The Effect of CdS QDs Structure on the InGaP/GaAs/Ge Triple Junction Solar Cell Efficiency

Chen-Chen Chung,Binh Tinh Tran,Hau-Vei Han,Yen-Teng Ho,Hung-Wei Yu,Kung-Liang Lin,Hong-Quan Nguyen,Peichen Yu,Hao-Chung Kuo,Edward Yi Chang 대한금속·재료학회 2014 ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS Vol.10 No.2

This work describes optical and electrical characteristics of InGaP/GaAs/Ge triple-junction (T-J) solar cells with CdS quantum dots (QDs) fabricated by a novel chemical solution. With the anti-reflective feature at long wavelength and down-conversion at UV regime, the CdS quantum dot effectively enhance the overall power conversion efficiency more than that of a traditional GaAs-based device. Experimental results indicate that CdS quantum dot can enhance the short-circuit current by 0.33 mA/cm2, which is observed for the triple-junction solar cells with CdS QDs of about 3.5 nm in diameter. Moreover, the solar cell conversion efficiency is improved from 28.3% to 29.0% under one-sun AM 1.5 global illumination I-V measurement.

Effect of the Circle-Grid Electrodes on Concentrated GaAs Solar Cell Efficiency

Chen-Chen Chung,Binh Tinh Tran,Ming-Hung Han,Kung-Liang Lin,Hung-Wei Yu,Yen-Teng Ho,Chun-Yen Chang,Edward Yi Chang 대한금속·재료학회 2014 ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS Vol.10 No.5

In this study, we investigate the effect of the shading factor of the front grid pattern on concentrated solar cell efficiency, taking the trade-off between the series resistance of the electrodes and the amount of incident light into consideration. We examine the thermal effect with regard to five different circle-grid electrode patterns of the front contact. The front contacts with different grid patterns affect the characteristics of light-concentratedtype GaAs single-junction solar cells. The device parameters analyzed include the open-circuit voltage (Voc), short-circuit current (Isc), fill factor (FF) and conversion efficiency (η). The results of our study show that for a concentration ratio greater than 60x with AM1.5G, the device with a shading factor of 7.1% has the best cell efficiency of 27.05%, due to the smaller current crowding at the center spot. The results indicate that the conversion efficiency of solar cells can be improved by establishing a compromise between the shading effect and the series resistance effect.

Effect of a vertical guide plate on the wind loading of an inclined flat plate

Kung-Ming Chung,Chin-Cheng Chou,Keh-Chin Chang,Yi-Jun Chen 한국풍공학회 2013 Wind and Structures, An International Journal (WAS Vol.17 No.5

Wind tunnel experiments were performed to study the wind loads on an inclined flat plate with and without a guide plate. Highly turbulent flow, which corresponded to free-stream turbulence intensity on the flat roof of low-rise buildings, was produced by a turbulence generation grid at the inlet of the test section. The test model could represent a typical solar collector panel of a solar water heater. There are up-stream movements of the separation bubble and side-edge vortices, more intense fluctuating pressure and a higher bending moment in the turbulent flow. A guide plate would result in higher lift coefficient, particularly with an increased projected area ratio of a guide plate to an inclined flat plate. The value of lift coefficient is considerably lower with increased free-stream turbulent intensity.

Effect of a vertical guide plate on the wind loading of an inclined flat plate

Chung, Kung-Ming,Chou, Chin-Cheng,Chang, Keh-Chin,Chen, Yi-Jun Techno-Press 2013 Wind and Structures, An International Journal (WAS Vol.17 No.5

Wind tunnel experiments were performed to study the wind loads on an inclined flat plate with and without a guide plate. Highly turbulent flow, which corresponded to free-stream turbulence intensity on the flat roof of low-rise buildings, was produced by a turbulence generation grid at the inlet of the test section. The test model could represent a typical solar collector panel of a solar water heater. There are up-stream movements of the separation bubble and side-edge vortices, more intense fluctuating pressure and a higher bending moment in the turbulent flow. A guide plate would result in higher lift coefficient, particularly with an increased projected area ratio of a guide plate to an inclined flat plate. The value of lift coefficient is considerably lower with increased free-stream turbulent intensity.

Effect of Multiple AlN Layers on Quality of GaN Films Grown on Si Substrates

Binh Tinh Tran,Kung-Liang Lin,Kartika Chandra Sahoo,Chen-Chen Chung,Chi-Lang Nguyen,Edward Yi Chang 대한금속·재료학회 2014 ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS Vol.10 No.6

In this paper, we present the effect of multiple thin high-low-high-temperature AlN (HLHT AlN) nucleation layers on GaN film quality. A 1.9-μm-thick GaN film grown on Si (111) substrate shows that the multiple HLHT AlN nucleation layers have a significant effect on GaN film quality. This process also plays a very important role in the growth of GaN films on Si (111) substrates. A high quality GaN film with a uniformly faceted surface with very low dislocation densities is obtained at the optimized multiple HLHT AlN nucleation layers 50-nm thick at a temperature of 1010-800-1010°C and a growth pressure of 50 Torr.

