Mixed cations tin-germanium perovskite: A promising approach for enhanced solar cell applications.

Significant progress has been made over the years to improve the stability and efficiency of rapidly evolving tin-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs). One powerful approach to enhance the performance of these PSCs is through compositional engineering techniques, specifically by incorporating a mixed cation system at the A-site and B-site structure of the tin perovskite. These approaches will pave the way for unlocking the full potential of tin-based PSCs.

Tetraalkylammonium salts (TAS) in solar energy applications - A review on and toxicity.

Tetraalkylammonium salt (TAS) is an organic salt widely employed as a precursor, additive or electrolyte in solar cell applications, such as perovskite or dye-sensitized solar cells. Notably, Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have garnered acclaim for their exceptional efficiency. However, PSCs have been associated with environmental and health concerns due to the presence of lead (Pb) content, the use of hazardous solvents, and the incorporation of TAS in their fabrication processes, which significantly contributes to environmental and human health toxicity.

Restoring connexin-36 function in diabetogenic environments precludes mouse and human islet dysfunction.

The secretion of insulin from β-cells in the islet of Langerhans is governed by a series of metabolic and electrical events, which can fail during the progression of type 2 diabetes (T2D). β-cells are electrically coupled via connexin-36 (Cx36) gap junction channels, which coordinates the pulsatile dynamics of [Ca ] and insulin release across the islet. Factors such as pro-inflammatory cytokines and free fatty acids disrupt gap junction coupling under in vitro conditions.

Exploring Young Adults' Views About Aroha, a Chatbot for Stress Associated With the COVID-19 Pandemic: Interview Study Among Students.

Background: In March 2020, New Zealand was plunged into its first nationwide lockdown to halt the spread of COVID-19. Our team rapidly adapted our existing chatbot platform to create Aroha, a well-being chatbot intended to address the stress experienced by young people aged 13 to 24 years in the early phase of the pandemic. Aroha was made available nationally within 2 weeks of the lockdown and continued to be available throughout 2020.

Stabilizing high-humidity perovskite solar cells with MoS hybrid HTL.

The obstacle to the industrialization of perovskite solar cells (PSC) technology lies in their stability. This work rationalizes the PSC design with the employment of 2D-MoS as the hybrid hole transport layer (HTL). MoS was selected due to its unique optoelectronic and mechanical properties that could enhance hole extraction and thus boost the performance and stability of PSC devices.

Age-related changes in energy metabolism in peripheral mononuclear blood cells (PBMCs) and the brains of cognitively healthy seniors.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of cellular senescence and many age-related neurodegenerative diseases. We therefore investigated the relationship between mitochondrial function in peripheral blood cells and cerebral energy metabolites in young and older sex-matched, physically and mentally healthy volunteers. Cross-sectional observational study involving 65 young (26.

A Chatbot to Support Young People During the COVID-19 Pandemic in New Zealand: Evaluation of the Real-World Rollout of an Open Trial.

Background: The number of young people in New Zealand (Aotearoa) who experience mental health challenges is increasing. As those in Aotearoa went into the initial COVID-19 lockdown, an ongoing digital mental health project was adapted and underwent rapid content authoring to create the Aroha chatbot. This dynamic digital support was designed with and for young people to help manage pandemic-related worry.

Raytracing Modelling of Infrared Light Management Using Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS) as a Back-Reflector Layer in a Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cell (SHJ).

The silicon heterojunction solar cell (SHJ) is considered the dominant state-of-the-art silicon solar cell technology due to its excellent passivation quality and high efficiency. However, SHJ's light management performance is limited by its narrow optical absorption in long-wave near-infrared (NIR) due to the front, and back tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) layer's free carrier absorption and reflection losses. Despite the light-trapping efficiency (LTE) schemes adopted by SHJ in terms of back surface texturing, the previous investigations highlighted the ITO layer as a reason for an essential long-wavelength light loss mechanism in SHJ solar cells.

Lockdown impact on energy consumption in university building.

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the global demand and consumption of energy. In particular, the effect of the lockdown measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic can be seen directly in the reduced energy consumption in educational buildings. Therefore, the objective of this study is to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the electricity use in university buildings.

General Anaesthesia Shifts the Murine Circadian Clock in a Time-Dependant Fashion.

Following general anaesthesia (GA), patients frequently experience sleep disruption and fatigue, which has been hypothesized to result at least in part by GA affecting the circadian clock. Here, we provide the first comprehensive time-dependent analysis of the effects of the commonly administered inhalational anaesthetic, isoflurane, on the murine circadian clock, by analysing its effects on (a) behavioural locomotor rhythms and (b) PER2::LUC expression in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the mouse brain. Behavioural phase shifts elicited by exposure of mice (n = 80) to six hours of GA (2% isoflurane) were determined by recording wheel-running rhythms in constant conditions (DD).

Light transmission and internal scattering in pulsed laser-etched partially-transparent silicon wafers.

Continuing trend in silicon wafer thickness directed at cost reduction approaches basic boundaries created by: (a) mismatch between Al paste and Si wafer thermal expansion and (b) incomplete optical absorption. With its symmetrical front and back electrical contacts, the bifacial solar cell setup reduces stress due to mismatch thermal expansion, decreases metal use and increases high temperature efficiency. Efficiency improvement is accomplished in bifacial solar cells by capturing light from the back surface.

How Heterogeneity in Glucokinase and Gap-Junction Coupling Determines the Islet [Ca] Response.

