Novel conjugated organic dyes that have N,N‐dimethylaniline (DMA) moieties as the electron donor and a cyanoacetic acid (CAA) moiety as the electron acceptor were developed for use in dye‐sensitized ...nanocrystalline‐TiO2 solar cells (DSSCs). We attained a maximum solar‐energy‐to‐electricity conversion efficiency (η) of 6.8 % under AM 1.5 irradiation (100 mW cm–2) with a DSSC based on 2‐cyano‐7,7‐bis(4‐dimethylamino‐phenyl)hepta‐2,4,6‐trienoic acid (NKX‐2569): short‐circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) = 12.9 mA cm–2, open‐circuit voltage (Voc) = 0.71 V, and fill factor (ff) = 0.74. The high performance of the solar cells indicated that highly efficient electron injection from the excited dyes to the conduction band of TiO2 occurred. The experimental and calculated Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR) absorption spectra clearly showed that these dyes were adsorbed on the TiO2 surface with the carboxylate coordination form. A molecular‐orbital calculation indicated that the electron distribution moved from the DMA moiety to the CAA moiety by photoexcitation of the dye.
Dye‐sensitized nanocrystalline TiO2 solar cells based on novel conjugated organic‐dye photosensitizers produce solar‐energy‐to‐electricity conversion efficiencies of up to 6.8 % under AM 1.5 irradiation (100 mW cm–2). The Figure shows the electron distribution of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals of a typical dye.
Background: The likelihood of the relation between Internet overuse and comorbid psychiatric conditions is on the rise. However, sleep disturbances are common psychiatric symptoms associated with ...internet overuse. Our objective was to examine the association of Internet overuse with excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep problems in professionals from India.
Materials and Methods: This was a web-based cross-sectional study through a predesigned questionnaire which included various professional groups. The information included in the questionnaire was sociodemographic details, Young's internet addiction test (IAT) and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS).
Results: About 1.0% of total sample population had severe internet addiction whereas 13% were in the range of moderate internet addiction and the mean score on IAT was found to be 32 (standard deviation SD = 16.42). The mean duration of total night time sleep (5.61 ± 1.17) is significantly lower in participants with moderate and severe internet addiction (6.98 ± 1.12) compared to those with no and mild internet addiction. The mean scores of ESS were significantly higher in individuals with moderate and severe addiction (M = 10.64, SD = 4.79). We found that sleepiness while in 5 of the situations such as driving a car (χ2 = 27.67; P < 0.001), sitting and reading (χ2 = 13.6; P = 0.004), traveling in a car (χ2 = 15.09; P = 0.002), afternoon rest time (χ2 = 15.75; P = 0.001), and postlunch quiet time (χ2 = 24.09; P < 0.001), predicted membership to moderate-to-severe internet addiction, even after controlling for the confounding effects of age and gender.
Conclusions: This study shows an association between Internet overuse, excessive daytime sleepiness, and other sleep problems. Clinicians should be proactive and conscious in scrutinizing the patients for internet addiction and its consequences.
This paper is performed to apply superconducting magnetic bearings (SMBs) to a high-speed turbine rotor. First, we analyze the system by using the finite-element method and design the structure whose ...vibrations are suppressed well. Then, we have made an experimental setup using the theoretical result. The experimental setup consists of two SMBs, a permanent magnet motor and a rotor with many turbine blades. We perform some experiments using this experimental setup in a vacuum chamber. In this paper, we discuss the dynamic characteristics of the spinning rotor with many turbine blades.
Lyme disease is one of most common vector-borne diseases, reporting more than 300,000 cases annually in the United States. Treating Lyme disease during its initial stages with traditional ...tetracycline antibiotics is effective. However, 10-20% of patients treated with antibiotic therapy still shows prolonged symptoms of fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and perceived cognitive impairment. When these symptoms persists for more than 6 months to years after completing conventional antibiotics treatment are called post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). Though the exact reason for the prolongation of post treatment symptoms are not known, the growing evidence from recent studies suggests it might be due to the existence of drug-tolerant persisters. In order to identify effective drug molecules that kill drug-tolerant borrelia we have tested two antibiotics, azlocillin and cefotaxime that were identified by us earlier. The in vitro efficacy studies of azlocillin and cefotaxime on drug-tolerant persisters were done by semisolid plating method. The results obtained were compared with one of the currently prescribed antibiotic doxycycline. We found that azlocillin completely kills late log phase and 7-10 days old stationary phase B. burgdorferi. Our results also demonstrate that azlocillin and cefotaxime can effectively kill in vitro doxycycline-tolerant B. burgdorferi. Moreover, the combination drug treatment of azlocillin and cefotaxime effectively killed doxycycline-tolerant B. burgdorferi. Furthermore, when tested in vivo, azlocillin has shown good efficacy against B. burgdorferi in mice model. These seminal findings strongly suggests that azlocillin can be effective in treating B. burgdorferi sensu stricto JLB31 infection and furthermore in depth research is necessary to evaluate its potential use for Lyme disease therapy.
