Structural impairment patterns in peripapillary retinal fiber layer and retinal ganglion cell layer in mitochondrial optic neuropathies

AIM：To evaluate the structural injure patterns in peripapillary retinal fiber layer （pRNFL）, retinal ganglion cell layer （RGCL） and their correlations to visual function in various mitochondrial optic neuropathies （MON） to offer help to their differential diagnosis.METHODS：Totally 32 MON patients （60 eyes） were recruited within 6mo after clinical onsets, including 20 Leber hereditary optic neuropathy （LHON） patients （37eyes）, 12 ethambutol-induced optic neuropathy （EON）patients （23 eyes）, and 41 age-gender matched healthy controls （HC, 82 eyes）. All subjects had pRNFL and RGCL examinations with optic coherence tomography （OCT） and visual function tests.RESULTS：In the early stages of MON, the temporal pRNFL thickness decreased （66.09±22.57μm）, but increased in other quadrants, compared to HC （76.95±14.81μm）. The other quadrants remaining stable for LHON and EON patients besides the second hour sector of pRNFL thickness reduced and the temporal pRNFL decreased （56.78±15.87μm） for EON. Total macular thickness in MON reduced remarkably（279.25±18.90μm; P=0.015）, which mainly occurring in the inner circle （3 mm diameter of circle） and the nasal temporal sectors in the outer circle （5.5 mm diameter of circle）, in contrast to those in HC. RGCL thickness reduced in each sector of the macula （61.90±8.73μm; P≤0.001）. It strongly showed the correlationship of best corrected visual acuity （R=0.50, P=0.0003） and visual field injury （R=0.54,P=0.0002） in MON patients.CONCLUSION：OCT is a potential tool for detecting structural alterations in the optic nerves of various MON. Different types of MON may have different damage patterns.

Acute changes in ganglion cell layer thickness in ischemic optic neuropathy compared to optic neuritis using optical coherence tomography

AIM:To elucidate the changes of different ganglion cell layer(GCL)thinning patterns between the optic neuritis(ON)and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy(NAION).METHODS:A prospective,observational study was conducted to evaluate the timing of GCL changes between acute ON and NAION using optical coherence tomography.RESULTS:Thinning on optical coherence tomography in the NAION group occurs as early as 11 d after symptomatic onset of vision loss and follows an altitudinal pattern.The mean superior-inferior GCL thickness difference in the NAION cohort was clinically significant at 5.7μm in the NAION cohort compared to controls of 0.8μm(P=0.032),but not significant in the ON group compared to controls with both groups measuring 1.1μm.Global thinning was significant for the ON group compared to controls at 7.2μm(P=0.011)but not the NAION group compared to controls at 1.35μm.CONCLUSION:These findings suggest that future treatments for NAION should be given early,and possibly before 11 d in order to prevent GCL and irreversible vision loss.

Thin Cell Layer (TCL) Culture System for Herbal Biomass Production and Genetic Transformation of Bacopa monnieri L. Wettst.

Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst. (Scrophulariaceae) is a highly sought after medicinal plant with therapeutic properties as cognition enhancer as well as for other brain and body functions. Research was conducted to optimize a thin cell layer explant based micropropagation system to assist mass propagation. Thin cell layers (TCL) derived from leaf and internode segments were used as explants. Murashige and Skoog medium was used to formulate shoot induction, elongation, and rooting media. Shoot induction media were prepared by supplementing three concentrations (0.1, 1.0, and 10.0 μM) of four cytokinins 6-benzylaminopurine, 2-isopentenyl-adenine, 6-3-Hydroxybenzylaminopurine, and thidiazuron to study adventitious shoot bud induction response. An optimum shoot bud induction response was observed on MS medium supplemented with 10.0 μM 6-benzylaminopurine for both leaf and stem transverse thin cell layer (tTCL) explants. The average number of shoot buds from leaf tTCL explants was 59, whereas, on an average, 33 shoot buds were regenerated from internode tTCL explants. Elongation of adventitious shoot buds was achieved best in a liquid medium using Liquid Lab Rocker® system. Elongated shoots recorded 100% rooting in MS medium supplemented with 5 μM indole butyric acid. Bacopa micropropagation employing tTCL explants for initial shoot bud induction and using LLR® boxes in subsequent elongation step can achieve cost effective way to regenerate high volume of plantlets and biomass required for herbal industry. Leaf and stem tTCL explants both were suitable for Agrobacterium tumefaciens (EHA105) mediated genetic transformation. Successful transformation was scored within three days of co-cultivation with Agrobacterium suspension on the basis of Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein (EGFP) expression as an early and non-destructible screening device. Transformation frequencies of 83% and 76% were accomplished for leaf and stem tTCL explants, respectively. Greenhouse grown Bacopa plants were analyzed as fresh and dry methanolic extracts for total polyphenol content (811.93 ± 7.98 and 814 ± 17.64 GAE mg g-1) and the Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity values were 1918.25 ± 173.12 and 3163.14 ± 403.25 μmol/g, respectively.

Effect of the thin cell layer technique in the induction of somatic embryos in Pinus patula Schl. et Cham

Pinus patula is a species commonly used for reforestation in Mexico.However,efficient methods for the mass production seedlings are required.Micropropagation particularly by somatic embryogenesis provides an option for the rapid multiplication of high-quality,genetically improved material.This study induces somatic embryogenesis in this species using the thin cell layer(TCL)technique.Two sources of explants(complete immature embryos;lTCL segments from immature embryos)were evaluated.The efficiency of TCL from longitudinal sections[lTCL]and transverse[tTCL]was evaluated.The results show using thin cell layers from immature embryos cultivated in 16 light/8 dark hours achieves induction of somatic embryos.A higher percentage of embryogenic callus was obtained when tTCL segments were used as an explant source.These results produced somatic embryos from tTCL segments of an immature embryo without germinating the seed,making the process more time efficient.In addition,this technique can be used to generate somatic embryogenesis in forest species that have low germination rates.

CHANGES OF ENDOGENOUS HORMONE CONTENTS DURING FLORAL BUD AND VEGETATIVE BUD DIF FERENTIATION IN THIN CELL LAYER CULTURE OF CICHORIUM INTYBUS L. EXPLANT

The sectioned thin cell layers (TCL) of flower stalk of Cichorium intybus L. were cultured in MS medium supplemented with NAA and BA or IAA and BA where floral and vegetative buds were developed from the explant. Endogenous IAA, DHZ+DHZR, iPA increased significantly during the floral bud formation, while Z+ZR remained changed. The levels of cytokinins, DHZ+DHZR, iPA, and Z+ZR all increased significantly during the vegetative bud formation, however IAA level was reduced during the first 7 days of culture and increased to two thirds of initial values on the day when the bud primordia were formed. The results suggested that the initiation of floral buds was associated with a high IAA/CTK ratio, whereas the induction of vegetative bud differentiation was related to a low IAA/CTK ratio.

Numerical Study and Optimization of CZTS-Based Thin-Film Solar Cell Structure with Different Novel Buffer-Layer Materials Using SCAPS-1D Software

This study explored the performances of CZTS-based thin-film solar cell with three novel buffer layer materials ZnS, CdS, and CdZnS, as well as with variation in thickness of buffer and absorber-layer, doping concentrations of absorber-layer material and operating temperature. Our aims focused to identify the most optimal thin-film solar cell structure that offers high efficiency and lower toxicity which are desirable for sustainable and eco-friendly energy sources globally. SCAPS-1D, widely used software for modeling and simulating solar cells, has been used and solar cell fundamental performance parameters such as open-circuited voltage (), short-circuited current density (), fill-factor() and efficiency() have been optimized in this study. Based on our simulation results, it was found that CZTS solar cell with Cd0.4Zn0.6S as buffer-layer offers the most optimal combination of high efficiency and lower toxicity in comparison to other structure investigated in our study. Although the efficiency of Cd0.4Zn0.6S, ZnS and CdS are comparable, Cd0.4Zn0.6S is preferable to use as buffer-layer for its non-toxic property. In addition, evaluation of performance as a function of buffer-layer thickness for Cd0.4Zn0.6S, ZnS and CdS showed that optimum buffer-layer thickness for Cd0.4Zn0.6S was in the range from 50 to 150nm while ZnS offered only 50 – 75 nm. Furthermore, the temperature dependence performance parameters evaluation revealed that it is better to operate solar cell at temperature 290K for stable operation with optimum performances. This study would provide valuable insights into design and optimization of nanotechnology-based solar energy technology for minimizing global energy crisis and developing eco-friendly energy sources sustainable and simultaneously.

