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Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been widely used to modulate cognition and behavior. However, only a few studies have been probing the brain mechanism underlying the effects of tDCS on cognitive processing, especially throughout electrophysiological markers, such as the P3. This meta-analysis assessed the effects of tDCS in P3 amplitude and latency during an oddball, n-back, and Go/No-Go tasks, as well as during emotional processing. A total of 36 studies were identified, but only 23 were included in the quantitative analysis. The results show that the parietal P3 amplitude increased during oddball and n-back tasks, mostly after anodal stimulation over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (p = 0.018, SMD = 0.4) and right inferior frontal gyrus (p

Introduction: The unprecedented, worldwide COVID-19 pandemic demanded the need for adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers (HCWs). The commonly recommended N95-mask (N95) needs further optimization in the areas of technology, re-usability, and comfort. The LEAF-mask (LEAF) reportedly offers improved technology and innovative features, however, neither of them have been tested yet. Therefore, there is an ongoing need to study the efficacy of masks used by HCWs in the intensive care units (ICUs). The goal of this study is to demonstrate the superiority of LEAF for nurses working in COVID-19 ICUs when compared to the N95.Methods: A phase-II, multicenter, randomized, controlled, open-label, clinical trial. A sample size of 98 nurses, working in COVID-19 ICUs, will be necessary to detect a significant difference in viral load of the inner and outer parts of both masks as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes will be exploratory in nature, including adverse effects, wearing comfort of masks, and virus infection rate.Discussion: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has already infected and killed millions of people and burdens healthcare systems worldwide. This led to the search for comprehensive measures to prevent the further spread of the SARS-CoV-2, in particular among HCWs in the frontline. Therefore, this study intends to demonstrate the superiority of the new LEAF compared to the N95, primarily in efficacy but also in re-usability and wearing comfort when used by nurses in COVID-19 ICUs. The possible findings from this study on improved technologies and innovative features possibly shown in the LEAF may greatly contribute to better working conditions for nurses working in COVID-19 ICUs.

proposal n1 952169 SFRH/BD/ 151095/2021 Lead-halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are currently the most promising emergent thin-film photovoltaic technology, having already reached power conversion efficiency (PCE) levels of state-of-the-art wafer-based silicon cells. The class of wide bandgap PSCs has also demonstrated high PCE values, thus becoming highly attractive for top sub-cells in tandem devices constructed with silicon or other types of bottom sub-cells. In this study, wide bandgap double-halide (Cs0.17FA0.83PbI3-xBrx) perovskite absorbers were developed with different bromine content, aiming to obtain bandgap values between 1.66 to 1.74 eV, by a glovebox-free (ambient) procedure. Low-cost inorganic materials, i.e. TiO2 and CuSCN, were used for the electron and hole transport layers, respectively. The 1.70 eV bandgap perovskite resulted in the highest reproducibility and stability (>80% initial PCE after 3500 hours) properties of the PSCs, remarkably attaining 16.4% PCE even with ambient and high humidity (∼70%) fabrication conditions. This journal is publishersversion published

IntroductionCOVID-19 may lead to persistent and potentially incapacitating clinical manifestations (post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC)). Using easy-to-apply questionnaires and scales (often by telephone interviewing), several studies evaluated samples of COVID-19 inpatients from 4 weeks to several months after discharge. However, studies conducting systematic multidisciplinary assessments of PASC manifestations are scarce, with thorough in-person objective evaluations restricted to modestly sized subsamples presenting greatest disease severity.Methods and analysesWe will conduct a prospective observational study of surviving individuals (above 18 years of age) from a cohort of over 3000 subjects with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who were treated as inpatients at the largest academic health centre in Sao Paulo, Brazil (Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo). All eligible subjects will be consecutively invited to undergo a 1–2-day series of multidisciplinary assessments at 2 time-points, respectively, at 6–9 months and 12–15 months after discharge. Assessment schedules will include detailed multidomain questionnaires applied by medical research staff, self-report scales, objective evaluations of cardiopulmonary functioning, physical functionality and olfactory status, standardised neurological, psychiatric and cognitive examinations, as well as diagnostic laboratory, muscle ultrasound and chest imaging exams. Remaining material from blood tests will be incorporated by a local biobank for use in future investigations on inflammatory markers, genomics, transcriptomics, peptidomics and metabolomics.Ethics and disseminationAll components of this programme have been approved by local research ethics committees. We aim to provide insights into the frequency and severity of chronic/post-COVID multiorgan symptoms, as well as their interrelationships and associations with acute disease features, sociodemographic variables and environmental exposures. Findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and at scientific meetings. Additionally, we aim to provide a data repository to allow future pathophysiological investigations relating clinical PASC features to biomarker data extracted from blood samples.Trial registration numberRBR-8z7v5wc; Pre-results.

The pursuit of ever-more efficient, reliable, and affordable solar cells has pushed the development of nano/micro-technological solutions capable of boosting photovoltaic (PV) performance without significantly increasing costs. One of the most relevant solutions is based on light management via photonic wavelength-sized structures, as these enable pronounced efficiency improvements by reducing reflection and by trapping the light inside the devices. Furthermore, optimized microstructured coatings allow self-cleaning functionality via effective water repulsion, which reduces the accumulation of dust and particles that cause shading. Nevertheless, when it comes to market deployment, nano/micro-patterning strategies can only find application in the PV industry if their integration does not require high additional costs or delays in high-throughput solar cell manufacturing. As such, colloidal lithography (CL) is considered the preferential structuring method for PV, as it is an inexpensive and highly scalable soft-patterning technique allowing nanoscopic precision over indefinitely large areas. Tuning specific parameters, such as the size of colloids, shape, monodispersity, and final arrangement, CL enables the production of various templates/masks for different purposes and applications. This review intends to compile several recent high-profile works on this subject and how they can influence the future of solar electricity.

