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David P Miller, Stephanie E Watkins, Tim Sampson, Kourtney J Davis WorldWide Epidemiology, GlaxoSmithKline, Durham, NC, USA Objectives: Some large population-based studies have reported a dose-related increased risk of cataracts and glaucoma associated with use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We evaluated the association between use of ICS-containing products, specifically fluticasone propionate/salmeterol fixed-dose combination (FSC), and incidence of cataracts and glaucoma among patients with COPD in a large electronic medical record database in the United Kingdom. Methods: We identified a cohort of patients aged 45 years and over with COPD in the General Practice Research Database (GPRD) between 2003 and 2006. Cases of incident cataracts or glaucoma were defined based on diagnosis and procedure codes and matched to controls from the risk set to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The association with FSC or ICS exposure was modeled using conditional logistic regression. Medication exposure was assessed with respect to recency, duration, and number of prescriptions prior to the index date. Average daily dose was defined as none, low (1–250 mcg), medium (251–500 mcg), high (501–1000 mcg), or very high (1001+ mcg) using fluticasone propionate (FP) equivalents. Results: We identified 2941 incident cataract cases and 327 incident glaucoma cases in the COPD cohort (n = 53,191). FSC or ICS prescriptions were not associated with risk of incident cataracts or glaucoma for any exposure category, after adjusting for confounders. We observed a lack of a dose response in all analyses, where low dose was the reference group. The odds of cataracts associated with FSC dose were medium OR: 1.1 (95% CI: 0.9–1.4); high OR: 1.2 (95% CI: 0.9–1.5); and very high OR: 1.2 (95% CI: 0.9–1.7). The odds of glaucoma associated with FSC dose: medium OR: 1.0 (95% CI: 0.5–2.1); high OR: 1.0 (95% CI: 0.5–2.0); and very high OR: 1.0 (95% CI: 0.4–2.8). Conclusions: FSC or other ICS exposure was not associated with an increased odds of cataracts or glaucoma, nor was a dose–response relationship observed in this population-based nested case-control study of COPD patients in the United Kingdom. Keywords: inhaled corticosteroids, fluticasone ropionate/salmeterol, cataracts, glaucoma, risk

Data on 156 long-stay patients were analyzed to identify the differences between individuals allocated to four residential groups in relation to community placement. The groups were differentiated by age, length of stay, specific aspects of clinical state and social competence, and cognitive impairments. The individuals considered to be suitable for a nurse staffed home were found to be the most handicapped, and important aspects of being 'difficult to place' were apparent. In specific respects, however, groups such as the elderly were more handicapped. This study involves 'internal' validation since the major source of data involved staff ratings, and information on patient adaptation in the community was not available. However, the majority of the variables that differentiate the present subgroups on the 'internal' criterion have also been shown to predict aspects of successful community placement in other studies of similar clinical groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of organic electronic applications has reached a critical point. While markets, including the Internet of Things, transparent solar and flexible displays, gain momentum, organic light-emitting diode displays lead the way, with a current market size of over $25 billion, helping to create the infrastructure and ecosystem for other applications to follow. It is imperative to design built-in sustainability into the materials selection, processing and device architectures of all of these emerging applications, and to close the loop for a circular approach. In this Perspective, we evaluate the status of embedded carbon in organic electronics, as well as options for more sustainable materials and manufacturing, including engineered recycling solutions that can be applied within the product architecture and at the end of life. This emerging industry has a responsibility to ensure a 'cradle-to-cradle' approach. We highlight that ease of dismantling and recycling needs to closely relate to the product lifetime, and that regeneration should be facilitated in product design. Materials choices should consider the environmental effects of synthesis, processing and end-product recycling as well as performance., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Ancient fluvial deposits typically display repetitive changes in their depositional architecture such as alternating intervals of coarse-grained highly amalgamated (HA), laterally-stacked, channel bodies, and finer-grained less amalgamated (LA), vertically-stacked, channels encased in floodplain deposits. Such patterns are usually ascribed to slower, respectively higher, rates of base level rise (accommodation). However, "upstream" factors such as water discharge and sediment flux also play a potential role in determining stratigraphic architecture, yet this possibility has never been tested despite the recent advances in the field of palaeohydraulic reconstructions from fluvial accumulations. Here, we chronicle riverbed gradient evolution within three Middle Eocene (~ 40 Ma) fluvial HA-LA sequences in the Escanilla Formation in the south-Pyrenean foreland basin. This work documents, for the first time in a fossil fluvial system, how the ancient riverbed systematically evolved from lower slopes in coarser-grained HA intervals, and higher slopes in finer-grained LA intervals, suggesting that bed slope changes were determined primarily by climate-controlled water discharge variations rather than base level changes as often hypothesized. This highlights the important connection between climate and landscape evolution and has fundamental implications for our ability to reconstruct ancient hydroclimates from the interpretation of fluvial sedimentary sequences., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

