batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
In Eritrea, farmers have applied landfill materials as fertiliser to their fields for several decades. A sampling scheme in the landfill site of Asmara and selected farmers’ fields was carried out to investigate the benefits and risks of using landfill materials for agriculture. Soil samples were collected from farmers’ fields (7 samples) and from the Asmara landfill site (12 samples). The samples were analysed for major plant nutrients, heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Hg and Zn), and some physical properties. Nearly 65% (by weight) of the total landfill material mined from the landfill site constituted waste fractions of various substances. The remaining 35% was composed of soil-like materials, which are apparently used to fertilise agricultural soils. The average organic matter, total nitrogen, and available phosphorus contents of soils with landfill material measured 2.4%, 0.13%, and 45mgkg−1, respectively. However, soils without landfill material consisted of 1.1 % organic matter, 0.04% total N, and <40mgkg−1 of available P. Except for Hg, all the other heavy metals in the landfill site showed values above the permissible limits. In particular, the average concentrations of Cu (913mgkg−1) and Pb (598mgkg−1) in the landfill site were nine-fold and four-fold greater than the allowable limits, respectively. It is, therefore, suggested that composting fresh organic wastes should be considered and tested as an alternative material for fertilising agricultural soils and to maintain the quality of the environment.
Stability is essential for the normal healing of a sternotomy. Mechanical vibration transmittance may provide a new means of early detection of diastasis in the sternotomy and thus enable the prevention of further complications. We sought to confirm that vibration transmittance detects sternal diastasis in human tissue.
Lithium-ion batteries are considered to be the next battery system for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) due to their high power density. However, their power is severely limited at −30°C and the concern exists that lithium metal could plate on the negative electrode during regen (charge) pulses. The goal of this work is to determine the reason for this poor low-temperature performance using an in situ LiySn micro reference electrode (RE) over a wide temperature range of 30°C to −30°C. A variety of negative and positive electrode materials with unique morphologies was used in this work to help elucidate the dominant low-temperature mechanism. In this work, it was observed that the potential of graphite negative electrodes does dip below lithium potentials not only during charge pulses, but also under normal charging if the cell cutoff voltage is not reduced from its room-temperature setting of 4.1V, whereas hard carbon electrodes do not because they operate further from lithium potential. The most surprising finding from this work was that a second impedance mechanism dominates below 0°C that affects the positive and negative electrodes almost equally. This suggests that the responsible phenomenon is independent of the active material and is most likely a pure electrolyte-interface effect.
We report the optimized preparation by liquid phase deposition (LPD) of nickel–aluminum layered double hydroxide/carbon (Ni–Al LDH/C) composites as nickel-based cathode materials. We investigate the influence of the LDH content on the properties of the composites prepared with various total volumes of the reaction solution while the solution composition and the amount of carbon are maintained constant. Diffraction patterns show that the crystallinity of the composite increases with increasing the LDH content. Gravimetric studies indicate that there is no correlation between the amount of the deposit and the total volume of the reaction solution. Inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) reveals that the optimal Al3+/(Al3+ +Ni2+) is obtained for the sample with the highest LDH content. The optimized composition results in high performance cathode materials; a high discharge capacity (>390mAhgcomp −1) at the 1.0 C-rate, a good cycle life at 2.0 C-rate over 300 cycles and excellent electrochemical stability.
The age-related decline in cognitive function that is observed in normal aging monkeys and humans occurs without significant loss of cortical neurons. This suggests that cognitive impairment results from subtle, sub-lethal changes in the cortex. Recently, changes in the structural coherence in mini- or microcolumns without loss of neurons have been linked to loss of function. Here we use a density map method to quantify microcolumnar structure in both banks of the sulcus principalis (prefrontal cortical area 46) of 16 (ventral) and 19 (dorsal) behaviorally tested female rhesus monkeys from 6 to 33 years of age. While total neuronal density does not change with age in either of these banks, there is a significant age-related reduction in the strength of microcolumns in both regions on the order of 40%. This likely reflects a subtle but definite loss of organization in the structure of the cortical microcolumn. The reduction in strength in ventral area 46 correlates with cognitive impairments in learning and memory while the reduction in dorsal area 46 does not. This result is congruent with published data attributing cognitive functions to ventral area 46 that are similar to our particular cognitive battery which does not optimally tap cognitive functions attributed to dorsal area 46. While the exact mechanisms underlying this loss of microcolumnar organization remain to be determined, it is plausible that they reflect age-related alterations in dendritic and/or axonal organization which alter connectivity and may contribute to age-related declines in cognitive performance.
