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Participatory budgeting was introduced in Latin America in 1989, and within 10 years, this innovation spread all over the world. At the same time, researchers outside Latin America showed a growing interest in the issue, resulting in more diversified research. A few scholars have already tried to provide comprehensive literature reviews; however, these efforts have had a narrow focus or have appeared as embedded parts of analyses of specific issues. This article aims to (1) identify recent worldwide research trends in participatory budgeting, (2) identify the most popular issues addressed by international research and (3) suggest avenues and subfields of further research. We employed bibliometric techniques to analyse articles published in journals that were indexed and abstracted in the Web of Science database from 2001 to 2020.

Visualization of functionally different domains in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells is of paramount importance to understand the routes of optimization of their structure for best performance. In this work, a concept of detecting n-type and p-type semiconductor domains in BHJ structures by methods based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) is proposed. It assigns an active role to the semiconducting coating of the AFM probe tip which is able to form different junctions, i.e., p-n anisotype or p+-p, n+-n isotype, with the surfaces inspected. Here, we illustrate this concept on the example of BHJ structures composed of the n-type inorganic microcrystalline semiconductor CdS and mechanochemically prepared p-type kesterite nanopowder and two types of AFM probe tip coatings, i.e., p-type boron-doped diamond and n-type nitrogen-doped diamond coating, respectively. Conductive AFM (CAFM) measurements demonstrated unequivocally the different diode behavior when contacting n- or p-type semiconductor domains in the BHJ structures. Simulation of the energy level alignment at the probe-sample interfaces allowed us to explain the formation of anisotype or isotype junctions depending on the sample domain and probe used. Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements were consistent with the CAFM results and indicated the different contact potentials from the diverse types of domains in the BHJ structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanochemically prepared nanopowder of selenium-free kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) in combination with n-type semiconductors, i.e., CdS, ZnO and TiO2, was tested in planar and bulk-heterojunction solar cells. The samples have been studied by macroscopic current-voltage (I-V) measurements and Kelvin-probe atomicforce microscopy (KPFM). KPFM images taken under light illumination showed the distribution of the potential across the surface, with negative potential on the n-type semiconductor domains and positive potential on the CZTS domains, which indicated charge separation at the interface of the counterparts. The best result was found for the CdS-CZTS composition, which showed a potential difference between the domains up to 250 mV. These results were compared with the planar heterojunctions of CdS/CZTS and TiO2/CZTS, where CZTS nanopowder was pressed/deposited directly onto the surface of films of the corresponding n-type semiconductors. Again, I-V characteristics showed that cells based on CdS/CZTS heterojunctions have the best performance, with a photovoltage up to 200 mV and photocurrent densities up to 0.1 mA/cm². However, the carrier generation was found to occur mainly in the CdS semiconductor, while CZTS showed no photo-response and served as the hole-transporting layer only. It is concluded that sensitization of the kesterite powder obtained by mechanochemical method is necessary to improve the performance of the corresponding solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction:Early postoperative mental changes are the most frequent problem after bilateral subthalamic electrode implantation. The study aims to find an association between them and factors related to patient, disease and surgery, including the size of the third ventricle as brain atrophy marker. Material and methods:The study included 80 patients with bilateral subthalamic electrodes implanted for motor complications of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Patients’ age, disease and motor complications duration, medication, neuropsychological tests, surgical reports, third ventricle length (intercommissural distance) and width (intermammillary distance) were analysed. Results:Early mental alterations requiring treatment were observed in 25.0% of patients with higher age being significant predictor. The duration of PD motor complications, L DOPA equivalent dose, DSR Mattis, third ventricle length and width were not statistically significant predictors. The incidence of postoperative mental alteration with intermammillary distance > 8 mm was 60%. The percentage of left sided electrodes implanted in anterior trajectory is significantly higher in patients with early mental changes. Conclusions:Higher age is a risk factor for early postoperative mental changes, but not disease, late motor complications duration and parameters describing third ventricular size except the excessive intermammillary distance. Left sided electrode implanted in anterior position is a risk factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Table 1 in original paper (Slobodník et al. 2017, Slovak Raptor Journal 11: 83–89) was published with incorrect data. Correct version is published here.