Manufacturing method for monolithic dye-sensitised solar cells permitting long-term stable low-power modules

A manufacturing technique for monolithic dye-sensitised solar cells is presented. Encapsulated modules designed for indoor low-power applications have been prepared using industrial methods and equipment. Under certain conditions (light intensity <5000 lx, temperature between –10°C and 50°C, and relative humidity of appr. 50%), the modules have performed well and shown excellent long-term stability. Moreover, modules withstand illumination in combination with storage at 100% relative humidity. However, a certain degradation of the module performance takes place at illuminations exceeding 5000 lx and temperatures exceeding 50°C.     

Integrated Smart Sensor Calibration

In many applications electronic sensors are used toimprove performance and reliability of measurement systems. Suchsensors should provide a correct transfer from the physical signalto be measured to the electrical output signal. One importantstep to achieve this, is to calibrate each sensor by applyingdifferent reference input signals and adjusting the sensor transferaccordingly. Besides expensive reference equipment the calibrationprocess takes much time and attention per individual sensor,which means a considerable increase in sensor production costs.By including at the sensor or sensor interface chip a programmablecalibration facility the calibration of such smart sensors caneasily be automated and can be executed for a batch of sensorsat a time, thus minimizing the calibration time and costs. Thispaper presents a calibration method and options for integrationin the smart sensor concept, in hardware as well as in software.An advantage of the proposed method is that it does not needa large matrix of calibration data, which needs to be storedin a look-up table or converted into a correction formula, butinstead it uses a step-by-step approach to correct the sensortransfer at each calibration measurement until the error is sufficientlysmall.     

Lack of de-epoxidation of type B trichothecenes in incubates with human faeces

The ability of human gastrointestinal organisms to transform the trichothecenes 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol and nivalenol was investigated. Samples of human faeces were incubated under anaerobic conditions for 48 h with the toxins. They were then extracted and analysed for trichothecenes and metabolites. 3-Acetyldeoxynivalenol was metabolized to deoxynivalenol during the incubation period. In contrast to what has been reported for other species such as rats, mice and pigs, no de-epoxidated metabolites were detected in the faecal incubates. The toxicological significance of the difference in the intestinal ability to transform trichothecenes between species is unknown.     

Analyses of coronary graft patency after aprotinin use: results from the International Multicenter Aprotinin Graft Patency Experience (IMAGE) trial

OBJECTIVE: We examined the effects of aprotinin on graft patency, prevalence of myocardial infarction, and blood loss in patients undergoing primary coronary surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. METHODS: Patients from 13 international sites were randomized to receive intraoperative aprotinin (n = 436) or placebo (n = 434). Graft angiography was obtained a mean of 10.8 days after the operation. Electrocardiograms, cardiac enzymes, and blood loss and replacement were evaluated. RESULTS: In 796 assessable patients, aprotinin reduced thoracic drainage volume by 43% (P < .0001) and requirement for red blood cell administration by 49% (P < .0001). Among 703 patients with assessable saphenous vein grafts, occlusions occurred in 15.4% of aprotinin-treated patients and 10.9% of patients receiving placebo (P = .03). After we had adjusted for risk factors associated with vein graft occlusion, the aprotinin versus placebo risk ratio decreased from 1.7 to 1.05 (90% confidence interval, 0.6 to 1.8). These factors included female gender, lack of prior aspirin therapy, small and poor distal vessel quality, and possibly use of aprotinin-treated blood as excised vein perfusate. At United States sites, patients had characteristics more favorable for graft patency, and occlusions occurred in 9.4% of the aprotinin group and 9.5% of the placebo group (P = .72). At Danish and Israeli sites, where patients had more adverse characteristics, occlusions occurred in 23.0% of aprotinin- and 12.4% of placebo-treated patients (P = .01). Aprotinin did not affect the occurrence of myocardial infarction (aprotinin: 2.9%; placebo: 3.8%) or mortality (aprotinin: 1.4%; placebo: 1.6%). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the probability of early vein graft occlusion was increased by aprotinin, but this outcome was promoted by multiple risk factors for graft occlusion.     

