batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
The present investigation emphasizes the pharmacognostic and phytochemical screening of Eulaliopsis binata and further evaluates the extracts of this plant for toxicological profile and anti-bacterial potential based on in vivo/in vitro assays. Microscopy, powder characteristics of the leaf material, and physicochemical and phytochemical screening were assessed for pharmacognostic evaluation. Dry leaves of Eulaliopsis binata were extracted using different solvents (methanol, ethyl acetate, and hexane), and the extracts obtained were further investigated for in vitro/in vivo toxicological study. Moreover, acute toxicity was assessed by evaluating the anti-oxidant defense system and anatomical damage in vital organs. In addition, anti-bacterial activity of all the extracts was assessed by the Kirby-Bauer method. Physicochemical and microscopic observations showed the unique identification mark for leaf powder and leaf transverse section. Phytochemical investigation evidenced the presence of flavonoids and phenolic contents in the methanolic extract. All extracts were found to be hemocompatible and exhibited no induction of behavioral alteration and no alteration in the anti-oxidant potential and anatomical structure of the vital organs. On the other hand, the methanolic extract showed a significant upsurge in the reduced glutathione level, whereas all extracts showed significant anti-bacterial potential in a dose-dependent manner. Eulaliopsis binata has inimitable pharmacognostical characteristics, good safety profile and significant anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial potential that show immense possibility for its further investigation for pharmacological use.
Sulfosulfuron is a low-use rate sulfonylurea herbicide. A review of the toxicity database for sulfosulfuron indicates that the molecule has a low order of acute toxicity. It is not genotoxic and is not a reproductive, developmental, or nervous system toxicant. There were no indications of endocrine disruption in any study performed with the molecule. The only findings considered to be an adverse effect in mammalian laboratory animals following prolonged subchronic or chronic exposure to sulfosulfuron were isolated to the urinary tract. These findings occurred in conjunction with findings of urolith formation following high-level chemical dosing, resulting in epithelial hyperplasia that, in a few cases, progressed to tumor formation. Mode-of-action information supports the conclusion that these tumors result from a non-genotoxic, threshold-based process that is well established and widely considered to be not relevant to humans. Based on its short-term, infrequent application pattern and very low use rate and crop residues, aggregate and cumulative risk assessments indicate that sulfosulfuron has substantial margins of exposure and does not represent a significant risk to human health.
Purposes of this study evaluate air quality by analysis of heavy metals (Ni, Cu and Pb) using ANOVA two-way test (space and time) within Baghdad city. Samples were collected from 3 stations in Baghdad city for 2 years (2009 & 2010). Concentrations (lead) were mostly exceeding the specific proposed national lead = 2 μg m−3, nickel was exceeded for the specific (1) mcg m−3. That of the causes of increased concentrations of heavy metals in the air is the occurrence of dust storms which carry dust storms amounts of dust containing heavy metals from the surface of land passing through, causing high concentrations of total suspended particles and that was mostly exceeding the specific national proposal and thus increasing the concentrations of heavy metals. Which indicates the possibility that the dust raised by wind erosion, which led to high concentrations of total suspended particles are the soils coming from the industrial areas is most likely because it is loaded at rates greater than the concentrations of heavy metals originating in industry. In sum, more than 50% of the concentrations of as exceeding the specified or exceeding the rates for the public.
Some 385 MW of solar power have been proposed by bidders to Nevada Power and Sierra Pacific.
The multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) array was fabricated by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in the template of porous alumina from the carbonaceous source of C2H2 in the presence of a catalyst of ferric metals. To utilize the external surface other than the inner surface of the carbon nanotubes, 1mol/L sulfuric acid was applied to remove off the most part of AAO template on the carbon nanotube electrode. The electrochemical performances of the carbon nanotube array electrode were investigated by use of the cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge and ac impedance methods for its application in supercapacitors. The specific capacitance of 365F/g of the electrode was achieved with the discharge current density of 210mA/g in the solution of 1mol/L H2SO4. In addition, the carbon nanotube array electrode was found to have low equivalent series resistance (ESR) and good cycling stability.
