π-π Stacking at the Perovskite/C60 Interface Enables High-Efficiency Wide-Bandgap Perovskite Solar Cells.

Interface passivation is a key method for improving the efficiency of perovskite solar cells, and 2D/3D perovskite heterojunction is the mainstream passivation strategy. However, the passivation layer also produces a new interface between 2D perovskite and fullerene (C60), and the properties of this interface have received little attention before. Here, the underlying properties of the 2D perovskite/C60 interface by taking the 2D TEA2PbX4 (TEA = C6H10NS; X = I, Br, Cl) passivator as an example are systematically expounded. It is found that the 2D perovskite preferentially exhibits (002) orientation with the outermost surface featuring an oriented arrangement of TEACl, where the thiophene groups face outward. The outward thiophene groups further form a strong π-π stacking system with C60 molecule, strengthening the interaction force with C60 and facilitating the creation of a superior interface. Based on the vacuum-assisted blade coating, wide-bandgap (WBG, 1.77 eV) perovskite solar cells achieved impressive records of 19.28% (0.09 cm2) and 18.08% (1.0 cm2) inefficiency, respectively. This research not only provides a new understanding of interface processing for future perovskite solar cells but also lays a solid foundation for realizing efficient large-area devices.

Novel 1,3-diaryl pyrazole derivatives bearing methylsulfonyl moiety: Design, synthesis, molecular docking and dynamics, with dual activities as anti-inflammatory and anticancer agents through selectively targeting COX-2.

Three series of novel 1-aryl-3-(4-methylsulfonylphenyl) pyrazole derivatives were synthesized, characterized by several spectroscopic techniques, and investigated as potential anti-inflammatory and anticancer agents. The biological evaluation showed that almost all the synthesized compounds have significant potency and selectivity for the COX-2 enzyme over COX-1 with noticeable anti-inflammatory activity compared to celecoxib and indomethacin. Accordingly, compounds 8a, 8b, 8e, 8j, 8l, 9a, 9b, 9c, and 10b showed the best COX-2 inhibition (IC50 ranged from 0.059 to 0.079 µM) with good anti-inflammatory activity (% of edema inhibition ranged from 87.9 to 67.5). Moreover, compound 8b possessed the highest selectivity index regarding COX-2 isozyme (SI = 211) in comparison to celecoxib (SI = 312) with good in vivo anti-inflammatory activity (% edema inhibition = 77.70 after 5 h). Also, compounds 8a, 8b, 8j, 8l, and 9a showed ulcerogenic liability and histopathological changes close to celecoxib. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations were also conducted to illustrate the binding modes inside the COX-2 active site. Furthermore, all compounds were screened against three cancer cell line panels to determine their antiproliferative properties by MTT assay. Compounds 8a, 8b, and 8e along with their cyclized forms 9a, 9b, and 9c exhibited a considerable antiproliferative effect on liver (IC50: 6.81-19.71 µM), colon (IC50: 7.64-15.34 µM), and breast (IC50: 6.77-18.41 µM) cancer cell lines. More importantly, compounds 8a, 8e, 9a, and 9b were found to be safe on normal HEK-293T kidney cells in comparison to cancer. cells, especially compound 8e with IC50 value of 66.45 µM. Mechanistic studies demonstrated the apoptotic activity of the most active compounds 8a, 8e, 9a, and 9b on MCF-7 cancer cells by inducing a strong S phase cell cycle arrest suggesting that the mechanism of its antiproliferative activity may be through COX-2 inhibition. Finally, the hit compounds 8a, 8b and 9a were discovered to have selective COX-2 inhibitory activity and good anti-inflammatory activity with minimal ulcerogenic effect as well as potent anticancer activity.

Deep Learning for LiDAR Point Cloud Classification in Remote Sensing.

