Non‐Hydrazine Solutions in Processing CuIn(S,Se)2 Photovoltaic Devices from Hydrazinium Precursors

We report an approach for the fabrication of CuIn(S,Se)₂‐based photovoltaic devices from hydrazinium precursors in non‐hydrazine solvents, specifically a ethanolamine/dimethyl sulfoxide (EA/DMSO) mixture. For the first time, both Cu hydrazinium precursor and Cu‐In hydrazinium precursor are found with good solubility in non‐hydrazine solvents, producing molecular‐level blending of metal precursors. Sulfur loss in Cu hydrazinium precursor is compensated for by either introduction of excessive S/Se or the formation of S/Se‐bridged Cu‐In compounds. The success of dissolving Cu‐In hydrazinium precursor is ascribed to the coordinated S group and strong intramolecular interaction within non‐hydrazine solvents. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman characterization indicate the formation of the CuIn(S,Se)₂ phase after annealing. Through introducing different amounts of excess S/Se, the ratio between CuInS₂ and CuInSe₂, as well as the morphology of the resulted CuIn(S,Se)₂ film can be controlled. Optimized devices exhibit a power conversion efficiency of 3.8% with a CISS absorber layer of only around 300 nm thickness, which is comparable to N₂H₄‐based devices of similar thickness.     

Eggs survive through avian guts—A possible mechanism for transoceanic dispersal of flightless weevils

How flightless animals disperse to remote oceanic islands is a key unresolved question in biogeography. The flightless Pachyrhynchus weevils represent repetitive colonization history in West Pacific islands, which attracted our interests about how some weevils have successfully dispersed in the reverse direction against the sea current. Here, we propose endozoochory as a possible mechanism that the eggs of the weevils might be carried by embedded in the fruits as the food of frugivorous birds. In this study, Pachyrhynchus eggs were embedded in small pieces of persimmon fruits (Diospyros kaki) and fed to captive frugivorous birds. After digestion, 83%–100% eggs were retrieved from the feces of a bulbul (Hypsipetes leucocephalus) and two thrushes (Turdus chrysolaus). The retrieved eggs had hatching rates higher than 84%, which were not different from the control. In contrast, no egg was retrieved from the feces of the frugivorous pigeon (Treron sieboldii), which took a longer retention time in the guts. Our study identified that the eggs of Pachyrhynchus weevils are possible to be transported by internal digesting in some bird species.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of forced unbending of integrin α(v)β₃

Integrins may undergo large conformational changes during activation, but the dynamic processes and pathways remain poorly understood. We used molecular dynamics to simulate forced unbending of a complete integrin α(v)β? ectodomain in both unliganded and liganded forms. Pulling the head of the integrin readily induced changes in the integrin from a bent to an extended conformation. Pulling at a cyclic RGD ligand bound to the integrin head also extended the integrin, suggesting that force can activate integrins. Interactions at the interfaces between the hybrid and β tail domains and between the hybrid and epidermal growth factor 4 domains formed the major energy barrier along the unbending pathway, which could be overcome spontaneously in ~1 μs to yield a partially-extended conformation that tended to rebend. By comparison, a fully-extended conformation was stable. A newly-formed coordination between the α(v) Asp457 and the α-genu metal ion might contribute to the stability of the fully-extended conformation. These results reveal the dynamic processes and pathways of integrin conformational changes with atomic details and provide new insights into the structural mechanisms of integrin activation.     

Hendra virus infection dynamics in Australian fruit bats

Hendra virus is a recently emerged zoonotic agent in Australia. Since first described in 1994, the virus has spilled from its wildlife reservoir (pteropid fruit bats, or 'flying foxes') on multiple occasions causing equine and human fatalities. We undertook a three-year longitudinal study to detect virus in the urine of free-living flying foxes (a putative route of excretion) to investigate Hendra virus infection dynamics. Pooled urine samples collected off plastic sheets placed beneath roosting flying foxes were screened for Hendra virus genome by quantitative RT-PCR, using a set of primers and probe derived from the matrix protein gene. A total of 1672 pooled urine samples from 67 sampling events was collected and tested between 1 July 2008 and 30 June 2011, with 25% of sampling events and 2.5% of urine samples yielding detections. The proportion of positive samples was statistically associated with year and location. The findings indicate that Hendra virus excretion occurs periodically rather than continuously, and in geographically disparate flying fox populations in the state of Queensland. The lack of any detection in the Northern Territory suggests prevalence may vary across the range of flying foxes in Australia. Finally, our findings suggest that flying foxes can excrete virus at any time of year, and that the apparent seasonal clustering of Hendra virus incidents in horses and associated humans (70% have occurred June to October) reflects factors other than the presence of virus. Identification of these factors will strengthen risk minimization strategies for horses and ultimately humans.     

A nuclear magnetic resonance-based structural rationale for contrasting stoichiometry and ligand binding site(s) in fatty acid-binding proteins

Liver fatty acid-binding protein (LFABP) is a 14 kDa cytosolic polypeptide, differing from other family members in the number of ligand binding sites, the diversity of bound ligands, and the transfer of fatty acid(s) to membranes primarily via aqueous diffusion rather than direct collisional interactions. Distinct two-dimensional (1)H-(15)N nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals indicative of slowly exchanging LFABP assemblies formed during stepwise ligand titration were exploited, without determining the protein-ligand complex structures, to yield the stoichiometries for the bound ligands, their locations within the protein binding cavity, the sequence of ligand occupation, and the corresponding protein structural accommodations. Chemical shifts were monitored for wild-type LFABP and an R122L/S124A mutant in which electrostatic interactions viewed as being essential to fatty acid binding were removed. For wild-type LFABP, the results compared favorably with the data for previous tertiary structures of oleate-bound wild-type LFABP in crystals and in solution: there are two oleates, one U-shaped ligand that positions the long hydrophobic chain deep within the cavity and another extended structure with the hydrophobic chain facing the cavity and the carboxylate group lying close to the protein surface. The NMR titration validated a prior hypothesis that the first oleate to enter the cavity occupies the internal protein site. In contrast, (1)H and (15)N chemical shift changes supported only one liganded oleate for R122L/S124A LFABP, at an intermediate location within the protein cavity. A rationale based on protein sequence and electrostatics was developed to explain the stoichiometry and binding site trends for LFABPs and to put these findings into context within the larger protein family.     

