Autophagy-Mediated Phosphate Homeostasis in Arabidopsis Involves Modulation of Phosphate Transporters.

Autophagy in plants is regulated by diverse signaling cascades in response to environmental changes. Fine-tuning of its activity is critical for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis under basal and stressed conditions. In this study, we compared the Arabidopsis autophagy-related (ATG) system transcriptionally under inorganic phosphate (Pi) deficiency versus nitrogen deficiency and showed that most ATG genes are only moderately upregulated by Pi starvation, with relatively stronger induction of AtATG8f and AtATG8h among the AtATG8 family. We found that Pi shortage increased the formation of GFP-ATG8f-labeled autophagic structures and the autophagic flux in the differential zone of the Arabidopsis root. However, the proteolytic cleavage of GFP-ATG8f and the vacuolar degradation of endogenous ATG8 proteins indicated that Pi limitation does not drastically alter the autophagic flux in the whole roots, implying a cell type-dependent regulation of autophagic activities. At the organismal level, the Arabidopsis atg mutants exhibited decreased shoot Pi concentrations and smaller meristem sizes under Pi sufficiency. Under Pi limitation, these mutants showed enhanced Pi uptake and impaired root cell division and expansion. Despite a reduced steady-state level of several PHOSPHATE TRANSPORTER 1s (PHT1s) in the atg root, cycloheximide treatment analysis suggested that the protein stability of PHT1;1/2/3 is comparable in the Pi-replete wild type and atg5-1. By contrast, the degradation of PHT1;1/2/3 is enhanced in the Pi-deplete atg5-1. Our findings reveal that both basal autophagy and Pi starvation-induced autophagy are required for the maintenance of Pi homeostasis and may modulate the expression of PHT1s through different mechanisms.

Charge carrier dynamics of vapor-deposited small-molecule/fullerene organic solar cells.

Although small-molecule organic solar cells (SMOSCs) have shown increasingly promising prospects as a source of solar power, there have been few studies concerning the photophysics of these systems. Here, we report the time scale and efficiency of charge separation and recombination in a vapor-deposited SMOSC material that produces 5.81% power conversion efficiency. Transient absorption and time-resolved photoluminescence (trPL) studies of thin film blends comprising DTDCTB, a narrow-band gap electron donor, and either C60 or C70 as an electron acceptor show that charge separation occurs in ~100 fs, while charge recombination takes place over sub-ns and ns time scales. trPL indicates a donor electron-hole pair lifetime of ~33 ps in the neat film and reveals that ~20% of donors fail to charge separate in donor-acceptor mixed films, likely owing to some spatially extended donor-rich regions that interact poorly with acceptors. Our results suggest that morphological manipulations of this material could further improve device efficiency.

Role of autophagy-related proteins ATG8f and ATG8h in the maintenance of autophagic activity in Arabidopsis roots under phosphate starvation.

Nutrient starvation-induced autophagy is a conserved process in eukaryotes. Plants defective in autophagy show hypersensitivity to carbon and nitrogen limitation. However, the role of autophagy in plant phosphate (Pi) starvation response is relatively less explored. Among the core autophagy-related (ATG) genes, ATG8 encodes a ubiquitin-like protein involved in autophagosome formation and selective cargo recruitment. The Arabidopsis thaliana ATG8 genes, AtATG8f and AtATG8h, are notably induced in roots under low Pi. In this study, we show that such upregulation correlates with their promoter activities and can be suppressed in the phosphate response 1 (phr1) mutant. Yeast one-hybrid analysis failed to attest the binding of the AtPHR1 transcription factor to the promoter regions of AtATG8f and AtATG8h. Dual luciferase reporter assays in Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts also indicated that AtPHR1 could not transactivate the expression of both genes. Loss of AtATG8f and AtATG8h leads to decreased root microsomal-enriched ATG8 but increased ATG8 lipidation. Moreover, atg8f/atg8h mutants exhibit reduced autophagic flux estimated by the vacuolar degradation of ATG8 in the Pi-limited root but maintain normal cellular Pi homeostasis with reduced number of lateral roots. While the expression patterns of AtATG8f and AtATG8h overlap in the root stele, AtATG8f is more strongly expressed in the root apex and root hair and remarkably at sites where lateral root primordia develop. We hypothesize that Pi starvation-induction of AtATG8f and AtATG8h may not directly contribute to Pi recycling but rely on a second wave of transcriptional activation triggered by PHR1 that fine-tunes cell type-specific autophagic activity.

