Reverse-bias testing in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs at high (negative) gate voltage is found to induce a catastrophic increase in gate leakage current IG, with only a slight degradation of drain current ID. Electroluminescence (EL) microscopy demonstrates that leakage current injection is localized within “hot spots” at the gate edges, possibly corresponding to defects in the semiconductor material or at the metal–semiconductor interface. The density of “hot spots” increases during tests and is correlated with the increase of IG and electroluminescence intensity and with an enhancement of trapping effects such as current collapse

-In this contribution a C-Band 2 nd harmonic tuned hybrid power amplifier utilizing a PHEMT GaN device is presented, together with technological aspects, non linear device model and adopted design criteria. The amplifier has been realised in hybrid form, exhibiting a bandwidth larger than 20% around 5.5GHz, with a minimum output power of 33 dBm, and a drain efficiency of 60% at the centre frequency.

Beryllium diffusion is considered in heavily doped p-type GaAs structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) measurements performed on samples which underwent rapid thermal processing (RTP) experiments at 850 °C for 30 s show that (i) Be diffusion is faster in p/p+/p structures than in p/p+ ones and (ii) an increase of the As4/Ga flux ratio during the MBE growth affects Be diffusion only in p/p+ structures. These results are discussed by modeling Be diffusion according to a substitutional–interstitial diffusion mechanism where Be transition from substitutional to interstitial takes place by a kick-out process. The modeling procedure, which has been previously used to simulate Be and Zn diffusion in GaAs and in other related compounds, has been modified in order to account for the lacking of equilibrium in the initial concentration of Ga interstitials. It is shown that when the lacking of equilibrium is accounted for at the beginning of the annealing experiment, a satisfactory description of the SIMS results has been achieved in both p/p+ and p/p+/p structures, also considering samples grown by different As4/Ga flux ratios. The modeling results allow us to conclude that in the p/p+/p structures the concentration of point defects (e.g., IGa) in the regions cladding the base layer affects, to a major extent, Be diffusion during RTP, so that an efficient reduction of Be diffusivity is expected only when the whole structure is grown by high V/III flux ratios.

The Drug Resource Enhancement against AIDS and Malnutrition Program (DREAM) gathered professionals in the field of Elimination of HIV-Mother-To-Child Transmission (EMTCT) in Maputo in 2013 to discuss obstacles and solutions for the elimination of HIV vertical transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. During this workshop, the benefits of administrating combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) to HIV positive women from pregnancy throughout breastfeeding were reviewed. cART is capable of reducing vertical transmission to less than 5% at 24 months of age, as well as maternal mortality and infant mortality in both HIV infected and exposed populations to levels similar to those of uninfected individuals. The challenge for programs targeting eMTCT in developing countries is retention in care and treatment adherence. Both are intrinsically related to the model of care. The drop-out from eMTCT programs before cART initiation ranges from 33%–88% while retention rates at 18–24 months are less than 50%. Comprehensive strategies including peer-to-peer education, social support and laboratory monitoring can reduce refusals to less than 5% and attain retention rates approaching 90%. Several components of the model of care for reduction of HIV-1 MTCT are feasible and implementable in scale-up strategies. A review of this model of care for HIV eMTCT is provided.

BackgroundThe DREAM Project operates within the framework of the national health systems of several sub-Saharan African countries and aims to introduce the essential components of an integrated strategy for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. The project is intended to serve as a model for a wide-ranging scale-up in the response to the epidemic. This paper aims to show DREAM's challenges and the solutions adopted. One of the solutions is the efficient management of the clinical data regarding the treatment of the patients and epidemiological analyses.MethodsSpecific software for the management of the patients' EMR has been created within the DREAM programme in order to deal with the challenges deriving from the context in which DREAM operates. Setting up a computer infrastructure in health centres, providing a power supply, as well as managing the data and the project resources efficiently and reliably, are some of the questions that have been analysed in this study.ResultsOver the years this software has proved that it is able to respond to the need for efficient management of the clinical data and organization of the health centres. Today it is used in 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa by thousands of professionals and by now it has reached its fourth version. The medical files of over 73,000 assisted patients are managed by this software and the data collected with it have become essential for the epidemiological research that is carried out to improve the effectiveness of the therapy.ConclusionSub-Saharan Africa is the region hardest hit by HIV and AIDS in the world. However, the resources and responses adopted so far, to confront the epidemic, have at times been rather minimalist. The DREAM project has faced the battle against the epidemic by equipping itself with qualitative standards comparable to Western ones. The experience of DREAM has revealed that it is indeed possible to guarantee levels of excellence in developing countries, also in the sphere of ICT (Information and Communication Technology), thus making the intervention even more effective and contributing to bridging the digital divide.