Effect of the deposition time on optical and electrical properties of semiconductor ZnS thin films prepared by chemical bath deposition

Semiconductor ZnS thin films have been deposited by a chemical bath deposition (CBD) on a glass substrate at 80 °C with different deposition time (4, 6 and 8 h). The films have been further studied in order to determine the change in optical and electrical properties as a function of deposition time. The film thicknesses have been calculated between 210–1375 nm by using gravimetrical analysis. The optical properties of ZnS thin films have been determined by transmittance (%T) and absorbance (A) measurements by UV-Vis spectroscopy operated wavelength range between 300 and 1100 nm at room temperature. The optical transmittance values of ZnS thin films in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum have been found to be between 51–90%. The calculations indicate that the refractive index (n) in the visible region is between 1.40 and 2.45. The optical band gaps (Eg) of thin films have been calculated between 3.61–3.88 eV while the band edge sharpness values (B) are varied between 6.95×109–8.96×1010 eV/cm2. The specific resistivity values (ρ) of the films are found to be between 1.08×105–1.01×106 Ω·cm and exhibit an n-type conductivity by Hall measurement

Nuclear Environments Inspection with Micro Aerial Vehicles: Algorithms and Experiments

In this work, we address the estimation, planning, control and mapping problems to allow a small quadrotor to autonomously inspect the interior of hazardous damaged nuclear sites. These algorithms run onboard on a computationally limited CPU. We investigate the effect of varying illumination on the system performance. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first fully autonomous system of this size and scale applied to inspect the interior of a full scale mock-up of a Primary Containment Vessel (PCV). The proposed solution opens up new ways to inspect nuclear reactors and to support nuclear decommissioning, which is well known to be a dangerous, long and tedious process. Experimental results with varying illumination conditions show the ability to navigate a full scale mock-up PCV pedestal and create a map of the environment, while concurrently avoiding obstacles.Comment: 10 pages, ISER 201

Clinical symptoms and signs in hamsters during experimental infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (Coronaviridae: <i>Betacoronavirus</i>)

Introduction. At the beginning of December 2019, humanity has faced a new problem caused by coronavirus. In Hubei province of central China, epidemic events associated with severe primary viral pneumonia in humans began to develop. The isolated etiological agent was identified as a representative of Coronaviridae family. The global pandemic associated with the new coronavirus infection, acute respiratory syndrome type 2 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome 2, SARS-CoV-2), has become a challenge for humanity. Objective. In our work, we assessed the replicative ability and pathogenesis of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in hamsters. Materials and methods. Syrian hamsters (n=16) randomly divided into two groups were used in experiment. The first group was infected intranasally with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, strain SARS-CoV-2/human/KAZ/KZ_Almaty/2020 deposited in GenBank under number MZ379258.1. The second group remained as a control group. Clinical manifestations of the disease in hamsters were observed within 14 days. Samples were collected on days 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, and 14 postinfection. The obtained samples were tested for viral isolation in cell culture, histological examination and analysis of viral RNA by RT-PCR. Results. SARS-CoV-2 virus isolates showed efficient replication in the lungs of hamsters, causing pathological lung lesions in animals infected intranasally. Clinical manifestations of the disease in hamsters infected with this virus were characterized by a decrease in temperature and body weight, wetness and ruffled fur, and frequent stroking of the nasal planum. High virus titers were observed following the virus isolation in cell cultures from nasal, oral swabs and lungs of animals infected intranasally. Pathological autopsy demonstrated pathological changes in the lungs. Moreover, transmission by airborne droplets has been established when a healthy hamster was kept together with animals infected using the intranasal method. Conclusion. In conclusion, our study showed that the Syrian hamster model is a useful tool for studying the SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, as well as testing vaccine candidates against acute respiratory syndrome type 2

Efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus as second-line therapy for patients with autoimmune hepatitis

Background: Predniso(lo)ne, alone or in combination with azathioprine, is the standard of care (SOC) therapy for autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). However, the SOC therapy is poorly tolerated or does not control disease activity in up to 20% of patients. We assessed the efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and tacrolimus as second-line therapy for patients with AIH. Patients and methods: We performed a retrospective study of data (from 19 centres in Europe, the United States, Canada, and China) from 201 patients with AIH who received second-line therapy (121 received MMF and 80 received tacrolimus), for a median of 62 months (range, 6–190 months). Patients were categorized according to their response to SOC. Patients in group 1 (n=108) had a complete response to the SOC, but were switched to second line therapy due to side effects of predniso(lo)ne or azathioprine, whereas patients in group 2 (n=93) had not responded to SOC. Results: There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients with a complete response to MMF (69.4%) vs tacrolimus (72.5%) (P=.639). In group 1, MMF and tacrolimus maintained a biochemical remission in 91.9% and 94.1% of patients, respectively (P=.682). Significantly more group 2 patients given tacrolimus compared to MMF had a complete response (56.5 % vs. 34%, P=.029) There were similar proportions of liver-related deaths or liver transplantation among patients given MMF (13.2%) vs tacrolimus (10.3%) (log-rank, P=.472). Ten patients receiving MMF (8.3%) and 10 patients receiving tacrolimus (12.5%) developed side effects that required therapy withdrawal. Conclusions: Long-term therapy with MMF or tacrolimus was generally well tolerated by patients with AIH. The agents were equally effective in previous complete responders who did not tolerate SOC therapy. Tacrolimus led to a complete response in a greater proportion of previous non-responder patients compared to MMF

Continuous Glucose Monitors and Activity Trackers to Inform Insulin Dosing in Type 1 Diabetes: The University of Virginia Contribution

