batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Si–TiN alloys were prepared by reactive gas mechanical milling of Si and Ti powders in N2(g) for use as anode materials in Li-ion cells. This is a low-cost and simple method to prepare Si–TiN anode materials. As a comparison, Si–TiN alloys were also synthesized more conventionally by ball milling Si and TiN powders in Ar. Both Si–TiN alloys have similar phase compositions, however the Si–TiN alloys prepared by N2 reactive gas milling have a more homogenous TiN distribution at the nanometer-scale. As a consequence, Si–TiN alloys prepared by N2 reactive gas milling where much more resistant to Li15Si4 formation during cycling in Li-cells, resulting in improved cell performance.
Abstract Neutron reflectometry offers unique benefits for nanolayer research in green chemistry by providing accurate depth profiles of thin films and interfaces with subnanometer precision, under in operando condition, of active material in their native environments. Advantages of this technique include sensitivity to light elements, isotopic contrast control (which enables elemental depth profiles or labeling of specific features or reactants of interest), and the ability to penetrate complex and multimodal sample environments. This chapter focuses on the most stringent example in green chemistry, in operando electrochemistry. Because neutron reflectometry is not widely utilized, this chapter provides an introduction, literature review, theoretical basis, practical guides to data collection and analysis, examples, best practices, and future advances, with the goal of making this technique more comprehensible by scientists reviewing or applying neutron reflectometry research results, and making it more accessible to a wider range of experimenters.
Patient activation refers to patients’ knowledge, skills, and confidence in self-managing health conditions. In large cross-sectional studies, individuals with higher patient activation are observed to have better health outcomes with the assumption that they are more engaged in health self-management. However, the association between patient activation and objectively measured self-care indicators in individuals can be inconsistent. This research investigated the role of patient activation as measured by the UK Patient Activation Measure (PAM-13) in adults with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). The aims were twofold: to explore how adults with CF interpret and respond to the PAM-13; and to investigate the association between PAM-13 and objectively measured nebuliser adherence in UK adults with CF.
In this study, a novel electrode material, modified activated carbon aerogel, has been developed for electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs). This novel material was produced by the activation of carbon aerogel under CO2 flow, followed by surface modification with a surfactant, sodium oleate. It has been characterized by BET measurement and BJH method for its surface area and pore-size distribution, and by constant-current charge–discharge technique, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectrum (EIS) for its specific capacitance, equivalent series resistance and power capability. It was found that, after the surface modification, the wettability of the organic electrolyte based on non-polar organic solvent (i.e., propylene carbonate) to the activated carbon aerogel was improved greatly, which resulted in a lower internal resistance and a higher usable surface area. As results, a higher specific capacitance, energy density and power capability were achieved for the capacitor using the modified activated carbon aerogel electrodes than those without the surface modification. The effects from the surface modification became more significant at higher charge–discharge rates, at which the wettability of the electrolyte to the electrode material usually becomes more important and critical.
Bulrushes of the genus Bolboschoenus are robust, ecologically important sedges occurring in wetlands, including intertidal marshes and mudflats. Despite their importance and multiple serious threats to their habitats, estuarine Bolboschoenus species remain poorly known. We conducted herbarium and field research in order to document historic and current geographic distributions, characterize the habitats, and assess the conservation status of Bolboschoenus species in the Hudson River Estuary, New York, U.S.A. Three species of Bolboschoenus grow in intertidal zones in the Hudson Estuary. Bolboschoenus fluviatilis occurs in the northern, upstream, and freshwater portion of the estuary with multi-year mean surface salinities of 0.078–2.0 ppt. Bolboschoenus robustus occupies the southernmost, downstream, and brackish to saline portion of the estuary with salinities of 4.9–16 ppt. Bolboschoenus novae-angliae occurs in the slightly to strongly brackish region between the other two species with salinities of 1.8–8.0 ppt. The geographic ranges of B. fluviatilis and B. robustus do not overlap, but B. novae-angliae has short zones of sympatry with each of the other two species. Syntopy of B. novae-angliae with each of the other two species is rare. In the Hudson Estuary, B. fluviatilis is secure, but B. novae-angliae and B. robustus are critically imperiled. Threats to future survival of Bolboschoenus species in the Hudson Estuary include competition from invasive plant species (especially Phragmites australis), eutrophication resulting from excess nutrient pollution, and habitat destruction. Our data and analyses provide critical new information for management of existing environmental problems and planned habitat restoration efforts in the Hudson River Estuary.
