Transparent Power-Generating Windows Based on Solar-Thermal-Electric Conversion

Zhang Q, Huang A, Ai X, et al. Transparent Power-Generating Windows Based on Solar-Thermal-Electric Conversion. Advanced Energy Materials . 2021: 2101213.Integrating transparent solar-harvesting systems into windows can provide renewable on-site energy supply without altering building aesthetics or imposing further design constraints. Transparent photovoltaics have shown great potential, but the increased transparency comes at the expense of reduced power-conversion efficiency. Here, a new technology that overcomes this limitation by combining solar-thermal-electric conversion with a material's wavelength-selective absorption is presented. A wavelength-selective film consisting of Cs0.33WO3 and resin facilitates high visible-light transmittance (up to 88%) and outstanding ultraviolet and infrared absorbance, thereby converting absorbed light into heat without sacrificing transparency. A prototype that couples the film with thermoelectric power generation produces an extraordinary output voltage of approximate to 4 V within an area of 0.01 m(2) exposed to sunshine. Further optimization design and experimental verification demonstrate high conversion efficiency comparable to state-of-the-art transparent photovoltaics, enriching the library of on-site energy-saving and transparent power generation

The Preparation and Structure Analysis Methods of Natural Polysaccharides of Plants and Fungi: A Review of Recent Development.

Polysaccharides are ubiquitous biomolecules found in nature that contain various biological and pharmacological activities that are employed in functional foods and therapeutic agents. Natural polysaccharides are obtained mainly by extraction and purification, which may serve as reliable procedures to enhance the quality and the yield of polysaccharide products. Moreover, structural analysis of polysaccharides proves to be promising and crucial for elucidating structure-activity relationships. Therefore, this report summarizes the recent developments and applications in extraction, separation, purification, and structural analysis of polysaccharides of plants and fungi

Reversing tumor to “Hot”:A NIR light-triggered carrier-free nanoplatform for enhanced tumor penetration and photo-induced immunotherapy

Immunogenic cell death (ICD) process associated with phototherapy is a promising strategy to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis. To facilitate deep tumor-penetrating photo-immunotherapy, we herein report a near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered carrier-free nanoplatform (IR837) loaded with indocyanine green (ICG) and immune adjuvant R837. The IR837 nanoparticles were prepared as carrier-free nanoassembly and showed good photostability. With the thermal-responsive polydopamine as the shell, the IR837 (∼78 nm) can efficiently disassociate into smaller size (∼10 nm) under NIR irradiation. Through intravenous injection, IR837 displays prolonged blood circulation and turns into the smaller-sized nanoaggregates to deeply penetrate in the core sites of tumors. The ICD process is then induced and results in dendritic cells (DCs) maturation to initiate the immune response. Eventually, the “cold” tumor would be reversed into the “hot” tumor, promoting the immunotherapeutic outcomes against in-situ and distal tumors under mild temperature (45 °C). In summary, our research provides a prospective intelligent nanodelivery system to perform efficient photothermal immunotherapy against primary and distal tumor growth with hopefully low side effect

Comparison of deep learning-assisted blinking analysis system and Lipiview interferometer in dry eye patients: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Abnormal blinking pattern is associated with ocular surface diseases. However, blink is difficult to analyze due to the rapid movement of eyelids. Deep learning machine (DLM) has been proposed as an optional tool for blinking analysis, but its clinical practicability still needs to be proven. Therefore, the study aims to compare the DLM-assisted Keratograph 5M (K5M) as a novel method with the currently available Lipiview in the clinic and assess whether blinking parameters can be applied in the diagnosis of dry eye disease (DED). Methods Thirty-five DED participants and 35 normal subjects were recruited in this cross-sectional study. DED questionnaire and ocular surface signs were evaluated. Blinking parameters including number of blinks, number of incomplete blinking (IB), and IB rate were collected from the blinking videos recorded by the K5M and Lipiview. Blinking parameters were individually collected from the DLM analyzed K5M videos and Lipiview generated results. The agreement and consistency of blinking parameters were compared between the two devices. The association of blinking parameters to DED symptoms and signs were evaluated via heatmap. Results In total, 140 eyes of 70 participants were included in this study. Lipiview presented a higher number of IB and IB rate than those from DLM-assisted K5M (P ≤ 0.006). DLM-assisted K5M captured significant differences in number of blinks, number of IB and IB rate between DED and normal subjects (P ≤ 0.035). In all three parameters, DLM-assisted K5M also showed a better consistency in repeated measurements than Lipiview with higher intraclass correlation coefficients (number of blinks: 0.841 versus 0.665; number of IB: 0.750 versus 0.564; IB rate: 0.633 versus 0.589). More correlations between blinking parameters and DED symptoms and signs were found by DLM-assisted K5M. Moreover, the receiver operating characteristic analysis showed the number of IB from K5M exhibiting the highest area under curve of 0.773. Conclusions DLM-assisted K5M is a useful tool to analyze blinking videos and detect abnormal blinking patterns, especially in distinguishing DED patients from normal subjects. Large sample investigations are therefore warranted to assess its clinical utility before implementation

Haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may improve long-term survival for children with high-risk T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in first complete remission

Abstract. Background:. The role of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in children with high-risk (HR) T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) in first complete remission (CR1) is still under evaluation. Moreover, relapse is the main factor affecting survival. This study aimed to explore the effect of allo-HSCT (especially haploidentical HSCT [haplo-HSCT]) on improving survival and reducing relapse for HR childhood T-ALL in CR1 and the prognostic factors of childhood T-ALL in order to identify who could benefit from HSCT. Methods:. A total of 74 newly diagnosed pediatric T-ALL patients between January 1, 2012 and June 30, 2018 were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patients were stratified into the low-risk chemotherapy cohort (n = 16), HR chemotherapy cohort (n = 31), and HR transplant cohort (n = 27). Characteristics, survival outcomes, and prognostic factors of all patients were then analyzed. Results:. Patient prognosis in the HR chemotherapy cohort was significantly worse than that in the low-risk chemotherapy cohort (5year overall survival [OS]: 58.5% vs. 100%, P = 0.003; 5-year event-free survival [EFS]: 54.1% vs. 83.4%, P = 0.010; 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse [CIR]: 45.2% vs. 6.3%, P = 0.011). In HR patients, allo-HSCT improved the 5-year EFS and CIR compared to that of chemotherapy (5-year EFS: 80.1% vs. 54.1%, P = 0.041; 5-year CIR: 11.6% vs. 45.2%, P = 0.006). The 5-year OS was higher in the HR transplant cohort than that in the HR chemotherapy cohort (81.0% vs. 58.5%, P = 0.084). Minimal residual disease re-emergence was an independent risk factor for 5-year OS, EFS, and CIR; age ≥10 years was an independent risk factor for OS and EFS; and high white blood cell count was an independent risk factor for EFS and CIR. Conclusion:. Allo-HSCT, especially haplo-HSCT, could effectively reduce relapse of children with HR T-ALL in CR1