Batch‐to‐Batch Variation of Polymeric Photovoltaic Materials: its Origin and Impacts on Charge Carrier Transport and Device Performances

A detailed investigation of the impact of molecular weight distribution of a photoactive polymer, poly[N‐9′‐heptadecanyl‐2,7‐carbazole‐alt‐5,5‐(4′,7′‐di‐2‐thienyl‐2′,1′,3′‐benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT), on photovoltaic device performance and carrier transport properties is reported. It is found that different batches of as‐received polymers have substantial differences in their molecular weight distribution. As revealed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), two peaks can generally be observed. One of the peaks corresponds to a high molecular weight component and the other peak corresponds to a low molecular weight component. Photovoltaic devices fabricated with a higher proportion of low molecular weight component have power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) reduced from 5.7% to 2.5%. The corresponding charge carrier mobility at the short‐circuit region is also significantly reduced from 2.7 × 10^?5 to 1.6 × 10^?8 cm² V^?1 s^?1. The carrier transport properties of the polymers at various temperatures are further analyzed by the Gaussian disorder model (GDM). All polymers have similar energetic disorders. However, they appear to have significant differences in carrier hopping distances. This result provides insight into the origin of the molecular weight effect on carrier transport in polymeric semiconducting materials.     

FLZ Alleviates the Memory Deficits in Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease via Decreasing Beta-Amyloid Production and Tau Hyperphosphorylation

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia worldwide and mainly characterized by the aggregated β-amyloid (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylated tau. FLZ is a novel synthetic derivative of natural squamosamide and has been proved to improve memory deficits in dementia animal models. In this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanisms of FLZ’s neuroprotective effect in APP/PS1 double transgenic mice and SH-SY5Y (APPwt/swe) cells. The results showed that treatment with FLZ significantly improved the memory deficits of APP/PS1 transgenic mice and decreased apoptosis of SH-SY5Y (APPwt/swe) cells. FLZ markedly attenuated Aβ accumulation and tau phosphorylation both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistic study showed that FLZ interfered APP processing, i.e., FLZ decreased β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) phosphorylation, APP-carboxy-terminal fragment (APP-CTF) production and β-amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) expression. These results indicated that FLZ reduced Aβ production through inhibiting amyloidogenic pathway. The mechanistic study about FLZ’s inhibitory effect on tau phosphorylation revealed t the involvement of Akt/glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) pathway. FLZ treatment increased Akt activity and inhibited GSK3β activity both in vivo and in vitro. The inhibitory effect of FLZ on GSK3β activity and tau phosphorylation was suppressed by inhibiting Akt activity, indicating that Akt/GSK3β pathway might be the possible mechanism involved in the inhibitory effect of FLZ on tau hyperphosphorylation. These results suggested FLZ might be a potential anti-AD drug as it not only reduced Aβ production via inhibition amyloidogenic APP processing pathway, but also attenuated tau hyperphosphoylation mediated by Akt/GSK3β.     

The complete mitochondrial genome of Solen strictus (Bivalvia: Solenidae)

In this paper, we determined the complete mitochondrial genome of Solen strictus (Bivalvia: Solenidae). The whole mitogenome of S. strictus is 16,535?bp in length with a base composition of 21.7% A, 41.0% T, 25.6% C, and 11.7% G and contains 12 protein-coding genes (atp8 is missing), 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and a major non-coding region (MNR). Some peculiar patterns including tandem repeats and microsatellite-like elements are found in the MNR of S. strictus.     

