Technical Paper Session I-B - CIGSeS and CIGS2 Thin Film Solar Cells on Flexible Foils for Space Power

The objective of the research is to develop flexible, lightweight, radiationresistant, high-specific-power, highly efficient CuIn1-xGaxSe2-ySy (CIGSeS) and CuIn1- xGaxS2 (CIGS2) thin-film solar cells for space electric power. The near optimum bandgap, potential for higher specific power, and superior radiation resistance make this technology an ideal candidate for space electric power. The superior radiation resistance of CIGSeS thin-film solar cells relative to the conventional silicon and gallium arsenide single-crystal cells in the space radiation environment would extend mission lifetimes substantially. The conventional rigid Si and GaAs cells must be folded in an accordion style for deployment space. This can cause problems of opening up and folding of the solar array as has happened recently with the International Space Station. On the other hand, the flexible solar cells and modules can be packaged and rolled out more easily. The stainless steel and titanium foil substrate materials are capable of withstanding high temperatures required for preparing good quality CIGSeS absorber layer. They also do not sag easily and hence do not require rigidizing as is the case with plastic sheet substrates. The CIGSeS absorber film is prepared by selenization/sulfurization of DC magnetron sputter-deposited CuGa, In metallic precursors on 10 cm x 10 cm metallic foil substrate coated with molybdenum back contact layer. CdS heterojunction partner is deposited by chemical bath deposition. Transparent and conducting bilayer of intrinsic ZnO and aluminum doped ZnO:Al is deposited by RF magnetron sputtering. Cells are completed by depositing Ni/Al front contact fingers by thermal evaporation. The sputtering technique utilized in the preparation of solar cells provides an added advantage of facilitating easy scale-up of the laboratory size cells for economic large-area manufacture by the roll-to-roll process. Chemical composition, crystallographic structure and morphology of CIGSeS thin films are analyzed by energy dispersive spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The photovoltaic properties of completed cells are studied by measurement of current-voltage characteristics and quantum efficiency. Best efficiencies of 10.4% under AM 1.5 conditions and 8.84% under AM 0 conditions were achieved on small-area CIGS2 thin-film solar cells

Social sciences research in neglected tropical diseases 2: A bibliographic analysis

The official published version of the article can be found at the link below.Background There are strong arguments for social science and interdisciplinary research in the neglected tropical diseases. These diseases represent a rich and dynamic interplay between vector, host, and pathogen which occurs within social, physical and biological contexts. The overwhelming sense, however, is that neglected tropical diseases research is a biomedical endeavour largely excluding the social sciences. The purpose of this review is to provide a baseline for discussing the quantum and nature of the science that is being conducted, and the extent to which the social sciences are a part of that. Methods A bibliographic analysis was conducted of neglected tropical diseases related research papers published over the past 10 years in biomedical and social sciences. The analysis had textual and bibliometric facets, and focussed on chikungunya, dengue, visceral leishmaniasis, and onchocerciasis. Results There is substantial variation in the number of publications associated with each disease. The proportion of the research that is social science based appears remarkably consistent (<4%). A textual analysis, however, reveals a degree of misclassification by the abstracting service where a surprising proportion of the "social sciences" research was pure clinical research. Much of the social sciences research also tends to be "hand maiden" research focused on the implementation of biomedical solutions. Conclusion There is little evidence that scientists pay any attention to the complex social, cultural, biological, and environmental dynamic involved in human pathogenesis. There is little investigator driven social science and a poor presence of interdisciplinary science. The research needs more sophisticated funders and priority setters who are not beguiled by uncritical biomedical promises

Metaverse beyond the hype: Multidisciplinary perspectives on emerging challenges, opportunities, and agenda for research, practice and policy

The metaverse has the potential to extend the physical world using augmented and virtual reality technologies allowing users to seamlessly interact within real and simulated environments using avatars and holograms. Virtual environments and immersive games (such as, Second Life, Fortnite, Roblox and VRChat) have been described as antecedents of the metaverse and offer some insight to the potential socio-economic impact of a fully functional persistent cross platform metaverse. Separating the hype and “meta…” rebranding from current reality is difficult, as “big tech” paints a picture of the transformative nature of the metaverse and how it will positively impact people in their work, leisure, and social interaction. The potential impact on the way we conduct business, interact with brands and others, and develop shared experiences is likely to be transformational as the distinct lines between physical and digital are likely to be somewhat blurred from current perceptions. However, although the technology and infrastructure does not yet exist to allow the development of new immersive virtual worlds at scale - one that our avatars could transcend across platforms, researchers are increasingly examining the transformative impact of the metaverse. Impacted sectors include marketing, education, healthcare as well as societal effects relating to social interaction factors from widespread adoption, and issues relating to trust, privacy, bias, disinformation, application of law as well as psychological aspects linked to addiction and impact on vulnerable people. This study examines these topics in detail by combining the informed narrative and multi-perspective approach from experts with varied disciplinary backgrounds on many aspects of the metaverse and its transformational impact. The paper concludes by proposing a future research agenda that is valuable for researchers, professionals and policy makers alike