Rice caryopsis development Ⅰ: Dynamic changes in different cell layers

Rice caryopsis as one of the most important food sources for humans has a complex structure that is composed of maternal tissues including the pericarp and testa and filial tissues including the endosperm and embryo. Although rice caryopsis studies have been conducted previously, a system- atic characterization throughout the entire developmental process is still lacking. In this study, detailed morphological examinations of caryopses were made during the entire 30- day developmental process. We observed some rapid changes in cell differentiation events and cataloged how cellular degeneration processes occurred in maternal tissues. The differentiations of tube cells and cross cells were achieved by 9 days after pollination （DAP）. In the testa, the outer integument was degenerated by 3 DAP, while the outer layer of the inner integument degenerated by 7 DAP. In the nucellus, all tissues with the exception of the nucellar projection and the nucellar epidermis degenerated in the first 5 DAP. By 21 DAP, all maternal tissues, including vascular bundles, the nucellar projection and the nucellar epidermal cells were degenerated. In summary, this study provides a complete atlas of the dynamic changes in cell differentiation and degeneration for individual maternal cell layers of rice caryopsis.

Elucidating the Uptake and Distribution of Nanoparticles in Solid Tumors via a Multilayered Cell Culture Model

Multicellular layers(MCLs) have previously been used to determine the pharmacokinetics of a variety of different cancer drugs including paclitaxel, doxorubicin, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil across a number of cell lines. It is not known how nanoparticles(NPs) navigate through the tumor microenvironment once they leave the tumor blood vessel.In this study, we used the MCL model to study the uptake and penetration dynamics of NPs. Gold nanoparticles(GNPs)were used as a model system to map the NP distribution within tissue-like structures. Our results show that NP uptake and transport are dependent on the tumor cell type. MDA-MB-231 tissue showed deeper penetration of GNPs as compared to MCF-7 one. Intracellular and extracellular distributions of NPs were mapped using Cyto Viva imaging. The ability of MCLs to mimic tumor tissue characteristics makes them a useful tool in assessing the efficacy of particle distribution in solid tumors.

Comparative analysis of different feeder layers with 3T3 fibroblasts for culturing rabbits limbal stem cells

AIM： To explore the possibility of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells（h UCMSCs）, human umbilical vein endothelial cells（h UVECs）, human dental pulp stem cells（h DPSCs） and human periodontal ligament stem cells（h PDLSCs） serving as feeder cells in co-culture systems for the cultivation of limbal stem cells.METHODS： Different feeder layers were cultured in Dulbecco＇s modified Eagle＇s medium（DMEM）/F12 and were treated with mitomycin C. Rabbits limbal stem cells（LSCs） were co-cultured on h UCMSCs, h UVECs, h DPSCs, h PDLSCs and NIH-3T3, and then comparative analysis were made between each group to see their respective colony-forming efficiency（CFE） assay and immunofluorescence（IPO13,CK3/12）.RESULTS： The efficiency of the four type cells in supporting the LSCs morphology and its cellular differentiation was similar to that of NIH-3T3 fibroblasts as demonstrated by the immunostaining properties analysis, with each group exhibiting a similar strong expression pattern of IPO13, but lacking CK3 and CK12 expression in terms of immunostaining. But h UCMSCs, h DPSCs and h PDLSCs feeder layers were superior in promoting colony formation potential of cells when compared to h UVECs and feedercell-free culture.CONCLUSION： hUCMSCs, hDPSCs and hPDLSCs can be a suitable alternative to conventional mouse NIH-3T3 feeder cells, so that risk of zoonotic infection can be diminished.

