batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Cycling performance and thermal stability of spinel LiMn2O4 cathode material synthesized by a sol–gel method are improved by surface modification with FeF3 through chemical deposition method. The phase structures, components and morphologies of pristine and FeF3-coated LiMn2O4 are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The cycling performances are thoroughly investigated and compared at room and high temperatures. The FeF3-coated LiMn2O4 electrodes display enhanced cycling stabilities compared with that of pristine LiMn2O4. Especially, the 5wt.% FeF3-coated LiMn2O4 demonstrates the best cycling performance, with the capacity retentions of 68.2% after 200 cycles at room temperature (25°C) and 61.5% after 100 cycles at elevated temperature (55°C), much better than those of the pristine materials, 49.8 and 40.2%. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) confirms that FeF3 modification layer improves the structure stability of LiMn2O4. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) data illustrate that FeF3 coating can suppress the fast growth of undesirable solid electrolyte interfacial (SEI) film. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) tests show that the existence of FeF3 helps to enhance the thermal stability of LiMn2O4 cathode.
The ε4 allele of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a well-established risk factor for late onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). This knowledge has generated interest in the role of ApoE variants in normal cognition. Varying degrees of cognitive dysfunction have been described in non-demented individuals with one or two ε4 alleles leading to suggestions that the gene plays a role in normal cognition or helps calibrate the aging process. In this paper, these hypotheses are critically evaluated. It is argued that ApoE variants play no role in cognitive development. Given the differential neurocognitive sequelae of normal aging and AD, we also suggest that accelerated aging is unlikely to account for the pattern of deficits observed in non-demented ε4 allele carriers. We conclude that the neuropsychological dysfunction reported in non-demented ε4 carriers is most likely to be the result of incipient AD.
In human biomonitoring, factors such as age, gender, smoking habit and alcohol consumption are usually considered and identified as agents that exert an impact on genotoxicity biomarkers. However, as a rule, factors like micronutrient status are not considered in biomonitoring studies. This paper reports on genotoxic damage in Pb-exposed workers using data obtained from the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) cytome assay and alkaline comet assay with silver staining, considering folate and vitamin B12 nutritional status. Analysis of the results showed that the Pb-exposed group presented a 24-fold higher Pb content in the blood compared to controls. The Pb-exposed workers presented significantly greater micronuclei (MNi) counts (Z =7.9583; p <0.0001) and DNA damage, assessed by the comet assay (DF: Z =7.7056; p <0.0001 and DI: Z =7.4749; p <0.0001), but no correlation with Pb blood concentrations were detected. These two groups did not differ significantly concerning folate and vitamin B12 levels. Regarding folate, it is possible that this similarity is associated with folic acid flour-enrichment, introduced in Brazil in 2004 to prevent neural tube defects. The mean folate level obtained in the Pb-exposed group was 6.18ng/ml. The subgroup of individuals with serum folate levels equal to or higher than the mean presented significantly higher MNi (Z =2.3776; p =0.017) and nucleoplasmic bridge (NPB) frequencies (Z =1.9850; p =0.047) in peripheral blood lymphocytes. A significant positive correlation was observed between the age of Pb-exposed workers and MNi frequencies (Γ =0.3328; p <0.001), NPBs (Γ =0.1832; p <0.042) and DNA damage assessed by the comet assay (DF: Γ =0.1764; p =0.035 and DI: Γ =0.11852; p =0.028). These findings suggest that high folate levels alone do not guarantee protection against genotoxic damage. Moreover, folic acid supplementation should be studied using more efficient approaches to determine safe amounts and potential deleterious effects.