First-line treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) focuses on weight loss through lifestyle modifications. 1,2 Weight loss ≥5% results in reduction of steatosis and weight loss ≥10% has been associated with improvement in hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. 3 The incidence and sustainability of weight loss among patients with NAFLD were estimated and associating factors identified., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cryoprotection is of interest in many fields of research, necessitating a greater understanding of different cryoprotective agents. Antifreeze proteins have been identified that have the ability to confer cryoprotection in certain organisms. Antifreeze proteins are an evolutionary adaptation that contributes to the freeze resistance of certain fish, insects, bacteria and plants. These proteins adsorb to an ice crystal's surface and restrict its growth within a certain temperature range. We investigated the ability of an antifreeze protein from the desert beetle Anatolica polita, ApAFP752, to confer cryoprotection in the frog Xenopus laevis. Xenopus laevis eggs and embryos microinjected with ApAFP752 exhibited reduced damage and increased survival after a freeze-thaw cycle in a concentration-dependent manner. We also demonstrate that ApAFP752 localizes to the plasma membrane in eggs and embryonic blastomeres and is not toxic for early development. These studies show the potential of an insect antifreeze protein to confer cryoprotection in amphibian eggs and embryos., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare no competing or financial interests., (© 2022. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)

Diversity within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) remains disturbingly low. Relative to larger, highly funded universities, smaller schools harbor more diverse student demographics and more limited resources. Here, we propose four strategies leveraging the unique advantages of smaller institutions to advance underrepresented scholars along STEM pathways., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disseminates throughout the United States, a better understanding of the patient characteristics associated with hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality in diverse geographic regions is essential., Methods: Hospital chargemaster data on adult patients with COVID-19 admitted to 245 hospitals across 38 states between 15 February and 20 April 2020 were assessed. The clinical course from admission, through hospitalization, and to discharge or death was analyzed., Results: A total of 11 721 patients were included (majority were >60 years of age [59.9%] and male [53.4%]). Comorbidities included hypertension (46.7%), diabetes (27.8%), cardiovascular disease (18.6%), obesity (16.1%), and chronic kidney disease (12.2%). Mechanical ventilation was required by 1967 patients (16.8%). Mortality among hospitalized patients was 21.4% and increased to 70.5% among those on mechanical ventilation. Male sex, older age, obesity, geographic region, and the presence of chronic kidney disease or a preexisting cardiovascular disease were associated with increased odds of mechanical ventilation. All aforementioned risk factors, with the exception of obesity, were associated with increased odds of death (all P values < .001). Many patients received investigational medications for treatment of COVID-19, including 48 patients on remdesivir and 4232 on hydroxychloroquine., Conclusions: This large observational cohort describes the clinical course and identifies factors associated with the outcomes of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across the United States. These data can inform strategies to prioritize prevention and treatment for this disease., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Opioid use is a topic of growing concern among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Given safety concerns of opioids, proactively identifying subgroups of patients with an increased probability of opioid use may encourage practitioners to recommend alternative therapies for pain, thus reducing the likelihood of opioid misuse. This work assessed the prevalence and patient characteristics associated with opioid use in a real-world cohort of patients with NAFLD., Methods: TARGET-NASH, an observational study of participants at 55 academic and community sites in the United States, includes patients with NAFLD defined by pragmatic case definitions. Opioid use was defined as any documented opioid prescriptions in the year prior to enrollment. The association between patient characteristics and the odds of opioid use were modeled with stepwise multivariable logistic regression and tree ensemble methods (Classification and regression tree/Boosted Tree)., Results: The cohort included 3,474 adult patients with NAFLD including 18.0% with documented opioid use. Variables associated with opioid use included presence of cirrhosis (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.16-1.98), BMI ≥32 kg/m2 (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.05-1.59), depression (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.50-2.33), and anxiety (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.27-1.98). In the boosted tree analysis, history of back pain, depression, and fibromyalgia had the greatest relative importance in predicting opioid use., Conclusion: Prescription opioids were used in nearly 1 of 5 patients with NAFLD. Given the safety concerns of opioids in patients with NAFLD, alternative therapies including low-dose acetaminophen and nonpharmacologic treatments should be considered for these patients., (© 2020 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Introduction: As new topical and systemic treatments become available for atopic dermatitis (AD), there is a need to understand how treatments are being used in routine clinical practice, their comparative effectiveness and their long-term safety in diverse clinical settings., Methods and Analysis: The TARGET-DERM AD cohort is a longitudinal, observational study of patients with AD of all ages, designed to provide practical information on long-term effectiveness and safety unobtainable in traditional registration trials. Patients with physician-diagnosed AD receiving prescription treatment (topical or systemic) will be enrolled at academic and community clinical centres. Up to 3 years of retrospective medical records, 5 years of prospective medical records, and optional biological samples and patient-reported outcomes will be collected. The primary aims include characterisation of AD treatment regimens, evaluation of response to therapy, and description of adverse events., Ethics and Dissemination: TARGET-DERM has been approved by a central IRB (Copernicus Group IRB, 5000 Centregreen Way Suite 200, Cary, North Carolina 27513) as well as local and institutional IRBs. No additional Ethics Committee reviews. Results will be reviewed by a publications