Simulation and optimization of n-type PERL silicon solar cell structure

Optimization of structure and process parameters of PERL (Passivated Emitter Rear Locally Diffused) silicon solar cell using SILVACO software package has been carried out. PERL single junction silicon solar cells are reported by researchers to have high efficiency (~ 20-25 %) and are promising for further improvement. Optimization is based on process and device simulation in SILVACO software package and integrating a Response Surface Methodology for optimal solution. Optimization of texture dimensions and ARC is followed by process parameters optimization for the emitter and base for best performance solar cell. A solar cell of efficiency 24 % is demonstrated by the simulation. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/2794

Galectin-3 and Beclin1/Atg6 Genes In Human Cancers: Using cDNA Tissue Panel, qRT-PCR, and Logistic Regression Model to Identify Cancer Cell Biomarkers

Cancer biomarkers are sought to support cancer diagnosis, predict cancer patient response to treatment and survival. Identifying reliable biomarkers for predicting cancer treatment response needs understanding of all aspects of cancer cell death and survival. Galectin-3 and Beclin1 are involved in two coordinated pathways of programmed cell death, apoptosis and autophagy and are linked to necroptosis/necrosis. The aim of the study was to quantify galectin-3 and Beclin1 mRNA in human cancer tissue cDNA panels and determine their utility as biomarkers of cancer cell survival.A panel of 96 cDNAs from eight (8) different normal and cancer tissue types were used for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) using ABI7900HT. Miner2.0, a web-based 4- and 3-parameter logistic regression software was used to derive individual well polymerase chain reaction efficiencies (E) and cycle threshold (Ct) values. Miner software derived formula was used to calculate mRNA levels and then fold changes. The ratios of cancer to normal tissue levels of galectin-3 and Beclin1 were calculated (using the mean for each tissue type). Relative mRNA expressions for galectin-3 were higher than for Beclin1 in all tissue (normal and cancer) types. In cancer tissues, breast, kidney, thyroid and prostate had the highest galectin-3 mRNA levels compared to normal tissues. High levels of Beclin1 mRNA levels were in liver and prostate cancers when compared to normal tissues. Breast, kidney and thyroid cancers had high galectin-3 levels and low Beclin1 levels.Galectin-3 expression patterns in normal and cancer tissues support its reported roles in human cancer. Beclin1 expression pattern supports its roles in cancer cell survival and in treatment response. qRT-PCR analysis method used may enable high throughput studies to generate molecular biomarker sets for diagnosis and predicting cancer treatment response

Experimental Inoculation of Juvenile Rhesus Macaques with Primate Enteric Caliciviruses

Tissue culture-adapted Tulane virus (TV), a GI.1 rhesus enteric calicivirus (ReCV), and a mixture of GII.2 and GII.4 human norovirus (NoV)-containing stool sample were used to intrastomacheally inoculate juvenile rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in order to evaluate infection caused by these viruses. METHODOLOGY & FINDINGS: Two of the three TV-inoculated macaques developed diarrhea, fever, virus-shedding in stools, inflammation of duodenum and 16-fold increase of TV-neutralizing (VN) serum antibodies but no vomiting or viremia. No VN-antibody responses could be detected against a GI.2 ReCV strain FT285, suggesting that TV and FT285 represent different ReCV serotypes. Both NoV-inoculated macaques remained asymptomatic but with demonstrable virus shedding in one animal. Examination of duodenum biopsies of the TV-inoculated macaques showed lymphocytic infiltration of the lamina propria and villous blunting. TV antigen-positive (TV+) cells were detected in the lamina propria. In most of the TV+ cells TV co-localized perinuclearly with calnexin--an endoplasmic reticulum protein. A few CD20+TV+ double-positive B cells were also identified in duodenum. To corroborate the authenticity of CD20+TV+ B cells, in vitro cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy macaques were inoculated with TV. Multicolor flow cytometry confirmed the presence of TV antigen-containing B cells of predominantly CD20+HLA-DR+ phenotype. A 2-log increase of viral RNA by 6 days post inoculation (p<0.05) suggested active TV replication in cultured lymphocytes.Taken together, our results show that ReCVs represent an alternative cell culture and animal model to study enteric calicivirus replication, pathogenesis and immunity

