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Objective : Intracranial atypical meningiomas have a poor prognosis and high rates of recurrence. Moreover, up to one-third of the recurrences undergo high-grade transformation into malignant meningiomas. We aimed to investigate the clinical factors that can predict the propensity of malignant transformation from atypical to anaplastic meningiomas.Methods : Between 2001 and 2018, all patients with atypical meningioma, in whom the tumors had undergone malignant transformation to anaplastic meningioma, were included. The patients’ medical records documenting the diagnosis of atypical meningioma prior to malignant transformation were reviewed to identify the predictors of transformation. The control group comprised 56 patients with atypical meningiomas who were first diagnosed between January 2017 and December 2018 and had no malignant transformation.Results : Nine patients in whom the atypical meningiomas underwent malignant transformation were included. The median time interval from diagnosis of atypical meningioma to malignant transformation was 19 months (range, 7–78). The study group showed a significant difference in heterogeneous enhancement (77.8% vs. 33.9%), bone invasion (55.6% vs. 12.5%), mitotic index (MI; 14.8±4.9 vs. 3.5±3.9), and Ki-67 index (20.7±13.9 vs. 9.5±7.1) compared with the control group. In multivariate analysis, increased MI (odds ratio, 1.436; 95% confidence interval, 1.127–1.900; p=0.004) was the only significant factor for predicting malignant transformation.Conclusion : An increased MI within atypical meningiomas might be used as a predictor of malignant transformation. Tumors at high risk for malignant transformation might require more attentive surveillance and management than other atypical meningiomas.

Since frameless stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) techniques have been recently introduced, hypofractionated SRS (HF-SRS) for large brain metastases (BMs) is gradually increasing. To verify the efficacy and safety of HF-SRS for large BMs, we aimed to perform a systematic review and compared them with SF-SRS. We systematically searched the studies regarding SF-SRS or HF-SRS for large (> 2 cm) BM from databases including PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library on July 31, 2018. Biologically effective dose with the α/β ratio of 10 (BED10), 1-year local control (LC), and radiation necrosis (RN) were compared between the two groups, with the studies being weighted by the sample size. The 15 studies with 1049 BMs that described 1-year LC and RN were included. HF-SRS tended to be performed in larger tumors; however, higher mean BED10 (50.1 Gy10 versus 40.4 Gy10, p

Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) which occurs in midline structures and characterized by harboring K27M mutation in genes encoding the histone 3 protein is classified as World Health Organization (WHO) grade IV regardless of histological findings and has a poor prognosis. Nevertheless, because of its relatively rare incidence compared with other high-grade gliomas, a comprehensive description encompassing clinical features and genomic profiles of DMG is still lacking.In this study, we analyzed data of 24 patients who were diagnosed as DMG which was confirmed by surgical specimens in both pediatric and adult patients. We described the clinical outcomes of patients with DMG and their genomic profiles through a retrospective analysis of 24 patients with DMG.The clinical characteristics of the 24 patients with DMG were analyzed. Ten patients (41%) underwent tumor resection and 14 patients (59%) underwent tumor biopsy. The median overall survival was 10.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.4 to 12.5) and progression free survival was 3.9 months (95% CI, 2.6 to 5.2). Fifteen patients (62%) were accompanied by hydrocephalus. None of the patient, tumor, or treatment factors had any significant associated with survival. In both immunohistochemistry staining (n=24) and targeted next generation sequencing (n=15), TP53 mutation was the most common genetic mutation (25% and 46%, respectively) found in the patients except alterations in histone 3 protein.Although surgical treatment of patient with DMG does not affect the overall survival prognosis, it can help improve the patient's accompanying neurological symptoms in some limited cases. Hydrocephalus is often accompanied with DMG and treatment for hydrocephalus is often also required. Multidisciplinary therapeutic approach is needed.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Managing hydrocephalus in patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS) is controversial. We evaluated the clinical factors associated with hydrocephalus. METHODS Between 2000 and 2019, 562 patients with VS were treated at our institute. We applied endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), external ventricular drainage (EVD), and ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts to patients with hydrocephalus. The relationships of patient, tumor, and surgical variables with the hydrocephalus outcome were assessed. RESULTS Preoperative hydrocephalus (Evans ratio ≥0.3) was present in 128 patients. Six patients who received a preresectional VP shunt were excluded after analyzing the hydrocephalus outcome. Seven of the remaining 122 patients had severe hydrocephalus (Evans ratio ≥0.4). Primary tumor resection, VP shunting, ETV, and EVD were performed in 60, 6, 57, and 5 patients, respectively. The hydrocephalus treatment failure rate was highest in the EVD group. Persistent hydrocephalus was present in five (8%) and seven (12%) patients in the primary resection and ETV groups, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that severe hydrocephalus, the cystic tumor, and the extent of resection (subtotal resection or partial resection) were associated with hydrocephalus treatment failure. CONCLUSIONS Larger ventricles and a higher cystic portion are predictive of persistent hydrocephalus. We recommend attempting near-total tumor resection in patients with VS.