To prospectively compare four diagnostic small-bowel imaging techniques for depiction of abnormal findings in the same patients known to have or suspected of having Crohn disease.
Institutional ...review board approval and informed consent were obtained. Patients known to have or suspected of having nonobstructive Crohn disease were recruited. Each patient underwent capsule endoscopy, computed tomographic (CT) enterography, colonoscopy with ileoscopy, and small-bowel follow-through (SBFT). Findings consistent with Crohn disease were tabulated for each imaging examination (diagnostic yield). The proportions of patients with positive findings at each examination were compared, and any significant differences between the tests were calculated by using the exact McNemar test.
Seventeen patients (nine women, eight men; mean age, 49 years; range, 18-78 years) completed the study out of 20 patients enrolled. Crohn disease was depicted by capsule endoscopy in 12 patients (71%), ileoscopy in 11 (65%), CT enterography in nine (53%), and SBFT in four (24%). Ileoscopy was incomplete in four patients, and capsule endoscopy was incomplete in two patients. Capsule endoscopy had the highest diagnostic yield for Crohn disease, and SBFT had the lowest, but these differences were not statistically significant (P = .02). SBFT failed to depict a stricture in one patient, which resulted in surgical removal of the capsule. CT enterography and SBFT depicted extraintestinal findings (eg, mesenteric adenopathy in two patients, perianal and enterocolic fistulas in one patient) not detected endoscopically.
This preliminary study demonstrates capsule endoscopy and CT enterography may depict nonobstructive Crohn disease when techniques such as ileoscopy and SBFT have negative or inconclusive findings.
The ATLAS experiment is going to replace the current Inner Detector with an all new inner tracker (ITk) in the ATLAS detector for HL-LHC at CERN. Silicon strip detectors cover the outer layers of the ...barrel and the endcap sections. We have designed and fabricated a prototype single-sided n+-in-p AC-coupled silicon strip sensor for the outer barrel layer with long strips (LS), ATLAS17LS. It is of the maximum allowable size to fit in a 6-in. silicon wafer, with an outer dimension of 9.80(width)×9.76(length)cm2. The sensor features two rows of LS strip segments, 4.83 cm strip length per segment, a strip pitch of 75.5 μm, and a slim edge design. We have implemented technology for high voltage operation of up to 1000V, with a good signal collection after irradiation fluence of 5.6 × 1014neq∕cm2at the end of HL-LHC operation.
We had two objectives for the ATLAS17LS fabrication: qualification of the sensor design and fabrication quality, and providing an adequate number of the sensors for prototyping the building blocks of the strip detector. The sensors were fabricated in 3 batches by HPK with standard wafers from the foundry (320 μm physical thickness). Additional 10 sensors were fabricated with a thinner active thickness of 240 μm to investigate the influence of active thickness on charge collection. Another additional 5 sensors, with special passivation to investigate the influence of passivation on humidity sensitivity. The visual inspection of fabricated sensors revealed an inadequacy that the designed metal width of 10 μm was too narrow. The initial measurements by the vendor showed that the sensors fulfilled the specifications: onset voltages of Microdischarge VMD above the operation voltage VOP (700V for the 1st and 2nd batches; 500V for the 3rd batch, which has improved the yield), leakage currents of < 0.1μA/cm2 at VOP, full depletion voltages VFD< 330V, and rates of bad strips <<1%.
Aerosol sampling was conducted at Syowa Station, Antarctica (coastal station) in 2004–2006. SO42−depletion by mirabilite precipitation was identified from April through November. The fractionated ...sea‐salt particles were distributed in ultrafine– coarse modes. Molar ratios of Mg2+/Na+ and K+/Na+ were higher than in bulk seawater ratio during winter–spring. The Mg2+/Na+ ratio in aerosols greatly exceeded the upper limit in the case only with mirabilite precipitation. The temperature dependence of Mg2+/Na+ ratio strongly suggested that higher ratios of Mg2+/Na+ and K+/Na+were associated with sea‐salt fractionation by precipitation of mirabilite at −9°C, hydrohalite at ca. −23°C and other salts such as ikaite at ca. −5°C and gypsum at ca. −22°C during winter–spring. Mg‐salts with lower deliquescence relative humidity can be enriched gradually in the fractionated sea‐salt particles. Results suggests that sea‐salt fractionation can alter aerosol hygroscopicity and atmospheric chemistry in polar regions.
Key Points
Sea‐salt ratios in ultrafine ‐ coarse modes in aerosols
Temperature dependence of sea‐salt ratios
Occurrence of sea‐salt fractionation in the Antarctic coasts
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