Oxygen Vacancy Mediation in SnO2 Electron Transport Layers Enables Efficient, Stable, and Scalable Perovskite Solar Cells.

Previous findings have suggested a close association between oxygen vacancies in SnO2 and charge carrier recombination as well as perovskite decomposition at the perovskite/SnO2 interface. Underlying the fundamental mechanism holds great significance in achieving a more favorable balance between the efficiency and stability. In this study, we prepared three SnO2 samples with different oxygen vacancy concentrations and observed that a low oxygen vacancy concentration is conducive to long-term device stability. Iodide ions were observed to easily diffuse into regions with high oxygen vacancies, thereby speeding up the deprotonation of FAI, as made evident by the detection of the decomposition product formamide. In contrast, a high oxygen vacancy concentration in SnO2 could prevent hole injection, leading to a decrease in interfacial recombination losses. To suppress this decomposition reaction and address the trade-off, we designed a bilayer SnO2 structure to ensure highly efficient carrier transport still while maintaining a chemically inert surface. As a result, an enhanced efficiency of 25.06% (certified at 24.55% with an active area of 0.09 cm2 under fast scan) was achieved, and the extended operational stability maintained 90% of their original efficiency (24.52%) after continuous operation for nearly 2000 h. Additionally, perovskite submodules with an active area of 14 cm2 were successfully assembled with a PCE of up to 22.96% (20.09% with an aperture area).

The causal relationship between sleep disturbances and the risk of frailty: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

OBJECTIVE: Adequate sleep is closely related to people's health. However, with increasing age, the quality of sleep worsens. At the same time, among elderly individuals, frailty is also a disturbing factor, which makes elderly individuals more vulnerable to negative factors. To explore the relationship between the two, we conducted this study. METHODS: In this paper, independent genetic variations related to insomnia, sleep duration and daytime sleepiness were selected as IVs, and related genetic tools were used to search published genome-wide association studies for a two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) analysis. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the main Mendelian randomization analysis method. Cochran's Q test was used to test heterogeneity, MR‒Egger was used to test horizontal pleiotropy, and the MR-PRESSO test was used to remove outliers. RESULTS: According to our research, insomnia (OR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.03-1.17, P = 2.59e-97), long sleep duration (OR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.37-1.17, P = 0.02), short sleep duration (OR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.22-1.38, P = 2.23e-17) and daytime sleepiness (OR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.25-1.77, P = 0.96e-4) had a bidirectional causal relationship with frailty. CONCLUSIONS: Our research showed that there is a causal relationship between sleep disturbances and frailty. This result was obtained by a TSMR analysis, which involves the use of genetic variation as an IV to determine causal relationships between exposure and outcome. Future TSMR studies should include a larger sample for analysis.

Unveiling the Intrinsic Photophysics in Quasi-Two-Dimensional Perovskites.

The two-dimensional (2D) perovskites have drawn intensive attention due to their unique stability and outstanding optoelectronic properties. However, the debate surrounding the spatial phase distribution and band alignment among different 2D phases in the quasi-2D perovskite has created complexities in understanding the carrier dynamics, hindering material and device development. In this study, we employed highly sensitive transient absorption spectroscopy to investigate the carrier dynamics of (BA)2(MA)n-1PbnI3n+1 quasi-2D Ruddlesden-Popper perovskite thin films, nominally prepared as n = 4. We observed the carrier-density-dependent electron and hole transfer dynamics between the 2D and three-dimensional (3D) phases. Under a low carrier density within the linear response range, we successfully resolved three ultrafast processes of both electron and hole transfers, spanning from hundreds of femtoseconds to several picoseconds, tens to hundreds of picoseconds, and hundreds of picoseconds to several nanoseconds, which can be attributed to lateral-epitaxial, partial-epitaxial, and disordered-interface heterostructures between 2D and 3D phases. By considering the interplay among the phase structure, band alignment, and carrier dynamics, we have proposed material synthesis strategies aimed at enhancing the carrier transport. Our results not only provide deep insights into an accurate intrinsic photophysics of quasi-2D perovskites but also inspire advancements in the practical application of these materials.

Noncollinear Optical Parametric Amplification of Broadband Infrared Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy.

Sum-frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy is an invaluable tool in surface science, known for its specificity to surfaces and interfaces. Despite its wide application, it is often hampered by weak signal detection. Here, we present an innovative enhancement technique of postsample amplification, using a picosecond noncollinear optical parametric amplifier (NOPA). We conducted a systematical investigation into the impact of different intensities of pump and SFG seed light, as the input signal in NOPA, and demonstrated this method on the octadecanethiol (ODT) molecules on gold films. The amplified SFG by NOPA reproduced the SFG vibrational spectra, enhanced by about 4 orders of magnitude but with broader spectral resolution due to the short pulse width of the pump light in NOPA. This study makes it possible to realize highly sensitive SFG measurements, marking a significant advancement in spectroscopic analysis techniques.