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Performance Assessment Of Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules In Hot And Humid Climate Of Florida

Limitations of accelerated testing to predict all possible degradation modes and mechanisms in the photovoltaic (PV) modules necessitate actual outdoor monitoring and testing of PV modules to be carried out in the field. Thin film PV modules from leading US PV manufacturers are being tested at Florida Solar Energy Center with goals to assess their performance in the hot and humid climate and to correlate the PV performance with the solar irradiance, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, etc. Statistical data analysis is carried out on a daily basis and on a month to month basis with PVUSA type regression analysis. Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of modules arrays taken on a regular basis complement the results obtained with continuous data monitoring. Such analysis would be helpful in predicting any significant degradation well in advance. Stable performance of PV module arrays over an extended period of time can provide basis for providing warrantees. Any loss of performance would indicate that the processes used for manufacturing of those specific production batches need to be reviewed and improved as necessary

ZnXCd1 - XS As A Heterojunction Partner For Cuin1 - XGaXS2 Thin Film Solar Cells

Zinc cadmium sulfide (ZnxCd1 - xS) heterojunction partner layer prepared with chemical bath deposition (CBD) has exhibited better blue photon response and higher current densities due to its higher bandgap than that of conventional cadmium sulfide (CdS) layer for CuIn1 - xGaxS2 (CIGS2) solar cells. CIGS2/ZnxCd1 - xS devices have also shown higher open circuit voltage, Voc indicating improved junction properties. A conduction band offset has been observed by J-V curves at various temperatures indicating that still higher Voc can be obtained by optimizing the conduction band offset. This contribution discusses the effect of variation of parameters such as concentration of compounds, pH of solution and deposition time during CBD on device properties and composition and crystallinity of film. Efficiencies comparable to CIGS2/CdS devices have been achieved for CIGS2/ZnxCd1 - xS devices. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Pv Connector Performance In A Hot And Humid Environment

Performance of five different types of connectors suitable for 12 AWG and 14 AWG cables is being studied in hot and humid environment at FSEC using BP Solar modules. 12AWG and 14 AWG cables of different lengths were connected to the appropriate connectors. Voltage drops and power loss across the connectors are monitored, on daily basis, to study the performance of the connectors. A detailed analysis of statistical data is carried out to gauge the performance of connectors with time. No significant sign of degradation has been observed so far during the short period in this continuing study. © 2006 IEEE

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Not AvailableTopoisomerase gene of pseudocowposvirus from Indian dromedarian camel was amplified by PCR using the primers of PCPV from Finnish reindeer and cloned into pGEM-T for sequence analysis. Analysis of amino acid identity revealed that Indian PCPV of camel shared 95.9–96.8 with PCPV of reindeer, 96.2–96.5 with ORFV and 87.5 with BPSV.Not Availabl

Imprint cytology: A boon in tissue diagnosis

Background: The technique of imprint cytology has provided great impetus to cytodiagnosis due to its simplicity, cost effectiveness, rapid results. It plays a significant role in the rapid diagnosis of the lesions. Objectives: To analyze the sensitivity and specificity of imprint cytology and thereby to evaluate its diagnostic utility. Materials and Methods: The prospective study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital. It included 105 cases. Both benign and malignant lesions from different organ systems were included in the study. Various techniques like touch imprints scrape cytology and squash preparations were used according to the nature of tissue sample. The cytodiagnosis was correlated with histopathological (HP) diagnosis to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of imprint cytology. Results: Maximum lesions were of central nervous system (25.7%) followed by breast, head, and neck. Imprint cytology diagnosis had sensitivity of 95.5% with 100% specificity for detection of benign and malignant lesions. Overall accuracy of detecting type of lesion was 98.1%. Total discordance with HP diagnosis was found in 1.9% of cases. Conclusion: The use of smear technique in intraoperative diagnosis provides a rapid and efficient means of pathological assessment which in experienced hand, is capable of obtaining a high degree of accuracy. Its use is highly recommended routinely