Point clouds are one of the most widely used data formats produced by depth sensors. There is a lot of research into feature extraction from unordered and irregular point cloud data. Deep learning in computer vision achieves great performance for data classification and segmentation of 3D data points as point clouds. Various research has been conducted on point clouds and remote sensing tasks using deep learning (DL) methods. However, there is a research gap in providing a road map of existing work, including limitations and challenges. This paper focuses on introducing the state-of-the-art DL models, categorized by the structure of the data they consume. The models' performance is collected, and results are provided for benchmarking on the most used datasets. Additionally, we summarize the current benchmark 3D datasets publicly available for DL training and testing. In our comparative study, we can conclude that convolutional neural networks (CNNs) achieve the best performance in various remote-sensing applications while being light-weighted models, namely Dynamic Graph CNN (DGCNN) and ConvPoint.

Detection of waste dumping locations in landfill using multi-temporal Landsat thermal images.

The disposal of solid waste in a conventional landfill is inevitably associated with potential adverse environmental impacts, resulting in the migration of landfill gas and offensive odors on the surrounding areas. In addition to the obnoxious fumes and hazardous leachate, heat generation is continuously observed within the landfill during the aerobic and anaerobic phases. Despite the negative impacts, such "heat generation" phenomenon can turn into valuable information to aid in detecting unauthorized landfill activities and tracing unrecorded dumping regions. The spatial distribution of waste buried under the ground can be approximated and revealed through measuring the ground surface heat flux. In this study, we demonstrate how to utilize thermal remote sensing techniques to measure the land surface temperature (LST), which can aid in outlining the waste dumping regions within a landfill. The Jeleeb Al-Shuyoukh landfill, located in Kuwait, was used to demonstrate the proposed method, where the record of the exact dumping location was missing during the Gulf war. Ten-year Landsat Thematic Mapper(TM)/Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) images (1985-1994) were acquired and processed in order to compute the LST within the landfill. Through combining the multi-temporal LST contours and overlay analysis, the most probable dumping regions within the landfill were outlined. A probability map was created to indicate the possible location of waste dumping within the studied landfill. With reference to the 50 boreholes drilled by the Environmental Protection Authority of Kuwait, our results derived during the summer and winter seasons both yielded an overall accuracy of 72%.

Outcomes of segmental femoral artery pseudoaneurysm in patients with Behçet's disease: a single center's experience.

BACKGROUND: Behçet's disease (BD) is an autoimmune condition that involves multiple systems. The most common arterial manifestation in BD patients is pseudoaneurysm, which has higher frequency than aneurysm formation. OBJECTIVES: To clarify the importance of profunda femoris artery in BD pseudoaneurysm, and present a new method for identifying healthy segments for anastomosis. METHODS: Fifteen patients presented at a vascular department with pseudoaneurysms of the common femoral (CFA) and superficial femoral artery (SFA), were diagnosed with BD and underwent surgical intervention at Kasr al Ainy hospitals over 2 years. RESULTS: All patients were male. The patients ranged in age from 30 to 40 years (mean, 33.8±2.6 years). Mean duration of the disease was 5±3.4 years. Eight (53.3%) CFA graft interpositions, six (40%) mid SFA graft interpositions, and one (6.66) distal SFA graft interposition were performed. Eight (53.3%) of these operations were performed using Dacron graft and sartorius flap, three (20%) were performed with a polytetrafluoroethylene graft, and four (26.66) with a great saphenous vein graft. Two cases (13.33%) were accidentally discovered while four cases (26.66%) had short distance claudication, four cases (26.66%) had pain at rest, and five cases (33.33%) presented with pulsatile swelling correlated with pseudoaneurysm size (p = 0.005). Patients were followed-up over 1 year for new aneurysms and recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical repair with muscle flap coverage, with or without ligation of profunda femoris artery, does not affect prognosis. An alternative method for identifying healthy segments of femoral artery may be frozen section and examination of the artery to decrease the risk of recurrence at the site of anastomosis.