Understanding how cell subpopulations in a tissue impact overall system function is challenging. There is extensive heterogeneity among insulin-secreting β-cells within islets of Langerhans, including their insulin secretory response and gene expression profile, and this heterogeneity can be altered in diabetes. Several studies have identified variations in nutrient sensing between β-cells, including glucokinase (GK) levels, mitochondrial function, or expression of genes important for glucose metabolism.

Impact of anaesthesia on circadian rhythms and implications for laboratory experiments.

General anaesthesia is a widely used tool to enable surgery in animal experimentation. There is now convincing evidence that general anaesthesia can cause profound and strongly time-dependant shifts in circadian rhythms of behaviour (sleep-wake cycles), physiology (core body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and hormone release) and cognitive parameters (learning and memory) in a range of species. These effects have the potential to confound laboratory experiments, and may lead to misinterpretation of results.

Application of dyes extracted from Alternanthera dentata leaves and Musa acuminata bracts as natural sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells.

The natural dyes anthocyanin and chlorophyll were extracted from Musa acuminata bracts and Alternanthera dentata leaves, respectively. The dyes were then applied as sensitizers in TiO-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The ethanol extracts of the dyes had maximum absorbance.

Spatially Organized β-Cell Subpopulations Control Electrical Dynamics across Islets of Langerhans.

Understanding how heterogeneous cells within a multicellular system interact and affect overall function is difficult without a means of perturbing individual cells or subpopulations. Here we apply optogenetics to understand how subpopulations of β-cells control the overall [Ca] response and insulin secretion dynamics of the islets of Langerhans. We spatiotemporally perturbed electrical activity in β-cells of channelrhodopsin2-expressing islets, mapped the [Ca] response, and correlated this with the cellular metabolic activity and an in silico electrophysiology model.

Age-Dependent Decline in the Coordinated [Ca] and Insulin Secretory Dynamics in Human Pancreatic Islets.

Aging is associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes, resulting from reduced insulin sensitivity and secretion. Reduced insulin secretion can result from reduced proliferative capacity and reduced islet function. Mechanisms underlying altered β-cell function in aging are poorly understood in mouse and human islets, and the impact of aging on intraislet communication has not been characterized.

Extraction, preparation and application of pigments from Cordyline fruticosa and Hylocereus polyrhizus as sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells.

Current study employs mixture of chlorophyll-anthocyanin dye extracted from leaves of Cordyline fruticosa as new sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSCs), as well as betalains dye obtained from fruit of Hylocereus polyrhizus. Among ten pigments solvents, the ethanol and methanol extracts revealed higher absorption spectra of pigments extracted from C. fruticosa and H.

How does general anaesthesia affect the circadian clock?

Unlabelled: Post-operative patients experience sleep disturbances. Animal studies demonstrate that general anaesthesia (GA) can disrupt circadian rhythms and cause changes in the molecular clock, indicating that anaesthesia contributes to post-operative circadian disruption. Here we review the effect of anaesthesia on the circadian clock and its rhythms in order to summarise current findings outline commonalities between studies and propose mechanisms by which effects may be mediated.

The effects of the general anaesthetic isoflurane on the honey bee (Apis mellifera) circadian clock.

General anaesthesia administered during the day has previously been shown to phase shift the honey bee clock. We describe a phase response curve for honey bees (n=105) to six hour isoflurane anaesthesia. The honey bee isoflurane PRC is "weak" with a delay portion (maximum shift of -1.

Carbonaceous materials and their advances as a counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells: challenges and prospects.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) serve as low-costing alternatives to silicon solar cells because of their low material and fabrication costs. Usually, they utilize Pt as the counter electrode (CE) to catalyze the iodine redox couple and to complete the electric circuit. Given that Pt is a rare and expensive metal, various carbon materials have been intensively investigated because of their low costs, high surface areas, excellent electrochemical stabilities, reasonable electrochemical activities, and high corrosion resistances.

FimH antagonists: bioisosteres to improve the in vitro and in vivo PK/PD profile.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs), predominantly caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), belong to the most prevalent infectious diseases worldwide. The attachment of UPEC to host cells is mediated by FimH, a mannose-binding adhesin at the tip of bacterial type 1 pili. To date, UTIs are mainly treated with antibiotics, leading to the ubiquitous problem of increasing resistance against most of the currently available antimicrobials.

Effect of solvents on the extraction of natural pigments and adsorption onto TiO2 for dye-sensitized solar cell applications.

Nine solvents, namely, n-hexane, ethanol, acetonitrile, chloroform, ethyl-ether, ethyl-acetate, petroleum ether, n-butyl alcohol, and methanol were used to extract natural dyes from Cordyline fruticosa, Pandannus amaryllifolius and Hylocereus polyrhizus. To improve the adsorption of dyes onto the TiO2 particles, betalain and chlorophyll dyes were mixed with methanol or ethanol and water at various ratios. The adsorption of the dyes mixed with titanium dioxide (TiO2) was also observed.

A honey bee (Apis mellifera) light phase response curve.

The authors report a phase response curve (PRC) for individual honey bees (Apis mellifera) to single 1-h light pulses (1000 lux) using an Aschoff Type 1 protocol (n = 134). The bee PRC is a weak (Type 1) PRC with a maximum advance of 1.5 h between circadian time (CT) 18 and 3 and a maximum delay of 1.