Cylindrical Li-ion cells have demonstrated among the highest power density of all Li-ion cell types and typically employ a spiral electrode assembly. This spiral assembly is expected to cause large anisotropy in thermal conductance between the radial and axial directions due to the large number of interfaces between electrode and electrolyte layers in the radial conduction path, which are absent in the axial direction. This paper describes a novel experimental technique to measure the anisotropic thermal conductivity and heat capacity of Li-ion cells using adiabatic unsteady heating. Analytical modeling of the method is presented and is shown to agree well with finite-element simulation models. Experimental measurements indicate that radial thermal conductivity is two orders of magnitude lower than axial thermal conductivity for cylindrical 26650 and 18650 LiFePO4 cells. Due to the strong influence of temperature on cell performance and behavior, accounting for this strong anisotropy is critical when modeling battery behavior and designing battery cooling systems. This work improves the understanding of thermal transport in Li-ion cells, and presents a simple method for measuring anisotropic thermal transport properties in cylindrical cells.
The postsynaptic proteome of excitatory synapses comprises ~1,000 highly conserved proteins that control the behavioral repertoire, and mutations disrupting their function cause >130 brain diseases. Here, we document the composition of postsynaptic proteomes in human neocortical regions and integrate it with genetic, functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography imaging, and behavioral data. Neocortical regions show signatures of expression of individual proteins, protein complexes, biochemical and metabolic pathways. We characterized the compositional signatures in brain regions involved with language, emotion and memory functions. Integrating large-scale GWAS with regional proteome data identifies the same cortical region for smoking behavior as found with fMRI data. The neocortical postsynaptic proteome data resource can be used to link genetics to brain imaging and behavior, and to study the role of postsynaptic proteins in localization of brain functions.
Introduction Uveal melanoma (UM) is a highly vascularised tumour generally treated with radiotherapy (RT). A recent preclinical study from our group [1] demonstrated that RT-associated anti-angiogenic therapy has more than additive effects on cell growth, by modulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels. The pro-angiogenic interleukin-8 (IL-8) is highly expressed in both tumour and endothelial cells and is associated with resistance to VEGF-targeted therapies in various tumour types. The aim of this study is to investigate IL-8 release in response to the anti-angiogenic drug bevacizumab (AV) and RT given alone and in combination. Material and methods The human ocular melanoma cells (OCM-1) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were grown in transwell plates. AV was administered at a 2,500 μg/ml dose and cells were irradiated with a 6 Gy dose. IL-8 concentrations were determined by ELISA assay. Protein expression was detected by western blot. Results AV alone or in combination with RT reduces VEGF levels in both cell lines when co-cultured; unexpectedly, RT alone did not increase VEGF levels. In transwell plate AV alone lowered IL-8 secretion in both cell lines. This inhibitory effect was reduced when co-cultured cells are treated with AV + RT, suggesting that RT-induced VEGF may reactivate IL-8 secretion, enhancing an alternative pathway to sustain tumour angiogenesis. Conclusions These data indicate that the UM microenvironment, beside VEGF, can activate IL-8 signalling as an alternative pro-angiogenic pathway.
