batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Si–air batteries, unlike other resource efficient metal–air batteries that were subject of investigations for quite a long time, came to the focus of research only recently. When operated with alkaline electrolyte, severe limitations of the discharge capacities were reported, which were attributed to a passivation layer on the anode. As a consequence, only small fractions of the surface from Si-anodes could be used for discharge. The objective of the present work is to reconsider the discharge behavior of Si–air cells with KOH electrolyte and to point out how a discharge process can be put forward until the complete anode is exhausted. Operating Si–air cells with alkaline electrolyte causes substantial corrosion, which produces also hydrogen gas as a reaction product. Moreover, along with the dissolution of Si in KOH, condensation of silicate structures in the electrolyte has been observed. Both effects accelerate electrolyte loss in the cell. Therefore, appropriately balancing the electrolyte supply of the Si–air cell is a precondition for ongoing discharge. Specifically, cells with As-doped Si-wafer anodes with 0.6mm and 3.0mm thickness were discharged in 5M KOH electrolyte at current densities up to 0.05mA/cm2 for 260 and 1100hours, respectively. The drawback is that a minimum amount of electrolyte is required in order not to exceed 4M Si content, which otherwise leads to a gelation of the electrolyte. Although a considerable fraction of the anode material is not transformed to electrical energy owing to corrosion, specific energies up to 140Wh/kg (for 1100h) related to the total anode mass loss were realized.
We examined relations among cortisol, markers of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity (including salivary alpha-amylase and skin conductance level), and children’s adjustment. We also tested the Bauer et al. (Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 23(2), 102–113, 2002) hypothesis that interactions between the SNS and cortisol would be associated with internalizing and externalizing problems. Saliva samples were obtained from 8- to 9-year-olds before and after a laboratory assessment battery, and were assayed for cortisol and alpha-amylase (sAA). Basal skin conductance level (SCL) was measured during resting conditions. Parents reported on child adjustment. Interactions between basal SNS and cortisol levels explained moderate amounts of unique variance in children’s externalizing and internalizing problems. More specifically, higher basal cortisol levels were positively associated with higher internalizing and externalizing problems among children with higher SNS activity, as compared to children with lower SNS activity. Findings underscore the utility of including information about the coordination between hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) and SNS activity in biosocial models of atypical child development.
Approximately 50–70% of the risk for developing nicotine dependence is attributed to genetics; therefore, it is of great significance to characterize the genetic mechanisms involved in nicotine reinforcement and dependence in hopes of generating better smoking cessation therapies. The overall goal of these studies was to characterize behavioral and pharmacological responses to nicotine in C57Bl/6 (B6) and DBA/2 (D2) mice, two inbred strains commonly used for genetic studies on behavioral traits. B6 and D2 mice where subjected to a battery of behavioral tests to measure nicotine's acute effects, calcium-mediated antinociceptive responses, tolerance to chronic treatment with osmotic mini pumps, and following three days of nicotine withdrawal. In general, D2 mice were less sensitive than B6 mice to the acute effects of nicotine, but were more sensitive to blockade of nicotine-induced antinociceptive responses by a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) inhibitor. B6, but not D2 mice, developed tolerance to nicotine and nicotine conditioned place preference (CPP). While B6 and D2 mice both expressed some physical withdrawal signs, affective withdrawal signs were not evident in D2 mice. These results provide a thorough, simultaneous evaluation of the pharmacological and behavioral differences to experimenter-administered nicotine as measured in several behavioral tests of aspects that contribute to smoking behavior. The B6 and D2 strains show wide phenotypic differences in their responses to acute or chronic nicotine. These results suggest that these strains may be useful progenitors for future genetic studies on nicotine behaviors across batteries of mouse lines such as the BXD recombinant inbred panel.
Early identification of lactate levels may have a large impact on triage classification and assist in identifying critically ill patients. A handheld device provides a rapid and timesaving measurement of lactate levels adapted to work in a prehospital care setting. I.e., the device is small, fast, and easy-to-use. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Accutrend Plus handheld lactate analyzer in comparison to the reference in-hospital method.