CONTEXTO: A doença de Behçet (DB) é uma enfermidade autoimune que envolve múltiplos sistemas. A manifestação arterial mais comum em pacientes com DB é o pseudoaneurisma, que tem uma frequência mais alta do que a formação de aneurismas. OBJETIVOS: Esclarecer a importância da artéria femoral profunda no pseudoaneurisma por DB e apresentar um novo método para a identificação de segmentos saudáveis para anastomose. MÉTODOS: Quinze pacientes se apresentaram em um departamento vascular com pseudoaneurismas da artéria femoral comum (AFC) e artéria femoral superficial (AFS), foram diagnosticados com DB e foram submetidos a intervenção cirúrgica em hospitais Kasr al Ainy ao longo de 2 anos. RESULTADOS: Todos os pacientes eram do sexo masculino. A idade variou de 30 a 40 anos (média, 33,8±2,6 anos). A duração média da doença foi de 5±3,4 anos. Foram realizadas oito (53,3%) interposições de enxerto na AFC, seis (40%) interposições de enxerto na AFS média, e uma (6.66) interposição de enxerto na AFS distal. Oito (53,3%) das cirurgias foram realizadas utilizando enxertos de Dacron e retalho sartório, três (20%) com enxertos de politetrafluoroetileno, e quatro (26,66) com enxertos da veia safena magna. Dois casos (13,33%) foram descobertos ao acaso, ao passo que quatro casos (26,66%) apresentaram claudicação em curta distância, quatro (26,66%) apresentaram dor em repouso, e cinco casos (33,33%) apresentaram com inchaço pulsátil correlacionado com o tamanho do pseudoaneurisma (p = 0.005). Os pacientes foram seguidos por 1 ano para novos aneurismas e recorrência. CONCLUSÕES: O reparo cirúrgico com cobertura de retalho muscular, com ou sem ligadura da artéria femoral profunda, não afeta o prognóstico. Um método alternativo para identificar segmentos saudáveis da artéria femoral pode ser o exame de congelação e a avaliação da artéria para diminuir o risco de recorrência no local da anastomose.

A meta-analysis of synovial biomarkers in periprosthetic joint infection: Synovasure™ is less effective than the ELISA-based alpha-defensin test.

PURPOSE: (1) To determine the overall accuracy of synovial alpha-defensin, synovial C-reactive protein (sCRP), interleukin-6 (sIL-6), and leukocyte esterase (sLE) as diagnostic markers for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) and (2) to independantly evaluate the accuracy of both the laboratory-based ELISA alpha-defensin test and the Synovasure™ alpha-defensin test kit. METHODS: An EMBASE and MEDLINE (PubMed) database search was performed using a set of professionally set search terms. Two independent reviewers rated eligible articles. Sensitivity and specificity were meta-analysed using a bivariate random-effects model. RESULTS: Accuracy values were extracted from 42 articles. Pooled sensitivity and specificity of the represented biomarkers were: alpha-defensin ELISA 0.97 (95% CI 0.91-0.99) and 0.97 (95% CI 0.94-0.98), respectively; Synovasure™ test kit assay 0.80 (95% CI 0.65-0.89) and 0.89 (95% CI 0.76-0.96), respectively; sLE 0.79 (95% CI 0.67-0.87) and 0.92 (95% CI 0.87-0.92), respectively; sIL-6 0.76 (95% CI 0.65-0.84) and 0.91 (95% CI 0.88-0.94), respectively; sCRP 0.86 (95% CI 0.81-0.91) and 0.90 (95% CI 0.86-0.93), respectively. CONCLUSION: The labararory-based alpha-defensin ELISA test showed the highest ever reported accuracy for PJI diagnosis. However, this did not apply for the Synovasure™ alpha-defensin test, which was comparable in its overall diagnostic accuracy to sCRP, sIL-6 and sLE. The later biomarkers also did not yield an overall diagnostic accuracy higher than that previously reported for synovial white cell count (sWBC) or culture bacteriology. Based on current evidence, no synovial biomarker should be applied as a standalone diagnostic tool. Furthermore, the use of the laboratory-based alpha-defensin ELISA test should be encouraged, still, the Synovasure™ alpha-defensin test kit should be critically appreciated. LEVER OF EVIDENCE: III.