Several authors have suggested that children with autism are impaired in their ability to imitate others. However, diverse methodologies, contradictory findings, and varying theoretical explanations continue to exist in the literature despite decades of research. A comprehensive account of imitation in children with autism is hampered by the lack of a consistent and operational definition of imitation and other more simplistic forms of copying behavior. Failure to adopt specific definitions of imitative behavior and tasks capable of distinguishing between various types of copying behavior may be at the root of contradictions across studies of imitation and the lack of a unified theoretical account of the “imitation deficit” in autism. The current state of imitation research in children with autism is discussed, and specific recommendations are suggested regarding the adoption of a comparative taxonomy of imitation, a standardized methodology across researchers, and a standardized imitation battery for children with autism.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a major group of air pollutants which play a critical role in atmospheric chemistry. These contribute to toxic oxidants which are harmful to ecosystem, human health and atmosphere. The variability of pollutants is an important factor in determining human exposure to these chemicals. Data on levels of VOCs in developing countries, including India, are lacking. The present work deals with the estimation of target VOCs at 15 locations of five categories in Mumbai. The categories are residential, industrial, commercial, traffic intersections and petrol refueling stations. The monitoring was carried out during peak hours in the morning and evening, once every month, during May 2001 to April 2002. The study focused on target VOCs as defined by USEPA. Concentrations of benzene, at all the locations, were found to be much above the guidelines values prescribed by World Health Organization (WHO) for ambient air quality. All other VOCs were observed to be below the WHO guideline values. The results show that levels of VOCs in Mumbai were high. There is need for a regular monitoring schedule of VOCs in the urban environment. Variability studies are important to assess the exposure potential of pollutants which are an important parameter for health impact studies. This study also presents the variability of VOCs in the urban area of Mumbai. Variability was divided into measurement spatial, temporal and temporal–spatial interaction components. The temporal component along with temporal–spatial interaction component were the major contributors to variability. VOCs associated with mobile source emissions and emissions from marine source were found to be distributed uniformly in the urban atmosphere in Mumbai. the need for continuous monitoring, to capture short term peak concentrations and averages, is evident.
Human NRH:quinone oxidoreductase 2 (NQO2) is a cytosolic protein that catalyzes the metabolic reduction of quinones and provides protection against myelogenous hyperplasia and chemical carcinogenesis. NQO2 gene expression is induced in response to antioxidant tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ). Sequence analysis revealed six putative antioxidant response elements (ARE1 through 6) in the human NQO2 gene promoter. Deletion mutagenesis and transfection studies suggested that the ARE region between nucleotides −1433 and −1424 is essential for basal expression and antioxidant induction of NQO2 gene expression. Mutation of this ARE from 3.8 kb NQO2 gene promoter significantly repressed expression and abrogated the induction in response to antioxidant in transfected cells. Band shift, supershift, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays demonstrated binding of nuclear factors Nrf2 and JunD with human NQO2 gene ARE. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments revealed an association between Nrf2 and JunD. Overexpression of Nrf2 upregulated and overexpression of Nrf2 dominant-negative mutant downregulated ARE-mediated NQO2 gene expression. The treatment of Hep-G2 cells with Nrf2-specific RNAi significantly reduced Nrf2 and NQO2 gene expression and tBHQ induction. The results combined demonstrated that Nrf2 associates with JunD, binds to ARE at nucleotide −1433, and regulates human NQO2 gene expression and induction in response to antioxidants.
Background We reviewed previous studies comparing schizophrenia patients and healthy subjects for performance on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) (a laboratory task designed to measure emotion-based decision-making), and found mixed results. We hypothesize that deficits in IGT performance in schizophrenia may be more specifically related to concurrent substance use disorders. To test this hypothesis, we compared schizophrenia patients with (SCZ(+)) or without (SCZ(−)) cannabis use disorders, to healthy subjects, on measures of cognition and IGT performance. Methods A comprehensive battery of cognitive tests and the IGT were administered to three groups of subjects: (1) 13 subjects with DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia and no concurrent substance use disorders (mean age: 28±12 (SD); 54% males); (2) 14 subjects with schizophrenia and concurrent cannabis use disorders (mean age: 29±9 (SD); 71% males); and (3) 20 healthy subjects (mean age 33±10 (SD); 60% males). Results Compared to the healthy group, both schizophrenia groups were cognitively more impaired, and did worse on IGT performance. There were no differences between SCZ(+) and SCZ(−) patients on most of the cognitive tests, and IGT performance. Conclusions Schizophrenia patients show widespread impairments in several cognitive domains and emotion-based decision-making. These results are consistent with the evidence that schizophrenia reflects a dorsolateral and orbitofrontal/ventromedial prefrontal cortex dysfunction. More intriguing, it appears that the concurrent abuse of cannabis has no compounding effects on cognition, as well as emotion/affect-based decision-making.