Photovoltaic (PV) panels are generally treated as the most dependable components of PV systems; therefore, investigations are necessary to understand and emphasize the degradation of PV cells. In almost all specific deprivation models, humidity and temperature are the two major factors that are responsible for PV module degradation. However, even if the degradation mode of a PV module is determined, it is challenging to research them in practice. Long-term response experiments should thus be conducted to investigate the influences of the incidence, rates of change, and different degradation methods of PV modules on energy production; such models can help avoid lengthy experiments to investigate the degradation of PV panels under actual working conditions. From the review, it was found that the degradation rate of PV modules in climates where the annual average ambient temperature remained low was -1.05% to -1.16% per year, and the degree of deterioration of PV modules in climates with high average annual ambient temperatures was -1.35% to -1.46% per year; however, PV manufacturers currently claim degradation rates of up to -0.5% per year.

In this paper, we analysed and implement clear sky and array performance models to achieve maximum electrical energy produced from the photovoltaic (PV) panel. The selected models just not only include location dependent parameters but also include environmental factors such as Linke Turbidity (include aerosols, absorption due to assorted gases, Rayleigh scattering), cloud cover, albedo, perceptible water vapour. 250 W PV panel was used as a reference to check the output electrical energy in a given location by inputting the latitude and longitude of a location. It is concluded that 27° facing south is the optimized tilt angle for every locations having latitude at north direction and longitude at east direction. By taking the example of location Nagpur India (21.14° N, 79.08° E), a difference of only 0.35 % is reported when comparing the computed electrical energy with actual electrical energy that have been acquired by using pyranometers, pyrheliometers and illuminance meters installed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). So, a good approximation of electrical energy can be computed by combining clear sky and array performance models.

Reducing crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafer thickness is an effective method to reduce the fabrication cost as it constitutes a major portion of the photovoltaic module cost. However, the open-circuit voltage and fill factor depend on the wafer thickness; further, the short-circuit current density (JSC), affects the device performance negatively. Therefore, light trapping is vital for increasing the JSC of Si solar cells. Consequently, it is essential for improving the conversion efficiency of the solar cell and reduce its production cost by decreasing the wafer thickness. It can be assumed that the thickness of the Si wafer will gradually achieve a minimum value of ~ 100 μm in the future. Therefore, reducing the as-cut wafer thickness will result in a more efficient use of Si. This paper reports the surface modification for light trapping based on the Si solar cell application. Additionally, we introduce methods for surface modification, such as front-side texturing and rear-side polishing.

Background: To analysis the role of gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) in treatment of the recurrent or residual World Health Organization (WHO) grade II and III meningiomas.Methods: Between 1995 and ...

