Origin of Persisting Photoresponse of One-Year Aged Two-Dimensional Lead Halide Perovskites Stored in Air under Dark Conditions.

Two-dimensional halide perovskites are promising for advanced photonic, optoelectronic, and photovoltaic applications. However, their long-term stability is still a critical factor limiting their implementation into further commercial applications. Here, we present an environmental stability analysis of BA(MA)PbI (BA = CHN, MA = CHN) two-dimensional perovskites with the lowest quantum well thicknesses of = 1 and = 2, after 1 year of aging under ambient humidity, oxygen content, and light conditions.

Polyurethane Composites Recycling with Styrene-Acrylonitrile and Calcium Carbonate Recovery.

The glycolysis process of flexible polyurethane foams containing styrene-acrylonitrile and calcium carbonate as fillers was explored in detail. The use of DABCO as a catalyst allowed us to reduce the catalyst concentration and the polyurethane-to-glycol mass ratio to 0.1% and 1:1, respectively.

In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion Affects the Bioaccessibility of Bioactive Compounds in Beverages.

possess great versatility to be used as an ingredient for a whole range of products with natural-based ingredients, which are growing in popularity due to the health benefits of bioactive compounds (BC). Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize the BC content in beverages and to evaluate their in vitro bioaccessibility. Results showed significant differences ( < 0.

Unusual Spectrally Reproducible and High Q-Factor Random Lasing in Polycrystalline Tin Perovskite Films.

An unusual spectrally reproducible near-IR random lasing (RL) with no fluctuation of lasing peak wavelength is disclosed in polycrystalline films of formamidinium tin triiodide perovskite, which have been chemically stabilized against Sn to Sn oxidation. Remarkably, a quality Q-factor as high as ≈10 with an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) threshold as low as 2 µJ cm (both at 20 K) are achieved. The observed spectral reproducibility is unprecedented for semiconductor thin film RL systems and cannot be explained by the strong spatial localization of lasing modes.

Revealing Giant Exciton Fine-Structure Splitting in Two-Dimensional Perovskites Using van der Waals Passivation.

Organic-inorganic layered perovskites are currently some of the most promising 2D van der Waals materials. Low crystal quality usually broadens the exciton line width, obscuring the fine structure of the exciton in conventional photoluminescence experiments. Here, we propose a mechanical approach to reducing the effect of spectral diffusion by means of hBN capping on layered perovskites, revealing the exciton fine structure.

Tin perovskite solar cells with >1,300 h of operational stability in N through a synergistic chemical engineering approach.

Despite the promising properties of tin-based halide perovskites, one clear limitation is the fast Sn oxidation. Consequently, the preparation of long-lasting devices remains challenging. Here, we report a chemical engineering approach, based on adding Dipropylammonium iodide (DipI) together with a well-known reducing agent, sodium borohydride (NaBH), aimed at preventing the premature degradation of Sn-HPs.

Inhomogeneous Broadening of Photoluminescence Spectra and Kinetics of Nanometer-Thick (Phenethylammonium)PbI Perovskite Thin Films: Implications for Optoelectronics.

An outstanding potentiality of layered two-dimensional (2D) organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites (2DHPs) is in the development of solar cells, photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes. In 2DHPs, an exciton is localized in an atomically thin lead(II) halide inorganic layer of sub-nanometer thickness as in a quantum well sandwiched between organic layers as energetic and dielectric barriers. In previous years, versatile optical characterization of 2DHPs has been carried out mainly for thin flakes of single crystals and ultrathin (of the order of 20 nm) polycrystalline films, whereas there is a lack of optical characterization of thick (hundreds of nanometers) polycrystalline films, fundamentals for fabrication of devices.

Construction and Characterization of a Botrytis Virus F Infectious Clone.

Botrytis virus F (BVF) is a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA (+ssRNA) virus within the family of the plant-pathogenic fungus . In this study, the complete sequence of a BVF strain isolated from collected from grapevine fields in Spain was analyzed. This virus, in this work BVF-V448, has a genome of 6827 nt in length, excluding the poly(A) tail, with two open reading frames encoding an RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) and a coat protein (CP).

The Role of Psychology in Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-National Study.

Dealing with COVID-19 and with the preventative measures that have been taken to mitigate the transmission of the virus causing the pandemic has posed a great challenge to the population. While psychologists have expertise with regard to preventive behavior change and to dealing with the mental health impact of measures, their expertise needs to be effectively communicated to the public. Mass media play a critical role in times of crisis, in many cases being the only source of information.

What we know about protein gut metabolites: Implications and insights for human health and diseases.

Gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem of symbiotic bacteria that contribute to human metabolism and supply intestinal metabolites, whose production is mainly influenced by the diet. Dietary patterns characterized by a high intake of protein promotes the growth of proteolytic bacteria's, which produce metabolites from undigested protein fermentation. Microbioal protein metabolites can regulate immune, metabolic and neuronal responses in different target organs.

Direct and Indirect Effects of COVID-19 in Frail Elderly: Interventions and Recommendations.

Frailty is a state of vulnerability to stressors because of a decreased physiological reserve, resulting in poor health outcomes. This state is related to chronic conditions, many of which are risk factors for outcomes in elderly patients having SARS-COV-2. This review aims to describe frailty as a physiological vulnerability agent during the COVID-19 pandemic in elderly patients, summarizing the direct and indirect effects caused by the SARS-COV-2 infection and its prognosis in frail individuals, as well as the interventions and recommendations to reduce their effects.