In this paper, an integrated fiberoptic–microfluidic device for the detection of agglutination for blood type cross-matching has been described. The device consists of a straight microfluidic channel through with a reacted RBC suspension is pumped with the help of a syringe pump. The flow intersects an optical path created by an emitter-received fiber optic pair integrated into the microfluidic device. A 650 nm laser diode is used as the light source and a silicon photodiode is used to detect the light intensity. The spacing between the tips of the two optic fibers can be adjusted. When fiber spacing is large and the concentration of the suspension is high, scattering phenomenon becomes the dominant mechanism for agglutination detection while at low concentrations and small spacing, optointerruption becomes the dominant mechanism. An agglutination strength factor (ASF) is calculated from the data. Studies with a variety of blood types indicate that the sensing method correctly identifies the agglutination reaction in all cases. A disposable integrated device can be designed for future implementation of the method for near-bedside pre-transfusion check.
Motor theories of speech perception have been re-vitalized as a consequence of the discovery of mirror neurons. Some authors have even promoted a strong version of the motor theory, arguing that the motor speech system is critical for perception. Part of the evidence that is cited in favor of this claim is the observation from the early 1980s that individuals with Broca’s aphasia, and therefore inferred damage to Broca’s area, can have deficits in speech sound discrimination. Here we re-examine this issue in 24 patients with radiologically confirmed lesions to Broca’s area and various degrees of associated non-fluent speech production. Patients performed two same-different discrimination tasks involving pairs of CV syllables, one in which both CVs were presented auditorily, and the other in which one syllable was auditorily presented and the other visually presented as an orthographic form; word comprehension was also assessed using word-to-picture matching tasks in both auditory and visual forms. Discrimination performance on the all-auditory task was four standard deviations above chance, as measured using d′, and was unrelated to the degree of non-fluency in the patients’ speech production. Performance on the auditory–visual task, however, was worse than, and not correlated with, the all-auditory task. The auditory–visual task was related to the degree of speech non-fluency. Word comprehension was at ceiling for the auditory version (97% accuracy) and near ceiling for the orthographic version (90% accuracy). We conclude that the motor speech system is not necessary for speech perception as measured both by discrimination and comprehension paradigms, but may play a role in orthographic decoding or in auditory–visual matching of phonological forms.
Ni sulfides layers were formed on the surface of a Ti50Ni50 alloy by reacting sulfur with a Ni film deposited on the alloy, and then microstructures, transformation behavior, shape memory characteristics, superelasticity and electrochemical properties were investigated. When a Ni film deposited on a Ti50Ni50 alloy was annealed under the sulfur pressure of 100kPa at 623K, sulfides layers consisted of NiS and NiS2 were formed. When annealing was made at 648K with annealing time less than 0.9ks, sulfides layers with a mixture of NiS and NiS2 were formed, while only NiS2 was formed when it was made for 1.8ks. When annealing was made at 673K with annealing time longer than 0.9ks, only NiS2 was formed. With raising annealing temperature and prolong annealing time, NiS changed into NiS2 accompanied with a morphological change from a particulate-like to a dense film-like. A Ti50Ni50 alloy with surface NiS2 layer showed the two-stage B2–R–B19′ transformation behavior, the shape memory effect and a partial superelasticity with a superelastic recovery ratio of 78%. NiS2 cathode showed a clear discharge behavior with multivoltage plateaus induced by intermediate reaction products; NiS and Ni3S2. The initial discharge capacity was 743mAhg−1 corresponding to 85% of theoretical capacity and 65% of capacity duration is obtained at 20th discharge.
Barium metaplumbate (BMP), known as a good electrical conductor, has been used as a matrix for the deposition of lead. This kind of electrode can be employed as a carrier and current collector in bipolar lead acid batteries.