Background We investigated the risk factors for leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC) and compared clinical efficacies of various treatment modalities including intrathecal (IT) chemotherapy in patients with lung adenocarcinoma harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. Methods Using clinical research data from the Asan Medical Center, we retrospectively analyzed data of patients diagnosed with LMC, confirmed via cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis from January 2008 to December 2017. Results We identified 1189 patients with lung adenocarcinoma harboring EGFR mutations. Among these, 9.8% had a median duration of 13.5 (interquartile range [IQR] 6.8–23.6) months from the initial lung cancer diagnosis to LMC occurrence. Younger age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.043, P

Predicting the performance of parallel loops on modern shared-memory multi-socket multi-core systems in dependence of the allocated resources is an important means to achieve better system utilization. Previous prediction techniques are tied to specific architectures and do not allow for purely online performance predictions without requiring an offline analysis of the parallel program. This paper presents a practical approach based on queueing theory to model the performance of parallel programs in dependence of the number of allocated core resources. Based on the key insight that scalability of scientific parallel loops is limited by memory performance, a hierarchically constructed M/M/1/N/N queue system is used to analytically compute the response time at the different congestion points in the memory system of modern NUMA architectures. After automatically tuning the model to a specific architecture by executing a number of micro-benchmarks, the required parameter values are obtained at runtime from hardware performance counters present in modern commodity AMD and Intel processors. Evaluated with 24 OpenMP parallel loops on a 64-core AMD and a 72-core Intel multi-socket platform, the presented queueing system is able to accurately predict the speedup of parallel loops with a mean absolute percentage error of 8.3 percent on the AMD system and 6.7 percent on the Intel platform.

We report the effects of the nitride passivation layer on the structural, electrical, and interfacial properties of Ge metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices with a hafnium oxide (HfO₂) gate dielectric layer deposited on p-type 〈100〉 Ge substrates. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirmed the chemical states and formation of HfO₂/Ge₃N₄ on Ge. The interfacial quality and thickness of the layers grown on Ge were confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the effects of post-deposition annealing (PDA) on the HfO₂/Ge₃N₄/Ge and HfO₂/Ge samples at 400 °C in an (FG+O₂) ambient atmosphere for 30 min were studied. After PDA, the HfO₂/Ge₃N₄/Ge MOS device showed a higher dielectric constant (k) of ~21.48 and accumulation capacitance of 1.2 nF, smaller equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of 1.2 nm, and lower interface trap density (Dit) of 4.9×1011 cm-2 eV-1 and oxide charges (Qeff) of 7.8×1012 cm-2 than the non-annealed sample. The I-V analysis showed that the gate leakage current density of the HfO₂/Ge₃N₄/Ge sample (0.3-1 nA cm-2 at Vg = 1 V) was half of that of the HfO₂/Ge sample. Moreover, the barrier heights of the samples were extracted from the Fowler-Nordheim plots. These results indicated that nitride passivation is crucial to improving the structural, interfacial, and electrical properties of Ge-based MOS devices.

Nowadays, the search for novel compounds by chemical synthesis is in trend. Herein, we report the deposition of Cd1-x-yZnxCuySe (0.025 ≤ x = y ≤ 0.15) films by facile, industry-oriented chemical synthesis. The Cd1-x-yZnxCuySe thin films were deposited at the optimized growth conditions (temperature = 70 ± 0.1 °C, pH = 10.3 ± 0.1, substrate rotation speed = 70 ± 2 rpm and time = 100 min). As-synthesized thin films were characterized for physical, chemical, topographical and electrical attributes. The study of vibrational modes in Cd1-x-yZnxCuySe thin films was done with the help of Raman spectroscopy. Improvement in surface topography with the integration of Cu2+ and Zn2+ into the CdSe lattice has been noticed by the atomic force microscopy (AFM). The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed lower values of Rs and Rct for x = y = 0.05 composition. Chemical deposition of Cd1-x-yZnxCuySe thin films may offer an excellent way to fabricate quaternary chalcogenide-based absorber materials for solar cells.

