Thick polymer blend organic solar cells fabricated by slow drying

AbstractOrganic solar cells (OSCs) were generally fabricated by two types of deposition method, namely, dry and wet. Many OSCs use very thin films that cannot fully absorb light. Thick film deposition for OSCs has numerous benefits, such as highly efficient harnessing of solar light and low leakage. Thick film fabrication for polymer blend organic solar cells by the wet deposition method was investigated. OSCs were fabricated by spin coating and slow drying using P3HT and bis[60]PCBM in a solvent, respectively. Two-dimensional (2D)-mapping images of the photocurrent of the cells were measured by a laser-beam-induced current method. A low-current density area was not found in all the cells. As a result, we succeeded in fabricating OSCs with a power conversion efficiency of more than 4% by slow drying

A potent chemotherapeutic strategy in prostate cancer: S-(methoxytrityl)-L-cysteine, a novel Eg5 inhibitor

Docetaxel-based combination chemotherapy remains the predominant treatment for castration-resistant prostate cancer. However, taxane-related drug resistance and neurotoxicity have prompted us to develop substitute treatment strategies. Eg5 (kinesin spindle protein), which is crucial for bipolar spindle formation and duplicated chromosome separation during the early phase of mitosis, has emerged as an attractive target for cancer chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the anticancer efficacy of S-(methoxytrityl)-ℒ-cysteine (S(MeO)TLC), a novel Eg5 inhibitor in prostate cancer. Eg5 expression was examined in human prostate cancer cell lines and tissue microarrays were constructed from clinical specimens. Antiproliferative activity of S(MeO)TLC in prostate cancer cells was assessed by a cell viability assay. The anticancer effect and inhibitory mechanism of S(MeO)TLC in prostate cancer cells was further explored by Hoechst staining, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. In addition, the antitumor effect of S(MeO)TLC on subcutaneous xenograft models was assessed. Eg5 expression was identified in PC3, DU145 and LNCaP cells. More than half of prostate cancer clinical specimens displayed Eg5 expression. S(MeO)TLC exhibited more powerful anticancer activity in prostate cancer cells compared with the other four Eg5 inhibitors tested. S(MeO)TLC induced cell death after arresting dividing cells at mitosis with distinct monopolar spindle formation. S(MeO)TLC exhibited its significant inhibitory activity (P<0.05) on subcutaneous xenograft models also through induction of mitotic arrest. We conclude that Eg5 is a good target for prostate cancer chemotherapy, and S(MeO)TLC is a potent promising anticancer agent in prostate cancer

Studies on the Metabolism of Ferric Iron instillated into Vein Part 2. The Effects of the Venous Instillation of Various Iron Compounds on the Recovery from Anemia in Phenylhydrazin Anemic Rabbits and its Influences on Hemosiderosis

In the phenylhydrazin anemia induced by the author's method a protracted and persistent anemia, an increase in the number of reticulocytes, a marked loss of the body weight, and striking hemosiderosis in the liver and other organs, could be observed. The author observed the manner of the recovery from anemia and the changes in hemosiderosis in these anemic animal after injection of such substances as ferritrat, ferrobalt, gluferricon, gelatin iron (kindly supplied by Dainihon Seiyaku K. K.) serum iron colloid (S. I. C.) prepared by mixing homologus serum with FeCl(8). Besides these, similar experiments were carried on the phenylhydrazin anemic rabbits Whose reticulo-endthelial system had been blocked with carbon black. As the results, in the case of daily injection of 0.5mg. of such an iron compound per day, S. I. C. proves to be the most effective on the recovery of anemia, followed by ferritrat, ferrobalt, gelatin iron, and gluferricon in the descending order. As for the decrease in reticulocyte number, it occurs in about the same order as above. As for the recovery of hemosiderosis S. I. C. acts most effectively followed by ferritrat, but others hardly have any effect. When 10mg. a day is given twice during the period of 10 days. The recoveries of anemia are delayed comparing to those given 0.5mg. daily. Saying from the last series of experiment only anemia recovers more rapidly with gelatin iron or ferritrat than others, but no recovery of hemosiderosis can be recognized in the liver. However, in this instance the amount of liver ferritin is highest when S. I. C. is given followed by ferritrat, ferrobalt, gluferricon and gelatin iron in the descending order. In the rabbits whose R. E. S. is blocked by carbon black, the iron injection can not help to recover any of these disturbances. From these results, for iron there seems to be a fairly great difference in entering into the iron metabolic cycle according to the chemical structure of iron compounds, and in the case of the most effective ones like S. I. C. reticulocytes decrease in number along with the recovery of anemia; the amount of ferritin in the tissues increase; and hemosiderosis recovers markedly. However, as these changes do not occur when the reticulo-endothelial system is blocked, it is believed that the reticulo-endothelial cells play an important role in there changes. Furthermore, a smaller amount of iron injected daily is utilized much better than a large dose of iron given at one time

Studies on the Metabolism of Ferric Iron Instillated into Vein Part 3. The Liver Catalase Activities under the Influences of Various Iron Compounds instillated into the vein of Phenylhydrazin Anemic Rabbits