committee and submitted to peer-reviewed journals., Trial Registration Number: NCT03661866, pre-results., Competing Interests: Competing interests: KA: receives compensation for consulting services from TARGET PharmaSolutions; no other competing interests. JIS: AbbVie, Anaptysbio, Arena, Asana, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Dermira, Dermavant, DS Biopharma, Eli Lilly, Galderma, GlaxoSmithKline, Glenmark, Incyte, Kiniksa, LEO Pharma, Luna, Menlo, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi – consultant or advisory board member; Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi – speaker. ELS: grants and personal fees from AbbVie, grants and personal fees from Eli Lilly, grants from Galderma, grants from Kyowa Hakko Kirin, grants and personal fees from Leo Pharmaceutical, grants from Merck, grants and personal fees from Pfizer, grants and personal fees from Regeneron, personal fees from Sanofi, personal fees from Dermira, grants from Galderma, grants and personal fees from MedImmune, grants from Novartis, grants from Tioga, grants from Celgene, personal fees from Boehringer-Ingelheim, personal fees from Dermavant, personal fees from Forte Bio, personal fees from Incyte, personal fees from Menlo Therapeutics, personal fees from Ortho Dermatologics, personal fees from Pierre Fabre Dermo Cosmetique, personal fees from Valeant. ASP: investigator for AbbVie, Anaptysbio, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galderma, Incyte, Leo, Janssen, Novartis, and Regeneron; consultant with honorarium for Almirall, Amgen, Asana, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Castle Creek, Celgene, Dermavant, Dermira, Eli Lilly, Exicure, Forte, Galderma, Lenus, Leo, MEDA Corp, Meiji Seika, Novan, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi-Genzyme, and Sol Gel. LE: Consultant/Speaker/Advisory Board: Almirall, Dermavant, Dermira, DS Biopharma, Forte, Galderma, Incyte, LEO, Lilly, L’Oreal, Matrisys, Otsuka, Novartis, Ortho Dermatologics/Valeant, Pfizer/Anacor, Regeneron, Sanofi-Genzyme. Investigator: Abvie, LEO, Regeneron, Sanofi-Genzyme. DSM: Asana, Ichnos/Glenmark. RB: Advisory Board Member, Consultant, Speaker, Investigator for and/or receives honoraria or grant from AbbVie, AntibioTx, Arcutis, Arena Pharma, Asana BioSciences, Bellus Health, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Dermavant, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Galderma, Incyte, Kiniksa, Kyowa Kirin, Neokera, LEO Pharma, Novan, Pfizer, Ralexar, RAPT, Regeneron, Sanofi Genzyme and Sienna. Employee and shareholder of Innovaderm Research. JK: Personal fees from Novartis, Pfizer, Amgen, Lilly, Boehringer, BMS, Biogenldec, Janssen, AbbVie, Leo Pharma, ESCALIER, Valeant, Allergan, Aurigene, Sienna, UCB, Allergan, Asana, Celgene, Nimbus, Menlo, Aristea, Sanofi, Sun Pharma, Almirall, Arena, Ventyx, Aclaris, Galapagos. Grants paid to Institution from Novartis, Pfizer, Amgen, Lilly, Boehringer, Innovaderm, BMS, Janssen, AbbVie, Parexel, Leo Pharma, Vitae, Akros, Regeneron, Allergan, Novan, Biogen MA, Sienna, UCB, Celgene, Botanix, Incyte, Avillion, Exicure. JH: consultant for Pfizer, Genzyme/Sanofi, Aclaris Therapeutics, Incyte, Theos Medicines, Sun Pharmaceuticals, LEO Pharma, Villaris Therapeutics, Dermavant, Temprian, AbbVie, Inc., Janssen, TeVido BioDevices, EMD Serono, Almirall, Boston Pharma, Sonoma Biotherapeutics, Inc., Methuselah Health, Twi Biotech, Pandion, Cogen Therapeutics, Inc., Admirx and BridgeBio. Investigator for Pfizer, Genzyme/Sanofi, Aclaris Therapeutics, Incyte, Theos Medicines, Sun Pharmaceuticals, LEO Pharma, Villaris Therapeutics, Dermavant, AbbVie, Inc., TeVido BioDevices, EMD Serono and Pandion. Equity in TeVido Biodevices, Rheos, Villaris Therapeutics, Inc. Scientific Founder of Villaris Therapeutics, Inc. LD: employee at TARGET PharmaSolutions. SEW: employee at TARGET PharmaSolutions. JMC: employee at TARGET PharmaSolutions. DT: is a lecturer and/or consultant for AbbVie, Almirall, Amgen, Asana Biosciences, Biogen Idec, BIOCAD, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, DS-Biopharma, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen-Cilag, Kyowa Kirin, Leo Pharma, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Regeneron, Sandoz, Sanofi-Aventis and UCB, and received grants from AbbVie and Novartis (paid to institution). EGY: employee of Mount Sinai and has received research funds (grants paid to the institution) from Abbvie, Almirall, Amgen, AnaptysBio, Asana Biosciences, Boerhinger-Ingelhiem, Celgene, Dermavant, DS Biopharma, Eli Lilly, Galderma, Ichnos Sciences, Innovaderm, Janssen, Kiniska, Kyowa Kirin, Leo Pharma, Novan, Pfizer, Ralexar, Regeneron, Sienna Biopharma, UCB, and Union Therapeutics. EGY is also a consultant for Abbvie, Almirall, Amgen, Arena Pharmaceuticals, Asana Biosciences, AstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals, Boerhinger-Ingelhiem, Cara Therapeutics, Celgene, Concert, DBV, Dermira, DS Biopharma, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Escalier, Galderma, Ichnos Sciences, Kyowa Kirin, Leo Pharma, Mitsubishi Tanabe, Pandion Therapeutics, Pfizer, RAPT Therapeutics, Regeneron, Sanofi, Sienna Biopharma, and Union Therapeutics., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Children with nonsyndromic orofacial clefts (NS OFCs) may require exceptional children's (EC) services for academic delays. We examined EC service use of children with and without NS OFCs in NC in elementary school., Methods: We included 559 children with NS OFCs and 6,822 children without birth defects who had NC educational records. We estimated prevalence ratios, trends in enrollment, and characteristics of eligibility classification using descriptive statistics and logistic regression by cleft subtype and race/ethnicity. We estimated the odds of third grade retention by EC enrollment using logistic regression with inverse probability of treatment weights., Results: Children with NS OFCs were 3.02 (95% CI: 2.50, 3.64) times as likely to receive third grade special education (SE) services compared to unaffected peers. The prevalence odds was highest among children with CL+P (OR: 4.61, 95% CI: 3.49, 6.09) declining by 54% by fifth grade. The prevalence odds of SE for white children was approximately 1.50 times that for African American children in fourth and fifth grades. Approximately 33% of children with NS OFCs within each racial/ethnic group received SE in third grade. African American children were twice as likely to receive services under specific learning disability. Children with NS OFCs receiving EC services were 44% (OR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.13, 2.38) less likely to be retained in third grade compared to children with NS OFCs who were not receiving services., Conclusions: Children with NS OFCs are more likely to receive SE services in elementary school compared to their unaffected peers. The eligibility category differed by racial/ethnic group., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

