Management of singlet and triplet excitons for efficient white organic light-emitting devices

Lighting accounts for approximately 22 per cent of the electricity consumed in buildings in the United States, with 40 per cent of that amount consumed by inefficient (approximately 15 lm W(-1)) incandescent lamps. This has generated increased interest in the use of white electroluminescent organic light-emitting devices, owing to their potential for significantly improved efficiency over incandescent sources combined with low-cost, high-throughput manufacturability. The most impressive characteristics of such devices reported to date have been achieved in all-phosphor-doped devices, which have the potential for 100 per cent internal quantum efficiency: the phosphorescent molecules harness the triplet excitons that constitute three-quarters of the bound electron-hole pairs that form during charge injection, and which (unlike the remaining singlet excitons) would otherwise recombine non-radiatively. Here we introduce a different device concept that exploits a blue fluorescent molecule in exchange for a phosphorescent dopant, in combination with green and red phosphor dopants, to yield high power efficiency and stable colour balance, while maintaining the potential for unity internal quantum efficiency. Two distinct modes of energy transfer within this device serve to channel nearly all of the triplet energy to the phosphorescent dopants, retaining the singlet energy exclusively on the blue fluorescent dopant. Additionally, eliminating the exchange energy loss to the blue fluorophore allows for roughly 20 per cent increased power efficiency compared to a fully phosphorescent device. Our device challenges incandescent sources by exhibiting total external quantum and power efficiencies that peak at 18.7 +/- 0.5 per cent and 37.6 +/- 0.6 lm W(-1), respectively, decreasing to 18.4 +/- 0.5 per cent and 23.8 +/- 0.5 lm W(-1) at a high luminance of 500 cd m(-2).     

Architecture of ribonucleoprotein complexes in influenza A virus particles

In viruses, as in eukaryotes, elaborate mechanisms have evolved to protect the genome and to ensure its timely replication and reliable transmission to progeny. Influenza A viruses are enveloped, spherical or filamentous structures, ranging from 80 to 120 nm in diameter. Inside each envelope is a viral genome consisting of eight single-stranded negative-sense RNA segments of 890 to 2,341 nucleotides each. These segments are associated with nucleoprotein and three polymerase subunits, designated PA, PB1 and PB2; the resultant ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) resemble a twisted rod (10-15 nm in width and 30-120 nm in length) that is folded back and coiled on itself. Late in viral infection, newly synthesized RNPs are transported from the nucleus to the plasma membrane, where they are incorporated into progeny virions capable of infecting other cells. Here we show, by transmission electron microscopy of serially sectioned virions, that the RNPs of influenza A virus are organized in a distinct pattern (seven segments of different lengths surrounding a central segment). The individual RNPs are suspended from the interior of the viral envelope at the distal end of the budding virion and are oriented perpendicular to the budding tip. This finding argues against random incorporation of RNPs into virions, supporting instead a model in which each segment contains specific incorporation signals that enable the RNPs to be recruited and packaged as a complete set. A selective mechanism of RNP incorporation into virions and the unique organization of the eight RNP segments may be crucial to maintaining the integrity of the viral genome during repeated cycles of replication.     

Magnetic-field-induced shape recovery by reverse phase transformation

Large magnetic-field-induced strains have been observed in Heusler alloys with a body-centred cubic ordered structure and have been explained by the rearrangement of martensite structural variants due to an external magnetic field. These materials have attracted considerable attention as potential magnetic actuator materials. Here we report the magnetic-field-induced shape recovery of a compressively deformed NiCoMnIn alloy. Stresses of over 100 MPa are generated in the material on the application of a magnetic field of 70 kOe; such stress levels are approximately 50 times larger than that generated in a previous ferromagnetic shape-memory alloy. We observed 3 per cent deformation and almost full recovery of the original shape of the alloy. We attribute this deformation behaviour to a reverse transformation from the antiferromagnetic (or paramagnetic) martensitic to the ferromagnetic parent phase at 298 K in the Ni45Co5Mn36.7In13.3 single crystal.     