Improved resolution of tertiary structure elasticity in muscle protein

Rearrangement of tertiary structure in response to mechanical force (termed tertiary structure elasticity) in the tandem Ig chain is the first mode of elastic response for muscle protein titin. Tertiary structure elasticity occurs at low stretching forces (few tens of pN), and was described at atomic resolution in a recent molecular dynamics study, in which an originally crescent-shaped six-Ig chain was stretched into a linear chain. However, the force-extension profile that resulted from this explicit solvent simulation was dominated by the hydrodynamic drag force, and effects of tertiary structure elasticity only manifested for stretching forces above 20 pN. Here we report a slow pulling 100-ns simulation (along with other auxiliary simulations), in which hydrodynamic drag force is seen to reduce to near 0 pN, such that tertiary structure elasticity could be characterized over a 0–200 pN range. Statistical mechanical analysis showed that the stretching velocity was sufficiently low such that the protein remained significantly relaxed during the major part of its extension.     

Testing the environmental warming responses of Brachyscome daisy species using a common garden approach

As temperatures increase in a warming world, there will be different responses among related plant species, with some species able to increase growth rate under warmer conditions and others less likely. Here, we identify survival and growth parameters in a group of 19 related Australian daisies from the genera Brachyscome and Pembertonia when exposed to higher soil temperature, focusing particularly on species from the alpine environment. We used a common garden approach to measure growth and survival under warming. We tested for the effects of evolutionary history by investigating phylogeny and testing for a phylogenetic signal, and for the effects of ecological history by considering climatic variables associated with species distributions in their native range. Evolutionary history did not have a detectable effect on warming responses. While there was a moderate signal for plant growth in the absence of warming, there was no signal for growth changes in response to warming, despite variability among species to warming that ranged from positive to negative growth responses. There was no strong effect of climate context, as species that showed a positive response to warming did not necessarily originate from hotter environments. In fact, several species from hot environments grew relatively poorly when exposed to higher soil temperature. However, species endemic to alpine areas were less likely to benefit from warming than widespread species. We found a strong phylogenetic signal for climate history, in that closely related species tend to occur in areas with similar annual variability in precipitation. Species differences in response to soil warming were variable and difficult to link to climate conditions except for the poor response of alpine endemics. There was no significant association between survival and warming responses of species. However, as some species showed weak growth responses, this may reduce their fitness into the future.     

High Risk Sexual Behaviors for HIV among the In-School Youth in Swaziland: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Background

Global efforts in response to the increased prevalence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are mainly aimed at reducing high risk sexual behaviors among young people. However, knowledge regarding intentions of young people to engage in protective sexual behaviors is still lacking in many countries around the world, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa where prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus is the highest. The objective of this study was to test the theory of planned behavior (TPB) for predicting factors associated with protective sexual behaviors, including sexual abstinence and condom use, among in-school youths aged between 15 and 19 years in Swaziland.

Methods

This cross-sectional survey was conducted using a anonymous questionnaire. A two-stage stratified and cluster random sampling method was used. Approximately one hundred pupils from each of four schools agreed to participate in the study, providing a total sample size of 403 pupils of which 369 were ultimately included for data analysis. The response rate was 98%. Structural equation modeling was used to analyse hypothesized paths.

Results

The TPB model used in this study was effective in predicting protective sexual behavior among Swazi in-school youths, as shown by model fit indices. All hypothesized constructs significantly predicted intentions for abstinence and condom use, except perceived abstinence controls. Subjective norms were the strongest predictors of intention for premarital sexual abstinence; however, perceived controls for condom use were the strongest predictors of intention for condom use.

Conclusions

Our findings support application of the model in predicting determinants of condom use and abstinence intentions among Swazi in-school youths.     

Resveratrol induces apoptosis of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via activation of multiple apoptotic pathways

Resveratrol, a naturally occurring dietary compound with chemopreventive properties has been reported to trigger a variety of cancer cell types to apoptosis. Whether resveratrol shows any activity on human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells remained to be determined. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and mechanism of resveratrol on human NPC cells. Treatment of resveratrol resulted in significant decrease in cell viability of NPC cell lines in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. A dose‐dependent apoptotic cell death was also measured by flow cytometery analysis. Molecular mechanistic studies of apoptosis unraveled resveratrol treatment resulted in a significant loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, release of cytochrome c, enhanced expression of Fas ligand (FasL), and suppression of glucose‐regulated protein 78 kDa (GRP78). These were followed by activation of caspases‐9, ‐8, ‐4, and ‐3, subsequently leading to DNA fragmentation and cell apoptosis. Furthermore, up‐regulation of proapoptotic Bax and down‐regulation of antiapoptotic Bcl‐2 protein were also observed. Taken together, resveratrol induces apoptosis in human NPC cells through regulation of multiple apoptotic pathways, including death receptor, mitochondria, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Resveratrol can be developed as an effective compound for human NPC treatment. J. Cell. Physiol. 226: 720–728, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.