| 11. |
- Cunha, Jose M. V., et al.
(författare)
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High-Performance and Industrially Viable Nanostructured SiOx Layers for Interface Passivation in Thin Film Solar Cells
- 2021
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Ingår i: Solar RRL. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2367-198X. ; 5:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Herein, it is demonstrated, by using industrial techniques, that a passivation layer with nanocontacts based on silicon oxide (SiOx) leads to significant improvements in the optoelectronical performance of ultrathin Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 (CIGS) solar cells. Two approaches are applied for contact patterning of the passivation layer: point contacts and line contacts. For two CIGS growth conditions, 550 and 500 degrees C, the SiOx passivation layer demonstrates positive passivation properties, which are supported by electrical simulations. Such positive effects lead to an increase in the light to power conversion efficiency value of 2.6% (absolute value) for passivated devices compared with a nonpassivated reference device. Strikingly, both passivation architectures present similar efficiency values. However, there is a trade-off between passivation effect and charge extraction, as demonstrated by the trade-off between open-circuit voltage (V-oc) and short-circuit current density (J(sc)) compared with fill factor (FF). For the first time, a fully industrial upscalable process combining SiOx as rear passivation layer deposited by chemical vapor deposition, with photolithography for line contacts, yields promising results toward high-performance and low-cost ultrathin CIGS solar cells with champion devices reaching efficiency values of 12%, demonstrating the potential of SiOx as a passivation material for energy conversion devices.
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Luize, Bruno Garcia, et al.
(författare)
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Geography and ecology shape the phylogenetic composition of Amazonian tree communities
- 2024
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Ingår i: JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY. - 0305-0270 .- 1365-2699. ; 51:7, s. 1163-1184
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: Amazonia hosts more tree species from numerous evolutionary lineages, both young and ancient, than any other biogeographic region. Previous studies have shown that tree lineages colonized multiple edaphic environments and dispersed widely across Amazonia, leading to a hypothesis, which we test, that lineages should not be strongly associated with either geographic regions or edaphic forest types. Location: Amazonia. Taxon: Angiosperms (Magnoliids; Monocots; Eudicots). Methods: Data for the abundance of 5082 tree species in 1989 plots were combined with a mega-phylogeny. We applied evolutionary ordination to assess how phylogenetic composition varies across Amazonia. We used variation partitioning and Moran's eigenvector maps (MEM) to test and quantify the separate and joint contributions of spatial and environmental variables to explain the phylogenetic composition of plots. We tested the indicator value of lineages for geographic regions and edaphic forest types and mapped associations onto the phylogeny. Results: In the terra firme and v & aacute;rzea forest types, the phylogenetic composition varies by geographic region, but the igap & oacute; and white-sand forest types retain a unique evolutionary signature regardless of region. Overall, we find that soil chemistry, climate and topography explain 24% of the variation in phylogenetic composition, with 79% of that variation being spatially structured (R-2 = 19% overall for combined spatial/environmental effects). The phylogenetic composition also shows substantial spatial patterns not related to the environmental variables we quantified (R-2 = 28%). A greater number of lineages were significant indicators of geographic regions than forest types. Main Conclusion: Numerous tree lineages, including some ancient ones (>66 Ma), show strong associations with geographic regions and edaphic forest types of Amazonia. This shows that specialization in specific edaphic environments has played a long-standing role in the evolutionary assembly of Amazonian forests. Furthermore, many lineages, even those that have dispersed across Amazonia, dominate within a specific region, likely because of phylogenetically conserved niches for environmental conditions that are prevalent within regions.
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| 14. |
- ter Steege, Hans, et al.
(författare)
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Mapping density, diversity and species-richness of the Amazon tree flora
- 2023
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Ingår i: COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY. - 2399-3642. ; 6:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using 2.046 botanically-inventoried tree plots across the largest tropical forest on Earth, we mapped tree species-diversity and tree species-richness at 0.1-degree resolution, and investigated drivers for diversity and richness. Using only location, stratified by forest type, as predictor, our spatial model, to the best of our knowledge, provides the most accurate map of tree diversity in Amazonia to date, explaining approximately 70% of the tree diversity and species-richness. Large soil-forest combinations determine a significant percentage of the variation in tree species-richness and tree alpha-diversity in Amazonian forest-plots. We suggest that the size and fragmentation of these systems drive their large-scale diversity patterns and hence local diversity. A model not using location but cumulative water deficit, tree density, and temperature seasonality explains 47% of the tree species-richness in the terra-firme forest in Amazonia. Over large areas across Amazonia, residuals of this relationship are small and poorly spatially structured, suggesting that much of the residual variation may be local. The Guyana Shield area has consistently negative residuals, showing that this area has lower tree species-richness than expected by our models. We provide extensive plot meta-data, including tree density, tree alpha-diversity and tree species-richness results and gridded maps at 0.1-degree resolution. A study mapping the tree species richness in Amazonian forests shows that soil type exerts a strong effect on species richness, probably caused by the areas of these forest types. Cumulative water deficit, tree density and temperature seasonality affect species richness at a regional scale.
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| 15. |
- Vianello, Eleonora, et al.
