Impurity-to-efficiency simulator: Predictive simulation of solar cell efficiencies based on measured metal distribution and cell processing conditions

We present a fast and simple 1D simulation tool to predict solar cell performance as a function of the initial iron content and distribution in the as-grown silicon wafer, the time-temperature profiles applied during the fabrication process, and several parameters related to cell architecture. The applied model consists of three parts that are validated by comparison to experimental results from literature. Assuming a time-temperature profile of a standard solar cell fabrication process, we calculate the redistribution of iron and the evolution of minority carrier lifetime for different as-grown Fe distributions. The solar cell performance as a function of the total iron concentration and the final lifetime distribution is also simulated and compared to experimental results for multicrystalline Si. Keywords: simulation, crystalline silicon solar cell, getterin

WATER FLOW NET CHARACTERIZATION BY USING A TANK MODEL: PRELIMINARY OUTCOME

A model study was conducted to observe and characterize the flow of water through sandy soil. One of the most relevant tools used for characterizing groundwater flow is the flow net. Assuming that water is incompressible and there is zero volume change in the soil mass, it is known that the total rate of inflow is to equal the total rate of outflow. Thus, following the principle of flow continuity, we use the Laplace equation of continuity, to observe the concept of the flow net. Computing the flow through a miniature channel, we observed the total head difference from the first equipotential line to the last equipotential line divided by the number of equipotential lines between the first and last head drop qchannel=(k)(∆H)Nf/Nd. This resulted in multiplication of the permeability by the head difference 1.9 inches by the number of flow channels 4 divided by the number of equipotential line drops 6. Being that this is the scenario, Darcy’s Law is then substituted. This was done by multiplying the hydraulic conductivity by hydraulic gradient to find the velocity. The tank model has been designed to display the flow of groundwater around an obstruction. This model clearly illustrates the flow path and velocity of the groundwater. Constructed with sheets of glass glued together to seal and prevent leakage. A submersible pump was connected to a clear vinyl tube, which is attached to the apparatus with silicone sealing glue, allowing for a constant difference of pressure while the water flows from one side to the other. The apparatus was leak tested prior to the soil being added. The pumps on each side are attached to a bucket of water below to prevent water from over flowing or drying out the soil. As the groundwater flows, traces of the dye which represent the flow lines, or stream function, provides evidence of the water’s flow nets. Overall, it provides a simple approach to understand the practical aspects of groundwater flow

A note on the button shells fishery in Kakinada Bay

Umbonium species commonly called as 'button shells' are the smallest gastropod shells under the family Trochidae and subfamily Umboninae. They are also known as 'button top shells' or 'button snails'. They come in vast array of colours, in shades of grey, brown, olive green, pink, red, yellow or even white, almost uniform or with different axial and/ or spiral patterns. Even in single species various colour and patterns can be seen. They are distributed in the Indo-West Pacific regions where they lie burrowed in the shallow, soft and sandy bottoms. They occur in high densities and the individuals are usually very active. They feed on detritus and algae, sometimes depending on filter feeding unlike other snails. When confronted by predators they bury into the sandy bottom using their long foot or float into the water column to escape. They are non-edible ornamental gastropods that have high demand in the ornamental shellcraft industry

आन्ध्रा प्रदेश की गैस्‍ट्रोपोड मात्स्यिकी

मानव सभ्यता के आरम्भ से भारतीय परम्परा और अर्थव्यवस्था पर फाइलम मोलस्का का अद्तभु प्रभाव पड़ा है। हमारे देश में पुराने ज़माने से लेकर अब तक कवच हस्तशि ल्प एक प्रमुख उद्योग है। हमारे जीवन के औद्योगिक, प्रौद्योगिकीय और सौन्दर्य संबंधी विवि ध पहल ुओ ं पर मोलस्क का अधिक महत् व है। जठरपाद (गैस्‍ट्रोपोड) फाइलम मोलस्का के अंतर्गत आने वाला सबसे बड़ा और अत्यधिक विवि धता वाला वर्ग है

In vivo investigation of the tissue response to commercial Teflon insulin infusion sets in large swine for 14 days: the effect of angle of insertion on tissue histology and insulin spread within the subcutaneous tissue.