Improving the Accuracy of Urban Environmental Quality Assessment Using Geographically-Weighted Regression Techniques.

Urban Environmental Quality (UEQ) can be treated as a generic indicator that objectively represents the physical and socio-economic condition of the urban and built environment. The value of UEQ illustrates a sense of satisfaction to its population through assessing different environmental, urban and socio-economic parameters. This paper elucidates the use of the Geographic Information System (GIS), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Geographically-Weighted Regression (GWR) techniques to integrate various parameters and estimate the UEQ of two major cities in Ontario, Canada. Remote sensing, GIS and census data were first obtained to derive various environmental, urban and socio-economic parameters. The aforementioned techniques were used to integrate all of these environmental, urban and socio-economic parameters. Three key indicators, including family income, higher level of education and land value, were used as a reference to validate the outcomes derived from the integration techniques. The results were evaluated by assessing the relationship between the extracted UEQ results and the reference layers. Initial findings showed that the GWR with the spatial lag model represents an improved precision and accuracy by up to 20% with respect to those derived by using GIS overlay and PCA techniques for the City of Toronto and the City of Ottawa. The findings of the research can help the authorities and decision makers to understand the empirical relationships among environmental factors, urban morphology and real estate and decide for more environmental justice.

Multispectral LiDAR Data for Land Cover Classification of Urban Areas.

Airborne Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) systems usually operate at a monochromatic wavelength measuring the range and the strength of the reflected energy (intensity) from objects. Recently, multispectral LiDAR sensors, which acquire data at different wavelengths, have emerged. This allows for recording of a diversity of spectral reflectance from objects. In this context, we aim to investigate the use of multispectral LiDAR data in land cover classification using two different techniques. The first is image-based classification, where intensity and height images are created from LiDAR points and then a maximum likelihood classifier is applied. The second is point-based classification, where ground filtering and Normalized Difference Vegetation Indices (NDVIs) computation are conducted. A dataset of an urban area located in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, is classified into four classes: buildings, trees, roads and grass. An overall accuracy of up to 89.9% and 92.7% is achieved from image classification and 3D point classification, respectively. A radiometric correction model is also applied to the intensity data in order to remove the attenuation due to the system distortion and terrain height variation. The classification process is then repeated, and the results demonstrate that there are no significant improvements achieved in the overall accuracy.

Accuracy of diagnostic tests for prosthetic joint infection: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: There are few evidence-based recommendations on the most effective methods for diagnosing prosthetic joint infections (PJIs), and the potency of tests in relation to each other also remains vague. This systematic review aimed to (1) identify systematic reviews reporting accuracies of available approaches for diagnosing PJI, (2) critically appraise their quality and bias, and (3) compare the available approaches in terms of accuracy for diagnosing PJI. METHODS: PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched for meta-analyses reporting accuracies of different diagnostic modalities for PJIs. Thirteen systematic reviews met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and their data were extracted and tabulated by two reviewers in duplicate and independent manners. RESULTS: The 13 articles reported diagnostic accuracy from 278 clinical studies comprising 27,754 patients and evaluating 13 diagnostic tests grouped into 7 broad categories. Implant sonication had the highest positive likelihood ratio (17.2), followed by bacteriology (15.3) and synovial fluid differentiated cytology (13.3). The highest negative likelihood ratio was for interleukin (IL)-6 serum marker (0.03) followed by synovial fluid cytology and differentiation (0.12 and 0.13, respectively). CONCLUSION: The diagnostic tests that are most likely to rule out PJI include serum IL-6, serum C-reactive protein, and synovial fluid cytology. On the other hand, the diagnostic test that is most likely to confirm PJI is implant sonication. Nuclear imaging showed low overall accuracy as diagnostic tests for PJI. The findings of this study could enable clinicians to confirm or rule out PJIs using the most accurate, rapid, least invasive, and cost-effective tools available, thereby enabling fast treatment before formation of resistant biofilms and degradation of patient conditions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Systematic review, Level IV.