Objective: Suboptimal insulin dosing in type 1 diabetes (T1D) is frequently associated with time-varying insulin requirements driven by various psycho-behavioral and physiological factors influencing insulin sensitivity (IS). Among these, physical activity has been widely recognized as a trigger of altered IS both during and following the exercise effort, but limited indication is available for the management of structured and (even more) unstructured activity in T1D. In this work, we present two methods to inform insulin dosing with biosignals from wearable sensors to improve glycemic control in individuals with T1D. Research Design and Methods: Continuous glucose monitors (CGM) and activity trackers are leveraged by the methods. The first method uses CGM records to estimate IS in real time and adjust the insulin dose according to a person&rsquo;s insulin needs; the second method uses step count data to inform the bolus calculation with the residual glucose-lowering effects of recently performed (structured or unstructured) physical activity. The methods were tested in silico within the University of Virginia/Padova T1D Simulator. A standard bolus calculator and the proposed &ldquo;smart&rdquo; systems were deployed in the control of one meal in presence of increased/decreased IS (Study 1) and following a 1-hour exercise bout (Study 2). Postprandial glycemic control was assessed in terms of time spent in different glycemic ranges and low/high blood glucose indices (LBGI/HBGI), and compared between the dosing strategies. Results: In Study 1, the CGM-informed system allowed to reduce exposure to hypoglycemia in presence of increased IS (percent time &lt; 70 mg/dL: 6.1% versus 9.9%; LBGI: 1.9 versus 3.2) and exposure to hyperglycemia in presence of decreased IS (percent time &gt; 180 mg/dL: 14.6% versus 18.3%; HBGI: 3.0 versus 3.9), tending toward optimal control. In Study 2, the step count-informed system allowed to reduce hypoglycemia (percent time &lt; 70 mg/dL: 3.9% versus 13.4%; LBGI: 1.7 versus 3.2) at the cost of a minor increase in exposure to hyperglycemia (percent time &gt; 180 mg/dL: 11.9% versus 7.5%; HBGI: 2.4 versus 1.5). Conclusions: We presented and validated in silico two methods for the smart dosing of prandial insulin in T1D. If seen within an ensemble, the two algorithms provide alternatives to individuals with T1D for improving insulin dosing accommodating a large variety of treatment options. Future work will be devoted to test the safety and efficacy of the methods in free-living conditions

Effect of the deposition time on optical and electrical properties of semiconductor ZnS thin films prepared by chemical bath deposition

471-477Semiconductor ZnS thin films have been deposited by a chemical bath deposition (CBD) on a glass substrate at 80 °C with different deposition time (4, 6 and 8 h). The films have been further studied in order to determine the change in optical and electrical properties as a function of deposition time. The film thicknesses have been calculated between 210–1375 nm by using gravimetrical analysis. The optical properties of ZnS thin films have been determined by transmittance (%T) and absorbance (A) measurements by UV-Vis spectroscopy operated wavelength range between 300 and 1100 nm at room temperature. The optical transmittance values of ZnS thin films in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum have been found to be between 51–90%. The calculations indicate that the refractive index (n) in the visible region is between 1.40 and 2.45. The optical band gaps (Eg) of thin films have been calculated between 3.61–3.88 eV while the band edge sharpness values (B) are varied between 6.95×109–8.96×1010 eV/cm2. The specific resistivity values (ρ) of the films are found to be between 1.08×105–1.01×106 Ω·cm and exhibit an n-type conductivity by Hall measurement

Effect of the deposition time on optical and electrical properties of semiconductor ZnS thin films prepared by chemical bath deposition

471-477Semiconductor ZnS thin films have been deposited by a chemical bath deposition (CBD) on a glass substrate at 80 °C with different deposition time (4, 6 and 8 h). The films have been further studied in order to determine the change in optical and electrical properties as a function of deposition time. The film thicknesses have been calculated between 210–1375 nm by using gravimetrical analysis. The optical properties of ZnS thin films have been determined by transmittance (%T) and absorbance (A) measurements by UV-Vis spectroscopy operated wavelength range between 300 and 1100 nm at room temperature. The optical transmittance values of ZnS thin films in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum have been found to be between 51–90%. The calculations indicate that the refractive index (n) in the visible region is between 1.40 and 2.45. The optical band gaps (Eg) of thin films have been calculated between 3.61–3.88 eV while the band edge sharpness values (B) are varied between 6.95×109–8.96×1010 eV/cm2. The specific resistivity values (ρ) of the films are found to be between 1.08×105–1.01×106 Ω·cm and exhibit an n-type conductivity by Hall measurement

Effect of the deposition time on optical and electrical properties of semiconductor ZnS thin films prepared by chemical bath deposition

Semiconductor ZnS thin films have been deposited by a chemical bath deposition (CBD) on a glass substrate at 80 °C with different deposition time (4, 6 and 8 h). The films have been further studied in order to determine the change in optical and electrical properties as a function of deposition time. The film thicknesses have been calculated between 210 - 1375 nm by using gravimetrical analysis. The optical properties of ZnS thin films have been determined by transmittance (%T) and absorbance (A) measurements by UV-Vis spectroscopy operated wavelength range between 300 and 1100 nm at room temperature. The optical transmittance values of ZnS thin films in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum have been found to be between 51-90%. The calculations indicate that the refractive index (n) in the visible region is between 1.40 and 2.45. The optical band gaps (Eg) of thin films have been calculated between 3.61-3.88 eV while the band edge sharpness values (B) are varied between 6.95 × 109-8.96 × 1010 eV/cm2. The specific resistivity values (p) of the films are found to be between 1.08 × 105-1.01 × 106 ?cm and exhibit an n-Type conductivity by Hall measurement