Elucidating Structure Formation in Highly Oriented Triple Cation Perovskite Films

Metal halide perovskites are an emerging class of crystalline semiconductors of great interest for application in optoelectronics. Their properties are dictated not only by their composition, but also by their crystalline structure and microstructure. While significant efforts are dedicated to the development of strategies for microstructural control, significantly less is known about the processes that govern the formation of their crystalline structure in thin films, in particular in the context of crystalline orientation. This work investigates the formation of highly oriented triple cation perovskite films fabricated by utilizing a range of alcohols as an antisolvent. Examining the film formation by in situ grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering reveals the presence of a short-lived highly oriented crystalline intermediate, which is identified as FAI-PbI2-xDMSO. The intermediate phase templates the crystallization of the perovskite layer, resulting in highly oriented perovskite layers. The formation of this dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) containing intermediate is triggered by the selective removal of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) when alcohols are used as an antisolvent, consequently leading to differing degrees of orientation depending on the antisolvent properties. Finally, this work demonstrates that photovoltaic devices fabricated from the highly oriented films, are superior to those with a random polycrystalline structure in terms of both performance and stability

Quality assurance process within the RAdiosurgery for VENtricular TAchycardia (RAVENTA) trial for the fusion of electroanatomical mapping and radiotherapy planning imaging data in cardiac radioablation

A novel quality assurance process for electroanatomical mapping (EAM)-to-radiotherapy planning imaging (RTPI) target transport was assessed within the multi-center multi-platform framework of the RAdiosurgery for VENtricular TAchycardia (RAVENTA) trial. A stand-alone software (CARDIO-RT) was developed to enable platform independent registration of EAM and RTPI of the left ventricle (LV), based on pre-generated radiotherapy contours (RTC). LV-RTC were automatically segmented into the American-Heart-Association 17-segment-model and a manual 3D-3D method based on EAM 3D-geometry data and a semi-automated 2D-3D method based on EAM screenshot projections were developed. The quality of substrate transfer was evaluated in five clinical cases and the structural analyses showed substantial differences between manual target transfer and target transport using CARDIO-RT

The experimental power of FR900359 to study Gq-regulated biological processes.

Despite the discovery of heterotrimeric αβγ G proteins ∼25 years ago, their selective perturbation by cell-permeable inhibitors remains a fundamental challenge. Here we report that the plant-derived depsipeptide FR900359 (FR) is ideally suited to this task. Using a multifaceted approach we systematically characterize FR as a selective inhibitor of Gq/11/14 over all other mammalian Gα isoforms and elaborate its molecular mechanism of action. We also use FR to investigate whether inhibition of Gq proteins is an effective post-receptor strategy to target oncogenic signalling, using melanoma as a model system. FR suppresses many of the hallmark features that are central to the malignancy of melanoma cells, thereby providing new opportunities for therapeutic intervention. Just as pertussis toxin is used extensively to probe and inhibit the signalling of Gi/o proteins, we anticipate that FR will at least be its equivalent for investigating the biological relevance of Gq