Fabrication and characterisation of Si micropillar PV structures

Arrays of vertical silicon micropillar radial junction solar cells have been fabricated by diffusion of direct application spin on dopant and from the vapour phase through proximity rapid thermal diffusion. The micropillars were fabricated by optical lithography and deep reactive ion etching. The micropillar arrays show superior antireflective properties over the measured spectrum and good correlation to finite difference time domain modelling of identical geometry arrays. Junctions formed by a conventional spin on doping process of phosphorus containing dopant solution produced Suns-Voc values in the region of 0·3 V. This value is likely due to difficulties encountered in achieving an even distribution of dopant over the entire surface of the arrays. An alternative method utilising spin on dopant but employing an intermediate vapour phase diffusion step produced promising results with Suns-Voc values reaching 0·5 V following a post-diffusion drive-in ste

Optical and electrical characterization of solar cell with nanowires mimicking antireflection coating layers considering axial and radial PN junctions

It has been well documented that the usage of a textured cover layer reduces reflection from the air‐solar cell interface, which ultimately enhances the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of a solar cell. The most commonly used patterns, such as pyramids, micropillars, nanowires (NW), and nanoholes have been widely studied and optimized. Besides using such NWs to enhance light absorption, this work also additionally considers the concept of mimicking the antireflection coating of single or multiple layers in minimizing the reflectance and thus enhancing the total absorptance further. It is shown here that at least one order of magnitude shorter multilayer NW pattern of 268 nm total height can outperform a standard NW of 4270 nm height, which needs less material and can also be fabricated at a reduced cost. Furthermore, the proposed design with reduced height has a significantly lower surface‐to‐volume ratio, which also reduces surface recombination loss than the other textured surface patterns. The results presented in this work have been comprehensively analyzed by initially optimizing optical absorption and then completing the electrical simulations. The optimized design in conjunction with a back reflector offers an efficiency as high as 16.434%

Hydrotherapy as a recovery strategy after exercise: a pragmatic controlled trial

Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01765387Background Our aim was to evaluate the recovery effects of hydrotherapy after aerobic exercise in cardiovascular, performance and perceived fatigue. Methods A pragmatic controlled repeated measures; single-blind trial was conducted. Thirty-four recreational sportspeople visited a Sport-Centre and were assigned to a Hydrotherapy group (experimental) or rest in a bed (control) after completing a spinning session. Main outcomes measures including blood pressure, heart rate, handgrip strength, vertical jump, self-perceived fatigue, and body temperature were assessed at baseline, immediately post-exercise and post-recovery. The hypothesis of interest was the session*time interaction. Results The analysis revealed significant session*time interactions for diastolic blood pressure (P=0.031), heart rate (P=0.041), self perceived fatigue (P=0.046), and body temperature (P=0.001); but not for vertical jump (P=0.437), handgrip (P=0.845) or systolic blood pressure (P=0.266). Post-hoc analysis revealed that hydrotherapy resulted in recovered heart rate and diastolic blood pressure similar to baseline values after the spinning session. Further, hydrotherapy resulted in decreased self-perceived fatigue after the spinning session. Conclusions Our results support that hydrotherapy is an adequate strategy to facilitate cardiovascular recovers and perceived fatigue, but not strength, after spinning exercise

Integral strategy to supportive care in breast cancer survivors through occupational therapy and a m-health system: design of a randomized clinical trial