Novel application of Influenza A virus-inoculated chorioallantoic membrane to characterize a NP-specific monoclonal antibody for immunohistochemistry assaying

Yang-Chang Tu,Kuang-Yu Chen,Chung-Kung Chen,Ming-Chu Cheng,Shu-Hwae Lee,Ivan-Chen Cheng 대한수의학회 2019 Journal of Veterinary Science Vol.20 No.1

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) are widely applied in disease diagnoses. Herein, we report a MAb, WF-4, against Influenza A virus nucleoprotein (NP), its broad response with Influenza A virus, and its application in an immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay. WF-4 was screened by immunofluorescence assay (IFA). The results showed that its reactivity with baculovirus-expressed full-length recombinant NP (rNP) in Western blot (WB), indicating its IHC applicability. Fifteen Influenza A virus (reference subtypes H1 to H15) infected chicken embryonated chorioallantoic membranes (CAM), fixed by formalin, were all detectable in the WF-4-based IHC assay. Also, the reactivity of the IHC test with NP from experimentally inoculated H6N1 and from all recent outbreaks of H5 subtype avian Influenza A virus (AIV) field cases in Taiwan showed positive results. Our data indicate that CAM, a by-product of Influenza A virus preparation, is helpful for Influenza A virus-specific MAb characterization, and that the WF-4 MAb recognizes conserved and linear epitopes of Influenza A virus NP. Therefore, WF-4 is capable of detecting NP antigens via IHC and may be suitable for developing various tests for diagnosis of Influenza A virus and, especially, AIV infection.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid Induces Adipose Tissue Browning through AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling in Vivo and in Vitro

Shieh-Yang Huang,Ming-Ting Chung,Ching-Wen Kung,Shu-Ying Chen,Yi-Wen Chen,Tong Pan,Pao-Yun Cheng,Hsin-Hsueh Shen,Yen-Mei Lee 대한비만학회 2024 Journal of obesity & metabolic syndrome Vol.33 No.2

Background: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key enzyme for cellular energy homeostasis and improves metabolic disorders. Brown and beige adipose tissues exert thermogenesis capacities to dissipate energy in the form of heat. Here, we investigated the beneficial effects of the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) in menopausal obesity and the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Female Wistar rats (8 weeks old) were subjected to bilateral ovariectomy (Ovx) and divided into four groups: Sham (n=8), Ovx (n=11), Ovx+ALA2 (n=10), and Ovx+ALA3 (n=6) (ALA 200 and 300 mg/kg/day, respectively; gavage) for 8 weeks. 3T3-L1 cells were used for in vitro study. Results: Rats receiving ALA2 and ALA3 treatment showed significantly lower levels of body weight and white adipose tissue (WAT) mass than those of the Ovx group. ALA improved plasma lipid profiles including triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Hematoxylin & eosin staining of inguinal WAT showed that ALA treatment reduced Ovx-induced adipocyte size and enhanced uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression. Moreover, plasma levels of irisin were markedly increased in ALA-treated Ovx rats. Protein expression of brown fat-specific markers including UCP1, PRDM16, and CIDEA was downregulated by Ovx but markedly increased by ALA. Phosphorylation of AMPK, its downstream acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and its upstream LKB1 were all significantly increased by ALA treatment. In 3T3-L1 cells, administration of ALA (100 and 250 μM) reduced lipid accumulation and enhanced oxygen consumption and UCP1 protein expression, while inhibition of AMPK by dorsomorphin (5 μM) significantly reversed these effects. Conclusion: ALA improves estrogen deficiency-induced obesity via browning of WAT through AMPK signaling.

Core prescription pattern of Chinese herbal medicine for depressive disorders in Taiwan: a nationwide population-based study

Diem Ngoc Hong Tran,I-Hsuan Hwang,Fun-Jou Chen,Yuan-Pu Tseng,Ching-Mao Chang,Shih-Jen Tsai,Jen-Lin Yang,Ta-Peng Wu,Chung-Hua Hsu,Fang-Pey Chen,Yen-Ying Kung 한국한의학연구원 2021 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.10 No.3

Background: Depressive disorders (DD) affect not only mood and behavior but also various physical functions. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been shown to have some benefits in treating DD. However, one formula or one single herb might be not show high efficacy when used to treat depression. Thus, this study aimed to examine the core prescription pattern of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) among patients with DD in Taiwan as a reference for related research and clinical applications. Methods: All patients, who had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder or minor depression or dysthymia without any other baseline diseases and had at least one CHM outpatient clinical visit from 2002 to 2011, were extracted from three randomly sampled cohorts, namely the 2000, 2005 and 2010 cohorts of the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan. The collected data was analyzed to explore the patterns of herbal products. Results: There were 197,146 patients with a diagnosis of DD and of these 1806 subjects had only a diagnosis of DD and utilized CHM. The most common formula was Gan-Mai-Da-Zao-Tang (12.19%), while Suan-Zao-Ren (3.99%) was the most commonly prescribed single herb. The core pattern of prescriptions consisted of a combination of Gan-Mai-Da-Zao-Tang, Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San, Chai-Hu-Jia-Long-Gu-Mu-Li-Tang, He-Huan-Pi, Yuan-Zhi and Shi-Chang-Pu. Conclusions: This study describes the CHM core prescription pattern used to treat patients in Taiwan with DD and it is a potential candidate for study in future pharmacological or clinical trials targeting DD.

