Al2O3-coated nanoporous TiO2 electrode for solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell

This paper reports the preparation of a core-shell nanoporous electrode consisting of an inner TiO₂ porous matrix and a thin overlayer of Al₂O₃, and its application for solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell using p-CuI as hole conductor. Al₂O₃ overlayer was coated onto TiO₂ porous film by the surface sol–gel process. The role of Al₂O₃ layer thickness on the cell performance was investigated. The solar cells fabricated from Al₂O₃-coated electrodes showed superior performance to the bare TiO₂ electrode. Under illumination of AM 1.5 simulated sunlight (89 mW/cm²), a ca. 0.19 nm Al₂O₃ overlayer increased the photo-to-electric conversion efficiency from 1.94% to 2.59%.     

放射性核素~（137）Cs在石湖峪和阳坊花岗岩上的吸附与迁移特性的研究

用间歇法测定了１３７Ｃｓ在石湖峪和阳坊花岗岩上的吸附比和吸附平衡时间，研究了岩石颗粒度、固液比、水相ｐＨ值和核素载体浓度对吸附比的影响，测定了吸附等温线．用柱实验法研究了１３７Ｃｓ在石湖峪和阳坊碎石柱上的迁移行为，测定了阻滞因数和柱分配系数．结果表明：北京石湖峪和阳坊花岗岩对１３７Ｃｓ的吸附能力较差．     

MobiGuide: a personalized and patient-centric decision-support system and its evaluation in the atrial fibrillation and gestational diabetes domains

MobiGuide is a ubiquitous, distributed and personalized evidence-based decision-support system (DSS) used by patients and their care providers. Its central DSS applies computer-interpretable clinical guidelines (CIGs) to provide real-time patient-specific and personalized recommendations by matching CIG knowledge with a highly-adaptive patient model, the parameters of which are stored in a personal health record (PHR). The PHR integrates data from hospital medical records, mobile biosensors, data entered by patients, and recommendations and abstractions output by the DSS. CIGs are customized to consider the patients’ psycho-social context and their preferences; shared decision making is supported via decision trees instantiated with patient utilities. The central DSS “projects” personalized CIG-knowledge to a mobile DSS operating on the patients’ smart phones that applies that knowledge locally. In this paper we explain the knowledge elicitation and specification methodologies that we have developed for making CIGs patient-centered and enabling their personalization. We then demonstrate feasibility, in two very different clinical domains, and two different geographic sites, as part of a multi-national feasibility study, of the full architecture that we have designed and implemented. We analyze usage patterns and opinions collected via questionnaires of the 10 atrial fibrillation (AF) and 20 gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients and their care providers. The analysis is guided by three hypotheses concerning the effect of the personal patient model on patients and clinicians’ behavior and on patients’ satisfaction. The results demonstrate the sustainable usage of the system by patients and their care providers and patients’ satisfaction, which stems mostly from their increased sense of safety. The system has affected the behavior of clinicians, which have inspected the patients’ models between scheduled visits, resulting in change of diagnosis for two of the ten AF patients and anticipated change in therapy for eleven of the twenty GDM patients.     

Does the transition to parenthood influence driving?

Most parents remember the first time they drove with a newborn child in the car. Feeling the need to protect the infant, they avoided sharp turns and drove more slowly and carefully than normal. But how long do these behaviors persist? Do parents ultimately revert to their previous driving patterns, or does some of the early protectiveness and caution continue to characterize their driving as their infant grows into a toddler and preschooler? In an attempt to answer these questions, two studies were conducted on parents of young children: a qualitative study consisting of personal interviews (16 parents); and a quantitative study in the form of a national telephone survey (165 parents). The results show that the most dominant reported effect of the transition to parenthood on driving is increased apprehension of traffic crashes and a stronger sense of responsibility. However, these changes were found to influence the reported actual driving behavior of only a portion of the parents. Possible explanations of the findings are discussed.     

The perception of pedestrians from the perspective of elderly experienced and experienced drivers

We examined hazard perception (HP) abilities among elderly experienced and experienced drivers, with regard to the presence of pedestrians in residential areas. Two evaluation methods were used: (a) observation of traffic scene videos and pressing a button when a hazardous situation was identified, and (b) driving in a driving simulator. The results of the video observation method showed that elderly drivers had a longer response time for hazard detection. In addition, four of the eight pedestrian-related events were difficult for elderly drivers to perceive when compared to experienced drivers. Elderly drivers, shown to have limited useful field of view, may also be limited in their ability to detect hazards, particularly when located away from the center of the screen. Results from the simulator drive showed that elderly drivers drove about 20% slower than experienced drivers, possibly being aware of their deficiencies in detecting hazards and slower responses. Authorities should be aware of these limitations and increase elderly drivers' awareness to pedestrians by posting traffic signs or dedicated lane marks that inform them of potential upcoming hazards.     

Bidirectional phase-shifted DC-DC converter

A novel ZVS phase-shifted DC-DC converter is proposed. The converter operates at a constant switching frequency and the voltage conversion ratio is regulated by phase-shift control. It has bidirectional power flow capability and synchronous rectification, hence the on-state voltage drop of the devices is small. This is an ideal candidate for electric vehicles (EVs)     

Continuous blockade of brain glucocorticoid receptors facilitates spatial learning and memory in rats

Previously, a corticosterone surge associated with a learning task was shown to facilitate cognitive processes through brain glucocorticoid receptors (GR) while chronic overexposure to this stress hormone impaired cognition. In the present study we tested the hypothesis that opposing effects on learning and memory might also occur after either phasic or continuous blockade of brain GR by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of the GR antagonist RU38486 (aGR). We used a Morris water maze procedure to assess spatial learning and memory abilities in male Wistar rats. The effect of phasic brain GR blockade was studied following daily pretraining administration of 10 and 100 ng/microL aGR i.c.v. on 3 consecutive days. This repetitive aGR treatment impaired spatial learning and memory dose-dependently in comparison with vehicle controls. For continuous brain GR blockade, animals received an i.c.v., infusion of aGR (10 and 100 ng/0.5 microL per h or vehicle) over 10 days. Infusion of 100 ng aGR per hour resulted in a long-lasting facilitation of spatial performance. The 10 ng aGR infusion also caused initially a facilitating effect, which was, however, transient and performance became impaired during retest. Possible anxiolytic properties of the drugs were excluded in view of the animals' behaviour in the elevated plus maze. Both doses of aGR infusion reduced the number of mineralocorticoid receptors in the hippocampus, but only the high dose of aGR resulted in a significant reduction of available GR sites. In conclusion, continuous administration of GR antagonist improves cognitive function, while phasic blockade of brain GR function causes a cognitive deficit.