batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
The objective of this study was to prepare periodontal gels using natural polymers such as badam gum, karaya gum and chitosan. These gels were tested for their physical and biochemical properties and assessed for their antibacterial activity against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Streptococcus mutans, two pathogens associated with periodontal disease. Badam gum, karaya gum and chitosan were used to prepare gels of varying concentrations. Moxifloxacin hydrochloride, a known antimicrobial drug was choosen in the present study and it was added to the above gels. The gels were then run through a battery of tests in order to determine their physical properties such as pH and viscosity. Diffusion studies were carried out on the gels containing the drug. Antimicrobial testing of the gels against various bacteria was then carried out to determine the effectiveness of the gels against these pathogens. The results showed that natural polymers can be used to produce gels. These gels do not have inherent antimicrobial properties against A. actinomycetemcomitans and S. mutans. However, they can be used as a transport vehicle to carry and release antimicrobial drugs.
Agrammatic aphasia can be observed in neurodegenerative disorders and has been traditionally linked with damage to Broca's area, although there have been disagreements concerning whether damage to Broca's area is necessary or sufficient for the development of agrammatism. We aimed to investigate the neuroanatomical correlates of the emergence of agrammatic aphasia utilizing a unique cohort of patients with primary progressive apraxia of speech (PPAOS) that did not have agrammatism at baseline but developed agrammatic aphasia over time. Twenty PPAOS patients were recruited and underwent detailed speech/language assessments and 3T MRI at two visits, approximately two years apart. None of the patients showed evidence of agrammatism in writing or speech at baseline. Eight patients developed aphasia at follow-up (progressors) and 12 did not (non-progressors). Tensor-based morphometry utilizing symmetric normalization (SyN) was used to assess patterns of grey matter atrophy and voxel-based morphometry was used to assess patterns of grey matter loss at baseline. The progressors were younger at onset and more likely to show distorted sound substitutions or additions compared to non-progressors. Both groups showed change over time in premotor and motor cortices, posterior frontal lobe, basal ganglia, thalamus and midbrain, but the progressors showed greater rates of atrophy in left pars triangularis, thalamus and putamen compared to non-progressors. The progressors also showed greater grey matter loss in pars triangularis and putamen at baseline. This cohort provided a unique opportunity to assess the anatomical changes that accompany the development of agrammatic aphasia. The results suggest that damage to a network of regions including Broca's area, thalamus and basal ganglia are responsible for the development of agrammatic aphasia in PPAOS. Clinical and neuroimaging abnormalities were also present before the onset of agrammatism that could help improve prognosis in these subjects.
The key to the effective management of healthcare wastes is segregation of the waste at the point of generation; no matter what final strategy for treatment and disposal of wastes is selected, it is critical that waste streams are separated. In Ethiopia, healthcare waste segregation practice among healthcare workers is overlooked and scarcely addressed in the scientific literature. This hospital-based cross-sectional study was, therefore, conducted to assess healthcare waste segregation practice and its correlate among healthcare workers in Bale zone, southeast Ethiopia.
Although integrating the thermoelectric device (TED) to fuel cells (FC) is a promising way to improve the overall system’s output efficiency, its application to the micro-combined heat and power (μCHP) application requires an effective energy management strategy. Therefore, this paper aims to develop a real time energy management strategy (EMS) that intelligently allows the FC and TED to cooperatively minimize primary energy consumption and startup time while properly balancing energy in the energy storage components. This EMS is unique in that it includes TED’s mode of operation and FC and TED’s operating powers as controller parameters for a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) controller. As such, it regulates FC and water tank temperatures and the electric battery’s state of charge. The proposed overall system is tested under 3 dynamic simulations that include startup from ambient and satisfying the energy demands during a winter and summer day. Results demonstrate that adding the TED has reduced startup times by up to 4.45 and 1.77 times for the 1 kW FC stack and 50 kg water tank respectively. Primary energy consumption efficiencies also improved by up to 3.4% in winter and 5.6% in summer when the TED is included into the system.