Clinical efficacy of new aloe vera- and myrrh-based oral mucoadhesive gels in the management of minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy, and safety of newly customized natural oral mucoadhesive gels, containing either aloe vera or myrrh as active ingredients, in the management of minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis (MiRAS). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Ninety subjects with MiRAS were recruited from Oral Medicine Clinic, at Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia, for this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Two new natural gels, containing aloe vera and myrrh, were prepared in a concentration of (0.5% w/w), in addition to a plain mucoadhesive gel used as a placebo. Patients with fresh ulcers (<48-h duration) were instructed to apply either one of the three gels four times a day for a period of 5 days. Clinical efficacy was investigated in the form of changes in ulcer size, pain intensity, erythema, and exudation at days 4 and 6 of study entry. Participants were interviewed for the emergence of any side effects. RESULTS: 76.6% of patients using aloe gel showed complete ulcer healing, 86.7%, and 80% of them revealed subsidence of erythema and exudation, respectively, especially at day 6 visit, whereas 76.7% of myrrh-treated patients revealed almost absence of pain at day 6. No side effects were encountered with the use of any of the three gels. CONCLUSION: The new formulated aloe- and myrrh-based gels proved to be effective in topical management of MiRAS. Aloe was superior in decreasing ulcer size, erythema, and exudation; whereas myrrh resulted in more pain reduction.

Analysis of multi-temporal landsat satellite images for monitoring land surface temperature of municipal solid waste disposal sites.

This studypresents a remote sensing application of using time series Landsat satellite images for monitoring the Trail Road and Nepean municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal sites in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Currently, the Trail Road landfill is in operation; however, during the 1960s and 1980s, the city relied heavily on the Nepean landfill. More than 400 Landsat satellite images were acquired from the US Geological Survey (USGS) data archive between 1984 and 2011. Atmospheric correction was conducted on the Landsat images in order to derive the landfill sites' land surface temperature (LST). The findings unveil that the average LST of the landfill was always higher than the immediate surrounding vegetation and air temperature by 4 to 10 °C and 5 to 11.5 °C, respectively. During the summer, higher differences of LST between the landfill and its immediate surrounding vegetation were apparent, while minima were mostly found in fall. Furthermore, there was no significant temperature difference between the Nepean landfill (closed) and the Trail Road landfill (active) from 1984 to 2007. Nevertheless, the LST of the Trail Road landfill was much higher than the Nepean by 15 to 20 °C after 2007. This is mainly due to the construction and dumping activities (which were found to be active within the past few years) associated with the expansion of the Trail Road landfill. The study demonstrates that the use of the Landsat data archive can provide additional and viable information for the aid of MSW disposal site monitoring.

Optimizing Transport Carrier Free All-Polymer Solar Cells for Indoor Applications: TCAD Simulation under White LED Illumination.

This work inspects the utilization of all-polymer solar cells (APSCs) in indoor applications under LED illumination, with a focus on boosting efficiency through simulation-based design. The study employs a SCAPS TCAD device simulator to investigate the performance of APSCs under white LED illumination at 1000 lux, with a power density of 0.305 mW/cm2. Initially, the simulator is validated against experimental results obtained from a fabricated cell utilizing CD1:PBN-21 as an absorber blend and PEDOT:PSS as a hole transportation layer (HTL), where the initial measured efficiency is 16.75%. The simulation study includes an examination of both inverted and conventional cell structures. In the conventional structure, where no electron transportation layer (ETL) is present, various materials are evaluated for their suitability as the HTL. NiO emerges as the most promising HTL material, demonstrating the potential to achieve an efficiency exceeding 27%. Conversely, in the inverted configuration without an HTL, the study explores different ETL materials to engineer the band alignment at the interface. Among the materials investigated, ZnS emerges as the optimal choice, recording an efficiency of approximately 33%. In order to reveal the efficiency limitations of these devices, the interface and bulk defects are concurrently investigated. The findings of this study underscore the significance of careful material selection and structural design in optimizing the performance of APSCs for indoor applications.

