batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
The direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase (GOx) integrated with graphene was investigated. The voltammetric results indicated that GOx assembled on graphene retained its native structure and bioactivity, exhibited a surface-confined process, and underwent effective direct electron transfer (DET) reaction with an apparent rate constant (k s) of 2.68s−1. This work also developed a novel approach for glucose detection based on the electrocatalytic reduction of oxygen at the GOx–graphene/GC electrode. The assembled GOx could electrocatalyze the reduction of dissolved oxygen. Upon the addition of glucose, the reduction current decreased, which could be used for glucose detection with a high sensitivity (ca. 110±3μAmM−1 cm−2), a wide linear range (0.1–10mM), and a low detection limit (10±2μM). The developed approach can efficiently exclude the interference of commonly coexisting electroactive species due to the use of a low detection potential (−470mV, versus SCE). Therefore, this study has not only successfully achieved DET reaction of GOx assembled on graphene, but also established a novel approach for glucose detection and provided a general route for fabricating graphene-based biosensing platform via assembling enzymes/proteins on graphene surface.
A fully implantable wireless pressure sensor system was developed to monitor bladder pressures in vivo. The system comprises a small commercial pressure die connected via catheter to amplifying electronics, a microcontroller, wireless transmitter, battery, and a personal digital assistant (PDA) or computer to receive the wireless data. The sensor is fully implantable and transmits pressure data once every second with a pressure detection range of 1.5 psi gauge and a resolution of 0.02 psi. In vitro calibration measurements of the device showed a high degree of linearity and excellent temporal response. The implanted device performed continuously in vivo in several porcine studies lasting over 3 days. This system can be adapted for other pressure readings, as well as other vital sign measurements; it represents the first step in developing a ubiquitous sensing platform for telemedicine and remote patient monitoring.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are neurodegenerative diseases that are characterized by intra-neuronal inclusions of Lewy bodies in distinct brain regions. These inclusions consist mainly of aggregated α-synuclein (α-syn) protein. The present study used immunoprecipitation combined with nanoflow liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to high resolution electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICR-MS/MS) to determine known and novel isoforms of α-syn in brain tissue homogenates. N-terminally acetylated full-length α-syn (Ac-α-syn1–140) and two N-terminally acetylated C-terminally truncated forms of α-syn (Ac-α-syn1–139 and Ac-α-syn1–103) were found. The different forms of α-syn were further studied by Western blotting in brain tissue homogenates from the temporal cortex Brodmann area 36 (BA36) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex BA9 derived from controls, patients with DLB and PD with dementia (PDD). Quantification of α-syn in each brain tissue fraction was performed using a novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
The potential and utilization of renewable energy technologies (RETs), and energy analysis in Lesotho with emphasis on the contribution of solar energy technologies (SETs) is presented. The heavy reliance of the country on imported fossil fuel coupled with the growing demand for electricity and declining wood fuel supplies call for alternative sources of energy. Taking the average global solar radiation that ranges from 15 to 20MJ/m2 and cognizant of the short falls of other renewable energy sources in Lesotho, this paper focuses on the application of solar energy and associated developmental issues. The paper provides a statistical analysis of the energy demand and identifies areas of further growth for SETs. Various application areas of solar energy and their contribution to development in Lesotho together with future prospects for use of solar energy are also discussed. An analysis of the relative merits of using photovoltaic (PV) devices over other renewable energy sources in Lesotho is presented. It is argued that with proper economic support and utilization of efficient RETs, developing countries like Lesotho can meet their basic energy demands and alleviate the problems of energy shortages.