High-mobility low-bandgap conjugated copolymers based on indacenodithiophene and thiadiazolo[3,4-<i>c</i>]pyridine units for thin film transistor and photovoltaic applications

Sun, Ying,Chien, Shang-Chieh,Yip, Hin-Lap,Zhang, Yong,Chen, Kung-Shih,Zeigler, David F.,Chen, Fang-Chung,Lin, Baoping,Jen, Alex K.-Y. Royal Society of Chemistry 2011 Journal of materials chemistry Vol.21 No.35

<P>Two new semiconducting polymers based on indacenodithiophene and thiadiazolo[3,4-<I>c</I>]pyridine units were synthesized <I>via</I> Stille coupling polymerization. The polymers, PIDTPyT and PIDTDTPyT, exhibited main absorption bands in the range of 550–800 nm while their absorption maxima were located at around 700 nm in films. With two additional thiophene spacers, PIDTDTPyT showed a broader absorption band but a 20 nm blue-shifted maximum peak compared to that of PIDTPyT. Both of the polymers possess low bandgaps (∼1.6 eV) and deep energy levels for both the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO). Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) device measurements indicate that PIDTPyT and PIDTDTPyT have high hole carrier mobilities of 0.066 and 0.045 cm<SUP>2</SUP> V<SUP>−1</SUP> s<SUP>−1</SUP>, respectively, with the on/off ratio on the order of 10<SUP>6</SUP>. Bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices consisting of the copolymers and PC<SUB>71</SUB>BM gave power conversion efficiencies (PCE) as high as 3.91% with broadband photo-response in the range of 300–800 nm. The relationships between the photovoltaic performance and film morphology, energy levels, hole mobilities are discussed.</P> <P>Graphic Abstract</P><P>Low bandgap regiorandom polymers based on indacenodithiophene and thiadiazolo[3,4-<I>c</I>]pyridine units showed excellent OFET hole mobilities and promising photovoltaic device performance as high as 3.91%. <IMG SRC='http://pubs.rsc.org/services/images/RSCpubs.ePlatform.Service.FreeContent.ImageService.svc/ImageService/image/GA?id=c1jm11564b'> </P>

Improved thin film morphology and bulk-heterojunction solar cell performance through systematic tuning of the surface energy of conjugated polymers

Sun, Ying,Chien, Shang-Chieh,Yip, Hin-Lap,Chen, Kung-Shih,Zhang, Yong,Davies, Joshua A.,Chen, Fang-Chung,Lin, Baoping,Jen, Alex K.-Y. The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012 Journal of materials chemistry Vol.22 No.12

<P>A detailed model study has shown that thin film morphology and bulk-heterojunction solar cell performance can be significantly improved by systematic tuning of the surface energy of the conjugated donor polymer through side-chain functionalization. Thiophene-flanked diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) moieties with different contents of cyanohexane side chains were incorporated into three low band-gap conjugated copolymers (<B>PIDTDPP1</B>, <B>PIDTDPP2</B> and <B>PIDTDPP3</B>) consisting of indacenodithiophene (IDT) donors and DPP acceptors. The resulting polymers possessed good solubility in common organic solvents and showed similar energy levels, bandgaps, and hole mobilities. However, the introduction of cyano groups onto the terminal of side-chains significantly changed their surface energy. Topographical images obtained from atomic force microscopy (AFM) proved that a better matched surface energy between polymer and PC<SUB>71</SUB>BM had led to enhanced miscibility, which resulted in better BHJ film morphology. Consistent with the surface energy enhancement, the performance of BHJ photovoltaic devices increased from 0.97% for <B>PIDTDPP1</B>, to 2.16% for <B>PIDTDPP2</B> then to 3.67% for <B>PIDTDPP3</B>. These results clearly reveal that tuning surface energy is an effective way to improve the morphology of the BHJ active layer and efficiency of the photovoltaic device.</P> <P>Graphic Abstract</P><P>We have shown that significantly improved thin film morphology and bulk-heterojunction solar cell performance can be achieved by systematically tuning the surface energy of conjugated polymer donors through side-chain functionalization. <IMG SRC='http://pubs.rsc.org/services/images/RSCpubs.ePlatform.Service.FreeContent.ImageService.svc/ImageService/image/GA?id=c2jm15517f'> </P>