quantification of HepG2 cell-derived MVs (HepG2-MVs). After GFET chips were fabricated, AuNPs were then decorated on the RGO surface. For specific capture and detection of HepG2-MVs, both sulfhydrylated HepG2 cell specific TLS11a aptamer (Apt
) and epithelial cell adhesion molecule aptamer (Apt
) were immobilized on the AuNP surface through an Au-S bond. This developed nanosensor delivered a broad linear dynamic range from 6 × 10
to 6 × 10
particles/mL and achieved a high sensitivity of 84 particles/μL for HepG2-MVs detection. Moreover, this AAP-GFET platform was able to distinguish HepG2-MVs from other liver cancer-related serum proteins (such as AFP and CEA) and MVs derived from human normal cells and other cancer cells of lung, pancreas, and prostate, suggesting its excellent method specificity. Compared with those modified with a single type of aptamer alone (Apt
or Apt
), such an AAP-GFET nanosensor showed greatly enhanced signals, suggesting that the dual-aptamer-based bio-nano interface was uniquely designed and could realize more sensitive quantification of HepG2-MVs. Using this platform to detect HepG2-MVs in clinical blood samples, we found that there were significant differences between healthy controls and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, indicating its great potential in early HCC diagnosis.
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