Objective To evaluate the accuracy of 35-37 weeks‘ ultrasound for fetal growth restriction (FGR) detection and the impact of 30th-33rd weeks vs 35th-37th weeks ultrasound on perinatal outcomes. Design A prospective randomized trial Setting Tertiary referral hospital in Portugal. Population Low risk pregnant women Methods We enrolled 1061 women: 513 in the control group (ultrasound at 30th-33rd weeks) and 548 in the study group (with an additional ultrasound at 35th-37th weeks). FGR was defined as an estimated fetal weight (EFW) below 10th percentile. We calculated the overall accuracy of the 35-37 weeks’ ultrasound and compared perinatal outcomes between both groups. Main outcome measure Detection of late FGR Results The ultrasound at 35-37 weeks had an overall accuracy of FGR screening of 94%. Spearman’s correlation coefficient between EFW and birthweight centile was higher for at 35-37 weeks’ ultrasound (ρ = 0.75) compared with 30-33 weeks’ ultrasound (ρ = 0.44). The study group had a lower rate of operative vaginal deliveries (24.4% vs 39.3%, p = 0.005) and cesarean deliveries for nonreassuring fetal status (16.8% vs 38.8%, p < 0.001). For FGR prediction, the area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve of EFW centile at 35-37 weeks’ ultrasound was 0.90 (95% CI, 0.86-0.95). Conclusions A later ultrasound (35-37 weeks) had a higher correlation between EFW and birthweight centiles and was associated with a lower rate of cesarean and operative deliveries for nonreassuring fetal status compared to an earlier ultrasound, which reinforces that antenatal identification of FGR allows close monitoring and appropriate management.

The control of brucellosis across sub-Saharan Africa is hampered by the lack of standardized testing and the use of tests with poor performance. This study evaluated the performance and costs of serological assays for human brucellosis in a pastoralist community in northern Tanzania. Serum collected from 218 febrile hospital patients was used to evaluate the performance of seven index tests, selected based on international recommendation or current use. We evaluated the Rose Bengal test (RBT) using two protocols, four commercial agglutination tests and a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, Youden’s index, diagnostic accuracy, and per-sample cost of each index test were estimated. The diagnostic accuracy estimates ranged from 95.9 to 97.7% for the RBT, 55.0 to 72.0% for the commercial plate tests, and 89.4% for the cELISA. The per-sample cost range was $0.69–$0.79 for the RBT, $1.03–$1.14 for the commercial plate tests, and $2.51 for the cELISA. The widely used commercial plate tests performed poorly and cost more than the RBT. These findings provide evidence for the public health value of discontinuing the use of commercial agglutination tests for human brucellosis in Tanzania.

Foundation for Science and Technology. Grant Number: UID/CTM/50025/2019 SuperSolar. Grant Number: PTDC/NAN-OPT/28430/2017 TACIT. Grant Number: PTDC/NAN-OPT/28837/2017 LocalEnergy. Grant Number: PTDC/EAM-PEC/29905/2017 FCT. Grant Number: SFRH/BD/148078/2019 Photonic front-coatings with self-cleaning properties are presented as means to enhance the efficiency and outdoor performance of thin-film solar cells, via optical enhancement while simultaneously minimizing soiling-related losses. This is achieved by structuring parylene-C transparent encapsulants using a low-cost and highly-scalable colloidal-lithography methodology. As a result, superhydrophobic surfaces with broadband light-trapping properties are developed. The optimized parylene coatings show remarkably high water contact angles of up to 165.6° and extremely low adhesion, allowing effective surface self-cleaning. The controlled nano/micro-structuring of the surface features also generates strong anti-reflection and light scattering effects, corroborated by numeric electromagnetic modeling, which lead to pronounced photocurrent enhancement along the UV–vis–IR range. The impact of these photonic-structured encapsulants is demonstrated on nanocrystalline silicon solar cells, that show short-circuit current density gains of up to 23.6%, relative to planar reference cells. Furthermore, the improvement of the devices' angular response enables an enhancement of up to 35.2% in the average daily power generation. authorsversion published

COMPETE 2020 Programme and National Funds through FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) under the projects UID/CTM/50025/2019. ALTALUZ ( PTDC/CTM-ENE/5125/2014 ). SuperSolar (PTDC/NAN-OPT/28430/2017). TACIT (PTDC/NAN-OPT/28837/2017). LocalEnergy (PTDC/EAM-PEC/29905/2017). grant SFRH/BPD/114833/2016 . Wavelength-structured transparent conductive oxide (TCO) electrodes are highly promising to improve both the optical and electrical performance of photovoltaic (PV) devices, due to wave-optical light-trapping (LT) effects and higher TCO volume without increasing optical losses. Herein we present a complete study of the benefits of microstructured IZO contacts applied on amorphous-silicon (a-Si) thin film solar cells. The IZO LT structures were integrated by an innovative colloidal lithography process on the front contact of the cells, resulting in enhancements of 26.7% in photocurrent, with respect to planar reference cells, when using an ultra-thin (30 nm) flat IZO layer between the LT structures and the a-Si absorber. However, the best efficiency enhancement (23.1%) was attained with an optimized thickness of 190 nm for this layer, due to a more favorable combination of optical and electrical gains. In view of the application of this LT strategy in flexible PV devices operating under bending, the angular response of the cells was studied for 0-90° incidence angles. This showed that the LT enhancements are generally higher at oblique incidence, reaching 53.2% and 52%, respectively in photocurrent and efficiency, at ± 70° angles with the optimized flat IZO thickness of 190 nm; and 52.2% in efficiency at ± 40° with the ultra-thin thickness of 30 nm. These results are among the highest gains reported thus far for LT-enhanced thin film solar cells. authorsversion published

Photonic structures allow reducing the thickness of photovoltaic (PV) devices while improving their photocurrent, thereby enabling high-efficient, low-cost, and mechanically flexible solar cells. Wave-optical front structures have shown to be promising for integration in various thin-film PV technologies, as those based on silicon or perovskite semiconductors, due to a combination of: (1) Broadband absorption amplification—wavelength-sized structures provide geometrical index-matching for the impinging light, strongly reducing reflection while boosting the photons' path length within the absorber via scattering. (2) Improved electrical performance—their incorporation in the transparent contact can enable higher electrode volume, thereby improving the cells' voltage and fill factor. Such a location can also prevent increasing the cells' roughness, therefore not contributing to recombination. (3) Enhanced stability—particularly in perovskite cells, the front photonic structures block most of the harmful UV radiation that degrades such devices. Colloidal lithography methods have revealed to be highly cost-effective for the nanopatterning of such structures, allowing compatibility with industrial scalability and low-cost requirements.

