Nanostructured Semiconductor Device Design in Solar Cells

We demonstrate the use of embedded CdS nanowires in improving spectral transmission loss and the low mechanical and electrical robustness of planar CdS window layer and thus enhancing the quantum efficiency and the reliability of the CdS-CdTe solar cells. CdS nanowire window layer enables light transmission gain at 300nm-550nm. A nearly ideal spectral response of quantum efficiency at a wide spectrum range provides an evidence for improving light transmission in the window layer and enhancing absorption and carrier generation in absorber. Nanowire CdS/CdTe solar cells with Cu/graphite/silver paste as back contacts, on SnO2/ITO-soda lime glass substrates, yield the highest efficiency of 12% in nanostructured CdS-CdTe solar cells. Reliability is improved by approximately 3 times over the cells with the traditional planar CdS counterpart. Junction transport mechanisms are delineated for advancing the basic understanding of device physics at the interface. Our results prove the efficacy of this nanowire approach for enhancing the quantum efficiency and the reliability in window-absorber type solar cells (CdS-CdTe, CdS-CIGS and CdS-CZTSSe etc) and other optoelectronic devices. We further introduce MoO3-x as a transparent, low barrier back contact. We design nanowire CdS-CdTe solar cells on flexible foils of metals in a superstrate device structure, which makes low-cost roll-to-roll manufacturing process feasible and greatly reduces the complexity of fabrication. The MoO3 layer reduces the valence band offset relative to the CdTe, and creates improved cell performance. Annealing as-deposited MoO3 in N2 reduces series resistance from 9.98 Ω/cm2 to 7.72 Ω/cm2, and hence efficiency of the nanowire solar cell is improved from 9.9% to 11%, which efficiency comparable to efficiency of planar counterparts. When the nanowire solar cell is illuminated from MoO3-x /Au side, it yields an efficiency of 8.7%. This reduction in efficiency is attributed to decrease in Jsc from 25.5mA/cm2 to 21mA/cm2 due to light transmission loss in the MoO3-x /Au electrode. Even though these nanowire solar cells, when illuminated from back side exhibit better performance than that of nanopillar CdS-CdTe solar cells, further development of transparent back contacts of CdTe could enable a low-cost roll-to-roll fabrication process for the superstrate structure-nanowire solar cells on Al foil substrate

Nanowire CdS-CdTe Solar Cells with Molybdenum Oxide as Contact

Using a 10 nm thick molybdenum oxide (MoO3-x) layer as a transparent and low barrier contact to p-CdTe, we demonstrate nanowire CdS-CdTe solar cells with a power conversion efficiency of 11% under front side illumination. Annealing the as-deposited MoO3 film in N2 resulted in a reduction of the cell\u27s series resistance, from 9.97 Ω/cm2 to 7.69 Ω/cm2, and increase in efficiency from 9.9% to 11%. Under illumination from the back, the MoO3-x/Au side, the nanowire solar cells yielded Jsc of 21 mA/cm2 and efficiency of 8.67%. Our results demonstrate use of a thin layer transition metal oxide as a potential way for a transparent back contact to nanowire CdS-CdTe solar cells. This work has implications toward enabling a novel superstrate structure nanowire CdS-CdTe solar cell on Al foil substrate by a low cost roll-to roll fabrication process

Evolution Characteristics of Perovskite Solar Cells in Air and Vacuum Environments

Solid state hybrid organometal halide perovskite solar cells have become the research hotspots recently. We prepared perovskite solar cells by the simple two-step method in the ambient condition. The solar cell samples were kept in air and vacuum environments, respectively. Jsc shows good stability in vacuum for up to 27 days, while it drops a lot in air. There is a remarkable promotion of FF for the air-stored samples compared that of the vacuum-stored samples. Changes in Voc of vacuum-stored and airstored samples exhibited a similar behavior, both showing a slight increase. We believe the moisture in air makes perovskite decompose which leads to the decrease of Jsc, and the HTM material can be oxidized in air and its conductivity will be improved, which is beneficial to the FF

Shared genetics and causal relationships between major depressive disorder and COVID-19 related traits: a large-scale genome-wide cross-trait meta-analysis

IntroductionThe comorbidity between major depressive disorder (MDD) and coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) related traits have long been identified in clinical settings, but their shared genetic foundation and causal relationships are unknown. Here, we investigated the genetic mechanisms behind COVID-19 related traits and MDD using the cross-trait meta-analysis, and evaluated the underlying causal relationships between MDD and 3 different COVID-19 outcomes (severe COVID-19, hospitalized COVID-19, and COVID-19 infection).MethodsIn this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis using the most up-to-date and publicly available GWAS summary statistics to explore shared genetic etiology and the causality between MDD and COVID-19 outcomes. We first used genome-wide cross-trait meta-analysis to identify the pleiotropic genomic SNPs and the genes shared by MDD and COVID-19 outcomes, and then explore the potential bidirectional causal relationships between MDD and COVID-19 outcomes by implementing a bidirectional MR study design. We further conducted functional annotations analyses to obtain biological insight for shared genes from the results of cross-trait meta-analysis.ResultsWe have identified 71 SNPs located on 25 different genes are shared between MDD and COVID-19 outcomes. We have also found that genetic liability to MDD is a causal factor for COVID-19 outcomes. In particular, we found that MDD has causal effect on severe COVID-19 (OR = 1.832, 95% CI = 1.037–3.236) and hospitalized COVID-19 (OR = 1.412, 95% CI = 1.021–1.953). Functional analysis suggested that the shared genes are enriched in Cushing syndrome, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction.DiscussionOur findings provide convincing evidence on shared genetic etiology and causal relationships between MDD and COVID-19 outcomes, which is crucial to prevention, and therapeutic treatment of MDD and COVID-19

RETRATO SIN IDENTIFICAR [Material gráfico]

Copia digital. Madrid : Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, 201

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Application of non-contact magnetic corresponding on the detection for natural gas pipeline

This study examined natural gas pipeline by the non-contact magnetic corresponding. To confirm the reliability for the examination of natural gas pipelines by non-contact magnetic corresponding, three abnormal nodes were detected by the appearance inspection and ultrasonic testing. The results suggested that the grade of abnormal nodes by non-contact magnetic corresponding were not absolutely agree with that of the corrosion by ultrasonic testing. However, there was an obvious relevance between the comprehensive index of F by non-contact magnetic corresponding and the maximum degree of corrosion by ultrasonic testing. To sum up, the magnetic corresponding was an effective non-contact detection technology for the natural gas pipeline, while it was necessary to rationally grade the abnormal node according to the comprehensive index of F