(författare)
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Global blood miRNA profiling unravels early signatures of immunogenicity of Ebola vaccine rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP
- 2023
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Ingår i: iScience. - 2589-0042. ; 26:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The vectored Ebola vaccine rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP elicits protection against Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). In a study of forty-eight healthy adult volunteers who received either the rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP vaccine or placebo, we profiled intracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) from whole blood cells (WB) and circulating miRNAs from serum-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) at baseline and longitudinally following vaccination. Further, we identified early miRNA signatures associated with ZEBOV-specific IgG antibody responses at baseline and up to one year post-vaccination, and pinpointed target mRNA transcripts and pathways correlated to miRNAs whose expression was altered after vaccination by using systems biology approaches. Several miRNAs were differentially expressed (DE) and miRNA signatures predicted high or low IgG ZEBOV-specific antibody levels with high classification performance. The top miRNA discriminators were WB-miR-6810, EV-miR-7151-3p, and EV-miR-4426. An eight-miRNA antibody predictive signature was associated with immune-related target mRNAs and pathways. These findings provide valuable insights into early blood biomarkers associated with rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP vaccine-induced IgG antibody responses.
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| 16. |
- Cibecchini, Daniele, et al.
(författare)
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Repairing of a timber truss through two different techniques using timber elements and screwed metal plates
- 2015
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Ingår i: Historical Earthquake-Resistant Timber Framing in the Mediterranean Area. - Cham : Springer International Publishing. - 9783319394916 - 9783319394923 ; , s. 371-381
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Structural reinforcement of timber buildings may be needed due to different reasons such as change of use, deterioration, lack of maintenance, exceptional damaging incidents or loading, to comply with regulatory changes and being retrofitted, or interventions to increase structural resistance.In this work, two different techniques were considered for repair of a timber truss, subjected only to vertical loads, that was previously assessed on laboratory (test facilities of University of Minho) and taken up to failure during a load-carrying test. A collar beam truss, with more than one hundred years, was tested carrying a vertical point load on each main rafter. Failure of the timber truss was located in the sections of the rafters near the loading positions by bending.Repairing techniques, based on the use of timber elements for one of the rafters and on screwed metal plates for the other rafter, were evaluated and compared to the original unstrengthened condition. The efficiency of the combined repairing techniques was evaluated taking into consideration the structural performance of the collar truss, namely its displacement and ultimate load capacity.In this paper, the results of the experimental tests are discussed attending to the analytical calculation of the contribution of the repairing techniques. Also, the different failure scenarios, for original and strengthened truss, were analyzed and compared.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Helder, M., et al.
(författare)
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Electricity production with living plants on a green roof : Environmental performance of the plant-microbial fuel cell
- 2013
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Ingår i: Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining. - : Wiley. - 1932-104X .- 1932-1031. ; 7:1, s. 52-64
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Several renewable and (claimed) sustainable energy sources have been introduced into the market during the last century in an attempt to battle pollution from fossil fuels. Especially biomass energy technologies have been under debate for their sustainability. A new biomass energy technology was introduced in 2008: the plant-microbial fuel cell (P-MFC). In this system, electricity can be generated with living plants and thus bioelectricity and biomass production can be combined on the same surface. A green roof producing electricity with a P-MFC could be an interesting combination. P-MFC technology is nearing implementation in the market and therefore we assessed the environmental performance of the system with an early stage life cycle assessment (LCA). The environmental performance of the P-MFC is currently worse than that of conventional electricity production technologies. This is mainly due to the limited power output of the P-MFC and the materials presently used in the P-MFC. Granular activated carbon (anode material), gold wires (current collectors), and Teflon-coated copper wires (connecting anode and cathode) have the largest impact on environmental performance. Use of these materials needs to be reduced or avoided and alternatives need to be sought. Increasing power output and deriving co-products from the P-MFC will increase environmental performance of the P-MFC. At this stage it is too early to compare the P-MFC with other (renewable) energy technologies since the P-MFC is still under development.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Kvanta, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Interim safety and efficacy of gene therapy for RLBP1-associated retinal dystrophy : a phase 1/2 trial
- 2024
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Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : Springer Nature. - 2041-1723. ; 15:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gene therapy holds promise for treatment of inherited retinal dystrophies, a group of rare genetic disorders characterized by severe loss of vision. Here, we report up to 3-year pre-specified interim safety and efficacy results of an open-label first-in-human dose-escalation phase 1/2 gene therapy clinical trial in 12 patients with retinal dystrophy caused by biallelic mutations in the retinaldehyde-binding protein 1 (RLBP1) gene of the visual cycle. The primary endpoints were systemic and ocular safety and recovery of dark adaptation. Secondary endpoints included microperimetry, visual field sensitivity, dominant eye test and patient-reported outcomes. Subretinal delivery of an adeno-associated viral vector (AAV8-RLBP1) was well tolerated with dose-dependent intraocular inflammation which responded to corticosteroid treatment, and focal atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium as the dose limiting toxicity. Dark adaptation kinetics, the primary efficacy endpoint, improved significantly in all dose-cohorts. Treatment with AAV8-RLBP1 resulted in the resolution of disease-related retinal deposits, suggestive of successful restoration of the visual cycle. In conclusion, to date, AAV8-RLBP1 has shown preliminary safety and efficacy in patients with RLBP1-associated retinal dystrophy. Trial number: NCT03374657.
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