Anxiety is a negative emotional state that is overly displayed in anxiety disorders and depression. Although anxiety is known to be controlled by distributed brain networks, key components for its initiation, maintenance and coordination with behavioral state remain poorly understood. Here, we report that anxiogenic stressors elicit acute and prolonged responses in glutamatergic neurons of the mouse medial preoptic area (mPOA). These neurons encode extremely negative valence and mediate the induction and expression of anxiety-like behaviors. Conversely, mPOA GABA-containing neurons encode positive valence and produce anxiolytic effects. Such opposing roles are mediated by competing local interactions and long-range projections of neurons to the periaqueductal gray. The two neuronal populations antagonistically regulate anxiety-like and parental behaviors: anxiety is reduced, while parenting is enhanced and vice versa. Thus, by evaluating negative and positive valences through distinct but interacting circuits, the mPOA coordinates emotional state and social behavior.
Eight individuals with mental retardation and imposed mechanical restraints due to severe, life-threatening self-injurious behavior received electrical aversive treatment. Eight other individuals, who had been matched with the treatment group in terms of the degree of imposed mechanical restraint due to the above problem behavior, had not received electrical aversion treatment. A comparison of imposed mechanical restraint scores, as a measure of severity of self-injurious behavior, between both groups over a period of three years, revealed that electrical aversion treatment significantly reduces the degree of imposed mechanical restraint.
Equivalent serial resistance (ESR) is a crucial factor to effect on the density of power and energy for supercapacitor. In this work, we studied the influence of internal and external factors, including mechanical pressure, temperature, electrolyte concentration and loaded voltage on the performance parameters, especially on the ESR and specific capacitance for carbon supercapacitor. The results indicate that the ESR is mainly contributed from the interface between electrolyte and electrode. In addition, we found that the ESR can be significantly lowered by mechanical pressures from 11ohm at 0N to 1ohm at 800N by decreasing 90%, and in consequence, the specific capacitance of supercapacitor can be improved dramatically from 19.34F/g to 44.87F/g by increasing 128%. Basing on the model of interface with a diffusion layer, we put forward a reasonable explanation for the variation of ESR and specific capacitance with the four factors of pressure, temperature, electrolyte concentration and loaded voltage.
A high-capacity thick cathode has been studied as one of ways to improve the energy density of lithium secondary batteries. In this study, the LiFePO4 cathode with a capacity per unit area of 8.4 m Ah cm−2 corresponding to four times the capacity of conventional cathodes has been developed using a three-dimensional porous aluminum current collector called “FUSPOROUS”. This unique current collector enables the smooth transfer of electrons and Li+-ions through the thick cathode, resulting in a good rate capability (discharge capacity ratio of 1.0 C/0.2 C = 0.980) and a high charge-discharge cycle performance (80% of the initial capacity at 2000th cycle) even though the electrode thickness is 400 μm. To take practical advantage of the developed thick cathode, conceptual designs for a 10-Ah class cell were also carried out using graphite and lithium-metal anodes.
The mother is the only source of nutrition for fetal growth including brain development. Maternal nutritional status (anthropometry, macro- and micro-nutrients) before and/or during pregnancy is therefore a potential predictor of offspring cognitive function. The relationship of maternal nutrition to offspring cognitive function is unclear. This review aims to assess existing evidence linking maternal nutritional status with offspring cognitive function.