Nano-scale engineering for optoelectronic properties of silicon has shown its suitability in the modern era of Photovoltaic. The major focus is on Silicon quantum dots (Si QDs) which behave like an atom restricting the free movement of electrons. It provides an opportunity to control the energy states by manipulating the size of the Si QDs. Such closely packed Si QDs together form quasi-crystalline structures that lead to the formation of superlattices in different Si energy bands. Significant efforts have been devoted to the control of size and distribution density of the Si QDs. A current status of research efforts on the factors that influence the size and distribution density of Si QDs within the silicon-based matrix are discussed here. A brief summary of various fabrication techniques and mechanisms behind the growth of Si QDs are discussed in this study. A comparison on the effect of growth parameters for Si QDs with various dielectric/semiconductor matrix such as Silicon dioxide, Silicon nitride, Silicon carbide and the combination of the tandem solar cell is highlighted based on recent research progress. An overview towards the state of the art in the development, challenges and future trends of Si QDs to dictate as the third generation photovoltaic material are discussed in detail.

Excellent surface passivation with a localised back surface field (LBSF) formation is the key parameter for increasing the efficiency of PERC cells. In this regard, the additional use of rear multi-stack passivation layers (Al2O3/SiNX) and local laser opening of the LBSF increase the production cost. In addition, these stacked layers and the laser process require additional tools, which creates a compatibility barrier for studies conducted in small-scale industrial laboratories. Rear multi-stack passivation layers (Al2O3/SiNX) and a front SiNX anti-reflection coating (ARC) layer were changed using a one-step thermal oxidation process. The emitter doping and thermal SiO2 oxidation layer were optimised for the front ARC and rear passivation layer. The formation mechanism of the LBSF was investigated by varying the firing conditions and the Al dot size. Scanning electron microscopy images confirmed the thickness of the LBSF. The fabricated cell exhibited an efficiency of 20.05% with a fill factor (FF) of 78%, a current density (JSC) of 39.3 mA/cm2, and an open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 655 mV under a spectral condition of AM 1.5G. A significant improvement in the recombination current density (J0) (314 fA/cm2) was achieved as compared with the fire-through full BSF solar-cell process (933 fA/cm2).

The electrochemical properties of two water-emulsified polymers, styrene-butadiene rubber, and polytetrafluoroethylene, on activated carbon electrochemical capacitors were systematically compared. All electrodes were fabricated with different ratios of styrene-butadiene rubber and polytetrafluoroethylene: 4 : 0, 3 : 1, 2 : 2, and 1 : 3. A good dispersion of styrene-butadiene rubber nanoparticles maintains mesopores in activated carbon, whereas an increase in polytetrafluoroethylene binder content in the electrodes reduces mesoporous surface area significantly due to the lump polytetrafluoroethylene structure coagulated by smashed particles in water. The relatively strong adhesion of the styrene-butadiene rubber binder also leads to better cyclability for extremely long cycles and the rate capability with various current densities at room temperature. At a high temperature of 60 °C, however, the electrodes containing polytetrafluoroethylene binder showed comparable high specific capacitance due to the high thermal stability of polytetrafluoroethylene.

Background A rosette-forming glioneuronal tumor (RGNT), a rare brain tumor, presents as a benign feature with a favorable outcome. To date, a few cases with aggressive behaviors, such as recurrence or dissemination, but none with malignant transformation, have been reported. We describe 1 case that recurred as glioblastoma after complete resection of the benign RGNT. Case Description A man aged 58 years presented with headache and dizziness without neurologic symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a 4 × 2.5 cm, well-demarcated mass in the left cerebellar hemisphere. The patient underwent gross total resection of the tumor and a diagnosis of RGNT was made. There was no evidence of recurrence on serial follow-up. However, a recurrent heterogeneous enhancing mass in the previous surgical cavity was observed on a 7-year postoperative magnetic resonance imaging scan. Reoperation was performed and a histopathological study revealed a glioblastoma. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of spontaneous malignant transformation of an RGNT. Our case may be helpful in better understanding the biological behavior and clinical outcome of RGNT. We emphasize the malignant potential of this rare tumor and the necessity of future large-scaled research for most appropriate therapeutic strategies.

