batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
This work describes the design and testing of organic electrolyte systems that extend the low temperature operational limit of double-layer capacitors (also known as supercapacitors) beyond that of typical commercially available components. Electrolytes were based on a tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate/acetonitrile system, modified with low melting co-solvents (such as formates, esters and cyclic ethers) to enable charging and discharging of test cells to as low as −75°C. Cell capacitance exhibited little dependence on the electrolyte salt concentration or the nature of the co-solvent used, however, both variables strongly influenced the cell equivalent series resistance (ESR). Minimizing the increase in ESR posed the greatest design challenge, which limited realistic operation of these test cells to −55°C (still improved relative to the typical rated limit of −40°C for commercially available non-aqueous cells).
Label-free electronic affinity based immuno-sensing is an attractive candidate as a platform technology for analyzing biomarkers due to the ease of miniaturization and minimal use of reagents. Electronic based sensing approaches, however, have lagged behind their optical counterparts in terms of detection limit, selectivity, and reliability. Also, the matrix dependent nature of electronic sensing modalities makes difficult the analysis of biomarkers in high salt concentration samples such as serum due to charge screening. We present a novel sensing platform, the micro-well sensor, that works by functionalizing nanoscale volume wells with antibodies and monitoring the impedance change inside the wells due binding of target protein. This detection modality is advantageous to many label-free electronic sensors in that signal power scales with increase in salt concentration, thus improving the sensitivity of the platform. We demonstrate rapid label-free qualitative detection of cytokines within ten minutes at femtoMolar concentrations and a dynamic range of 3 orders of magnitude in serum samples. We describe the design, fabrication, and characterization of the micro-well sensor in serum samples using inflammatory protein biomarkers.
This article examines activities of scavengers in the waste management sector in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Data on socioeconomic activities and demographic characteristics of scavengers were obtained using a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire included basic information such as gender, age, level of education, residential status, number of working hours, alternative occupation, income level, type of material recovered, source of the material, processing of material, peak seasons for each material and uses of recovered material. Scavenging in Greater Accra is carried out mainly at landfill sites and commercial areas of the city, and is male dominated. Materials recovered include plastics and metals such as iron, copper and aluminium. On the average, scavengers earn between US $7 and US $17 per day depending on items recovered and market trends. Their average daily earnings surpass the US $1 a day target for poverty reduction under the Millennium Development Goals. The activities of scavengers contribute to waste recovery and recycling through their sorting and cleaning activities. Local authorities in Ghana could improve waste recycling and resource utilization if they recognize scavengers of waste materials as important stakeholders in the waste management sector.
Biogenous iron oxide (L-BIOX) produced by Leptothrix ochracea aquatic bacteria, which is an amorphous Fe3+-based oxide that contains Si4+ and P5+ with tube-formed structures, has been studied for practical use as a conversion anode for lithium secondary batteries. L-BIOX has a capacity approximately two times larger than that of graphite. Conductive additives such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and Ketjen black (KB), of which the size and surface area are comparable to the primary nanoparticles of L-BIOX, are required to achieve good electrical contacts. Quasi-open circuit voltage (OCV) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements with respect to the discharge reveal that the conversion reaction occurs and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) films are formed within the potential plateau area (1.8–1.5 V vs. Li). The water contained in L-BIOX is completely removed by heat-treatment at 400 °C. The elimination of water decreases the first irreversible capacity and improves the cycle performance. Li pre-doping by contact with Li metal realizes 100% coulombic efficiency at the first cycle. A lithium ion cell fabricated with a Li-pre-doped L-BIOX anode and a LiCoO2 cathode exhibits good cycle performance with high capacity retention.
Background A cohort of children born with perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) was followed prospectively until school age. Aims To describe motor outcome and behavioral functioning of school-age children after perinatal HIE and the relationship with neonatal MRI and outcome at age 2. Methods Twenty-five children (19 males), born at term with perinatal HIE, were assessed at a mean age of 7 y 6 m (range 6 y 4 m-8y 2 m). Motor ability was assessed with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (2nd version) and behavioral functioning was assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist. Neonatal MRI was scored according to Barkovich classification. Results Of the 25 included children, eight had cerebral palsy (CP). Of the 17 children without CP, nine had impaired motor ability (of which 3 scored definitely abnormal), and four had behavioral problems. There was a significant difference in motor performance (p = 0.008) between children with normal and children with abnormal neonatal MRI. Two (of four) children with normal motor ability and seven (of 14) children with normal neurological examination at age 2 showed impaired motor ability at school age. Conclusions Half of the children without CP had impaired motor ability at school age. A normal outcome after HIE at young age does not necessarily imply a good outcome at school age, even when neonatal MRI does not show any abnormalities. More research is needed on the behavioral and cognitive consequences of HIE at school age and on the consequences for quality of life for children with and without CP.
