batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Objective Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) patients demonstrate deficits in tests of attention, executive functioning and verbal memory. We assessed the role of effort in the cognitive impairment in FM patients, alongside common symptoms of pain, fatigue and depression. Method 50 FM patients underwent a computerized cognitive assessment battery including memory, executive function, attention and information processing speed (NeuroTrax Corp.). Age and education standardized scores were computed. Effort was assessed by the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM). FM symptoms were assessed by the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Widespread Pain Index (WPI) and Symptom Severity Scale (SSS), a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) of clinical pain and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-2). Results FM patients showed impaired performance on the memory, attention and information processing speed domains. According to the TOMM, sub-optimal effort was shown by 16% of patients. TOMM scores were not associated with pain, fatigue or depression. After controlling for effort, no significant impairment was found in memory scores; however attention and information processing speed scores remained significantly low. Multiple regressions analysis, performed in order to evaluate the contribution of effort, pain, fatigue and depression, found effort to be the only significant variable accounting for variance of cognitive scores on all domains. Conclusion The findings confirm impaired attention and processing speed in FM patients, independent of effort level. Nonetheless, the findings point to a general and strong effect of effort on neuropsychological performance in FM patients, especially in the domain of memory, emphasizes the importance of effort testing in this population.
For scientific study and practical irrigation management, the estimate of plant transpiration and water use rates is needed. Several methods are available to measure water use by plants, and among them, sap flow estimation techniques are currently popular, although the interpretation of data may be complex due to several assumptions. In this study, we present a combined approach to measure transpiration rates in mature, field-grown dwarf apple trees (‘Empire’/M.9) in a humid climate. Sap flow gauges (heat pulse method) were used to estimate sap flow rates on apples, over a period of 10 weeks. The gauges were first calibrated with simultaneous measurements of whole-canopy gas exchange using chambers mounted on the same plants for short periods (5 days). Mid-summer transpiration rates were peaked at about 2.5lday−1 m−2 of leaf area but generally averaged about 2lday−1 m−2 of leaf area. Calculated basal crop coefficients were generally lower than those reported in literature, variable and were a function of the vapor pressure deficit, thus confirming the concerns of using crop coefficients with reference grass in humid climates especially when applied to tall, discontinuous canopies that are well coupled with the bulk air.
Cathode materials are critical to the energy density, power density and safety of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Herein, we performed a comprehensive study to elucidate and exemplify the interplay mechanism between phase structures, interfacial microstrain and electrochemical properties of layered-structured NaxNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode materials for high voltage SIBs. The electrochemical test results showed that NaxNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 with an intergrowth P2/O3/O1 structure demonstrates better electrochemical performance and better thermal stability than NaxNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 with P2/O3 binary-phase integration and NaxNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 where only the P phase is dominant. This result is caused by the distinct interfacial microstrain development during the synthesis and cycling of the P2/O3/O1 phase. In operando high energy X-ray diffraction further revealed that the intergrowth P2/O1/O3 cathode can inhibit the irreversible P2–O2 phase transformation and simultaneously improve the structure stability of the O3 and O1 phases during cycling. We believe that interfacial microstrain can serve as an indispensable bridge to guide future design and synthesis of high performance SIB cathode materials and other high energy battery materials.
Methods for controlling leakage from water distribution systems vary with respect to cost and personnel requirements. The benefits of leakage reduction should be compared to the cost of alternative management options to determine which is the most cost effective. This study presents a new method for evaluating leakage from water distribution systems via combined cost benefit analysis (CBA) and uncertainty analysis. The case study considers four alternatives for leakage control. The results show that the inclusion of uncertainty analysis represents an improvement over traditional CBA where there is a high degree of uncertainty in the input data. Moreover, a clearer understanding of the available alternatives is obtained in situations where multiple alternatives show similar performances and there is no clear best choice. It was determined that in the case study distribution system, it is significantly more cost-effective to reduce leakage volumes by reactively repair broken pipes than to proactively replace them, despite large leakage losses.
