The relationship between positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) in mechanically ventilated patients: A prospective observational study.

Background: Positive end-expiratory pressure is a crucial mechanical breathing parameter. Intra-abdominal hypertension is well defined as a sustained increase in the intra-abdominal pressure ≥12 mmHg. There are still controversies about mechanical ventilation's effect and use of positive end-expiratory pressure on intra-abdominal pressure.

Bulk Heterojunction Upconversion Thin Films Fabricated via One-Step Solution Deposition.

Upconversion of near-infrared light into the visible has achieved limited success in applications due to the difficulty of creating solid-state films with high external quantum efficiency (EQE). Recent developments have expanded the range of relevant materials for solid-state triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion through the use of a charge-transfer state sensitization process. Here, we report the single-step solution-processed deposition of a bulk heterojunction upconversion film using organic semiconductors.

Anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis; diagnostic utility and association with deformities and disease activity.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease with multiple morbidity burdens. Early diagnosis of RA is the main key in management and prevention of disease complications. Much research nowadays is looking for a serological marker with high accuracy in diagnosis of early RA cases.

Luminescence Enhancement Due to Symmetry Breaking in Doped Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals.

Metal-halide perovskite nanocrystals have demonstrated excellent optoelectronic properties for light-emitting applications. Isovalent doping with various metals (M) can be used to tailor and enhance their light emission. Although crucial to maximize performance, an understanding of the universal working mechanism for such doping is still missing.

Reflections on hosting summer undergraduate researchers in the midst of a pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact nearly every aspect of our lives, including academic research. In this Matter of Opinion, we reflect on hosting both in-person and virtual undergraduate students during these challenging times.

Serum and Urine Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 as A Markers for Lupus Nephritis.

Lupus nephritis (LN) is a common major organ manifestation and main cause of morbidity and mortality of the disease. We aimed to determine the level of serum and urinary monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(sMCP-1 and uMCP-1) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with and without LN and analyze their association with different clinical and serologic parameters of disease activity. We enrolled 60 female patients with SLE (32 with LN and 28 without LN) and 20 controls.

Evaluation of autophagy-related genes in Egyptian systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

Disturbances in autophagy are known to be implicated in autoimmune disorders. Many studies have connected polymorphisms in autophagy-related gene 5 (ATG-5) to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Our aim was the determination of the expression level of ATG-5, Beclin-1 and microtubule-associated protein-light chain 3 (LC-3) in Egyptian SLE patients to investigate the impact of disturbances in autophagy genes on the incidence and progression of the disease.

Correlation of Photoluminescence and Structural Morphologies at the Individual Nanoparticle Level.

Single-particle spectroscopy has demonstrated great potential for analyzing the microscopic behavior of various nanoparticles (NPs). However, high-resolution optical imaging of these materials at the nanoscale is still very challenging. Here, we present an experimental setup that combines high sensitivity of time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) techniques with atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Near-unity photoluminescence quantum yield in inorganic perovskite nanocrystals by metal-ion doping.

The luminescence and charge transport properties of inorganic CsPbX perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) make them attractive candidates for various optoelectronic applications, such as lasing, X-ray imaging, light communication, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, to realize cutting-edge device performance, high-quality NCs with high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) are essential. Therefore, substantial efforts and progress have been made to attain superior design/engineering and optimization of the inorganic NCs with a focus on surface quality, reduced nonradiative charge carrier recombination centers, and improved colloidal stabilities.

Engineering Interfacial Charge Transfer in CsPbBr Perovskite Nanocrystals by Heterovalent Doping.

Since compelling device efficiencies of perovskite solar cells have been achieved, investigative efforts have turned to understand other key challenges in these systems, such as engineering interfacial energy-level alignment and charge transfer (CT). However, these types of studies on perovskite thin-film devices are impeded by the morphological and compositional heterogeneity of the films and their ill-defined surfaces. Here, we use well-defined ligand-protected perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) as model systems to elucidate the role of heterovalent doping on charge-carrier dynamics and energy level alignment at the interface of perovskite NCs with molecular acceptors.

Molecular-structure Control of Ultrafast Electron Injection at Cationic Porphyrin-CdTe Quantum Dot Interfaces.

Charge transfer (CT) at donor (D)/acceptor (A) interfaces is central to the functioning of photovoltaic and light-emitting devices. Understanding and controlling this process on the molecular level has been proven to be crucial for optimizing the performance of many energy-challenge relevant devices. Here, we report the experimental observations of controlled on/off ultrafast electron transfer (ET) at cationic porphyrin-CdTe quantum dot (QD) interfaces using femto- and nanosecond broad-band transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy.

Quantum confinement-tunable intersystem crossing and the triplet state lifetime of cationic porphyrin-CdTe quantum dot nano-assemblies.

Here, we report a ground-state interaction between the positively charged cationic porphyrin and the negatively charged carboxylate groups of the thiol ligands on the surface of CdTe quantum dots (QDs), leading to the formation of a stable nanoassembly between the two components. Our time-resolved data clearly demonstrate that we can dramatically tune the intersystem crossing (ISC) and the triplet state lifetime of porphyrin by changing the size of the QDs in the nanoassembly.