Organic solvent free PbI₂ recycling from perovskite solar cells using hot water

Perovskite solar cells represent an emerging and highly promising renewable energy technology. However, the most efficient perovskite solar cells critically depend on the use of lead. This represents a possible environmental concern potentially limiting the technologiesâEurotm commercialization. Here, we demonstrate a facile recycling process for PbI2, the most common lead-based precursor in perovskite absorber material. The process uses only hot water to effectively extract lead from synthetic precursor mixes, plastic- and glass-based perovskites (92.6 âEuro" 10

Affective lability and difficulties with regulation are differentially associated with amygdala and prefrontal response in women with Borderline Personality Disorder

The present neuroimaging study investigated two aspects of difficulties with emotion associated with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD()): affective lability and difficulty regulating emotion. While these two characteristics have been previously linked to BPD symptomology, it remains unknown whether individual differences in affective lability and emotion regulation difficulties are subserved by distinct neural substrates within a BPD sample. To address this issue, sixty women diagnosed with BPD were scanned while completing a task that assessed baseline emotional reactivity as well as top-down emotion regulation. More affective instability, as measured by the Affective Lability Scale (ALS()), positively correlated with greater amygdala responses on trials assessing emotional reactivity. Greater difficulties with regulating emotion, as measured by the Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS()), was negatively correlated with left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG()) recruitment on trials assessing regulatory ability. These findings suggest that, within a sample of individuals with BPD, greater bottom-up amygdala activity is associated with heightened affective lability. By contrast, difficulties with emotion regulation are related to reduced IFG recruitment during emotion regulation. These results point to distinct neural mechanisms for different aspects of BPD symptomology

Konventioneller und ökologischer Landbau als Wettbewerbsstrategien für Unternehmen mit Marktfruchtbau

Zielsetzung des vorliegenden Beitrages ist es zu analysieren, unter welchen Bedingungen die Wettbewerbsstrategie des ökologischen oder des konventionellen Landbaus für Unternehmen mit Marktfruchtbau vorzüglich ist. Einleitend wird hierzu im Überblick aufgezeigt, welche theoretischen Ansätze, Prozeduren und Arbeiten vorliegen, um diese Frage zu beantworten. Grundlage für die Abbildung und Beurteilung dieser Strategievarianten ist ein normatives Entscheidungsmodell, das programmtechnisch als lineares Optimierungsmodell formuliert wird. Die Vorstellung und Einordnung der empirischen Datengrundlage des linearen Optimierungsmodells sind Gegenstand des folgenden Schrittes. Die Daten, erhoben im Freistaat Sachsen, bilden unter sonst gleichen Voraussetzungen drei typische Standorte des Marktfruchtbaus mit wechselnden natürlichen Standortgegebenheiten ab. Zugleich werden für einen zukünftigen Zeitpunkt (2010) drei Standardszenarien entworfen, die jeweils eine unterschiedliche Gesamtkonstellation künftiger Rahmendaten für den konventionellen und ökologischen Landbau wiedergeben sollen. Unterschieden wird dabei zwischen einer pessimistischen, einer neutralen und einer optimistischen Gesamtkonstellation der Rahmendaten. Ausgehend von dieser Bandbreite gegenwärtiger und künftiger Rahmendaten erfolgt dann eine vergleichende Beurteilung der beiden Strategievarianten, differenziert nach Standorten und Zeitpunkten. Im Ergebnis ist festzustellen, dass unter heutigen Rahmenbedingungen im Ausgangsszenario der ökologische Landbau als Strategievariante des Marktfruchtbaus vor allem auf ertragsschwächeren Standorten eine hohe Konkurrenzkraft hat. Ursachen hierfür sind neben den hohen Produktpreisen vor allem die vergleichsweise hohen, an diese Form der Bewirtschaftung gekoppelten Transferzahlungen. Auf den Standorten mit einem hohen natürlichen Ertragspotenzial ist allerdings der konventionelle Landbau vorzüglicher. Die dort möglichen hohen Naturalerträge überkompensieren die Nachteile geringerer Transferzahlungen und Produktpreise. Die hohe Wettbewerbskraft des ökologischen Landbaus bleibt auch in Zukunft erhalten, hinweg über alle Szenarien. Entscheidende Abweichungen von dieser Grundaussage ergeben sich allerdings, wenn die speziell für den ökologischen Landbau konzipierten Prämien vollständig oder zu einem hohen Anteil reduziert werden. Ein Wegfall der Zahlungen würde auf nahezu allen Standorten zu einer Umkehr der Wettbewerbsverhältnisse führen. Die andauernde Bereitschaft der Gesellschaft zur finanziellen Unterstützung ist also eine zwingende Voraussetzung für den Erhalt der Wettbewerbsfähigkeit ökologischer Produktion. Hinzu kommt, dass für die Konkurrenzfähigkeit des ökologischen Marktfruchtbaus auch nachhaltig doppelt so hohe, nicht durch Marktregelungen abgestützte Produktpreise zwingend notwendig sind. Die gesellschaftlichen, politischen und wirtschaftlichen Risikofaktoren sind dadurch erheblich größer als im konventionellen Marktfruchtbau

Systemic inflammatory response after Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Hemotherapy (HIPEC): the perfusion protocol matters!

