Effect of p-Layer and i-Layer Properties on the Electrical Behaviour of Advanced a-Si:H/a-SiGe:H Thin Film Solar Cell from Numerical Modeling Prospect

The effect of p-layer and i-layer characteristics such as thickness and doping concentration on the electrical behaviors of the a-Si:H/a-SiGe:H thin film heterostructure solar cells such as electric field, photogeneration rate, and recombination rate through the cell is investigated. Introducing Ge atoms to the Si lattice in Si-based solar cells is an effective approach in improving their characteristics. In particular, current density of the cell can be enhanced without deteriorating its open-circuit voltage. Optimization shows that for an appropriate Ge concentration, the efficiency of a-Si:H/a-SiGe solar cell is improved by about 6% compared with the traditional a-Si:H solar cell. This work presents a novel numerical evaluation and optimization of amorphous silicon double-junction (a-Si:H/a-SiGe:H) thin film solar cells and focuses on optimization of a-SiGe:H midgap single-junction solar cell based on the optimization of the doping concentration of the p-layer, thicknesses of the p-layer and i-layer, and Ge content in the film. Maximum efficiency of 23.5%, with short-circuit current density of 267 A/m2 and open-circuit voltage of 1.13 V for double-junction solar cell has been achieved

Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of Malus domestica fruit extract from Kashan area

Objective: Many species of plants present noticeable potency against human bacterial and fungal pathogens. Materials and Methods: In the current study, antimicrobial activity of the fresh fruits of 4 cultivars (A to D) of Malus domestica cultivated in the Qamsar area of Kashan, Iranwas investigated. The disk diffusion and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) evaluation antimicrobial activity tests were performed. Results: The samples showed moderate antimicrobial activities with inhibition zones from 11 to 16 mm in these tests. Cultivar D with inhibition zones of 16, 14, and 12 mm for E. coli, S. epidermidis and K. pneumoniae, respectively exhibited the best results in these tests. Cultivar A also showed a zone of inhibition of 11 mm against P. aerouginosa. Conclusion: Moderate antimicrobial activities were observed for the studied apple cultivars.

Identification of Coatings on Persian Lacquer Papier Mache Penboxes by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Luminescence Imaging

In this study, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and luminescence imaging were used to identify the coatings of seven Persian lacquer papier mache penboxes, of which two were contemporary, one was from the Pahlavi era, and four belonged to the Qajar era. First, FTIR was used to identify the nature of the coating. Then, UV-induced visible luminescence imaging at the spectral ranges of 420–680 nm (UVL), 425–495 nm (UVIBL), and 615–645 nm (UVIRL) was performed for further examination. The FTIR results showed that the coatings were made of alkyd resin, oil-resin varnish (Kaman oil), and shellac. In UV-induced visible luminescence images, synthetic alkyd resin showed no fluorescence, which made it distinguishable from the natural organic coatings. While it is slightly challenging to differentiate Kaman oil from shellac based on FTIR results, these two coatings can be easily distinguished by their fluorescence in UVL and UVIBL images. The results suggest that the combined use of spectroscopy and spectral imaging methods can provide substantial information about the organic coatings of historical objects

Evaluation of antioxidant activity of Malus domestica fruit extract from Kashan area

Objective: Antioxidants are considered as the main factors in the inhibition of unwanted oxidation reactions. Materials and Methods: In this research the antioxidant potential of the fresh fruits of 4 cultivars (A to D) of Malus domestica (M. domestica) cultivated in the Kashan, Qamsar area was evaluated. The antioxidant activity of the samples were evaluated using two complementary antioxidant assays: 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and β-carotene/linoleic acid tests and the results were compared with the synthetic standard antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Results: Total phenolic contents of the samples are also estimated by Folin-Ciocalteu's phenol test. In both DPPH β-carotene/linoleic acid tests in the concentration of 2 mg/ml, only samples from cultivar A showed moderate antioxidant activity with 63.92±0.42 and 6.02±0.03 inhibition percentages, respectively and other samples were weakly active. Conclusion: The Folin-Ciocalteu's phenol test was also showed very little phenolic compounds for the fruits. In conclusion, weak antioxidant activity was estimated for the studied apple cultivars

