Performance of antireflecting coating-AlGaAs window layer couplingfor terrestrial concentrator GaAs solar cells

In this paper, we present the performance of optical coating systems coupled with AlGaAs window layers over GaAs solar cells. Single, double, and triple antireflecting coatings and window layers with constant and graded aluminum content are considered. Comparison between constant and graded window layers is established. To better represent reality, practical factors such as absorption of materials even for antireflecting coatings and the oxidation at window layer surface due to its high aluminum content are also included in the calculations. The design criteria to determine the optimum thickness of each layer is the achievement of maximum photogenerated current density. For this purpose and to account for terrestrial concentrator GaAs solar cells, the inclusion of direct terrestrial solar spectrum together with the internal spectral response of the device are taken into account. Finally, the best antireflecting coating/AlGaAs window layer couplings for different cases are presented     

End‐to‐end security‐reliability analysis of multi‐hop cognitive relaying protocol with TAS/SC‐based primary communication,total interference constraint and asymmetric fading channels

In this paper, we analyze the tradeoff between outage probability (OP) and intercept probability (IP) for a multi‐hop relaying scheme in cognitive radio (CR) networks. In the proposed protocol, a multi‐antenna primary transmitter (PT) communicates with a multi‐antenna primary receiver (PR), using transmit antenna selection (TAS) / selection combining (SC) technique, while a secondary source attempts to transmit its data to a secondary destination via a multi‐hop approach in presence of a secondary eavesdropper. The secondary transmitters such as source and relays have to adjust their transmit power to satisfy total interference constraint given by PR. We consider an asymmetric fading channel model, where the secondary channels are Rician fading, while the remaining ones experience the Rayleigh fading. Moreover, an optimal interference allocation method is proposed to minimize OP of the primary network. For the secondary network, we derive exact expressions of end‐to‐end OP and IP which are verified by Monte Carlo simulations.     

A broadband multimedia collaborative system for advancedteleradiology and medical imaging diagnosis

This paper presents a new telemedicine system currently in routine clinical usage, developed within the European Union (EU) ACTS BONAPARTE project. The telemedicine system is developed on an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) multimedia hardware/software platform comprising the following set of telemedicine services: synchronous cooperative work, high-quality video conference, multimedia mail, medical image digitizing, processing, storing and printing, and local and remote transparent database access. The medical information handled by the platform conforms to the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) 3.0 medical imaging standard. The telemedicine system has been installed for clinical routines in three Spanish hospitals since November 1997 and has been used in an average of one/two clinical sessions per week. At each clinical session, a usability and clinical evaluation of the system was carried out. Evaluation is carried out through direct observation of interactions and questionnaire-based subjective data. The usability evaluation methodology and the results of the system usability study are also presented in this article. The experience gained from the design, development, and evaluation of the telemedicine system is providing an indepth knowledge of the benefits and difficulties involved in the installation and clinical usage of this type of high-usability and advanced multimedia telemedicine system in the field of teleradiology and collaborative medical imaging diagnosis     

Characterization of surface roughness anisotropy on mismatched InAIAs/lnP heterostructures

We have studied surface roughness on mismatched In_0.65Al_0.35As epilayers of various thicknesses on (001) InP. The sample set spans the entire range from coherently strained to completely relaxed epilayers. As characterization tools, we have used atomic force microscopy (AFM), laser light scattering (LLS), and variable azimuthal angle ellipsometry (VAAE). AFM reveals that the surfaces are covered by densely packed ellipsoidal islands elongated along the [1-10] direction. The island size increases with layer thickness. Island anisotropy and the root mean square of the surface roughness increase with increasing thickness but decrease upon full lattice relaxation. LLS intensity displays a prominent azimuthal dependence that correlates well with the two-dimensional power spectrum of the surface topography, as predicted by theory. VAAE reveals a sinusoidal dependence of the ellipsometric parameter Δ on azimuthal angle. The amplitude of A correlates well with the short wavelength anisotropy of the surface power spectrum. Our work suggests that LLS and VAAE are fast, nondestructive, sensitive techniques for characterization of surface roughness in mismatched III-V heterostructures.     

Structural Aspects of P2-Type Na0.67Mn0.6Ni0.2Li0.2O2 (MNL) Stabilization by Lithium Defects as a Cathode Material for Sodium-Ion Batteries

A known strategy for improving the properties of layered oxide electrodes in sodium-ion batteries is the partial substitution of transition metals by Li. Herein, the role of Li as a defect and its impact on sodium storage in P2-Na_0.67Mn_0.6Ni_0.2Li_0.2O₂ is discussed. In tandem with electrochemical studies, the electronic and atomic structure are studied using solid-state NMR, operando XRD, and density functional theory (DFT). For the as-synthesized material, Li is located in comparable amounts within the sodium and the transition metal oxide (TMO) layers. Desodiation leads to a redistribution of Li ions within the crystal lattice. During charging, Li ions from the Na layer first migrate to the TMO layer before reversing their course at low Na contents. There is little change in the lattice parameters during charging/discharging, indicating stabilization of the P2 structure. This leads to a solid-solution type storage mechanism (sloping voltage profile) and hence excellent cycle life with a capacity of 110 mAh g^-1 after 100 cycles. In contrast, the Li-free compositions Na_0.67Mn_0.6Ni_0.4O₂ and Na_0.67Mn_0.8Ni_0.2O₂ show phase transitions and a stair-case voltage profile. The capacity is found to originate from mainly Ni³⁺/Ni⁴⁺ and O^2-/O^2-δ redox processes by DFT, although a small contribution from Mn⁴⁺/Mn⁵⁺ to the capacity cannot be excluded.     

