Hierarchical Transparent Back Contacts for Bifacial CdTe PV.

A hierarchical transparent back contact leveraging an AlGaO passivating layer, TiCT MXene with a high work function, and a transparent cracked film lithography (CFL) templated nanogrid is demonstrated on copper-free cadmium telluride (CdTe) devices. AlGaO improves device open-circuit voltage but reduces the fill factor when using a CFL-templated metal contact. Including a TiCT interlayer improves the fill factor, lowers detrimental Schottky barriers, and enables metallization with CFL by providing transverse conduction into the nanogrid.

LED-based characterization of solar cells for underwater applications.

Improved solar energy harvesting in aquatic environments would allow for superior environmental monitoring. However, developing underwater solar cells is challenging as evaluation typically requires deployment in the field or in large water tanks that can simulate aquatic light conditions. Here, we present a protocol to test underwater solar cells using a light-emitting diode (LED)-based characterization technique usable in a typical laboratory setting.

Identifying optimal photovoltaic technologies for underwater applications.

Improving solar energy collection in aquatic environments would allow for superior environmental monitoring and remote sensing, but the identification of optimal photovoltaic technologies for such applications is challenging as evaluation requires either field deployment or access to large water tanks. Here, we present a simple bench-top characterization technique that does not require direct access to water and therefore circumvents the need for field testing during initial trials of development. Employing LEDs to simulate underwater solar spectra at various depths, we compare Si and CdTe solar cells, two commercially available technologies, with GaInP cells, a technology with a wide bandgap close to ideal for underwater solar harvesting.

Gut microbiota induce IGF-1 and promote bone formation and growth.

Appreciation of the role of the gut microbiome in regulating vertebrate metabolism has exploded recently. However, the effects of gut microbiota on skeletal growth and homeostasis have only recently begun to be explored. Here, we report that colonization of sexually mature germ-free (GF) mice with conventional specific pathogen-free (SPF) gut microbiota increases both bone formation and resorption, with the net effect of colonization varying with the duration of colonization.

Development of an index to define overall disease severity in IBD.

Background And Aim: Disease activity for Crohn's disease (CD) and UC is typically defined based on symptoms at a moment in time, and ignores the long-term burden of disease. The aims of this study were to select the attributes determining overall disease severity, to rank the importance of and to score these individual attributes for both CD and UC.

Methods: Using a modified Delphi panel, 14 members of the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IOIBD) selected the most important attributes related to IBD.

Responders and non-responders to probiotic interventions: how can we improve the odds?

As with many clinical studies, trials using probiotics have shown clearly that some patients benefit from the treatment while others do not. For example if treatment with probiotics leads to 36% cure rate of diarrhea, why did the other 64% not have the same result? The issue is important for human and indeed experimental animal studies for two main reasons: (i) Would changing the design of the study result in more subjects responding to treatment? (ii) If a subject does not respond what are the mechanistic reasons? In order to tackle the issue of responders and non-responders to therapy, a workshop was held by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP). The outcome was four recommendations.

[Immunohistochemistry of p16INK4a in biopsies and cervicovaginal smears, and its correlation with HPV detected by PCR].

Recent studies suggest that p16 overexpression determined by immunohistochemistry would be a specific marker for neoplastic and dysplastic squamous cells associated with high-risk HPV. The purpose of this study was to assess the correlation between cyto-histological findings, p16 expression and HPV subtype. A total of 99 biopsies were selected, 4 endocervical curettages and 95 uterine cervix biopsies, as well as 30 cervicovaginal smears from other 30 patients.

Comparison of fecal biota from specific pathogen free and feral mice.

Specific pathogen free (SPF) rodents are derived from germfree animals that are colonized with Schaedler's flora, a cocktail of eight bacterial strains isolated from the natural biota of mice. During successive generations SPF animals acquire a complex biota, but it is not known how similar it is to natural mouse biota. Therefore, fecal pellets of two feral mice and three SPF mice were studied by small subunit ribosomal DNA sequence analysis.

