Efficient Conjugated‐Polymer Optoelectronic Devices Fabricated by Thin‐Film Transfer‐Printing Technique

The fabrication of functional multilayered conjugated‐polymer structures with well‐defined organic‐organic interfaces for optoelectronic‐device applications is constrained by the common solubility of many polymers in most organic solvents. Here, we report a simple, low‐cost, large‐area transfer‐printing technique for the deposition and patterning of conjugated‐polymer thin films. This method utilises a planar poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) stamp, along with a water‐soluble sacrificial layer, to pick up an organic thin film (～20 nm to 1 µm) from a substrate and subsequently deliver this film to a target substrate. We demonstrate the versatility of this transfer‐printing technique and its applicability to optoelectronic devices by fabricating bilayer structures of poly(9,9‐di‐n‐octylfluorene‐alt‐(1,4‐phenylene‐((4‐sec‐butylphenyl)imino)‐1,4‐phenylene))/poly(9,9‐di‐n‐octylfluorene‐alt‐benzothiadiazole) (TFB/F8BT) and poly(3‐hexylthiophene)/methanofullerene([6,6]‐phenyl C₆₁ butyric acid methyl ester) (P3HT/PCBM), and incorporating them into light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) and photovoltaic (PV) cells, respectively. For both types of device, bilayer devices fabricated with this transfer‐printing technique show equal, if not superior, performance to either blend devices or bilayer devices fabricated by other techniques. This indicates well‐controlled organic‐organic interfaces achieved by the transfer‐printing technique. Furthermore, this transfer‐printing technique allows us to study the nature of the excited states and the transport of charge carriers across well‐defined organic interfaces, which are of great importance to organic electronics.     

竖炉—铁浴二步法熔融还原的数学模型

本文对竖炉-铁浴二步法熔融还原过程进行物料平衡和热平衡分析。在Fe-O-C-H₂体系中,由氧平衡和热平衡分别确定了上部竖炉和下部铁浴的操作数学模型。由热力学计算,将上、下两部有机联系起来,得到全过程Rist操作线图。从而,建立了竖炉-铁浴二步法熔融还原过程数学模型,可用来计算全过程氧耗和燃料比等操作参数。     

The traditional shopping street in Tokyo as a culturally sustainable and ageing-friendly community

This paper reviews the cultural sustainability discourse and discusses how community culture, community cultural capital and the elderly play a key role in helping communities sustain themselves over time. It argues that the elderly are resources, transmitters and multipliers of culture and a key driver in promoting ‘ageing-friendly’ cities. In particular, it investigates how creative, bottom-up urban design and place-making initiatives by the elderly take shape in diverse urban contexts. It takes two traditional shopping streets (shotengai) in Tokyo as case studies and seeks to clarify in the highly-developed, high-density, high-rise, large-scale urban context, how the two low-rise, small-scale shotengai have been sustainable and thriving over centuries; and how community culture and the elderly have played a role in developing and sustaining them. Through urban historical study, site surveys and street interviews, the paper addresses these enquiries and suggests ways to achieve a more ageing-friendly community in an Asian context aiming towards social and cultural sustainability.     

Preimplantation genetic testing for Marfan syndrome

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is an autosomal dominant disease that affects the skeletal, ocular and cardiovascular systems. Defects in the gene that codes for fibrillin (FBN-1) are responsible for MFS. Here we report the world's first use of preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) to achieve a clinical pregnancy and live birth of a baby free of a Marfan mutation. One or two blastomeres from each embryo were tested for a CA repeat within the FBN-1 gene. The prospective mother is homozygous for the CA repeat (2/2) and has two normal copies of the FBN-1 gene, while the prospective father is heterozygous for the CA repeat (1/2), and is affected with the Marfan syndrome. In the father's family, allele 2 segregates with the mutated FBN-1 gene. For PGT, any embryo diagnosed as heterozygous for the CA repeat (1/2) would be presumed to have inherited normal FBN-1 genes from the father and the mother and be unaffected. One in-vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle yielded 12 embryos for preimplantation testing; six of the embryos were heterozygous for the CA repeat (1/2) and presumed to be free of the Marfan mutation. Five of the six embryos were subsequently transferred into the uterus. The fetus was tested by chorionic villus sampling and found to be free of the Marfan mutation by the same linkage analysis, had a normal fetal echocardiogram, and was normal at birth.     