Objective: This study investigated the effects of the inflammatory tissue response (ITR) to an insulin infusion set (IIS) on insulin bolus spread over wear time, as well as the effect of cannula insertion angle on the ITR, bolus shape, and pump tubing pressure. Research design and methods: Angled or straight IISs were inserted every other day for 14 days into the subcutaneous tissue of 11 swine and insulin was delivered continuously. Prior to euthanasia, a 70 µL bolus of insulin/X-ray contrast agent was infused while recording a pressure profile (peak tubing pressure, pmax; area under the pressure curve, AUC), followed by the excision of the tissue-catheter specimen. Bolus surface area (SA) and volume (V) were assessed via micro-CT. Tissue was stained to analyze total area of inflammation (TAI) and inflammatory layer thickness (ILT) surrounding the cannula. Results: A bolus delivered through an angled IIS had a larger mean SA than a bolus delivered through a straight cannula (314.0±84.2 mm2 vs 229.0±99.7 mm2, p\u3c0.001) and a larger volume (198.7±66.9 mm3 vs 145.0±65.9 mm3, p=0.001). Both decreased significantly over wear time, independent of angle. There was a significant difference in TAI (angled, 9.1±4.0 mm2 vs straight, 14.3±8.6 mm2, p\u3c0.001) and ILT (angled, 0.7±0.4 vs straight, 1.2±0.7 mm, p\u3c0.001). pmax (p=0.005) and AUC (p=0.014) were lower using angled IIS. As ILT increased, pmax increased, while SA and V decreased. Conclusions: The progression of the ITR directly affected bolus shape and tubing pressure. Although straight insertion is clinically preferred, our data suggest that an angled IIS elicits lower grades of ITR and delivers a bolus with lower tubing pressure and greater SA and V. The subcutaneous environment plays a crucial role in IIS longevity, and the insertion angle needs to be considered in future IIS designs and clinical trials

Cephalopod fishery off Thoothukudi coast, Tamil Nadu

In Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, cephalopod resources are principally exploited by single day trawlers followed by hook and line. During 2012-18, nearly 54% of cephalopods landed were caught by mechanised trawl net; 32% by outboard crafts operating hook and line, 8% by gill net and rest by other gears. From 2012-18, the cephalopod landing showed a fluctuating trend and major cephalopod species landed by trawl net were Sepia pharaonis, S. prabahari, Sepioteuthis lessoniana, Uroteuthis (P) singhalensis and U. (P) duvaucelii. In hook and line, S. pharaonis was the dominant species followed by S. lessoniana and Octopus cyanea

Essential role of STAT5a in DCIS formation and invasion following estrogen treatment

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is one of the earliest stages of breast cancer (BCa). The mechanisms by which DCIS lesions progress to an invasive state while others remain indolent are yet to be fully characterized and both diagnosis and treatment of this pre-invasive disease could benefit from better understanding the pathways involved. While a decreased expression of Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) in the tumor microenvironment of patients with DCIS breast cancer was linked to progression to invasive breast cancer (IBC), the downstream effector(s) contributing to this process remain elusive. The current report shows elevated expression of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 5a (STAT5a) within the DCIS-like lesions in Cav-1 KO mice following estrogen treatment and inhibition of STAT5a expression prevented the formation of these mammary lesions. In addition, STAT5a overexpression in a human DCIS cell line (MCF10DCIS.com) promoted their invasion, a process accelerated by estrogen treatment and associated with increased levels of the matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) precursor. In sum, our results demonstrate a novel regulatory axis (Cav-1♦STAT5a♦MMP-9) in DCIS that is fully activated by the presence of estrogen. Our studies suggest to further study phosphorylated STAT5a (Y694) as a potential biomarker to guide and predict outcome of DCIS patient population

