batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Organophosphorus and carbamate are widely used in agricultural production. Caenorhabditis elegans is a model organism that is widely used in various toxicology studies. To understand the effects of two types of commonly used pesticides, phoxim (organophosphorus) and carbaryl (carbamate), we determined the activities of acetylcholinesterases (AChEs) and detected the expression of four ace genes by RT-qPCR in C. elegans following treatment with these pesticides. The results showed that phoxim and carbaryl could reduce acetylcholinesterase activities and up-regulate the ace-3 mRNA expression levels. We also detected the toxic effects of these pesticides on the ace-3 deletion mutant dc-2, and found that some characteristics, including LC50, development, movement, reproduction and lifespan, were reduced in the dc-2 mutant. However, the toxic effects of carbaryl were weaker than those of phoxim. Carbaryl treatment did not significantly affect the LC50, movement ability or lifespan. Interestingly, body and brood size increased with carbaryl treatment at low concentrations. These data showed that both phoxim and carbaryl could inhibit AChE but that the ace-3 was necessary for phoxim detoxification.
ZnO-containing porous activated carbon nanofibers (ZnO/ACNFs) are prepared through one-step electrospinning using zinc acetate and polyacrylonitrile (PAN), followed by thermal treatment. The electrochemical performance of the ZnO/ACNF composite electrodes is compared to that of pure ACNF electrodes in aqueous KOH as the electrolyte. Electrochemical measurements of ZnO/ACNFs reveal a maximum specific capacitance of 178.2 Fg−1, and high energy densities of 22.71–17.77 Whkg−1 in the power density range of 400 to 4000 W kg−1. Furthermore, this supercapacitor electrode exhibits excellent cycle life with a specific capacitance ∼75% of the initial value after 1000 cycles. The combination of ACNF's high surface area with ZnO's large specific capacity facilitates a synergistic effect between ZnO's faradaic capacitance and ACNF's double layer capacitance, which afforded good capacitive behavior.
Complex interactions and often dynamic variations in the process parameters and state variables are known to influence material removal rate (MRR) in the chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) of SiO2 film deposited on a Si wafer. Experimental investigations reported in this paper support the nonlinear stochastic characteristics of the CMP process dynamics. Prior modeling and monitoring efforts have attributed much of the complex patterns of the signals from the CMP process to extraneous noise. Consequently, these models have somewhat limited predictability. Sensor features that quantify the nonlinear stochastic dynamics of the CMP process are found to be effective surrogates to track variations in certain process parameters. A monitoring approach based on combining these nonlinear dynamic features with conventional statistical descriptors of sensor signals as well as process parameter settings is found to improve the tracking of MRR—which is one of the most important performance variables in the CMP process—by over 20% (linear R 2>80%) compared to the use of conventional features in a linear regression setting. The results consistently hold for a variety of process conditions tested using a battery of designed experiments.
It has been reported that even one year after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), a relevant percentage of patients does not attain complete recovery and indicate unfavourable long-term pain outcome. We compared the clinical outcome of 33 patients undergoing TKA randomly assigned to the control or the pulsed electromagnetic field group (I-ONE therapy).
In the last years, the growing demand for air conditioning has caused a significant increase in demand for primary energy resources. Solar-powered cooling is one of the technologies which allows to obtain, by using the renewable solar source, an important energy saving compared to traditional air conditioning plants. The paper describes different technical installations for solar cooling, their way of operation, advantages and limits. The objective of the present study has been to analyze the technical and economic feasibility of solar absorption cooling systems, designed for two different application fields: industrial refrigeration and air conditioning. The possibility to replace or integrate the existing plants is studied, by considering the refrigeration requirements of a company, which works in meat manufacturing, and the heating and cooling demands of a hotel located in a tourist town in Italy. In the first case, the system comprises an absorption chiller coupled to solar flat plate collectors, whereas the second application is about a hybrid trigeneration plant, known as thermo-solar trigeneration; this option allows having greater operational flexibility at sites with demand for energy in the form of heating as well as cooling, for example in a hotel. In this way the authors could compare different results obtained by a technical and economic experimental analysis based on existing users and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages in order to suggest the best solution for the two studied cases.
Although labeling improves executive function (EF) performance in children older than 3years, the results from studies with younger children have been equivocal. In the current study, we assessed performance in a computerized multistep multilocation search task with older 2-year-olds. The correct search location was either (a) not marked by a familiar picture or given a distinct label, (b) marked by a familiar picture but not given a distinct label, (c) marked by a familiar picture and labeled by the experimenter, or (d) marked by a familiar picture and labeled by the participant. The results revealed that accuracy improved across conditions such that children made the fewest errors when they generated the label for the hiding location. These findings support the hierarchical competing systems model, which postulates that improved performance can be explained by more powerful representations that guide search behavior.
