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IntroductionThere is no established scoring model focused on viral hepatitis patients to predict the prognosis after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). We aimed to develop and validate a novel model based on the largest cohort for better prediction of both short-term (1 year) and long-term (3 years) postoperative prognoses after TIPS in viral hepatitis cirrhosis-related portal hypertension patients.MethodsA total of 925 viral hepatitis cirrhosis-related portal hypertension patients who underwent TIPS from nine hospitals were divided into the training and external validation cohorts. A novel Viral-associated Index of Post-TIPS score (VIPs) model was developed after performing Cox regression analysis. The VIPs model was compared to five previous models, namely, Child–Pugh, MELD, ALBI, CCG, and FIPS. Furthermore, X-tile software was used to stratify patients into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups.ResultsThe VIPs model included age, ascites, albumin, prothrombin time, total bilirubin, and sodium for post-TIPS prognosis prediction. The model demonstrated satisfying predictive efficiency in both discrimination and calibration, with an area under the curve of 0.781/0.774 (1 year/3 years) in the training cohort and 0.771/0.775 (1 year/3 years) in the external validation cohort, respectively.DiscussionWe first developed and externally validated a novel VIPs model for better prediction of both short-term and long-term postoperative prognoses after TIPS in Chinese patients with viral hepatitis cirrhosis-related portal hypertension.

Tandem solar cells have the potential to surpass conventional single-junction photovoltaics by harnessing a wider range of the solar spectrum and reducing losses caused by thermalization and transmission. This study examines the performance of a kesterite-kesterite tandem solar cell with two different absorber layers in each subcell using SCAPS-1D. The upper subcell comprises CZTS and ACZTS with wider bandgaps, while the lower subcell comprises ACZTSe and CZTSe with narrower bandgaps. The CZTS- and CZTSe-based solar cells were first validated using experimental data to determine the feasibility of the tandem solar cell design. The CZTS-based solar cell was modified by replacing the back contact, adding a Cd-free buffer layer of ZnMnO, and using a SnMnO2 layer as a window layer. The band gap and electron affinity of ZnMnO and SnMnO2 layers were adjusted by changing their manganese contents for optimal conduction band offset. A thin ACZTS layer was also added as a second absorber layer in the CZTS-based solar cell to enhance open circuit voltage. The CZTSe-based solar cell was thereafter modified by including an ACZTSe layer as a second absorber layer and by selecting ZnSe as a buffer layer and optimizing the thicknesses of all layers. Both upper and lower subcells were analyzed for tandem configuration using filtered spectra and current-matching techniques. The thickness of the CZTS layer in the upper subcell was adjusted to achieve current matching; consequently, the proposed tandem cell had an efficiency of ∼24%. These findings provide valuable insights for future advancements in kesterite-kesterite-based tandem solar cells.