A laser-based direct-write process is demonstrated as a method to fabricate Li-ion microbatteries. The battery electrodes are made by the laser-induced forward transfer of inks of charge-storage materials (composites of carbon/binder and LiCoO2/carbon/binder) onto micromachined metal-foil current collectors to form 40–60μm thick electrodes with 16mm2 (4 mm×4 mm) footprints. Both half cells and packaged microbatteries display capacities of approximately 155μAh or 100mAh/g, as normalized to the amount of LiCoO2, and are comparable to the capacities of control electrodes that have been stenciled and pressed. The electrode capacities are not compromised when they are assembled into microbatteries, packaged and tested in air. The density and volumetric capacity of the laser-transferred electrodes are lower than those reported for sputtered thin-film microbatteries, yet the former electrodes can be made thicker and therefore deliver the same amount of charge from a smaller footprint. The data indicate that this laser direct-write method may be a viable approach for developing Li-ion microbattery systems for autonomous microelectronic devices and microsensors.
The sudden arrival of culturally diverse asylum seekers and refugees into Germany has created a strong demand for recognizing and appropriately treating those suffering from mental health issues. Due to many systemic, organizational, cultural and socio-linguistic barriers, psychiatric treatment of refugees is posing a major challenge to Germany’s mental health care system. Thus, there is a need for alternative models that allow for increased access to adequate, effective and efficient culturally sensitive mental health care services. Here, we describe the Mental Health in Refugees and Asylum Seekers (MEHIRA) project, a multicentre randomized controlled trial investigating a stepped collaborative care model (SCCM) for providing mental health treatment in this vulnerable population. The proposed SCCM aims to decrease the aforementioned barriers. Adult and adolescent participants will be screened for depressive symptoms and matched to appropriate psychological interventions, including group-level interventions (START intervention, Empowerment/Gender-sensitive/Peer to peer), and other innovative, digital treatment approaches (Smartphone application). The therapeutic effect of the SCCM will be compared to TAU (treatment-as-usual). All interventions have been designed to be culturally sensitive, and offered in two different languages: Arabic and Farsi. The outcome of this study may contribute significantly to future clinical and legal guidelines in developing parallel and efficient new structures of treatment. Collected data will inform primary and secondary mental health care providers with recommendations concerning the design and implementation of effective treatment models and programmes. Guidelines and recommendations may also potentially be adopted by other host countries, developing countries and also in humanitarian aid programmes.
Porous poly(vinylidene fluoride)-co-hexafluoropropylene/poly(ethylene glycol) (PVDF-HFP/PEG) hybrid-type polymer electrolytes are prepared by partially extracting the PEG molecules during the film-casting process. Thermal, mechanical, swelling, and electrochemical properties of the prepared polymer electrolytes are significantly affected by PEG content, as it changes the structure and size of the pores produced. The ion conductivity is dependent on the amount of electrolyte salt and liquid incorporated. The temperature dependence of ion conductivity is well described by Williams–Lewis–Ferry (WLF) equation. The polymer electrolyte systems are electrochemically stable up to about 5V.
Mobile nodes in ad hoc networks move freely and run out of battery power so quickly, which leads to frequent network partitioning. Network partitioning considerably reduces service availability when the server node is not in the same partition as the client nodes. In order to provide a continuous service availability for all mobile nodes, we propose a self-stabilizing algorithm that can tolerate multiple concurrent topological changes and can incur a cost of one server per long-lived connected component. By using (1) the time interval-based computations concept that distinguishes between disjoint and concurrent computations, and (2) Markov chain model, the proposed algorithm can within a finite time converge to a legitimate state even if topological changes occur during the convergence time. Our simulation results show that the algorithm can ensure very high service availability, and each node has a strong path to the server of its network component over 98% of the time.
Although lithium‑sulfur (LiS) batteries exhibit high specific energy densities and are, therefore, promising next-generation energy storage systems, their widespread use is hindered by the low electrical conductivity of sulfur, dissolution of intermediate polysulfides, and low capacity retention. To address these issues, we herein use simple colloidal coating followed by co-precipitation to prepare tungsten oxide hydrate/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/sulfur core-shell hollow particles and examine their performance as a LiS battery cathode material. Specifically, PVP-coated hollow sulfur particles were easily formed from sodium thiosulfate and PVP under acidic conditions, and the tungsten oxide hydrate shell was produced by the subsequent addition of ammonium metatungstate hydrate. At a current density of 100 mA g−1, the tungsten oxide–coated particles featured first discharge and charge capacities of 856 and 867 mAh g−1, respectively, together with a capacity retention of 70% over 50 cycles. This excellent performance was attributed to the synergistic effects of PVP and tungsten oxide hydrate shells, i.e., the former accommodated the volume expansion of sulfur, whereas the latter further alleviated the above volume expansion and minimized polysulfide dissolution.