Loureirin A Promotes Cell Differentiation and Suppresses Migration and Invasion of Melanoma Cells via WNT and AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathways.

Resina Draconis is a traditional Chinese medicine, with the in-depth research, its medicinal value in anti-tumor has been revealed. Loureirin A is extracted from Resina Draconis, however, research on the anti-tumor efficacy of Loureirin A is rare. Herein, we investigated the function of Loureirin A in melanoma. Our research demonstrated that Loureirin A inhibited the proliferation of and caused G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in melanoma cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Further study showed that the melanin content and tyrosinase activity was enhanced after Loureirin A treatment, demonstrated that Loureirin A promoted melanoma cell differentiation, which was accompanied with the reduce of WNT signaling pathway. Meanwhile, we found that Loureirin A suppressed the migration and invasion of melanoma cells through the protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. Taken together, this study demonstrated for the first time the anti-tumor effects of Loureirin A in melanoma cells, which provided a novel therapeutic strategy against melanoma.

Changes in frailty and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older Chinese people: a nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The older people bears a severe burden of disease due to frailty and depressive symptoms, however, the results of association between the two in the older Chinese people have been conflicting. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the developmental trajectories and interactions of frailty and depressive symptoms in the Chinese middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: The study used four waves of data from 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2018 in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) database, focused on middle-aged and older people ≥ 45 years of age, and analyzed using latent growth models and cross-lagged models. RESULTS: The parallel latent growth model showed that the initial level of depressive symptoms had a significant positive predictive effect on the initial level of frailty. The rate of change in depressive symptoms significantly positively predicted the rate of change in frailty. The initial level of frailty had a significant positive predictive effect on the initial level of depressive symptoms, but a significant negative predictive effect on the rate of change in depressive symptoms. The rate of change in frailty had a significant positive predictive effect on the rate of change in depressive symptoms. The results of the cross-lagged analysis indicated a bidirectional causal association between frailty and depressive symptoms in the total sample population. Results for the total sample population grouped by age and gender were consistent with the total sample. CONCLUSIONS: This study recommends advancing the age of concern for frailty and depressive symptoms to middle-aged adults. Both men and women need early screening and intervention for frailty and depressive symptoms to promote healthy aging.

The prevalence and influencing factors of frailty in patients with chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of frailty and pre-frailty in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and thereby provide a scientific basis for effective avoidance of frailty in patients with CKD. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, CBMdisc, and Wanfang databases were searched for relevant studies published till December 31, 2021. The summary results were described as odds ratios (ORs) or standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A meta-analysis was performed using StataSE12.0. RESULTS: Fifteen published studies, which enrolled a total of 3294 CKD patients, met the inclusion criteria. The combined prevalence of frailty in CKD patients was 38.1% (95% CI 29.7-46.5%) and pre-frailty was 37.9% (95% CI 32.7-43.1%). The main factors influencing frailty in CKD patients were age (SMD 0.524, 95% CI 0.326-0.723), diastolic blood pressure (SMD - 0.294, 95% CI - 0.518 to - 0.071), body mass index (BMI) (SMD - 0.267, 95% CI - 0.471 to - 0.064), grip strength (SMD - 0.929, 95% CI - 1.233 to - 0.626), hemoglobin level (SMD - 0.346, 95% CI - 0.448 to - 0.243), serum albumin level (SMD - 0.533, 95% CI - 0.655 to - 0.411), Charlson Comorbidity Index (SMD 0.421, 95% CI 0.150-0.692), multiple medications (SMD 0.625, 95% CI 0.354-0.895), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score (SMD - 0.563, 95% CI - 0.846 to - 0.280), and female (OR 2.391, 95% CI 1.236-4.627). CONCLUSION: Frailty is common in CKD patients. The prevalence of frailty among CKD patients was related to age, diastolic blood pressure, BMI, grip strength, hemoglobin and serum albumin levels, Charlson Comorbidity Index, multiple medications, MMSE score, and female.

Tumor-Associated Extracellular Microvesicles with Fluorine-Modified Carbohydrate Antigens Trigger a Stronger Antitumor Immune Response.