In this work we have explored the electrochemical properties of two lithiated iron oxide powders for supercapacitor purposes. These samples mainly consisted of α-LiFeO2 in nanosized or micrometric form. Electrolyte was an aqueous 0.5M Li2SO4 solution and voltage range studied was between 0 and −0.7V vs. a Ag/AgCl reference electrode. As expected, electrochemical performance was dependent on the particle size. When electrolyte was deaerated a stable capacitance of ≈50Fg−1 is provided by the nanosized sample for several hundred cycles. Other sulfate based salts (Na2SO4, K2SO4, Cs2SO4) were investigated as electrolytes but only Li2SO4 leads to a stable capacitance upon cycling, probably due to lithium intercalation. An hybrid cell consisting of this sample and MnO2 as negative and positive electrodes, respectively, delivered 0.3Fcm−2 (10Fg−1). Although these values are lower than reported for other aqueous hybrid cell, α-LiFeO2/MnO2 asymmetric capacitor is interesting from both, an economic and an environmental point of view.
The Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2nd edition (MABC-2) is a well-recognized assessment used to identify children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Although researchers and practitioners across Brazil have used the MABC-2 to identify children with motor deficits, its validation for this particular population has yet to be investigated. In this study, we translated all MABC-2 items and validated them with respect to content, construct and criteria validity. The validation process involved 13 experts in Motor Development and a total of 844 children (3–13 years old) from two different states in Brazil. A cross-cultural translation method yielded a Brazilian–Portuguese version of the battery. The expert panel confirmed language clarity and pertinence of the items. High intra- and inter-rater reliability and internal consistency for the MABC-2 was established for Brazilian children. A discriminant analysis confirmed the MABC-2 power (.80) to differentiate children with DCD and those at risk for DCD from typically developing children. Predictive validity was observed for the impairment scores and a percentile main effect was found in the repeated measures ANOVA (ICC: .93 and .73, respectively). Although our data are not representative of the entire country, this study is the first to confirm that the original standardized scores established for the MABC-2 are valid in Brazilian children.
The role of developmental transcription factors in maintenance of neuronal properties and in disease remains poorly understood. Lmx1a and Lmx1b are key transcription factors required for the early specification of ventral midbrain dopamine (mDA) neurons. Here we show that conditional ablation of Lmx1a and Lmx1b after mDA neuron specification resulted in abnormalities that show striking resemblance to early cellular abnormalities seen in Parkinson's disease. We found that Lmx1b was required for the normal execution of the autophagic-lysosomal pathway and for the integrity of dopaminergic nerve terminals and long-term mDA neuronal survival. Notably, human LMX1B expression was decreased in mDA neurons in brain tissue affected by Parkinson's disease. Thus, these results reveal a sustained and essential requirement of Lmx1b for the function of midbrain mDA neurons and suggest that its dysfunction is associated with Parkinson's disease pathogenesis.
While Gel Polymer Electrolytes (GPEs) have been widely investigated for use in next-generation Li-ion cells due to the potential for improved thermal safety, thermal transport within a GPE is still poorly understood. Among all materials in a Li-ion cell, the GPE has the lowest thermal conductivity, and hence determines the overall rate of heat flow in a Li-ion cell. This makes it critical to measure and understand thermal transport in a GPE and investigate trade-offs between thermal and ionic transport. This paper presents measurements of thermal and ionic conductivities in a PVdF-based GPE. The effect of incorporating BN/Al2O3 ceramic nano/microparticles in the GPE on thermal and ionic transport is characterized. Measurements indicate up to 2.5X improvement in thermal conductivity of activated GPE membranes, with relatively minor effect on electrochemical performance of GPE-based single-layer cells. The measured enhancement in thermal conductivity is in very good agreement with theoretical calculations based on the effective medium theory that accounts for thermal transport in a dispersed, two-phase medium such as a GPE. The fundamental insights gained in this work on thermal transport in a GPE and the role of nano/microparticle inclusions may facilitate thermal-electrochemical optimization and design of GPEs for safe, high-performance Li-ion cells.