Air activity concentrations of 7Be in Palermo determined for the period January 1995–December 2002 by γ-ray spectrometric analysis of particulate samples collected on paper filter by a high-volume sampler (~900 m3 h−1) are reported. The temporal behaviour of 7Be concentration presents the same characteristics already observed in the measurements carried out over the previous 13-year (1982–1994) investigated period. The mean value of 5.06 mBq m−3 obtained from the analysis of the 4636 particulate samples collected from 1982 to 2002 can be considered a representative value of 7Be air concentration at ground level in our geographical zone. The comparison of long-term variation in the 7Be concentrations with the cyclic solar activity—extended to the whole period of 21 years—confirms the inverse correlation between the two quantities.
The effect of four electroactive anions, [Fe(CN)6]4−, [Ru(CN)6]4−, [Mo(CN)8]4− and [IrCl6]2− , on the electrochromic properties of Ni–Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) films was investigated. The presence of these ions, either in solution or pre-adsorbed in the LDH was found to greatly improve the reversibility of the color changes observed upon oxidation–reduction of nickel in the LDH layers. For example, the relative transmittance of a LDH pre-exchanged with [Fe(CN)6]4− recorded in situ during a potential scan dropped to 67% on oxidation and returned to 99.9% on reduction. These color changes could be sustained over multiple potential scans. The contrast between the colored and bleached states (ΔOD) remained almost constant at 0.17 for at least forty scans. This improvement in the electrochromic response of the films is attributed to mediation of the redox process in the LDH by the anions that resulted in the full reduction of all nickel sites back to Ni(II). In the absence of mediator, the electrochemical reduction of nickel in LDH films is very slow. Oxidized nickel sites accumulated in the films and cause a rapid darkening. Electron transfer between electroactive anions in solutions or adsorbed in the films and the electrochemically oxidized nickel sites is supported by for the large enhancements of the peak for reduction of the anions observed in the CVs. It is also confirmed by iodometry measurements showing the electrochemical oxidation of the LDH nickel sites to be fully reversible in presence of the anions. This was not the case when the oxidation was done in blank borate buffer.
The electrooxidation of formic acid, potentially important for future fuel cells, was investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and in situ infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) both on a pure and on a copper-modified Pd(111)-electrode in sulphuric acid solutions. In situ IR spectra recorded under open-circuit conditions exhibit several vibrational bands in the carbonyl region characteristic of “free” and adsorbed formic acid as well as of decomposition intermediates. A detailed analysis of the intensity of the bands as a function of time leads to a reaction mechanism for the mere “catalytic” oxidation of formic acid at the Pd(111)/electrolyte interface. The “electro-catalytic” oxidation of formic acid under potential control starting above 0.35V is investigated by following the evolution of carbon dioxide as a function of electrode potential. IR measurements at different but constant potentials point to an electronic structure of the solid/liquid interface in the open-circuit HCOOH/Pd(111)–H2SO4 system which resembles that at an electrode potential of about 0.4V. Modification of the Pd(111) surface is achieved by copper deposition from a Cu2+/HCOOH/H2SO4 solution. Simultaneously, the influence of the foreign metal on the electro-catalytic oxidation of formic acid is studied in dependence on the potential scan direction. In the positive-going scan copper deposited on Pd(111) at cathodic potential inhibits the electro-catalytic oxidation of formic acid below 0.45V by blocking catalytically active Pd sites. Conversely, during the negative-going scan the Cu2+/HCOOH/Pd(111)–H2SO4 system shows an increased oxidation activity between 0.6V and 0.2V due to a direct redox reaction between copper ions and formic acid. The amount of copper deposited on the surface was determined by ex situ Auger Electron Spectroscopy after a contamination free sample transfer into UHV.