A method has been developed to suppress the decomposition of propylene carbonate (PC) by coating graphite electrode foil with a layer of silver. Results from electrochemical impedance measurements show that the Ag-coated graphite electrode presents lower charge transfer resistance and faster diffusion of lithium ions in comparison with the virginal one. Cyclic voltammograms and discharge–charge measurements suggest that the decomposition of propylene carbonate and co-intercalation of solvated lithium ions are prevented, and lithium ions can reversibly intercalate into and deintercalate from the Ag-coated graphite electrode. These results indicate that Ag-coating is a good way to improve the electrochemical performance of graphitic carbon in PC-based electrolyte solutions.
Heteroatom-doped carbon materials and 3d transition metals have shown high activity and durability for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively, but poor bifunctionality. Herein, we use iron and nickel substituted perfluorosulfonic acid/polytetrafluoroethylene copolymer with uniform distribution and conveniently adjustable ratios of metal ions as the pyrolysis precursor to synthesize nitrogen and fluorine co-doped carbon supported FeNi hybrid material. The hybrid material integrates ORR and OER active components together, and exhibits excellent bifunctionality in alkaline medium, demonstrating high performance and cycling durability in rechargeable zinc–air battery.
The low capacity of traditional graphite (372 mAh g−1) greatly limits its development as electrode material for future applications, and seeking new anode material is becoming extremely urgent in order to meet the increasing demands. In this work, flexible, self-supporting CuGa2 films are fabricated by simply painting liquid Ga onto commercial Cu films, which can be used as electrodes directly after annealing. When the CuGa2 films are applied as anodes in lithium ion batteries, higher capacity (more than 630 mAh g−1 at a current density of 200 mA g−1) and better rate performance (463.7 mAh g−1 at 4000 mA g−1) are achieved compared with those with pure Ga electrodes. Meanwhile, the lithiation-delithiation mechanism is detected by in-situ X-ray diffraction, and the alloying-dealloying processes (CuGa2 + 2xLi+ + 2xe− ↔ Cu + 2Li x Ga) can be verified at the first and fourth cycles.
Due to increased attention towards clean and sustainable energy, distributed energy (DE) systems are gaining popularity all over the world. Power electronics are an integral part of these energy systems being able to convert generated electricity into consumer usable and utility compatible forms. But the addition of power electronics adds costs to the DE capital investments along with some reliability issues. Therefore, widespread use of distributed energy requires power electronics topologies that are less expensive and more dependable. Use of modular power electronics is a way to address these issues. Adoption of functional building blocks that can be used for multiple applications results in high volume production and reduced engineering effort, design testing, onsite installation and maintenance work for specific customer applications. In this paper, different power electronics topologies are reviewed that are typically used with distributed energy systems. The integrated power electronics module (IPEM) based back-to-back converter topologies are found to be most suitable interface that can operate with different DE systems with small or no modifications. Also the requirements for a hierarchical control structure with standardized power and communication interfaces are addressed in the paper along with some discussion on future design possibilities for the IPEM-based power electronics topologies. It is expected that modular and flexible power electronics and standardized controls and interfaces, will provide commonality in hardware and software for the power electronics interfaces, thus will enable their volume production and decrease their cost share in distributed energy applications.
Hollow core mesoporous shell carbon (HCMSC) capsules are prepared by nano-casting method which involves surfactant-assisted synthesis of silica spheres with mesoporous shell as template and impregnation of carbon precursor into mesoporous shell of the silica, followed by carbonization and silica template removal. The resulting HCMSC capsules possess 3D-interconnected nanoarchitecture with unique hierarchical meso/macro-porosity along with high surface area and large mesopore volume. The HCMSC capsules are tested for electrochemical double layer capacitor in a standard two electrode flat cell using non-aqueous electrolyte. The specific capacitance measured by galvanostatic charge-discharge at 0.3 A g−1 current density is found to be 162 F g-1, which is among the highest values reported so far for mesoporous carbon materials in a practical two electrode symmetric system using organic electrolyte. The cyclic performance tested at high current density of 1.0 A g−1 is found to retain 88% of initial capacity up to 2000 charge-discharge cycles. High capacitance performance of the HCMSC is attributed to the well-developed hierarchical 3D open network of macropores and interstitial void open to mesopores in the mesoporous shell, which not only facilitate fast charge transfer, but also facile electrolyte movement to access the active sites.