Device Modeling of Efficient PBDB-T:PZT-Based All-Polymer Solar Cell: Role of Band Alignment.

In this study, we present some design suggestions for all-polymer solar cells by utilizing device simulation. The polymer solar cell under investigation is formed by a photoactive film of a blend comprising PBDB-T as a polymer donor and PZT as a polymerized small molecule acceptor. The initial cell is based on a fabricated cell whose structure is ITO/PEDOT:PSS/PBDB-T:PZT/PFN-Br/Ag, which has a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of about 14.9%. A calibration procedure is then performed by comparing the simulation results with experimental data to confirm the simulation models, and the material parameters, implemented in the SCAPS (Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator) simulator. To boost the open circuit voltage, we investigate a group of hole transport layer (HTL) materials. An HTL of CuI or P3HT, that may replace the PEDOT:PSS, results in a PCE of higher than 20%. However, this enhanced efficiency results in a minor S-shape curve in the current density-voltage (J-V) characteristic. So, to suppress the possibility of the appearance of an S-curve, we propose a double HTL structure, for which the simulation shows a higher PCE with a suppressed kink phenomenon due to the proper band alignment. Moreover, the designed cell is investigated when subjected to a low light intensity, and the cell shows a good performance, signifying the cell's suitability for indoor applications. The results of this simulation study can add to the potential development of highly efficient all-polymer solar cells.

Full Optoelectronic Simulation of Lead-Free Perovskite/Organic Tandem Solar Cells.

Organic and perovskite semiconductor materials are considered an interesting combination thanks to their similar processing technologies and band gap tunability. Here, we present the design and analysis of perovskite/organic tandem solar cells (TSCs) by using a full optoelectronic simulator (SETFOS). A wide band gap lead-free ASnI2Br perovskite top subcell is utilized in conjunction with a narrow band gap DPPEZnP-TBO:PC61BM heterojunction organic bottom subcell to form the tandem configuration. The top and bottom cells were designed according to previous experimental work keeping the same materials and physical parameters. The calibration of the two cells regarding simulation and experimental data shows very good agreement, implying the validation of the simulation process. Accordingly, the two cells are combined to develop a 2T tandem cell. Further, upon optimizing the thickness of the front and rear subcells, a current matching condition is satisfied for which the proposed perovskite/organic TSC achieves an efficiency of 13.32%, Jsc of 13.74 mA/cm2, and Voc of 1.486 V. On the other hand, when optimizing the tandem by utilizing full optoelectronic simulation, the tandem shows a higher efficiency of about 14%, although it achieves a decreased Jsc of 12.27 mA/cm2. The study shows that the efficiency can be further improved when concurrently optimizing the various tandem layers by global optimization routines. Furthermore, the impact of defects is demonstrated to highlight other possible routes to improve efficiency. The current simulation study can provide a physical understanding and potential directions for further efficiency improvement for lead-free perovskite/organic TSC.