A serpentine flow field is commonly used in both fuel cells and redox flow batteries. Accurate prediction of mass transfer in the porous gas/liquid diffusion layer (GDL/LDL) is essential for both flow field design optimization and pressure drop predictions. Darcy's law has been widely used to predict fluid flow through GDL/LDL in fuel cells and flow batteries. However, since the inertial effect is neglected in the Darcy's law, significant errors can arise when it is applied to serpentine flow fields. In this work, dimensional analyses are performed using both the Buckingham Pi-theorem and the analytical models developed earlier based on Darcy's law and modified Darcy's law. From the Pi-theorem, four and five non-dimensional parameters are obtained from the Darcy's law and the modified Darcy's law, respectively. The variations of Darcy's law errors in predicting under-land cross-flow rate with each of the non-dimensional parameters are studied. By comparing the coefficient of each term of the two models, two independent Pi-terms for under-land cross-flow rate are obtained. The criterion for applicability of Darcy's law is developed based on the two Pi-terms. The model predicted errors of Darcy's law compared very well with experimental data, thus further confirms the applicability of developed criterion.
To realize a high-performance room temperature Na/S battery with an elemental sulfur cathode, it is important that sodium polysulfides stay within the cathode and that they have room enough to react freely. In this work, sodium polysulfides are confined to the cathode using a β″ alumina solid electrolyte separator and an optimal amount of tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (TEGDME) electrolyte. In addition, an activated carbon material, in the form of a sulfur/carbon (S/C) composite, with high surface area, porosity, and pore volume is employed in the cathode. The resulting Na/S battery shows a high first discharge capacity of 855 mAh g−1 and coulombic efficiency close to 100%, as well as stable cyclability, with a discharge capacity of 521 mAh g−1 at the 104th discharge.
The present work reports fabrication of vertically aligned CdS sensitized TiO2 nanorod arrays grown on transparent conducting oxide substrate with high transparency as a photoanode in photoelectrochemical cell for water splitting. To realize an unassisted water splitting system, the photoanode and dye-sensitized solar cell tandem structures are tried and their electrochemical behaviors are also investigated. The hydrothermally grown TiO2 nanorod arrays followed by CdS nanoparticle decoration can improve the light absorption of long wavelength light resulting in increased photocurrent density. Two different techniques (electrodeposition and spray pyrolysis deposition) of CdS nanoparticle sensitization are carried out and their water splitting behaviors in the tandem cell are compared.
V2O3@activated carbon (V2O3@C) composite catalysts with different mass ratios have successfully been fabricated using a facile one-step the reduction of ammonium vanadate (NH4VO3) with AC in a high-temperature solid-state reaction. V2O3@C composites were further served as catalytic materials for counter electrodes (CEs) in encapsulation of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The morphology and microstructure of each V2O3@C composite were determined by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Cyclic voltammetry studies revealed that the V2O3@C composites showed a higher electrocatalytic activity than AC and V2O3 for the reduction of triiodide ions. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Tafel analysis data for the symmetrical cells indicated a lower charge transfer resistance and higher exchange current density for V2O3@C composite than AC and V2O3. The experimental results showed that power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 4.94, 5.55 and 5.32% were obtained for AC:NH4VO3 mass ratios of 1:3, 2:3 and 4:3 as counter electrode toward the reduction of I3 −/I− ions respectively, which were superior to higher than that of AC (2.10%) and V2O3 (3.33%) electrode under the same conditions. The enhanced electrode performance can be ascribed to the combined effects of the relatively larger surface area and higher conductivity of V2O3@C composite catalysts.
Achieving sustainable development goals while meeting the 1.5 °C climate target requires radical changes to how we use energy. A scenario of low energy demand shows how this can be done by down-sizing the global energy system to enable feasible deployment rates of renewable energy resources.
The study deals with the electrochemical and physico-chemical characterizations of new proton-conducting ionic liquids. Through the use of several amines and perfluorinated acids, it attempts to define the most appropriate ionic liquids for use in high temperature PEMFCs. In addition to the usual characterizations based on Pulsed Field Gradient NMR and conductivity measurements, NMR correlation techniques NOESY, HOESY and COSY experiments are used to characterize the interactions and spatial proximities of ionic liquid species.
