Emerging 2D Layered Materials for Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are now at the forefront of the state‐of‐the‐art photovoltaic technologies due to their high efficiency and low fabrication costs. To further realize the potential of this fascinating class of solar cells, nanostructured functional materials have been playing important roles. 2D layered materials have attracted a great deal of interest due to their fascinating properties and unique structure. Recently, the exploration of a wide range of novel 2D materials for use in PSCs has seen considerable progress, but still a lot remains to be done in this field. In this progress report, the advancements that have recently been made in the application of these emerging 2D materials, beyond graphene, for PSCs are presented. Both the advantages and challenges of these 2D materials for PSCs are highlighted. Finally, important directions for the future advancements toward efficient, low‐cost, and stable PSCs are outlined.     

Efficient Organic Solar Cell with 16.88% Efficiency Enabled by Refined Acceptor Crystallization and Morphology with Improved Charge Transfer and Transport Properties

Single‐layered organic solar cells (OSCs) using nonfullerene acceptors have reached 16% efficiency. Such a breakthrough has inspired new sparks for the development of the next generation of OSC materials. In addition to the optimization of electronic structure, it is important to investigate the essential solid‐state structure that guides the high efficiency of bulk heterojunction blends, which provides insight in understanding how to pair an efficient donor–acceptor mixture and refine film morphology. In this study, a thorough analysis is executed to reveal morphology details, and the results demonstrate that Y6 can form a unique 2D packing with a polymer‐like conjugated backbone oriented normal to the substrate, controlled by the processing solvent and thermal annealing conditions. Such morphology provides improved carrier transport and ultrafast hole and electron transfer, leading to improved device performance, and the best optimized device shows a power conversion efficiency of 16.88% (16.4% certified). This work reveals the importance of film morphology and the mechanism by which it affects device performance. A full set of analytical methods and processing conditions are executed to achieve high efficiency solar cells from materials design to device optimization, which will be useful in future OSC technology development.     

高糖通过诱导自噬障碍促进心肌细胞H9c2凋亡

目的探讨自噬对高糖（HG）诱导的心肌细胞H9c2凋亡的影响。 方法MTT法检测H9c2细胞活力;hoechst33258染色法检测凋亡细胞;Western Blot检测H9c2细胞促凋亡蛋白Bax和自噬相关蛋白（Beclin-1和P62）的表达。各组的OD值和蛋白条带灰度值均采用析因设计的方差分析,各组间差异用单因素ANOVA分析。 结果HG能诱导H9c2细胞活力降低：12、24、48 mmol/L的HG细胞活力分别为Control组（100%）的[（79.5±2.23）%]（t = 3.143,P = 0.043）、[（54.6±3.08）%]（t = 12.425,P = 0.000）和[（37.2±2.59）%]（t = 13.761,P = 0.000）;与Control组（100%）比较,甘露醇等渗对照组的细胞活力值为[（101.0±1.27）%]（t = 0.012,P = 0.094）。HG诱导H9c2细胞hoechst33258阳性细胞增加,且能诱导促凋亡蛋白Bax表达增加：与Control组比较,12、24、48 mmol/L的HG处理组凋亡蛋白Bax/β-actin灰度值分别为（1.29±0.25,t = 2.32,P = 0.045）、（1.42±0.23,t = 10.247,P = 0.000）和（1.81±0.29,t = 16.324,P = 0.000）。HG诱导自噬障碍：与Control组比较,自噬相关蛋白Beclin-1/β-actin灰度值分别为（0.82±0.16,t = 4.243,P = 0.032）、（0.78±0.19,t = 11.341,P = 0.000）和（0.62±0.11,t = 13.455,P = 0.000）,P62蛋白/β-actin蛋白灰度值分别为（1.29±0.25,t = 4.442,P = 0.014）、（1.42±0.23,t = 13.341,P = 0.000）和（1.81±0.29,t = 15.851,P = 0.000）。自噬诱导剂雷帕霉素可逆转HG诱导的hoechst33258阳性细胞增加,且逆转HG诱导的Bax表达升高：与control组比较,HG组、HG和雷帕霉素共处理组、雷帕霉素组的Bax/β-actin灰度值分别为（1.51±0.31,t = 14.342,P = 0.000）、（1.42±0.23,t = 9.621,P = 0.004）和（1.81±0.12,t = 0.172,P = 0.124）。 结论HG可促进心肌细胞H9c2凋亡,且能诱导自噬障碍,自噬诱导剂的运用逆转了HG对H9c2细胞的凋亡作用,表明自噬障碍是HG诱导H9c2细胞凋亡的重要机制。     

Regulation of Gdnf expression by retinoic acid in Sertoli cells

Glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and retinoic acid (RA) are two molecules crucial for the regulation of the spermatogonial compartment of the testis. During the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium, their relative concentration oscillates with lower GDNF levels in stages where RA levels are high. It has been recently shown that RA negatively regulates Gdnf expression but the mechanisms behind are so far unknown. Here, we show that RA directly downregulates Gdnf mRNA levels in primary murine Sertoli cells through binding of RARα to a novel DR5‐RARE on Gdnf promoter. Pharmacological inhibition and chromatin immunoprecipitation–quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis suggested that the underlying mechanism involved histone deacetylase activity and epigenetic repression of Gdnf promoter upon RA treatment.     

