Dutch Oncology COVID-19 consortium:Outcome of COVID-19 in patients with cancer in a nationwide cohort study

Aim of the study: Patients with cancer might have an increased risk for severe outcome of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To identify risk factors associated with a worse outcome of COVID-19, a nationwide registry was developed for patients with cancer and COVID-19. Methods: This observational cohort study has been designed as a quality of care registry and is executed by the Dutch Oncology COVID-19 Consortium (DOCC), a nationwide collaboration of oncology physicians in the Netherlands. A questionnaire has been developed to collect pseudonymised patient data on patients' characteristics, cancer diagnosis and treatment. All patients with COVID-19 and a cancer diagnosis or treatment in the past 5 years are eligible. Results: Between March 27th and May 4th, 442 patients were registered. For this first analysis, 351 patients were included of whom 114 patients died. In multivariable analyses, age ≥65 years (p < 0.001), male gender (p = 0.035), prior or other malignancy (p = 0.045) and active diagnosis of haematological malignancy (p = 0.046) or lung cancer (p = 0.003) were independent risk factors for a fatal outcome of COVID-19. In a subgroup analysis of patients with active malignancy, the risk for a fatal outcome was mainly determined by tumour type (haematological malignancy or lung cancer) and age (≥65 years). Conclusion: The findings in this registry indicate that patients with a haematological malignancy or lung cancer have an increased risk of a worse outcome of COVID-19. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, these vulnerable patients should avoid exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, whereas treatment adjustments and prioritising vaccination, when available, should also be considered

High efficiency thin-film solar cells for space applications: challenges and opportunities

In theory high efficiency thin-film III-V solar cells obtained by the epitaxial lift-off (ELO) technique offer excellent characteristics for application in space solar panels. The thesis describes several studies that investigate the space compatibility of the thin-film solar cell design developed at Radboud University. The main focus of the thesis is the effect of the harsh space environment (electron and proton radiation, harsh UV, temperature cycling, high vacuum) on the interactions between the semiconductor (GaAs) solar cell and the gold contacts and copper handling and stabilization foil. Accelerated ageing tests with a substrate-based model system show that the device performance may be severely affected by in diffusion of copper. Further investigation shows that two different degradation mechanisms can be distinguished. At relatively low test temperatures (< 250°C) the contact metals merely intermix without a large effect on the electrical performance of the solar cell, while at higher test temperatures (= 250°C) intermixing of the metals and recrystallization of the metals with the semiconductor occurs. This recrystallization process allows for rapid diffusion of copper into the active device structure, where it diminishes the solar cell performance. Several metals were tested for their suitability as diffusion barriers. It is shown that Ni barrier layers offer the potential to reduce device degradation as a result of copper diffusion. However, the mechanism by which the Ni barriers operate makes them unsuitable for application in thin-film solar cells. Further investigation of potential barrier materials is therefore necessary. Finally experiments with thin-film cells on gold and copper carriers have shown that there is a definite potential for application of thin-film solar cells in space, but that further investigations and adaptations are required. Particularly the effects of thermally induced stress should be studied in more detail

Effects of copper diffusion in gallium arsenide solar cells for space applications

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Degradation mechanism(s) of GaAs solar cells with Cu contacts

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Temperature-Induced Degradation of Thin-Film III-V Solar Cells for Space Applications

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Flexible shielding layers for solar cells in space applications

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Metal diffusion barriers for GaAs solar cells

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