In dye-sensitized solar cells co-photosensitized with an alkoxysilyl-anchor dye ADEKA-1 and a carboxy-anchor organic dye LEG4, LEG4 was revealed to work collaboratively by enhancing the electron injection from the light-excited dyes to the TiO2 electrodes, and the cells exhibited a high conversion efficiency of over 14% under one sun illumination.

Dye-sensitized solar cells fabricated by using a novel metal-free alkoxysilyl carbazole as a sensitizing dye and a Co(3+/2+)-complex redox electrolyte exhibited light-to-electric energy conversion efficiencies of over 12% with open-circuit photovoltages higher than 1 V by applying a hierarchical multi-capping treatment to the photoanode.

The co-sensitization of organic silyl-anchor dyes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) using carbazole and coumarin dyes with organosilicon tethers for binding to titanium dioxide has been examined. We have succeeded in fabricating a high-performance DSSC with a light-to-electric energy conversion efficiency of 12.8% under one sun simulated solar irradiation.

We have compared two dye anchoring functional groups, alkoxysilyl and carboxyl groups, to investigate their influence on the performance of dye sensitized solar cells. Dimethylaminoazobenzene was selected as a chromophore possessing a donor-accepter transition for the light absorption. Electrochemical and optical measurements were performed for 4-dimethylaminoazobenzene-4'-carboxylic acid and 4-dimethylaminoazobenzene-4'-triethoxysilane attached TiO 2 films. Electrochemical measurements and DFT calculation indicated almost identical potential energy levels and electron density of HOMO and LUMO states between these two dyes. Solar cell APCE spectra and charge recombination kinetics at the dye/TiO 2 interface revealed almost identical charge transfer rates/yields from and to the dye. The difference was observed on improvement of an open circuit photovoltage (Voc) by 60 mV and on the lifetimes of an electron in the TiO 2 conduction band for the dye with the alkoxysilyl functional group compared to the carboxyl group, suggesting that an alkoxysilyl functional group is more attractive to retard the charge recombination reaction between an electron in the TiO 2 conduction band and an oxidized form of an electrolyte redox couple. The highest solar energy conversion efficiency of 2.6 % was achieved for dye sensitized solar cells based on an azobenzene dye sensitizer under AM1.5G, one sun condition.

Sarcopenia is an age-related loss of skeletal muscle associated with adverse outcomes such as falls, fractures, disability, and increased mortality in older people and hospitalized patients. About half of older male nursing home residents have sarcopenia. The diagnostic criteria by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) and the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) have led to increased interest in sarcopenia. Exercise and nutritional management are crucial for the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia. Nutritional therapy for sarcopenia that includes 20 g of whey protein and 800 IU of vitamin D twice a day improves lower limb strength. Exercise therapy for sarcopenia, such as resistance training and 6 months of home exercises, improves muscle strength and physical function. Combination therapy that includes both nutritional and exercise therapy improves gait speed and knee extension strength more than either exercise alone or nutrition therapy alone. Excessive bedrest and mismanagement of nutrition in medical facilities can lead to iatrogenic sarcopenia. Iatrogenic sarcopenia is sarcopenia caused by the activities of health care workers in health care facilities. Appropriate nutritional management and exercise programs through rehabilitation nutrition are important for prevention and treatment of iatrogenic sarcopenia. Nutritional and exercise therapy should be started very early after admission and adjusted to the level of inflammation and disease status. Repeated assessment, diagnosis, goal setting, interventions, and monitoring using the rehabilitation nutrition care process is important to maximize treatment effectiveness and improve patients' functional recovery and quality of life.