grant agreement No 763989 UID/CTM/50025/2019 PTDC/NAN-OPT/28430/2017 PD/BD/143031/2018 SFRH/BD/148078/2019 Photonic micro/nano-structures in the wave-optics regime have shown to be a promising strategy for effective broadband light capture in ultra-thin devices, opening a window of opportunity for cheap, efficient, lightweight and flexible photovoltaics (PV). Here we design, from an optical standpoint, a novel industrially-attractive concept where light trapping is obtained by conformably depositing the solar cell materials onto previously-patterned photonic substrates. This solution is applied and optimized for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with distinct thicknesses of the perovskite absorber - the conventional (500 nm) and ultra-thin (300 nm) in view of enhanced flexibility - yielding photocurrent improvements up to 22.8% in superstrate cell configuration and 24.4% in substrate-type configuration; thereby coming relatively close to the fundamental Lambertian limits. Furthermore, these structures also show an omni-direction optical response for incidence angles up to 70° for all cases, therefore demonstrating the viability of this light trapping method for implementation in flexible PV devices operating under bending. The photonic-enhanced ultra-thin solar cells designed here ultimately support the reduction of material usage in PSC technology, which is especially beneficial to mitigate lead usage, without impacting the device's performance. preprint published

Summary: Recent trends in photovoltaics demand ever-thin solar cells to allow deployment in consumer-oriented products requiring low-cost and mechanically flexible devices. For this, nanophotonic elements in the wave-optics regime are highly promising, as they capture and trap light in the cells' absorber, enabling its thickness reduction while improving its efficiency. Here, novel wavelength-sized photonic structures were computationally optimized toward maximum broadband light absorption. Thin-film silicon cells were the test bed to determine the best performing parameters and study their optical effects. Pronounced photocurrent enhancements, up to 37%, 27%, and 48%, respectively, in ultra-thin (100- and 300-nm-thick) amorphous, and thin (1.5-μm) crystalline silicon cells are demonstrated with honeycomb arrays of semi-spheroidal dome or void-like elements patterned on the cells' front. Also importantly, key advantages in the electrical performance are anticipated, since the photonic nano/micro-nanostructures do not increase the cell roughness, therefore not contributing to recombination, which is a crucial drawback in state-of-the-art light-trapping approaches. : Optical Materials; Computational Method in Materials Science; Energy Materials Subject Areas: Optical Materials, Computational Method in Materials Science, Energy Materials

Background Medication treatment for opioid use disorder is effective, and recommended for adolescents, though very few adolescents with opioid use disorder ever receive medications. Reasons include lack of trained medication prescribers for this age group and difficulty in identifying adolescents with substance use disorders. This manuscript examines a novel implementation model of identifying and providing treatment for substance use disorders, including opioid use disorder, in a pediatric primary care practice. Methods Patients presenting to a selected primary care pediatrics practice for any reason between March 9, 2017 and July 24, 2017 that were identified by screening, self-report or other clinical information to have a substance use problem were referred to an integrated clinical social worker for treatment. We recorded the number of patients that were referred, number of visits completed and SUD and mental health diagnoses. Results In the first 4 months of this program, 683 patients aged 12–22 completed a health maintenance appointment; 20 were referred for substance use disorder treatment and 13 completed at least one substance use disorder treatment visit with the integrated clinical social worker. The mean number of visits completed was 5.3. Three patients with opioid use disorders were identified and 2 were induced on buprenorphine. Conclusions Our model for treatment of substance use disorders, including opioid use disorders, was feasible and acceptable in a pediatric primary care practice. Broadly implemented, such a model could substantially increase access to substance use disorder treatment for adolescents and young adults.

A novel generation of flexible opto-electronic smart applications is now emerging, incorporating photovoltaic and sensing devices driven by the desire to extend and integrate such technologies into a broad range of low cost and disposable consumer products of our everyday life and as a tool to bring together the digital and physical worlds. Several flexible polymeric materials are now under investigation to be used as mechanical supports for such applications. Among them, cellulose, the most abundant organic polymer on the Earth, commonly used in the form of paper, has attracted much research interest due to the advantages of being recyclable, flexible, lightweight, biocompatible and extremely low-cost, when compared to other materials. Cellulose substrates can be found in many forms, from the traditional micro-cellulose paper used for writing, printing and food/beverage packaging (e.g. liquid packaging cardboard), to the nano-cellulose paper which has distinct structural, optical, thermal and mechanical properties that can be tailored to its end use. The present article reviews the state-of-the-art related to the integration and optimization of photonic structures and light harvesting technologies on paper-based platforms, for applications such as Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS), supporting remarkable 107 signal enhancement, and photovoltaic solar cells reaching ∼5% efficiency, for power supply in standalone applications. Such paper-supported technologies are now possible due to innovative coatings that functionalize the paper surfaces, together with advanced light management solutions (e.g. wave-optical light trapping structures and NIR-to-visible up-converters). These breakthroughs open the way for an innovative class of disposable opto-electronic products that can find widespread use and bring important added value to existing commercial products. By making these devices ubiquitous, flexible and conformable to any object or surface, will also allow them to become part of the core of the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution, which demands systems’ mobility and self-powering functionalities to satisfy the requirements of comfort and healthcare of the users.

IntroductionSubstance use disorders in adolescents are a growing problem worldwide. These disorders are often unrecognised, unvalued by families, society and clinicians and as a result underdiagnosed, with serious future consequences if improperly addressed.ObjectivesUpdated review of the recent literature on this topic.MethodsUnsystematic review of the most recent and relevant literature.ResultsReview of neurobiology, risk factors, co-morbidity, differential diagnosis, diagnostic criteria, evaluation and treatment of substance use disorders in adolescence.ConclusionsSubstance use disorder in adolescence includes a variety of behaviours related to the use of alcohol and/or drugs, for instance, inability to control substance use, impairment of function at school, home or work, interpersonal problems and hazardous use of substance. Further knowledge in identifying, early diagnosing and adequate intervention in adolescents’ substance use disorder may have paramount prognostic features.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Ultrasonic spray pyrolysis deposition of ZnO-based materials offers an attractive high-throughput low-cost route towards industrial production of high-quality transparent conductive oxide (TCO) thin-films. In this work, undoped and aluminium-doped ZnO films have been grown employing ultrasonic spray pyrolysis at relatively low-temperate (300 °C), followed by a post-annealing treatment. The role of Al concentration in the starting solution, as well as the rapid thermal annealing (RTA) atmosphere, were investigated and correlated to the morphological, structural, electrical and optical properties of the films. The remarkable enhancement of electrical conductivity attained here is mainly ascribed to the combined effects of: (1) homogenous incorporation of Al3+ into the ZnO matrix, which enhances crystal quality providing higher electronic mobility; and (2) the RTA which releases the localized electrons caused by oxygen absorption and thereby increases the free carrier density. Under optimum deposition conditions, a low resistivity and a high optical transmittance around 4 × 10−3 Ω cm and 87%, respectively, were obtained. The application of the RTA post-process after low temperature growth has several advantages relative to the direct growth at high temperature (usually 400–575 °C), such as shorter growth time and lower cost associated to the spray pyrolysis equipment requirements and usage. The results suggest that the electrical and optical properties of the ZnO:Al films can be further improved for solar cell applications by controlling the temperature of the post-deposition annealing in reducing atmosphere.