Electrolyte design or functional development is very effective at promoting the performance of sodium-ion batteries, which are attractive for electrochemical energy storage devices due to abundant sodium resources and low cost. This review discusses recent advances on electrolytes for sodium-ion batteries and comprehensive electrolyte design strategies for various materials systems as well as functional applications. The discussion is divided into three electrolyte types: liquid, solid state, and gel state. Liquid electrolytes are further divided into different solvent types, including organic carbonate ester, ether, ionic liquid, and water. Solid-state electrolytes also contain two types: solid polymer and glass–ceramic composite. The challenges and prospects of electrolytes for sodium-ion batteries are discussed as well.
Mixed silicon–graphite anode materials have been prepared by means of simple mechanical milling process. Research reveals that the microstructural changes, accompanying the electrochemical alloying/de-alloying operations, lead to a macrostructural deformation of the anodes. The key step for improving of such composites therefore could be sought in alternative electrode configurations or textures, preserving the electrodes from the detrimental effect of silicon hosts volume variations.
Introduction Donepezil is a widely used cholinesterase inhibitor in the management of Alzheimer's disease. Despite large-scaled evidence for its efficacy, elevated peripheral ACh levels often lead to side effects and are dose limiting. The present exploratory study is designed to determine the potentiation of the effects of donepezil by cotreatment with EVP-6124, an alpha-7 nicotinic agonist, to reduce scopolamine-induced cognitive deficits in healthy elderly subjects. Secondary objectives are to explore safety and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics effects of EVP-6124 alone and in combination with donepezil compared to placebo. Methods A phase I randomized, single-center, placebo-controlled, double-blind, five-way, partial crossover study was performed with donepezil 2.5, 5 mg or placebo combined with EVP-6124 0.3, 1, 2, 4 mg or placebo in three cohorts of healthy elderly subjects in a scopolamine (0.3 mg i.v.) challenge test. Safety, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamics outcomes were assessed. Results A total of 36 subjects completed the study. Donepezil pharmacokinetic parameters were similar with and without EVP-6124. Effective dose combinations were donepezil/EVP-6124(5/2 mg) and donepezil/EVP-6124 (5/0.3 mg) and showed improvements of the delayed recall of the Visual Verbal Learning Test (1.2; CI = 0.1–2.3) and reaction time during the two-back condition of the N-back (−42; CI = −77, −8), respectively. Overall, no marked reversal of scopolamine effects was observed. Discussion This study shows no synergistic effect of subtherapeutic doses of donepezil and EVP-6124 in a scopolamine challenge model in healthy elderly subjects. Dosing of scopolamine and the combination of donepezil and EVP-6124 requires further study.
The rapid development and integration of heterogeneous wireless networks provide ubiquitous communications for mobile users. The intelligent and multimodal mobile terminals should select the best access network at any time anywhere. However, the “best” is a complex and fuzzy concept, which has different meanings to different users and even to the same user under different conditions. There are various factors to consider when deciding which one is the best for a mobile terminal. In this paper, we design a generalized and flexible framework for the access network selection in heterogeneous wireless networks. The framework is generalized because it considers various factors in a comprehensive way to get the solutions. These factors can be classified as network-related or user-related, economic or non-economic, objective or subjective, accurate or fuzzy. Meanwhile, the framework is also flexible because these factors can be customized and adapted to specific solutions. Under the framework, given N mobile terminals and M access networks, we have developed a novel access network selection scheme based on a Quantum-inspired Immune Clonal Algorithm (QICA). Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed scheme provides better utilities for both the users and the access networks, and also better services for users as compared with four other schemes.
