Understanding muscle function during perturbed in vivo locomotion using a muscle avatar approach.

The work loop technique has provided key insights into in vivo muscle work and power during steady locomotion. However, for many animals and muscles, ex vivo experiments are not feasible. In addition, purely sinusoidal strain trajectories lack variations in strain rate that result from variable loading during locomotion.

Layer-by-Layer Organic Photovoltaic Solar Cells Using a Solution-Processed Silicon Phthalocyanine Non-Fullerene Acceptor.

Silicon phthalocyanines (SiPcs) are promising, inexpensive, and easy to synthesize non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) candidates for all-solution sequentially processed layer-by-layer (LbL) organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices. Here, we report the use of bis(tri--butylsilyl oxide) SiPc ((3BS)-SiPc) paired with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and poly[(2,6-(4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)-benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene))--(5,5-(1',3'-di-2-thienyl-5',7'-bis(2-ethylhexyl)benzo[1',2'-c:4',5'-c']dithiophene-4,8-dione))] (PBDB-T) donors in an LbL OPV structure. Using a direct architecture, P3HT/(3BS)-SiPc LbL devices show power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) up to 3.

Variance-resistant PTB7 and axially-substituted silicon phthalocyanines as active materials for high-Voc organic photovoltaics.

While the efficiency of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) has improved drastically in the past decade, such devices rely on exorbitantly expensive materials that are unfeasible for commercial applications. Moreover, examples of high voltage single-junction devices, which are necessary for several applications, particularly low-power electronics and rechargeable batteries, are lacking in literature. Alternatively, silicon phthalocyanines (R-SiPc) are inexpensive, industrially scalable organic semiconductors, having a minimal synthetic complexity (SC) index, and are capable of producing high voltages when used as acceptors in OPVs.

Excess Polymer in Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Thin-Film Transistors: Its Removal Prior to Fabrication Is Unnecessary.

Ultrapure semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotube (sc-SWNT) dispersions produced through conjugated polymer sorting are ideal candidates for the fabrication of solution-processed organic electronic devices on a commercial scale. Protocols for sorting and dispersing ultrapure sc-SWNTs with conjugated polymers for thin-film transistor (TFT) applications have been well refined. Conventional wisdom dictates that removal of excess unbound polymer through filtration or centrifugation is necessary to produce high-performance TFTs.

Thin-Film Engineering of Solution-Processable n-Type Silicon Phthalocyanines for Organic Thin-Film Transistors.

Metal and metalloid phthalocyanines are an abundant and established class of materials widely used in the dye and pigment industry as well as in commercial photoreceptors. Silicon phthalocyanines (SiPcs) are among the highest-performing n-type semiconductor materials in this family when used in organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) as their performance and solid-state arrangement are often increased through axial substitution. Herein, we study eight axially substituted SiPcs and their integration into solution-processed n-type OTFTs.

Owning humankind: fossils, humans and archaeological remains.

There are a myriad of laws, guidelines and unwritten agreements relating to human, hominid and hominin remains. Legal gaps and inadequate definitions of what constitutes a fossil have meant that a 'finders keepers' approach is often applied to the ownership and control of our ancestors' remains. Such shortcomings expose numerous legal and ethical conundrums.

Improving Thin-Film Properties of Poly(vinyl alcohol) by the Addition of Low-Weight Percentages of Cellulose Nanocrystals.

The increased demand for electronic devices, combined with a desire to minimize the environmental impact, necessitates the development of new eco-friendly materials. One promising approach is the incorporation of renewable and green materials that possess the desired mechanical and electrical properties while allowing for more ecologically friendly disposal of these devices. The addition of low-weight percentages (0.

Effects of a titin mutation on force enhancement and force depression in mouse soleus muscles.

The active isometric force produced by muscles varies with muscle length in accordance with the force-length relationship. Compared with isometric contractions at the same final length, force increases after active lengthening (force enhancement) and decreases after active shortening (force depression). In addition to cross-bridges, titin has been suggested to contribute to force enhancement and depression.

On-the-Spot Detection and Speciation of Cannabinoids Using Organic Thin-Film Transistors.

Quality control is imperative for since the primary cannabinoids, Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), elicit very different pharmacological effects. THC/CBD ratios are currently determined by techniques not readily accessible by consumers or dispensaries and which are impractical for use in the field by law-enforcement agencies. CuPc- and F-CuPc-based organic thin-film transistors have been combined with a cannabinoid-sensitive chromophore for the detection and differentiation of THC and CBD.

Case Study: A Bio-Inspired Control Algorithm for a Robotic Foot-Ankle Prosthesis Provides Adaptive Control of Level Walking and Stair Ascent.

Powered ankle-foot prostheses assist users through plantarflexion during stance and dorsiflexion during swing. Provision of motor power permits faster preferred walking speeds than passive devices, but use of active motor power raises the issue of control. While several commercially available algorithms provide torque control for many intended activities and variations of terrain, control approaches typically exhibit no inherent adaptation.

Organic Thin Film Transistors Incorporating Solution Processable Thieno[3,2-b]thiophene Thienoacenes.

Bottom-gate bottom-contact organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) were prepared with four novel star-shaped conjugated molecules containing a fused thieno[3,2-]thiophene moiety incorporated either in the core and/or at the periphery of the molecular framework. The molecules were soluble in CS₂, allowing for solution-processing techniques to be employed. OTFTs with different channel geometries were characterized in both air and vacuum in order to compare environmental effects on performance.

Influence of Polymer Electronics on Selective Dispersion of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.

The separation and isolation of semiconducting and metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) on a large scale remains a barrier to many commercial applications. Selective extraction of semiconducting SWNTs by wrapping and dispersion with conjugated polymers has been demonstrated to be effective, but the structural parameters of conjugated polymers that dictate selectivity are poorly understood. Here, we report nanotube dispersions with a poly(fluorene-co-pyridine) copolymer and its cationic methylated derivative, and show that electron-deficient conjugated π-systems bias the dispersion selectivity toward metallic SWNTs.

Next-generation technologies to determine plastid genome sequences.

Sequencing of chloroplast genomes is a key tool for analysis of chloroplasts and the impact of manipulation of chloroplast genomes by biotechnology. Advances in genome sequencing allow the complete sequencing of the chloroplast genome and assessment of variation in the chloroplast genome sequences within a plant. Isolation of chloroplast DNA has been a traditional starting point in these analyses, but the capacity of current sequencing technologies allows effective analysis of the chloroplast genome sequence by shotgun sequencing of a preparation of total DNA from the plant.

Chloroplast genome sequence confirms distinctness of Australian and Asian wild rice.

Cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) is an AA genome Oryza species that was most likely domesticated from wild populations of O. rufipogon in Asia. O.

Chloroplast genome sequences from total DNA for plant identification.

Chloroplast DNA sequence data are a versatile tool for plant identification or barcoding and establishing genetic relationships among plant species. Different chloroplast loci have been utilized for use at close and distant evolutionary distances in plants, and no single locus has been identified that can distinguish between all plant species. Advances in DNA sequencing technology are providing new cost-effective options for genome comparisons on a much larger scale.

Dispersing as-prepared single-walled carbon nanotube powders with linear conjugated polymers.

Suitably modified linear conjugated poly(arylene ethynylene)s are able to assist effective debundling and dispersion of crude as-prepared single-walled carbon nanotube powders in organic solvents, the dispersion of which is effected via a surface coating mechanism and, to some extent, in a size-selective fashion.