The reverse bias stability is a key concern for the commercialization and reliability of halide perovskite photovoltaics. Here, the robustness of perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells to reverse bias electrical degradation down to -40 V is investigated. The two-terminal tandem configuration, with the perovskite coupled to silicon, can improve the solar cell resistance to severe negative voltages when the tandem device is properly designed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLead is one of the key metals of the all-inorganic lead halide perovskites. This work tailors novel architectures of lead's coordination sphere using a β-diketone (H-hfa = 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoro-2,4-pentanedione) and a glyme (monoglyme, diglyme, triglyme, or tetraglyme) ligand. The coordination chemistry and thermal behaviour of these "Pb(hfa)·glyme" adducts have been analysed through FT-IR spectroscopy, H and C NMR analyses, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFserogroup 1 (Lp1) sequence type (ST) 23 is one of the most commonly detected STs in Italy where it currently causes all investigated outbreaks. ST23 has caused both epidemic and sporadic cases between 1995 and 2018 and was analysed at genomic level and compared with ST23 isolated in other countries to determine possible similarities and differences. A core genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST), based on a previously described set of 1,521 core genes, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) approaches were applied to an ST23 collection including genomes from Italy, France, Denmark and Scotland.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn July 2018, a large outbreak of Legionnaires' disease (LD) caused by serogroup 1 (Lp1) occurred in Bresso, Italy. Fifty-two cases were diagnosed, including five deaths. We performed an epidemiological investigation and prepared a map of the places cases visited during the incubation period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA middle-aged immunocompetent woman was diagnosed and treated for a severe pulmonary human herpesvirus 3 infection. During the treatment, an infection from Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 was also diagnosed. This coinfection threatened the life of the patient and led to serious permanent sequelae.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHydrogenated amorphous Si (a-Si:H) solar cells are strongly affected by the well known Staebler-Wronski effect. This is a worsening of solar cell performances under light soaking which results in a substantial loss of cell power conversion efficiency compared to time zero performance. It is believed not to be an extrinsic effect, but rather a basic phenomenon related to the nature of a-Si:H and to the stability and motion of H-related species in the a-Si:H lattice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIrradiation is a preservation technology used to improve the safety and hygienic quality of food. Aim of this study was to assess the applicability and validity of the microbiological screening method direct epifluorescence filter technique (DEFT)/aerobic plate count (APC) (EN 13783:2001) for the identification of irradiated herbs and spices. Tests on non-irradiated and irradiated samples of dried herbs and spices were performed.
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