batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Since the discovery of two-dimensional (2D) graphene, a new class of 2D materials with excellent electrical conductivity has recently been attracting attention in studying promising electrode materials in energy storage applications. Herein, bismuth oxychloride nanosheets-immobilised Ti3C2Tx MXene material (TCBOC) is synthesised by a facile and cost-effective chemical bath deposition (CBD) route. The bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) nanosheets are grown and immobilised on surfaces of Ti3C2Tx-MXene flakes. An electrode based on the TCBOC nanocomposite exhibited a remarkably volumetric specific capacitance of 396.5 F cm-3 at 1 A g−1 and 228.0 F cm-3 at 15 A g−1. Furthermore, a symmetric supercapacitor (SSC) assembled using TCBOC material proves to have a high energy density of 15.2 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 567.4 W kg−1 compared to SSCs using previously reported Ti3C2Tx MXene materials. The SSC shows cycle life retention of 85.0% after 5000 cycles (at 5 A g−1). The enhanced capacitive performance is attributed to the increased surface area due to BiOCl nanosheets anchored on a 2D MXene surface, the activities of BiOCl sheets, and the excellent conductivity of a Ti3C2Tx MXene material.
Summary The objective of the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All initiative (SE4All) is to provide electricity by 2030 to the 1.1 billion people in developing countries that hitherto lack access. The OECD/IEA quantifies the investment requirements of this to be at 640 billion USD. Little evidence exists on socio-economic impacts of electrification. The present paper is the first to causally investigate the effects of electrification in Africa on all beneficiary groups. The electrification program under research, the Rwandan Electricity Access Role-Out Program (EARP), is one of the largest in the world. Our analysis is based on a panel of 974 households, a full-census survey among health centers, and qualitative surveys among 83 micro-enterprises and 50 schools. We find that EARP has been remarkably effective in increasing the connection numbers among all beneficiary types. Around 3.5years after electrification, the quantity of consumed electricity and the uptake of appliances, though, remain low. Noteworthy impacts are decreasing energy expenditures and a considerable reduction in dry-cell battery consumption with potential environmental benefits. Beyond this, electricity mostly facilitates people’s life, but there is only weak evidence for impacts on classical poverty indicators such as income, health, and education. We conclude by calling for more research on the comparison of on-grid and off-grid electrification with respect to impact potentials, costs, and people’s willingness to pay in order to inform the way forward within the SE4All endeavor.
We evaluated Li-ion battery deterioration capacity characteristics that reflect the conditions under which mobile phones are actually used. Using the capacity deterioration characteristics of each cycle deterioration and storage deterioration, we show how the deterioration is influenced by the number of charge–discharge cycles and the state of charge and we show the characteristics of cycle deterioration differ from those of storage deterioration. We also show that the lifetime characteristics of a mobile phone battery is typically determined more by storage deterioration than by cycle deterioration within the pattern of the mobile phone.
There is a growing need to address the potential problems caused by the emergence of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs) within the next 10years. In the near future, a large number of PHEVs/PEVs in our society will add a large-scale energy load to our power grids, as well as add substantial energy resources that can be utilized. The large penetration of these vehicles into the marketplace poses a potential threat to the existing power grid. The existing parking infrastructure is not ready for the large penetration of plug-in vehicles and the high demand of electricity. Nowadays, the advanced computational intelligence methods can be applied to solve large-scale optimization problems in a Smart Grid environment. In this paper, authors propose and implement a suite of computational intelligence-based algorithms (e.g., Estimation of Distribution Algorithm, Particle Swarm Optimization) for optimally managing a large number of PHEVs/PEVs charging at a municipal parking station. Authors characterize the performance of the proposed methods using a Matlab simulation, and compare it with other optimization techniques.