Vacuum-deposited small-molecule organic solar cells with high power conversion efficiencies by judicious molecular design and device optimization.

Three new tailor-made molecules (DPDCTB, DPDCPB, and DTDCPB) were strategically designed and convergently synthesized as donor materials for small-molecule organic solar cells. These compounds possess a donor-acceptor-acceptor molecular architecture, in which various electron-donating moieties are connected to an electron-withdrawing dicyanovinylene moiety through another electron-accepting 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole block. The molecular structures and crystal packings of DTDCPB and the previously reported DTDCTB were characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Photophysical and electrochemical properties as well as energy levels of this series of donor molecules were thoroughly investigated, affording clear structure-property relationships. By delicate manipulation of the trade-off between the photovoltage and the photocurrent via molecular structure engineering together with device optimizations, which included fine-tuning the layer thicknesses and the donor:acceptor blended ratio in the bulk heterojunction layer, vacuum-deposited hybrid planar-mixed heterojunction devices utilizing DTDCPB as the donor and C(70) as the acceptor showed the best performance with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.6 ± 0.2% (the highest PCE of 6.8%), along with an open-circuit voltage (V(oc)) of 0.93 ± 0.02 V, a short-circuit current density (J(sc)) of 13.48 ± 0.27 mA/cm(2), and a fill factor (FF) of 0.53 ± 0.02, under 1 sun (100 mW/cm(2)) AM 1.5G simulated solar illumination.

Localised boundary air layer and clothing evaporative resistances for individual body segments.

Evaporative resistance is an important parameter to characterise clothing thermal comfort. However, previous work has focused mainly on either total static or dynamic evaporative resistance. There is a lack of investigation of localised clothing evaporative resistance. The objective of this study was to study localised evaporative resistance using sweating thermal manikins. The individual and interaction effects of air and body movements on localised resultant evaporative resistance were examined in a strict protocol. The boundary air layer's localised evaporative resistance was investigated on nude sweating manikins at three different air velocity levels (0.18, 0.48 and 0.78 m/s) and three different walking speeds (0, 0.96 and 1.17 m/s). Similarly, localised clothing evaporative resistance was measured on sweating manikins at three different air velocities (0.13, 0.48 and 0.70 m/s) and three walking speeds (0, 0.96 and 1.17 m/s). Results showed that the wind speed has distinct effects on local body segments. In contrast, walking speed brought much more effect on the limbs, such as thigh and forearm, than on body torso, such as back and waist. In addition, the combined effect of body and air movement on localised evaporative resistance demonstrated that the walking effect has more influence on the extremities than on the torso. Therefore, localised evaporative resistance values should be provided when reporting test results in order to clearly describe clothing local moisture transfer characteristics. PRACTITIONER SUMMARY: Localised boundary air layer and clothing evaporative resistances are essential data for clothing design and assessment of thermal comfort. A comprehensive understanding of the effects of air and body movement on localised evaporative resistance is also necessary by both textile and apparel researchers and industry.

A low-energy-gap organic dye for high-performance small-molecule organic solar cells.

A novel donor-acceptor-acceptor (D-A-A) donor molecule, DTDCTB, in which an electron-donating ditolylaminothienyl moiety and an electron-withdrawing dicyanovinylene moiety are bridged by another electron-accepting 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole block, has been synthesized and characterized. A vacuum-deposited organic solar cell employing DTDCTB combined with the electron acceptor C(70) achieved a record-high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.81%. The respectable PCE is attributed to the solar spectral response extending to the near-IR region and the ultracompact absorption dipole stacking of the DTDCTB thin film.