Novel Mycoviruses Discovered in the Mycovirome of a Necrotrophic Fungus.

is one of the most important plant-pathogenic fungus. Products based on microorganisms can be used in biocontrol strategies alternative to chemical control, and mycoviruses have been explored as putative biological agents in such approaches. Here, we have explored the mycovirome of isolates from grapevine of Italy and Spain to increase the knowledge about mycoviral diversity and evolution, and to search for new widely distributed mycoviruses that could be active ingredients in biological products to control this hazardous fungus.

Analysis of the virome associated to grapevine downy mildew lesions reveals new mycovirus lineages.

The obligatory biotrophic oomycetes is the causal agent of downy mildew, a destructive disease of grapevine worldwide. So far, chemical fungicides are widely employed to limit this pathogen, but their adverse effects are stimulating the quest for environmentally friendly alternative approaches. Here, we report on the search for mycoviruses that might be later developed as biocontrol agents for this pathogen.

2-Phenylethanol and 2-phenylethylacetate production by nonconventional yeasts using tequila vinasses as a substrate.

Vinasses from the tequila industry are wastewaters with highly elevated organic loads. Therefore, to obtain value-added products by yeast fermentations, such as 2-phenylethanol (2-PE) and 2-phenylethylacetate (2-PEA), could be interesting for industrial applications from tequila vinasses. In this study, four yeasts species () were evaluated with two different chemically defined media and tequila vinasses.

Tuning optical/electrical properties of 2D/3D perovskite by the inclusion of aromatic cation.

The employment of bulky aliphatic cations in the manufacture of moisture-stable materials has triggered the development and application of 2D/3D perovskites as sensitizers in moisture-stable solar cells. Although it is true that the moisture stability increases, it is also true that the photovoltaic performance of 2D/3D PVK materials is severely limited owing to quantum and dielectric confinement effects. Accordingly, it is necessary the synthesis and deep optical characterization of materials with an adequate management of dielectric contrast between the layers.

Genome-wide polyadenylation site mapping datasets in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.

Polyadenylation plays an important role in gene regulation, thus affecting a wide variety of biological processes. In the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae the cleavage factor I protein Rpb35 is required for pre-mRNA polyadenylation and fungal virulence. Here we present the bioinformatic approach and output data related to a global survey of polyadenylation site usage in M.

Virulence- and signaling-associated genes display a preference for long 3'UTRs during rice infection and metabolic stress in the rice blast fungus.

Generation of mRNA isoforms by alternative polyadenylation (APA) and their involvement in regulation of fungal cellular processes, including virulence, remains elusive. Here, we investigated genome-wide polyadenylation site (PAS) selection in the rice blast fungus to understand how APA regulates pathogenicity. More than half of Magnaporthe oryzae transcripts undergo APA and show novel motifs in their PAS region.

Inferring Roles in Defense from Metabolic Allocation of Rice Diterpenoids.

Among their responses to microbial infection, plants deploy an arsenal of natural antibiotic products. Historically these have been identified on the basis of their antibiotic activity in vitro, which leaves open the question of their relevance to defense in planta. The vast majority of such natural products from the important crop plant rice () are diterpenoids whose biosynthesis proceeds via either - or -copalyl diphosphate (CPP) intermediates, which were isolated on the basis of their antibiotic activity against the fungal blast pathogen However, rice plants in which the gene for the -CPP synthase is knocked out do not exhibit increased susceptibility to Here, we show that knocking out or knocking down actually decreases susceptibility to the bacterial leaf blight pathogen By contrast, genetic manipulation of the gene for the -CPP synthase alters susceptibility to both and Despite the secretion of diterpenoids dependent on or from roots, neither knockout exhibited significant changes in the composition of their rhizosphere bacterial communities.

Tpc1 is an important Zn(II)2Cys6 transcriptional regulator required for polarized growth and virulence in the rice blast fungus.

The establishment of polarity is a critical process in pathogenic fungi, mediating infection-related morphogenesis and host tissue invasion. Here, we report the identification of TPC1 (Transcription factor for Polarity Control 1), which regulates invasive polarized growth in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. TPC1 encodes a putative transcription factor of the fungal Zn(II)2Cys6 family, exclusive to filamentous fungi.

Molecular characterization of a novel ssRNA ourmia-like virus from the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.

In this study we characterize a novel positive and single stranded RNA (ssRNA) mycovirus isolated from the rice field isolate of Magnaporthe oryzae Guy11. The ssRNA contains a single open reading frame (ORF) of 2,373 nucleotides in length and encodes an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) closely related to ourmiaviruses (plant viruses) and ourmia-like mycoviruses. Accordingly, we name this virus Magnaporthe oryzae ourmia-like virus 1 (MOLV1).

Strong Dipolar Effects on an Octupolar Luminiscent Chromophore: Implications on their Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties.

Design parameters derived from structure-property relationships play a very important role in the development of efficient molecular-based functional materials with optical properties. Here, we report on the linear and nonlinear optical properties of a fluorene-derived dipolar system (DS) and its octupolar analogue (OS), in which donor and acceptor groups are connected by a phenylacetylene linkage, as a strategy to increase the number of delocalized electrons in the π-conjugated system. The optical nonlinear response was analyzed in detail by experimental and theoretical methods, showing that, in the octupolar system OS, the dipolar effects induced a strong two-photon absorption process whose magnitude is as large as 2210 GM at infrared wavelengths.

Expansion of Signal Transduction Pathways in Fungi by Extensive Genome Duplication.

Plants and fungi use light and other signals to regulate development, growth, and metabolism. The fruiting bodies of the fungus Phycomyces blakesleeanus are single cells that react to environmental cues, including light, but the mechanisms are largely unknown [1]. The related fungus Mucor circinelloides is an opportunistic human pathogen that changes its mode of growth upon receipt of signals from the environment to facilitate pathogenesis [2].