Policy enactment in schools: A culture of gender (in)equality Exploring the role of the school in the transformation of youth's gender-related beliefs, expectations and interactions in 'post-conflict' Medellín

Set within a 'post-conflict' context, this research project addresses the mutual constitution between violence and the existence of unequal power in gender relations (Confortini, 2006). Hereby, I contrast Colombia's legislature and policy on addressing gender equality in the education system with opinions and perceptions of local policy stakeholders, educational agents and students in Medellín. The main objective is to explore how youth's gender-relatedbeliefs, expectations and interactions can be transformed through a school culture that enacts education policies on gender equality in the complex context of gendered experiences in Medellín. Centred around two case studies, this research is guided by the use of mostly qualitative methods like in-depth interviews, focus group discussions initiated by a Likert-scale activity and photo-elicitation, and a complimentary quantitative questionnaire. I start with positioning youth's heterogeneous gendered experiences as embedded in a religious and machismo culture, in response to consequences of armed conflict, displacement and drug trafficking, and at the intersection with class, race and sexuality. Then, I analyse what in revision of Colombia's legislature could easily be labelled a "heaven for gender equality", uncovering how education policies travel into the reality of secondary schools. Lastly, I argue that human rights rhetoric in schools is not sufficient to provide young people with the necessary ability to transform their gender-related beliefs, expectations and interactions. In order to ensure that youth are empowered to challenge deeply-rooted gender norms, education policies, programmes and pedagogical projects need to be more context-specific and inclusive. This ties in with recent theorising on empowering youth as agents for change in their specific context. The policy implication is that we need to disrupt hierarchical structures between state and school, programme and educator, and teacher and student in Medellín

Tagungsbericht: Von schwarz-gelben Fußballgottesdiensten und Technopartys in der Kneipe: "Hybridisierung inszenierter Ereignisse - zur Diskussion zeitgeistiger Veranstaltungen"

Neue Ereignisformate der letzten Jahre - seien dies populärkulturelle Events, private Feste und Feiern, politische Ereignisse, wissenschaftliche Konferenzformate etc. - zeichnen sich oftmals aus durch eine gezielte Kombination und Durchmischung von Ereignissen verschiedener kultureller Bereiche. Diesen hybriden Phänomenen widmeten sich die Referierenden im Rahmen der internationalen Tagung "Hybridisierung inszenierter Ereignisse. Zur Diskussion zeitgeistiger Veranstaltungen", ausgerichtet am 8. und 9. April 2016 in Dortmund. Theoretisch-konzeptuelle Überlegungen fanden dabei ebenso Eingang wie Betrachtungen aus historischer und zeitgenössischer Perspektive. Schwerpunkte waren unter anderem die Hybridisierung in Szenen und des virtuellen Raums sowie die Neudeutung traditionaler Rituale und Anlässe. Neben deren Zusammenfassung zeichnen wir in diesem Tagungsbericht den während der Diskussionen geführten Versuch nach, das weite und diverse Feld uneindeutiger, durchmischter Ereignisse einzugrenzen und eine Definition auszuloten.Over recent years a variety of new types of events have emerged. One of their characteristics is the deliberate mixing and combination of different cultural areas. These hybrid phenomena are what the participants focused on at the international conference "The Hybridization of Staged Events. On Discussions about Events during Periods of Time" held in Dortmund, Germany on April 8 and 9, 2016. The contributions covered conceptual and theoretical frameworks as well as historical and contemporary perspectives. A special emphasis was put on topics such as hybridization in youth cultures and the virtual space, but also on the reinterpretation of traditional rituals and occasions. Furthermore, this article aims to outline the attempt to limit the wide and diverse topic of ambiguous, mixed events, as well as the attempt to decide on a definition