Abnormal glycosylation is a hallmark of tumor development, and tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens are potential immune targets for tumor therapy. Tumor-associated extracellular microvesicles are subcellular vesicles released from cell membranes that have immunogenicity similar to that of precursor cells. However, unmodified tumor-derived microvesicles have weaknesses, such as low immunogenicity, poor biostability, and short half-life in vivo. For the first time, we herein generated extracellular microvesicles containing modified tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens by constructing a cell line with highly expressed antigen-processing enzymes utilizing fluorine-modified monosaccharide substrates via a metabolic oligosaccharide engineering strategy. The microvesicles were applied to tumor immunity, achieving enhanced immunoprophylaxis and immunotherapy effects. Furthermore, the mechanisms of antitumor immunity were explored. Our findings may provide new insights into the adhibition of suitably modified extracellular microvesicles and the development of more effective carbohydrate-based anticancer vaccines.

Semisynthesis and anti-cancer properties of novel honokiol derivatives in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-2Z cells.

In this study, 21 new honokiol derivatives were synthesised, and their anti-cancer properties were investigated. Among these, compound 1g exhibited the most potent cytotoxic activity against human nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-2Z cells, human gastric cancer SGC7901 cells, human breast cancer MCF-7 cells, and mouse leydig testicular cancer I-10 lines with IC50 values of 6.04, 7.17, 6.83, and 5.30 µM, respectively. Compared to the parental compound, 1g displayed up to 5.18-fold enhancement of the cytotoxic effect on CNE-2Z cells. We further demonstrated that 1g inhibited cell growth, suppressed migration and invasion, and induced apoptosis of CNE-2Z cells by down-regulating HIF-1α, MMP-2, MMP-9, Bcl-2, Akt and up-regulating Bax protein levels. Transfection of CNE-2Z cells with HIF-1α siRNA reduced cell migration and invasion. In addition, in vivo experiments confirmed that 1g inhibited tumour growth in CNE-2Z cell-xenografted nude mice with low toxicity. Thus, our data suggested that 1g was a potent and safe lead compound for nasopharyngeal carcinoma therapy.

Bidirectional causal relationship between depression and frailty: a univariate and multivariate Mendelian randomisation study.

BACKGROUND: cumulative evidence from cohort studies suggested that there were inconsistent conclusions as to whether there was a bidirectional association between depression and frailty. Therefore, this study used a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) study to investigate the causal relationship between depression and frailty. METHODS: we performed univariate and multivariate bidirectional MR analyses to assess the causal association between depression and frailty. Independent genetic variants associated with depression and frailty were selected as instrumental variables. Inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, weighted median and weighted mode were mainly used in univariate MR analysis. Multivariate MR (MVMR) analyses used multivariable inverse variance-weighted methods to individually and jointly adjust for three potential confounders, body mass index (BMI), age at menarche (AAM) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR, adjusted for BMI). RESULTS: univariate MR analysis showed a positive causal relationship between depression and risk of frailty (IVW, odds ratio (OR) = 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.23-1.37, P = 6.54E-22). Causal relationship between frailty and risk of depression (IVW, OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.33-2.16, P = 2.09E-05). MVMR analysis revealed that the bidirectional causal association between depression and frailty remained after adjusting for three potential confounders, BMI, AAM and WHR (adjusted for BMI), individually and in combination. CONCLUSIONS: our findings supported a causal relationship between genetically predicted depression and frailty in both directions.

Regulating 3D Phase in Quasi-2D Perovskite Films for High-Performance and Stable Photodetectors.

The charge transport in quasi-2D perovskites limits their applications despite the superior stability and optoelectronic properties. Herein, a novel strategy is proposed to enhance the charge transport by regulating 3D perovskite phase in quasi-2D perovskite films. The carbohydrazide (CBH) as an additive is introduced into (PEA)2 MA3 Pb4 I13 precursors, which slows down the crystallization process and improves the phase ratio and crystal quality of the 3D phase. This structure change results in a significant improvement in charge transport and extraction, leading to the device demonstrating an almost 100% internal quantum efficiency, a peak responsivity of 0.41 A W-1 , and a detectivity of 1.31 × 1012 Jones at 570 nm under 0 V bias. Furthermore, the air and moisture stability of (PEA)2 MA3 Pb4 I13 films is not deteriorated but gets significantly improved due to the better crystal quality and the passivation of defects by the residual CBH molecule. This work demonstrates a strategy for improving the charge transport properties of quasi-2D perovskites and also sheds light on solving the stability issue of 3D perovskite films via the proper passivation or additives, which will inspire the fast development of the perovskite community.