Preparation and characterization of Cd_(1-x)Zn_xS buffer layers for thin film solar cells

Cd1_xZnxS （x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 1.0） thin films have been grown successfully on soda-lime glass substrates by chemical bath deposition technique as a very promising buffer layer material for optoelectronic device applications. The composition, structural properties, surface morphol- ogy, and optical properties of Cd~_xZnxS thin films were characterized by energy dispersive analysis of X-ray tech- nique （EDAX）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and UV-Vis spectrophotometer tech- niques, respectively. The annealed films were observed to possess the deficient sulfur composition. The results of XRD show that the Cdl_xZnxS （x = 0. l） thin film annealed at 450 ~C forms hexagonal （wurtzite） structure with lattice parameters a = 0.408814 nm, c ： 0.666059 nm, and its average grain size is 24.9902 nm. The diffraction peaks become strong with the increasing annealing temperatures. The surface of Cdl_~ZnxS （x = 0.1） thin film annealed at 450 ~C is uninterrupted and homogenous as compared to other temperatures. From optical properties, it is observed that the presence of small amount of Zn results in marked changes in the optical band gap of CdS. The band gaps of the Cdl_xZnxS thin films vary from 2.42 to 3.51 eV as composition varies from x = 0.0 to 1.0.

Improvement in IBC-silicon solar cell performance by insertion of highly doped crystalline layer at heterojunction interfaces

By inserting a thin highly doped crystalline silicon layer between the base region and amorphous silicon layer in an interdigitated back-contact （IBC） silicon solar cell, a new passivation layer is investigated. The passivation layer performance is characterized by numerical simulations. Moreover, the dependence of the output parameters of the solar cell on the additional layer parameters （doping concentration and thickness） is studied. By optimizing the additional passivation layer in terms of doping concentration and thickness, the power conversion efficiency could be improved by a factor of 2.5%, open circuit voltage is increased by 30 mV and the fill factor of the solar cell by 7.4%. The performance enhancement is achieved due to the decrease of recombination rate, a decrease in solar cell resistivity and improvement of field effect passivation at heterojunction interface. The above-mentioned results are compared with reported results of the same conventional interdigitated back-contact silicon solar cell structure. Furthermore, the effect of a-Si：H/c-Si interface defect density on IBC silicon solar cell parameters with a new passivation layer is studied. The additional passivation layer also reduces the sensitivity of output parameter of solar cell to interface defect density.

Inverted organic solar cells with solvothermal synthesized vanadium-doped TiO2 thin films as efficient electron transport layer

We investigated the effects of using different thicknesses of pure and vanadium-doped thin films of TiO2 as the electron transport layer in the inverted configuration of organic photovoltaic cells based on poly（3-hexylthiophene） P3HT：[6-6] phenyl-（6） butyric acid methyl ester（PCBM）. 1% vanadium-doped TiO2nanoparticles were synthesized via the solvothermal method. Crystalline structure, morphology, and optical properties of pure and vanadium-doped TiO2 thin films were studied by different techniques such as x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmittance electron microscopy, and UV–visible transmission spectrum. The doctor blade method which is compatible with roll-2-roll printing was used for deposition of pure and vanadium-doped TiO2 thin films with thicknesses of 30 nm and 60 nm. The final results revealed that the best thickness of TiO2 thin films for our fabricated cells was 30 nm. The cell with vanadium-doped TiO2 thin film showed slightly higher power conversion efficiency and great Jsc of 10.7 mA/cm^2 compared with its pure counterpart. In the cells using 60 nm pure and vanadium-doped TiO2 layers, the cell using the doped layer showed much higher efficiency. It is remarkable that the external quantum efficiency of vanadium-doped TiO2 thin film was better in all wavelengths.