The influence of polyaniline (PANI) layer thickness and applied potential on impedance characteristics was investigated. The impedance response of PANI layers, presented in the low frequency region of Nyquist spectra, indicates a decrease of real and imaginary impedance values as the thickness of the PANI layer increases. Presentations of EIS data in Bode diagrams show two potentially dependent separate processes, detected in the low and in the high frequency regions. The model used to analyze EIS data in terms of an electrical equivalent circuit resulted in PANI pseudocapacitance and PANI resistance values, which were used to calculate time-constants for each of the processes. The total PANI pseudocapacitance, calculated from PANI EIS parameters, was compared to the capacitive current plateau. The changes in EIS parameters were used to interpret processes taking place inside PANI and at the PANI∣electrolyte interface. It was found that the PANI-free volume has a significant influence on the counter-ion flux inside PANI. The PANI-free volume was increased when more positive potential was applied. The effect of the PANI-free volume on capacitance and resistance characteristic, responsible for an impedance response in the low frequency region, was established. The impedance response of the PANI layer was changed upon prolonged ageing of the PANI layer in the supporting electrolyte. The ageing resulted in a decrease of the PANI free volume, which consequently resulted in an increase of ionic charge-transfer resistance responsible for the counter-ion flux.
A low-cost and high performance catalyst consisting of Pt decorating PdNi/C (Pt–PdNi/C) for oxygen reduction is prepared by a two-stage route. The characterization techniques considered are X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) technique. The results show that the Pt–PdNi/C catalyst has an average diameter of ca. 5nm. The electrochemical activity for the ORR is evaluated from steady state polarization measurements, which are carried out in an ultra-thin layer rotating disk electrode (RDE). The RDE tests show that the Pt–PdNi/C catalyst has the highest ORR activity compared to pure Pt/C, Pd/C and PdNi/C catalysts. High electrocatalytic activities could be attributed to the synergistic effect between Pt and PdNi.
Prior research has examined the hypothesis that negative symptoms, such as anhedonia and lack of motivation, are caused by impaired memory for positive or rewarding experiences. Results have been inconsistent and less work has examined memory for socially-relevant information. The current study employed a repeated measures design to assess immediate and delayed recall of valenced material among 50 individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 25 demographically-matched controls. We examined the contribution of negative symptoms and cognitive deficits to the recall of positive material on two different tasks: 1) recall for valenced words and 2) the associative learning of valenced social acts paired with facial stimuli. Results indicated that for the word list recall task, individuals with schizophrenia recalled fewer negative words during the immediate recall phase than controls. On the social affective learning task, individuals with schizophrenia, compared to controls, demonstrated poorer learning of positive social behavior associations. Within individuals with schizophrenia, cognitive impairment, but not symptoms, was related to poorer performance on both tasks. In controls, symptoms reflecting deficits in social motivation and pleasure (but not cognitive functioning) were associated with poorer performance in learning associations with positive social behaviors on the affective learning task. Findings suggest that poor learning and recall of positive information in schizophrenia is particularly salient for social stimuli and that reduced recall of social information in schizophrenia is related to general cognitive ability but not negative symptoms. Implications for findings and future directions are discussed.
Naming is considered a left hemisphere function that operates according to a posterior–anterior specificity gradient, with more fine-grained information processed in most anterior regions of the temporal lobe (ATL), including the temporal pole (TP). Word finding difficulties are typically assessed using visual confrontation naming tasks, and have been associated with selective damage to ATL resulting from different aetiologies. Nonetheless, the role of the ATL and, more specifically, of the TP in the naming network is not completely established. Most of the accumulated evidence is based on studies on patients with extensive lesions, often bilateral. Furthermore, there is a considerable variability in the anatomical definition of ATL. To better understand the specific involvement of the left TP in visual object naming, we assessed a group of patients with an epileptogenic lesion centered at the TP, and compared their performance with that of a strictly matched control group. We also administered a battery of verbal and non-verbal semantic tasks that was used as a semantic memory baseline. Patients showed an impaired naming ability, manifesting in a certain degree of anomia and semantically related naming errors, which was influenced by concept familiarity. This pattern took place in a context of mild semantic dysfunction that was evident in different types and modalities of semantic tasks. Therefore, current findings demonstrate that a restricted lesion to the left TP can cause a significant deficit in object naming. Of importance, the observed semantic impairment was far from the devastating degradation observed in semantic dementia and other bilateral conditions.