Gamabufotalin Induces Apoptosis and Cytoprotective Autophagy through the mTOR Signaling Pathway in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with a high rate of recurrence and a poor prognosis. Here, we investigated the effect and the potential antitumor mechanism of Gamabufotalin (CS-6) against HCC. Our results show that CS-6 strikingly reduced cell viability, inhibited colony formation, and promoted apoptosis in Hep3B and Huh7 cells. In vivo, CS-6 inhibited HCC xenograft tumor growth with no toxicity to normal tissues. Mechanistically, we found that CS-6 could induce cytoprotective autophagy through the mTOR-ULK1 signaling pathway through downregulation of p62 and upregulation of LC3 II/LC3 I. Meanwhile, CS-6 activated caspase-3 and PARP mediated apoptosis, and the caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK blocked the CS-6-induced cell death in HCC cells. Moreover, autophagy and apoptosis were found to have antagonistic effects in Hep3B and Huh7 cells. Both the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) and the mTOR activator MHY1485 blocked autophagy and further enhanced CS-6-induced apoptosis. Taken together, we demonstrated for the first time that CS-6 promotes apoptosis and cytoprotective autophagy through the mTOR signaling pathway in HCC, which proposes a novel strategy for HCC therapy.

Probing the Genuine Carrier Dynamics of Semiconducting Perovskites under Sunlight.

Understanding the nature of photogenerated carriers and their subsequent dynamics in semiconducting perovskites is important for the development of solar cell materials and devices. However, most ultrafast dynamic measurements on perovskite materials were conducted under high carrier densities, which likely obscures the genuine dynamics under low carrier densities in solar illumination conditions. In this study, we presented a detailed experimental study of the carrier density-dependent dynamics in hybrid lead iodide perovskites from femtosecond to microsecond using a highly sensitive transient absorption (TA) spectrometer. From the dynamic curves with low carrier density in the linear response range, we observed two fast trapping processes that occurred in less than 1 ps and tens of picoseconds, attributed to the shallow traps, and two slow decays with lifetimes of hundreds of nanoseconds and longer than 1 µs, related to the trap-assisted recombination and trapping at deep traps. Further TA measurements clearly show that PbCl2 passivation can effectively reduce both shallow and deep trap densities. These results provide insights into the intrinsic photophysics of semiconducting perovskites with direct implications for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications under sunlight.

Association Between Sleep Traits and Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Currently, the causal association between sleep disorders and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been poorly understood. In this two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) study, we tried to explore whether sleep disorders are causally associated with RA. Seven sleep-related traits were chosen from the published Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS): short sleep duration, frequent insomnia, any insomnia, sleep duration, getting up, morningness (early-to-bed/up habit), and snoring, 27, 53, 57, 57, 70, 274, and 42 individual single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (P < 5 × 10-8) were obtained as instrumental variables (IVs) for these sleep-related traits. Outcome variables were obtained from a public GWAS study that included 14,361 cases and 43,923 European Ancestry controls. The causal relationship between sleep disturbances and RA risk were evaluated by a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger regression, weighted median, and weight mode methods. MR-Egger Regression and Mendelian randomization pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) were used to test for horizontal pleomorphism and outliers. There was no evidence of a link between RA and frequent insomnia (IVW, odds ratio (OR): 0.99; 95% interval (CI): 0.84-1.16; P = 0.858), any insomnia (IVW, OR: 1.09; 95% CI: 0.85-1.42; P = 0.489), sleep duration (IVW, OR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.38-1.10, P = 0.269), getting up (IVW, OR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.13-2.46, P = 0.442), morningness (IVW, OR: 2.59; 95% CI: 0.73-9.16; P = 0.142), or snoring (IVW, OR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.68-1.33; P = 0.757). Short sleep duration (6h) had a causal effect on RA, as supported by IVW and weighted median (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.12-1.94, P = 0.006; OR: 1.43, 95%CI:1.01-2.05, P = 0.047). Sensitivity analysis showed that the results were stable. Our findings imply that short sleep duration is causally linked to an increased risk of RA. Therefore, sleep length should be considered in disease models, and physicians should advise people to avoid short sleep duration practices to lower the risk of RA.

Chiral Hybrid Copper(I) Halides for High Efficiency Second Harmonic Generation with a Broadband Transparency Window.

