Solution-processed perovskite solar cells are attracting increasing interest due to their potential in next-generation hybrid photovoltaic devices. Despite the morphological control over the perovskite films, quantitative information on electronic structures and interface energetics is of paramount importance to the optimal photovoltaic performance. Here, direct and inverse photoemission spectroscopies are used to determine the electronic structures and chemical compositions of various methylammonium lead halide perovskite films (MAPbX3, X = Cl, Br, and I), revealing the strong influence of halide substitution on the electronic properties of perovskite films. Precise control over halide compositions in MAPbX3 films causes the manipulation of the electronic properties, with a qualitatively blue shift along the I → Br → Cl series and showing the increase in ionization potentials from 5.96 to 7.04 eV and the change of transport band gaps in the range from 1.70 to 3.09 eV. The resulting light absorption of MAPbX3 films can cover the entire visible region from 420 to 800 nm. The results presented here provide a quantitative guide for the analysis of perovskite-based solar cell performance and the selection of optimal carrier-extraction materials for photogenerated electrons and holes.

Two novel thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters, 3-phenylquinolino­[3,2,1-de]­acridine-5,9-dione (3-PhQAD) and 7-phenylquinolino­[3,2,1-de]­acridine-5,9-dione (7-PhQAD), were designed and synthesized based on a rigid quinolino­[3,2,1-de]­acridine-5,9-dione (QAD) framework. With the effective superimposed resonance effect from electron-deficient carbonyls and electron-rich nitrogen atom, both emitters realize significant TADF characteristics with small ΔE STs of 0.18 and 0.19 eV, respectively. And, molecular relaxations were dramatically suppressed for both emitters because of their conjugated structure. In the devices, 3-PhQAD realizes superior performance with a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 19.1% and a narrow full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 44 nm, whereas a maximum EQE of 18.7% and an extremely narrow FWHM of 34 nm are realized for 7-PhQAD. These superior results reveal that apart from nitrogen and boron-aromatic systems, QAD framework can also act as a TADF matrix with effective resonance effect, and QAD derivatives are ideal candidates to develop TADF emitters with narrow FWHMs for practical applications.

The over-expressed colonic brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been reported to be associated with abdominal pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, the neuropathological mechanism is unclear. We here investigated the involvement of enteroglial cells (EGCs) and enteric nerves in IBS-like visceral hypersensitivity. We showed that glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), tyrosine receptor kinase B (TrkB) and substance P (SP) were significantly increased in the colonic mucosa of IBS patients. The upregulation of those proteins was also observed in the colon of mice with visceral hypersensitivity, but not in the colon of BDNF+/− mice. Functionally, TrkB or EGC inhibitors, or BDNF knockdown significantly suppressed visceral hypersensitivity in mice. Using the EGC cell line, we found that recombinant human BDNF (r-HuBDNF) could directly activate EGCs via the TrkB-phospholipase Cγ1 pathway, thereby inducing a significant upregulation of SP. Moreover, supernatants from r-HuBDNF-activated EGC culture medium, rather than r-HuBDNF alone, triggered markedly augmented discharges in isolated intestinal mesenteric afferent nerves. r-HuBDNF alone could cause mesenteric afferent mechanical hypersensitivity independently, and this effect was synergistically enhanced by activated EGCs. We conclude that EGC-enteric nerve unit may be involved in IBS-like visceral hypersensitivity, and this process is likely initiated by BDNF-TrkB pathway activation.

Although proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been used widely, acid-related diseases are still associated with a huge burden on the health care system. Recently, the efficacy and safety of a new acid suppressant named vonoprazan in the treatment of acid-related diseases have been evaluated by a series of studies. As a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker, vonoprazan may provide reversible acid suppression by preventing K from binding to gastric H/K-ATPase. It has been clinically used for the short-term treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in Japan. The healing rate of GERD and gastric ulcers by vonoprazan is more than 95 and 90%, respectively; also, it is effective in curing PPI-resistant GERD. It increases H. pylori eradication rate to more than 88% as part of both first-line and second-line therapy. It is also effective in the eradication of clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori strains. All of these short-term studies show vonoprazan is safe and well-tolerated. As a safe and effective acid inhibitor, vonoprazan might be a novel alternative in the treatment of acid-related diseases.

Colonoscopy remains the mainstay in diagnosing and monitoring colorectal cancer and other colorectal lesions. The diagnostic efficiency of colonoscopy greatly depends on the quality of bowel preparation, which is closely associated with the patient's compliance with the preparation instructions. In addition, the procedural requirements of bowel preparation are often complex and difficult for patients to comprehend and memorize, especially those with lower health literacy and motivation. Therefore, in recent years, many educational methods have been developed, such as educational booklets, cartoon visual aids, educational videos, short message service, telephone, social media and smart phone applications. These educational methods have significantly improved compliance with the instructions for bowel preparation and ultimately promoted the visualization of the colon in patients undergoing colonoscopy.

Chemotherapy damages the intestinal mucosa, causing adverse gastrointestinal reactions. Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum) reduces the incidence of diarrhea in digestive diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of C. butyricum in patients undergoing chemotherapy. A total of 41 participants with lung cancer were enrolled, and divided into the C. butyricum (CB) or placebo group using 1:1 randomization to obtain 20 CB and 21 placebo participants. On the first and last day of the 3-week intervention, blood and stool samples were collected and analyzed. To analyze stool flora, 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing was performed. The incidence of chemotherapy-induced diarrhea was lower in the CB group compared with the placebo group. The lymphocyte count and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) was markedly altered between the two groups. Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and PLR decreased within the CB group. At week 3, the lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR) was higher in the CB group compared with the placebo group. Alterations in lymphocyte subsets and immunoglobulin levels were not significantly different. Albumin (ALB) level and weight did not differ significantly between the two groups. At 3 weeks the total flora diversity did not decrease in either group. Phyla in the CB group varied slightly, while the proportion of Firmicutes in the placebo group decreased significantly. No statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups, though the genera producing short-chain fatty acids tended to increase, and the pathogenic genera tended to decrease in the CB group, which was almost the opposite of the observation in the placebo group. Operational taxonomy unit analysis revealed a notable increase in beneficial flora, including the Clostridium and Lactobacillus genera of the CB group, compared with the placebo group. The present study highlighted that C. butyricum reduced chemotherapy-induced diarrhea in patients with lung cancer, reduced the systemic inflammatory response system and encouraged homeostatic maintenance.

Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) hold great promise for next‐generation photovoltaics in renewable energy because of the potential to realize low‐cost mass production via large‐area roll‐to‐roll printing technologies on flexible substrates. To achieve high‐efficiency OPVs, one key issue is to overcome the insufficient photon absorption in organic photoactive layers, since their low carrier mobility limits the film thickness for minimized charge recombination loss. To solve the inherent trade‐off between photon absorption and charge transport in OPVs, the optical manipulation of light with novel micro/nano‐structures has become an increasingly popular strategy to boost the light harvesting efficiency. In this Review, we make an attempt to capture the recent advances in this area. A survey of light trapping schemes implemented to various functional components and interfaces in OPVs is given and discussed from the viewpoint of plasmonic and photonic resonances, addressing the external antireflection coatings, substrate geometry‐induced trapping, the role of electrode design in optical enhancement, as well as optically modifying charge extraction and photoactive layers.

The dysbiosis MS rat model and the post-inflammatory rat model captured some of the dysbiosis features of IBS patients. Fusobacterium, Clostridium XI and Porphyromonadaceae were identified as targets for future mechanistic research.