This observational study was conducted to characterize the thermal micro- climate that broilers experienced in commercial poultry transporters under various weather conditions and typical management practices in the South Central USA. We continuously monitored temperature and relative humidity in 45 interior locations of 28 fully-loaded commercial trailers over 2 year spans from 2015⁻2016 in South Central USA. In the cold season, double boarding of the exterior area of the transport modules maintained temperatures at least 8 °C warmer than ambient temperatures as low as -16 °C. Overall, temperature at all locations decreased as transporters traveled from farms to processing plants during winter trips with double boards. In the hot season, assistance by evaporative cooling during on-farm loading resulted in interior temperatures within ± 2 °C of ambient conditions (up to 36 °C) during road transport. In the summer months, trailers uniformly gained 2 °C as vehicles travelled for 45 min from farms to plants. Apparent equivalent temperatures of the monitored summer trips averaged 80.5 °C, indicating possible heat stress conditions based on the thermal comfort zones defined by literature index values. For longer trips, cooling assistance on the farms may be insufficient to prevent temperatures from rising further into extremely hot conditions in the transporters, leading to a dangerous thermal environment.

Objective: Children with orofacial clefts (OFCs) may experience poor reading proficiency, learning disabilities, and academic underachievement. We examined the association between nonsyndromic (NS) OFCs and end-of-grade (EOG) performance in reading and math from third through eighth grade in a sample subgroup., Participants: We identified a cohort of 559 children with NS-OFCs and 6822 children without birth defects, classifying cleft type by cleft lip alone, with or without cleft alveolar ridge (CL); cleft lip with cleft palate (CL+P); and cleft palate only (CP)., Main Outcome Measures: Using logistic regression, we estimated the odds of not meeting grade-level standards among children with NS-OFCs compared to unaffected peers. Using longitudinal analyses, we estimated the odds of not meeting grade-level standards and average change in test scores through eighth grade., Results: Children with NS-OFCs were 1.22 (95% CI: 0.96, 1.83) times as likely not to meet grade-level standards in reading compared to unaffected peers. The effect was similar for math (OR: 1.17; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.48). Children with CL+P were 1.33 (95% CI: 0.86, 1.83) and 1.74 (95% CI: 1.19, 2.56) times as likely not to meet grade-level standard in reading and in both subjects, respectively, compared to unaffected peers. The average rate of change in both scores was similar for children with and without OFCs., Conclusions: Poor academic performance appears greatest for children with CL+P, a finding compatible with previous observations and hypothesized mechanisms associating orofacial clefts with subtle abnormalities in brain development. Academic performance monitoring and referral for academic assistance is warranted.