地枫皮营养器官解剖结构特征及其叶片结构的生态适应性

为了明确地枫皮的结构特征及其在石灰岩山顶和山腰疏林间两种环境下生长的叶片解剖结构的差异,本研究采用石蜡切片和半薄切片对地枫皮营养器官进行解剖观察并评价了叶片结构对不同生态环境的响应。结果表明:地枫皮根中次生维管组织发达,木射线和韧皮射线明显。老茎的次生构造中,皮层贮藏物质丰富,内有大的石细胞群,韧皮射线和木射线明显;而髓细胞内含有大量晶簇和少量单晶。在叶片横切面观上,叶为异面叶,表皮细胞一层,上表皮无气孔分布,主脉中薄壁细胞中分散有石细胞。叶片解剖结构显示,随海拔高度上升,地枫皮趋向于旱生植物的特点,其主要表现在叶片表皮细胞外壁角质层加厚,栅海比增加、海绵组织排列由紧密变疏松。另外,根皮、茎皮和叶肉中都分布有大量油细胞。     

里氏木霉RutC30常温常压等离子体（ARTP）诱变筛选pyr4基因缺陷型菌株及转化系统的建立

以里氏木霉Trichoderma reesei重要工业生产菌RutC30为出发菌株,通过等离子体（ARTP）诱变筛选,以5-氟乳清酸（5-FOA）和尿苷（Uridine）进行筛选,获得一株pyr4基因缺陷株RutC30ΔU3。用含有野生型里氏木霉pyr4基因的互补质粒转化突变株,可回复野生性状。经测序发现其pyr4基因在核酸序列多个位点发生突变,其中包括两个错义突变和一个移码突变,从而导致乳清酸核苷-5′-磷酸脱羧酶失活。经遗传稳定性研究分析,传代5次后仍保持良好的尿苷依赖性、去葡萄糖阻遏以及高产纤维素酶特性。经实验筛选获得了pyr4基因缺陷菌株可作为基因表达系统的受体菌株,建立了以尿苷营养缺陷为筛选标记的木霉转化系统。     

Design and Synthesis of Fluoroacylshikonin as an Anticancer Agent

A series of shikonin derivatives, selectively acylated by various fluorinated carboxylic acids at the side chain of shikonin, were synthesized and their anticancer activity evaluated, in which eight compounds are reported for the first time. Among all the compounds tested, compound S7 showed the most potent anticancer activity against B16‐F10 (malignant melanoma cells), MG63 (human osteosarcoma cells), and A549 (lung cancer cells) with IC₅₀ 0.39 ± 0.01, 0.72 ± 0.04 and 0.58 ± 0.02 µmol/L. Docking simulation of compound S7 was carried out to position S7 into a tubulin active site to determine the probable binding conformation. All the results suggested that compound S7 may be a potential anticancer agent. Chirality 25:757–762, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

林睡鼠幼鼠的活动规律和行为初步观察

本文通过红外线照相的方法,对发育期的林睡鼠幼鼠进行室内活动规律及行为观察,为充分了解林睡鼠越冬前的能量储备形式提供饲养参考。将鼠密度监测仪固定在饲养笼具上方,24h连续拍照,采集和分析6-9月年龄在10周内的幼鼠各种活动数据。结果显示：幼鼠一天中超过70%的时间都在窝内度过,大部分时间都蜷缩成一团少有动作;在窝外活动时间多在玩耍,如攀爬笼架。用于进食和饮水的时间不超过全天的2%。林睡鼠幼鼠主要活动时间在21:00-07:00,活动高峰在21:00-03:00之间。幼鼠出生3周后开始出窝活动,哺乳期30d后开始采食,5周后幼鼠有交配玩耍行为。随着日龄的增长,活动高峰从23：00提前到21：00,活动时间也逐渐延长,但9周龄后活动时间逐渐缩短,幼鼠的饮水进食时间与其活动的时间长短较为一致。10周体重可达成年体重的70%。研究表明,林睡鼠在夏秋季节基本是昼伏夜出动物。光照是影响其在外活动的重要因素之一。幼鼠6周后所需的饲料和水量大于成年林睡鼠,在此期间要注意饲料和水的补充。     