Dielectric-based photonic structures, composed of a lossless but high refractive index material, are currently among the preferential solutions for light management in thin film photovoltaics, as they allow broadband manipulation of sunlight to strongly boost the absorptance in the thin solar cell layers. In this work, we present an innovative colloidal lithography nanofabrication method that allows the precise engineering of wavelength-sized features, with the materials and geometries appropriate for efficient light trapping when implemented on the front surface of the cells. The method is developed here with TiO2 nanostructures tested on amorphous-silicon absorber thin films coated on the rear side by a metallic reflector. It is a simple, low-cost and scalable approach consisting of 4 main steps: (1) deposition of periodic close-packed arrays of polystyrene colloids which act as the mask; (2) shaping the particles and increasing their spacing via dry etching; (3) infiltration of TiO2 into the inter-particle spaces and (4) removal of the polystyrene particles to leave only the structured TiO2 layer. The resultant array of wavelength-sized features acts as a nanostructured high-index anti-reflection coating, which not only suppresses the reflected light at short wavelengths but also increases the optical path length of the longer wavelengths, via light scattering, within the absorber. The optical results have been compared with numerical electromagnetic computations to provide a deeper understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for absorptance enhancement in the cells. A notorious 27.3% enhancement in the cell photocurrent is anticipated with the fabricated structures, relative to conventional anti-reflection coatings.

During the last few years, smart homes became reality due to the popularization of Internet of Things (IoT). This kind of environment is composed of several types of IoT heterogeneous wireless devices, where each one has singular characteristics and a particular set of protocols. This fact makes the smart home very complex network to deploy new applications and services. Therefore, a smart home needs an approach to abstract the communication with these IoT devices, improving the flexibility and the manageability of the applications running on the top of the smart home, as well as the network infrastructure as a whole. Within this context, this paper proposes a middleware for communication abstraction of IoT devices in smart homes. The proposed middleware allows the communication with devices through a high-level interface, enabling the management of heterogeneous IoT devices as a generic interface. The experiments performed in a real testbed scenario suggest that the proposed middleware is scalable and improves the management of IoT devices.

project PON_206_2 project PRN 2014/2020 ALTALUZ (PTDC/CTM-ENE/5125/2014 PTDC/NAN-OPT/28430/2017 PTDC/NAN-OPT/28837/2017 PTDC/EAM-PEC/29905/2017 SFRH/BPD/114833/2016 SFRH/BPD/115566/2016 One of the most promising approaches to produce industrial-compatible Transparent Conducting Materials (TCMs) with excellent characteristics is the fabrication of TCO/metal/TCO multilayers. In this article, we report on the electro-optical properties of a novel high-performing TCO/metal/TCO structure in which the intra-layer is a micro-structured metallic grid instead of a continuous thin film. The grid is obtained by evaporation of Ag through a mask of polystyrene colloidal micro-spheres deposited by the Langmuir-Blodgett method and partially dry-etched in plasma. IZO/Ag grid/IZO structures with different thicknesses and mesh dimensions have been fabricated, exhibiting excellent electrical characteristics (sheet resistance below 10 Ω/□) and particularly high optical transmittance in the near-infrared spectral region as compared to planar (unstructured) TCM multilayers. Numerical simulations were also used to highlight the role of the Ag mesh parameters on the electrical properties. preprint published

ALTALUZ (Reference PTDC/CTM-ENE/5125/2014). SuperSolar (PTDC/NAN-OPT/28430/2017). TACIT (PTDC/NAN-OPT/28837/2017). FCT-MEC, Grant SERH/BPD/115566/2016. Combined perovskite/crystalline-silicon four-terminal tandem solar cells promise >30% efficiencies. Here we propose all-thin-film double-junction architectures where high-bandgap perovskite top cells are coupled to ultrathin c-Si bottom cells enhanced with light trapping. A complete optoelectronic model of the devices was developed and applied to determine the optimal intermediate layers, which are paramount to maximize the cells' photocurrent. It was ascertained that by replacing the transparent conductive oxides by grid-based metallic contacts in the intermediate positions, the parasitic absorption is lowered by 30%. Overall, a 29.2% efficiency is determined for ∼2 um thick tandems composed of the optimized interlayers and improved with Lambertian light trapping. authorsversion published

PTDC/CTM-ENE/5125/2014. PTDC/NAN-OPT/28430/2017. TACIT (PTDC/NAN-OPT/28837/2017). SFRH/BPD/115566/2016. PD/BD/143031/2018 (via AdvaMTech PhD program). In recent years, the discovery of the excellent optical and electrical properties of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) made them a main focus of research in photovoltaics, with efficiency records increasing astonishingly fast since their inception. However, problems associated with the stability of these devices are hindering their market application. UV degradation is one of the most severe issues, chiefly caused by TiO 2 's photogenerated electrons that decompose the perovskite absorber material, coupled with the additional intrinsic degradation of this material under UV exposure. The solution presented here can minimize this effect while boosting the cells' generated photocurrent, by making use of combined light-trapping and luminescent down-shifting effects capable of changing the harmful UV radiation to higher wavelengths that do not affect the stability and can be effectively "trapped" in the cell. This work focuses in the optimization of the photocurrent gains that can be attained by emulating the changed spectrum resulting from applying down-shifting media as encapsulant in photonic-enhanced PSCs, as well as the reduction in the harmful effects of UV radiation on the devices. Such optimized photonic solution allows current enhancement while reducing the harmful UV photocarrier generation both in the TiO 2 (by 1 order of magnitude) and in the perovskite (by 80%) relative to a standard PSC without light management. authorsversion published

This paper presents the design of an automatic voice quality analysis system for the assessment of voice pathologies, which emulates the perceptual capabilities of a human evaluator according the GRB scale. For this purpose, a novel methodology based on multiple sets of characteristics, ordinal classification and Gaussian regression is proposed. In particular, a reduced subset of characteristics is identified, and the regressor is used to convert the discrete perceptual scale to a continuum, more in agreement to the nature of the problem under study. The robustness of the system is evaluated in several cross-dataset experiments. Similarly, a clinical evaluation of the predictions provided by the system is carried out. Results indicate that the proposed methodology is proficient in modelling the perceptual capabilities of the human evaluator. They also show that it is possible to extend the GRB scale to a continuum through regression techniques while maintaining the consistency of the results. On average, the deviation between the labels assessed by the expert and the ones provided by the system is of about 0.5 units (in a scale from 0 to 3) for G and B, and of 0.7 units for R. Similarly, the deviation of the labels predicted by the system in the clinical assessment trials is about 0.3 units for G, 0.4 units for B, and 0.5 units for R.

