Control and Characterization of Organic Solar Cell Morphology Through Variable-Pressure Solvent Vapour Annealing

Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have recently experienced a tremendous increase in efficiency due to advancements in light absorbing materials and improvements in film morphology control. Solvent vapour annealing (SVA) of OPVs is an important post deposition method for controlling film morphology; however, current OPV SVA methods are difficult to reproduce, provide limited control over morphology, and lack scalability. In this thesis, it is shown that a flow through variable-pressure solvent vapour annealing (VP-SVA) system can be used to reproducibly and selectively anneal OPV active layers to controlled morphologies. VP-SVA is useful not only for the well-studied P3HT:PC61BM model system, but also for modern OPV active layers based on non-fullerene acceptors. Phase separation and material crystallinity are tuned by controlling the chloroform vapour concentration used in the annealing process; this was monitored by photo-induced force microscopy (PiFM) and grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS), respectively. The results show that over-annealing can occur in both active layer blends, illustrating the importance of tuning the solvent vapour concentration

Fluidized beds as turbulence promoters in the concentration of food liquids by reverse osmosis

Fluidized beds offer a potential improvement of reverse osmosis processes for food liquids, less fouling of the membrane, and reduced energy consumption. Our experiments were concerned with tubular systems in which fluidized beds of glass, steel, and lead beads were used. Glass beads appeared to be preferable, since they caused little damage to the membrane. Only with the larger glass beads (3 mm) did the membrane skin become corrugated, so that the rejection decreased. The permeate flux for Gouda cheese whey was almost equal to that of an empty tube for which the velocity was about thirty times higher. The erosive action of the glass beads on the fouling layer was partially responsible for this effect. For reverse osmosis of skim milk and potato fruit water the bed did not reduce the fouling layer to a sufficient extent and, therefore, had a lower permeate flux than an empty tube

Eenum - Verduurzamen en Versterken:Koppelkansen in het Aardbevingsgebied

De afgelopen jaren heeft het aardbevingsgebied te maken gehad met veel ontwikkelingen. Momenteel staat het gebied voor grote opgaven rondom zowel het versterken en verduurzamen van woningen. Daar liggen mogelijkheden om beide opgaven tegelijk aan te pakken. Dit worden ‘koppelkansen’ genoemd. Dit onderzoek is erop gericht om inzichtelijk te maken wat de specifieke koppelkansen zijn in het dorp Eenum, wat de bereidheid en mogelijkheden van haar bewoners zijn om die (al dan niet gezamenlijk) op te pakken en welke rol lokale energiegroepen daarin kunnen spelen. Met die inzichten willen we Groninger dorpen op weg helpen in het voorbereiden en inrichten van de versterkings- en verduurzamingsopgave. Het onderzoek is van februari tot en met april 2020 uitgevoerd in Eenum. Vanuit het dorp verliep het contact via de werkgroep Duurzaam Eenum

The distribution systems operator’s role in energy transition:options for change

Distribution Systems Operators (DSOs) are key players in the design and development of a Local Energy System (LES). These systems need to adapt to the fast replacement of fossil fuels by Renewable Energy Sources (RES). With regard to this energy transition, the all-electric system is one of the potentially sustainable, future LESs. However, DSOs face problems in the development of such systems in relation to their role. They wonder how they must adapt their current design process in order to better facilitate energy transition and include values such as participation and the distribution of costs and benefits, which are seen as important by residents and other stakeholders. The purpose of this research is to consider the role of values in the design process of LES by using a value sensitive design method. A case study was set up in a newly built Dutch all-electric neighbourhood using electric heat pumps. Ten semi-structured interviews were held with DSOs’ representatives and other experts. The study resulted in a description of the current and desired design process in the light of the DSOs’ three core values: reliability, affordability and sustainability. We conclude that these are substantive values that relate to the technological artefact. However, four procedural values appear to be of importance too: participation, communication, trust between parties, and distribution of costs and benefits. A value based design approach for LES enables DSOs to better facilitate energy transition. In order to reach this, DSOs, (urban) planners, policymakers, real estate developers and residents have to cooperate in a transparent way during earlier phases in urban planning. More flexibility in the financial structure of investment and operational costs and benefits is required in order to enable future proof energy systems like all-electric neighbourhoods