Social exclusion has a profound emotional impact on children. However, there is still limited and partly conflicting experimental evidence for the possible effect of social exclusion on children’s cognitive performance. In the present study, we tested the possibility that some children are more vulnerable than others to the negative effects of social exclusion on cognitive performance. We selected 4 potential candidates that could moderate the effects of social exclusion: relational self-esteem, peer ratings of popularity, rejection sensitivity and nonverbal intelligence. Individual differences in these 4 potential moderating factors were first assessed in a sample of 318 children (45.6 % females; mean age = 9.92 years). Then, in a subsequent experimental session, the participants were either socially included or excluded using a typical manipulation (i.e., the Cyberball paradigm). Following the manipulation, the children’s cognitive performance was assessed using a logical reasoning test. The results showed that the children with lower scores for relational self-esteem (the bottom 37.46 % of the sample), lower popularity (43.49 %) or weaker nonverbal intelligence (37.80 %) performed worse on the logical reasoning test following social exclusion. Moreover, children with combined low self-esteem, popularity and nonverbal intelligence were the most affected by social exclusion. This study identified factors that make some children more vulnerable to the negative effects of social exclusion. Overall, the present work underscores the value of considering basic cognitive and relational individual differences when developing interventions aimed at preventing the negative effects of social exclusion among children.
Rechargeable lithium–oxygen (Li–O2) battery is one of the most promising technologies among various electrochemical energy storage systems, while the incapability of the electrocatalyst and the inefficient transport of reactants in the O2 electrode still limit the round-trip efficiency, rate capability, and cycle stability of the Li–O2 battery. Here, three-dimensional ordered macroporous LaFeO3 (3DOM-LFO) is synthesized and employed as electrocatalyst in Li–O2 battery with relatively stable TEGDME based electrolyte. The Li–O2 cells with 3DOM-LFO show enhanced electrochemical performances, including low overpotential, high specific capacity, good rate capability and cycle stability up to 124 cycles. This enhanced catalytic performance might be due to the synergistic effect of the porosity and catalytic activity of the 3DOM-LFO catalyst.
In vehicular networks, parked vehicles can join vehicular communication as static nodes, but encouraging people to share their wireless devices during parking still suffer from user selfishness, unexpected parking locations, and delayed data transmission. In this study, we propose a centralized service provider (SP) system to distribute mobile parking incentives for vehicle users, as some parking tasks via a smartphone app. With the support of SP system, mobile users can accept parking tasks and park their vehicles on proposed locations for rewards, which are beneficial to vehicular communication. Meanwhile, a dynamic pricing algorithm based on reinforcement learning (RL) for SP system that aiming to maximize the connectivity of all road segments and minimize the total cost of the SP is considered. Since SP system has a slow learning speed in the presence of a large state space due to the curse of high dimensionality, we develop a deep Q-network (DQN) based payment strategy that exploits a deep neural network to compress the learning state space and estimate the Q-value for each payment value. Extensive simulations with realistic parking deployments demonstrate that the proposed scheme accelerates the learning speed to obtain an optimal payment policy and increases the completion rate of tasks, and the final parking results effectively enhance vehicular communication.