The olivine-type magnesium and fluorine co-doped LiFe0.92Mg0.08(PO4)0.99F0.03/C composites were prepared via a simple solid state reaction. The structure and morphology were characterized by XRD, SEM and EDS. The results present that the Mg and F were uniformly doped into the lattice of LiFePO4 without changing the structure and particle sizes. Compared to undoped LiFePO4/C, Mg doped LiFePO4/C and F doped LiFePO4/C, the co-doped LiFePO4/C shows the best electrochemical performance, especially at low temperature. The specific capacity of the LiFe0.92Mg0.08(PO4)0.99F0.03/C is 121, 109, 94 and 74mAhg−1 at the discharge rate of 0.1C, 1C, 2C, 5C under the temperature of −20°C. The co-doped sample also shows an outstanding cycling life at elevated temperature, which remains 94% of its initial capacity after 150 cycles at 60°C. The improved electrochemical performance is due to the increased electronic and ionic conductivity by co-doping with Mg and F.
Thermal stability and electrochemical behavior of fluorine compound-mixed electrolyte solutions have been investigated using 1 molL−1 LiClO4-EC/DEC/PC, 1 molL−1 LiPF6-EC/DMC and 1 molL−1 LiPF6-EC/EMC/PC. DSC study indicates that no exothermic reaction occurs between metallic Li and fluoro-ethers while EC/DMC mixture and fluoro-carbonate start to react with Li at 180 and 226 °C, respectively. In LiClO4-containing electrolyte solution, lithiated graphite easily reacts with surface film and electrolyte solutions with and without fluoro-ethers, giving exothermic peaks at 153–162 °C. However, exothermic peaks at 111–137 °C caused by the reaction of lithiated graphite with surface film and electrolyte solutions are weak in LiPF6-containing solutions probably because LiF contained in the surface film prevents the reaction with deintercalated Li. Fluoro-carbonate-mixed solution gives the lower reactivity with deintercalated Li than fluoro-ether-mixed ones. Electrochemical oxidation currents are decreased by mixing of fluoro-ethers in both LiClO4- and LiPF6-containing electrolyte solutions. Charge/discharge experiments indicate that first coulombic efficiencies of natural graphite are mostly high in fluoro-ether-mixed electrolyte solutions, and fluoro-ethers facilitate the formation of surface film on graphite in PC-containing solutions.
Aluminum (Al) is an innovative anode material for metal-air batteries. But high corrosion rates and large polarization interfere with its commercial application. In the study reported in this paper, an ultrafine-grained (UFG) aluminum anode was prepared by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) at room temperature. The electrochemical properties of the Al anode were investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization in 4molL−1 NaOH, KOH and 2molL−1 NaCl. Battery performance using the anodes was tested by constant current discharge at 10mAcm−2 in the referenced electrolytes. The experimental results showed that finer grain sizes enhance battery performance in alkaline electrolytes, due to active dissolution of the Al anode. But in the NaCl electrolyte, the fine grain size of the Al anode offers no performance due to the blockage of the oxide film and local corrosion. This anode fabrication approach provides a means for improving the performance Al-air battery in alkaline electrolytes.
Valve regulated lead/acid (VRLA) batteries are used in a variety of different applications, one of which is cycling. Cycle life testing of a batch of 40Ah VRLA batteries showed a large variation in the cycles to failure ranging from 10 to 133 cycles. Further testing and the destructive examination of these batteries provided information on the likely causes of failure. Results from monitoring reduction in cell voltage during a final discharge/charge cycle, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), BET surface area analysis, X-ray diffraction, interfacial analysis and electron probe analysis, were used to identify the failure mechanisms occurring within the batch. Batteries that failed after a low number of cycles, 10 and 28, were believed to have done so due to sulphation of the positive plate. Thick corrosion layers were shown to be the cause of failure in the batteries that sustained high numbers of cycles, 92 and 133. Results suggested that batteries failing at intermediate numbers of cycles, 42, 49, 65 and 73, failed due to degradation of the cells simultaneously and a single failure mechanism could not be identified.