Electronic Skin with Energy Autonomy and Distributed Neural Data Processing

Harnessing technological advances to develop nature-inspired systems has led to many interesting solutions such as electronic skin (e-skin) with features mimicking human skin, as well as, imparting new functionalities beyond human skin’s sensory level [1]. The major focus of e-skin research so far has been on the development of various types of sensors (e.g. contact, pressure, temperature, humidity, etc.) and their integration on large-area and flexible substrates. In this regard, two key challenges lie in realizing largearea e-skin: (1) processing of a large amount of data distributed over large areas, and (2) powering a large array of sensors. As an example, an estimated 45k mechanoreceptors (MRs) will be needed in about 1.5 m2 area to develop human inspired e-skin for robots. These sensory receptors process tactile data locally and require significant energy. Accordingly, flexible distributed tactile data processing and energy harvesting solutions are needed for an effective e-skin. Photovoltaics have shown one of the best performance for generating energy per unit area and are a promising candidate for e-skin [2]. Likewise, a neuromimicking approach could help to acquire and process sensors data locally as it leads to a significant downstream reduction in the numbers of neurons transmitting stimuli in the early sensory pathways in humans [3]. In this work, we show our recent research on e-skin (Figure 1) addressing above challenges through the development of a nanowire (NW) based neural field effect transistor (ν-NWFET) as a basic building block for neural-mimicking data processing (Figure 1(a)) and an energy-autonomous e-skin achieved by integrating graphene based transparent touch sensors to photovoltaic cells (Figure 1(d)). The heterogeneous integration of various materials led to achieving such functionalities. Nanomaterials such as graphene and Si NWs are considered as good candidates for flexible electronics due to their excellent mechanical flexibility, printability in large-area as well as outstanding electrical performance. Here, we present a low-cost method to transfer and pattern single layer graphene on large-area flexible and transparent substrates, resulting in a co-planar interdigitated capacitive structure. In terms of the sensing performance, our sensors can detect minimum pressures down to 0.11 kPa with a uniform sensitivity of 4.3 Pa−1 along a broad pressure range. Thanks to the transparency of graphene, the integration of touch sensors atop a photovoltaic cell is possible, which paves a new way for energy-autonomous, flexible, and tactile e-skin (Figure 1(d)). Using ν-NWFET to realize hardware neural network is an interesting approach as by printing NWs on large area flexible substrates it will be possible to develop a flexible tactile e-skin with distributed neural elements (for local data processing, as in biological skin) in the backplane. Given the previously demonstrated metalassisted chemical etching NW synthesis method and contact printing for large-area assembling of NWs, the ν-NWFET presented here is promising for large-area and low-cost flexible electronics. Modeling, simulation and fabrication of ν-NWFET shows that the overlapping areas between individual gates and the floating gate determines the initial synaptic weights of the neural network. Further, proof-of-concept is shown by interfacing it with a transparent tactile e-skin prototype integrated on the palm of a 3D printed robotic hand and performing coding of touch gesture. The research finds place in numerous futuristic applications such as prosthetics, robotics and electroceuticals, and this presentation will show the interesting progress made in this directio

A bacteriophage mimic of the bacterial nucleoid-associated protein Fis

We report the identification and characterization of a bacteriophage λ-encoded protein, NinH. Sequence homology suggests similarity between NinH and Fis, a bacterial nucleoid-associated protein involved in numerous DNA topology manipulations, including chromosome condensation, transcriptional regulation and phage site-specific recombination. We find that NinH functions as a homodimer and is able to bind and bend double-stranded DNA in vitro. Furthermore, NinH shows a preference for a 15 bp signature sequence related to the degenerate consensus favored by Fis. Structural studies reinforced the proposed similarity to Fis and supported identification of residues involved in DNA binding which were demonstrated experimentally. Overexpression of NinH proved toxic and this correlated with its capacity to associate with DNA. NinH is the first example of a phage-encoded Fis-like nucleoid-associated protein that likely influences phage excision-integration reactions or bacterial gene expression