A wide range catalyst screening with noble metal and oxide catalysts for a metal–air battery with an aqueous alkaline electrolyte was carried out. Suitable catalysts reduce overpotentials during the charge and discharge process, and therefore improve the round-trip efficiency of the battery. In this case, the electrodes will be used as optimized cathodes for a future lithium–air battery with an aqueous alkaline electrolyte. Oxide catalysts were synthesized via atmospheric plasma spraying. The screening showed that IrO2, RuO2, La0.6Ca0.4Co3, Mn3O4, and Co3O4 are promising bi-functional catalysts. Considering the high price for the noble metal catalysts further investigations of the oxide catalysts were carried out to analyze their electrochemical behavior at varied temperatures, molarities, and in case of La1−xCaxCoO3 a varying calcium content. Additionally all catalysts were tested in a longterm test to proof cyclability at varied molarities. Further investigations showed that Co3O4 seems to be the most promising bi-functional catalyst of the tested oxide catalysts. Furthermore, it was shown that a calcium content of x = 0.4 in LCCO has the best performance.
In this paper, the development of a fully implantable wireless sensor able to provide continuous real-time accurate pressure measurements is presented. Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) technology was used to deposit resonators on crystalline quartz wafers; the wafers were then assembled to produce a pressure sensitive device. Excitation and reading via a miniature antenna attached to the pressure sensor enables continuous external interrogation. The main advantages of such a configuration are the long term stability of quartz and the low power necessary for the interrogation, which allows 24/7 interrogation by means of a hand-held, battery powered device. Such data are of vital importance to clinicians monitoring and treating the effects of hypertension and heart failure. A prototype was designed and tested using both a bio-phantom test rig and an animal model. The pressure traces for both compare very well with a commercially available catheter tip pressure transducer. The work presented in this paper is the first known wireless pressure data from the left ventricle of the heart of a living swine.
Body image disturbance in anorexia nervosa (AN) has been widely studied with regard to the patient’s own body, but little is known about perception of or attitude towards other women’s bodies in AN. The aim of the present study was to investigate how 20 girls aged 12–18 years and 19 adult women suffering from AN compared to 37 healthy adolescent girls and women estimate weight and attractiveness of women’s bodies belonging to different BMI categories (BMI 13.8–61.3 kg/m²). Weight and attractiveness ratings of the participant’s own body and information on physical comparisons were obtained, and effects on others’ weight and attractiveness ratings investigated. Differential evaluation processes were found: AN patients estimated other women’s weight higher than control participants. Patients showed a bias towards assessing extremely underweight women as more attractive and normal weight and overweight women as less attractive than healthy girls and women. These effects were more pronounced in adult than in adolescent AN patients. The tendency to engage in physical comparison with others significantly correlated with weight as well as attractiveness ratings in patients. A logistic regression model encompassing own attractiveness ratings, attractiveness bias towards strongly underweight others’ bodies and the interaction of this bias with age as predictors differentiated best between AN patients and controls. Our results indicate that females suffering from AN and healthy girls and women perceive other women’s bodies differently. Assessment of others’ weight and attractiveness may contribute to the maintenance of dysfunctional physical comparison processes.
The energy consumption statistics of buildings have shown that in China, 50%–70% of the annual energy consumption is consumed by cooling and heating systems, the majorities are air conditions and hot water supply. To cut down the investment of BESS, this paper studies the application of Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) in a photovoltaic/Battery Energy Storage System (PV/BESS) microgrid. Energy dispatching strategy is proposed to take advantage of the thermal storage, and fluctuation stabilization strategy is proposed based on the decouple characteristics between Heat Pumps (HPs) and terminal devices. As the characteristics of fluctuation and the inputted capacity of ASHP should be considered during the stabilization, there are too many input variables for traditional fuzzy logic algorithm. According to this, this paper proposes an improved fuzzy logic algorithm, Double Fuzzy Logic (DFL) algorithm, to involve in all the necessary variables. At last, a case is simulated to verify the feasibility of the energy dispatching and fluctuation stabilization strategy. The results have verified that ASHP can decrease the capacities of PV/BESS and stabilize the fluctuation effectively.
Mn3O4/graphite powder (Mn3O4/GhP) composite was successfully obtained utilizing an alternating voltage induced electrochemical method. It was found that Mn3O4 particles (∼20nm) resulted from Mn electrodes were well dispersed on the surface of GhP. The electrochemical performances of Mn3O4/GhP material as anode for lithium-ion batteries were investigated, demonstrating high specific capacity and excellent cycling stability with a high charge-discharge capacity of 1007.4 mAh g−1 after 50 cycles at a current density of 100mAg−1.