Background: Technological support using e-health mobile applications (m-health) is a promising strategy to improve the adherence to healthy lifestyles in breast cancer survivors (excess in energy intake or low physical activity are determinants of the risk of recurrence, second cancers and cancer mortality). Moreover, cancer rehabilitation programs supervised by health professionals are needed due to the inherent characteristics of these breast cancer patients. Our main objective is to compare the clinical efficacy of a m-health lifestyle intervention system alone versus an integral strategy to improve Quality of Life in breast cancer survivors. Methods: This therapeutic superiority study will use a two-arm, assessor blinded parallel RCT design. Women will be eligible if: they are diagnosed of stage I, II or III-A breast cancer; are between 25 and 75 years old; have a Body Mass Index > 25 kg/m2; they have basic ability to use mobile apps; they had completed adjuvant therapy except for hormone therapy; and they have some functional shoulder limitations. Participants will be randomized to one of the following groups: integral group will use a mobile application (BENECA APP) and will receive a face-to-face rehabilitation (8-weeks); m-health group will use the BENECA app for 2-months and will received usual care information. Study endpoints will be assessed after 8 weeks and 6 months. The primary outcome will be Quality of Life measured by The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core and breast module. The secondary outcomes: body composition; upper-body functionality (handgrip, Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire, goniometry); cognitive function (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Trail Making Test); anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale); physical fitness (Short version of the Minnesota Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire, Self-Efficacy Scale for Physical Activity); accelerometry and lymphedema. Discussion: This study has been designed to seek to address the new needs for support and treatment of breast cancer survivors, reflecting the emerging need to merge new low cost treatment options with much-needed involvement of health professionals in this type of patients. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02817724 (date of registration: 22/06/2016).The study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Plan Estatal de I + D + I 2013-2016), Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria del Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI14/01627), Fondos Estructurales de la Unión Europea (FEDER) and by the Spanish Ministry of Education (FPU14/01069). This is part of a Ph.D. Thesis conducted in the Clinical Medicine and Public Health Doctoral Studies of the University of Granada, Spain

Disease: A Hitherto Unexplored Constraint on the Spread of Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) in Pre-Columbian South America

Although debate continues, there is agreement that dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) were first domesticated in Eurasia, spreading from there to other parts of the world. However, while that expansion already extended as far as Europe, China, and North America by the early Holocene, dogs spread into (and south of) the tropics only much later. In South America, for example, the earliest well attested instances of their presence do not reach back much beyond 3000 cal. BC, and dogs were still absent from large parts of the continent – Amazonia, the Gran Chaco, and much of the Southern Cone – at European contact. Previous explanations for these patterns have focused on cultural choice, the unsuitability of dogs for hunting certain kinds of tropical forest prey, and otherwise unspecified environmental hazards, while acknowledging that Neotropical lowland forests witness high rates of canine mortality. Building on previous work in Sub-Saharan Africa (Mitchell 2015) and noting that the dog’s closest relatives, the grey wolf (C. lupus) and the coyote (C. latrans), were likewise absent from South and most of Central America in Pre- Columbian times, this paper explores instead the possibility that infectious disease constrained the spread of dogs into Neotropical environments. Four diseases are considered, all likely to be native and/or endemic to South America: canine distemper, canine trypanosomiasis, canine rangeliosis, and canine visceral leishmaniasis caused by infection with Leishmania amazonensis and L. colombiensis. The paper concludes by suggesting ways in which the hypothesis that disease constrained the expansion of dogs into South America can be developed further

Remediation experiment of Ecuadorian acid mine drainage: geochemical models of dissolved species and secondary minerals saturation

Acid mine drainage is one of the main environmental hazards to ecosystems worldwide and it is directly related to mining activities. In Ecuador, such acidic-metallic waters are drained to rivers without treatment. In this research, we tested a laboratory combined (Ca-Mg) Dispersed Alkaline Substrate (DAS) system as an alternative to remediate acid drainage from the Zaruma-Portovelo gold mining site, at El Oro, Ecuador. The system worked at low and high flow hydraulic rates during a period of 8 months, without signs of saturation.. Analysis of physico-chemical parameters and water composition (ICP-OES, ICP-MS) demonstrated that treatment effectively increased water pH and promoted the retention of about 80% of Fe, Al, Mn and Cu. Under acid conditions As, Cr and Pb concentrations decreased with Fe and possible precipitation of jarosite and schwertmannite. However, the homogeneous depletion of Cr at pH above 6 could be related to ferrihydrite or directly with Cr (OH)(3) precipitation. After DAS-Ca, sulphate, phosphate and rare earth elements (REE) concentrations decreased to 1912, 0.85 and 0.07 mg/L respectively, while DAS-Mg contributed to form a complex model of minor carbonate and phosphate phases as main sink of REE. DAS-Mg also promoted the retention of most divalent metals at pH values over seven. Thus, this low cost treatment could avoid environmental pollution and international conflicts. Anyway, further investigations are needed to obtain higher Zn retention values.PROMETEO Ecuadorian program (Secretary of Superior Education, Science, Technology and Innovation)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Intrinsic and specific vulnerability of groundwater in central Spain: the risk of nitrate pollution

