The golden fig: a plasmonic effect study of organic-based solar cells

An optimization work on dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on both artificial and natural dyes was carried out by a fine synthesis work embedding gold nanoparticles in a TiO(2) semiconductor and perfecting the TiO(2) particle sizes of the scattering layer. Noble metal nanostructures are known for the surface plasmon resonance peculiarity that reveals unique properties and has been implemented in several fields such as sensing, photocatalysis, optical antennas and PV devices. By embedding gold nanoparticles in the mesoporous TiO(2) layer and adding a scattering layer, we were able to boost the power conversion efficiency (PCE) to 10.8%, using an organic ruthenium complex. The same implementation was carried out using a natural dye, betalains, extracted from Sicilian prickly pear. In this case, the conversion efficiency doubled from 1 to 2% (measured at 1 SUN illumination, 100 mW/cm(2) under solar simulation irradiation). Moreover, we obtained (measured at 0.1 SUN, 10 mW/cm(2) under blue light LED irradiation) a record efficiency of 15% with the betalain-based dye, paving the way for indoor applications in organic natural devices. Finally, an attempt to scale up the system is shown, and a betalain-based- dye-sensitized solar module (DSSM), with an active area of 43.2 cm(2) and a PCE of 1.02%, was fabricated for the first time

Chromosome 15q BP3 to BP5 deletion is a likely locus for speech delay and language impairment: Report on a four-member family and an unrelated boy

Background: Deletions in chromosome 15q13 have been reported both in healthy people and individuals with a wide range of behavioral and neuropsychiatric disturbances. Six main breakpoint (BP) subregions (BP1-BP6) are mapped to the 15q13 region and three further embedded BP regions (BP3-BP5). The deletion at BP4-BP5 is the rearrangement most frequently observed compared to other known deletions in BP3-BP5 and BP3-BP4 regions. Deletions of each of these three regions have previously been implicated in a variable range of clinical phenotypes, including minor dysmorphism, developmental delay/intellectual disability, epilepsy, autism spectrum disorders, behavioral disturbances, and speech disorders. Of note, no overt clinical difference among each group of BP region deletions has been recorded so far. Methods: We report on a four-member family plus an additional unrelated boy affected by a BP3-BP5 deletion that presented with typical clinical signs including speech delay and language impairment. A review of the clinical features associated with the three main groups of BP regions (BP4-BP5, BP3-BP5, and BP3-BP4) deletions is reported. Results: Array-CGH analysis revealed in the mother (case 1) and in her three children (cases 2, 3, and 4), as well as in the unrelated boy (case 5), the following rearrangement: arr (hg19) 15q13.1-q13.3 (29.213.402-32.510.863) x1. Conclusion: This report, along with other recent observations, suggests the hypothesis that the BP region comprised between BP3 and BP5 in chromosome 15q13 is involved in several brain human dysfunctions, including impairment of the language development and, its deletion, may be directly or indirectly responsible for the speech delay and language deficit in the affected individuals

Effect of initial levothyroxine dose on neurodevelopmental and growth outcomes in children with congenital hypothyroidism

We designed a multicentre open prospective randomized trial to evaluate the risk-benefit profile of two different initial treatment schemes with levothyroxine (L-T4), 10-12.5 μg/kg/day vs 12.6-15 μg/kg/day, on growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) detected by neonatal screening to identify the best range dose to achieve optimal neurocognitive development

Enhanced Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution in Au–Fe Nanoalloys

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the most critical step in water splitting, still limiting the development of efficient alkaline water electrolyzers. Here we investigate the OER activity of Au–Fe nanoalloys obtained by laser-ablation synthesis in solution. This method allows a high amount of iron (up to 11 at %) to be incorporated into the gold lattice, which is not possible in Au–Fe alloys synthesized by other routes, due to thermodynamic constraints. The Au0.89Fe0.11 nanoalloys exhibit strongly enhanced OER in comparison to the individual pure metal nanoparticles, lowering the onset of OER and increasing up to 20 times the current density in alkaline aqueous solutions. Such a remarkable electrocatalytic activity is associated to nanoalloying, as demonstrated by comparative examples with physical mixtures of gold and iron nanoparticles. These results open attractive scenarios to the use of kinetically stable nanoalloys for catalysis and energy conversion

The SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics' resources: focus on curated databases

The SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (www.isb-sib.ch) provides world-class bioinformatics databases, software tools, services and training to the international life science community in academia and industry. These solutions allow life scientists to turn the exponentially growing amount of data into knowledge. Here, we provide an overview of SIB's resources and competence areas, with a strong focus on curated databases and SIB's most popular and widely used resources. In particular, SIB's Bioinformatics resource portal ExPASy features over 150 resources, including UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot, ENZYME, PROSITE, neXtProt, STRING, UniCarbKB, SugarBindDB, SwissRegulon, EPD, arrayMap, Bgee, SWISS-MODEL Repository, OMA, OrthoDB and other databases, which are briefly described in this article

Studio sulla valorizzazione della crusca di canapa come sottoprodotto industriale, analisi della capacità prebiotica.

In questo lavoro di tesi è stata studiata l’idrolisi batterica del sottoprodotto crusca della farina di semi di canapa ottenuta dalla lavorazione industriale della canapa da fibra e/o alimentare (Cannabis sativa L.), con lo scopo di valorizzarne i componenti bioattivi rilasciati, per un loro impiego nell’industria alimentare o cosmetica. In particolare, oltre alla capacità di idrolizzare e rendere maggiormente bio-accessibili le proteine vegetali della canapa, si è voluto studiarne le capacità prebiotiche sui batteri benefici del tratto gastro-intestinale umano. Dopo aver messo a punto un protocollo che comprendeva sia un trattamento termico che la diluizione ottimale della sospensione della crusca, questa è stata fermentata con differenti specie di Lactobacillus spp.: L. casei, L. rhamnosus, L. plantarum e L. fermentum. L’inoculo batterico iniziale è stato di 6 Log10 CFU/ml e l’idrolisi è stata condotta prima in una fase di screening per 24 ore e poi in una fase in tempi prolungati fino a 72 ore, utilizzando solo le combinazioni e le specie batteriche più promettenti. Le performance di crescita sono state studiate con la quantificazione del carico microbico e la valutazione del pH del mezzo. La quantificazione è stata eseguita sia con tecnica coltura-dipendente, che con coltura-indipendente, tramite qPCR. Inoltre, su differenti campioni di crusca di canapa è stato condotto il saggio di attività prebiotica, anch’esso per via molecolare, confrontandone le performances con farina di semi di canapa e con Frutto-oligosaccaridi di cicoria (FOS). I risultati hanno mostrato che il campione con l’attività prebiotica maggiore verso Lactobacillus probiotico è quella idrolizzata da un pool di tre specie di lattobacilli differenti; mentre verso Bifidobacterium probiotico è quella della crusca che ha subito solo trattamento termico. Nel primo caso, l’attività prebiotica aveva valori simili al FOS, che ad oggi è l'unico composto con l'indicazione prebiotica accettata dall'EFS

L'appréhension du terrorisme en droit belge : étude des principales infractions adoptées sous l'impulsion de l'Union européenne

Ce mémoire porte sur l'analyse des principales infractions adoptées en matière de terrorisme depuis 2003. Il est également question du positionnement de la Cour constitutionnelle sur la législation anti-terorriste. Une attention particulière est également consacrée à des décisions jurisprudentielles récentes en la matière.Master [120] en droit, Université catholique de Louvain, 2016La diffusion de ce mémoire n'est pas autorisée par l'institutio