Woltersum - Verduurzamen en Versterken:Koppelkansen in het Aardbevingsgebied

De afgelopen jaren heeft het aardbevingsgebied te maken gehad met veel ontwikkelingen. Momenteel staat deze regio voor grote opgaven rondom zowel het versterken en verduurzamen van woningen. Er liggen mogelijkheden om beide opgaven tegelijk aan te pakken, ook wel ‘koppelkansen’ genoemd. Dit onderzoek richt zich op het inzichtelijk maken van de koppelkansen in verschillende Groningse dorpen, waaronder Woltersum. Daarnaast kijkt het naar de bereidheid en mogelijkheden van haar bewoners om die koppelkansen (al dan niet gezamenlijk) op te pakken en de rol die de lokale energiegroepen daarin kunnen spelen. Met die inzichten willen we de Groninger dorpen op weg helpen in het voorbereiden en inrichten van de versterkings- en verduurzamingsopgave. Deze rapportage richt zich op het dorp Woltersum, waar we in november en december 2020 onderzoek hebben gedaan. Dit in samenwerking met de Woltersumse Energie Coöperatie

CREB signaling activity correlates with differentiation and survival in medulloblastoma

While there has been significant progress in the molecular characterization of the childhood brain cancer medulloblastoma, the tumor proteome remains less explored. However, it is important to obtain a complete understanding of medulloblastoma protein biology, since interactions between proteins represent potential new drug targets. Using previously generated phosphoprotein signaling-profiles of a large cohort of primary medulloblastoma, we discovered that phosphorylation of transcription factor CREB strongly correlates with medulloblastoma survival and associates with a differentiation phenotype. We further found that during normal cerebellar development, phosphorylated CREB was selectively expressed in differentiating cerebellar granule neuron progenitor (CGNP) cells. In line, we observed increased differentiation in CGNPs treated with Forskolin, Bmp6 and Bmp12 (Gdf7), which induce CREB phosphorylation. Lastly, we demonstrated that inducing CREB activation via PKA-mediated CREB signaling, but not Bmp/MEK/ERK mediated signalling, enhances medulloblastoma cell sensitivity to chemotherapy

Identification of Two Protein-Signaling States Delineating Transcriptionally Heterogeneous Human Medulloblastoma

Summary: The brain cancer medulloblastoma consists of different transcriptional subgroups. To characterize medulloblastoma at the phosphoprotein-signaling level, we performed high-throughput peptide phosphorylation profiling on a large cohort of SHH (Sonic Hedgehog), group 3, and group 4 medulloblastomas. We identified two major protein-signaling profiles. One profile was associated with rapid death post-recurrence and resembled MYC-like signaling for which MYC lesions are sufficient but not necessary. The second profile showed enrichment for DNA damage, as well as apoptotic and neuronal signaling. Integrative analysis demonstrated that heterogeneous transcriptional input converges on these protein-signaling profiles: all SHH and a subset of group 3 patients exhibited the MYC-like protein-signaling profile; the majority of the other group 3 subset and group 4 patients displayed the DNA damage/apoptotic/neuronal signaling profile. Functional analysis of enriched pathways highlighted cell-cycle progression and protein synthesis as therapeutic targets for MYC-like medulloblastoma. : Using peptide phosphorylation profiling, Zomerman et al. identify two medulloblastoma phosphoprotein-signaling profiles that have prognostic value and are potentially targetable. They find that these profiles extend across transcriptome-based subgroup borders. This suggests that diverse genetic information converges on common protein-signaling pathways and highlights protein-signaling as a unique information layer. Keywords: medulloblastoma, protein-signaling, protein synthesis, MYC, TP53, proteome, phosphoproteom