Low-Cost Perovskite Solar Cell Fabricated using the Expanded Graphite Back Contact and Electronically Conducting Activated Carbon as the Hole Transporting Material.

Although perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have reached a record high conversion efficiency of 25.7%, the materials used to fabricate them invoke costly hole-transporting materials, such as spiro-OMeTAD, and expensive gold back contacts. The cost of fabrication of a solar cell or any other practical device is an important issue in their practical applications.

Evaluation of self-collected vaginal swab, first void urine, and endocervical swab specimens for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in adolescent females.

Objective: To assess the concordance of self-obtained vaginal swabs (SVS), first void urine samples (FVU) and provider-collected endocervical swabs (PES) for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhea (NG) in adolescents.

Methods: A total of 342 adolescent women and 1080 baseline and semi-annual visits were analyzed. FVU, SVS and PES were collected at each biannual visit.

Isoflavones reduce arterial stiffness: a placebo-controlled study in men and postmenopausal women.

Objective: This study was undertaken to address the vascular effects of isolated isoflavones as potential contributors to their cardioprotective properties, focusing on biochanin and formononetin.

Methods And Results: In a randomized, double-blind trial, 80 healthy subjects, 46 men and 34 women, 45 to 75 years of age, received isoflavones enriched in either biochanin or formononetin (precursors of genistein and daidzein; 80 mg/d) crossed over randomly with placebo in two 6-week periods. The end points were measured at baseline and after each intervention and included large artery stiffness (systemic arterial compliance and pulse wave velocity), endothelial function in conduit arteries (flow-mediated vasodilation), 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, and total peripheral resistance.

Immunity conferred by Aro- Salmonella live vaccines.

The specificity of protection conferred by Aro- salmonellae was studied in BALB/c mice challenged 3 months after intravenous (i.v.) vaccination, more than 1 month after the vaccine had been cleared.

Immunity induced by live attenuated Salmonella vaccines.

Studies on the degree and specificity of protection conferred by immunization with aroA salmonella live vaccines in BALB/c mice are described. Animals were immunized i.v.

Moderate immunodeficiency does not increase susceptibility to Salmonella typhimurium aroA live vaccines in mice.

Salmonellae carrying appropriate mutations in genes of the aromatic biosynthesis pathway are effective as live vaccines in animals, and they are candidate typhoid vaccines for human use. They are also very effective as carriers of recombinant antigens from other pathogens to the immune system, eliciting circulatory, secretory, and cell-mediated immunity to foreign antigens. Their attenuation is believed to be due to their requirement for the metabolites p-aminobenzoic acid and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate, which are not available in mammalian tissues.

Bacteriophage P22 as a vehicle for transducing cosmid gene banks between smooth strains of Salmonella typhimurium: use in identifying a role for aroD in attenuating virulent Salmonella strains.

A cosmid gene bank of the virulent Salmonella typhimurium C5 was constructed in Escherichia coli K12. The bank was repackaged into bacteriophage heads and transduced into the semi-rough S. typhimurium strain AS68 which expresses the LamB lambda receptor protein.

Hepatitis B screening in a New York City obstetrics service.

A cross-sectional chart review study was performed of hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen screening of 532 women admitted to a New York City hospital obstetrics service from 1984 to 1985. Comparison of serologic results to risk factors for hepatitis B revealed that women born outside the United States and those with a positive test for or history of a sexually transmitted disease were more likely to be infected with HBV. Obstetric clinics with large immigrant populations should consider screening all patients for HBV.