Lithium sulfur batteries suffer from poor cycle life mainly due to the shuttle effect of dissolved polysulfides and volume expansion of electrode. Herein, we report hollow carbon spheres with nanoporous shells and tailored chemical interfaces (PHCS) via annealing precursors under hydrogen contained inert gas as sulfur host to realize ultralong cycle life of lithium sulfur battery. The obtained PHCS has a larger pore volume, a higher specific surface area and less oxygen content compared to the conventional treated HCS. Benefiting from the combination of the unique pore structure and chemical interfaces which induce stronger polysulfides adsorption ability and less unwanted side reactions, which were confirmed by the ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy test and XPS measurement, the obtained PHCS/S cathode demonstrates excellent rate performance and ultralong cycle life. It delivers a high discharge capacity of 806.3 mAhg−1 at 4C rate and an ultralong cycle life with a low capacity decay rate of 0.037% after 1500 cycles at 2C rate. Moreover, it also supports high sulfur content (82%) and high sulfur loading (7.2 mg cm−2) with good electrochemical performance. The EIS analysis and post-mortem SEM measurements further confirm that the PHCS/S cathode electrode has more stable resistance and morphology characteristics, and the corresponding lithium anode suffers from less structural destruction and volume expansion, which may lead to the excellent battery performance.
Iongels composed of a polymer matrix and ionic liquids have been proposed as an alternative to liquid electrolytes for energy storage devices to prevent leakage and evaporation of the electrolyte which lead to device failure. Furthermore, the intrinsic nature of ionic liquid and poly(ionic liquid) promote the ionic conductivity in the iongels in comparison with solid polymer electrolytes, and prevent the exuding of the ionic liquid due to similarity in chemical structure. In this work, a series of poly(ionic liquid)-based iongels composed of poly(diallyldimethylammonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide), polyDADMATFSI, and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide, [emim][dca], have been synthesised, and the effect of additives on the ionic conductivity are discussed. For example, the addition of Zn(dca)2 salt in the iongel allows an increase of the ionic liquid content in the iongel, and therefore improves the conductivity due to the plasticiser effect of the ionic liquid. However, the maximum amount of IL in the iongel is limited by the self-standing properties of the solid material. Next, ceramic nanoparticles were added to the iongel which increased the ionic conductivity by promoting the cation-anion dissociation at the surface region of nanoparticles. Furthermore, the speciation and mobility of Zn2+in the iongel have been studied and compared with those in the neat [emim][dca], which interestingly follows a similar trend showing no impact of the poly(ionic liquid). Thus, the optimised iongel presented similar ionic conductivity (1.1 × 10−2 S/cm) to that of the neat IL (4.1 × 10−2 S/cm) and a larger electrochemical window (e.g. 4 V) that the neat IL (e.g. 2 V). Finally, all-solid rechargeable Zn/PEDOT battery has been assembled and cycled, proving its capability to perform as electrolyte in rechargeable Zn batteries.
Providing comfort in clothing for the moving body is a complex task. Interactions among body sizes and shapes, physiological variations, material properties, design choices, environmental challenges, and activities are exponential in their number. In this chapter we will explore some of the problems, solutions, and research methods used to decipher these issues.