Efficacy of closantel against Fasciola hepatica in Korean native goats

Closantel (Flukiver), a salicylanilide antiparasitic compound, was tested in Korean native goats infected with Fasciola hepatica. The goats were administered closantel once orally at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight. Efficacy was monitored weekly by fecal examination of all infected animals starting the second week post-treatment and continuing for 3 weeks. Closantel elicited 80.3, 97.8 and 92.7% efficacy in goats with naturally-acquired fasciolosis at the second, third and fourth week post-treatment, respectively. It elicited a 100% efficacy in goats experimentally infected with F. hepatica metacercariae and treated at 18 weeks post-infection.     

Colocalization of dopamine D1 and D2 receptor mRNAs in rat placenta

Dopamine is present in the human placenta. The major function of dopamine is the inhibition of human placental lactogen (hPL) release from human trophoblastic cells. This effect is mediated by cAMP through dopamine D2 receptors. However, studies on the effects of cAMP in the control of hPL release have yielded conflicting results. The purpose of this study is to explore the distribution of dopamine receptors in the rat placenta. Dopamine D1 and D2 receptor mRNAs were colocalized in the rat placenta by in situ hybridization histochemistry using radiolabeled cRNA probes. Dopamine D1 and D2 receptor mRNAs were detected in large cells of the endometrium of the uterus on day 10 of gestation. On days 12-16 of gestation, hybridization signals were localized mainly in the spongiotrophoblast and giant cells of the junctional zone of the placenta. With the development of the placenta, signals were moving from the junctional zone to the labyrinth zone. Pit-1 mRNA was detected in the placental lactotrophs and was also colocalized in neighboring placental sections. Our results clearly showed that dopamine D1 and D2 receptor mRNAs were coexpressed in the placental lactotrophs that express Pit-1 mRNA.     

Investigation on in vivo metabolism of n-butyl phthalide

A GC-MS method for the investigation on the metabolism of n-butyl phthalide (NBP) is described. After oral administration of NBP to rats, urine was collected, hydrolyzed with beta-glucuronidase, extracted and concentrated for TMS derivatization, and then analyzed by GC-MS. HBP and its four oxidative metabolites were determined in 0-24 h, 24-48 h rat urine. The mass spectra of the metabolites and their derivatives were presented and the in vivo metabolic pathway was discussed.     

Local and systemic effects of macrophage cytokines in intestinal inflammation

The activation of macrophages and newly recruited monocytes appears to be common to both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, despite different inductive stimuli. Similar activation occurs acutely during the course of invasive intestinal infections such as shigellosis, but is then usually downregulated. The macrophage cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 (IL-1) are centrally involved in the local inflammatory response, and blockade of either cytokine greatly attenuates the inflammatory lesion. Induction of focal vascular thrombosis and matrix degradation are thought to be an important component of this focal damage. Both cytokines and IL-6 are now recognized to contribute to the systemic effects of intestinal disease, including growth suppression, anorexia, and chronic anemia. Disturbance of sleep patterns, mood, and affect may also occur, and recent evidence points towards bidirectional interplay between macrophage cytokines and central nervous system function.     

The effects of different storage conditions on polyether and polyvinylsiloxane impressions

While being shipped to a laboratory, impressions can be exposed to excessive temperatures. This study compared the effects of different time and temperature storage conditions, including temperature extremes of 66 C and -10 C, on the accuracy of addition silicone and polyether impressions. The greatest distortion generally occurred as a result of the 66 C temperature extreme. The authors recommend that impressions be poured in stone according to manufacturers' specifications before being shipped to a dental laboratory.