The growth rate and natural history of untreated hemangioblastomas remain unclear. This study investigated the natural history of untreated intracranial hemangioblastomas and predictors of tumor growth using volumetric assessment. This study retrospectively enrolled 31 patients with untreated hemangioblastomas between 2004 and 2017 who were followed up for at least 12 months. The 31 patients had a total of 52 hemangioblastomas. The 31 patients included 11 (35.5%) men and 20 (64.5%) women, of mean age 42.5 years. Seventeen (54.8%) patients were genetically diagnosed with Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease. Of the 52 lesions, 33 (63.5%) grew during the follow-up period, whereas 19 (36.5%) remained stable. Overall mean actual growth rate (AGR) was 1.94 cm3/year, 2.38 cm3/year in the VHL and 1.79 cm3/year in the non-VHL group (p = 0.31). Overall mean relative growth rate (RGR) was 21%/year, 26%/year in the VHL and 19%/year in the non-VHL group. Time to 50% treatment probability was 34 months. The 1, 3, 5, and 7-year treatment probabilities were 11.5%, 50.1%, 52.7%, and 73%, respectively. The presence of only symptomatic lesions was significantly predictive of the growth of intracranial hemangioblastoma (odds ratio: 5.0, p = 0.02). The overall growth rate of intracranial hemangioblastoma was faster than that of other benign intracranial tumors, with symptomatic lesions being the only meaningful predictor of tumor growth. Because of their rapid growth rate and high probability of treatment, a wait and scan management strategy should be carefully applied to intracranial hemangioblastomas.

Effects of post deposition annealing (PDA) atmosphere, including oxygen (O2) gas and forming gas (FG), on interfacial and electrical properties of a HfO2 gate dielectric on nitrided Ge are analyzed. Experiments to study the dielectric morphology, interface quality, and chemical composition of HfO2/Ge3N4/Ge devices were carried out using X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) imaging, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements, respectively. The XPS study confirmed that O2 PDA effectively improves the HfO2 film stoichiometry, and the stability of the interface between HfO2/Ge3N4/Ge stacks is enhanced. Further, HRTEM images showed that the interface between HfO2/Ge3N4/Ge stacks for O2-annealed devices was smooth, uniform, and flat. The experimental results for devices annealed in O2 at 500 °C exhibited improved interfacial and electrical characteristics, such as a high dielectric constant of ~19.50; high capacitance, 1.24 nF, low equivalent oxide thickness, 1.74 nm; interface trap density, 2.18 × 1011 cm−2 eV−1; oxide charges, 2.50 × 1012 cm−2; and gate leakage currents in the order nA of 0.5 × 10−9 A/cm2, as compared with FG annealing devices. The Fowler−Nordheim tunneling current conduction mechanism was also verified. Therefore, these results are evidence that the O2 PDA process improves the interfacial and electrical properties of HfO2/Ge3N4/Ge metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices as compared with FG annealing, which is important for future Ge-based complementary MOS device performance and reliability.

Effective carrier contact with excellent surface passivation is essential for archiving high efficiency silicon solar cells. In this study, optical, passivation and stoichiometric characteristics of MoOx thin films were analyzed by varying thickness, temperature and ambient annealing. The 10 nm thick MoOx films showed high optical transmittance (89.81%) in the visible near infra-red (NIR) wavelength (380–1100) nm region and wide optical bandgap of 3.25 eV. An improved minority carrier lifetime of 2.24 ms was recorded for O2 ambient at 130 °C due to less additional defects in the MoOx films. X-rays photoelectron spectroscopic analysis confirmed that O2 ambient annealing greatly influenced the MoOx stoichiometric and reduce the formation defective state densities at the Fermi energy initiating from the tail of an oxygen vacancy and inducted the defect band within the energy bandgap. Carrier selective contact (CSC) solar cells were fabricated by using 10 nm thick MoOx film as hole extraction layer exhibited the high performance as; open circuit voltage (Voc) = 708 mV, current density (Jsc) = 37.80 mA/cm2, fill factor (FF) = 74.95% and efficiency (η) = 20.06%. These results implies that the MoOx is an important material to use in future CSC solar cell applications with the concept of new advantages such as dopant free, non-toxic and low temperature fabrication process.

