High performance wide bandgap perovskite solar cell with low V_(OC) deficit less than 0.4 V

Wide bandgap perovskite solar cells(PSCs)have attracted significant attention because they can be applied to the top cells of tandem solar cells.However,high open-circuit voltage(V_(OC))deficit(>0.4 V)result from poor crystallization and high non-radiative recombination losses become a serious limitation in the pursuit of high performance.Here,the relevance between different Pbl_(2)proportions and performance parameters are revealed through analysis of surface morphology,residual stress,and photostability.The increase of Pbl_(2)proportion promotes crystal growth and reduces the work function of the perovskite film surface and promotes the energy level alignment with the carrier transport layer,which decreased the V_(OC)deficit.However,residual PbI_(2)exacerbated the stress level of perovskite film,and the resulting lattice disorder deteriorated the photostability of the device.Ultimately,after the synergistic passivation of residual PbI_(2)and PEAI,the V_(OC)achieves 1.266 V and V_(OC)deficit is less than 0.4 V,the record value in wide bandgap PSCs.

Estrogen receptor beta suppresses the androgen receptor oncogenic effects in triple-negative breast cancer

Background:Triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC)is an aggressive type of breast cancer associated with poor prognosis and limited treatment options.The androgen receptor(AR)has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for luminal androgen receptor(LAR)TNBC.However,multiple studies have claimed that anti-androgen therapy for AR-positive TNBC only has limited clinical benefits.This study aimed to investigate the role of AR in TNBC and its detailed mechanism.Methods:Immunohistochemistry and TNBC tissue sections were applied to investigate AR and nectin cell adhesion molecule 4(NECTIN4)expression in TNBC tissues.Then,in vitro and in vivo assays were used to explore the function of AR and estrogen receptor beta(ERβ)in TNBC.Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing(ChIP-seq),co-immunoprecipitation(co-IP),molecular docking method,and luciferase reporter assay were performed to identify key molecules that affect the function of AR.Results:Based on the TNBC tissue array analysis,we revealed that ERβand AR were positive in 21.92%(32/146)and 24.66%(36/146)of 146 TNBC samples,respectively,and about 13.70%(20/146)of TNBC patients were ERβpositive and AR positive.We further demonstrated the pro-tumoral effects of AR on TNBC cells,however,the oncogenic biology was significantly suppressed when ERβtransfection in LAR TNBC cell lines but not in AR-negative TNBC.Mechanistically,we identified that NECTIN4 promoter–42 bp to–28 bp was an AR response element,and that ERβinteracted with AR thus impeding the AR-mediated NECTIN4 transcription which promoted epithelial–mesenchymal transition in tumor progression.Conclusions:This study suggests that ERβfunctions as a suppressor mediating the effect of AR in TNBC prognosis and cell proliferation.Therefore,our current research facilitates a better understanding of the role and mechanisms of AR in TNBC carcinogenesis.

Highly transmitted silver nanowires-SWCNTs conductive flexible film by nested density structure and aluminum-doped zinc oxide capping layer for flexible amorphous silicon solar cells

Indium tin oxide(ITO)is widely used in transparent conductive films(TCFs);however,several disadvan-tages,such as high cost and toxicity of indium,limit its applications.Therefore,it is necessary to develop other materials that can replace ITO.Silver nanowires or single walled carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs)have attracted considerable interest owing to their unique electrical,optical,and thermal stabilities,and thus,they are ideal for transparent electrodes for flexible or stretchable devices.In this study,we develop a novel architecture of composite TCFs on a polyethylene naphthalate(PEN)flexible substrate.Herein,the silver nanowires-SWCNTs films with nested density structure were fabricated through ultrasonic spraying technology by varying the spraying width.For achieving enhanced transmittance,we combined the larger irregular grids and holes with fewer nanowires stacked in the longitudinal direction,more optical chan-nels,and good carrier transport.Thereafter,aluminum-doped zinc oxide(AZO)was used as capping to the structure for enhancing the optical properties of the TCFs.The silver nanowires-SWCNTs/AZO(ASA)bilayer was obtained in the optimized architecture,which showed superior optoelectronic performance to that shown by commercial ITO with a high optical transmittance of 92%at the wavelength of 550 nm and low sheet resistance of 17/sq.In the specially structured conductive film,the significant improvement in the transmittance and uniformity of the sheet resistance was attributed to the effective nanowire junc-tion contact compared to that in ordinary structure of silver nanowires,which reduced the mean density of small clusters of nanowires.Compared with the silver nanowires-SWCNTs films,the ASA bilayer film exhibited excellent resistance to boiling,mechanical bending(10,000 cycles),and CO_(2)plasma.Moreover,the sheet resistance of ASA changed slightly after the tape tests,thereby illustrating a strong adhesion to the PEN substrate after the enclosure of AZO.Meanwhile,the AZO capping layer can enhance the op-tical transmittance between 600 and 1500 nm.In addition,the amorphous silicon photovoltaic devices with flexible ASA TCFs exhibited a power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 8.67%.After bending for 3000 times,the PCE was decreased to 8.20%,thereby demonstrating the potential of developed films to replace traditional ITO.

Inhibition of MYC suppresses programmed cell death ligand-1 expression and enhances immunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer

Background:Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy against triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC).One of the immunosuppressive pathways involves programmed cell death-1(PD-1)and programmed cell death ligand-1(PD-L1),but many patients derived little benefit from PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockades treatment.Prior research has shown that MYC,a master transcription amplifier highly expressed in TNBC cells,can regulate the tumor immune microenvironment and constrain the efficacy of immunotherapy.This study aims to investigate the regulatory relationship between MYC and PD-L1,and whether a cyclin-dependent kinase(CDK)inhibitor that inhibits MYC expression in combination with anti-PD-L1 antibodies can enhance the response to immunotherapy.Methods:Public databases and TNBC tissue microarrays were used to study the correlation between MYC and PD-L1.The expression of MYC and PD-L1 in TNBCs was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting.A patient-derived tumor xenograft(PDTX)model was used to evaluate the influence of a CDK7 inhibitor THZ1 on PD-L1 expression.Cell proliferation and migration were detected by 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine(EdU)cell proliferation and cell migration assays.Tumor xenograft models were established for in vivo verification.Results:A high MYC expression level was associated with a poor prognosis and could alter the proportion of tumor-infiltrating immune cells(TIICs).The positive correlation between MYC and PD-L1 was confirmed by immunostaining samples from 165 TNBC patients.Suppression of MYC in TNBC caused a reduction in the levels of both PD-L1 messenger RNA and protein.In addition,antitumor immune response was enhanced in the TNBC cancer xenograft mouse model with suppression of MYC by CDK7 inhibitor THZ1.Conclusions:The combined therapy of CDK7 inhibitor THZ1 and anti-PD-L1 antibody appeared to have a synergistic effect,which might offer new insight for enhancing immunotherapy in TNBC.