A comparative study was done based on the charge acceptance of small valve regulated Pb-acid cells at different states of charge (SoC) with a parallel configuration of supercapacitors at 1.4, 5.0, 10.0, 21.4 and 31.4F/Ah ratios. The study found that a hybrid system of a Pb-acid cell that was charged at a constant voltage with a relatively small supercapacitor configuration resulted in a significant improvement in both the peak current as well as the charge acceptance current over a 5-s period. The cell configuration at 20% SoC with a 31.4F/Ah capacitor showed the largest improvement, where a charge acceptance current of 16 times in magnitude was observed in comparison to a cell with no supercapacitor. A 12V battery was assembled with cells at different SoC where each cell was linked to a supercapacitor in parallel. The battery showed that there was a significant improvement in its partial state of capacity cycle (PSoCC) ability with a 5 times increase in the number of achievable cycles for the first cycle unit when compared to a similar battery with no supercapacitor. There was also an improvement in maintaining the C20 capacity that followed each PSoCC test unit. By monitoring the individual cell voltages, the main cause of failure was the ‘weakest link’ cell at the lowest SoC that was significantly over-charged during the PSoCC sequence and subsequently over-discharged during the C20 capacity tests. A significant improvement in the charge acceptance and cycle-ability of a Pb-acid battery can be achieved by a simple parallel configuration with modern supercapacitors.
There is a strong research imperative to investigate effective treatment options for adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Elevated social anxiety, difficulties with social functioning and poor mental health have all been identified as core treatment targets for this group. While theoretical models posit a strong bidirectionality between social anxiety and ASD social functioning deficits, few interventions have targeted both domains concurrently. Of the two group interventions previously conducted with adolescents and adults with ASD, significant results have only been observed in either social anxiety or social functioning, and have not generalised to changes in overall mood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential benefit, tolerability and acceptability  of a group cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) intervention in young adults with ASD. Primary treatment outcomes were social anxiety symptoms and social functioning difficulties; secondary outcomes were self-reported mood and overall distress.
Based on comprehensive studies by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) we report on the morphology and the ion–ion as well as the ion–polymer interaction properties of thin spin-cast films comprising an oligo(ethylene oxide) (OEO) grafted poly(p-phenylene) blended with either lithium- or tetrabutylammonium trifluoromethanesulfonate. Assuming that the ionic species intercalate within the OEO side-chain matrix, the covalent attachment of OEO appears to be an appropriate strategy to overcome the generally observed phenomenon of large-scale phase-separations between conjugated polymers and solid-state electrolytes. XPS turns out to be a suitable approach to study the basics of the ion–ion and the ion–polymer interactions of these model systems directly for the thin, spin-cast films.
Chronic exposure to agricultural chemicals (pesticides/herbicides) has been shown to induce neurotoxic effects or results in accumulation of various toxic metabolic by-products. These substances have the relevant ability to cause or increase the risk for neurodegeneration. Diquat is an herbicide that has been extensively used in the United States of America and other parts of the world. Diquat is constantly released into the environment during its use as a contact herbicide. Diquat structurally resembles 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6 tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and paraquat. Rotenone, paraquat, maneb and MPTP reproduce features of movement disorders in experimental animal models. Based on the structural similarity to other neurotoxins, chronic exposure of diquat can induce behavioral and neurochemical alterations associated with dopaminergic neurotoxicity. However, in the present study, diquat unlike other neurotoxins (rotenone, 6-hydroxydopamine, MPTP, paraquat and maneb) did not induce dopamine depletion in the mouse striatum. Although, notable exacerbation in motor impairment (swimming score, akinesia and open field) were evident that may be due to the decreased dopamine turnover and mild nigrostriatal neurodegeneration. These data indicate that, despite the apparent structural similarity to other dopaminergic neurotoxins, diquat did not exert severe deleterious effects on dopamine neurons in a manner that is unique to rotenone and MPTP.
The characteristics of lithium/manganese-dioxide cells using Li powder or Li foil as the negative electrode (anode) are compared at high-rate discharge. Lithium powders with a mean diameter of 20μm are produced by forming a dispersion of molten Li metal in inorganic carrier fluids. Cells using Li powder anodes show larger capacity and lower internal resistance than cells using Li foil anodes. Based on BET (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller) measurements, a reduction of effective current density due to the large surface area of the Li powder is considered to be responsible for the superior higher-rate discharge characteristics.
Small amount of reduce graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets modified Li4Ti5O12 nanoparticles composite has been synthesized by a facile and environmental in-situ hydrothermal reaction with subsequent annealing. The small amount of rGO (only 1.2 wt. %) greatly improves the whole morphology and electrochemical performance of composite. The nanoparticles uniformly grow on the rGO nanosheets effective suppressing the agglomeration and enhancing the specific surface area. Meanwhile, the special discharge capacity is 187 mAh g−1 at 1 C and the high rates discharge capacity is 128 mAh g−1 at 80 C (discharge-charge time only 33s). In particular, the cells remain in good work condition after 2000 cycles at 80 C, which credibly evidence the excellent electrochemical performance as an anode for high-power LIBs.