In this paper, we report the synthesis of graphene-like MoS2/graphene hybrid by a facile lithium-assisted sonication method and its cathode application for rechargeable Mg batteries. Instrumental analyses elucidate that the composite displays a three-dimensional (3D) porous architecture constructed by exfoliated single or few MoS2 layers, and some graphene is intercalated in the MoS2 gallery with an enlarged interlayer spacing from 0.62 to 0.98 nm. The obtained MoS2/graphene hybrid exhibits high electrochemical performance with a remarkable capacity (115.9 mA h g−1) and good cyclic stability (82.5 mA h g−1 after 50 cycles). This is owing to the synergistic effect between the graphene-like MoS2 and the highly conductive graphene, which can effectively facilitate the Mg2+ ions diffusion and electrons transfer, provide abundant active sites for Mg2+ intercalation, and prevent structural collapse upon prolonged cycling.
Endoscopy allows inspection and biopsy of mucosal surfaces of the gastro-intestinal tract in addition to some therapeutic manoeuvres that would otherwise require a more invasive approach. Childhood endoscopy is most commonly indicated when the diagnoses of inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease or reflux oesophagitis are under consideration. By considering the symptoms of these more common childhood indications for endoscopy as potential indications for endoscopy, the non-specialist is likely to be referring many of the less common conditions requiring endoscopy for the procedure. Diagnostic upper gastroenterology and biopsy in skilled hands is a very safe procedure. Diagnostic colonoscopy carries a 1/1000 risk of perforation and therapeutic endoscopy is associated with the greatest risks of complication. The risks and benefits of endoscopy are considered in the setting of the clinical indication.
In this work, morphology-controlled lithium cobalt oxides (LCO) were obtained by a simple two-step method that involves a Co3O4 synthetic process, in which cubic and spherical Co3O4 were prepared by a hydrothermal method and a subsequent lithiation process with Li2CO3. The structures and morphologies of two materials were investigated by XRD, SEM and TEM. In contrast with the LCO prepared by using commercial Co3O4 precursor, the cubic and spherical LCO materials have an excellent performance in cyclic stability and rate capacity which is attributed to the better fluidity and less agglomeration with specific morphology of LCO materials.
Soil organic matter pools under contrasting long-term management systems provide insight into potentials for sequestering soil C, sustaining soil fertility and functioning of the soil–atmospheric interface. We compared soil C and N pools (total, particulate and microbial) under pastures (1) varying due to harvest technique (grazing or haying), species composition (cool- or warm-season), stand age and previous land use and (2) in comparison with other land uses. Grazed tall fescue-common bermudagrass pasture (20 yr old) had greater soil organic C (31%), total N (34%), particulate organic C (66%), particulate organic N (2.4 fold) and soil microbial biomass C (28%) at a depth of 0–200 mm than adjacent land in conservation-tillage cropland (24 yr old). Soil organic C and total N at a depth of 0–200 mm averaged 3800 and 294 g m−2, respectively, under grazed bermudagrass and 3112 and 219 g m−2, respectively, under hayed bermudagrass. A chronosequence of grazed tall fescue suggested soil organic N sequestration rates of 7.3, 4.4 and 0.6 g m−2 yr−1 to a depth of 200 mm during 0–10, 10–30 and 30–50 yr, respectively. Soil C storage under long-term grazed tall fescue was 85 to 88% of that under forest, whereas soil N storage was 77 to 90% greater under grazed tall fescue than under forest. Properly grazed pastures in the Southern Piedmont USA have great potential to restore natural soil fertility, sequester soil organic C and N and increase soil biological activity.