Advances in neuroscience research have led to the development of novel treatments for poststroke aphasiaIntensive language–action therapy, pharmacological interventions and noninvasive brain stimulation can enhance language performance in patients with poststroke aphasiaIntensive language–action therapy can improve language performance of patients with aphasia several years after a stroke episodeConstraint-induced aphasia therapy is more effective than conventional speech–language therapy at treating chronic poststroke aphasiaDrug therapies targeting linguistic and cognitive disorders can augment functional improvements associated with intensive language–action therapy
Patients with stroke can have difficulty speaking and understanding speech (aphasia), and patients with poststroke aphasia (PSA) can also have problems reading and writing. PSA is one of the most common cognitive disorders; the incidence of PSA has been reported to be 43–60 per 100,000 individuals in Europe and the USA,1,2 and the incidence of this condition increases further in the elderly population.3 Immediately after a stroke episode, patients can become entirely mute; however, the symptoms usually ease within a few weeks after disease onset owing to spontaneous partial restitution of cognitive and motor functions. Further spontaneous improvements after this time period are rare.
We report a novel 3D-hybrid cathode material with three-dimensional (3D) N-GO/CNT framework to load sulfur (77.6 wt %), and sulfonated polyaniline (SPANI) of coating layer. Used as a cathode material, it possesses a high capacity (1196 mAh g−1@0.3 A g−1@1.6 mg cm−2), excellent charging-discharging rate (680 mAh g−1@7.5 A g−1) and long-life performance (maintaining 71.1% capacity over 450 cycles), which is mainly attributed to the benefits of excellent electronic/Li-ionic dual-conductivity and confinement effect of the 3D-hybrid N-GO/CNT framework coated by self-doping conducting polymer SPANI. Thus, a 3D sulfur cathode modified with electronic/Li-ionic dual-conduction network can significantly enhance the electrochemical performance and stability, and this novel type of material is very promising for commercial applications that require high energy and power density, long life, and excellent abuse tolerance.
Nanostructures of diverse chemical nature are used as biomarkers, therapeutics, catalysts, and structural reinforcements. The decoration with surfactants has a long history and is essential to introduce specific functions. The definition of surfactants in this review is very broad, following its lexical meaning “surface active agents”, and therefore includes traditional alkyl modifiers, biological ligands, polymers, and other surface active molecules. The review systematically covers covalent and non-covalent interactions of such surfactants with various types of nanomaterials, including metals, oxides, layered materials, and polymers as well as their applications. The major themes are (i) molecular recognition and noncovalent assembly mechanisms of surfactants on the nanoparticle and nanocrystal surfaces, (ii) covalent grafting techniques and multi-step surface modification, (iii) dispersion properties and surface reactions, (iv) the use of surfactants to influence crystal growth, as well as (v) the incorporation of biorecognition and other material-targeting functionality. For the diverse materials classes, similarities and differences in surfactant assembly, function, as well as materials performance in specific applications are described in a comparative way. Major factors that lead to differentiation are the surface energy, surface chemistry and pH sensitivity, as well as the degree of surface regularity and defects in the nanoparticle cores and in the surfactant shell. The review covers a broad range of surface modifications and applications in biological recognition and therapeutics, sensors, nanomaterials for catalysis, energy conversion and storage, the dispersion properties of nanoparticles in structural composites and cement, as well as purification systems and classical detergents. Design principles for surfactants to optimize the performance of specific nanostructures are discussed. The review concludes with challenges and opportunities.
The confinement of poly(ethylene oxide), PEO, electrolyte in pores of 13, 35, 55 and 100nm in diameter in nanoporous alumina membranes was seen to have effects on the ionic conduction properties. Specific conductivity values for the PEO/lithium triflate complex in the 13 and 35nm pores, for temperatures below the melt temperatures, were increased by a factor of four compared to the non-confined polymer and the 55 and 100nm pore systems. Thermal analysis data indicate the melting temperature for the PEO electrolyte in the pores is directly proportional to the pore size such that as the pore size of confinement is decreased, the T m decreases as well. The same behavior is seen for the amount of crystallinity, with less crystallinity being observed as the pores become smaller. Perhaps the observed conduction behavior could be attributed to less crystallinity. However, it is known that confinement of polyethers in pores results in stretching and ordering of the backbone and that such ordering can increase ion conduction. This ordering would seem to be the major factor involved in these results. The enhanced conduction only being seen in the 13 and 35nm pores and not the 55 and 100nm pores is attributed to the larger size for the latter which allows a more bulk-like behavior with less ordering.
