Photovoltaic Rudorffites: Lead-Free Silver Bismuth Halides Alternative to Hybrid Lead Halide Perovskites.

Hybrid CPbX3 (C: Cs, CH3 NH3 ; X: Br, I) perovskites possess excellent photovoltaic properties but are highly toxic, which hinders their practical application. Unfortunately, all Pb-free alternatives based on Sn and Ge are extremely unstable. Although stable and non-toxic C2 ABX6 double perovskites based on alternating corner-shared AX6 and BX6 octahedra (A=Ag, Cu; B=Bi, Sb) are possible, they have indirect and wide band gaps of over 2 eV. However, is it necessary to keep the corner-shared perovskite structure to retain good photovoltaic properties? Here, we demonstrate another family of photovoltaic halides based on edge-shared AX6 and BX6 octahedra with the general formula Aa Bb Xx (x=a+3 b) such as Ag3 BiI6 , Ag2 BiI5 , AgBiI4 , AgBi2 I7 . As perovskites were named after their prototype oxide CaTiO3 discovered by Lev Perovski, we propose to name these new ABX halides as rudorffites after Walter Rüdorff, who discovered their prototype oxide NaVO2 . We studied structural and optoelectronic properties of several highly stable and promising Ag-Bi-I photovoltaic rudorffites that feature direct band gaps in the range of 1.79-1.83 eV and demonstrated a proof-of-concept FTO/c-m-TiO2 /Ag3 BiI6 /PTAA/Au (FTO: fluorine-doped tin oxide, PTAA: poly[bis(4-phenyl)(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amine], c: compact, m: mesoporous) solar cell with photoconversion efficiency of 4.3 %.

Exacerbating role of gammadelta T cells in chronic colitis of T-cell receptor alpha mutant mice.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: T-cell receptor (TCR) gammadelta T cells are an important component of the mucosal immune system and regulate intestinal epithelial homeostasis. Interestingly, there is a significant increase in gammadelta T cells in the inflamed mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the role of gammadelta T cells in chronic colitis has not been fully identified. METHODS: TCRalpha-deficient mice, which spontaneously develop chronic colitis with many features of human UC including an increase in gammadelta T-cell population, represent an excellent model to investigate the role of gammadelta T cells in UC-like colitis. To identify the role of gammadelta T cells in this colitis, we herein have generated TCRgamma-deficient mice through deletion of all TCR Cgamma genes (Cgamma1, Cgamma2, Cgamma3, and Cgamma4) using the Cre/loxP site-specific recombination system and subsequently crossing these mice with TCRalpha-deficient mice. RESULTS: An increase in colonic gammadelta T cells was associated with the development of human UC as well as UC-like disease seen in TCRalpha-deficient mice. Interestingly, the newly established TCRalpha(-/-) x TCRgamma(-/-) double mutant mice developed significantly less severe colitis as compared with TCRalpha-deficient mice. The suppression of colitis in TCRalpha(-/-) x TCRgamma(-/-) double mutant mice was associated with a significant reduction of proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine productions and a decrease in neutrophil infiltration. CONCLUSIONS: gammadelta T cells are involved in the exacerbation of UC-like chronic disease. Therefore, gammadelta T cells may represent a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of human UC.

TCR delta gene rearrangements revealed by fine structure of the recombination junction in mice.

The standard products of V(D)J recombination of immunoglobulin and T cell receptor genes are two kinds of DNA junction, a coding joint and a signal joint. TCR delta V-D and D-D signal joints in adult mouse thymocytes were sequenced following PCR amplification. We observed differential nucleotide insertions at the V delta-D delta signal joints, depending on the V delta and D delta gene usage in the developmental stage. Nucleotide insertions at the V delta-D delta 1 signal joints were less frequent for the V delta 4, 5 genes preferentially utilized in adult thymocytes than for the V delta 3, 6 genes, infrequently rearranged to D delta 1. In addition to standard signal joints, unexpectedly, novel nonstandard products, "replacement joints" of D delta 1 substituted downstream by the recombination signal sequence of V delta were also found. However, no D delta 2-associated replacement joints other than V delta 5 were found. The other replacement joints of D delta 1-D delta 2 recombination were also observed. The mutation in TCR beta gene affected the frequency of nucleotide insertions at the V delta-D delta signal joints and inhibited the formation of replacement joint. Recombination mechanism generating the replacement joint and the possible role of TCR beta in up-regulation of TCR delta gene rearrangements are discussed.

Effect of environmental antigens on the Ig diversification and the selection of productive V-J joints in the bursa.

In chickens, a single set of unique functional segments of both Ig H and L chain genes is rearranged during early embryogenesis to generate a pool of B cell progenitors that will be diversified in the bursa by gene conversion, forming the preimmune repertoire. After hatching, bursal cells are exposed to environmental Ags in the bursal lumen. We prepared B cells from each single bursal follicle and used PCR-directed Ig L chain gene analysis to study the differentiation of B cells and the effect of antigenic stimulation from the bursal lumen on the neonatal chicken B cell repertoire formation. Selective amplification of B cell clones with a productive V-J joint was observed during the late embryonic stage, possibly by the interaction with ligands expressed on the bursal stroma and further accelerated in the neonatal chicken. Administration of the artificial Ags into the bursal lumen before the isolation of bursa by bursal duct ligation in the embryo caused a significant increase in lymphocytes with a productive V-J joint in the neonatal chicken bursa compared with the isolated bursa. Intra- and interclonal diversity of a complementarity-determining region measured by an evolutionary distance increased during bursal development. Clonal diversification did not require stimulation by artificial Ags from the bursal lumen. Thus, the preimmune repertoire in the bursa is generated by gene conversion during Ag-independent B cell proliferation, and antigenic stimulation from the bursal epithelium to bursal B cells plays roles in the selection of clones with a productive V-J joint.

Appearance of Extrachromosomal Circular DNA in Lymphocytes from Developing Chick Bursa: (mica-press-adsorption/circular DNA complex/developing chick bursa/inflow of stem cells/B cell differentiation).

Lymphocytes were purified from the developing bursa of Fabricius of chick embryos and chickens and pressed with a mica sheet. Then the extruded DNA complexes were adsorbed to the mica and processed for electron microscopy. Circular DNA complexes were found at 40 to 60 copies in all bursal lymphocyte except 12-day-old embryonic bursas, which contained 150 copies. Circular DNA complexes of more than 1 µm (larger circular DNA) appeared in 12-day-old embryonic bursas at more than 20 copies per cell, and subsequently decreased in number to less than 10 copies per cell. These changes in the size distribution and copy number of circular DNA coincided with lymphocyte differentiation of the hemopoietic precursor cells in the bursa after seeding.

Emergence of the Extrachromosomal Circular DNA Complexes as One of the Earliest Signals of Cellular Differentiation in the Early Development of Mouse Embryo: (mouse embryo/teratocarcinoma/mica-press-adsorption/circular DNA complex/DNA rearrangement).

A small number of mouse embryos and embryonal carcinoma cells were pressed by mica sheet; then the extruded DNA complexes were adsorbed to mica and processed for electron microscopy. Extrachromosomal circular DNA complexes longer than 1 µm emerged during the compaction process of mouse embryos and during the differentiation of embryonal carcinoma cells induced with retinoic acid. These DNA molecules are discussed as possible products of developmental gene rearrangements occurring in the chromosomal DNA.