Formaldehyde is commonly used to overcome contaminants introduced by hatching eggs or water supply in the hatcher cabinets. However, health risks associated with its use make economical alternatives important. This project evaluated a chlorine dioxide based product (CDBP) (0.3% concentrate) as a hatchery sanitizer in decontaminating microbial populations on the shell surface of hatching eggs (>18 d old), as well as its impact on hatchability and chick performance. Hatchers (0.20 m2) designed to hold approximately 50 eggs and equipped with circulation fans, heaters, and thermostats were used for the evaluation. For each of the 2 trials conducted, 450 hatching eggs were obtained and incubated in a common setter. Eggs used in trial 1 were floor eggs whereas in trial 2 nest eggs were used. On d 18 of incubation, eggs were removed from the setter, and viable eggs were randomly allocated to 9 hatchers. Pre-treatment egg rinse samples (10 eggs per hatcher) were collected for initial microbial analysis. Three hatchers were treated with CDBP and 3 hatchers with a formaldehyde based product (FBP). Three untreated hatchers served as control (C). Prior to hatch, 10 eggs/incubator, not previously rinsed, were used for post treatment microbial counts. The hatched chicks were reared until d 21 in floor pens with a common starter diet. For the CDBP treated eggs, hatchability and chick performance (weight gains, mortality, and FCR on d 7 and d 21) were similar to the other treatments. The application rate of CDBP evaluated in this study was not an effective antimicrobial alternative to formaldehyde for sanitizing hatching eggs in hatcher cabinets prior to hatch., (© 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.)

Background: The aesthetic aspects of the cleft lip nasal deformity have been appreciated for over a century, but the functional implications have remained largely underappreciated or misunderstood. This study describes the frequency and severity of nasal obstructive symptoms among children with cleft lip and/or cleft palate, addressing the hypotheses that age, cleft type, and severity are associated with the development of nasal obstructive symptoms., Methods: Children with nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or cleft palate and a comparison group of unaffected children born from 1997 to 2003 were identified through the North Carolina Birth Defects Monitoring Program and birth certificates. Nasal airway obstruction was measured using the validated Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation scale., Results: The survey was completed by parental proxy for 176 children with cleft lip and/or cleft palate and 333 unaffected children. Nasal obstructive symptoms were more frequently reported in cleft lip with cleft palate compared with unaffected children (p < 0.0001); children who had isolated cleft lip with or without alveolus and isolated cleft palate were not statistically different from unaffected children. Patients with unilateral cleft lip with cleft palate were found to be more severely affected than bilateral cases. Nasal obstruction was observed in early childhood, although severity worsened in adolescence., Conclusions: This population-based study reports a high prevalence of nasal obstructive symptoms in children with cleft lip and/or cleft palate based on type and severity of the cleft. The authors encourage cleft teams to consider using this or similar screening methods to identify which children may benefit from functional rhinoplasty., Clinical Question/level of Evidence: Risk, I.

We report a spray deposition technique as a screening tool for solution processed solar cells. A dual-feed spray nozzle is introduced to deposit donor and acceptor materials separately and to form blended films on substrates in situ. Using a differential pump system with a motorised spray nozzle, the effect of film thickness, solution flow rates and the blend ratio of donor and acceptor materials on device performance can be found in a single experiment. Using this method, polymer solar cells based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT):(6,6)-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) are fabricated with numerous combinations of thicknesses and blend ratios. Results obtained from this technique show that the optimum ratio of materials is consistent with previously reported values confirming this technique is a very useful and effective screening method. This high throughput screening method is also used in a single-feed configuration. In the single-feed mode, methylammonium iodide solution is deposited on lead iodide films to create a photoactive layer of perovskite solar cells. Devices featuring a perovskite layer fabricated by this spray process demonstrated a power conversion efficiencies of up to 7.9%.

We report the first soluble poly(3-dodecyl tellurophenylene-vinylene) polymer ( P3TeV ) by Stille copolymerization and compare its properties to the analogous thiophene and selenophene containing polymers. The optical band gap of the polymers is shown to systematically decrease as the size of the heteroatom is increased, mainly as a result of a stabilization of the LUMO energy, resulting in a small band gap of 1.4 eV for P3TeV . Field effect transistors measurements in variety of architectures demonstrate that the selenophene polymer exhibits the highest mobility, highlighting that increasing the size of the heteroatom is not always beneficial for charge transport.