Improved performance of polymer solar cells by using inorganic, organic, and doped cathode buffer layers

The interface between the active layer and the electrode is one of the most critical factors that could affect the device performance of polymer solar cells. In this work, based on the typical poly（3-hexylthiophene）：[6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester （P3HT：PCBM） polymer solar cell, we studied the effect of the cathode buffer layer （CBL） between the top metal electrode and the active layer on the device performance. Several inorganic and organic materials commonly used as the electron injection layer in an organic light-emitting diode （OLED） were employed as the CBL in the P3HT：PCBM polymer solar cells. Our results demonstrate that the inorganic and organic materials like Cs2CO3, bathophenanthroline （Bphen）, and 8-hydroxyquinolatolithium （Liq） can be used as CBL to efficiently improve the device performance of the P3HT：PCBM polymer solar cells. The P3HT：PCBM devices employed various CBLs possess power conversion efficiencies （PCEs） of 3.0%-3.3%, which are ca. 50% improved compared to that of the device without CBL. Furthermore, by using the doped organic materials Bphen：Cs2CO3 and Bphen：Liq as the CBL, the PCE of the P3HT：PCBM device will be further improved to 3.5%, which is ca. 70% higher than that of the device without a CBL and ca. 10% increased compared with that of the devices with a neat inorganic or organic CBL.

Discriminating performance of macular ganglion cellinner plexiform layer thicknesses at different stages of glaucoma

AIM: To determine the discriminating performance of the macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer(GCIPL) parameters between all the consecutive stages of glaucoma(from healthy to moderate-to-severe glaucoma), and to compare it with the discriminating performances of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL) parameters and optic nerve head(ONH) parameters.METHODS: Totally 147 eyes(40 healthy, 40 glaucoma suspects, 40 early glaucoma, and 27 moderate-to-severe glaucoma) of 133 subjects were included. Optical coherence tomography(OCT) was obtained using Cirrus HD-OCT 5000. The diagnostic performances of GC-IPL, RNFL, and ONH parameters were evaluated by determining the area under the curve(AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics. RESULTS: All GC-IPL parameters discriminated glaucoma suspect patients from subjects with healthy eyes and moderate-to-severe glaucoma from early glaucoma patients(P<0.017, for all). Also, minimum, inferotemporal and inferonasal GC-IPL parameters discriminated early glaucoma patients from glaucoma suspects, whereas no RNFL or ONH parameter could discriminate between the two. The best parameters to discriminate glaucoma suspects from subjects with healthy eyes were superonasal GC-IPL, superior RNFL and average c/d ratio(AUC=0.746, 0.810 and 0.746, respectively). Discriminating performances of all the parameters for early glaucoma vs glaucoma suspect comparison were lower than that of the other consecutive group comparisons, with the bestGC-IPL parameters being minimum and inferotemporal(AUC=0.669 and 0.662, respectively). Moreover, minimum GC-IPL, average RNFL, and rim area(AUC=0.900, 0.858, 0.768, respectively) were the best parameters for discriminating moderate-to-severe glaucoma patients from early glaucoma patients.CONCLUSION: GC-IPL parameters can discriminate glaucoma suspect patients from subjects with healthy eyes, and also all the consecutive stages of glaucoma from each other(from glaucoma suspect to moderate-tosevere glaucoma). Further, the discriminating performance of GC-IPL thicknesses is comparable to that.

Recent Progress of Layered Perovskite Solar Cells Incorporating Aromatic Spacers

Layered two dimensional(2D) or quasi-2D perovskites are emerging photovoltaic materials due to their superior environment and structure stability in comparison with their 3D counterparts. The typical 2D perovskites can be obtained by cutting 3D perovskites along < 100 > orientation by incorporation of bulky organic spacers, which play a key role in the performance of 2D perovskite solar cells(PSCs). Compared with aliphatic spacers, aromatic spacers with high dielectric constant have the potential to decrease the dielectric and quantum confinement effect of 2D perovskites, promote efficient charge transport and reduce the exciton binding energy, all of which are beneficial for the photovoltaic performance of 2D PSCs. In this review, we aim to provide useful guidelines for the design of aromatic spacers for 2D perovskites. We systematically reviewed the recent progress of aromatic spacers used in 2D PSCs. Finally, we propose the possible design strategies for aromatic spacers that may lead to more efficient and stable 2D PSCs.