Monoamine reuptake inhibitors increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) activity, and this growth factor is regarded as an interesting target for developing new antidepressant drugs. The aims of this study were to evaluate whether monoaminergic reuptake inhibition increases BDNF in vivo and in vitro as predicted by the neurotrophic hypothesis of depression, and whether triple reuptake inhibition has a superior BDNF response compared to dual reuptake inhibition. Twenty-one days of oral treatment (30 mg/kg) with the dual serotonin/noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor duloxetine or the triple serotonin/noradrenaline/dopamine reuptake inhibitor DOV 216,303 restored BDNF protein levels in the rat hippocampus, which were initially decreased due to injection stress. The prefrontal cortex contained increased BDNF levels only after DOV 216,303 treatment. In vitro, neither duloxetine nor DOV 216,303 altered intracellular BDNF levels in murine HT22 neuronal cells. In contrast, BDNF release was more effectively decreased following treatment with DOV 216,303 in these cells. In rat C62B astrocytomas, both antidepressants increased intracellular BDNF levels at their highest nontoxic concentration. C62B astrocytomas did not release BDNF, even after antidepressant treatment. Increased BDNF levels support the neurotrophic hypothesis of depression, but our findings do not clearly evidence that the BDNF response after triple reuptake inhibitors is more effective than after dual reuptake inhibitors. Moreover, the data suggest that the role of BDNF in neurons and astrocytes is complex and likely depends on factors including specificity of cell types in different brain regions, cell–cell interactions, and different mechanisms of action of antidepressants used.
Coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) is a lensless technique for 2D or 3D reconstruction of nanoscale structure images, where a highly coherent beam of x-rays, electrons or other wavelike particle or photon is incident on an object. The authors present a phase retrieval algorithm that takes advantage of the continuity of physical phenomena and uses it as a temporal constraint for CDI, and also present an illumination optics suitable for the method, which allow them to follow dynamic processes, as demonstrate in their proof-of-principle experiment.
As the fast developments of wearable devices, artificial intelligences and Internet of Things, it is important to explore revolutionary approach and fabrication method for providing flexible and sustainable power sources. We report here a practical, ultraflexible and three-dimensional TENG (3D–TENG) that is capable of driving conventional electronics by harvesting biomechanical energy. Such TENG is made for the first time by the unique additive manufacturing technology—hybrid UV 3D printing. The TENG is made up of printed composite resin parts and ionic hydrogel as the electrification layer and electrode. A sustainable and decent output of 10.98W/m3 (P v, peak power per unit volume) and 0.65mC/m3 (ρ sc, transferred charge per unit volume) are produced under a low triggering frequency of ~ 1.3Hz, which is attributed to the Maxwell's displacement current. Meanwhile, a self-powered SOS flickering and buzzing distress signal system, and smart lighting shoes are successfully demonstrated, as well as self-powered portable systems of a temperature sensor or a smart watch. Our work provides new opportunities for constructing multifunctional self-powered systems toward the applications in realistic environments.
The present work investigated cognitive, linguistic and narrative abilities in a group of children suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, an allelic X-linked recessive disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding dystrophin. The patients showed mildly reduced IQ with lower Verbal than Performance Intelligence Quotient and were mildly affected in visual attention and short-term memory processing. At the linguistic assessment, neither receptive (word comprehension) nor expressive (naming tasks and fluency) lexical abilities were impaired. However, their narratives were qualitatively inferior with respect to those produced by a group of typically developing children. Their speech samples were characterized by the presence of fewer verbs and complete sentences. It is suggested that the reduced production of complete sentences is due to a selective problem in verb argument structure generation. Since the lack of dystrophin is assumed to produce effects on the maturation of the cerebellum, whose involvement has been recently suggested in verb and syntactic processing, these findings may lend indirect support to the hypothesis of a cerebellar-cortical circuit specialized in verb and sentence production.
Abstract Several aspects of detection of the physical and physicochemical characteristics of the herbal drugs due to the presence of different constituents present therein requires qualitative analysis and standardization parameters for evaluation of herbal drugs. The chapter highlights on this type of analysis not only helps in primary identification of the herbs but also gives an impression about the quality of the herbs used in phytopharmaceutical formulations. The starting materials usually consist of fresh plants or their parts which are subjected to other operation like drying, preserving. Qualitative analysis consists of determination of moisture content, ash values, extractive value, residual solvents, total solids, crude fiber, bitterness, swelling index, foaming index, hemolytic activity. Other essential parameters which are also important for chemical aspect of quality are tannin content, phenolic content, total flavonoid contents, essential oil in crude drugs. Some safety aspects of quality include heavy metals, pesticides, aflatoxins and other microbial contents. The chapter contains all the above mentioned qualitative aspects with details and examples.