The estimation for the catalase activity has been carrid out in the liver of the anemic rabbits mentioned in Part 2. The purpose of the present study is to see whether or not any changes are brought about by the iron instillation in the iron containing enzymes other than Hb. As the result, in the animals given a daily injection of 0.5 mg of such compounds, it has been found that serum iron colloid (S. I. C.) accelerates the activity of the liver catalase most markedly, and the grades of the rise in the catalase activity grow poorer in the descending order of ferrobalt, gelatin iron, and gluferricon. However, when a large dose is injected at one time, irrespective of which compound is used, no change occurs in the catalase activity of the liver, in a strange contrast to the control. This fact indicates that Fe(+++), when instillated into vein in a certain fixed from in a small dose at a time, readily enters into the normal metabolic cycle, but it will have hardly any enhancing effect when the same is administered in a large dose at one time, i. e. in the excess of the optimal amoun

Studies on the Metabolism of Ferric Iron Instillated into Vein Part 1. The Maturation of Reticulocytes in vivo after Ferric Iron Instillation into vein, especially the Action of Serun Iron Colloid (S. I. C.) in Blood-depleting Anemia

According to Seno et al. it is said that when a small of the so-called "asparagine iron" preparated by mixing asparagine and Fecl3 in a proper proportion, is instillated into vein, reticulocytes (RC) decrease markedly in number within a few hours. Such a change in the number of RC without any cocurrent change in the amount of Hb is understood to be due to the maturation of young RC, but its mechanism has remained still unclarified. However, it is easy to understand that this phenomenon will be dependent upon the accelerative action of iron on the hemoglobin synthesis, with the purpose to elucidate such a mechanism the author carried out experiments to find out whether or not there are some other substances possessing the action identical with "Asparagine iron", and obtained the following results: It has been found that serum iron colleid prepared by mixing FeCl(3) with serum and also the "ferritrat" from Nordmark in Germany both possess the action similar to that of asparagine iron. Namely, when 0.25 mg/kg. of either one of these substances is instillated into vein as ferric iron, within 2 to 3 hours reticulocytes decrease one half to one tenth of the original number. However, no such action can be recognized in gluconic iron or dextran iron available

Studies on the Metabolism of Ferric Iron Instillated into Vein Part 1. The Maturation of Reticulocytes in vivo after Ferric Iron Instillation into vein, especially the Action of Serun Iron Colloid (S. I. C.) in Blood-depleting Anemia

According to Seno et al. it is said that when a small of the so-called "asparagine iron" preparated by mixing asparagine and Fecl3 in a proper proportion, is instillated into vein, reticulocytes (RC) decrease markedly in number within a few hours. Such a change in the number of RC without any cocurrent change in the amount of Hb is understood to be due to the maturation of young RC, but its mechanism has remained still unclarified. However, it is easy to understand that this phenomenon will be dependent upon the accelerative action of iron on the hemoglobin synthesis, with the purpose to elucidate such a mechanism the author carried out experiments to find out whether or not there are some other substances possessing the action identical with "Asparagine iron", and obtained the following results: It has been found that serum iron colleid prepared by mixing FeCl(3) with serum and also the "ferritrat" from Nordmark in Germany both possess the action similar to that of asparagine iron. Namely, when 0.25 mg/kg. of either one of these substances is instillated into vein as ferric iron, within 2 to 3 hours reticulocytes decrease one half to one tenth of the original number. However, no such action can be recognized in gluconic iron or dextran iron available

Expression of Flavone Synthase II and Flavonoid 3′-Hydroxylase is Associated with Color Variation in Tan-colored Injured Leaves of Sorghum

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) exhibits various color changes in injured leaves in response to cutting stress. Here, we aimed to identify key genes for the light brown and dark brown color variations in tan-colored injured leaves of sorghum. For this purpose, sorghum M36001 (light brown injured leaves), Nakei-MS3B (purple), and a progeny, #7 (dark brown), from Nakei-MS3B × M36001, were used. Accumulated pigments were detected by using high-performance liquid chromatography: M36001 accumulated only apigenin in its light brown leaves; #7 accumulated both luteolin and a small amount of apigenin in its dark brown leaves, and Nakei-MS3B accumulated 3-deoxyanthocyanidins (apigeninidin and luteolinidin) in its purple leaves. Apigenin or luteolin glucoside derivatives were also accumulated, in different proportions. Differentially expressed genes before and after cutting stress were identified by using RNA-seq. Integration of our metabolic and RNA-seq analyses suggested that expression of only flavone synthase II (FNSII) led to the synthesis of apigenin in M36001, expression of both FNSII and flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase (F3′H) led to the synthesis of apigenin and luteolin in #7, and expression of both flavanone 4-reductase and F3’H led to the synthesis of 3-deoxyanthocyanidins in Nakei-MS3B. These results suggest that expression of FNSII is related to the synthesis of flavones (apigenin and luteolin) and the expression level of F3′H is related to the balance of apigenin and luteolin. Expression of FNSII and F3′H is thus associated with dark or light brown coloration in tan-colored injured leaves of sorghum