Evaluation of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer, macula and ganglion cell thickness in amblyopia using spectral optical coherence tomography

AIM:To investigate peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), macula and ganglion cell layer thicknesses (GCC) in amblyopic eyes with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). METHODS:Thirty six patients with a history of unilateral amblyopia and thirty two children who had emmetropia without amblyopia were included in this study. In this institutional study, 36 eyes of 36 patients with amblyopia (AE), 36 fellow eyes without amblyopia (FE), and 32 eyes of 32 normal subjects (NE) were included. RNFL, GCC and macular thickness measurements were performed with RS-3000 OCT Retina Scan (Nidek Inc CA. USA). RESULTS:The mean global thicknesses of the RNFL were 113.22 ±21.47, 111.57 ±18.25, 109.96 ±11.31μm in the AE, FE, and NE, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference for mean global RNFL thickness among the eyes (P =0.13). The mean thicknesses of the macula were 258.25±18.31, 258.75±19.54, 248.62±10.57μm in the AE, FE and NE, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference for thickness of macula among the eyes (P =0.06). The GCC was investigated into two parts:superior and inferior. The mean thicknesses of superior GCC were 102.57 ±13.32, 103.32 ±10.64, 100.52 ± 5.88μm in the AE, FE, and NE, respectively. The mean thicknesses of inferior GCC were 103.82 ±12.60, 107.82 ± 12.33, 105.86±10.79μm in the AE, FE and NE, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference for thickness of superior and inferior GCC between the eyes (P =0.63, P =0.46). ·CONCLUSION:The macular thicknesses of AE and FE were greater than the NE, although it was not statistically significant. Amblyopia does not seem to have a profound effect on the RNFL, macula and GCC.

Performance improvement of MEH-PPV:PCBM solar cells using bathocuproine and bathophenanthroline as the buffer layers

In this work, bathocuproine （BCP） and bathophenanthroline （Bphen）, commonly used in small-molecule organic solar cells （OSCs）, are adopted as the buffer layers to improve the performance of the polymer solar cells （PSCs） based on poly（2-methoxy-5-（2-ethylhexyloxy）-1,4-phenylenevinylene） （MEH-PPV）： [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester （PCBM） bulk heterojunction. By inserting BCP or Bphen between the active layer and the top cathode, all the performance parameters are dramatically improved. The power conversion efficiency is increased by about 70% and 120% with 5-am BCP and 12-nm Bphen layers, respectively, when compared with that of the devices without any buffer layer. The performance enhancement is attributed to BCP or Bphen （i） increasing the optical field, and hence the absorption in the active layer, （ii） effectively blocking the excitons generated in MEH-PPV from quenching at organic/aluminum （Al） interface due to the large band-gap of BCP or Bphen, which results in a significant reduction in series resistance （Rs）, and （iii） preventing damage to the active layer during the metal deposition. Compared with the traditional device using LiF as the buffer layer, the BCP-based devices show a comparable efficiency, while the Bphen-based devices show a much larger efficiency. This is due to the higher electron mobility in Bphen than that in BCP, which facilitates the electron transport and extraction through the buffer layer to the cathode.

Retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness in children with obesity

AIM：To evaluate retinal nerve fiber layer（RNFL）thickness analysis of peripapillary optic nerve head（PONH） and macula as well as ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer（GCIPL） thickness in obese children.· METHODS：Eighty-five children with obesity and 30 controls were included in the study.The thicknesses of the PONH and macula of each subject＇s right eye were measured by high-resolution spectral-domain optic coherence tomography（OCT）.· RESULTS：The RNFL thicknesses of central macular and PONH were similar between the groups（all P 〉0.05）.The GCIPL thickness was also similar between the groups.However,the RNFL thickness of temporal outer macula were 261.7±13.7 and 268.9±14.3 μm for the obesity and the control group,respectively（P =0.034）.· CONCLUSION：Obesity may cause a reduction in temporal outer macular RNFL thickness.