A wind–pv–diesel hybrid power system has been designed for a village in Saudi Arabia which is presently powered by a diesel power plant consisting of eight diesel generating sets of 1,120 kW each. The study found a wind–pv–diesel hybrid power system with 35% renewable energy penetration (26% wind and 9% solar PV) to be the feasible system with cost of energy of 0.212 US$/kWh. The proposed system was comprised of 3 wind turbines each of 600 kW, 1000 kW of PV panels, and four diesel generating sets each of 1120 kW rated power. The system was able to meet the energy requirements (AC primary load of 17,043.4 MWh/y) of the village with 4.1% energy in excess. The annual contributions of wind, solar pv and the diesel generating sets were 4713.7, 1653.5, and 11,542.6 MWh, respectively. The proposed hybrid power system resulted in avoiding addition of 4976.8 tons of GHG equivalent of CO2 gas in to the local atmosphere of the village and conservation of 10,824 barrels of fossil fuel annually.
Water storage clay pots have been recently explored as method for outdoor mosquito sampling and as novel device for administrating insect-pathogenic fungi to mosquitoes. Their suitability for indoor mosquito sampling in natural conditions is unknown. We tested clay pots as indoor resting sites alongside catches by CDC light trap in an area of low malaria endemicity in northern Tanzania. Mosquitoes were caught by clay pots although the rate of female Anopheles mosquito catches was 22.64 (95% CI 11.26–45.52) times greater for CDC light traps. The proportion of fed female Anophelines was significantly higher for clay pots compared to CDC light trap (p <0.001), indicating these methods sample different populations of mosquitoes. Although we were able to identify households with a consistently higher exposure to mosquitoes by CDC light trap, there was no apparent heterogeneity in mosquito catches by clay pots. We conclude that clay pots are not a reliable tool to sample mosquitoes in the dry season in an area of low transmission intensity with Anopheles arabiensis as principle vector.
Liquid junction dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSCs) suffer from solvent evaporation and leakage which limit their large-scale production. Here, we have prepared DSSC using a simple and cheap fabrication process with improved photovoltaic parameters and stability. A binary mixture of Smectic A (SmA) and Nematic Liquid Crystal (NLC) was used to provide a self-assembled template for a polymerisable reactive mesogen LC. The layered structure of SmA combined with a low viscosity NLC forms a polygonal structure that provides an ordered and continuous template for reactive mesogens. Once the reactive mesogen is polymerised under UV light, the SmA:NLC mixture is washed away, resulting in a polymer network template containing nanochannels. We demonstrate the incorporation of these templates into DSSCs and find that DSSCs containing these nanochannels show improved open-circuit voltage (V OC) (0.705V) and short-circuit current (J SC) (13.25mAcm−2) compared to that of the liquid electrolyte (V OC =0.694V and J SC =10.46mAcm−2). The highest obtained power conversion efficiency with Sm-PE was 5.94% which is higher than that of the reference solar cell (5.51%). These can be attributed to the improved ionic conductivity and ionic diffusion of Sm-PE where the presence of the nanochannels aided the ionic conduction in the polymer electrolyte. In addition, it is hypothesized that the light scattering effect of the polymerised reactive mesogen also contributed to the improved performance of the photovoltaic devices. This finding is important because it is known fact that when a polymer is added to liquid electrolyte, the ionic conductivity will decrease although the stability is improved.
The rapid increase in the production of electrical and electronic equipment, along with higher consumption of these products, has caused defective and obsolete equipment to accumulate in the environment. In this research, bioleaching of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) used in laptops is carried out under two-step condition based on the bacterial activities of a mixture of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. First, the best inoculum ratio of two acidophilic bacteria for the mixed culture is obtained. Next, adaptation is carried out successfully and the solid-to-liquid ratio reaches 40 g L−1. Response surface methodology is utilized to optimize the effective variables of initial pH, iron sulfate and sulfur concentrations. The maximum recovery of metal is about 99.2% for Li, 50.4% for Co and 89.4% for Ni under optimum conditions of 36.7 g L−1 iron sulfate concentration, 5.0 g L−1 sulfur concentration and initial pH of 1.5 for the best inoculum ratio of 3/2. Results of FE-SEM, XRD and FTIR analysis before and after bioleaching confirm that bacterial activity is a promising and effective route for metal recovery from spent LIBs. Toxicity assessment tests demonstrate the suitability of the bioleached residual as a nonhazardous material that meets environmental limitations for safe disposal.
Survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is closely linked to the quality of CPR, but in real life, resuscitation during prehospital care and ambulance transport is often suboptimal. Mechanical chest compression devices deliver consistent chest compressions, are not prone to fatigue and could potentially overcome some of the limitations of manual chest compression. However, there is no high-quality evidence that they improve clinical outcomes, or that they are cost effective. The Prehospital Randomised Assessment of a Mechanical Compression Device In Cardiac Arrest (PARAMEDIC) trial is a pragmatic cluster randomised study of the LUCAS-2 device in adult patients with non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Solid electrolytes are increasingly being used in active electrochemical devices such as fuel cells and batteries. Several fuel cells or batteries are connected in series to form a stack or a battery pack. The present manuscript examines the phenomenon of degradation in such devices, whose origin lies in the very basics of local thermodynamic equilibrium and transport. The specific example of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) is addressed here. If a single cell (or a few cells) in a stack exhibits higher resistance than the rest of the cells, stack failure often initiates at such a cell. The cell is then driven by, and exhibits lower voltage than the rest of the cells, and often even a negative voltage. The objective of this paper is to present a model for stack degradation when one of the cells exhibits a negative voltage. The existence of low level electronic conduction through the electrolyte plays central role in degradation. It is shown that if a cell exhibits a negative voltage, the oxygen chemical potential within the electrolyte can exceed that in the oxidant, and/or can drop below that in the fuel. This can lead to high internal oxygen partial pressure resulting in electrode cracking and delamination, and/or very low oxygen partial pressure leading to local electrolyte decomposition. Both situations can lead to cell and stack degradation.
Electrochemical properties and performance of lithium/polymer electrolyte/composite sulfur cells are presented. The composite sulfur cathode prepared by two ways were characterized and compared by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermoanalysis (DTA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The all-solid-state Li/S battery operated at 75°C with P(EO)20Li(CF3SO2)2N–10wt.%γ-LiAlO2 as electrolyte exhibited an average capacity of 290mAhg−1 for the sulfur melted together with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) during 50 cycles. The mechanisms for capacity degradation of the Li/S polymer battery were discussed.
LiFePO4 is one of the most outstanding cathodes for the high performance lithium-ion battery, while it is restricted by its unsatisfactory low temperature performance. Here we detect the structural dynamics and reaction routes of LiFePO4 via operando condition with high rates, well reproducibility over cycles and low temperature in common laboratory X-ray without the synchrotron light source. The intermediate phases between LiFePO4 and FePO4, driven by the overpotential and limited ion transfer rate along the b direction at low temperature, are captured. Our results demonstrate that the existence of intermediate can greatly improve the diffusion kinetics of LiFePO4. The deep understanding of reaction routes of LiFePO4 at low temperature will guide the further material optimization design. Besides LiFePO4, such high time resolution in-situ X-ray diffraction testing method with laboratory source is available to understand the reaction mechanisms of other electrochemical reaction system.
Cobalt oxide films were prepared by electrochemically precipitating the hydroxide and heating it in air to form Co3O4. The resulting oxide films behave as a capacitor. The materials were studied emphasizing their use as either positive or negative electrodes in devices. The capacitance of the material was estimated at different heating temperatures and insight was gained into the charge storage mechanism. It was seen that the charge storage in cobalt oxide was similar to that of nickel oxide, although their capacitances were different. While, the material was shown to be inferior to nickel hydroxide/oxide when used as a positive electrode, it was seen to be superior as a negative. An asymmetric capacitor with NiO as a positive electrode and Co3O4 as a negative promises adequate capacitance over a large voltage window.
Through a review of the peer-reviewed and gray literature on HIV mobile health (mHealth) tools for health workers and in-depth interviews with mHealth leaders in the field, we provide a synthesis of current work and propose mHealth research priorities for HIV prevention, care, and treatment.