In this paper, we compute, by means of a non equilibrium alchemical technique, called fast switching double annihilation methods (FSDAM), the absolute standard dissociation free energies of the the octa acids host–guest systems in the SAMPL6 challenge initiative. FSDAM is based on the production of canonical configurations of the bound and unbound states via enhanced sampling and on the subsequent generation of hundreds of fast non-equilibrium ligand annihilation trajectories. The annihilation free energies of the ligand when bound to the receptor and in bulk solvent are obtained from the collection of work values using an estimate based on the Crooks theorem for driven non equilibrium processes. The FSDAM blind prediction, relying on the normality assumption for the annihilation work distributions, ranked fairly well among the submitted blind predictions that were not adjusted with a linear corrections obtained from retrospective data on similar host guest systems. Improved results for FSDAM can be obtained by post-processing the work data assuming mixtures of normal components.
Homes away from home show the behavioral patterns of people who are always on the move from one place to another. Many small size hotels in Ghana keep springing up quickly in a bid to provide home for people away from home. Yet, innovative ideas that enhance patronage and sustainability is on a decline, leading to eventual foldup. This study seeks to advance the entrepreneurial innovations of small hotels in order to sustain growth in Ghana. Successful stories about SMEs exist but are rare. A population size of 2915 entrepreneurs operating small medium hotels across the country were zoned into three, and schematic random sampling method was used in selecting the hotels. A scale of 100% hospitality industry attitudinal variables such as Service Innovations, Process Innovations, Management Innovations and Marketing Innovations were used. Responses from small hotel managers/owners indicate that there is a strong correlation between innovative activities and patronage. We therefore, recommend small hospitalities’ managers to develop their innovative abilities as a reliable path to the survival and growth of their businesses in a highly perishable and competitive business environment.
Ternary thin-film Sb-Fe-P anodes prepared by scalable and cost-effective electroplating are examined as prospective anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The optimum Sb48Fe36P16 anode has high reversible charge capacity of 588 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 with an initial coulombic efficiency of 77.5% and 87.5% capacity retention after 50 cycles. Further, this anode shows good rate capability (460 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1). The discharge/charge mechanism of Sb48Fe36P16 versus Li was revealed by ex situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and in situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The good electrochemical performance of the optimal Sb48Fe36P16 anode is attributed to the active/inactive metal matrix and its unique microstructure. The good electrochemical properties of the ternary binder-free Sb48Fe36P16 thin film make them promising candidates for anodes in LIBs. Because of its cost-effectiveness and suitability for large-scale manufacture, this facile electrodeposition strategy can be applied to prepare thin-film anodes for energy storage systems.
Conversion of mechanical forces, vibrations and sound which have energy in the range of milli- to tens of watts (also referred to as “small kinetic energies” in this paper) into electricity has received global attention owing to the potential in powering electronic devices. However, most of the small kinetic energy generators can only generate electric power below 1µW/cm3. As a result, an energy storage device is required to accumulate the energy generated until it reaches a sufficient level. Herein, we report the exceptionally-high acoustoelectric conversion ability of randomly-orientated electrospun poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) nanofiber nonwoven webs. The optimized device under sound is able to generate peak voltage and current of 14.5V and 28.5μA with a volume power density output of 306.5μW/cm3 (5.9mW/cm3 based on nanofiber web thickness). Without accumulation in any energy storage unit, the electricity generated by the nanofiber device is sufficient to light up tens of commercial LEDs, run electrochemical reactions and protect metals from corrosion. Such a novel acoustoelectric generator may offer an effective solution to recycling noise pollution into usable electricity.