Psychologists interviewed direct-care staff using a battery of assessment measures including the autism spectrum disorders-diagnosis for intellectually disabled adults (ASD-DA), the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II), the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Individuals with Severe Retardation (MESSIER), the Socialization domain of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS), and a checklist containing criteria for autism and PDD-NOS from the DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10. Three hundred and seven intellectually disabled (ID) adolescents and adults ranging in age from 16 to 88 were assessed. Participants were diagnosed with either ID and ASD (autism or PDD-NOS; n =156) or ID and no Axis I diagnosis (n =151). A modification of the multitrait–multimethod approach was used to establish the convergent and discriminant validity of the ASD-DA. The scale proved to have robust convergent validity when correlated with the DSM-IV-TR/ICD-10 checklist, MESSIER, and Socialization domain of the VABS. Additionally, discriminant validity was demonstrated by comparing the ASD-DA to items from the DASH-II (measure of general psychopathology). The implications of these data are discussed.
Hierarchical anatase TiO2 spheres consisting of nanorods and nanoparticles are successfully prepared via a simple acid thermal method using titanium n-butoxide and acetic acid, which will overcome the kinetic and light-scattering limitations of nanoparticles and the surface area limitations of one-dimensional nanostructures, as photoelectrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells. The as-prepared and calcined hierarchical spheres were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction. The DSSC based on hierarchical TiO2 spheres as the photoelectrode shows a highly efficient power conversion efficiency (10.34%) accompanied by 18.78 mA cm−2 in short-circuit photocurrent density and 826 mV in open-circuit voltage. The great improvements of photocurrent density and power conversion efficiency for hierarchical TiO2 spheres compared to P25 nanoparticle photoelectrodes are mainly attributed to a considerable surface area, a higher light scattering ability, and faster electron transport rates and slower recombination rates for the former.
We discuss the similarities and dissimilarities of sodium- and lithium-ion batteries in terms of negative and positive electrodes. Compared to the comprehensive body of work on lithium-ion batteries, research on sodium-ion batteries is still at the germination stage. Since both sodium and lithium are alkali metals, they share similar chemical properties including ionicity, electronegativity and electrochemical reactivity. They accordingly have comparable synthetic protocols and electrochemical performances, which indicates that sodium-ion batteries can be successfully developed based on previously applied approaches or methods in the lithium counterpart. The electrode materials in Li-ion batteries provide the best library for research on Na-ion batteries because many Na-ion insertion hosts have their roots in Li-ion insertion hosts. However, the larger size and different bonding characteristics of sodium ions influence the thermodynamic and/or kinetic properties of sodium-ion batteries, which leads to unexpected behaviour in electrochemical performance and reaction mechanism, compared to lithium-ion batteries. This perspective provides a comparative overview of the major developments in the area of positive and negative electrode materials in both Li-ion and Na-ion batteries in the past decade. Highlighted are concepts in solid state chemistry and electrochemistry that have provided new opportunities for tailored design that can be extended to many different electrode materials for sodium-ion batteries.
Tin anodes show a rich structure and reaction chemistry which we have investigated in detail. Upon discharge five plateaus are observed corresponding to β-Sn, an unidentified phase (Na/Sn = 0.6), an amorphous phase (Na/Sn = 1.2), a hexagonal R-3m Na5Sn2, and fully sodiated I-43d Na15Sn4. With charging there are six plateaus related to the formation of Na5Sn2 followed by the formation of amorphous phases and β-Sn. Upon cycling the formation of metastable Na5Sn2 seems to be suppressed. Theoretical voltages calculated from existing crystal structures using DFT provide a good match with constant current and quasi-equilibrium measurements (GITT). Search for additional (meta)stable phases using cluster-expansion method predicts many phases lower in energy than the convex hull obtained from known structures, including the R-3m Na5Sn2 phase. The presence of multiple phases in varying lattices with similar formation energy suggests why the reaction mechanism is non-reversible. 119Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy results indicate a decrease of the isomer shift with increasing Na/Sn content, which is less pronounced than for Li–Sn compounds likely due to the lower electropositivity of Na. The electrode surface is terminated with an SEI layer rich in carbonates (Na2CO3 and Na CO3R) as evidenced by XPS. After charge at 2 V, strong evidence for the formation of oxidized Sn4+ is obtained. Subjecting the electrode to a rest after charge at 2 V reveals that aging in the electrolyte reduces the oxidized Sn4+ into Sn2+ and Sn0, and concomitantly suppresses the electrolyte decomposition represented by an anomalous discharge plateau at 1.2 V. Thereby, the catalytic decomposition of the electrolyte during discharge is caused by nanosized Sn particles covered by oxidized Sn4+ and not by pure metallic Sn.