Structural basis for the bifunctionality of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase/phosphatase

Enzymes catalyse specific reactions and are essential for maintaining life. Although some are referred to as being bifunctional, they consist of either two distinct catalytic domains or a single domain that displays promiscuous substrate specificity. Thus, one enzyme active site is generally responsible for one biochemical reaction. In contrast to this conventional concept, archaeal fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FBP) aldolase/phosphatase (FBPA/P) consists of a single catalytic domain, but catalyses two chemically distinct reactions of gluconeogenesis: (1) the reversible aldol condensation of dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (GA3P) to FBP; (2) the dephosphorylation of FBP to fructose-6-phosphate (F6P). Thus, FBPA/P is fundamentally different from ordinary enzymes whose active sites are responsible for a specific reaction. However, the molecular mechanism by which FBPA/P achieves its unusual bifunctionality remains unknown. Here we report the crystal structure of FBPA/P at 1.5-? resolution in the aldolase form, where a critical lysine residue forms a Schiff base with DHAP. A structural comparison of the aldolase form with a previously determined phosphatase form revealed a dramatic conformational change in the active site, demonstrating that FBPA/P metamorphoses its active-site architecture to exhibit dual activities. Thus, our findings expand the conventional concept that one enzyme catalyses one biochemical reaction.     

Bifidobacteria can protect from enteropathogenic infection through production of acetate

The human gut is colonized with a wide variety of microorganisms, including species, such as those belonging to the bacterial genus Bifidobacterium, that have beneficial effects on human physiology and pathology. Among the most distinctive benefits of bifidobacteria are modulation of host defence responses and protection against infectious diseases. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects have barely been elucidated. To investigate these mechanisms, we used mice associated with certain bifidobacterial strains and a simplified model of lethal infection with enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7, together with an integrated 'omics' approach. Here we show that genes encoding an ATP-binding-cassette-type carbohydrate transporter present in certain bifidobacteria contribute to protecting mice against death induced by E. coli O157:H7. We found that this effect can be attributed, at least in part, to increased production of acetate and that translocation of the E. coli O157:H7 Shiga toxin from the gut lumen to the blood was inhibited. We propose that acetate produced by protective bifidobacteria improves intestinal defence mediated by epithelial cells and thereby protects the host against lethal infection.     

Mutant chromatin remodeling protein SMARCAL1 causes Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia.

Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia (SIOD, MIM 242900) is an autosomal-recessive pleiotropic disorder with the diagnostic features of spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, renal dysfunction and T-cell immunodeficiency. Using genome-wide linkage mapping and a positional candidate approach, we determined that mutations in SMARCAL1 (SWI/SNF2-related, matrix-associated, actin-dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily a-like 1), are responsible for SIOD. Through analysis of data from persons with SIOD in 26 unrelated families, we observed that affected individuals from 13 of 23 families with severe disease had two alleles with nonsense, frameshift or splicing mutations, whereas affected individuals from 3 of 3 families with milder disease had a missense mutation on each allele. These observations indicate that some missense mutations allow retention of partial SMARCAL1 function and thus cause milder disease.     

TRIC channels are essential for Ca2+ handling in intracellular stores

Cell signalling requires efficient Ca2+ mobilization from intracellular stores through Ca2+ release channels, as well as predicted counter-movement of ions across the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum membrane to balance the transient negative potential generated by Ca2+ release. Ca2+ release channels were cloned more than 15 years ago, whereas the molecular identity of putative counter-ion channels remains unknown. Here we report two TRIC (trimeric intracellular cation) channel subtypes that are differentially expressed on intracellular stores in animal cell types. TRIC subtypes contain three proposed transmembrane segments, and form homo-trimers with a bullet-like structure. Electrophysiological measurements with purified TRIC preparations identify a monovalent cation-selective channel. In TRIC-knockout mice suffering embryonic cardiac failure, mutant cardiac myocytes show severe dysfunction in intracellular Ca2+ handling. The TRIC-deficient skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum shows reduced K+ permeability, as well as altered Ca2+ 'spark' signalling and voltage-induced Ca2+ release. Therefore, TRIC channels are likely to act as counter-ion channels that function in synchronization with Ca2+ release from intracellular stores.     

优美叶枝豆荚软珊瑚中的多羟基甾醇和神经酰胺

首次对优美叶枝豆荚软珊瑚Lobophytum delectum的次生代谢产物进行了研究并分离鉴定出3个多羟基甾醇和1个神经酰胺。通过波谱分析、化学降解及物理常数对照等方法鉴定出它们的化学结构分别为:(24S)-麦角甾-1β,3β,5α,6β-四醇(1)、(24S)-麦角甾-3β,5α,6β,25-四醇-25-单乙酸酯(2)、(24S)-麦角甾-5-烯-3β,25-二醇(3)和N-正十六碳酰基-正十八碳-4(E),8(E)-二烯鞘胺醇(4),首次发现(1)对MgC-803(人胃癌细胞)和Cne-1(人鼻咽癌细胞)有强抑制活性,IC50值分别为1.48和1.12μg/mL。