Background: Epidemiologic studies involving birth defects are extremely sensitive to phenotype accuracy and precision. We devised a case review and classification protocol for a project to study school achievement in children with idiopathic, nonsyndromic orofacial clefts to improve the reliability of phenotypic classification from the statewide birth defects registry., Methods: Surveillance-program abstraction data and medical records at the birth or treating hospitals were used when available. Exclusion criteria included: median cleft lip; Tessier cleft; premaxillary agenesis; presence of a recognizable syndrome, phenotype, association, or sequence (other than Robin sequence); clefts with other malformations not considered to be normal or common variants in the newborn; and cases with documented or suspected genetic or teratogenic causes., Results: Of 712 children identified with orofacial clefts, 153 were excluded, leaving 559 nonsyndromic orofacial cleft cases of unknown cause in the final study. These cases were grouped into the following clinically meaningful types: cleft lip with or without cleft alveolus; cleft lip and cleft palate; and cleft palate only. This review and classification process resulted in the elimination of 21.5% of the original cohort of identified cases, with most exclusions being due to suspected syndromic associations., Conclusion: Verbatim descriptions of the clinical findings are critical for accurate classification of diagnoses. This review process improved the precision of orofacial cleft phenotype classification for our study. Precision would have been further improved if all of the cases had verbatim descriptions of diagnoses and all medical records could have been reviewed by the classification team., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Here we show that the charge transfer (CT) absorption signal in bulk-heterojunction solar cell blends, measured by photothermal deflection spectroscopy, is directly proportional to the density of molecular donor:acceptor interfaces. Since the optical transitions from the ground state to the interfacial CT state are weakly allowed at photon energies below the optical gap of both the donor and acceptor, we can exploit the use of this sensitive linear absorption spectroscopy for such quantification. Moreover, we determine the absolute molar extinction coefficient of the CT transition for an archetypical polymer:fullerene interface. The latter is ∼100 times lower than the extinction coefficient of the donor chromophore involved, allowing us to experimentally estimate the transition dipole moment as 0.3 D and the electronic coupling between the ground and CT states to be on the order of 30 meV.

Broad spectral coverage over the solar spectrum is necessary for photovoltaic technologies and is a focus for organic solar cells. We report a series of small-molecule, nonfullerene electron acceptors containing the [(benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazol-4-yl)methylene]malononitrile unit as a high electron affinity component. The optoelectronic properties of these molecules were fine-tuned with the objective of attaining strong absorption at longer wavelengths by changing the low-ionization-potential moiety. The electron-accepting function of these materials was investigated with poly(3-n-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as a standard electron donor. Significant photocurrent generation in the near infrared region, with an external quantum yield reaching as high as 22 % at 700 nm and an onset >800 nm was achieved. The results support efficient hole transfer to P3HT taking place after light absorption by the acceptor molecules. A Channel II-dominated power conversion efficiency of up to 1.5 % was, thus, achieved., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Fully printed perovskite solar cells are demonstrated with slot-die coating, a scalable printing method. A sequential slot-die coating process is developed to produce efficient perovskite solar cells and to be used in a large-scale roll-to-roll printing process. All layers excluding the electrodes are printed and devices demonstrate up to 11.96% power conversion efficiency. It is also demonstrated that the new process can be used in roll-to-roll production., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A high molecular weight donor-acceptor conjugated polymer is synthesized using the Suzuki polycondensation method. Using this polymer, a single-junction bulk-heterojunction solar cell is fabricated giving a power conversion efficiency of 9.4% using a fullerene-modified ZnO interlayer at the cathode contact., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Detailed electrochemical studies have been undertaken on molecular aggregation of the organic semiconductor 7,14-bis((triisopropylsilyl)-ethynyl)dibenzo[b,def]chrysene (TIPS-DBC), which is used as an electron donor material in organic solar cells. Intermolecular association of neutral TIPS-DBC molecules was established by using (1)H NMR spectroscopy as well as by the pronounced dependence of the color of TIPS-DBC solutions on concentration. Diffusion limited current data provided by near steady-state voltammetry also reveal aggregation. Furthermore, variation of concentration produces large changes in shapes of transient DC and Fourier transformed AC (FTAC) voltammograms for oxidation of TIPS-DBC in dichloromethane. Subtle effects of molecular aggregation on the reduction of TIPS-DBC are also revealed by the highly sensitive FTAC voltammetric method. Simulations of FTAC voltammetric data provide estimates of the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters associated with oxidation and reduction of TIPS-DBC. Significantly, aggregation of TIPS-DBC facilitates both one-electron oxidation and reduction by shifting the reversible potentials to less and more positive values, respectively. EPR spectroscopy is used to establish the identity of one-electron oxidized and reduced forms of TIPS-DBC. Implications of molecular aggregation on the HOMO energy level in solution are considered with respect to efficiency of organic photovoltaic devices utilizing TIPS-DBC as an electron donor material.