ALTALUZ (Reference PTDC/CTM-ENE/5125/2014). SUPERSOLAR (PTDC/NAN-OPT/28430/2017. SFRH/BPD/115566/2016. SFRH/BPD/114833/2016. PD/BD/143031/2018. Optical solutions are promising for Perovskite solar cell (PSC) technology, not only to increase efficiency, but also to allow thinner absorber layers (higher flexibility) and improve stability. This work optimized the combined anti-reflection and scattering properties of two types of light trapping (LT) structures, based on TiO 2 semi-spheroidal geometries with honeycomb periodicity, for application in PSCs with substrate configuration and different perovskite layer thicknesses. Their optically lossless material (TiO 2 ) allows the structures to be patterned in the final processing steps, integrated in the cells’ top n contact, therefore not increasing the surface area of the PV layers and not degrading the electric performance via recombination. Therefore, this strategy circumvents the typical compromise of state-of-the-art LT approaches between optical improvements and electrical deterioration, which is particularly relevant for PSCs since their main recombination is caused by surface defects. When patterned on the cells’ front, the wave-optical micro-features composing the LT structures yield up to 21% and 27% photocurrent enhancement in PSCs with conventional (500 nm thick) and ultra-thin (250 nm) perovskite layers, respectively; which are improvements close to those predicted by theoretical Lambertian limits. In addition, such features are shown to provide an important encapsulation role, preventing the cells’ degradation from UV penetration. authorsversion published

Introduction: Heart rate variability (HRV) consists of measuring the time interval between beats. This describes oscillations in the interval between consecutive heart beats (R-R intervals) that reflect changes in heart rate as a function of the sympathetic and parasympathetic system. Regular practice of physical activity is a factor responsible for the increase in vagal tone due to increased cardiac work, since there is a reduction in the sensitivity of the beta receptors. The HRV analysis can be performed in the time domain and frequency domain. Cardiofrequency meters, electrocardiogram and Holter are the instruments used to obtain their indices, where a high variability corresponds to a good physiological adaptation, while a low variability is an indicator of possible cardiovascular complications. Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare the R-R intervals obtained during rest for 6 minutes, in supine position, between a group of athletes and a group of non-athletes using the Polar RS800CX heart rate monitor and to analyze heart rate variability in time and frequency domain. Methods: A total of 26 women athletes and non-athletes aged 18 to 33 years underwent electrocardiogram at rest and for 6 minutes while simultaneously using the Polar RS800CX heart rate monitor. Results: Significant differences were observed in some HRV parameters obtained between the group of athletes with the non-sports control group, in the time domain, in the frequency domain no differences were observed. Conclusions: The regular practice of physical activity provides an increase in HRV, indicating that athletes have a lower risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases, unlike sedentary individuals, because in these the risk will be significantly greater. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The optical properties of localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) sustained by self-assembled silver nanoparticles are of great interest for enhancing light trapping in thin film photovoltaics. First, we report on a systematic investigation of the structural and the optical properties of silver nanostructures fabricated by a solid-state dewetting process on various substrates. Our study allows to identify fabrication conditions in which circular, uniformly spaced nanoparticles are obtainable. The optimized NPs are then integrated into plasmonic back reflector (PBR) structures. Second, we demonstrate a novel procedure, involving a combination of opto-electronic spectroscopic techniques, allowing for the quantification of useful and parasitic absorption in thin photovoltaic absorber deposited on top of the PBR. We achieve a significant broadband useful absorption enhancement of 90% for 0.9 µm thick μc-Si:H film and demonstrate that optical losses due to plasmonic scattering are insignificant below 730 nm. Finally, we present a successful implementation of a plasmonic light trapping scheme in a thin film a-Si:H solar cell. The quantum efficiency spectra of the devices show a pronounced broadband enhancement resulting in remarkably high short circuit current densities (Jsc).

Several studies have demonstrated that administration of doxorubicin (DOXO) results in cardiotoxicity, which eventually progresses to dilated cardiomyopathy. The present work aimed to evaluate the early myocardial changes of DOXO-induced cardiotoxicity. Male New Zealand White rabbits were injected intravenously with DOXO twice weekly for 8 wk [DOXO-induced heart failure (DOXO-HF)] or with an equivolumetric dose of saline (control). Echocardiographic evaluation was performed, and myocardial samples were collected to evaluate myocardial cellular and molecular modifications. The DOXO-HF group presented cardiac hypertrophy and higher left ventricular cavity diameters, showing a dilated phenotype but preserved ejection fraction. Concerning cardiomyocyte function, the DOXO-HF group presented a trend toward increased active tension without significant differences in passive tension. The myocardial GSSG-to-GSH ratio and interstitial fibrosis were increased and Bax-to- Bcl-2 ratio presented a trend toward an increase, suggesting the activation of apoptosis signaling pathways. The macromolecule titin shifted toward the more compliant isoform (N2BA), whereas the stiffer one (N2B) was shown to be hypophosphorylated. Differential protein analysis from the aggregate-enriched fraction through gel liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry revealed an increase in the histidine-rich glycoprotein fragment in DOXO-HF animals. This work describes novel and early myocardial effects of DOXO-induced cardiotoxicity. Thus, tracking these changes appears to be of extreme relevance for the early detection of cardiac damage (as soon as ventricular dilation becomes evident) before irreversible cardiac function deterioration occurs (reduced ejection fraction). Moreover, it allows for the adjustment of the therapeutic approach and thus the prevention of cardiomyopathy progression.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Identification of early myocardial effects of doxorubicin in the heart is essential to hinder the development of cardiac complications and adjust the therapeutic approach. This study describes doxorubicin-induced cellular and molecular modifications before the onset of dilated cardiomyopathy. Myocardial samples from doxorubicin-treated rabbits showed a tendency for higher cardiomyocyte active tension, titin isoform shift from N2B to N2BA, hypophosphorylation of N2B, increased apoptotic genes, left ventricular interstitial fibrosis, and increased aggregation of histidine-rich glycoprotein.

