Polypoid Endobronchial Lung Cyst with Bronchoscopic Removal : A Case Report

Pulmonary bronchogenic cyst in adults is rare and the typical appearance is a sharply circumscribed, round or oval nodule or mass, usually in the medial third of the lungs. Bronchial polyps are rare histopathologically distinct nonneoplastic endobronchial lesions and are classified as multiple papillomas, solitary papillomas, and inflammatory polyps. We herein report a patient with polypoid endobronchial lung cyst. A 68-yr-old woman presented with a discomfort and pain in the right upper chest of four weeks??duration. Chest radiography revealed a cystic lesion in the right upper lung. Computed tomography revealed a 4×5 cm sized large cyst. Neither enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes nor extrabronchial involvements were observed. Flexible bronchoscopy revealed a peduncular polyp about 2 cm in length originating from the anterior segment of right upper lung. After bronchoscopic removal of polyp, cystic lesion of the right upper lung disappeared

Efficient Performance of Electrostatic Spray-Deposited TiO2 Blocking Layers in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells after Swift Heavy Ion Beam Irradiation

A compact TiO2 layer (~1.1 μm) prepared by electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) and swift heavy ion beam (SHI) irradiation using oxygen ions onto a fluorinated tin oxide (FTO) conducting substrate showed enhancement of photovoltaic performance in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The short circuit current density (Jsc = 12.2 mA cm-2) of DSSCs was found to increase significantly when an ESD technique was applied for fabrication of the TiO2 blocking layer, compared to a conventional spin-coated layer (Jsc = 8.9 mA cm-2). When SHI irradiation of oxygen ions of fluence 1 × 1013 ions/cm2 was carried out on the ESD TiO2, it was found that the energy conversion efficiency improved mainly due to the increase in open circuit voltage of DSSCs. This increased energy conversion efficiency seems to be associated with improved electronic energy transfer by increasing the densification of the blocking layer and improving the adhesion between the blocking layer and the FTO substrate. The adhesion results from instantaneous local melting of the TiO2 particles. An increase in the electron transport from the blocking layer may also retard the electron recombination process due to the oxidized species present in the electrolyte. These findings from novel treatments using ESD and SHI irradiation techniques may provide a new tool to improve the photovoltaic performance of DSSCs

Inhalation toxicity of humidifier disinfectants as a risk factor of children’s interstitial lung disease in Korea: a case-control study

Abstract Background: The occurrence of numerous cases of interstitial lung disease in children (chILD) every spring in Korea starting in 2006 raised suspicion about a causal relationship with the use of humidifier disinfectants (HDs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between HD use and the risk of chILD

The performance of coupled (CdS:CdSe) quantum dot-sensitized TiO₂ nanofibrous solar cells

Highly porous networks and reduced grain boundaries with one-dimensional (1-D) nanofibrous morphology offer enhanced charge transport in solar cells applications. Quantum dot (QDs) decorated TiO2 nanofibrous electrodes, unlike organic dye sensitizers, can yield multiple carrier generations due to the quantum confinement effect. This paper describes the first attempt to combine these two novel approaches, in which CdS (∼18 nm) and CdSe (∼8 nm) QDs are sensitized onto electrospun TiO2 nanofibrous (diameter ∼80–100 nm) electrodes. The photovoltaic performances of single (CdS and CdSe) and coupled (CdS/CdSe) QDs-sensitized TiO2 fibrous electrodes are demonstrated in sandwich-type solar cells using polysulfide electrolyte. The observed difficulties in charge injection and lesser spectral coverage of single QDs-sensitizers are solved by coupling (CdS:CdSe) two QDs-sensitizers, resulting in a enhanced open-circuit voltage (0.64 V) with 2.69% efficiency. These results suggest the versatility of fibrous electrodes in QDs-sensitized solar cell applications. Keywords: QDs-solar cells, TiO2 nanofibrous, CdS QDs, CdSe QDs, Quantum efficienc