Graphene nanoplatelet (GnP), which consists of small stacks of graphene, is used as a reinforcement to enhance the performance of the poly(acrylonitrile-butyl acrylate) (PANBA) binder in a lithium ion battery (LIB). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a conductive nanofiller such as GnP has been used in a conventional water-dispersed polymer and applied as a binder for LIB. Our so-called PANBA/GnP nanocomposites are made with either 0.5 wt%, 1 wt%, or 2 wt% of GnP. The nanocomposites are synthesized via an in situ emulsion polymerization technique and are very well-dispersed, homogeneous, and stable for at least 6 months. The elongation and electrical conductivity of the PANBA/GnP nanocomposites exceed those of the PANBA non-filled polymer, and the PANBA/GnP nanocomposite binder ultimately enhances the electrochemical performance of the high-capacity silicon/graphite mixture anode.

Transition metal oxides (TMO) are extensively applied as a surface passivation and carrier-selective contact layer through replacing boron/phosphorus doped emitter layers in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cell applications. In this regard, molybdenum oxide (MoO3) has drawn a significant attention as a hole extraction layer owing properties such as wide bandgap (∼3 eV), high work function (>6 eV) and low temperature deposition. Thus, we fabricated SHJ solar cells with a dopant-free MoOx applied at the front surface contact layer. Thermally evaporated MoOx films were exhibited optical characteristics such as high transmittance, high bandgap and low absorption coefficient as compared to a-Si:H(p) and μc-SiOx:H (p) layers. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed the stoichiometric and oxidation deficiency states of the of the MoOx layers. Whereas, MoOx films undergoing long-term air exposure showed an increase in Mo5+ cations due to the increased oxygen vacancy. The fabricated MoOx/c-Si heterojunction solar cells achieved a significant power conversion efficiency (η) of 20%, best open circuit voltage (Voc) of 695 mV, high short circuit current density (Jsc) of 38.88 mA/cm2 and a fill factor (FF) of 74.0%. These results implying that MoOx is as an excellent dopant-free material for alternate p-doped a-Si:H emitter layers in SHJ solar cell applications.

Gross total resection for glioblastoma (GBM) has been associated with better prognosis. However, it is not always feasible, and the threshold for the extent of resection required for better prognosis has been controversial. Therefore, we compared the survival and clinical outcomes of patients with GBM who had undergone partial resection (PR) or biopsy.Of the 110 patients, 32 and 78, who had undergone PR and biopsy, respectively, were enrolled to identify any differences in clinical outcomes. No differences were found in patient demographics between the 2 groups, except for tumor location and mean tumor volume (P = 0.02 and P0.01, respectively). Propensity score matching between the PR and biopsy groups was performed, in which 20 patients each in the PR and biopsy groups were matched.The overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) did not differ significantly between the PR and biopsy groups (P = 0.84 and P = 0.48, respectively). After propensity score matching, the differences in OS and PFS between the 2 groups were still not statistically significant (P = 0.51 and P = 0.75, respectively). The hazard ratios for OS and PFS for the PR group compared with biopsy were 0.98 and 0.73, respectively; however, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.96 and P = 0.39, respectively). The surgical complication rate was greater in the PR group (14 of 32; 43.7%) than in the biopsy group (9 of 78; 11.5%; P0.01).PR failed to improve survival compared with biopsy for patients with GBM. Moreover, the surgical complication rate in the PR group was greater than that in the biopsy group.