Although lithium-ion batteries are commonly used to our daily life, achieving superior properties in low-cost is still our current challenge. Here we report the fabrication of a bacteria-inspired, micro-/nanostructured Fe3O4-carbon/graphene foam hybrid material for lithium-ion battery anodes. The process employing biological adsorption is featured with low-cost and can have mass-production. Attributed to the graphene foam substrate, the fabricated micro-/nanostructure can be directly employed as a binder-free LIB anode without the need of complex treatments. The product used as an anode delivers a high reversible capacity of 1112mAhg−1 at the current density of 100mAg−1 even after 200 cycles, and exhibits good rate performance. These results demonstrate fabrication and electrochemical properties of a bacteria-inspired Fe3O4-carbon/graphene foam, suggesting a facile method for making anodes to be used in high-performance lithium-ion batteries.
To mitigate emissions from the electricity and transportation sectors, large scale deployment of renewable energy generators and battery electric vehicles are expected in the coming decades. However, adoption of these technologies may exacerbate issues related to mismatch of electricity supply and demand. In this study, we utilize a hybrid capacity expansion and dispatch model to quantify grid impacts of the conversion of the entire road vehicle fleet to electric vehicles by 2050. We examine impacts of policies, such as targeting a renewable energy penetration of 93%, using British Columbia as a case study. Scenarios making use of utility controlled charging of vehicles to balance supply and demand are further analyzed. Results show that although electrifying the entire road vehicle fleet will require generation capacity to increase by up to 60%, relative to a scenario without electrification, levelized cost of electricity only increases by 9% in the same scenario due to availability of low cost generation options such as wind and solar. We also find that a 93% renewable energy target leads to carbon abatement costs 30% lower than a scenario where this policy is removed. Further use of utility controlled charging reduces total system capacity up to 7%.
Network management is increasingly being customised for green objectives due to roll out of mission-critical applications across the internet of things and execution, in a number of cases, on battery-constrained devices. In addition, the volume of operations across the internet of things is attracting climate change concerns. While operational efficiency of wireless devices and in data centres (which support operation of the internet of things) should not be achieved at the expense of Quality of Service, optimisation opportunities should be exploited and inefficient resource use minimised. Green networking approaches however, are not yet standardised, and there is scope for novel middleware architectures. In this paper, we explore operational efficiency from the perspective of activities in data centres which support the internet of things. This includes evaluation of the effectiveness of mechanisms integrated into the e-CAB framework, an algorithm proposed by the authors to manage next generation data centres with green objectives. A selection of its policy mechanisms have been implemented in the NS-2 Network Simulator to evaluate performance; configuration decisions are described in this paper and presented alongside experimental results which demonstrate optimisations achieved. Focus lies, in particular, on rate adaptation of its context discovery protocol which is responsible for capturing real-time network state. Performance results reveal a small overhead when applying network management and validate improved efficiency through adaption in response to environment dynamics.
Vision measurement systems have a reliable performance on ground, but it remains a challenge to apply commonly-used vision measurement systems (i.e. multi-camera systems and laser systems) in underwater environments. One of the most challenging issues is the transformation from an unscaled measurement to a scaled result, which is achieved by a calibration method and determinate the strategy used for underwater vision measurement. This paper proposes a novel monocular underwater calibration method underlying a simple underwater vision measurement system. Underwater unscaled measurement results are calculated by the dark channel prior model. These results are then processed by our calibration method, transforming the unscaled measurements to accurately scaled results. These measurement results finally are used to estimate the scaled 3D structure of underwater objects. Experimental results under natural open water show that our proposed method is reliable and efficient.
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for tumor initiation and progression. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are highly expressed in cancer cells and associated with poor prognosis. However, a linkage between CSCs and TLRs is unclear, and potential intervention strategies to prevent TLR stimulation-induced CSC formation and underlying mechanisms are lacking. Here, we demonstrate that stimulation of toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) promotes breast cancer cells toward a CSC phenotype in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, conventional NF-κB signaling pathway is not exclusively responsible for TLR3 activation-enriched CSCs. Intriguingly, simultaneous activation of both β-catenin and NF-κB signaling pathways, but neither alone, is required for the enhanced CSC phenotypes. We have further identified a small molecule cardamonin that can concurrently inhibit β-catenin and NF-κB signals. Cardamonin is capable of effectively abolishing TLR3 activation-enhanced CSC phenotypes in vitro and successfully controlling TLR3 stimulation-induced tumor growth in human breast cancer xenografts. These findings may provide a foundation for developing new strategies to prevent the induction of CSCs during cancer therapies.
