37 research outputs found
Packages of Care for Dementia in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
In the fifth in a series of six articles on packages of care for mental disorders in low- and middle-income countries, Martin Prince and colleagues discuss the treatment of dementia
Neotectonics of the SW Iberia margin, Gulf of Cadiz and Alboran Sea: a reassessment including recent structural, seismic and geodetic data
We use a thin-shell approximation for the lithosphere to model the neotectonics of the Gulf of Cadiz, SW Iberia margin and the westernmost Mediterranean, in the eastern segment of the Azores-Gibraltar plate boundary. In relation to previous neotectonic models in the region, we utilize a better constrained structural map offshore, and the recent GPS measurements over NW Africa and Iberia have been taken into account, together with the seismic strain rate and stress data, to evaluate alternative geodynamic settings proposed for the region. We show that by assuming a relatively simple, two-plate tectonic framework, where Nubia and Eurasia converge NW-SE to WNW-ESE at a rate of 4.5-6 mm yr-1, the models correctly predict the amount of shortening and wrenching between northern Algeria-Morocco and southern Spain and between NW Morocco and SW Iberia, as estimated from both GPS data and geological constraints. The consistency between modelled and observed velocities in the vicinity of Gibraltar and NW Morocco indicates that forcing by slab sinking beneath Gibraltar is not required to reproduce current horizontal deformation in these areas. In the Gulf of Cadiz and SW Iberia, the modelling results support a diffuse Nubia-Eurasia Plate boundary, where the convergence is accommodated along NNE-SSW to NE-SW and ENE-WSW thrust faults and WNW-ESE right-lateral strike-slip faults, over an area >200 km wide, in good general agreement with the distribution of the seismic strain rate and associated faulting mechanisms. The modelling results are robust to regional uncertainties in the structure of the lithosphere and have important implications for the earthquake and tsunami hazard of Portugal, SW Spain and Morocco. We predict maximum, long-term average fault slip rates between 1-2 mm yr-1, that is, less than 50 per cent the average plate relative movement, suggesting very long return periods for high-magnitude (Mw > 8) earthquakes on individual structures.publishe
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Band tailing and deep defect states in CH3NH3Pb(I1-xBrx)3 perovskites as revealed by sub-bandgap photocurrent
Organometal halide perovskite semiconductors have emerged as promising candidates for optoelectronic applications because of the outstanding charge carrier transport properties, achieved with low-temperature synthesis. Here, we present highly sensitive sub-bandgap external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurements of Au/spiro-OMeTAD/CH3NH3Pb(I1-xBrx)3/TiO2/FTO/glass photovoltaic devices. The room-temperature spectra show exponential band tails with a sharp onset characterized by low Urbach energies (Eu) over the full halide composition space. The Urbach energies are 15-23 meV, lower than those for most semiconductors with similar bandgaps (especially with Eg > 1.9 eV). Intentional aging of CH3NH3Pb(I1-xBrx)3 for up to 2300 h, reveals no change in Eu, despite the appearance of the PbI2 phase due to decomposition, and confirms a high degree of crystal ordering. Moreover, sub-bandgap EQE measurements reveal an extended band of sub-bandgap electronic states that can be fit with one or two point defects for pure CH3NH3PbI3 or mixed CH3NH3Pb(I1-xBrx)3 compositions, respectively. The study provides experimental evidence of defect states close to the midgap that could impact photocarrier recombination and energy conversion efficiency in higher bandgap CH3NH3Pb(I1-xBrx)3 alloys
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Increased Optoelectronic Quality and Uniformity of Hydrogenated p-InP Thin Films
The thin-film vapor-liquid-solid (TF-VLS) growth technique presents a promising route for high quality, scalable, and cost-effective InP thin films for optoelectronic devices. Toward this goal, careful optimization of material properties and device performance is of utmost interest. Here, we show that exposure of polycrystalline Zn-doped TF-VLS InP to a hydrogen plasma (in the following referred to as hydrogenation) results in improved optoelectronic quality as well as lateral optoelectronic uniformity. A combination of low temperature photoluminescence and transient photocurrent spectroscopy was used to analyze the energy position and relative density of defect states before and after hydrogenation. Notably, hydrogenation reduces the relative intragap defect density by 1 order of magnitude. As a metric to monitor lateral optoelectronic uniformity of polycrystalline TF-VLS InP, photoluminescence and electron beam induced current mapping reveal homogenization of the grain versus grain boundary upon hydrogenation. At the device level, we measured more than 260 TF-VLS InP solar cells before and after hydrogenation to verify the improved optoelectronic properties. Hydrogenation increased the average open-circuit voltage (VOC) of individual TF-VLS InP solar cells by up to 130 mV and reduced the variance in VOC for the analyzed devices