18 páginas, 8 figuras y 10 tablas.[EN]The intrinsic vulnerability of groundwater in the Comunidad de Madrid (central Spain) was evaluated using the DRASTIC and GOD indexes. Groundwater vulnerability to nitrate pollution was also assessed using the composite DRASTIC (CD) and nitrate vulnerability (NV) indexes. The utility of these methods was tested by analyzing the spatial distribution of nitrate concentrations in the different aquifers located in the study area: the Tertiary Detrital Aquifer, the Moor Limestone Aquifer, the Cretaceous Limestone Aquifer and the Quaternary Aquifer. Vulnerability maps based on these four indexes showed very similar results, identifying the Quaternary Aquifer and the lower sub-unit of the Moor Limestone Aquifer as deposits subjected to a high risk of nitrate pollution due to intensive agriculture. As far as the spatial distribution of groundwater nitrate concentrations is concerned, the NV index showed the greatest statistical significance (p < 0.01). This new type of multiplicative model offers greater accuracy in estimations of specific vulnerability with respect to the real impact of each type of land use. The results of this study provide a basis on which to guide the designation of nitrate vulnerable zones in the Comunidad de Madrid, in line with European Union Directive 91/676/EEC.[ES] Se evaluó la vulnerabilidad intrínseca de las aguas subterráneas en la Comunidad de Madrid (España central) usando los índices DRASTIC y GOD. La vulnerabilidad de las aguas subterráneas a la contaminación por nitratos fue también evaluada usando el DRASTIC compuesto (CD) y el índice de vulnerabilidad de nitratos (NV). Se testeó la utilidad de estos métodos mediante el análisis de la distribución espacial de las concentraciones de nitrato en diferentes acuíferos situados en el área de estudio: el acuífero detrítico del Terciario, el acuífero de las calizas del Páramo el acuífero de la calizas del Cretácico y el acuífero Cuaternario. Los mapas de vulnerabilidad basados en estos cuatro índices mostraron valores muy similares, identificándose al acuífero cuaternario y a la subunidad inferior de las calizas del Páramo como los depósitos sometidos a un alto riesgo a la contaminación de nitratos debido a la agricultura intensiva. En cuanto a la distribución espacial de las concentraciones de nitrato en las aguas subterráneas, el índice NV mostró la mayor significación estadística (p < 0.01). Este nuevo tipo de modelo multiplicativo ofrece una mayor precisión en estimaciones de la vulnerabilidad específica con respecto al impacto real de cada tipo de uso de la tierra. Los resultados de este estudio ofrecen una base sobre la que se guía la designación de Zonas Vulnerables de Nitratos en la Comunidad de Madrid, en línea con la Directiva 91/676/EEC de la Unión Europea.