P3HT/PCBM Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells: Impact of Blend Composition and 3D Morphology on Device Performance

The performance of polymer solar cells (PSC) strongly depends on the 3D morphological organization of the donor and acceptor compounds within the bulk heterojunction active layer. The technique of electron tomography is a powerful tool for studying 3D morphology of the layers composed of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and a fullerene derivative ([6,6]‐phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid methyl ester; PCBM), especially to quantify the amount and distribution of fibrillar P3HT nanocrystals throughout the volume of the active layer. In this study, electron tomography is used to characterize P3HT/PCBM layers with different blend compositions, both before and after thermal annealing. The power conversion efficiency of the corresponding PSCs is strongly dependent on the overall crystallinity of P3HT and the way P3HT crystals are distributed throughout the thickness of the active layer.     

形变热处理对烧结Cu-Au合金性能与微观组织的影响(英文)

研究Cu-4%Au合金的硬度、显微硬度、导电性和微观组织在形变热处理过程中的变化。在加工硬化后,再对轧制合金在60～350°C温度下退火。由于退火硬化效应,合金的强度增大。结果表明:Cu-Au合金性能在两个阶段都得到改善;合金进行变形量为40%的热轧后,在260°C退火能得到最佳的综合性能。合金的微观组织也在形变热处理过程中发生显著变化。     

Effect of FA chain length on normal- and reversed-phase HPLC of phospholipids

Forty-seven saturated synthetic diacyl PA, PC, PE, PG, and PS and five unsaturated diacyl phospholipids (PL) underwent normal- and reversed-phase (RP) HPLC with isocratic isopropanol/hexane/water (5∶4∶1) and methanol/chloroform/acetonitrile/water (79.5∶9∶8∶3.5) mobile phases, respectively. For normal-phase HPLC, capacity factors (k′ _i ) decrease with chain length (n) of the two identical PL FA residues, whereas the opposite occurs with RP (C₁₈)-HPLC. Plots of In k′ _i vs. n for individual PL classes are in general curved, violating the linear free-energy relationship. For PL of the same n but with different head groups, k′ _i with normal-phase HPLC varies as PE<PG<PA<PS<PC, except when n≥16, when the order is PE<PS≈PA≈PG<PC. For RP-HPLC, the order of k′ _i values is PG<_A≈PS≤PC≈PE until n≥16, when it is PA≈PG<PS≪PC≈PE. With normal-phase HPLC, k′ _i values of PL with unsaturated FA of n=18 are ordered as PE<PA<PC. Increasing degrees of unsaturation lead to increasing k′ _i .     

Synthesis and Properties of Hydrazino Amino Acyclic Carbenes of Gold(I), Platinum(II), Palladium(II) and Rhodium(III)

The nucleophilic addition of protected and substituted hydrazine derivatives to isonitrile complexes of gold(I), platinum(II), palladium(II) and rhodium(III) provides the corresponding hydrazino amino acyclic carbene complexes. These are characterized by their spectroscopic data, four different X‐ray single crystal structure analyses and their catalytic activity in the gold(I)‐catalyzed cycloisomerization of N‐propargylcarboxamides to alkylideneoxazolines is investigated.

     

Cardioinotropic Effects in Subchronic Intoxication of Rats with Lead and/or Cadmium Oxide Nanoparticles

Subchronic intoxication was induced in outbred male rats by repeated intraperitoneal injections with lead oxide (PbO) and/or cadmium oxide (CdO) nanoparticles (NPs) 3 times a week during 6 weeks for the purpose of examining its effects on the contractile characteristics of isolated right ventricle trabeculae and papillary muscles in isometric and afterload contractions. Isolated and combined intoxication with these NPs was observed to reduce the mechanical work produced by both types of myocardial preparation. Using the in vitro motility assay, we showed that the sliding velocity of regulated thin filaments drops under both isolated and combined intoxication with CdO–NP and PbO–NP. These results correlate with a shift in the expression of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms towards slowly cycling β–MHC. The type of CdO–NP + PbO–NP combined cardiotoxicity depends on the effect of the toxic impact, the extent of this effect, the ratio of toxicant doses, and the degree of stretching of cardiomyocytes and muscle type studied. Some indices of combined Pb–NP and CdO–NP cardiotoxicity and general toxicity (genotoxicity included) became fully or partly normalized if intoxication developed against background administration of a bioprotective complex.     

Effect of amino acid deletions in the O-glycosylated region of Aspergillus awamori glucoamylase

Aspergillus awamori glucoamylase (GA) contains globular catalyticand starch-binding domains (residues 1–471 and 509–616,respectively). A heavily O-glycosylated sequence comprises twoparts. The first (residues 441–471) in the crystal structurewraps around an /-barrel formed by residues 1–440. Thesecond (residues 472–508) is an extended, semi-rigid linkerbetween the two domains. To investigate the functional roleof this linker, we made internal deletions to remove residues466–512 (GA1), 485–512 (GA2) and 466–483 (GA3).GA2 and GA3 were expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae culturesupernatants at 60 and 20% the wild-type level, respectively,while GA1 was almost undetectable. Western blots comparing extracellularand intracellular fractions indicated that the region deletedin GA3 was critical for secretion, while the region deletedin GA2 contributed to the production of a stable enzyme structure.The activities of purified GA2 and GA3 on soluble and insolublestarch were similar to those of wild-type GA, indicating thatfor soluble starch their deletions did not affect the catalyticdomain and for insoluble starch the linker does not coordinatethe activities of the catalytic and starch-binding domains.The deletions had a significant negative effect on GA2 and GA3thermos tabilities.     

Surface Oxide Film Entrainment Mechanisms in Shape Casting Running Systems

During the transient phase of filling a casting running system, surface turbulence can cause the entrainment of oxide films into the bulk liquid. Research has shown that these are detrimental to the material’s integrity. Common mechanisms for this entrainment include returning waves, arising during filling of the runner bar, and plunging jets, found when pouring into a basin. One of these, the returning wave, has been studied in greater depth, using real-time X-ray and process modeling techniques alongside the application of physical principals. It has been concluded that when developed, returning waves cannot attain the more stable and less entraining tranquil flow regime desirable in the running system of castings.     

A randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy for adherence and depression (CBT-AD) in HIV-infected individuals.

Objective: To evaluate cognitive-behavioral therapy to enhance medication adherence and reduce depression (CBT-AD) in individuals with HIV. Design: A two arm, randomized, controlled, cross-over trial comparing CBT-AD to enhanced treatment as usual only (ETAU). ETAU, which both groups received, included a single-session intervention for adherence and a letter to the patient's provider documenting her or his continued depression. The intervention group also received 10 to 12 sessions of CBT-AD. Main Outcome Measures: Adherence to antiretroviral therapy as assessed by Medication Event Monitoring Systems (MEMs) and depression as assessed by blinded structured evaluation. Results: At the acute outcome assessment (3-months), those who received CBT-AD evidenced significantly greater improvements in medication adherence and depression relative to the comparison group. Those who were originally assigned to the comparison group who chose to cross over to CBT-AD showed similar improvements in both depression and adherence outcomes. Treatment gains for those in the intervention group were generally maintained at 6- and 12-month follow-up assessments. By the end of the follow-up period, those originally assigned CBT-AD demonstrated improvements in plasma HIV RNA concentrations, though these differences did not emerge before the cross-over, and hence there were not between-groups differences. Conclusions: CBT-AD is a potentially efficacious approach for individuals with HIV struggling with depression and adherence. Replication and extension in larger efficacy trials are needed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)