MOF-Assisted Annealing-Free Crystallization Technology of Perovskites toward Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

Although annealing is a commonly used crystallization method for perovskite films in perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the high thermal energy consumption and limitations on flexible devices hinder their further industrial application. We herein propose an annealing-free crystallization technology for perovskite films, assisted by the Zr-metal-organic framework (MOF) interface between SnO2 and the perovskite. It is found that the Zr-MOF interface can accelerate the formation of perovskite intermediates and promote their conversion into perovskite crystals even without annealing. The trap density thus decreases by about one fold, accompanied by significant increases in electron and hole mobilities, resulting in enhanced carrier extraction and suppressed charge recombination. Therefore, the Zr-MOF-based PSC attains a power convention efficiency (PCE) of 20.24%, 2.2 times that (9.26%) of the pristine PSC. Furthermore, the Zr-MOF interface layer can significantly improve the air and thermal stabilities of PSCs. The Zr-MOF-based PSC exhibits 93% of its initial PCE versus 52% for the pristine PSC after 1018 h of storage in air. Additionally, after 360 h of continuous heating at 65 °C, the Zr-MOF-based PSC retains 91% of its initial PCE against 44% for the pristine PSC.

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in peripheral pulmonary lesions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs) remains a challenge for physicians. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has been applied in the diagnosis of PPLs, but its diagnostic rate varies widely. The systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to figure out the accuracy and safety of EBUS-TBNA in the diagnosis of PPLs. We searched the PubMed and Embase databases for relevant studies published from January 1, 2000 to December 30, 2021 and used PICO (Participants, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome) to worked out the diagnostic rate of EBUS-TBNA in PPLs. Two reviewers independently performed the data extraction and assessed study quality. Statistical analysis was carried out via R software. In 7 studies of totally 510 patients of PPLs, the overall EBUS-TBNA diagnosis yield is 0.75 (95% CI 0.67-0.84) by the random effect model. EBUS-TBNA showed a higher accuracy of 0.64 (95% CI 0.53-0.74) compared to 0.46 (95% CI 0.19-0.72) of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial biopsy (EBUS-TBB) when EBUS probe is adjacent to lesions. In the case of malignant lesions, the diagnostic rate of EBUS-TBNA is 0.79 (95% CI 0.72-0.88). Combined EBUS-TBNA with conventional bronchoscopy procedures showed the highest diagnostic yield (0.83 (95% CI 0.79-0.87)). Collectively, EBUS-TBNA should be performed firstly in patients with PPLs suspected to lung cancer especially when the EBUS probe was adjacent to the lesions. No serious procedure-related complications were observed.

H-Bonding Room Temperature Phosphorescence Materials via Facile Preparation for Water-Stimulated Photoluminescent Ink.

Pure organic room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials built upon noncovalent interactions have attracted much attention because of their high efficiency, long lifetime, and stimulus-responsive behavior. However, there are limited reports of noncovalent RTP materials because of the lack of specific design principles and clear mechanisms. Here, we report on a noncovalent material prepared via facile grinding that can emit fluorescence and RTP emission differing from their components' photoluminescent behavior. Exciplex can be formed during the preparation process to act as the minimum emission unit. We found that H-bonds in the RTP system provide restriction to nonradiative transition but also enhance energy transformation and energy level degeneracy in the system. Moreover, water-stimulated photoluminescent ink is produced from the materials to achieve double-encryption application with good resolution.

Spiro[cyclopentadithiophene-dioxolane]-Based D-A-D Type Organic Molecule for Both Crystallization Improvement and Band Adjustment of Perovskites.

To improve the crystallization and meanwhile adjust the band levels of perovskites, we design and synthesize a novel organic molecule, 4,4'-(spiro[cyclopenta[1,2-b:5,4-b']dithiophene-4,2'-[1,3]dioxolane]-2,6-diyl)bis(N,N-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)aniline) (TM1), to dissolve in an antisolvent for the antisolvent engineering of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The coordination interactions between TM1 and Pb2+ ions in perovskites and the hydrogen bonds between the O atoms in the methoxy of TM1 and the MA+ in perovskites are characterized with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Owing to these interactions, TM1 can improve the perovskite crystallization, which reduces the trap density, enhances the interfacial hole extraction, and retards charge recombination as well, boosting short-circuit photocurrent notably. TM1 also shifts the valence band of perovskites upward by 0.17 eV, which aligns better with the highest occupied molecular orbital of hole transport materials and thus increases the open-circuit photovoltage significantly. As a result, the power conversion efficiency is enhanced from 17.22 to 20.21% by TM1. Moreover, TM1 can also improve device stability significantly. These findings demonstrate that TM1 is a kind of functional material as an additive in an antisolvent for both crystallization improvement and energy level adjustment of perovskites toward highly efficient and stable PSCs.