This study was designed to examine the ability to recognize facial expressions of emotion in adults with Down's syndrome and analyze whether a specific deficit exists in recognising emotional facial expressions in this etiology. Specifically, face processing and recognition of emotional facial expressions was investigated in 20 adults with Down's syndrome and moderate intellectual disability, and the results were compared with those of adults control group matched for age and sex. The results indicate that adults with Down's syndrome show a response pattern similar to that shown by adults in the general population despite getting poorer performance in all facial processing tasks applied.
A new hyperbranched organic–inorganic hybrid electrolyte based on the use of 2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine (cyanuric chloride, CC) as the coupling core to couple with oligo(oxyalkylene)-amines, followed by condensation with (3-glycidoxypropyl)-trimethoxysilane (GLYMO) and complexed with LiClO4, has been prepared and characterized. The Vogel–Tamman–Fulcher (VTF) like conductivity behavior is observed in the present organic–inorganic hybrid electrolytes with a maximum ionic conductivity value of 4.4×10−5 Scm−1 at 30°C. Multinuclear NMR techniques are used to provide a microscopic view for the specific interaction between the polymer chains and Li+ cations and their dynamic behaviors. The results of 2D 1H–13C wide-line separation (WISE) and 7Li static line NMR width measurements divulge that the mobility of the 7Li cations is strongly related to a dynamic environment created by the polymer motion in the amorphous phase. The combined results of conductivity and 7Li pulse-gradient spin-echo (PGSE) NMR self-diffusion coefficient measurements reveal that the conductivity enhancement at low salt concentrations is mainly caused by the high mobility of the lithium cations.
Layered manganese dioxide (MnO2) films intercalated with Li+, Na+ or Mg2+ ions were synthesized by a one-step electrochemical method. The electrodeposition was potentiostatically performed by applying an anodic potential of 1.0V vs. Ag/AgCl in an aqueous MnSO4 solution containing a perchlorate salt of the cation. The electrodeposited oxide films have a birnessite-type layered structure with alkali cations and water molecules between manganese oxide layers. The galvanostatic charge–discharge experiments performed in 1M LiPF6-DME/PC solution indicated that the Mg2+-intercalated MnO2 electrode exhibits an initial discharge capacity as large as 140mAhg−1 and it shows a better capacity retention during cycling as compared with the Li+- or Na+-intercalated MnO2 electrode.
This study involved the use of a flow circulation cell, using varying circulation rates as a room temperature process (20°C). Mössbauer and XRD analysis were conducted to ascertain whether amorphous or microcrystalline structures could be obtained at 20°C using a range of current densities. Amorphous or microcrystalline structures of Sn–Fe and Sn–Co–Fe have potentially important industrial applications for energy efficient cells, for use as high performance electrodes in lithium batteries, as environmentally acceptable corrosion resistant materials and are derived from an energy efficient environmentally friendly electrolyte process which would be acceptable as an industrial process.
The results of recent theoretical studies of features of superconducting states in hybrid structures whose properties are significantly determined by the spin–orbit effects have been reported. The two main phenomena appearing in such systems in the presence of additional spin splitting caused either by the Zeeman effect in a magnetic field or by the exchange field: (i) the generation of spontaneous currents and (ii) the appearance of topologically nontrivial superconducting phases. It has been shown that the spin–orbit coupling can be a key mechanism that allows implementing new inhomogeneous phase structures, in particular, the so-called “phase batteries.” The effect of geometric factors on the properties of topologically nontrivial superconducting states has been analyzed. New types of topological transitions in vortex states of Majorana wires have been proposed.