Sorption processes on mineral surfaces are a critical factor in controlling the distribution and accumulation of potentially harmful metals in the environment. This work investigates the effectiveness of gypsum (CaSO4⋅2H2O) to sequester Pb. The interaction of gypsum fragments with Pb-bearing solutions (10, 100 and 1000mg/L) was monitored by performing macroscopic batch-type experiments conducted at room temperature. The aqueous phase composition was periodically determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS), Ion Chromatography (IC) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP–OES). Regardless of the [Pbaq]initial, a [Pbaq]final <4mg/L was always reached. The uptake process was fast (t <1h) for [Pbaq]initial ⩾100mg/L and significantly slower (t >1week) for [Pbaq]initial =10mg/L. Speciation calculations revealed that after a long time of interaction (1month), all the solutions reached equilibrium with respect to both gypsum and anglesite. For [Pbaq]initial ⩾100mg/L, sorption takes place mainly via the rapid dissolution of gypsum and the simultaneous formation of anglesite both on the gypsum surface and in the bulk solution. In the case of [Pbaq]initial =10mg/L, no anglesite precipitation was observed, but surface spectroscopy (proton Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy, p-RBS) confirmed the formation of Pb-bearing surface layers on the (010) gypsum surface in this case also. This study shows that the surface of gypsum can play an important role in the attenuation of Pb in contaminated waters.
The vanadium(V) cation structures in mixed acid based electrolyte solution were analyzed by density functional theory (DFT) based computational modeling and 51V and 35Cl nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The vanadium(V) cation exists as di-nuclear [V2O3Cl2·6H2O]2+ compound at higher vanadium concentrations (≥1.75 M). In particular, at high temperatures (>295 K) this di-nuclear compound undergoes ligand exchange process with nearby solvent chlorine molecule and forms chlorine bonded [V2O3Cl·6H2O]2+ compound. This chlorine bonded [V2O3Cl2·6H2O]2+ compound might be resistant to the de-protonation reaction which is the initial step in the precipitation reaction in vanadium based electrolyte solutions. The combined theoretical and experimental approach reveals that formation of chlorine bonded [V2O3Cl2·6H2O]2+ compound might be central to the observed higher thermal stability of mixed acid based vanadium(V) electrolyte solutions.
Background The Incor (Berlin Heart AG, Germany) is a small (200 g), implantable, magnetically accentuated axial flow pump (non-pulsatile flow) designed to support the left ventricle for extended periods of time. We report on the first single-center clinical experience with this device. Methods The Incor was studied in 15 consecutive patients (10 men, 5 women), 24 to 59 years of age. Underlying heart disease was end-stage ischemic heart disease (n = 5), acute myocardial infarction (n = 4), dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 3), acute myocarditis (n = 2) and Chagas disease (n = 1). All patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class IV heart failure. Four patients had prior open heart surgery. Implantation via cannulation of the left ventricular apex and the ascending aorta was elective in 6 patients and on an emergency basis in 9. Results No early bleeding complications were seen, but late bleeding occurred in 4 patients. Minor cerebral thromboembolic events with transient neurologic symptoms occurred in 3 patients; severe stroke had to be treated in 1 patient. Systemic emboli were seen in 2 patients. Thrombus-related pump dysfunction was suspected in 3 patients, and managed by intensifying anti-coagulation. Five patients were successfully transplanted after a support interval of 90 to 156 days; 1 patient could be weaned from the system after 171 days. Six patients died during support, 9 to 63 days after device implantation. The remaining 3 patients are still under support, with excellent quality of life. Conclusions The Incor is a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) with transplant and adverse event rates comparable to those of other modern ventricular support devices. Its advantages include the small pump chamber, the virtual absence of device-related infections, and the extraordinary convenience during implantation and explantation.
