Simulation Study on the Open-Circuit Voltage of Amorphous Silicon p-i-n Solar Cells Using AMPS-1D

AMPS-1D (Analysis of Microelectronic and Photonic Structure) simulation program was used to simulate Amorphous Silicon p-i-n Solar Cell. The simulated result of illuminated current density-voltage characteristics was in a good agreement with experimental values. The dependence of the open-circuit voltage on the characteristics of the a-Si:H intrinsic layer was investigated. The simulation result shows that the open-circuit voltage does not depend on the thickness of the intrinsic layer. The open-circuit voltage decreases when the front contact barrier height is small or the energy gap of the intrinsic layer is small. The open-circuit voltage increases when the distribution of the tail states is sharp or the capture cross sections of these states are small. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/3432

Promising Use of Cyclodextrin-Based Non-Viral Vectors for Gene and Oligonucleotide Drugs

Genes, short-hairpin RNA (shRNA), small-interfering RNA (siRNA), and decoy DNA can be principally used as tools for the treatment and prevention of many disorders, including but not limited to cancers, genetic disorders, and inherited diseases. This is accomplished by introducing exogenous nucleic acids into mammalian cells to modulate gene expression. However, direct use of such oligonucleotide drugs is hampered by several barriers, including their degradation by nucleases present in the blood and extracellular fluid, cell-membrane impermeability, and their retention in endosomes. To address this issue, the development of safe and effective delivery vectors has emerged as the main fundamental challenge for successful gene and oligonucleotide therapy. Due to the intrinsic risks associated with viral vectors, non-viral vectors have attracted increasing attention as gene and oligonucleotide carriers. We originally developed various cyclodextrin (CyD) conjugates with polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers as novel CyD-based polymers for the delivery of plasmid DNA, siRNA, shRNA, and decoy DNA. In this review, we describe the recent findings on PAMAM dendrimer conjugates using CyDs as carriers for gene, shRNA, siRNA, and decoy DNA delivery

GIS and AHP based modeling for landfill site selection (case study: west side of Mosul city)

The accumulation of large quantities of solid waste inside Mosul city becomes a real residential and municipal management problem. There are many reasons including the existence of unplanned dumping sites within the city boundaries, and the absence of scientific researches which applies modern techniques for selecting the optimal solid waste landfill. This study uses geographic information system (GIS) and analytic hierarchical process (AHP) which is used to extract the weights with the help of Super Decision SD software. The studied variables data can be classified according to specified processing method into two types: continuous data, and discrete data. The ranking map has been designed after multiplying each variable with its extracted weight, then the final map has been created based on the values obtained from the ranking map. The results show that the optimal landfill area is located at south west Mosul city. This study aims at building a model by using GIS to determine the optimal and potential solid waste landfill site

Anemia prevalence in women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2018

Anemia is a globally widespread condition in women and is associated with reduced economic productivity and increased mortality worldwide. Here we map annual 2000–2018 geospatial estimates of anemia prevalence in women of reproductive age (15–49 years) across 82 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), stratify anemia by severity and aggregate results to policy-relevant administrative and national levels. Additionally, we provide subnational disparity analyses to provide a comprehensive overview of anemia prevalence inequalities within these countries and predict progress toward the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target (WHO GNT) to reduce anemia by half by 2030. Our results demonstrate widespread moderate improvements in overall anemia prevalence but identify only three LMICs with a high probability of achieving the WHO GNT by 2030 at a national scale, and no LMIC is expected to achieve the target in all their subnational administrative units. Our maps show where large within-country disparities occur, as well as areas likely to fall short of the WHO GNT, offering precision public health tools so that adequate resource allocation and subsequent interventions can be targeted to the most vulnerable populations.Peer reviewe

Mapping subnational HIV mortality in six Latin American countries with incomplete vital registration systems

BackgroundHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a public health priority in Latin America. While the burden of HIV is historically concentrated in urban areas and high-risk groups, subnational estimates that cover multiple countries and years are missing. This paucity is partially due to incomplete vital registration (VR) systems and statistical challenges related to estimating mortality rates in areas with low numbers of HIV deaths. In this analysis, we address this gap and provide novel estimates of the HIV mortality rate and the number of HIV deaths by age group, sex, and municipality in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico.MethodsWe performed an ecological study using VR data ranging from 2000 to 2017, dependent on individual country data availability. We modeled HIV mortality using a Bayesian spatially explicit mixed-effects regression model that incorporates prior information on VR completeness. We calibrated our results to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.ResultsAll countries displayed over a 40-fold difference in HIV mortality between municipalities with the highest and lowest age-standardized HIV mortality rate in the last year of study for men, and over a 20-fold difference for women. Despite decreases in national HIV mortality in all countries-apart from Ecuador-across the period of study, we found broad variation in relative changes in HIV mortality at the municipality level and increasing relative inequality over time in all countries. In all six countries included in this analysis, 50% or more HIV deaths were concentrated in fewer than 10% of municipalities in the latest year of study. In addition, national age patterns reflected shifts in mortality to older age groups-the median age group among decedents ranged from 30 to 45years of age at the municipality level in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico in 2017.ConclusionsOur subnational estimates of HIV mortality revealed significant spatial variation and diverging local trends in HIV mortality over time and by age. This analysis provides a framework for incorporating data and uncertainty from incomplete VR systems and can help guide more geographically precise public health intervention to support HIV-related care and reduce HIV-related deaths.Peer reviewe

Global, regional, and national cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life-years for 32 cancer groups, 1990 to 2015: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study Global Burden of Disease Cancer Collaboration

IMPORTANCE: Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Current estimates on the burden of cancer are needed for cancer control planning. OBJECTIVE: To estimate mortality, incidence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 32 cancers in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2015. EVIDENCE REVIEW: Cancer mortality was estimated using vital registration system data, cancer registry incidence data (transformed to mortality estimates using separately estimated mortality to incidence [MI] ratios), and verbal autopsy data. Cancer incidence was calculated by dividing mortality estimates through the modeled MI ratios. To calculate cancer prevalence, MI ratios were used to model survival. To calculate YLDs, prevalence estimates were multiplied by disability weights. The YLLs were estimated by multiplying age-specific cancer deaths by the reference life expectancy. DALYs were estimated as the sum of YLDs and YLLs. A sociodemographic index (SDI) was created for each location based on income per capita, educational attainment, and fertility. Countries were categorized by SDI quintiles to summarize results. FINDINGS: In 2015, there were 17.5 million cancer cases worldwide and 8.7 million deaths. Between 2005 and 2015, cancer cases increased by 33%, with population aging contributing 16%, population growth 13%, and changes in age-specific rates contributing 4%. For men, the most common cancer globally was prostate cancer (1.6 million cases). Tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer deaths and DALYs in men (1.2 million deaths and 25.9 million DALYs). For women, the most common cancer was breast cancer (2.4 million cases). Breast cancer was also the leading cause of cancer deaths and DALYs for women (523 000 deaths and 15.1 million DALYs). Overall, cancer caused 208.3 million DALYs worldwide in 2015 for both sexes combined. Between 2005 and 2015, age-standardized incidence rates for all cancers combined increased in 174 of 195 countries or territories. Age-standardized death rates (ASDRs) for all cancers combined decreased within that timeframe in 140 of 195 countries or territories. Countries with an increase in the ASDR due to all cancers were largely located on the African continent. Of all cancers, deaths between 2005 and 2015 decreased significantly for Hodgkin lymphoma (-6.1% [95% uncertainty interval (UI), -10.6% to -1.3%]). The number of deaths also decreased for esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, and chronic myeloid leukemia, although these results were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: As part of the epidemiological transition, cancer incidence is expected to increase in the future, further straining limited health care resources. Appropriate allocation of resources for cancer prevention, early diagnosis, and curative and palliative care requires detailed knowledge of the local burden of cancer. The GBD 2015 study results demonstrate that progress is possible in the war against cancer. However, the major findings also highlight an unmet need for cancer prevention efforts, including tobacco control, vaccination, and the promotion of physical activity and a healthy diet