Predictive criteria of severe cases in COVID-19 patients of early stage: A retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) often suffer sudden deterioration of disease around 1-2 weeks after onset. Once the disease progressed to severe phase, clinical prognosis of patients will significantly deteriorate. METHODS: This was a multicenter retrospective study on patients of all adult inpatients (≥18 years old) from Tianyou Hospital (Wuhan, China) and the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. All 139 patients had laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in their early stage, which is defined as within 7 days of clinical symptoms. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine the predictive factors in the early detection of patients who may subsequently develop into severe cases. RESULTS: Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the higher level of hypersensitivity C-reactive protein (OR = 4.77, 95% CI:1.92-11.87, P = .001), elevated alanine aminotransferase (OR = 6.87, 95%CI:1.56-30.21, P = .011), and chronic comorbidities (OR = 11.48, 95% CI:4.44-29.66, P < .001) are the determining risk factors for the progression into severe pneumonia in COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSION: Early COVID-19 patients with chronic comorbidities, elevated hs-CRP or elevated ALT are significantly more likely to develop severe pneumonia as the disease progresses. These risk factors may facilitate the early diagnosis of critical patients in clinical practice.

Comparison of transbronchial needle aspiration with and without ultrasound guidance for diagnosing benign lymph node adenopathy.

BACKGROUND: Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) is a minimally invasive procedure performed to diagnose lymph node (LN) adenopathy. TBNA with and without endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) guidance has a high diagnostic yield for malignant LN enlargement, but the value for diagnosing benign LN enlargement has been less thoroughly investigated. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 3540 patients with mediastinal LN enlargement who received TBNA. One hundred sixty-six patients with benign mediastinal lymphadenopathy were included and 293 LNs were biopsied. A positive result was defined as a specific histological abnormality. Conventional TBNA (cTBNA) and EBUS-TBNA, as well as cTBNA and transbronchial forceps biopsy (TBFB), were compared. The subgroup analysis was stratified by disease type and LN size. RESULTS: A diagnosis was made in 76.84% of the EBUS-TBNA and 61.31% of the cTBNA (P < 0.05). EBUS-TBNA was superior to cTBNA for both granulomatous (65.18% vs. 45.45%, P < 0.05) and non-granulomatous disease (96.92% vs. 84.06%, P < 0.05). In contrast, the diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA was higher than that of cTBNA for LNs < 20 mm (79.44% vs. 64.29%, P < 0.05), but for LNs > 20 mm the difference was marginal. These findings were confirmed in a group of independent patients who received cTBNA plus EBUS-TBNA. The diagnostic yield did not differ between cTBNA and TBFB, but significantly increased to 76.67% when both modalities were employed. CONCLUSIONS: EBUS-TBNA is the preferred minimally invasive diagnostic method for benign mediastinal LN disease. Combined cTBNA and TBFB is a safe and feasible alternative when EBUS is unavailable.

A novel waterborne polyurethane with biodegradability and high flexibility for 3D printing.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing provides a new approach of fabricating implantable products because it permits a flexible manner to extrude complex and customized shapes of the tissue scaffolds. Compared with other printable biomaterials, the polyurethane elastomer has several merits, including excellent mechanical properties and good biocompatibility. However, some intrinsic behavior, especially its high melting point and slow rate of degradation, hampered its application in 3D printed tissue engineering. Herein, we developed a 3D printable amino acid modified biodegradable waterborne polyurethane (WBPU) using a water-based green chemistry process. The flexibility of this material endows better compliance with tissue during implantation and prevents high modulus transplants from scratching surrounding tissues. The histocompatibility experiments show that the WBPU induces no apparent acute rejection or inflammation in vivo. We successfully fabricated a highly flexible WBPU scaffold by deposition 3D printing technology at a low temperature (50°C ~ 70 °C), and the printed products could support the adhesion and proliferation of chondrocytes and fibroblasts. The printed blocks possessed controllable degradability due to the different amounts of hydrophilic chain extender and did not cause accumulation of acidic products. In addition, we demonstrated that our WBPU is highly applicable for implantable tissue engineering because there is no cytotoxicity during its degradation. Taken together, we envision that this printable WBPU can be used as an alternative biomaterial for tissue engineering with low temperature printing, biodegradability, and compatibility.