The early course of neuropsychological dysfunction in schizophrenia and the impact of treatment on these deficits need to be better specified. A sample of 45 patients with schizophrenia underwent five neuropsychological evaluations from prior to treatment with antipsychotic treatment through a 2-year follow-up period. A comparison sample of 33 matched healthy individuals underwent neuropsychological evaluations at similar time points. At baseline, a generalized deficit across cognitive domains was evident for the schizophrenia sample. After 6 weeks of treatment, patients showed modest improvements in visual memory and visual perception, but a decline in verbal memory. Verbal memory performance returned to baseline levels by the 6-month follow-up while deficits in other neuropsychological domains persisted throughout the 2-year period. Relatively static and generalized neuropsychological dysfunction, evident from illness onset, is consistent with neurodevelopmental rather than neurodegenerative models of schizophrenia.
In this paper, we report a high-performance Li-ion hybrid supercapacitor (Li-HEC) based on LiMn2O4 in an imidazolium ionic liquid medium. The investigation of this type of cell is rare in the literature because hybrid devices constructed with ionic liquid (IL) are a challenge due to the coupling of distinct mechanisms (faradaic and electrostatic) of charge accumulation in a medium of high viscosity and low diffusion coefficient. The desire to overcome this challenge is motivated by the safety advantages brought by the usage of ILs as electrolytes, such as their low vapor pressure and non-flammability. Here, a spinel-LiMn2O4, with adequate morphology and tridimensional insertion/de-insertion mechanism, is applied as a faradaic electrode in order to maximize the energy density in a Li-HEC, while maintaining the highest power density of the electric double layer capacitors. Complete cells are optimized with a mesoporous carbon as a capacitive electrode and a 1 M lithium bis(trifluorosulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI)/1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide (EMITFSI) as electrolyte. Finally, we demonstrate that when compared to hybrid cells employing aqueous and organic electrolytes, this Li-HEC can rival their energy and power densities while maintaining excellent cycling stability.
The first phase of toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) method comprised of physic-chemical fractionation steps of pH adjustment, pH adjustment followed by filtration, aeration, extraction with solid phase C18 column (SPE), oxidant reduction with sodium thiosulphate and EDTA chelation was conducted to characterize the toxicants of a Malaysian landfill leachate. The battery of organisms test chosen were freshwater fish (Rasbora sumatrana), freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium lanchesteri) and tomato seed (Lycoperson esculentum). Toxicity reductions at each step were comparable for all test organisms. The major toxicants present in the leachate were found to be mostly basic in nature and precipitable under acidic conditions as well as containing non-polar organic compounds. A small reduction in toxicity was observed when leachate was treated with sodium thiosulphate in oxidant reduction test indicating the presence of oxidizers. The EDTA chelating step did not significantly reduce toxicity in the test organisms suggesting insignificant level of (toxic) metals.
Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are prepared with methyl methacrylate (MMA)–styrene (ST) copolymers and LiPF6 or LiBF4 in ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate. Depending on the molar composition of the copolymer, these gel polymer electrolytes exhibit a different range of mechanical and electrical properties. On the aspect of ionic conductivity and mechanical property, the copolymer comprising about 33mol% MMA is found to be most desirable. Lithium-ion polymer cells employing GPE containing different electrolyte solution are assembled and their cycling performances are evaluated.