Objective Past reports have found patients with comorbid depression and schizophrenia spectrum disorders exhibit greater deficits in memory and attention compared to schizophrenia spectrum disorder patients without depressive symptoms. However, in contrast to younger schizophrenia patients, the few past studies using cognitive screens to examine the relationship between depression and cognition in inpatient geriatric schizophrenia have found that depressive symptomatology was associated with relatively enhanced cognitive performance. In the current study we examined the relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive deficits in geriatric schizophrenia spectrum disorder patients (n=71; mean age=63.7) on an acute psychiatric inpatient service. Method Patients completed a battery of cognitive tests assessing memory, attention and global cognition. Symptom severity was assessed via the PANSS and Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia. Results Results revealed that geriatric patients' depression severity predicted enhancement of their attentional and verbal memory performance. Patients' global cognitive functioning and adaptive functioning were not associated with their depression severity. Conclusion Contrary to patterns typically seen in younger patients and non-patient groups, increasing depression severity is associated with enhancement of memory and attention in geriatric schizophrenia spectrum disorder patients. Also, diverging from younger samples, depression severity was unassociated with patients adaptive and global cognitive functioning.
Emission measurement programmes were carried out at industrial plants in several regions of Germany to determine the fine dust in the waste gases; the PM10, PM2.5 and PM1.0 fractions were sampled using a cascade impactor technique. The installations tested included plants used for: combustion (brown coal, heavy fuel oil, wood), cement production, glass production, asphalt mixing, and processing plants for natural stones and sand, ceramics, metallurgy, chemical production, spray painting, wood processing/chip drying, poultry farming and waste treatment. In addition waste gas samples were taken from small-scale combustion units, like domestic stoves, firing lignite briquettes or wood. In total 303 individual measurement results were obtained during 106 different measurement campaigns. In the study it was found that in more than 70% of the individual emission measurement results from industrial plants and domestic stoves the PM10 portion amounted to more than 90% and the PM2.5 portion between 50% and 90% of the total PM (particulate matter) emission. For thermal industrial processes the PM1.0 portion constituted between 20% and 60% of the total PM emission. Typical particle size distributions for different processes were presented as cumulative frequency distributions and as frequency distributions. The particle size distributions determined for the different plant types show interesting similarities and differences depending on whether the processes are thermal, mechanical, chemical or mixed. Consequently, for the groups of plant investigated, a major finding of this study has been that the particle size distribution is a characteristic of the industrial process. Attempts to correlate particle size distributions of different plants to different gas cleaning technologies did not lead to usable results.
Quantitative influence and underlying mechanisms of nutrient stoichiometry on mineralization of native Soil organic C (SOC) and straw C in different aggregate classes from cultivated and non-cultivated soils are still unclear. Soil samples (Mollisols) from a native woodlot and a farmland converted from woodlot were sieved into three aggregate classes (mega-aggregates (6.3-2 mm), macro-aggregates (2-0.25 mm), and micro-aggregates (< 0.25 mm)) and incubated (180 days) under different nutrient rates (nil, low, and high supplies of N and P) with or without 13C-enriched straw amendment. Significantly higher percentage of native SOC was mineralized from mega- and macro-aggregates (65.8-82.2%) compared with micro-aggregates (48.3-52.0%) in woodlot soil. Nutrient addition significantly increased aggregate-associated C in both soils with straw, and the increase was greater in farmland than in woodlot soil and in large-sized aggregates than in micro-aggregates. These results suggested that large aggregates serve as a C reservoir of labile C, while micro-aggregates that contained C was not easily mineralized even with abundant nutrients. Differences of C mineralization among aggregate size classes were significant in woodlot soil but not in farmland soil. Depletion of SOC was greater with increasing nutrient addition rates in farmland aggregates without straw, while the depletion in woodlot aggregates showed no difference among nutrient treatments, suggesting that microbial activity was nutrient-limited in farmland aggregates. The results improved our knowledge on SOC mineralization in response to residue-nutrient management in different aggregate classes from cultivated and non-cultivated soils, which have important implications for strategies to improve soil fertility or mitigate climate change via increased SOC.
Stable and durable piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) with good flexibility, high performance and superior radiation resistance under harsh environments are promising for space exploration. Here, a novel PENG based on P(VDF-TrFE)/boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) nanocomposite micropillar arrays with enhanced performance and excellent neutron radiation shielding is prepared by a reliable nanoimprint lithography. The PENG comprised of a microstructured P(VDF-TrFE)/0.3 wt% BNNTs nanocomposite demonstrates an outstanding output voltage of 22 V and a sensitivity of 55 V/MPa under the pressure of 0.4 MPa, which are 11-fold higher than those of pristine P(VDF-TrFE) film. This dramatic enhancement in performance is ascribed to synergistic contributions from strong piezoelectric BNNTs and a strain confinement effect of the nanocomposite microstructure. In practice, the PENG is capable of scavenging various mechanical and biomechanical energy for lighting up commercial LEDs, an LCD screen and a digital watch. More importantly, the as-obtained PENG exhibited 9% neutron radiation shielding with neutron cross section increase reaching 260% when compared to the film without BNNTs. Moreover, the high output is retained after 2 h of neutron radiation exposure. Overall, the as-prepared microstructured nanocomposites look promising for high-efficiency piezoelectric nanogenerators for the self-powered and wearable electronic devices, in particularly, under the extreme space environments.