Finely tailored performance of inverted organic photovoltaics through layer-by-layer interfacial engineering.

Control over interfacial properties in organic photovoltaics (OPVs) is critical for many aspects of their performance. Functionalization of the transparent conducting electrode, in this case, indium tin oxide (ITO), through an electrostatic layer by layer (eLbL) approach with cationic N,N'-bis[2-(trimethylammonium)ethylene] perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxyldiimide (PTCDI(+)) and anionic poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(p-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS(-)), led to high control over the surface properties. The films were studied through a variety of surface and spectroscopic techniques, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-visible spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and ellipsometry.

A photocontrolled molecular switch regulates paralysis in a living organism.

Using light to modulate biochemical agents in living organisms has a significant impact on photodynamic therapy and drug release. We demonstrate that a photoresponsive system can reversibly induce paralysis in nematodes as a model for living organisms when two different wavelengths of light are used to toggle the molecular switch between its two structural forms. This example illustrates how photoswitches offer great potential for advancing biomedical technologies.

Altered cardiac fatty acid composition and utilization following dexamethasone-induced insulin resistance.

Glucocorticoid therapy is often associated with impaired insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular disease. The present study was designed to evaluate cardiac fatty acid (FA) composition and metabolism following acute dexamethasone (Dex) treatment. Using the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp, rats injected with Dex demonstrated a reduced glucose infusion rate.

Human U251MG glioma cells expressing the membrane form of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (mM-CSF) are killed by human monocytes in vitro and are rejected within immunodeficient mice via paraptosis that is associated with increased expression of three different heat shock proteins.

Human U251MG glioma cells retrovirally transduced with the human gene for the membrane form of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (mM-CSF) were investigated. The clones, MG-2F11 and MG-2C4, that expressed the most mM-CSF, but not the viral vector or the parental U251MG cells, were killed by both murine and human monocyte/macrophages in cytotoxicity assays. MG-2F11 cells failed to form subcutaneous tumors in either nude or NIH-bg-nu-xidBR mice, while mice inoculated with the U251MG viral vector (MG-VV) cells developed tumors.

T9 glioma cells expressing membrane-macrophage colony stimulating factor produce CD4+ T cell-associated protective immunity against T9 intracranial gliomas and systemic immunity against different syngeneic gliomas.

Cloned T9 glioma cells (T9-C2) expressing the membrane form of macrophage colony stimulating factor (mM-CSF) inoculated subcutaneously into rats do not grow and glioma-specific immunity is stimulated. Immunotherapy experiments showed that intracranial T9 tumors present for one to four days could be successfully eradicated by peripheral vaccination with T9-C2 cells. CD4+ and CD8+ T splenocytes from immunized rats, when restimulated in vitro with T9 cells, produced interleukin-2 and -4.