Solvent-free P(EO)20LiTFSI+PYR14TFSI polymer electrolyte films with PYR14 +/Li+ mole ratios ranging from 0.96 to 3.22 were prepared by hot-pressing mixtures composed of PEO, LiTFSI and PYR14TFSI of selected stoichiometries. The PYR14TFSI room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) is homogeneously incorporated into the P(EO)20LiTFSI membrane without phase separation. For a PYR14 +/Li+ mole ratio of 3.22, the ionic conductivity was about 2×10−4 S/cm at 20°C, i.e., more than one order of magnitude higher than that of the RTIL-free electrolyte. The electrochemical stability window of the polymer electrolyte containing the RTIL was about 6V (versus Ag/Ag+). Li/V2O5 cells with the polymer electrolyte (PYR14 +/Li+ =1.92) showed a 60% capacity retention after 80 cycles at 40°C (the initial capacity was 210mAh/g). Li/V2O5 cells (PYR14 +/Li+ =1.28) held at 30°C delivered about 93mAh/g (at 0.057mA/cm2), which corresponds to approximately 34% utilization of the active material. These results suggest that the incorporation of the RTILs into PEO-based polymer electrolytes is very promising for the future realization of solid-state lithium metal polymer batteries operating near ambient temperatures.
Resting state functional connectivity research has shown that general cognitive ability (GCA) is associated with brain resilience to targeted and random attacks (TAs and RAs). However, it remains to be seen if the finding generalizes to structural connectivity. Furthermore, individuals showing performance levels at the very high area of the GCA distribution have not yet been analyzed in this regard. Here we study the relation between TAs and RAs to structural brain networks and GCA. Structural and diffusion-weighted MRI brain images were collected from 189 participants: 60 high cognitive ability (HCA) and 129 average cognitive ability (ACA) individuals. All participants completed a standardized fluid reasoning ability test and the results revealed an average HCA-ACA difference equivalent to 33 IQ points. Automated parcellation of cortical and subcortical nodes was combined with tractography to achieve an 82 × 82 connectivity matrix for each subject. Graph metrics were derived from the structural connectivity matrices. A simulation approach was used to evaluate the effects of recursively removing nodes according to their network centrality (TAs) versus eliminating nodes at random (RAs). HCA individuals showed greater network integrity at baseline and prior to network collapse than ACA individuals. These effects were more evident for TAs than RAs. The networks of HCA individuals were less degraded by the removal of nodes corresponding to more complex information processing stages of the PFIT network, and from removing nodes with larger empirically observed centrality values. Analyzed network features suggest quantitative instead of qualitative differences at different levels of the cognitive ability distribution.
The aim of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of the impact multinational enterprises (MNEs) innovative strategies have on the countries they localised their activities, particularly the so-called “intermediate countries”. By using micro-data of the 2003 Spanish Innovation Survey we investigate the situation in the manufacturing sector. A new perspective of that impact arises from the elaboration of a sectoral taxonomy of sectors by combining their revealed technological advantage with the evolution of their technological position in the world during 1993–2003, using for both purposes data of patents granted by the USPTO. We found MNEs subsidiaries show noticeable coincidences with domestic enterprises, after controlling most important fixed effects, in the way they organise their innovative activities. The importance of belonging to a group is absolutely clear and discriminates sharply between the relationships of the firms with the system and the impact they produce. As far as factors are concerned, the crucial role of size and some related aspects (notably, capability of integrating inner and outer sources of knowledge and human resources and funds availability) must be underlined. However, factors, which have to do more with the organisation of innovation more directly are less significant to differentiate the possible impact for the innovation system. The importance of sectoral categories reach in many estimations validate the taxonomy proposed as a way of better understanding the relationships of MNEs with the Spanish Innovation System.