The interaction of light with wavelength-sized photonic nanostructures is highly promising for light management applied to thin-film photovoltaics. Several light trapping effects come into play in the wave optics regime of such structures that crucially depend on the parameters of the photonic and absorbing elements. Thus, multi-parameter optimizations employing exact numerical models, as performed in this work, are essential to determine the maximum photocurrent enhancement that can be produced in solar cells. Generalized spheroidal geometries and high-index dielectric materials are considered here to model the design of the optical elements providing broadband absorption enhancement in planar silicon solar cells. The physical mechanisms responsible for such enhancement are schematized in a spectral diagram, providing a deeper understanding of the advantageous characteristics of the optimized geometries. The best structures, composed of TiO2 half-spheroids patterned on the cells' top surface, yield two times higher photocurrent (up to 32.5 mA/cm2 in 1.5 µm thick silicon layer) than the same devices without photonic schemes. These results set the state-of-the-art closer to the theoretical Lambertian limit. In addition, the considered light trapping designs are not affected by the traditional compromise between absorption enhancement versus current degradation by recombination, which is a key technological advantage.

PD/BD/143031/2018 PTDC/EAM-PEC/29905/2017 PTDC/NAN-OPT/28430/2017 PTDC/NAN-OPT/28837/2017 UID/CTM/50025/2019 Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (2015/21455-1); Engineering and Physical SciencesResearch Council (EP/P02324X/1). Solar cells can strongly benefit from optical strategies capable of providing the desired broadband absorption of sunlight and consequent high conversion efficiency. While many diffractive light-trapping structures prove high absorption enhancements, their industrial application rather depends on simplicity concerning the integration to the solar cell concept and the process technology. Here, we show how simple grating lines can perform as well as advanced light-trapping designs. We use a shallow and periodic grating as the basic element of a quasi-random structure, which is highly suitable for industrial mass production. Its checkerboard arrangement breaks the mirror symmetry and is shown, for instance, to enhance the bulk current of a 1 µm slab of crystalline silicon by 125%. We explain its excellent performance by drawing a direct link between a structure's Fourier series and the implied photocurrent, derived from a large and diverse set of structures. Our design rule thus meets all relevant aspects of light-trapping for solar cells, clearing the way for simple, practical, and yet outstanding diffractive structures, with a potential impact beyond photonic applications. publishersversion published

Plasmon-enhanced absorption, often considered as a promising solution for efficient light trapping in thin film silicon solar cells, suffers from pronounced optical losses i.e. parasitic absorption, which do not contribute to the obtainable photocurrent. Direct measurements of such losses are therefore essential to optimize the design of plasmonic nanostructures and supporting layers. Importantly, contributions of useful and parasitic absorption cannot be measured separately with commonly used optical spectrophotometry. In this study we apply a novel strategy consisting in a combination of photocurrent and photothermal spectroscopic techniques to experimentally quantify the trade-off between useful and parasitic absorption of light in thin hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) films incorporating self-assembled silver nanoparticle arrays located at their rear side. The highly sensitive photothermal technique accounts for all absorption processes that result in a generation of heat i.e. total absorption while the photocurrent spectroscopy accounts only for the photons absorbed in the μc-Si:H layer which generate photocarriers i.e. useful absorption [1]. We demonstrate that for 0.9 μm thick μc-Si:H film the optical losses resulting from the plasmonic light trapping are insignificant below 730 nm, above which they increase rapidly with increasing illumination wavelength. For the films deposited on nanoparticle arrays coupled with a flat silver mirror (plasmonic back reflector), we achieved a significant broadband enhancement of the useful absorption resulting from both surface texturing and plasmonic scattering, and achieving 91% of the theoretical Lambertian limit of absorption. [1] S. Morawiec et al. Experimental Quantification of Useful and Parasitic Absorption of Light in Plasmon-Enhanced Thin Silicon Films for Solar Cells Application. Scientific Reports 6 (2016)

The use of disposable recyclable, eco-friendly, sustainable and low-cost devices with multiple functions is becoming a demand in the emerging area of the Internet of Things as a way to decrease the degree of complexity of the electronic circuits required to serve a plethora of applications. Moreover, for low-cost disposable applications, it is relevant the systems to be recyclable. The idea beyond the present study concerns to exploit our imagination with simple questions such as: What happens if it is possible to have a simple and universal device architecture, easy to implement on paper substrates, but capable to provide different multiple functionalities? It would be possible to have a common template for electronic systems on paper that would be then easily customized depending on the final application? The present study answers to these demands by reporting the physics and electronics behavior of a multigate paper transistor where paper is simultaneously the substrate and the dielectric, while a metal-oxide-semiconductor (IGZO) is used as the active channel. Moreover, the same device is able to present logic functionalities simply by varying the amplitude and frequency of the input gate signals. These transistors operate at drain voltages of 1 V with low power, exhibiting ION/IOFF > 104 and a mobility ≈2 cm2 V−1 s−1, serving the specifications for a broad range of smart disposable low power electronics. To sustain all this, an analytical compact model was developed able to precisely reproduce the response of paper-based dual-gate FETs and provide full understanding of their unique and innovative operational characteristics. publishersversion published