Medaka dead end encodes a cytoplasmic protein and identifies embryonic and adult germ cells

dead end (dnd) was identified in zebrafish as a gene encoding an RNA-binding protein essential for primordial germ cell (PGC) development and gametogenesis in vertebrates. The adult dnd RNA expression has been restricted to the ovary in Xenopus or to the testis in mouse. Its protein product is nuclear in chicken germ cells but both cytosolic and nuclear in mouse cell cultures. Here we report the cloning and expression pattern of Odnd, the medakafish (Oryzias latipes) dnd gene. Sequence comparison, gene structure, linkage analysis and expression demonstrate that Odnd encodes the medaka Dnd orthologue. A systematic comparison of Dnd proteins from five fishes and tetrapod representatives led to the identification of five previously unidentified conserved regions besides the RNA recognition motif. The Odnd RNA is maternally supplied and preferentially segregated with PGCs. Its adult expression occurs in both sexes and is restricted to germ cells. In the testis, Odnd is abundant in spermatogonia and meiotic cells but absent in sperm. In the ovary, Odnd RNA persists throughout oogenesis. Furthermore, we developed a dual color fluorescent in situ hybridization procedure allowing for precise comparisons of expression and distribution patterns between two genes in medaka embryos and adult tissues. Importantly, this procedure co-localized Odnd and Ovasa in testicular germ cells and PGCs. Surprisingly, by cell transfection and embryo RNA injection we show that ODnd is cytoplasmic in cell cultures, cleavage embryos and PGCs. Therefore, medaka dnd encodes a cytoplasmic protein and identifies embryonic and adult germ cells of both sexes.     

HTII-280, a Biomarker Specific to the Apical Plasma Membrane of Human Lung Alveolar Type II Cells

The pulmonary alveolar epithelium is composed of two morphologically distinct cell types, type I (TI) and type II (TII) cells. Alveolar TII cells synthesize, secrete, and recycle surfactant components; contain ion transporters; and secrete immune effector molecules. In response to alveolar injury, TII cells have the capacity to act as progenitor cells, proliferating and transdifferentiating into TI cells. Although various proteins are associated with TII cells, a plasma membrane marker specific to human TII cells that would be useful for identification in tissue and for isolating this cell type has not been described previously. We devised a strategy to produce a monoclonal antibody (MAb) specific to the apical surface of human TII cells and developed an MAb that appears to be specific for human TII cells. The antibody recognizes a 280- to 300-kDa protein, HTII-280, which has the biochemical characteristics of an integral membrane protein. HTII-280 is detected by week 11 of gestation and is developmentally regulated. HTII-280 is useful for isolating human TII cells with purities and viabilities >95%. HTII-280 is likely to be a useful morphological and biochemical marker of human TII cells that may help to advance our understanding of various lung pathological conditions, including the origin and development of various lung tumors. (J Histochem Cytochem 58:891–901, 2010)     

GnRH受体与TRAIL在前列腺肿瘤中表达的研究

目的研究促性腺激素释放激素受体(GnRH-R)和凋亡相关蛋白(TRAIL)在前列腺肿瘤中的表达及临床意义.方法采用SABC免疫组化法及原位定量法,对前列腺肿瘤和前列腺增生患者中GnRH-R和TRAIL的表达进行检测及半定量分析.结果在前列腺癌组织高分化的11例,中分化的4例以及低分化的5例中,各种不同分化的癌组织均显示不同程度的GnRH-R和TRAIL阳性免疫反应,原位定量显示GnRH-R与TRAIL的表达均分别随着组织分化程度增高而增高(P<0.05),并且TRAIL较GnRH-R阳性免疫反应强.结论 GnRH-R和TRAIL表达量可能与前列腺恶性肿瘤的发生与发展有关.     

Mitogen-activated protein kinases modulate H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis in primary rat alveolar epithelial cells

Increasing evidence suggests a role for apoptosis in the maintenance of the alveolar epithelium under normal and pathological conditions. However, the signaling pathways modulating alveolar type II (ATII) cell apoptosis remain poorly defined. Here we investigated the role of MAPKs as modulators of oxidant-mediated ATII cell apoptosis using in vitro models of H(2)O(2)-stress. H(2)O(2), delivered either as a bolus or as a flux, lead to time- and concentration-dependent increases in ATII cells apoptosis. Increased apoptosis in primary rat ATII cells was detected at H(2)O(2) concentrations and production rates in the physiological range (1 microM) and peaked at 100 microM H(2)O(2). Immortalized rat lung epithelial cells (RLE), in contrast, required millimolar concentration of H(2)O(2) for maximal responses. H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis was preceded by rapid activation of all three classes of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs): ERK, JNK, and p38. Specific inhibition of JNK using antisense oligonucleotides and ERK and p38 using PD98059 or SB202190, respectively, indicated a pro-apoptotic role for JNK pathway and an anti-apoptotic role for ERK- and p38-initiated signaling events. Our data show that the balance between the activation of JNK, ERK, and p38 is a critical determinant of cell fate, suggesting that pharmacological interventions on the MAPK pathways may be useful in the treatment of oxidant-related lung injury.