The surface of pure Li4Ti5O12 was modified with CaF2 via a chemical co-precipitation method followed by calcination at 400°C for 5h in order to study the reaction mechanism of the fluoride modification process. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to confirm the structure and morphology of the material. After the modification, the structure of Li4Ti5O12 was unchanged, as F− ions reacted with Ca2+ ions to form CaF2 instead of reacting with Li4Ti5O12. A consecutive CaF2 coating layer was not formed on the surface of Li4Ti5O12; instead, many microscale CaF2 crystals stacked on the Li4Ti5O12 particles. The stacked CaF2 crystals could not only reduce electrode polarization, but also partially suppress reductive decomposition, resulting in the formation of a thinner SEI film, thereby reducing resistance of the SEI film (R sei) and the charge-transfer resistance (R ct), both of which were beneficial to the electrochemical performance of Li4Ti5O12. The 2wt% CaF2-modified Li4Ti5O12 exhibited a superior rate capacity, with discharge capacities between 0 and 3V of 227.8, 215.8, 207.6, 190.6, 180.2, and 157.6mAhg−1 at rates of 0.2, 0.5, 1, 3, 5, and 10 C (1 C=250mAhg−1), respectively. Moreover, the 2wt% CaF2-modified Li4Ti5O12 showed a discharge capacity retention of 96.7% after 125cycles at a rate of 3 C, higher than that of pure Li4Ti5O12 (94.4%), which was due to the fact that CaF2 modification enhanced the capability of the material to resist HF attack during the discharge/charge processes.
Background Previous investigators have observed changes in cognitive and psychiatric domains after GPi-DBS for dystonia, such as declines in semantic verbal fluency and set shifting or increased suicidality. Others have reported stability or improvements in select areas, such as graphomotor speed and mood. Interpretation of these findings is limited by inclusion of select patient populations or limited neuropsychological testing. Objective To describe cognitive and neuropsychiatric outcomes in a cohort of patients with primary and secondary dystonia undergoing Globus Pallidus pars interna deep brain stimulation (GPi-DBS). Methods Patients with primary and secondary dystonia were evaluated at baseline and post-operatively with a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests and mood inventories including anxiety, depression and hopelessness scales. Statistical significance was calculated with one-tailed student t-test, defined as p value < 0.05. Results Twelve patients were included in the study. Nine were male (75%) and the mean age at baseline assessment was 42.3 years (range 13–68; SD 18.0). The majority had focal or segmental dystonia (8/12, 66%), 4 patients had generalized dystonia. Three patients had monogenic dystonias (DYT 1 and DYT 3), and two patients had acquired (tardive) dystonia. Mean time between surgery and follow-up was 13.1 months (SD 3.1). Subjects demonstrated stable performance on most tests, with statistically significant improvements noted in working memory (letter-number sequencing), executive function (trail-making B), anxiety and depression. Conclusions In an etiologically and clinically diverse patient population, administration of comprehensive battery of cognitive tests pre and post-operatively suggests that GPi-DBS is safe from cognitive and psychiatric perspectives.
The study exploits the functional advantages of vanadium with variable oxidation states to extract maximum energy from Li3V2(PO4)3/HHC composite containing human hair derived carbon. Vanadium, present in the form of V3+ in Li3V2(PO4)3 stabilizes itself electrochemically as V4+ by forming LiV2(PO4)3 through oxidation in the potential range 3.0–4.5 V and as V1+ by forming Li7V2(PO4)3 due to the reduction of V3+ into V1+ in the 0.01–3.0 V region, thus qualifying LVP as a rocking chair electrode. In other words, Li3V2(PO4)3/HHC composite demonstrates itself as anode and as cathode for lithium-ion batteries. Li3V2(PO4)3/HHC cathode exhibits ultra high capacity, excellent rate capability at 50C and retains about 99% capacity up to 1000 cycles. As anode, Li3V2(PO4)3/HHC delivers a capacity of 428 mAh g−1 at 50 mA g−1 and tolerates 5 A g−1 condition up to 1000 cycles with a negligible capacity fade. The dual electrode behavior of Li3V2(PO4)3/HHC may be attributed to the unique architecture of HHC that provides high electronic conductivity, facilitates rapid diffusion of lithium ions and admits volume changes during intercalation/deintercalation. More importantly, HHC is a cheap and eco-friendly carbon additive derived from filthy human hair, which in turn offers ample scope for the commercial exploitation of title electrode.
LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 blending was investigated as a way to overcome the problems associated with lithium ion rechargeable batteries that use manganese spinel as a cathode material. LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 is a useful additive for preventing HF-generation and Li-loss in electrolytes during storage at elevated temperatures. In experiments, the Mn dissolution from the spinel structure into the electrolyte was decreased by adding LiNi0.8Co0.2O2. This dissolution was almost completely eliminated by 15wt.% LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 blending. As a result, this blending technique can prevent the decline in capacity caused by storage at elevated temperatures.
To compare the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) among Cambodian preschool children as determined by the retinol-binding protein-enzyme immunoassay (RBP-EIA) and direct measurement of serum retinol by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
To fill an important gap in the psychometric assessment of children and adolescents with impaired vision, we designed a new battery of haptic tests, called Haptic-2D, for visually impaired and sighted individuals aged five to 18 years. Unlike existing batteries, ours uses only two-dimensional raised materials that participants explore using active touch. It is composed of 11 haptic tests, measuring scanning skills, tactile discrimination skills, spatial comprehension skills, short-term tactile memory, and comprehension of tactile pictures. We administered this battery to 138 participants, half of whom were sighted (n =69), and half visually impaired (blind, n =16; low vision, n =53). Results indicated a significant main effect of age on haptic scores, but no main effect of vision or Age×Vision interaction effect. Reliability of test items was satisfactory (Cronbach's alpha, α =0.51–0.84). Convergent validity was good, as shown by a significant correlation (age partialled out) between total haptic scores and scores on the B101 test (r p =0.51, n =47). Discriminant validity was also satisfactory, as attested by a lower but still significant partial correlation between total haptic scores and the raw score on the verbal WISC (r p =0.43, n =62). Finally, test–retest reliability was good (r s =0.93, n =12; interval of one to two months). This new psychometric tool should prove useful to practitioners working with young people with impaired vision.
The effectiveness of bismuth ion and tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) as deposit-enhancing additives of zinc electrode has been investigated by means of current–time technique, potentiodynamic polarization and scanning electron microscopy. The experimental results showed that the dendritic growth of zinc in alkaline zincate solution was inhibited by the addition of Bi3+ and TBAB, respectively. However, at a higher cathodic overpotential TBAB produced little effective suppression on zinc dendrites. Obvious synergistic effect of Bi3+ and TBAB on the dendrite inhibition of zinc electrode was also found.
A novel compound, tri-(4-methoxythphenyl) phosphate, was synthesized and investigated as a safety electrolyte additive for lithium-ion batteries. It was found that this additive could lower the flammability of the electrolyte, and thereby enhance the thermal stability of the Li-ion battery. Moreover, this molecule can also be polymerized at 4.35V (vs. Li/Li+) to form a conducting polymer, which can protect the batteries from voltage runaway at overcharge by internal bypassing the overcharging current in the batteries. Thus, it is possible to use this electrolyte additive to provide both overcharge protection and flame retardancy for lithium-ion batteries without much influence on the battery performance.
Co/CMK-3 composites are synthesized via a facile hydrothermal route. The electrochemical performances of Co/CMK-3 composite as the negative electrode material for alkaline rechargeable Ni/Co batteries have been systemically investigated. Electrochemical measurements show that the CMK-3 can remarkably enhance the electrochemical activity of Co, leading to a notable improvement of the discharge capacity, cycle stability and rate capability. Interestingly, the discharge capacity of Co/CMK-3 (25 mg CMK-3) electrode can reach 519.3 mAh g−1 and retains about 365.8 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at discharge current of 100 mA g−1. The electrochemical reaction mechanism of Co/CMK-3 composite electrode can be attributed to the electrochemical redox reaction between Co and Co(OH)2.