CO2 capture and utilization (CCU) technologies are being immensely researched as means to close the anthropogenic carbon cycle. One approach known as artificial photosynthesis uses solar energy from photovoltaics (PV), carbon dioxide and water to generate hydrocarbon fuels, being methane (CH4) a preferential target due to the already in place infrastructures for its storage, distribution and consumption. Here, a model is developed to simulate a direct (1-step) solar methane production approach, which is studied in two scenarios: first, we compare it against a more conventional 2-step methane production route, and second, we apply it to address the energetic needs of concept buildings with usual space and domestic hot water heating requirements. The analysed 2-step process consists in the PV-powered synthesis of an intermediate fuel - syngas - followed by its conversion to CH4 via a Fischer -Tropsch (methanation) process. It was found that the 1-step route could be adequate to a domestic, small scale use, potentially providing energy for a single-family house, whilst the 2-step can be used in both small and large scale applications, from domestic to industrial uses. In terms of overall solar-to-CH4 energy efficiency, the 2-step method reaches 13.26% against the 9.18% reached by the 1-step method. Next, the application of the direct solar methane technology is analysed for domestic buildings, in different European locations, equipped with a combination of solar thermal collectors (STCs) and PV panels, in which the heating needs that cannot be fulfilled by the STCs are satisfied by the combustion of methane synthesized by the PV-powered electrolyzers. Various combinations of situations for a whole year were studied and it was found that this auxiliary system can produce, per m(2) of PV area, in the worst case scenario 23.6 g/day (0.328 kWh/day) of methane in Stockholm, and in the best case scenario 47.4 g/day (0.658 kWh/day) in Lisbon. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Thin film solar cells based in Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 (CIGS) are among the most efficient polycrystalline solar cells, surpassing CdTe and even polycrystalline silicon solar cells. For further developments, the CIGS technology has to start incorporating different solar cell architectures and strategies that allow for very low interface recombination. In this work, ultrathin 350 nm CIGS solar cells with a rear interface passivation strategy are studied and characterized. The rear passivation is achieved using an Al2O3 nanopatterned point structure. Using the cell results, photoluminescence measurements, and detailed optical simulations based on the experimental results, it is shown that by including the nanopatterned point contact structure, the interface defect concentration lowers, which ultimately leads to an increase of solar cell electrical performance mostly by increase of the open circuit voltage. Gains to the short circuit current are distributed between an increased rear optical reflection and also due to electrical effects. The approach of mixing several techniques allows us to make a discussion considering the different passivation gains, which has not been done in detail in previous works. A solar cell with a nanopatterned rear contact and a 350 nm thick CIGS absorber provides an average power conversion efficiency close to 10%. P.M.P.S. acknowledges the funding of Fundacao para Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT) through the project IF/00133/2015. B.V. has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 715027). CAPES (CAPES-INL 04/14), CNPq, and FAPEMIG funding agencies are acknowledged for financial support. The European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 720887) ARCIGS-M project is acknowledged. M.J.M. acknowledges funding from FCT through the grant SFRH/BPD/115566/2016. This project was partially supported by FEDER funds, through the COMPETE 2020 Program, and national funds, through the FCT, under the projects POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007688 (Reference UID/CTM/50025) and ALTALUZ (Reference PTDC/CTM-ENE/5125/2014). The authors also acknowledge partial funding from the European Project BET-EU (H2020-TWINN-2015, grant 692373). The NanoFabrication department at INL, namely Joao Gaspar and Helder Fonseca, are recognized for the help in the development of the nanopatterning process.

A fast method is presented to fabricate plasmonic light trapping structures in just ten minutes (>5 × faster than the present state of art), with excellent light scattering properties. The structures are composed of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) deposited by thermal evaporation and self-assembled using a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) system. The effect of the RTA heating rate on the NPs production reveals to be crucial to the decrease of the annealing process. The Ag NPs are integrated in thin film silicon solar cells to form a plasmonic back reflector (PBR) that causes a diffused light reflectivity in the near-infrared (600–1100 nm wavelength region). In this configuration the thicknesses of the AZO spacer/passivating layers between NPs and rear mirror, and between NPs and silicon layer, play critical roles in the near-field coupling of the reflected light towards the solar cell absorber, which is investigated in this work. The best spacer thicknesses were found to be 100 and 60 nm, respectively, for Ag NPs with preferential sizes of about 200 nm. The microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) solar cells deposited on such improved PBR demonstrate an overall 11% improvement on device efficiency, corresponding to a photocurrent of 24.4 mA/cm2 and an efficiency of 6.78%, against 21.79 mA/cm2 and 6.12%, respectively, obtained on flat structures without NPs.

Transparent Conducting Oxides (TCOs) have important device applications used in solar cells as transparent electrodes. In particular, ZnO material has been investigated for many years due to its excellent physical properties and potential applications in transparent conductive contacts when it is doped by several types of doping. If n-type doping is easily achievable in ZnO, the realization of stable and reproducible p-type ZnO is still difficult. The group I (Li, Na) atoms could be potential candidates to result in p-type ZnO. The choice of lithium as a dopant is motivated firstly by its abundance in nature, its low cost compared to other alkali metals and its wide application. Undoped and Lithium-doped zinc oxide thin films (ZnO:Li) at different percentages (5, 15 and 25%) were prepared on glass substrates, using the sol–gel spin-coating method, and the influence of the Li concentration on the structural, morphological and optical properties of the ZnO thin films was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis shows that the un-doped and 5 at % Li-doped films have a hexagonal wurtzite structure and are preferentially oriented along the c-axis from the substrate. SEM analysis shows a compact surface with mainly hexagonal grains. Optical transmittance measurements show that all samples have average 88% transparency in the visible light, with a sharp fall of the absorption at a wavelength (~376 nm) close to the ZnO band gap. The results suggest that the optical properties of the ZnO:Li films can be further improved for solar cell applications.

Background Chronic angiogenesis is a hallmark of most tumors and takes place in a hostile tumor microenvironment (TME) characterized by hypoxia, low nutrient and glucose levels, elevated lactate and low pH. Despite this, most studies addressing angiogenic signaling use hypoxia as a proxy for tumor conditions. Here, we compared the effects of hypoxia and TME conditions on regulation of the Na+/H+ exchanger NHE1, Ser/Thr kinases Akt1–3, and downstream effectors in endothelial cells. Methods Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and Ea.hy926 endothelial cells were exposed to simulated TME (1% hypoxia, low serum, glucose, pH, high lactate) or 1% hypoxia for 24 or 48 h, with or without NHE1 inhibition or siRNA-mediated knockdown. mRNA and protein levels of NHE1, Akt1–3, and downstream effectors were assessed by qPCR and Western blotting, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) release by ELISA, and motility by scratch assay. Results Within 24 h, HIF-1α level and VEGF mRNA level were increased robustly by TME and modestly by hypoxia alone. The NHE1 mRNA level was decreased by both hypoxia and TME, and NHE1 protein was reduced by TME in Ea.hy926 cells. Akt1–3 mRNA was detected in HUVEC and Ea.hy926 cells, Akt1 most abundantly. Akt1 protein expression was reduced by TME yet unaffected by hypoxia, while Akt phosphorylation was increased by TME. The Akt loss was partly reversed by MCF-7 human breast cancer cell conditioned medium, suggesting that in vivo, the cancer cell secretome may compensate for adverse effects of TME on endothelial cells. TME, yet not hypoxia, reduced p70S6 kinase activity and ribosomal protein S6 phosphorylation and increased eIF2α phosphorylation, consistent with inhibition of protein translation. Finally, TME reduced Retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation and induced poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage consistent with inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis. NHE1 knockdown, mimicking the effect of TME on NHE1 expression, reduced Ea.hy926 migration. TME effects on HIF-1α, VEGF, Akt, translation, proliferation or apoptosis markers were unaffected by NHE1 knockdown/inhibition. Conclusions NHE1 and Akt are downregulated by TME conditions, more potently than by hypoxia alone. This inhibits endothelial cell migration and growth in a manner likely modulated by the cancer cell secretome. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-017-3532-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The ability to recognize emotions in spoken words is central in human communication and social relationships. When studying one's ability to perceive emotions, the standard paradigm is to have listeners choose which one of several emotion words best characterizes linguistically neutral utterances made by actors attempting to portray various emotional states. Usually, generic experiment control software are used, which may present several limitations. In this paper we present a novel approach to the problem, based on a mobile application that can be easily configured by the researcher to set up the desired protocol. This approach not only facilitates and improves study design and data collection, but also provides a plethora of new variables about the participants that, to the best of our knowledge, have never been considered before in this domain, including behavioural research.