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely examined for biomedical applications. However, surface functionalization of CNTs with polymers is often required to improve their application performance. To obtain these CNT-based polymer nanocomposites, surface-initiated polymerization strategies are generally adopted. However, all of these methods rely on the surface oxidation of CNTs, which is a rather complex and time-consuming procedure, and involves hazardous reagents. In this work, a facile and efficient bio-inspired strategy was developed for surface PEGylation of CNTs via a combination of mussel-inspired chemistry and the Michael addition reaction. The potential biomedical applications of these PEGylated CNTs were evaluated for intracellular delivery of a normally used anticancer drug (Doxorubicin hydrochloride). Two steps were involved in this strategy, which included the surface coating of CNTs with polydopamine (PDA) through self-polymerization of dopamine, and a Michael addition reaction between the PDA-coated CNTs (CNT-PDA) and amino-functionalized polymers, which were obtained by free radical polymerization using poly(ethylene glycol) methyl methacrylate and N-(3-aminopropyl) methacrylamide as monomers. Results suggested that these PEGylated CNTs are well dispersed in aqueous solution and showed improved biocompatibility toward cancer cells. On the other hand, we also demonstrated that DOX can be effectively loaded on these PEGylated CNTs and delivered into cells for cancer treatment. More importantly, this strategy can also be utilized for surface modification of many other materials with different polymers due to the strong and universal adhesion of PDA and designability of polymerization. Therefore, this method should be of great interest for the fabrication of multifunctional nanocomposites for biomedical applications.
Nowadays, the world is encountering severe challenges in the energy generation sector. Environmental issues like climate change, global warming and Green House Gases (GHGs) and also social issues like dramatic increase in global population and increasing energy demand are the main causes of global concerns about energy resource management. In this regard, Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) are the suitable substitution to replace the conventional generating units that emit GHGs due to the use of fossil fuels. Among all RESs, wind energy seems to be promising for generating emission-free electrical energy. However, it is naturally unpredictable due to its intermittency which leads to some technical problems such as generation imbalance as well as optimal reserve allocation. This paper investigates the solutions to compensate wind intermittency through introducing various technologies such as Pumped-Hydro Storage (PHS) units, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), solar energy and other electric storages like batteries.
Amorphous ZnSnO3 double-shell and yolk-shell hollow microcubes were synthesized by calcination of their corresponding ZnSn(OH)6 precursors pre-prepared through a facile chemical solution method in argon. The as-prepared amorphous ZnSnO3 double-shell hollow microcubes have an average edge length of 1.6μm. When used as the anode materials, amorphous ZnSnO3 double-shell hollow microcubes (D-ZnSnO3) reveal better electrochemical properties than ZnSnO3 yolk-shell counterparts (Y-ZnSnO3). D-ZnSnO3 anodes can retain a high reversible capacity of 741mA h g−1 after 50 cycles with a coulombic efficiency of 99% at 100mA g−1. The amorphous feature and unique box-in-box hollow architecture of D-ZnSnO3 play a key role in their excellent electrochemical properties.
A facile oxidation–reduction reaction method has been implemented to prepare pomegranate-like Ag@CeO2 multicore–shell structured nanocomposites. Under Ar atmosphere, redox reaction automatically occurs between AgNO3 and Ce(NO3)3 in an alkaline solution, where Ag+ is reduced to Ag nanopartilces and Ce3+ is simultaneously oxidized to form CeO2, followed by the self-assembly to form the pomegranate-like multicore–shell structured Ag@CeO2 nanocomposites driven by thermodynamic equilibrium. No other organic amines or surfactants are utilized in the whole reaction system and only NaOH instead of organic reducing agent is used to prevent the introduction of a secondary reducing byproduct. The as-obtained pomegranate-like Ag@CeO2 multicore–shell structured nanocomposites have been characterized as electro-catalysts for the air cathode of lithium–air batteries operated in a simulated air environment. Superior electrochemical performance with high discharge capacity of 3415 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1, stable cycling and small charge/discharge polarization voltage is achieved, which is much better than that of the CeO2 or simple mixture of CeO2 and Ag. The enhanced properties can be primarily attributed to the synergy effect between the Ag core and the CeO2 shell resulting from the unique pomegranate-like multicore–shell nanostructures possessing plenty of active sites to promote the facile formation and decomposition of Li2O2.