Tailored PEDOT:PSS hole transport layer for higher performance in perovskite solar cells: Enhancement of electrical and optical properties with improved morphology

Precise control over the charge carrier dynamics throughout the device can result in outstanding performance of perovskite solar cells(PSCs).Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS)is the most actively studied hole transport material in p-i-n structured PSCs.However,charge transport in the PEDOT:PSS is limited and inefficient because of its low conductivity with the presence of the weak ionic conductor PSS.In addition,morphology of the underlying PEDOT:PSS layer in PSCs plays a crucial role in determining the optoelectronic quality of the active perovskite absorber layer.This work is focused on realization of a non-wetting conductive surface of hole transport layer suitable for the growth of larger perovskite crystalline domains.This is accomplished by employing a facile solventengineered(ethylene glycol and methanol)approach resulting in removal of the predominant PSS in PEDOT:PSS.The consequence of acquiring larger perovskite crystalline domains was observed in the charge carrier dynamics studies,with the achievement of higher charge carrier lifetime,lower charge transport time and lower transfer impedance in the solvent-engineered PEDOT:PSS-based PSCs.Use of this solventengineered treatment for the fabrication of MAPbI3 PSCs greatly increased the device stability witnessing a power conversion efficiency of 18.18%,which corresponds to^37%improvement compared to the untreated PEDOT:PSS based devices.

Retinal ganglion cell-inner plexiform and nerve fiber layers in neuromyelitis optica

AIM： To determine the thickness of the retinal ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer（GCIPL） and the retinal nerve fiber layer（RNFL） in patients with neuromyelitis optica（NMO）.METHODS： We conducted a cross-sectional study that included 30 NMO patients with a total of 60 eyes. Based on the presence or absence of optic neuritis（ON）, subjects were divided into either the NMO-ON group（30 eyes） or the NMO-ON contra group（10 eyes）. A detailed ophthalmologic examination was performed for each group; subsequently, the GCIPL and the RNFL were measured using highdefinition optical coherence tomography（OCT）. RESULTS： In the NMO-ON group, the mean GCIPL thickness was 69.28±21.12 μm, the minimum GCIPL thickness was 66.02±10.02 μm, and the RNFL thickness were 109.33±11.23, 110.47±3.10, 64.92±12.71 and 71.21±50.22 μm in the superior, inferior, temporal and nasal quadrants, respectively. In the NMO-ON contra group, the mean GCIPL thickness was 85.12±17.09 μm, the minimum GCIPL thickness was 25.39±25.1 μm, and the RNFL thicknesses were 148.33±23.22, 126.36±23.45, 82.21±22.30 and 83.36±31.28 μm in the superior, inferior, temporal and nasal quadrants, respectively. In the control group, the mean GCIPL thickness was 86.98±22.37 μm, the minimum GCIPL thickness was 85.28±10.75 μm, and the RNFL thicknesses were 150.22±22.73, 154.79±60.23, 82.33±7.01 and 85.62±13.81 μm in the superior, inferior, temporal and nasal quadrants, respectively. The GCIPL and RNFL were thinner in the NMO-ON contra group than in the control group（P〈0.05）; additionally, the RNFL was thinner in the inferior quadrant in the NMO-ON group than in the control group（P〈0.05）. Significant correlations were observed between the GCIPL and RNFL thickness measurements as well as between thickness measurements and the two visual field parameters of mean deviation（MD） and corrected pattern standard deviation（PSD） in the NMO-ON group（P〈0.05）. CONCLUSION： The thickness of the GCIPL and RNFL, as measured using OCT, may indicate optic nerve damage in patients with NMO.