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common, chronic, progressive and degenerative disease which affects patients’ quality of life and may cause disability and social isolation. OA is a huge economic burden for the patient and a large strain for the whole healthcare system. Articular cartilage has a small potential to repair, with progressively more clinicians emphasizing cellular therapy. Subcutaneous fat tissue in human body is a large reservoir of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and is been harvested in minimally invasive, simple procedure. Up to date there is no prospective randomized controlled studies demonstrating effectiveness and role of adipose tissue injections in OA treatment. The purpose of this study is to assess functional and clinical changes among patients with symptomatic knee OA treated with intra-articular injections of autologous adipose tissue or platelet rich plasma (PRP) and to compare efficacy of both therapeutic methods.
Films of PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone) and LiClO4 have been obtained by dip coating to be used as solid ionic conductors in transparent energy storage systems. The dependence of the ionic conductivity of PVP/LiClO4 films on temperature, lithium salt concentration, and residual solvent content or humidity has been studied. The films were used in a symmetrical supercapacitor (PEDOT/PVP/PEDOT). Whose behaviour with the aging time was analysed as well. It was observed that the experimental differences in the performance of a lithium ion based energy storage devices using these films as solid electrolyte may be due to changes in the residual content of the solvent used in their preparation or the hygroscopic nature of the electrolyte.
The electrochemical properties of nanocrystalline manganese oxide electrodes with rod-like structures were investigated to determine the effect of morphology, chemistry and crystal structure on the corresponding electrochemical behavior of manganese electrodes. Manganese oxide electrodes of high porosity composed of 1–1.5μm diameter rods were electrochemically synthesized by anodic deposition from a dilute solution of Mn(CH3COO)2 (manganese acetate) onto Au coated Si substrates without any surfactants, catalysts or templates under galvanostatic control. The morphology of the electrodes depended on the deposition current density, which greatly influenced the electrochemical performance of the capacitor. Electrochemical property and microstructure analyses of the manganese oxide electrodes were conducted using cyclic voltammetry and microstructural techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The synthesized rod-like manganese oxide electrodes at low current densities exhibited a high specific capacitance due to their large surface areas. The largest value obtained was 185Fg−1 for deposits produced at .5mAcm−2. Specific capacity retention for all deposits, after 250 charge–discharge cycles in an aqueous solution of 0.5M Na2SO4, was about 75% of the initial capacity.
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) is a restructuring of the MMPI-2 that has improved the psychometric characteristics of the test. The primary aim of this study was to provide diagnostic utility data on the MMPI-2-RF in an epilepsy monitoring unit population (N =429). Mean comparisons revealed group differences on Validity Scales Fs and FBS-r; Restructured Clinical Scales RC1 and RC3; and Somatic Scales MLS, GIC, HPC, and NUC. Diagnostic utility data are provided for those scales with the largest effect sizes: RC1, FBS-r, and NUC. On RC1, sensitivity was 76% and specificity was 60%, similar to values found when applying published decision rules to the MMPI-2. RC1 explains unique variance in diagnosis beyond that explained by demographic or medical history risk factors. We provide likelihood ratios for scores on RC1, FBS-r, and NUC that can be used by the clinician to calculate posttest odds and probability of nonepileptic seizures using the base rate of nonepileptic seizures in his/her population.
A series of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate(LiTf)/ethylene carbonate(EC)/sepiolite composite electrolytes have been prepared by melt compounding. Neat sepiolite, sepiolite coated with polyethylene glycol and with D-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate have been used as fillers, and nanocomposites with different ratio of the components have been prepared. The concentration of EC and LiTf has been progressively increased from low to high values and in this way, electrolytes with conductivities from 2×10−6 to 3×10−4 S cm−1 at 30°C have been prepared. Together with conductivity, viscoelasticity has also been studied, evidencing a complex rheological behaviour which depends on the type of filler introduced in the blend. Some of the thermoplastic electrolytes are seen to display a liquid-like conductivity together with solid-like mechanical properties over the melting point of PEO. The solid-like performance is featured by shear moduli crossover G’=G” at 75°C at very low frequencies. This combination of properties makes them appealing starting points for the development of solid polymer electrolytes.