SUL-151 Decreases Airway Neutrophilia as a Prophylactic and Therapeutic Treatment in Mice after Cigarette Smoke Exposure

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) caused by cigarette smoke (CS) is featured by oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Due to the poor efficacy of standard glucocorticoid therapy, new treatments are required. Here, we investigated whether the novel compound SUL-151 with mitoprotective properties can be used as a prophylactic and therapeutic treatment in a murine CS-induced inflammation model. SUL-151 (4 mg/kg), budesonide (500 μg/kg), or vehicle were administered via oropharyngeal instillation in this prophylactic and therapeutic treatment setting. The number of immune cells was determined in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Oxidative stress response, mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, and mitophagy-related proteins were measured in lung homogenates. SUL-151 significantly decreased more than 70% and 50% of CS-induced neutrophils in BALF after prophylactic and therapeutic administration, while budesonide showed no significant reduction in neutrophils. Moreover, SUL-151 prevented the CS-induced decrease in ATP and mitochondrial mtDNA and an increase in putative protein kinase 1 expression in the lung homogenates. The concentration of SUL-151 was significantly correlated with malondialdehyde level and radical scavenging activity in the lungs. SUL-151 inhibited the increased pulmonary inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction in this CS-induced inflammation model, which implied that SUL-151 might be a promising candidate for COPD treatment.     

Cholesterol content of human parotid saliva

Free and esterifed cholesterol were determined in parotid fluid collected from 19 individuals by encapsulation of Stenson's duct in the oral 16.7±7.1 (SD) μg/100 ml and cholesterol esters averaged 13.2±8.0 (SD) μg/100 ml. Two assays are described for the measurement of cholesterol in parotid saliva. Lipophilic material was extracted with ether-ethanol (3∶1). In assay 1, the solid residue of the extract was separated into its components by thin layer chromatography. Substances on the chromatogram were made to fluoresce and the spots were photographed. Cholesterol was determined by densitometry of its black image on film. In assay 2, the ether-ethanol residue was subjected to quantitative gas chromatography. Both methods yield similar data.     

High-Temperature Stiffness and Damping Measurements to Monitor the Glassy Intergranular Phase in Liquid-Phase-Sintered Silicon Carbides

Detailed stiffness and internal friction ( Q ⁻¹) versus temperature curves were obtained for liquid-phase-sintered silicon carbides using advanced resonant beam analysis up to 1400°C. As-sintered materials display a stable Q ⁻¹-peak near 1100°C, superimposed on an increasing background. The change of stiffness associated with the damping peak is quantitatively related to the amount of matter in pockets of the amorphous intergranular phase in which the refractory SiC matrix grains are embedded. The successful removal of the amorphous pockets by annealing at 1900°C is deduced from the disappearance of the damping peak and confirmed with transmission electron microscopy.     

Toughness Optimization of SBR Elastomers – Use of Fracture Mechanics Methods for Characterization

Elastomer materials are used in a wide application range and subjected to different loading from which failure of the material results. Because this failure is caused by initiation and propagation of cracks, the application of fracture mechanics methods for the assessment of the material is obvious. A short summary of the methods of technical fracture mechanics including possibilities of determination of crack resistance curves is given. Vulcanizates on the basis of SBR 1500 with various sulfur and carbon black contents were investigated. For describing the crack initiation and crack propagation behavior, several fracture mechanics examination methods were applied. Tear‐analyzer results were used to assess the crack propagation behavior under fatigue‐like loading conditions. Furthermore, for the characterization of the crack resistance of the materials under impact‐like loading conditions, instrumented tensile‐impact tests were performed. To obtain information about the initiation and propagation of a stable crack, quasi‐static fracture mechanics tests were applied. The results of the several tests are discussed in dependence on sulfur and carbon black contents. We found a non‐monotonous behavior of the toughness as a function of carbon black loading. An explanation is given in connection with a percolation‐like transition in filler morphology on larger length scales.

Schematic crack propagation curve for characterizing the fatigue behavior of the vulcanizates recorded in a TFA test.