W-doped LiW x Ni0.5Mn1.5−x O4 (x =0.00–0.10) are synthesized via a sol–gel method, and their electrochemical properties are investigated. During synthesis, W4+ is converted to W6+, the amount of which significantly affects the charge–discharge behaviors of LiW x Ni0.5Mn1.5−x O4. When limited to x ≤0.005, W-doping enhances the electrochemical activity of cathodes, leading to a greater discharge capacity and less capacity fading than LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 at high C-rates. This is interesting since lowering the average valence state of Mn ions by incorporating W6+ can introduce structural instability, extending a 4V plateau (Mn3+/4+). The reasons for such behavior associated with W-doping are examined by electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and impedance spectroscopy. It is disclosed that the simultaneous increase in LiO bond length and decrease in transition metal-oxide bond length, while the unit cell volume is maintained almost invariant, provides LiW0.005Ni0.5Mn1.495O4 with optimal high rate performance. When W-doping exceeds x =0.01, 3 factors (intrinsically low electronic conductivity of W6+, the presence of tungsten oxide impurities, and an increase in the inter-metallic distance) aggravates electrochemical performance of LiW x Ni0.5Mn1.5−x O4. The last factor also induces structural instability during repeated cycling because of the expansion of a unit cell volume.
In this work, we report a new type anode material, MoO2 combined carbon dots (CDs) with nanoparticle-stacking structure via a facile hydrothermal route. Herein, CDs is introduced as the reductant which in-situ reduces MoVI to MoIV. It is further confirmed that the particles of MoO2 with evenly distributed beset of carbon dots form a nanoparticle-stacking structure. Thanks to this specific structure, the as-made MoO2-CDs manifest high performance in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). The capacities maintain 854 and 236 mAh g−1 at 0.50 A g−1 after 300 cycles for LIBs and 600 cycles for SIBs, respectively. Furthermore, we explored the structure-stability relationship by the electrochemical measurement and morphology, found the mechanisms of charge/discharge composed of dominant redox reaction and auxiliary intercalation reaction, and explained the characteristics of a high rate performance through kinetic issues and extrinsic pseudocapacitance contributions. This green synthetic method of anode material could make it possible to obtain high-performance alkali-ion batteries and other energy storage devices.
The charge and discharge characteristics of lithium batteries with sulfur composite cathodes have been investigated. The sulfur composites showed novel electrochemical characteristics. The analysis of the differential capacity indicated that the discharge process showed two voltage plateaus of 2.10V and 1.88V, and the charge process also presented two voltage plateaus of 2.22V and 2.36V. The overcharge test showed that the composite cannot be charged over 4.0V, the voltage always stopped at about 3.9V during charging, indicating that the composite presented the intrinsic safety for the overcharge of lithium batteries. The overcharge can cause serious safety problem for the conventional Li-ion batteries. The overcharge test also showed that the batteries with sulfur composite were destroyed when the upper cut-off voltage was over 3.6V. However, the composite presented good reversible capacity after it was deep discharged even to 0V. It showed stable cycleability and high cycling capacity of 1000mAhg−1 when cycling between 0.1V and 3.0V, indicative of the different characteristic from the conventional oxide cathode materials. The prototype polymer battery with the composite cathode material presented the energy density of 246Whkg−1 and 401WhL−1.
Pelizaeus–Merzbacher disease (PMD) is an untreatable and fatal leukodystrophy. In a model of PMD with perturbed blood–brain barrier integrity, cholesterol supplementation promotes myelin membrane growth. Here, we show that in contrast to the mouse model, dietary cholesterol in two PMD patients did not lead to a major advancement of hypomyelination, potentially because the intact blood–brain barrier precludes its entry into the CNS. We therefore turned to a PMD mouse model with preserved blood–brain barrier integrity and show that a high-fat/low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet restored oligodendrocyte integrity and increased CNS myelination. This dietary intervention also ameliorated axonal degeneration and normalized motor functions. Moreover, in a paradigm of adult remyelination, ketogenic diet facilitated repair and attenuated axon damage. We suggest that a therapy with lipids such as ketone bodies, that readily enter the brain, can circumvent the requirement of a disrupted blood–brain barrier in the treatment of myelin disease.
Nanoimprinting by thermoplastic forming has attracted significant attention due to its promise of low-cost fabrication of functionalized surfaces and nanostructured devices, and metallic glasses have been identified as a material class ideally suited for nanoimprinting. In particular, their featureless atomic structure suggests that there may not be an intrinsic size limit to the material’s ability to replicate a mould. Here we demonstrate atomic-scale imprinting into a platinum-based metallic glass alloy under ambient conditions using atomic step edges of a strontium titanate single crystal as a mould. The moulded metallic glass replicates the ‘atomic smoothness’ of the strontium titanate, with identical roughness to the one measured on the mould even after multiple usages and with replicas exhibiting an exceptional long-term stability of years. By providing a practical, reusable, and potentially high-throughput approach for atomic imprinting, our findings may open novel applications in surface functionalization through topographical structuring.