Solution-processed CdS transistors with high electron mobility

Solution-processed CdS field effect transistors (FETs) and solar cells are demonstrated via spin-coating and thermal annealing of soluble cadmium thiolate compounds. The synthesis is carried out in one simple step using cadmium oxide and tertiary alkane thiols. The cadmium thiolates are soluble in organic solvents such as chloroform and may be spin-coated, like organic semiconductors, to form thin films. The cadmium thiolate films decompose rapidly at 300 ??C to yield semiconducting cadmium sulfide films. FETs are easily fabricated using these films and exhibit electron mobilities of up to 61 cm2 V -1 s-1, which compare favourably to FETs prepared from other solution-processed materials such as organic semiconductors, inorganic nanoparticles or chalcogenide films. Initial attempts to prepare hybrid bilayer solar cells were successfully realized by spin-coating a p-type semiconducting polymer layer on top of the n-type CdS film. These devices show significant photocurrent response from both the CdS and polymer layers, indicating that the CdS films are able to participate in photo-induced electron transfer from the polymer to the CdS layer as well as photo-induced hole transfer from CdS to the polymer layer.close2

High mobility solution-processed hybrid light emitting transistors

We report the design, fabrication, and characterization of high-performance, solution-processed hybrid (inorganic-organic) light emitting transistors (HLETs). The devices employ a high-mobility, solution-processed cadmium sulfide layer as the switching and transport layer, with a conjugated polymer Super Yellow as an emissive material in non-planar source/drain transistor geometry. We demonstrate HLETs with electron mobilities of up to 19.5 cm2/V s, current on/off ratios of >107, and external quantum efficiency of 10-2% at 2100 cd/m2. These combined optical and electrical performance exceed those reported to date for HLETs. Furthermore, we provide full analysis of charge injection, charge transport, and recombination mechanism of the HLETs. The high brightness coupled with a high on/off ratio and low-cost solution processing makes this type of hybrid device attractive from a manufacturing perspective.open0

The Effect of Direct Communication between Emergency Physicians and Interventional Cardiologists on Door to Balloon Times in STEMI

We developed an institutional protocol mandating emergency physicians to contact the interventional cardiologist directly in all cases of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and hypothesized that this would reduce door-to-balloon-times (DTBT). From January 2004 to July 2006, 208 patients with STEMI were treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 144 patients were treated before implementing the new protocol ("before") and 64 patients were treated after the implementation ("after"). The DTBT was significantly reduced from 148±101 min to 108±56 min (p<0.05). While only 25% of the "before" patients received PCI within 90 min after arrival, 50% of the "after" patients received PCI within 90 min (p<0.05). There were no significant differences between two groups in other outcomes (postprocedural TIMI flow, mortality, subsequent stroke, heart failure, shock, reinfarction, length of stay in intensive care unit, and the total hospital length of stay). In conclusion, mandating emergency physicians to directly notify interventional cardiologists of all STEMI patients reduces DTBT

Minimal Symptom Expression' in Patients With Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody-Positive Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab

The efficacy and tolerability of eculizumab were assessed in REGAIN, a 26-week, phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), and its open-label extension

Comparison of effects between calcium channel blocker and diuretics in combination with angiotensin II receptor blocker on 24-h central blood pressure and vascular hemodynamic parameters in hypertensive patients: study design for a multicenter, double-blinded, active-controlled, phase 4, randomized trial

Abstract Background Hypertension is a risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke, and is one of the leading causes of death. Although over a billion people are affected worldwide, only half of them receive adequate treatment. Current guidelines on antihypertensive treatment recommend combination therapy for patients not responding to monotherapy, but as the number of pills increase, patient compliance tends to decrease. As a result, fixed-dose combination drugs with different antihypertensive agents have been developed and widely used in recent years. CCBs have been shown to be better at reducing central blood pressure and arterial stiffness than diuretics. Recent studies have reported that central blood pressure and arterial stiffness are associated with cardiovascular outcomes. This trial aims to compare the efficacy of combination of calcium channel blocker (CCB) or thiazide diuretic with an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB). Methods This is a multicenter, double-blinded, active-controlled, phase 4, randomized trial, comparing the antihypertensive effects of losartan/amlodipine and losartan/hydrochlorothiazide in patients unresponsive to treatment with losartan. The primary endpoint is changes in mean sitting systolic blood pressure (msSBP) after 4 weeks of treatment. Secondary endpoints are changes in msSBP, mean 24-h ambulatory mobile blood pressure, mean 24-h ambulatory mobile central SBP, mean 24-h ambulatory carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, ambulatory augmentation index, and microalbuminuria/proteinuria after 20 weeks of treatment. The sample size will be 119 patients for each group in order to confer enough power to test for non-inferiority regarding the primary outcome. Conclusion The investigators aim to prove that combination of a CCB with ARB shows non-inferiority in lowering blood pressure compared with a combination of thiazide diuretic and ARB. We also hope to distinguish the subset of patients that are more responsive to certain types of combination drugs. The results of this study should aid physicians in selecting appropriate combination regimens to treat hypertension in certain populations. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02294539. Registered 12 November 2014

Solution-processible organic-inorganic hybrid bipolar field-effect transistors

Organic-inorganic hybrid bipolar field-effect transistors (HBFETs) comprising a layer of p-type organic poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) separated from a parallel layer of n-type inorganic zinc oxide (ZnO) were demonstrated by solution processing. In order to achieve balanced hole and electron mobilities, we initially optimized the hole-transporting P3HT channel by the addition of the polar non-solvent acetonitrile (AN) to P3HT solutions in chloroform, which induced a selfassembled nano-fibril morphology and an enhancement of hole mobilities. For the electron channel, a wet-chemically-prepared ZnO layer was optimized by thermal annealing. Unipolar P3HT FET with 5% AN exhibited the highest hole mobility of 7.20 x 10(-2) cm(2)V(-1)s(-1) while the highest electron mobility (3.64 x 10(-2) cm(2)V(-1)s(-1)) was observed in unipolar ZnO FETs annealed at 200A degrees C. The organic-inorganic HBFETs consisting of the P3HT layer with 5% AN and ZnO annealed at 200A degrees C exhibited well-balanced hole and electron mobilities of 1.94 x 10(-2) cm(2)V(-1)s(-1) and 1.98 x 10(-2) cm(2)V(-1)s(-1), respectively.clos