Background: Depression is a common disorder in the elderly. Use of certain medications may be a potentially preventablecause of new-onset depression or worsening of established depression. Objective: This paper reviews recent publications evaluating medications commonly used in the elderly as potential causes of depressive symptoms. Methods: Relevant articles examining the association between medication use and symptoms of depression wereidentified through searches of MEDLINE (1996-March 2005) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1996–March 2005) using the McSH heading depression and the subheading chemically induced. Included articles were limited to those that discussed medications commonly used in the elderly and that employed a rigorous study design. Results: A wide variety of medications have been implicated as potential causes of depressive symptoms in numerous reports, although many of these reports relied on data obtained from observational rather than experimental studies. The most extensively studied agents include anti hypertensives, lipid-lowering drugs, and selective estrogen-receptor modulators. The data on antihypertensive agents were contradictory; however, most studies found no association between use of the newer lipid-lowering drugs (statins) or selective estrogen-receptor modulators and the emergence of depressive symptoms. Corticosteroids, although not studied recently, generally have been associated with depressive symptoms in the older literature. Conclusions: The recent data evaluating whether medications can induce or worsen symptoms of depression arelargely contradictory. This reflects a relative lack of controlled studies of this association and the difficulties in determining whether depressive symptoms are caused by a particular medication or by other factors. Nonetheless, when new or worsening symptoms of depression occur, medications should be considered a potential cause and withdrawn as appropriate. Nonpharmacologic and/or pharmacologic treatment is indicated for those whose depressive symptoms do not resolve.
We report the epitaxial growth of the LiNi1−y M y O2 films (M=Co, Co–Al) on heated nickel foil using pulsed laser deposition in oxygen environment from lithium-rich targets. The structure and morphology was characterized by X-ray diffractometry, electron scanning microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Data reveal that the formation of oriented films is dependent on two important parameters: the substrate temperature and the gas pressure during ablation. The charge–discharge process conducted in Li-microcells demonstrates that effective high specific capacities can be obtained with films 1.35μm thick. Stable capacities of 83 and 92μAhcm−2 μm are available in the potential range 4.2–2.5V for LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 and LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 films, respectively. The self-diffusion coefficient of Li ions determined from galvanostatic intermittent titration experiments is found to be 4×10−12 cm2 s−1.
The deposition of MnO2 spheres on a TiO2 nanotube arrays substrate are achieved via a sequential chemical bath deposition (SCBD) method for an application of anode materials in supercapacitors. The electrochemical performance of the MnO2–TiO2 composite electrode is observed to show a strong dependence on the MnO2 loading mass, which could be adjusted by repeating the SCBD treatment for several cycles. The optimized doses of MnO2 loaded MnO2–TiO2 and MnO2–Ti samples are compared in terms of their areal capacitance studies and the former is of 175 and 101 mF cm−2 at a scan rate of 10 and 100 mV s−1, respectively, which are 1.52-fold and 1.51-fold of that of the latter sample at corresponding scan rates. The enhancement in areal capacitance has been accounted to the progressive effect of the TiO2 tubular substrate on the capacitive behavior of the loaded MnO2 rather than the different MnO2 loading mass on these two substrates. Impedance analysis reveals this enhanced electrochemical activity is owing to the tubular structure of the TiO2 substrate provides an increased reaction area and facilitates the contact of electrolyte with the active MnO2 material. This work justified the suitability of using the TiO2 nanotube arrays for constructing high-performance supercapacitors.
In this paper the design and simulation of two renewable-based standalone energy systems for application in two different locations are carried out. More specifically, the systems examined are a standalone PV system and a standalone hybrid PV–Wind system. The locations considered are those of Nicosia, Cyprus and Nice, France. These two locations have similar Mediterranean climates with different wind potential and slightly different solar irradiation levels which lead to interesting conclusions concerning the application of such systems. Since both systems are standalone, the energy produced is stored in a battery bank. The software used for the modeling and simulation processes is TRNSYS. The results of this paper define the optimal type and size of the renewable-based system to be applied in each of the locations examined at the minimum system cost. Additionally, a comparison of the two systems for both locations in terms of technical and economic aspects is presented where it is concluded that the type of the system to be used in each case is directly depended on the climatic characteristics of the specific location. More specifically, for Nicosia the solely PV system provides a better option than the PV–Wind hybrid system while in Nice the opposite is the case.
Dizziness is a common presenting symptom in the emergency department (ED). The HINTS exam, a battery of bedside clinical tests, has been shown to have greater sensitivity than neuroimaging in ruling out stroke in patients presenting with acute vertigo. The present study sought to assess practice patterns in the assessment of patients in the ED with peripherally-originating vertigo with respect to utilization of HINTS and neuroimaging.
The objectives of this study were to explore associations between autistic traits and self-reported clinical symptoms in a population with anorexia nervosa (AN). Experimental and self-report evidence reveals similarities between AN and autism spectrum condition (ASC) populations in socio-emotional and cognitive domains; this includes difficulties with empathy, set-shifting and global processing. Focusing on these similarities may lead to better tailored interventions for both conditions.
Improved carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) are needed to fulfill the goal of producing food, feed, fuel, chemicals, and materials from biomass. Little is known about how the diverse microbial communities in anaerobic digesters (ADs) metabolize carbohydrates or which CAZymes that are present, making the ADs a unique niche to look for CAZymes that can potentiate the enzyme blends currently used in industry.