High Transverse Vaginal Septum with Vaginal and Cervical Agenesis in a 13-Year-Old Female: A Case Report

Background & aim: A vaginal septum is a condition in which the wall of the tissue dividing vagina does not resolve completely. This complication can be transverse and longitudinal. Although the occurrence of a transverse vaginal septum is 2 per 100,000 births, the exact etiology of this anomaly remains still unidentified. In this study, a case of high transverse vaginal septum with vaginal and cervical agenesis is reported.Case report: A 13-year-old single and virgin girl presented with cyclic abdominal pain. On examination and magnetic resonance imaging, vaginal and cervical agenesis was diagnosed. Surgical therapy included an incision in the lower part of the uterus at the site of the bulging and the use of a hysterometer passing down the uterus. The cervix was not touched, cervical agenesis was diagnosed, and the patient underwent abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral tubal salpingectomy. The pathological results confirmed the cervical agenesis.Conclusion: It is recommended that in patients with high transverse vaginal septum, hysterectomy be performed for the treatment of cervical and vaginal agenesis. However, it may not be a suitable treatment choice for some cases, and it is better to decide based on the patient's condition

Quality of Life Following Pelvic Organ Prolapse Treatments in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Quality of life (QoL) improvement is one of the main outcomes in the management of pelvic organ prolapse as a chronic illness in women. This systematic review aimed to investigate the impact of surgical or pessary treatment for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) on quality of life. Methods: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was applied. Electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, were searched for original articles that evaluated the QoL before and after surgical interventions or pessary in pelvic organ prolapse from 1 January 2012 until 30 June 2022 with a combination of proper keywords. Included studies were categorized based on interventions, and they were tabulated to summarize the results. Results: Overall, 587 citations were retrieved. Of these, 76 articles were found eligible for final review. Overall, three categories of intervention were identified: vaginal surgeries (47 studies), abdominal surgeries (18 studies), and pessary intervention (11 studies). Almost all interventions were associated with improved quality of life. The results of the meta-analysis showed a significant association between the employment of surgical approach techniques (including vaginal and abdominal surgeries) and the quality of life (Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI) (MD: −48.08, 95% CI: −62.34 to −33.77, p-value p p < 0.01)). Furthermore, narrative synthesis for studies investigating the effect of the pessary approach showed a positive association between the use of this instrument and improvement in the quality of life and sexual activity. Conclusions: The results of our study revealed a significant improvement in the women’s quality of life following abdominal and vaginal reconstructive surgery. The use of pessary was also associated with increased patient quality of life

New polyacetylenes from <i>Echinophora cinerea</i> (Boiss.) Hedge <i>et</i> Lamond

<p><i>Echinophora cinerea</i> aerial parts are used in folk medicine to cure gastric diseases and as a food seasoning in cheese and yogurt. Besides several pharmacological effects have been assigned to <i>Echinophora</i> spp., there is no phytochemical investigation on this genus other than our previous publication on flavonoids. An acetone extract of <i>E. cinerea</i> afforded three new (<b>1–3</b>) polyacetylenes, one rare monoterpenoid glycoside as verbenone-5-<i>O</i>-<i>β</i>-D-glycopyranoside (<b>4</b>) and one prenylated coumarin as osthol (<b>5</b>). The structures of all new compounds were elucidated using modern spectroscopic methods, including 2D NMR and mass analyses. The potency of the compounds to induce cell death was determined on SKNMC, PC3 and MCF-7 cell lines using MTT method in which compounds <b>1</b> and <b>2</b> showed moderate cytotoxic effects, especially against PC3 cells.</p