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different types of exercise on cognition. Eighty participants, 32 males and 48 females, aged 66.96±11.73, volunteered for this study. The participants were randomly divided into the four following groups: Resistance Group (RG; n=20), involved in high intensity strength training; Cardiovascular Group (CVG; n=20), involved in high intensity cardiovascular training; Postural Group (PG; n=20) involved in low intensity training, based on postural and balance exercises; and Control Group (CG; n=20). Exercises were performed over the course of 12weeks. All participants were tested for their cognitive functions pre- and post-intervention using the following neurocognitive tests: the Attentive Matrices Test, Raven's Progressive Matrices, Stroop Color and Word Interference Test, Trail Making Test and Drawing Copy Test. Statistical analysis showed that the CVG group improved significantly in the Attentive Matrices Test and Raven's Progressive Matrices (both p =<0.05), whereas the RG group improved in Drawing Copy Test time (p =<0.05). These results confirm that different types of exercise interventions have unique effects on cognition. Cardiovascular training is effective in improving performance attentive and analytic tasks, whereas resistance training is effective in improving praxis. Further investigation is necessary to evaluate the combination of the two exercise types in order to ascertain if their respective effects can be summated when performed together.
Increased degradation of tryptophan (TRP) through the kynurenine (KYN) pathway (KP) is known to be involved in the molecular mechanisms resulting in the neuropathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Activation of the KP leads to the production of neurotoxic metabolites 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK) and quinolinic acid (QUIN) by immune cells and neuroprotective derivates kynurenic acid (KYNA) and picolinic acid (PIC) by astrocytes and neurons. We therefore investigated whether an imbalance between neurotoxic and neuroprotective kynurenine metabolites could be detected in patients with AD. We measured serum levels of TRP, KYNA, 3-HK, PIC and QUIN in 20 patients with AD and for comparison in 20 patients with major depression, and 19 subjectively cognitive impaired subjects. Serum levels of 3-HK were markedly increased in AD patients compared to the comparison groups (p < .0001). Serum levels of the other KP metabolites were not significantly different between groups. Our data indicate an increased production of the neurotoxic KP metabolite 3-HK in AD. In contrast to its downstream metabolites QUIN and PIC, 3-HK can cross the blood–brain barrier via an active transport process. Our data therefore indicate an enhanced availability of 3-HK in the brain of AD patients, which may be related to the previously reported higher production of QUIN in AD brains.
Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative movement disorder with symptoms reflecting various impairments and functional limitations, such as postural instability, gait disturbance, immobility and falls. In addition to pharmacological and surgical management of PD, exercise and physical therapy interventions are also being actively researched. This Review provides an overview of the effects of PD on physical activity — including muscle weakness, reduced aerobic capacity, gait impairment, balance disorders and falls. Previously published reviews have discussed only the short-term benefits of exercises and physical therapy for people with PD. However, owing to the progressive nature of PD, the present Review focuses on the long-term effects of such interventions. We also discuss exercise-induced neuroplasticity, present data on the possible risks and adverse effects of exercise training, make recommendations for clinical practice, and describe new treatment approaches. Evidence suggests that a minimum of 4 weeks of gait training or 8 weeks of balance training can have positive effects that persist for 3–12 months after treatment completion. Sustained strength training, aerobic training, tai chi or dance therapy lasting at least 12 weeks can produce long-term beneficial effects. Further studies are needed to verify disease-modifying effects of these interventions.
Anatase TiO2 ultra-thin nanosheets (TiO2-NS) are synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. Several merits are realized when employing the prepared TiO2-NS as lithium ion battery anode material, compared to TiO2 nanoparticles. Firstly, the as-prepared TiO2-NS has high charge capacities and a specific surface area up to 98.8m2g−1, which is beneficial for the insertion of lithium ion. Secondly, the large specific surface area is helpful in enlarging the electrode/electrolyte interfacial area. Finally, the EIS result verifies short electron transfer paths. More importantly, the stability of the nanosheet structure is indirectly confirmed by the excellent cycling performance of charge capacity and the curve of charge capacities versus cycle number at different current densities. After galvanostatic charge/discharge of the batteries for 1000 cycles, the HRTEM images of post-mortem batteries directly reveal a good reversibility of the lithium ion insertion/extraction process aided by TiO2-NS. Thus, all these advantages and the special structure facilitate an excellent cycling performance: the charge capacity with the maximum value of 250mAhg−1 keeps half after 2000 cycles at a current density of 840mAg−1 (5C).