The evidence for the effect of treatments of neck pain is modest. In the absence of causal treatments, a possibility is to tailor the treatment to the individuals’ functional limitations and symptoms. The aim was to evaluate treatment effects of a tailored treatment versus a non-tailored treatment. Our hypothesis was that tailored treatment (TT) would have better effect on pain intensity and disability than either non-tailored treatment (NTT) (same treatment components but applied quasi-randomly) or treatment-as-usual (TAU) (no treatment from the study, no restrictions). We further hypothesized that TT and NTT would both have better effect than TAU.
The Li+ ion-exchange reaction of K+-type α-K0.14MnO1.93·0.18H2O and its Co-doped α-K0.14(Mn0.85Co0.15)O1.96·0.21H2O with a large (2×2) tunnel structure has been investigated in a LiNO3/LiCl molten salt at 300°C. The Li+ ion-exchanged products were examined by chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction, and scanning and transmission electron microscopic measurements. Almost all the K+ ions and the hydrogens of water molecules in the (2×2) tunnel of α-MnO2 and its Co-doped one were exchanged by Li+ ions in the molten salt, resulting in Li+-type α-MnO2 and its Co-doped one containing Li+ ions as well as Li2O (lithium oxide) in the (2×2) tunnel with maintaining the original hollandite structure. The electrochemical properties including charge–discharge cycling of the Li+ ion-exchanged α-MnO2 and its Co-doped samples have been investigated as insertion compounds in the search for new cathode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries. The Li+ ion-exchanged α-MnO2 and its Co-doped samples provided higher capacities than the K+-type parent materials on initial discharge and charge–discharge cyclings, probably due to the structural stabilization with the existence of Li2O in the (2×2) tunnels.
Battery state monitoring is one of the key techniques in battery management systems e.g. in electric vehicles. An accurate estimation can help to improve the system performance and to prolong the battery remaining useful life. Main challenges for the state estimation for LiFePO4 batteries are the flat characteristic of open-circuit-voltage over battery state of charge (SOC) and the existence of hysteresis phenomena. Classical estimation approaches like Kalman filtering show limitations to handle nonlinear and non-Gaussian error distribution problems. In addition, uncertainties in the battery model parameters must be taken into account to describe the battery degradation. In this paper, a novel model-based method combining a Sequential Monte Carlo filter with adaptive control to determine the cell SOC and its electric impedance is presented. The applicability of this dual estimator is verified using measurement data acquired from a commercial LiFePO4 cell. Due to a better handling of the hysteresis problem, results show the benefits of the proposed method against the estimation with an Extended Kalman filter.
The commercial applications of rechargeable magnesium batteries (RMBs) are hindered by the slow diffusion kinetic of Mg2+ ions in cathode materials. To overcome this problem, we design a new Na-Mg hybrid battery with the NaTi2(PO4)3@Carbon (NTP@C) nanoparticles as a cathode material, the Mg metal as an anode and the Mg(TFSI)2 + NaBH4 - triglyme/1,2-Dimethoxyethane (DME) as a hybrid electrolyte. For the first time, the Mg(TFSI)2 is applied as a Mg2+ ions source in the chlorine-free Na-Mg hybrid electrolyte with NaBH4 as both Na+ ions source and moisture scavenger. The NTP@C/Mg hybrid battery shows excellent electrochemical performance. The corresponding average capacity decay after 1000 cycles is only 0.004% and 0.008% per cycle at 2 C and 10 C, respectively. Even at 20 C, about 60 mAh g−1 can be obtained after 26000 cycles. The impressive capacity retention of 93.7% and 90.2% can be obtained at 5 and 10 C, respectively. The excellent electrochemical performance of the hybrid battery confirms the feasibility using Mg(TFSI)2 in the chlorine-free hybrid electrolyte for long term cycle. The developed NTP@C/Mg hybrid battery possesses the advantages of excellent electrochemical performances, good safety and low cost, making it promising for the commercial applications, especially for the large-scale energy storages.
ZSM-5 molecular sieves, usually known as shape-selective catalyst in a great deal of catalysis fields, due to its special pore size and two-dimensional interconnect channels. In this work, a novel PEO-based composite polymer electrolyte by using ZSM-5 as the filler has been developed. The interactions between ZSM-5 and PEO matrix are studied by DSC and SEM techniques. The effects of ZSM-5 on the electrochemical properties of the PEO-based electrolyte, such as ionic conductivity, lithium ion transference number, and interfacial stability with lithium electrode are studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and steady-state current method. The experiment results show that ZSM-5 can enhance the ionic conductivity and increase the lithium ion transference number of PEO-based electrolyte more effectively comparing with traditional ceramic fillers such as SiO2 and Al2O3, resulting from its special framework topology structure. The excellent performances such as high ionic conductivity, good compatibility with lithium metal electrode, and broad electrochemical stability window suggesting that PEO–LiClO4/ZSM-5 composite polymer electrolyte can be used as candidate electrolyte materials for lithium polymer batteries.