Organic dyes containing coplanar diphenyl-substituted dithienosilole core for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells.

Two new organic dyes adopting coplanar diphenyl-substituted dithienosilole as the central linkage have been synthesized, characterized, and used as the sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The best DSSC exhibited a high power conversion efficiency up to 7.6% (TP6CADTS) under AM 1.5G irradiation, reaching approximately 96% of the ruthenium dye N719-based reference cell under the same conditions.

Validation of standard ASTM F2732 and comparison with ISO 11079 with respect to comfort temperature ratings for cold protective clothing.

American standard ASTM F2732 estimates the lowest environmental temperature for thermal comfort for cold weather protective clothing. International standard ISO 11079 serves the same purpose but expresses cold stress in terms of required clothing insulation for a given cold climate. The objective of this study was to validate and compare the temperature ratings using human subject tests at two levels of metabolic rates (2 and 4 MET corresponding to 116.4 and 232.8 W/m(2)). Nine young and healthy male subjects participated in the cold exposure at 3.4 and -30.6 °C. The results showed that both standards predict similar temperature ratings for an intrinsic clothing insulation of 1.89 clo and for 2 MET activity. The predicted temperature rating for 2 MET activity is consistent with test subjects' thermophysiological responses, perceived thermal sensation and thermal comfort. For 4 MET activity, however, the whole body responses were on the cold side, particularly the responses of the extremities. ASTM F2732 is also limited due to its omission and simplification of three climatic variables (air velocity, radiant temperature and relative humidity) and exposure time in the cold which are of practical importance.

Benzochalcogenodiazole-based donor-acceptor-acceptor molecular donors for organic solar cells.

Four new molecules with a donor-acceptor-acceptor (D-A-A) configuration, in which 2,1,3-benzoxadiazole or 2,1,3-benzoselenodiazole were adopted as the central bridging acceptor, were synthesized as electron donors for small-molecule organic solar cells. In conjunction with two previously reported 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole-based compounds, the influences of the benzochalcogenodiazole acceptor unit and the ditolylarylamine donor moiety on the molecular structure, electrochemical behavior, and optical properties of the materials were investigated systematically to obtain a clear structure-property relationship. Vacuum-deposited hybrid planar mixed-heterojunction devices fabricated with the new donors and C70 as the acceptor showed power conversion efficiencies in the range of 2.9-4.3 % under 1 sun (100 mW cm(-2) ) AM 1.5 G simulated solar illumination. The current density-voltage characteristics of solar cells at various light intensities were measured, which revealed a high bimolecular recombination.

Microcavity-embedded, colour-tuneable, transparent organic solar cells.

In this work microcavity-capped colour-tuneable SMOSCs are evaluated. By adopting a microcavity-structured cathode with optical spacer layers of different thicknesses fabricated in a Ag/NPB/Ag structure, the transmission spectra of complete devices can be tuned over the entire visible-light region (400-750 nm). The fabricated semitransparent colour-tuneable solar cells show an average efficiency of 4.78% under 1-sun illumination.

Spontaneous formation of light-trapping nano-structures for top-illumination organic solar cells.

By introduction of nano-structured crystallite capping layers, the power conversion efficiency of top-illumination organic solar cells is improved from 4.2 ± 0.1% to 6.0 ± 0.2%, representing a 44% enhancement. This is caused by the increase in JSC and led by the enhancement in the local E distribution inside the active layers. Comprehensive finite-difference time domain simulation reveals two main reasons for this enhancement: (1) the nano-structured capping layers can be treated as gradient-index films that effectively increase the light entering the devices. (2) The nano-structured capping layers can also diffract the light from original normal-incident paths, hence increasing the absorption length inside the active layers.

A laboratory validation study of comfort and limit temperatures of four sleeping bags defined according to EN 13537 (2002).