The performance of poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) for use in rechargeable lithium batteries was investigated. The positive-electrode (cathode) using PVK as an active material exhibited a discharge capacity of more than 120mAhg−1 (PVK) with a mean potential of 3.7V vs. Li+/Li. The PVK-electrode showed a stable cycle-life performance. In addition, the application of this polymer as a redox active binder material was also examined using a composite electrode with lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4). The LiFePO4–PVK composite electrode showed a higher total discharge capacity than the conventional LiFePO4–PVDF electrode.
A sulfonamide series lacking the prototypical side chain behave as full antagonists or inverse agonists of estrogen receptor (ERα) signaling in a graded fashion dependent on coactivator recruitment and helix-11 positioning.
Unique nanorod-like mesocrystals constructed from ultrathin rutileTiO2 nanowires were successfully fabricated for the first time using a low-temperature additive-free synthetic route, and the mesocrystal formation requirements and mechanism in the absence of polymer additives were discussed. The ultrathin nanowires were highly crystalline and their diameters were found to be ca. 3–5 nm. The rutile TiO2 mesocrystals were formed through homoepitaxial aggregation of the ultrathin nanowiresvia face-to-face oriented attachment, accompanied and promoted by simultaneous phase transformation from the precursor hydrogen titanate to rutile TiO2. The rutile TiO2 mesocrystals thus synthesized were subjected to detailed structural characterization by means of scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM) including high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The rutile TiO2 mesocrystals were tested for lithium-ion intercalation and demonstrated large reversible charge–discharge capacity and excellent cyclic stability, which could be attributed to the intrinsic characteristics of the mesostructured TiO2 constructed from ultrathin nanowires offering large specific surface area for intercalation reaction and easy mass and charge transport, as well as sufficient void space accommodating volume change.
The study reports on realization and electrochemical testing of prototype Si-alloy/Graphite|LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2 batteries. Water soluble polyacrylic acid (PAA), used as the only binder at the anode side, demonstrates excellent dispersant and binding properties. Sedimentation tests and rheological measurements show remarkable stability and mostly a thinning behavior of the non-Newtonian type of slurry. The cathode is processed in N-Methylpyrrolidone based slurry using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as the binding agent. The electronic conductivities of the manufactured Si-alloy/Graphite and LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2 electrodes are evaluated. Furthermore, the cathode and anode electrochemical behavior is initially studied in half-cells, and subsequently in full Li-ion stacked prototype soft pouch-cells (1.22 Ah). It is demonstrated that the manufactured prototype cells can sustain about 290 charge/discharge galvanostatic cycles before the retained capacity drops below 80%. Cell aging is monitored using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), whereas post-mortem SEM analysis of electrodes cross-section is used to shed light on the causes of performance degradation of the cells.
LiMn2O4 has been synthesized using LiOH and Mn3O4 for 20h in air by the melt-impregnation method. It showed pure X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns without any impurities at 750∼900°C. This material exhibited a large 3.2V plateau in its discharge curve when synthesized above 800°C. The 3.2V plateau showed a strong relation with the oxygen deficiency in the spinel structure, which means a degree of oxygen deficiency of the LiMn2O4 spinel. We confirmed that the oxygen deficiency and Mn dissolution are very important factors for inducing a capacity loss in the stoichiometric spinel at elevated temperature.
The intercalation of (C2H5)4N+ and BF4 − from acetonitrile (AN) and propylene carbonate (PC) solutions into bound graphite electrodes during cyclic voltammetry was investigated by in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) using synchrotron radiation. The disappearance of the 002 reflection of graphite in the XRD patterns upon intercalation of (C2H5)4N+ indicates that the cations are accumulated between the graphene layers. For the intercalation of BF4 −, the appearance of 00 l reflexes in the intercalated state provides clear evidence of staging. In both cases, the in-plane periodicity was not significantly altered by the intercalation process apart from slight changes in the CC bond length. The intercalation of BF4 − from the PC-based electrolyte was found to have the least destructive effect on the periodicity of the graphite structure during initial cycling in the anodic potential range along with the highest charge/discharge efficiency.