Chiral hybrid organic-inorganic metal halides (HOMHs) with intrinsic noncentrosymmetry have shown great promise for applications in second-order nonlinear optics (NLO). However, established chiral HOMHs often suffer from their relatively small band gaps, which lead to negative impacts on transparent window and laser-induced damage thresholds (LDT). Here, we have synthesized two chiral HOMHs based on CuI halides, namely (R-/S-MBA)CuBr2 , which feature well-balanced NLO performances with a highly efficient SHG response, outstanding optical transparency, and high LDT. The effective second-order NLO coefficient of (R-MBA)CuBr2 has been determined to be ≈24.7 pm V-1 , which is two orders of magnitude higher than that of their CuII counterparts. This work shows the promising potential of CuI -based chiral HOMHs for nonlinear photonic applications in wide wavelength regions.

Efficient generation of narrowband picosecond pulses from a femtosecond laser.

In some applications of broadband ultrafast spectroscopy, such as surface sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy, femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (SRS), and coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy, a narrowband picosecond pulse is required to obtain a high spectral resolution. Here, we present a method to generate narrowband picosecond second harmonic (SH) and fundamental frequency (FF) pulses with high-conversion efficiency from a Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser amplifier. The narrowband picosecond SH pulse was generated based on the group velocity mismatch between the SH and FF pulses in a nonlinear crystal of ß-barium borate (BBO). The small SH nonlinear optical coefficient was optimized by changing the azimuth angle of a thick BBO crystal, successfully avoiding the saturation effect in the SH generation process. The SH pulse was then used to pump an optical parametric amplifier to efficiently amplify the narrowband FF seed pulse, which was obtained with an etalon by spectrally filtering the output from the femtosecond laser amplifier. Dual-wavelength output, which could be very useful in femtosecond SRS, was also realized.

Ultrahigh sensitive transient absorption spectrometer.

Transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy is considered as a powerful technique that reflects the ultrafast dynamics of photogenerated carriers in photoelectric and photocatalysis materials. However, limited by its sensitivity, the photogenerated carrier density in TA measurements of solar energy materials is usually much higher than that in the real working condition. Here, we present a combination of kHz macro-pulse and MHz micro-pulse technique for an ultrahigh sensitive TA spectrometer, which improves the sensitivity to the 10-7 level of ΔOD. It enables us to study ultrafast carrier dynamics pumped by very low power, which can avoid the influence of many-body interactions and the nonlinear effect associated with high carrier density. This work provides a novel TA method with ultrahigh sensitivity, which will play an important role in investigating the carrier dynamics of semiconductors in the working condition.

Semi-Synthesis and In Vitro Anti-Cancer Evaluation of Magnolol Derivatives.

Magnolol (MAG), a biphenolic neolignan, has various biological activities including antitumor effects. In this study, 15 MAG derivatives were semi-synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activities. From these derivatives, compound 6a exhibited the best cytotoxic activity against four human cancer cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 20.43 to 28.27 µM. Wound-healing and transwell assays showed that compound 6a significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, Western blotting experiments, performed using various concentrations of 6a, demonstrated that it downregulates the expression of HIF-1α, MMP-2, and MMP-9 in a concentration-dependent manner. Overall, these results suggest that substituting a benzyl group having F atoms substituted at the C2 position on MAG is a viable strategy for the structural optimization of MAG derivatives as anticancer agents.

The safety of echo contrast-enhanced ultrasound in high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation for abdominal wall endometriosis: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of echo contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) during high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation therapy for abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE). METHODS: A total of 67 patients with AWE were treated with HIFU ablation, and their demographic characteristics were retrospectively analysed. Blood perfusion of the focal lesion was assessed before the operation, during ablation and after the operation with the use of an ultrasound contrast agent, and the effect of the ultrasound contrast agent on treatment was assessed over a 1-year follow-up period. The degree of symptom relief and adverse effects were evaluated after HIFU ablation. RESULTS: Eighty-two lesions were ablated in 67 patients. CEUS showed that all lesions were successfully ablated with HIFU. The shrinkage ratio of the lesions significantly increased over the follow-up period. Intermittent pain disappeared at 1 month after the operation, and the patients' pain scores significantly decreased at the 1-year follow-up. The mean [± standard deviation (SD)] lesion volume was 7.64±8.95 cm3 on B-mode ultrasound. The post-HIFU non-perfused volume was 18.34±24.08 cm3, and the rate of massive changes on greyscale imaging was 96.16%±5.44% at 12 months. During the procedure, the main complications were a prickling sensation and tenderness in the treatment area and/or a transient "hot" sensation on the skin. After the procedure, there was no obvious discomfort except for pain. Two patients developed an approximately 1-cm area of skin that exhibited a waxy appearance. Seven patients had haematuria. No severe complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound contrast agents are effective and safe for evaluating the effect of HIFU ablation on AWE, and this approach provides significant guidance and evaluation benefits for the use of HIFU treatment for AWE without obvious side effects.