BACKGROUND:: CRS/HIPEC gained acceptance as a treatment for selected patients with peritoneal metastasis. However, the pathophysiology behind HIPEC is poorly understood, and a variety of regimens are currently in use. In this study, we describe for the first-time changes in the postoperative systemic inflammatory reaction, highly different among HIPEC treatment protocols. METHODS:: HIPEC was performed with three protocols, different with regard to perfusion times and drugs: (mitomycinC/doxorubicin, 90min), (cisplatin, 90min) (oxaliplatin, 30min). Serial blood samples were assessed for C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cells (WBC), pancreatic stone protein (PSP) and bacterial component (16s rDNA). The study was approved by the local ethics committee and registered at clinicaltirals.gov (NCT02741167). RESULTS:Overall, 140 patients from two European centers were included. In patients without postoperative complications, a secondary peak of inflammatory parameters, CRP (p = 0.015) and PSP (p = 0.004) was observed after HIPEC for 90 min with mitomycinC/doxorubicin or cisplatin but not after 30 min oxaliplatin. In patients after 90 min HIPEC, postoperative serum bacterial 16srDNA level were 2.1 times higher (95% CI 0.646-3.032, p = 0.015) compared to 30 min oxaliplatin. DISCUSSION: In conclusion, we identified a secondary inflammatory reaction after 90 min HIPEC, either with mitomycinC/doxorubicin or cisplatin, not observed after short course HIPEC with oxaliplatin. This protocol dependent physiology of acute phase proteins should be known in the clinical management of patients after HIPEC

Serum procalcitonin improves diagnosis of infectious complications after CRS/HIPEC

Abstract Background Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) improve the survival of selected patients with peritoneal metastasis. A major cause of treatment-related morbidity after CRS/HIPEC is infection and sepsis. HIPEC alters the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of blood and serum markers and therefore has an impact on early diagnosis of postoperative complications. This study aimed to assess the sensitivity and specificity of blood and serum markers after CRS/HIPEC. Methods Patients from two centers, operated between 2009 and 2017, were enrolled in this study. Perioperative blood samples were analyzed for white blood cells (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT); postoperative complications were graded according to Clavien-Dindo and infectious complications according to CDC criteria. Results Overall, n=248 patients were included with peritoneal metastasis from different primary tumors treated by CRS/HIPEC. Depending on the applied HIPEC protocol, patients presented a suppressed WBC response to infection. In addition, a secondary and unspecific CRP elevation in absence of an underlining infection, and pronounced after prolonged perfusion for more than 60 min. PCT was identified as a highly specific — although less sensitive — marker to diagnose infectious complications after CRS/HIPEC. Discussion/conclusion Sensitivity and specificity of WBC counts and CRP values to diagnose postoperative infection are limited in the context of HIPEC. PCT is helpful to specify suspected infection. Overall, diagnosis of postoperative complications remains a clinical diagnosis, requiring surgical expertise and experience

Structural basis of siRNA recognition by TRBP double-stranded RNA binding domains

The accurate cleavage of pre-micro(mi)RNAs by Dicer and mi/siRNA guide strand selection are important steps in forming the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). The role of Dicer binding partner TRBP in these processes remains poorly understood. Here, we solved the solution structure of the two N-terminal dsRNA binding domains (dsRBDs) of TRBP in complex with a functionally asymmetric siRNA using NMR, EPR, and single-molecule spectroscopy. We find that siRNA recognition by the dsRBDs is not sequence-specific but rather depends on the RNA shape. The two dsRBDs can swap their binding sites, giving rise to two equally populated, pseudo-symmetrical complexes, showing that TRBP is not a primary sensor of siRNA asymmetry. Using our structure to model a Dicer-TRBP-siRNA ternary complex, we show that TRBP's dsRBDs and Dicer's RNase III domains bind a canonical 19 base pair siRNA on opposite sides, supporting a mechanism whereby TRBP influences Dicer-mediated cleavage accuracy by binding the dsRNA region of the pre-miRNA during Dicer cleavage

Sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary hypertension treated with sildenafil ― a case report

Development of sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary hypertension (SAPH) significantly worsens prognosis in sarcoidosis patients. Unfortunately, there is no treatment of proven benefit for this condition. Medications used for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension are of great interest in this respect. Here, we report a case of a patient with severe SAPH treated with sildenafil. A significant, but only temporary improvement in functional status was observed, and the patient died of gradually progressing heart and respiratory failure while awaiting for lung transplantation