Extensive efforts have been made to develop novel conjugated polymers that give improved performance in organic photovoltaic devices. The use of polymers based on alternating electron-donating and electron-accepting units not only allows the frontier molecular orbitals to be tuned to maximize the open-circuit voltage of the devices but also controls the optical band gap to increase the number of photons absorbed and thus modifies the other critical device parameter-the short circuit current. In fact, varying the nonchromophoric components of a polymer is often secondary to the efforts to adjust the intermolecular aggregates and improve the charge-carrier mobility. Here, we introduce an approach to polymer synthesis that facilitates simultaneous control over both the structural and electronic properties of the polymers. Through the use of a tailored multicomponent acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) intermediate, polymers with the unique structure A-D1-A-D2 can be prepared. This approach enables variations in the donor fragment substituents such that control over both the polymer regiochemistry and solubility is possible. This control results in improved intermolecular π-stacking interactions and therefore enhanced charge-carrier mobility. Solar cells using the A-D1-A-D2 structural polymer show short-circuit current densities that are twice that of the simple, random analogue while still maintaining an identical open-circuit voltage. The key finding of this work is that polymers with an A-D1-A-D2 structure offer significant performance benefits over both regioregular and random A-D polymers. The chemical synthesis approach that enables the preparation of A-D1-A-D2 polymers therefore represents a promising new route to materials for high-efficiency organic photovoltaic devices.

A facile ligand exchange method for dispersing Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanocrystals (NCs) in environmentally benign polar solvents, such as ethanol or n-propanol, at high concentrations (up to 200 mg/mL) is demonstrated. This approach has been applied to CZTS nanocrystals synthesized via scalable, noninjection methods to formulate colloidally stable inks that are suitable for the solution processing of solar cell devices. Unlike other inks currently used to fabricate NC solar cells, the CZTS nanocrystal ink developed here circumvents the need for hydrazine, pyridine, or thiol coordinating solvents. By combining our polar CZTS inks with optimized selenization procedures, substrate CZTSSe solar cells have been successfully fabricated with device efficiencies of 7.7%.

Orofacial clefts (OFCs) include a broad range of facial conditions that differ in cause and disease burden. In the published literature, there is substantial ambiguity in both terminology and classification of OFCs. This article discusses the terminology and classification of OFCs and the epidemiology of OFCs. Demographic, environmental, and genetic risk factors for OFCs are described, including suggestions for family counseling. This article enables clinicians to counsel families regarding the occurrence and recurrence of OFCs. Although much of the information is detailed, it is intended to be accessible to all health professionals for use in their clinical practices., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

An alcohol-soluble hyperbranched conjugated polymer HBPFN with a dimethylamino moiety is synthesized and used as a cathode interlayer. A PCE of 7.7% is obtained for PBDTTT-C-T/PC71 BM based solar cells. No obvious interfacial dipole is found at the interface between the active layer and HBPFN however, an interfacial dipole with the cathode could be one of the reasons for the enhanced performance., (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Efficient low-band-gap polymers are one key component for constructing tandem solar cells with other higher-band-gap materials to harvest wide absorption of the solar spectrum. The N-acyldithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]pyrrole (DTP) building block is used for making low-band-gap polymers. It is attractive because of its strong donating ability and relatively low highest-occupied-molecular-orbital level in comparison with the N-alkyl DTP building block. However, additional solubilizing groups on the accepting units are needed for soluble donor-acceptor polymers based on the N-alkanoyl DTP building block. Combining N-benzoyl DTP with a 4,7-dithieno-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole building block, a polymer with a low band gap of 1.44 eV, delivers a high short-circuit current of 17.1 mA/cm(2) and a power conversion efficiency of 3.95%, which are the highest for the devices with DTP-containing materials. Herein, an alcohol-soluble diamine-modified fullerene cathode interfacial layer improved the device efficiency significantly more than the mono-amine analogue.

Vide infra: Two boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY)-type infrared sensitizers are investigated for use in titania-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The DSCs use a solution of dimethylferrocene (Me2 Fc) in nitromethane as electrolyte. The titania conduction band edge is fine-tuned by adding lithium ions from LiTFSI, while the choice of dimethylferrocene as redox shuttle provides the ideal driving force for dye regeneration, allowing the BODIPY-based DSCs to reach unprecedented quantum efficiencies in the near-infrared., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A structure-device performance correlation in bulk heterojunction solar cells for new indandione-derived small molecule electron acceptors, FEHIDT and F8IDT, is presented. Devices based on the former exhibit higher power conversion efficiency (2.4%) and higher open circuit voltage, a finding consistent with reduced intermolecular interactions.

We report the first synthesis of a tetrafluorinated 4,7-bis(3,4-difluorothiophen-2-yl)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole monomer and its polymerisation with dithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]germole by Stille coupling to afford a low band gap polymer with a high ionisation potential. Direct comparison to the non-fluorinated analogue demonstrates that fluorination results in an increase in ionisation potential with no change in optical band gap, and enhanced aggregation over the non-fluorinated polymer. These desirable properties result in a significant enhancement in OPV device performance in blends with PC(71)BM.

Thieno[3,2-b]thienobis(silolothiophene), a new electron rich hexacyclic monomer has been synthesized and incorporated into three novel donor-acceptor low-bandgap polymers. By carefully choosing the acceptor co-monomer, the energy levels of the polymers could be modulated and high power conversion efficiencies of 5.52% were reached in OPV devices.