Steps taken to protect and rescue cryopreserved embryos during Hurricane Katrina.

Hurricane Katrina was a devastating storm that brought lessons in emergency preparedness. All IVF programs should have a plan to protect fresh and cryopreserved embryos in case of natural or human-made disaster.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome and the metabolic syndrome.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), first described in 1937, was defined by specific ovarian histopathology and a constellation of signs and symptoms. Through the years, the etiology remained elusive, with heated debates focusing in turn on the ovary and then the pituitary as the causative agents. In the last several decades, it has become clear that insulin resistance makes up a very important component of this syndrome.

Analysis of the large bowel microbiota of colitic mice using PCR/DGGE.

Aim: To test combined polymerase chain reaction amplification of 16S rRNA gene sequences and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR/DGGE) as an analytical method to investigate the composition of the large bowel microbiota of mice during the development of colitis.

Methods And Results: The colonic microbiota of formerly germfree interleukin 10 (IL-10)-deficient mice that had been exposed to the faecal microbiota of specific pathogen-free animals was screened using PCR/DGGE. The composition of the large bowel microbiota of IL-10-deficient mice changed as colitis progressed.

Risk factors for high-order multiple pregnancy and multiple birth after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation: results of 4,062 intrauterine insemination cycles.

Objective: To determine factors responsible for high-order multiple pregnancy (HOMP) and high-order multiple births when multiple cycles of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation-IUI (COH-IUI) are performed.

Design: Retrospective analysis.

Setting: Private infertility clinic.

Clomiphene citrate intrauterine insemination (IUI) before gonadotropin IUI affects the pregnancy rate and the rate of high-order multiple pregnancies.

Objective: To determine if previous treatment with clomiphene citrate intrauterine insemination (CC-IUI) affects pregnancy and high-order multiple pregnancy (HOMP) rates in subsequent hMG-IUI or FSH-IUI cycles.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Private infertility clinic.

What is the most relevant standard of success in assisted reproduction?: no single outcome measure is satisfactory when evaluating success in assisted reproduction; both twin births and singleton births should be counted as successes.

The 2002 recommendation of the consensus meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) that the outcome measure of assisted reproductive technology (ART) and non-ART should be 'singleton live birth rate' could profoundly effect the ability of infertility patients to become pregnant. We reviewed published reports and new data concerning elective single embryo transfer (eSET) vs. double embryo transfer (DET) and the outcome of twin pregnancies in the United States, as well as recommendations of other Societies concerning number of embryos to transfer and methods used to measure ART success.

Effect of diagnosis, age, sperm quality, and number of preovulatory follicles on the outcome of multiple cycles of clomiphene citrate-intrauterine insemination.

Objective: To determine how diagnosis, age, sperm quality, and number of preovulatory follicles affect pregnancy rates when multiple cycles of clomiphene citrate (CC)-IUI are performed.

Design: Fifteen-year prospective observational study.

Setting: Private infertility clinic.

AgNORs as an early marker of sensitivity to radiotherapy in gynecologic cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the changes induced in silver-stained nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) by the first fraction of a radiotherapy protocol for gynecologic cancer on exfoliated cytologic samples to predict the therapeutic success of the full protocol.

Study Design: Thirteen gynecologic cancer patients who were scheduled for radiotherapy were included in the study. Cell smears were taken from the affected area before and after the first fraction of a radiotherapy protocol and silver stained for AgNORs.

Spontaneous reduction of multiple pregnancy: incidence and effect on outcome.

Objective: Our objective was to determine the incidence of spontaneous reduction in multiple pregnancies during the first 12 gestational weeks and determine the outcome of the surviving fetuses.

Study Design: Analysis of prospectively collected ultrasound and birth information on 709 multiple and 5962 singleton pregnancies conceived at a private infertility clinic.

Results: Spontaneous reduction of one or more gestational sacs and or embryos occurred before the 12th week of gestation in 36% of twin (95% CI, 32%-40%), 53% of triplet (95% CI, 44%-61%), and 65% of quadruplet (95% CI, 46%-85%) pregnancies.