Lighting the Path: Light Delivery Strategies to Activate Photoresponsive Biomaterials In Vivo

Photoresponsive biomaterials are experiencing a transition from in vitro models to in vivo demonstrations that point toward clinical translation. Dynamic hydrogels for cell encapsulation, light-responsive carriers for controlled drug delivery, and nanomaterials containing photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy are relevant examples. Nonetheless, the step to the clinic largely depends on their combination with technologies to bring light into the body. This review highlights the challenge of photoactivation in vivo, and presents strategies for light management that can be adopted for this purpose. The authors’ focus is on technologies that are materials-driven, particularly upconversion nanoparticles that assist in “direct path” light delivery through tissue, and optical waveguides that “clear the path” between external light source and in vivo target. The authors’ intention is to assist the photoresponsive biomaterials community transition toward medical technologies by presenting light delivery concepts that can be integrated with the photoresponsive targets. The authors also aim to stimulate further innovation in materials-based light delivery platforms by highlighting needs and opportunities for in vivo photoactivation of biomaterials.     

Mobile tele-echography: user interface design.

Ultrasound imaging allows the evaluation of the degree of emergency of a patient. However, in some instances, a well-trained sonographer is unavailable to perform such echography. To cope with this issue, the Mobile Tele-Echography Using an Ultralight Robot (OTELO) project aims to develop a fully integrated end-to-end mobile tele-echography system using an ultralight remote-controlled robot for population groups that are not served locally by medical experts. This paper focuses on the user interface of the OTELO system, consisting of the following parts: an ultrasound video transmission system providing real-time images of the scanned area, an audio/video conference to communicate with the paramedical assistant and with the patient, and a virtual-reality environment, providing visual and haptic feedback to the expert, while capturing the expert's hand movements. These movements are reproduced by the robot at the patient site while holding the ultrasound probe against the patient skin. In addition, the user interface includes an image processing facility for enhancing the received images and the possibility to include them into a database.     

Optimized interpolator filters for timing error correction in DMTsystems for xDSL applications

Discrete multitone (DMT) modulation is a multicarrier technique that allows the transmission of high speed data over band limited channels. This type of system is very sensitive to synchronization errors when used in digital subscriber loop applications (xDSL), due to the high number of carriers and high density constellations involved. This paper addresses the topic of all-digital timing error correction in a DMT system for xDSL applications, where the timing error correction procedure is based entirely on signal interpolation. An analytical study of the interpolator filter performance is carried out, arriving at an expression for the signal-to-distortion ratio (SDR) at the output of the receiver, as a merit figure. In this derivation, the fixed frequency domain equalizer (FEQ) plays an important role since it compensates for a great part of the distortion introduced by the interpolator. From this study, the design of the optimal interpolator filter in terms of SDR, based on a multirate approach with Kaiser window, is presented. Specific designs for ASIC and for DSP-based implementations are obtained. Performance results are excellent, yielding SDR values above 50 dB for all carriers while keeping the computational cost low     

Towards metal electrode interface scavenging of rare-earth scandates: A Sc2O3 and Gd2O3 study

Amorphous Gd₂O₃ and Sc₂O₃ thin films were deposited on Si by high-pressure sputtering (HPS). In order to reduce the uncontrolled interfacial SiO_x growth, firstly a metallic film of Gd or Sc was sputtered in pure Ar plasma. Subsequently, they were in situ plasma oxidized in an Ar/O₂ atmosphere. For post-processing interfacial SiO_x thickness reduction, three different top metal electrodes were studied: platinum, aluminum and titanium. For both dielectrics, it was found that Pt did not react with the films, while Al reacted with them forming an aluminate-like interface and, finally, Ti was effective in scavenging the SiO₂ interface thickness without severely compromising gate dielectric leakage.     

Water activity,water glass dynamics,and the control of microbiological growth in foods

Water is probably the single most important factor governing microbial spoilage in foods, and the concept of water activity (a_w) has been very valuable because measured values generally correlate well with the potential for growth and metabolic activity. Despite some drawbacks (e.g., solute effect), the concept of a_w has assisted food scientists in their effort to predict the onset of food spoilage as well as to control food‐borne disease hazards in food products. In the last decade the concept of a_w has been challenged. It has been suggested that reduced‐moisture food products (e.g., low and intermediate) may be nonequilibrium systems and that most of them are in the amorphous metastable state, which is very sensitive to changes in moisture content and temperature. It has been proposed that the glass transition temperature T_g (temperature at which the glass‐rubber transition occurs), is a parameter that can determine many product properties, the safety of foods among them. The concept of water dynamics, originating in a food polymer science approach, has been suggested instead of a_w to better predict the microbial stability of intermediate‐moisture foods. The usage of a_w to predict microbial safety of foods has been discouraged on the basis that (1) in intermediate‐moisture foods the measured water vapor pressure is not an equilibrium one, and because a_w is a thermodynamic concept, it refers only to equilibrium; and (2) the microbial response may differ at a particular a_w when the latter is obtained with different solutes.

This review analyzes these suggestions on the basis of abundant experimental evidence found in the literature. It is concluded that nonequilibrium effects (e.g., inability of water to diffuse in a semimoist food) appear to be in many cases slow within the time frame (food's shelf life) of the experiments and/or so small that they do not affect seriously the application of the a_w concept as a predictor of microbial stability in foods.

The claims that a food science polymer approach to understanding the behavior of aqueous sugar glasses and concentrated solutions may be used to predict the microbial stability of food systems is not substantiated by experimental evidence. This approach does not offer, at the present time, a better alternative to the concept of a_w as a predictor of microbial growth in foods.

It is also recognized that a_w has several limitations and should be always used carefully, and this must include precautions regarding the possible influences of nonequilibrium situations. This aspect may be summarized by simply saying that anyone who is going to employ the term water activity must be aware of the implications of its definition.