The Social Web holds significant value for consumer intelligence. Today, tremendous valuable information behind the social Web has not yet been fully utilized by firms to achieve competitive advantages. In this paper, we propose a machine learning approach to model latent, heterogeneous consumer tastes from social Web reviews. Our approach employs the Mixture of Experts (ME) method to derive a set of distinct consumer clusters, each of which has a cluster-conditional taste template regression model. Furthermore, our approach is able to predict the cluster membership as well as the overall response solely from a consumer’s review ratings. We provide system architecture, model specification, and result analysis. We also compare the ME model with the Latent Regression Model. In practice, our ME learning approach will enable businesses to identify distinct consumer clusters directly from the social Web in order to satisfy consumers through customization and differentiation based on cluster-specific taste templates and cluster membership.
Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery systems are emerging as a competitive technology in the power electronics and tool market and for electric and hybrid vehicle applications. The ability to rapid charging the NiMH batteries can greatly enhance their market acceptance and penetration. We have demonstrated the possibility of rapid charging a commercial NiMH traction battery system at high rates. This paper will discuss the mechanism that limits the rapid charging capability of the system. We will further discuss how to control the charging process.
A novel binder-free reduced graphene oxide/silicon (RGO/Si) composite anode has been fabricated by a facile doctor-blade coating method. The relatively low C/O ratio plays an important role for the fabrication of the bind-free multilayered RGO/Si electrode with silicon nanoparticles encapsulating among the RGO sheet layers. The RGO provides the electron transport pathway and prevents the electrode fracture caused by the volume changes of active silicon particles during cycling. The RGO/Si composite anode with a silicon content of 66.7% delivers a reversible capacity of 1931 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 and still remains 92% of the initial capacity after 50 cycles.
Electron and ion transfer numbers, electroconductivity, density, and concentrations of Cu+ and Cu2+ in molten salt mixtures of CuCl–CuCl2–MeCl (Me=Li, Na, K, Cs) were measured at a partial pressure of chlorine over the melt equal to the atmospheric pressure in the temperature interval from 800 to 1000 K. Partial values of ion and electron transfers and the molar volume of the melts were determined. Mobility of electrons was estimated. The electron transfer number was a maximum in the CuCl–CuCl2 melt with t c equal to 0.9. When chlorides of alkali metals were added to the CuCl–CuCl2 melt, the electron component of electroconductivity was preserved up to 90, 65, 60, and 50 mol.% LiCl, NaCl, KCl, and CsCl, respectively. A mechanism of the electron transfer in the test melts was proposed.
The current study investigated the recognition of faces of senior citizens in the context of a Silver Alert. Literature on face recognition and eyewitness identification has consistently found recognition failure due to factors such as Own-Age Bias, the Other-Race Effect, and Own-Gender Bias. Participants viewed a video of people in a naturalistic setting, a park. The target, an elderly woman, wore either typical clothing or atypical clothing (nightgown), was not present or was not present but replaced with a different senior. We measured accuracy, confidence, reaction time, and Prediction-of-Knowing in relation to type of clothing worn by the target as well as age, race, and gender of participants. We hypothesized that recognition of the target senior would be low but would be higher when the woman appeared in a nightgown (matching the stereotype of an individual with dementia) as compared to typical clothing. We did not find age, race, and gender effects on target recognition. We offer possible explanations for both significant and non-significant results as they apply to the unique population of missing elderly adults.
Highly ordered mesoporous Si/C (OMP-Si/C) anode composite for lithium ion battery is fabricated by a moderate magnesiothermic reduction and carbon coating using SBA-15 as a precursor. The synthesized OMP-Si/C composite rods preserve the original nanostructure of ordered honeycomb pore channels in SBA-15 and link one by one to form lotus-root-like chains which tightly agglutinate into bundles with a high packing density. A liquid ambient reaction model is also proposed to describe the reaction mechanism between SBA-15 and magnesium powder and the formation of this unusual highly ordered mesoporous structure at temperature of 660°C. The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption, and Raman spectroscopy. The highly ordered mesoporous structure provides buffering space to accommodate the large volume expansion/contraction and consequent stress induced inside silicon during Li+ insertion/extraction. Furthermore, this mesoporous structure can also provide transportation routes for electrolyte and shorten the diffusion paths for lithium ions. The carbon coating on mesoporous silicon can provide electronically conductive networks for the electrode. These effectively mitigate silicon pulverization issue and help achieve higher reversible capacity and better capacity retention. The excellent electrochemical performance of this highly ordered mesoporous Si/C shows its promising applications in anode materials for Li-ion batteries.
Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) based positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material with a transition temperature (T c ) of 90 °C is proposed and successfully fabricated in this study. It is further introduced into LiFePO4 cathode by directly mixing it with LiFePO4 powder, binder and conductive carbon or sandwiching it between the current collector and LiFePO4 electrode membrane. Thus obtained LiFePO4/PTC composite electrodes both show a self-current-limiting effect at 90 °C. The electrochemical properties of the LiFePO4/PTC composite electrodes are determined in terms of galvanostatic charging/discharging, cyclic voltammograms and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. Comparing with bare LiFePO4 electrode, both LiFePO4/PTC composite electrodes show no degradation in cycling stability, rate capability and electrochemical kinetic property at room temperature. The results indicate that the proposed LiFePO4/PTC composite electrode with the suitable T c of 90 °C can effectively prevent thermal runaway before the occurrence of side reactions and better protect lithium ion battery during the abnormal temperature increasing.
The need to reduce pollutant emissions and utilise the world’s available energy resources more efficiently has led to increased attention towards e.g. fuel cells, but also to other alternative energy solutions. In order to further understand and evaluate the prerequisites for sustainable and energy-saving systems, ABB and Fortum have equipped an environmental information centre, located in Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm, Sweden, with an alternative energy system. The system is being used to demonstrate and evaluate how a system based on fuel cells and solar cells can function as a complement to existing electricity and heat production. The stationary energy system is situated on the top level of a three-floor glass building and is open to the public. The alternative energy system consists of a fuel cell system, a photovoltaic (PV) cell array, an electrolyser, hydrogen storage tanks, a biogas burner, dc/ac inverters, heat exchangers and an accumulator tank. The fuel cell system includes a reformer and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) with a maximum rated electrical output of 4kWel and a maximum thermal output of 6.5kWth. The fuel cell stack can be operated with reformed biogas, or directly using hydrogen produced by the electrolyser. The cell stack in the electrolyser consists of proton exchange membrane (PEM) cells. To evaluate different automatic control strategies for the system, a simplified dynamic model has been developed in MATLAB Simulink. The model based on measurement data taken from the actual system. The evaluation is based on demand curves, investment costs, electricity prices and irradiation. Evaluation criteria included in the model are electrical and total efficiencies as well as economic parameters.
We examine the aging and degradation of graphite/composite metal oxide cells. Non-destructive electrochemical methods were used to monitor the capacity loss, voltage drop, resistance increase, lithium loss, and active material loss during the life testing. The cycle life results indicated that the capacity loss was strongly impacted by the rate, temperature, and depth of discharge (DOD). Lithium loss and active electrode material loss were studied by the differential voltage method; we find that lithium loss outpaces active material loss. A semi-empirical life model was established to account for both calendar-life loss and cycle-life loss. For the calendar-life equation, we adopt a square root of time relation to account for the diffusion limited capacity loss, and an Arrhenius correlation is used to capture the influence of temperature. For the cycle life, the dependence on rate is exponential while that for time (or charge throughput) is linear.
A portable proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell–battery power system that uses hydrogen as fuel has a higher power density than conventional batteries, and it is one of the most promising environmentally friendly small-scale alternative energy sources. A general methodology of modeling, control and building of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell–battery system is introduced in this study. A set of fuel cell–battery power system models have been developed and implemented in the Simulink environment. This model is able to address the dynamic behaviors of a PEM fuel cell stack, a boost DC/DC converter and a lithium-ion battery. To control the power system and thus achieve proper performance, a set of system controllers, including a PEM fuel cell reactant supply controller and a power management controller, were developed based on the system model. A physical 100W PEM fuel cell–battery power system with an embedded micro controller was built to validate the simulation results and to demonstrate this new environmentally friendly power source. Experimental results demonstrated that the 100W PEM fuel cell–battery power system operated automatically with the varying load conditions as a stable power supply. The experimental results followed the basic trend of the simulation results.
This study presents the preparation and electrochemical performance of cobalt-doped Li2FeSiO4/C (Co-doped LFS/C) composite by using a solid-state reaction assisted with refluxing process. The Co-doped LFS/C composite delivers a higher discharge capacity of 142.5 mAh g−1 at 3.0 C even after 100 cycles compared with pristine LFS/C. A clear feature of cobalt-doping in Li2FeSiO4 has been specified by X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy coupled with Ar-ion sputtering, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. It is confirmed that Co has been successfully doped into the lattice of LFS, and Co-doping does not change the monoclinic structure of LFS and the oxidation state of Fe. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy analysis further demonstrates that Co-doping increases the defect concentration and the electronic conductivity of LFS. The results clarify the nature of cobalt-doping in LFS and are helpful for understanding the enhancement mechanism of the electrochemical performance of LFS and other cathode materials.