Md. Khorshed Alam

Brain histaminergic system in mast cell-deficient (Ws/Ws) rats : histamine content, histidine decarboxylase activity, and effects of (S)α-fluoromethylhistidine

Abstract: The mast cell‐deficient [Ws/Ws (White spotting in the skin)] rat was investigated with regard to the origin of histamine in the brain. No mast cells were detected in the pia mater and the perivascular region of the thalamus of Ws/Ws rats by Alcian Blue staining. The histamine contents and histidine decarboxylase (HDC) activities of various brain regions of Ws/Ws rats were similar to those of +/+ rats except the histamine contents of the cerebral cortex and cerebellum. As the cerebral cortex and cerebellum have meninges that are difficult to remove completely, the histamine contents of these two regions may be different between Ws/Ws and +/+ rats. We assume that the histamine content of whole brain with meninges in Ws/Ws rats is <60% of that in +/+ rats. So we conclude that approximately half of the histamine content of rat brain is derived from mast cells. Next, the effects of (S)α‐fluoromethylhistidine (FMH), a specific inhibitor of HDC, on the histamine contents and HDC activities of various regions of the brain were examined in Ws/Ws rats. In the whole brain of Ws/Ws rats, 51 and 37% of the histamine content of the control group remained 2 and 6 h, respectively, after FMH administration (100 mg/kg of body weight). Therefore, we suggest that there might be other histamine pools including histaminergic neurons in rat brain.

Prospects of Graphene as a Potential Carrier-Transport Material in Third-Generation Solar Cells

Third-generation solar cells are understood to be the pathway to overcoming the issues and drawbacks of the existing solar cell technologies. Since the introduction of graphene in solar cells, it has been providing attractive properties for the next generation of solar cells. Currently, there are more theoretical predictions rather than practical recognitions in third-generation solar cells. Some of the potential of graphene has been explored in organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), but it has yet to be fully comprehended in the recent third-generation inorganic-organic hybrid perovskite solar cells. In this review, the diverse role of graphene in third-generation OPVs and DSSCs will be deliberated to provide an insight on the prospects and challenges of graphene in inorganic-organic hybrid perovskite solar cells.

Crystal and electronic structures of substituted halide perovskites based on density functional calculation and molecular dynamics

Durability of organo-lead halide perovskite are important issue for its practical application in a solar cells. In this study, using density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics, we theoretically investigated a crystal structure, electronic structure, and ionic diffusivity of the partially substituted cubic MA0.5X0.5PbI3 (MA = CH3NH3+, X = NH4+ or (NH2)2CH+ or Cs+). Our calculation results indicate that a partial substitution of MA induces a lattice distortion, resulting in preventing MA or X from the diffusion between A sites in the perovskite. DFT calculations show that electronic structures of the investigated partially substituted perovskites were similar with that of MAPbI3, while their bandgaps slightly decrease compared to that of MAPbI3. Our results mean that partial substitution in halide perovskite is effective technique to suppress diffusion of intrinsic ions and tune the band gap.