基于CRISPR-Cas9技术构建橡胶树胶孢炭疽菌的基因敲除系统

[背景]CRISPR-Cas9基因组编辑技术为病原真菌的基因敲除、敲入及定点编辑提供了新的思路。[目的]建立适用于橡胶树胶孢炭疽菌的CRISPR-Cas9基因敲除系统。[方法]通过大肠杆菌原核表达系统合成含有细胞核定位信号的Cas9蛋白;以URA5为靶标基因,预测该基因中Cas9的切割位点,并在体外转录合成相应的SgRNA;体外构建Cas9-SgRNA复合体,并将该复合体转入橡胶树胶孢炭疽菌原生质体;通过表型筛选及测序鉴定,筛选URA5的敲除突变体菌株。[结果]体外表达的Cas9蛋白与SgRNA能够形成复合体,并在体外对目标基因URA5的DNA序列进行切割;Cas9-SgRNA复合体能够成功转入橡胶树胶孢炭疽菌原生质体,并完成对URA5的敲除;敲除突变株表现出尿嘧啶缺陷表现型。[结论]建立了适用于橡胶树胶孢炭疽菌的基因敲除系统。     

Directed evolution of operon of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase/phosphatase from Escherichia coli

Trehalose is a nonspecific protective agent for biomacromolecules. Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (OtsA)/phosphatase (OtsB), which is encoded by the gene operon otsBA located at -42 of the Escherichia coli genome, is the main enzyme system that catalyzes the synthesis of trehalose in E. coli. We cloned the operon and modified it by directed evolution. Unlike in the previously reported work, we modified the whole operon and screened the positive mutant simultaneously. Thus we believe that the gene complex solves the negative effects between two enzymes if one of them diversifies its structure or functions and finds the form most suitable for trehalose synthesis. It thus mimics the natural process, in which the functional improvement of organisms is related to alterations in coordinated enzymes. The evolution procedure was carried out in a sequence of error-prone PCR, shuffling PCR, and then strict screening of the mutants. After screening of a library of more than 4000 colonies, about 15 positive colonies were analyzed, resulting in a higher concentration of trehalose than control. One of them, E. coli TS7, shows 12.3-fold higher trehalose synthesis ability than E. coli DH5alpha. In contrast, we introduced the cDNA sequence of the tps1 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which has 54% identity with the gene otsA, as one of the templates in shuffling PCR. By hybrid evolution and screening, we obtained 10 positive colonies with higher concentrations of trehalose than control. E. coli TS22 appears to have 5.3-fold higher trehalose synthesis ability than E. coli DH5alpha and 1.6-fold more than E. coli DEF3(pOTS11). This result demonstrated that coevolution and hybrid evolution, as powerful protocols in protein engineering, are effective in modifying enzyme. It indicates that repeating the process of genomic evolution in nature is feasible.     

Lnc-PFAR facilitates autophagy and exacerbates pancreatic fibrosis by reducing pre-miR-141 maturation in chronic pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is described as progressive inflammatory fibrosis of pancreas, accompanied with irreversible impaired endocrine and exocrine insufficiency. Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) are widely distributed in the stroma of the pancreas and PSCs activation has been shown as one of the leading causes for pancreatic fibrosis. Our previous study has revealed that autophagy is dramatically activated in CP tissues, which facilitates PSCs activation and pancreatic fibrosis. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) have been recognized as crucial regulators for fibrosis-related diseases. LncRNAs interact with RNA binding protein or construct competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) hypothesis which elicited the fibrotic processes. Until now, the effects of lncRNAs on PSCs activation and pancreatic fibrosis have not been clearly explored. In this study, a novel lncRNA named Lnc-PFAR was found highly expressed in mouse and human CP tissues. Our data revealed that Lnc-PFAR facilitates PSCs activation and pancreatic fibrosis via RB1CC1-induced autophagy. Lnc-PFAR reduces miR-141 expression by suppressing pre-miR-141 maturation, which eventually upregulates the RB1CC1 and fibrosis-related indicators expression. Meanwhile, Lnc-PFAR enhanced PSCs activation and pancreatic fibrosis through trigging autophagy. Our study interrogates a novel lncRNA-induced mechanism in promoting the development of pancreatic fibrosis, and Lnc-PFAR is suggested to be a prospective therapeutic target in clinical scenarios.Subject terms: RNAi, Diagnostic markers, Chronic pancreatitis