Alloying is a versatile tool for engineering the optical and electronic properties of materials. Here, we explore the use of CdTe and CdSe nanocrystals in developing sintered CdSe(x)Te(1-x) alloys as bandgap tunable, light-absorbing layers for solution-processed solar cells. Using a layer-by-layer approach, we incorporate such alloyed materials into single- and graded-composition device architectures. Nanostructured solar cells employing CdSe(x)Te(1-x) layers are found to exhibit a spectral response deeper into the IR region than bulk CdTe devices as a result of optical bowing and achieve power conversion efficiencies as high as 7.1%. The versatility of the layer-by-layer approach is highlighted through the fabrication of compositionally graded solar cells in which the [Se]:[Te] ratio is varied across the device. Each of the individual layers can be clearly resolved through cross-sectional imaging and show limited interdiffusion. Such devices demonstrate the importance of band-alignment in the development of highly efficient, nanostructured solar cells.

A series of benzotrithiophene-containing random terpolymers for polymer solar cells is reported. Through variations of the two other components in the terpolymers, the absorption profile and the frontier energy levels are optimized and maximum power conversion efficiencies are nearly doubled (5.14%) relative to the parent alternating copolymer.

Improvements in the performance of small molecule-based organic solar cells have been reported through the use of a cyanopyridone acceptor group. This acceptor fragment enhances the absorbance of an oligothiophene-based dye and enables the addition of a solubilising alkyl chain that facilitates simple device fabrication from solution., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012)

Through the use of photoelectron spectroscopy in air (PESA), we investigate the size-dependent valence and conduction band-edge energies of CdSe, CdTe, PbS, and PbSe semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). The results are compared to those of previous studies, based on differing experimental methods, and to theoretical calculations based on k·p theory and state-of-the-art atomistic semiempirical pseudopotential modeling. To accurately map out the energy level landscapes of QDs as a function of size, the QDs must be passivated by comparable surface chemistries. This is highlighted by studying the effect of surface chemistry on the valence band-edge energy in an ensemble of 4.7 nm CdSe QDs. An energy level shift as large as 0.35 eV is observed for this system through modification of surface chemistry alone. This shift is significantly larger than the size-dependent valence band-edge shift that is observed when comparable surface chemistries are used.

Solar cells made by high temperature and vacuum processes from inorganic semiconductors are at a perceived cost disadvantage when compared with solution-processed systems such as organic and dye-sensitized solar cells. We demonstrate that totally solution processable solar cells can be fabricated from inorganic nanocrystal inks in air at temperature as low as 300 °C. Focusing on a CdTe/ZnO thin-film system, we report solar cells that achieve power conversion efficiencies of 6.9% with greater than 90% internal quantum efficiency. In our approach, nanocrystals are deposited from solution in a layer-by-layer process. Chemical and thermal treatments between layers induce large scale grain formation, turning the 4 nm CdTe particles into pinhole-free films with an optimized average crystallite size of ∼70 nm. Through capacitance-voltage measurements we demonstrate that the CdTe layer is fully depleted which enables the charge carrier collection to be maximized.

We report the synthesis and polymerization of a novel thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-diketopyrrolopyrrole-based monomer. Copolymerization with thiophene afforded a polymer with a maximum hole mobility of 1.95 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), which is the highest mobility from a polymer-based OFET reported to date. Bulk-heterojunction solar cells comprising this polymer and PC(71)BM gave a power conversion efficiency of 5.4%.

Introduction: There has been inconsistent evidence on the association between use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and increased risk of nonvertebral fractures in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In a large population-based study in the United Kingdom, we estimated the association between fluticasone propionate/salmeterol fixed-dose combination (FSC) and other ICS use and nonvertebral fracture incidence among patients with COPD., Methods: We identified a cohort of patients aged ≥ 45 years with COPD in the General Practice Research Database (GPRD) between 2003 and 2006. We used a nested case-control design to estimate the odds of incident nonvertebral fractures associated with prior prescriptions of FSC and other ICS, applying conditional logistic regression and controlling for potential confounders. Exposure to FSC and other ICS was assessed by recency, duration, and number of prescriptions. Average daily dose was defined as low, medium, high, or very high using fluticasone propionate equivalents., Results: We identified 1523 nonvertebral fracture cases among 53 191 patients with COPD at risk in the cohort. Use of FSC in the year prior to the index date was associated with a statistically significant increase in the odds of nonvertebral fractures (odds ratio [OR], 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-1.47); however, there was no increase in the odds of nonvertebral fractures for other ICS use (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.97-1.30). When examining results by the recent use of prescriptions, an exposure that occurred farther from the index date was associated with a significant increase in nonvertebral fracture (26-52 days prior OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.04-1.77; 53-365 days prior OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.07-1.78), whereas categories of more recent use (0-12 days prior or 13-25 days prior) were not associated with nonvertebral fractures relative to no FSC use. No pattern of association between increasing levels of FSC or other ICS average daily dose and increased odds of nonvertebral fracture was observed., Conclusion: We did not observe a consistent association between prescriptions of FSC or other ICS in terms of recent use or average daily dose in the prior year and increases in the odds of nonvertebral fractures in patients with COPD, although ever use of FSC was associated with a slight elevation in the odds.