This paper is aimed at investigating the elastic buckling of longitudinally stiffened plate girder subjected to patch loading. At first, buckling coefficients are computed by means of linear buckling analysis using the finite element method. Thereafter, a first order factorial design is performed to weigh the geometrical parameters on the buckling coefficient. Finally, a second order model is obtained to predict the buckling coefficient for longitudinally stiffened plate girders. A significant improvement, within the range of geometric parameters investigated herein, is achieved when compared to similar formulae found in the literature.

Chronic wounds that fail to heal are a common complication of diabetes mellitus and the most common precipitating reason for nontraumatic lower limb amputation. Unfortunately, the bacterial species that cause these infections are becoming more resistant to antibiotics, making them increasingly difficult to treat. We assessed the feasibility of combating chronic bacterial infections with a topically delivered bacteriophage cocktail in two animal models of diabetes mellitus. Microbiological, planimetric, and histological parameters were compared in debrided infected wounds with or without topical bacteriophage treatment. We determined that bacteriophage treatment effectively decreased bacterial colony counts and improved wound healing, as indicated by smaller epithelial and dermal gaps, in Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections but was not as effective against Acinetobacter baumannii. Although the improvements were more significant in the rodent model than in the porcine model, our results suggest that topically administered bacteriophage treatment may be effective in resolving chronic infections, especially when applied in conjunction with wound debridement. These findings have important implications for the feasibility of using topical antimicrobial therapies to safely treat chronic infections in diabetes mellitus patients.

Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in peripheral polyneuropathies besides diabetes mellitus is still a poorly studied subject. Little is known about sexual function in women with amyloidosis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, or porphyria. Even for the world's most common peripheral polyneuropathies such as diabetes mellitus, knowledge and consensus are still lacking. Familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) is the most common cause of genetic systemic amyloidosis, with neurological clinical manifestations similar to diabetes mellitus. Until today, no study on the sexual function of these young female patients has been published.To evaluate FSD in female FAP patients and to compare the results with those of healthy, non-FAP females.A questionnaire-based, observational study comprising 94 nonmenopausal women with a sexual partner (51 FAP and 43 non-FAP as the control group) was conducted. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI)--Portuguese-validated version was used to assess FSD.Total and subscales scores of the FSFI.FSD was reported by 42% (95% confidence intervals [CI] 28.3-55.7) of FAP patients compared to 12% of healthy controls. Of all the FAP patients, 39.2% reported problems with desire (95% CI 25.6-52.4), 72.5% reported problems with arousal (95% CI 60.2-84.8), 68% reported lubrication problems (95% CI 55.1-80.9), 62% reported orgasm problems (95% CI 48.5-75.5), 39.2% experienced pain (95% CI, 25.8-52.6), and 49% experienced sexual dissatisfaction (95% CI, 35.3-62.7). Even after multiple logistic regression analysis, FAP is associated with sexual dysfunction in women (OR 4.3, 95% CI 1.2-15.5, P0.03), and the affected domains are desire (OR 5.1, 95% CI 1.3-19.7, P0.02), arousal (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.5-14.1, P0.007), orgasm (OR 5, 95% CI 1.6-16, P0.007), and sexual satisfaction (OR 4.8, 95% CI 1.4-16.9, P0.02). Only the use of medication with potential for sexual dysfunction was found as a significant predictor of orgasm disorder (OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.1-15.6, P0.03), as did age for sexual dissatisfaction (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.0-1.2, P0.04).FAP as a peripheral polyneuropathy results in FSD, presenting a risk factor four times greater and related to disease severity in terms of desire, arousal, and orgasm disorders, as well as sexual dissatisfaction.

A sarcoidose e uma doenca granulomatosa cronica idiopatica, de carater sistemico. Embora o acometimento pulmonar seja a forma mais comum da doenca, a sarcoidose pode afetar as vias aereas, determinando nodulacoes de mucosa e ate estenose bronquica. O envolvimento do trato gastrointestinal e bastante raro e se manifesta principalmente como sarcoidose gastrica. O diagnostico se baseia na sintomatologia, nos achados radiologicos e na analise histopatologica das biopsias teciduais. No presente trabalho, descrevemos um caso de sarcoidose pulmonar, endobronquica e gastrica em uma mesma paciente e discutimos a abordagem dessa rara apresentacao da doenca

A combination of photocurrent and photothermal spectroscopic techniques is applied to experimentally quantify the useful and parasitic absorption of light in thin hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) films incorporating optimized metal nanoparticle arrays, located at the rear surface, for improved light trapping via resonant plasmonic scattering. The photothermal technique accounts for the total absorptance and the photocurrent signal accounts only for the photons absorbed in the μc-Si:H layer (useful absorptance); therefore, the method allows for independent quantification of the useful and parasitic absorptance of the plasmonic (or any other) light trapping structure. We demonstrate that with a 0.9 μm thick absorber layer the optical losses related to the plasmonic light trapping in the whole structure are insignificant below 730 nm, above which they increase rapidly with increasing illumination wavelength. An average useful absorption of 43% and an average parasitic absorption of 19% over 400–1100 nm wavelength range is measured for μc-Si:H films deposited on optimized self-assembled Ag nanoparticles coupled with a flat mirror (plasmonic back reflector). For this sample, we demonstrate a significant broadband enhancement of the useful absorption resulting in the achievement of 91% of the maximum theoretical Lambertian limit of absorption.