In this study, we validated comfort and limit temperatures of four sleeping bags with different levels of insulation defined according to EN 13537. Six male subjects and four female subjects underwent totally 20 two-hour exposures in four sleeping bags at four intended testing temperatures: 11.2, 3.8, 2.1 and -9.0 °C. The subjective perceptions and physiological responses of these subjects were reported and analyzed. It was found that the EN 13537 defined comfort temperature and limit temperature were underestimated for sleeping bags MA3, HAG and MAM. The predictions are so conservative that further revision may be required to meet the requirements of both manufacturers and consumers. In contrast, for the sleeping bag MA0 with a low level of insulation, the limit temperature defined by EN 13537 was slightly overestimated. In addition, two individual case studies (-28.0 and -32.0 °C) demonstrated that low toe temperatures were widely observed among the male and female subjects, although the mean skin temperatures were almost within the thermoneutrality range (32.0-34.0 °C). It seems that the IREQ model (ISO 11079) overestimated both the comfort and limit temperatures of the sleeping bags. Finally, traditional sleeping bags may be required to be re-designed to provide consumers both whole body comfort as well as local thermal comfort at feet/toes or users need to be made aware of the higher need for their insulation.

Device engineering for highly efficient top-illuminated organic solar cells with microcavity structures.

Small-molecule organic solar cells with microcavity structures utilizing very thin solar-absorbing active layers are simulated and fabricated. By carefully fine-tuning the in-cell spacer layer and out-of-cell capping layer, highly efficient top-illuminated indium tin oxide-free solar cells are created on glass and flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrates with efficiencies of up to 5.5% and 5%, respectively.

A donor-acceptor-acceptor molecule for vacuum-processed organic solar cells with a power conversion efficiency of 6.4%.

A D-A-A-type molecular donor (DTDCTP) featuring electron-accepting pyrimidine and dicyanovinylene blocks has been synthesized for vacuum-deposited planar-mixed heterojunction solar cells with C(70) as the acceptor, giving a power conversion efficiency as high as 6.4%.

A novel amine-free dianchoring organic dye for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells.

An amine-free oligothiophene-based dye (BTB) featuring a tailor-made dianchoring function, a spiro-configured central unit, and bulky end-capping TIPS groups to diminish intermolecular interactions and to suppress aggregation-induced self-quenching was synthesized to achieve efficient dye-sensitized solar cells with a high power conversion efficiency of 6.52%.

A new spirobifluorene-bridged bipolar system for a nitric oxide turn-on fluorescent probe.

A new spirobifluorene-bridged bipolar molecule (EDADO) as a nitric oxide (NO) turn-on fluorescent probe was designed and synthesized. The fluorescence of EDADO is strongly quenched by photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from the electron-donating o-phenylenediamine-containing biphenyl branch to the orthogonally arranged electron-accepting 1,3,4-oxadiazole-containing conjugated oligoaryl system. Upon reacting with NO, EDADO is converted to EDADO-T, which exhibits strong fluorescence due to the suppression of PET.

A new donor-acceptor molecule with uniaxial anisotropy for efficient vacuum-deposited organic solar cells.

A new D-π-A molecule (TPDCDTS) adopting coplanar diphenyl-substituted dithienosilole as a central π-bridge of triphenylamine (donor) and dicyanovinylene (acceptor) has been synthesized as donor material for small molecule organic solar cells (SMOSC) incorporating C(70) as an acceptor showed an appreciable power conversion efficiency of 3.82%.

New A-A-D-A-A-type electron donors for small molecule organic solar cells.

Two A-A-D-A-A-type molecules (BCNDTS and BDCDTS), where two terminal electron-withdrawing cyano or dicyanovinylene moieties are connected to a central dithienosilole core through another electron-accepting 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole block, have been synthesized, characterized, and employed as electron donors for small molecule organic solar cells. Vacuum-deposited bilayer and planar mixed heterojunction devices based on BCNDTS and fullerene acceptors (C(60) or C(70)) exhibited decent power conversion efficiencies of 2.3% and 3.7%, respectively.