Pure Endovascular versus Hybrid Approach for Management of Iliofemoral Arterial Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Common femoral artery (CFA) atherosclerotic lesions currently remain one of the last limitations for adoption of endovascular repair as the first-line treatment, easy surgical accessibility, and, last but not least, favorable long-term outcomes, still making CFA disease treatment part of the surgical domain. In the last 5 years, improvement of the endovascular equipment and technical skills of the operators have led to an increase in percutaneous CFA procedures. A single-center randomized prospective study of 36 symptomatic (Rutherford 2-4) CFA stenotic or occlusive lesions were included, and patients were randomized over two groups based on the management approach SUPERA versus hybrid technique. Patients had a mean age 60.8 ± 8.2 years. Thirty-two (88.9%) patients reported improvement of the clinical symptoms, 28 (87.5%) patients had intact pulse postoperatively, and 28 (87.5%) had patent vessels. Follow-up showed that none developed reocclusion or restenosis during the period of follow-up. Comparison of difference in peak systolic velocity ratio (PSVR) among study groups showed that the hybrid technique had more reduction of PSVR postintervention compared to the SUPERA group with a p -value of < 0.0001. Safety and feasibility of endovascular approach with the SUPERA stent to the CFA (no stent zone) has low incidence of postoperative morbidity and mortality in well experienced surgical hands.

Investigation of Polymer/Si Thin Film Tandem Solar Cell Using TCAD Numerical Simulation.

The current study introduces a two-terminal (2T) thin-film tandem solar cell (TSC) comprised of a polymer-based top sub cell and a thin crystalline silicon (c-Si) bottom sub cell. The photoactive layer of the top sub cell is a blend of PDTBTBz-2F as a polymer donor and PC71BM as a fullerene acceptor. Initially, a calibration of the two sub cells is carried out against experimental studies, providing a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.88% for the top sub cell and 14.26% for the bottom sub cell. Upon incorporating both sub cells in a polymer/Si TSC, the resulting cell shows a PCE of 20.45% and a short circuit current density (Jsc) of 13.40 mA/cm2. Then, we optimize the tandem performance by controlling the valence band offset (VBO) of the polymer top cell. Furthermore, we investigate the impact of varying the top absorber defect density and the thicknesses of both absorber layers in an attempt to obtain the maximum obtainable PCE. After optimizing the tandem cell and at the designed current matching condition, the Jsc and PCE of the tandem cell are improved to 16.43 mA/cm2 and 28.41%, respectively. Based on this TCAD simulation study, a tandem configuration established from an all thin-film model may be feasible for wearable electronics applications. All simulations utilize the Silvaco Atlas package where the cells are subjected to standard one Sun (AM1.5G, 1000 W/m2) spectrum illumination.

Analytical and Numerical Investigation of Nanowire Transistor X-ray Detector.

Recently, nanowire detectors have been attracting increasing interest thanks to their advantages of high resolution and gain. The potential of using nanowire detectors is investigated in this work by developing a physically based model for Indium Phosphide (InP) phototransistor as well as by performing TCAD simulations. The model is based on solving the basic semiconductor equations for bipolar transistors and considering the effects of charge distribution on the bulk and on the surface. The developed model also takes into consideration the impact of surface traps, which are induced by photogenerated carriers situated at the surface of the nanowire. Further, photogating phenomena and photodoping are also included. Moreover, displacement damage (DD) is also investigated; an issue arises when the detector is exposed to repeated doses. The presented analytical model can predict the current produced from the incident X-ray beam at various energies. The calculation of the gain of the presented nanowire carefully considers the different governing effects at several values of energies as well as biasing voltage and doping. The proposed model is built in MATLAB, and the validity check of the model results is achieved using SILVACO TCAD device simulation. Comparisons between the proposed model results and SILVACO TCAD device simulation are provided and show good agreement.

Design and Optimization of a Self-Protected Thin Film c-Si Solar Cell against Reverse Bias.