The efficacy of ado-trastuzumab emtansine in patients with ERBB2-aberrant non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: ERBB2 aberrations are oncogenic alterations in lung cancer. However, the reported therapeutic efficacy of ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) varied. We therefore evaluated the efficacy and safety of T-DM1 in treating different types of ERBB2 aberrations. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search for original articles and meeting abstracts about ERBB2-aberrant lung cancer treating with T-DM1 in PubMed and EMBASE databases from inception to June, 2020. Statistical analysis was carried out in R software. RESULTS: A total of 120 patients with various ERBB2 aberrations were identified in five studies. ERBB2 upregulation (gene amplification and/or protein overexpression) was more common in smokers with adenocarcinoma, whereas mutations were more common in female non-smokers with adenocarcinoma. The overall objective response rate (ORR) for ERBB2 aberrations was 29% [95% confidence interval (CI): 15-56%]. Subgroup analysis showed an ORR of 41% (95% CI: 11-70%) for ERBB2 gene mutation, 66% (95% CI: 11-100%) for ERBB2 gene amplification, and 3% (95% CI: 0-9%) for ERBB2 protein overexpression. Notably, the ORR was 44% (95% CI: 25-63%) upon concomitant ERBB2 upregulation and mutation. Furthermore, the ORR was 26% (95% CI: 0-54%) for protein overexpression plus gene mutation but up to 80% (95% CI: 50-100%) for triple aberrations: gene amplification plus protein overexpression and gene mutation. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, T-DM1 might be a critical agent targeting ERBB2 mutated or/and amplified lung cancers.

Spacer layer design for efficient fully printable mesoscopic perovskite solar cells.

The spacer layer is a key component of fully printable mesoscopic perovskite solar cells, but its precise characteristics are far from being understood in relation to the device design. In the present work, we perform a detailed systematic study on the effects of spacer parameters, such as size of building blocks, layer thickness, etc., on properties of the perovskite filler, insulating ability and performance of fully printable mesoscopic perovskite solar cells by combining the techniques of time-resolved photoluminescence, high-resolution TEM, insulating resistance measurements, impedance spectroscopy and J-V characteristics. Drawing on the deep understanding from these studies, we formulate key principles, which are anticipated to guide the design of the advanced spacer layer for fully printable mesoscopic perovskite solar cells.

Transient Receptor Potential Channels and Chronic Airway Inflammatory Diseases: A Comprehensive Review.

Chronic airway inflammatory diseases remain a major problem worldwide, such that there is a need for additional therapeutic targets and novel drugs. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are a group of non-selective cation channels expressed throughout the body that are regulated by various stimuli. TRP channels have been identified in numerous cell types in the respiratory tract, including sensory neurons, airway epithelial cells, airway smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts. Different types of TRP channels induce cough in sensory neurons via the vagus nerve. Permeability and cytokine production are also regulated by TRP channels in airway epithelial cells, and these channels also contribute to the modulation of bronchoconstriction. TRP channels may cooperate with other TRP channels, or act in concert with calcium-dependent potassium channels and calcium-activated chloride channel. Hence, TRP channels could be the potential therapeutic targets for chronic airway inflammatory diseases. In this review, we aim to discuss the expression profiles and physiological functions of TRP channels in the airway, and the roles they play in chronic airway inflammatory diseases.

Selective vesicle aggregation achieved via the self-assembly of terpyridine-based building blocks.

Herein, we report the self-assembly of a mono terpyridine-based building block modified with long alkyl chains, which gives rise to vesicular aggregates in aqueous media. The vesicles are responsive to transition metal ions, and form different kinds of aggregates after metal-ligand coordination. In particular, Ni(ii) shows a unique influence on morphological transitions, whereby vesicles aggregate and fuse upon the addition of Ni(ii) ions. Spectroscopic and morphological studies are highlighted in this work. Furthermore, the formed vesicles could behave as a matrix for encapsulating fluorescent dyes with similar molecular structure via co-assembly, enabling more accurate observation of vesicle aggregation via confocal laser scanning techniques.