[PO] A vulnerabilidade intrínseca das águas subterrâneas na Comunidade de Madrid (centro de Espanha) foi avaliada utilizando os índices DRASTIC e GOD. A vulnerabilidade das águas subterrâneas à poluição por nitratos também foi avaliada utilizando os índices composite DRASTIC (CD) e nitrate vulnerability (NV). Aferiu-se a utilidade destes métodos através da análise da distribuição espacial das concentrações de nitratos nos diferentes aquíferos localizados na área de estudo: o Aquífero Detrítico Terciário, o Aquífero Calcário Mouro, o Aquífero Calcário Cretácico e o Aquífero Quaternário. Os mapas de vulnerabilidade baseados nos quatro índices apresentaram resultados muito semelhantes, e identificaram o Aquífero Quaternário e a sub-unidade inferior do Aquífero Calcário Mouro como depósitos sujeitos a um elevado risco de poluição por nitratos, devido à agricultura intensiva. No que diz respeito à distribuição espacial das concentrações de nitratos nas águas subterrâneas, o índice NV apresentou a maior significância estatística (p  < 0.01). Este novo tipo de modelo multiplicativo oferece maior precisão nas estimativas da vulnerabilidade específica quanto ao verdadeiro impacte de cada tipo de uso do solo. Os resultados deste estudo fornecem uma base para orientar a designação de Zonas Vulneráveis aos Nitratos na Comunidade de Madrid, em conformidade com a Directiva 91/676/CEE da União Europeia.[FR] La vulnérabilité intrinsèque de l’aquifère de la Communauté autonome de Madrid (Comunidad, Espagne centrale) a été évaluée en utilisant les indices DRASTIC et GOD. La vulnérabilité de la nappe à la pollution par les nitrates a été également évaluée en utilisant les indices DRASTIC composite (CD) et nitrate vulnerability (NV). L’utilité des ces méthodes a été testée en analysant la distribution spatiale des concentrations en nitrates dans les différents aquifères localisés dans la zone d’étude: l’aquifère du détritique tertiaire, l’aquifère du calcaire de Moor, l’aquifère du calcaire crétacé et l’aquifère quaternaire. Les cartes de vulnérabilité basées sur ces quatre indices montrent des résultats très similaires, désignant l’aquifère quaternaire et la sous-unité inférieure de l’aquifère du calcaire de Moor comme formations sujettes à un risque élevé de pollution nitratée due à une agriculture intensive. En ce qui concerne la distribution des nitrates dans la nappe, l’indice NV montre la meilleure fiabilité statistique (p < 0.01). Ce nouveau type de modèle multiplicatif présente une plus grande précision dans l’estimation de la vulnérabilité spécifique en rapport avec l’impact réel de chaque type d’utilisation du sol. Les résultats de cette étude fournissent une base de délimitation des Zones Vulnérables aux Nitrates dans la Communauté autonome de Madrid, selon la Directive européenne 91/676/EEC.[CH] 用DRASTIC和GOD指标对马德里地区 (西班牙中部) 地下水进行了内在脆弱性评价,并用综合DRASTIC (CD) 和硝酸盐脆弱性(NV)指标评价了地下水对硝酸盐污染的脆弱性。通过分析研究区内不同含水层硝酸盐组分的空间分布检验了这些方法的有效性:第三纪碎屑含水层、摩尔 (Moor) 石灰岩含水层、白垩纪石灰岩含水层和第四纪含水层。基于这四个指标绘制的脆弱性地图显示出非常相似的结果,确定第四纪含水层和摩尔石灰岩含水层的较低部分的沉积层面临着由集约化农业带来的高硝酸盐污染风险。至于地下水硝酸盐含量的空间分布而言,NV指标的统计显著性最强 (p < 0.01)。在评价涉及各种土地利用方式实际影响的特殊脆弱性时,这种新型的乘法模型提供了更高的精确度。本研究为根据欧盟官方91/676/EEC标准在马德里地区划定硝酸盐脆弱性区域提供了依据。This research was funded by the Comunidad de Madrid and the European Social Fund (GR/AMB/0745/2004). The Confederación Hidrográfica del Tajo and Instituto Geológico y Minero provided hydrogeological data relating to piezometric and quality sampling of the groundwater networks in the study area.Peer reviewe