Current mismatch due to solar cell failure or partial shading of solar panels may cause a reverse biasing of solar cells inside a photovoltaic (PV) module. The reverse-biased cells consume power instead of generating it, resulting in hot spots. To protect the solar cell against the reverse current, we introduce a novel design of a self-protected thin-film crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cell using TCAD simulation. The proposed device achieves two distinct functions where it acts as a regular solar cell at forward bias while it performs as a backward diode upon reverse biasing. The ON-state voltage (VON) of the backward equivalent diode is found to be 0.062 V, which is lower than the value for the Schottky diode usually used as a protective element in a string of solar cells. Furthermore, enhancement techniques to improve the electrical and optical characteristics of the self-protected device are investigated. The proposed solar cell is enhanced by optimizing different design parameters, such as the doping concentration and the layers' thicknesses. The enhanced cell structure shows an improvement in the short-circuit current density (JSC) and the open-circuit voltage (VOC), and thus an increased power conversion efficiency (PCE) while the VON is increased due to an increase of the JSC. Moreover, the simulation results depict that, by the introduction of an antireflection coating (ARC) layer, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) is enhanced and the PCE is boosted to 22.43%. Although the inclusion of ARC results in increasing VON, it is still lower than the value of VON for the Schottky diode encountered in current protection technology.

Boosting the Electrostatic MEMS Converter Output Power by Applying Three Effective Performance-Enhancing Techniques.

This current study aims to enhance the electrostatic MEMS converter performance mainly by boosting its output power. Three different techniques are applied to accomplish such performance enhancement. Firstly, the power is boosted by scaling up the technology of the converter CMOS accompanied circuit, the power conditioning, and power controlling circuits, from 0.35 µm to 0.6 µm CMOS technology. As the converter area is in the range of mm2, there are no restrictions concerning the scaling up of the accompanied converter CMOS circuits. As a result, the maximum voltage of the system for harvesting energy, Vmax, which is the most effective system constraint that greatly affects the converter's output power, increases from 8 V to 30 V. The output power of the designed and simulated converter based on the 0.6 µm technology increases from 2.1 mW to 4.5 mW. Secondly, the converter power increases by optimizing its technological parameters, the converter thickness and the converter finger width and length. Such optimization causes the converter output power to increase from 4.5 mW to 11.2 mW. Finally, the converter structure is optimized to maximize its finger length by using its wasted shuttle mass area which does not contribute to its capacitances and output power. The proposed structure increases the converter output power from 11.2 mW to 14.29 mW. Thus, the three applied performance enhancement techniques boosted the converter output power by 12.19 mW, which is a considerable enhancement in the converter performance. All simulations are carried out using COMSOL Multiphysics 5.4.

The use of therapeutic drug monitoring for early identification of vedolizumab response in Saudi Arabian patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Vedolizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody used to treat moderate-to-severe inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of the induction of vedolizumab trough level in predicting short-term (week 14) clinical outcomes, and covariates that affect the response in Saudi Arabian patients. This prospective, real-life study included a total of 16 patients (4 Crohn's disease (CD) and 12 ulcerative colitis (UC)) with a confirmed diagnosis of IBD and generally naïve to receiving vedolizumab therapy. Using ELISA assay, vedolizumab induction trough and peak levels were measured at weeks 0, 2, and 6. The follow-up assessment was at week 14, where clinical outcomes were measured using the partial Mayo score for UC, and the CD activity score (CDAI), and Harvey Bradshaw index (HBI) for CD. At week 14, 9 patients (52.9%) out of 16 patients demonstrated response to therapy; clinical remission was reported in 5 patients (29.4%), and in 4 cases a clinical response was noted (23.5%). Clinical remission at week 14 was linked significantly with week 6 median vedolizumab levels in responders (25.1 µg/ml 95% CI: 16.5-42.9) compared to non-responders (7.7 µg/ml, 95% CI: 4.6-10.6) (P = 0.002). Receiver operator curve analysis at week 6 identified a cut-off > 8.00 µg/mL for short-term clinical remission. Also, at week 14, BMI significantly correlated with week 6 vedolizumab trough levels (P = 0.02). No other covariates correlated with drug levels at any time point examined. Week 6 early vedolizumab trough level measurements in IBD patients predicted short-term week 14 clinical remission.