batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Diets supplemented with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)-enriched diacylglycerol (DAG) oil—which mainly consists of oleic and linolenic, linoleic acids—have potential health benefits in terms of preventing or managing obesity. Although safety of DAG oil has been extensively investigated, toxicity of ALA-DAG oil has not been well understood. Hence, the present study was conducted to clarify the potential adverse effects, if any, of ALA-DAG oil in rats (10/sex/group) fed diets containing 1.375%, 2.75%, or 5.5% ALA-DAG oil for 90 days. Compared to control rats fed rapeseed oil or ALA-triacylglycerol oil (flaxseed oil), rats receiving ALA-DAG oil did not reveal any toxicologically significant treatment-related changes as evaluated by clinical signs, functional observational battery, body weight, food consumption, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, clinical chemistry, organ weight, necropsy and histopathology. The no observed adverse effect levels for dietary exposure to ALA-DAG oil for male and female rats were 2916 and 3326 mg/kg body weight/day, respectively, the highest dose tested. The findings from this study suggest that consumption of ALA-DAG oil is unlikely to cause adverse effects.
Brain metastases (BM) occur in a significant proportion of cancer patients and are associated with considerable morbidity and poor prognosis. The trial design in BM patients is particularly challenging, as many disease and patient variables, statistical issues, and the selection of appropriate end-points have to be taken into account. During a meeting organised on behalf of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), methodological aspects of trial design in BM were discussed. This paper summarises the issues and potential trial strategies discussed during this meeting and may provide some guidance for the design of trials in BM patients.
Mass transport of the electrolyte over the porous electrode is one of the most critical issues hindering Vanadium Redox Flow Battery commercialization, leading to increased overpotential at high current and limiting system power density. In this work, a 1D physically based impedance model of Vanadium Redox Flow Battery negative electrode is developed, taking into account electrochemical reactions, convection at carbon fiber, diffusion in the pores and migration and diffusion through electrode thickness. The model is validated with respect to experimental data measured in a symmetric cell hardware, which allows to keep the State of Charge constant during the measurement. The physically based approach permits to elucidate the origin of different impedance features and quantify the corresponding losses. Charge transfer resistance decreases with increasing current and is generally lower compared to the ones related to mass transport phenomena. Migration losses through the porous electrode are negligible, while convection at carbon fiber is relevant and in Nyquist plot results in a linear branch at low frequency. In presence of significant convection losses the reaction tends to concentrate close to the channel: this leads to a reduction of diffusion losses through the electrode, while diffusion process in the pores becomes more limiting.
Ferroalloy production can release a number of metals into the environment, of which manganese (Mn) is of major concern. Other elements include lead, iron, zinc, copper, chromium, and cadmium. Mn exposure derived from settled dust and suspended aerosols can cause a variety of adverse neurological effects to chronically exposed individuals. To better estimate the current levels of exposure, this study quantified the metal levels in dust collected inside homes (n=85), outside homes (n=81), in attics (n=6), and in surface soil (n=252) in an area with historic ferroalloy production. Metals contained in indoor and outdoor dust samples were quantified using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, whereas attic and soil measurements were made with a X-ray fluorescence instrument. Mean Mn concentrations in soil (4600 μg/g) and indoor dust (870 μg/g) collected within 0.5 km of a plant exceeded levels previously found in suburban and urban areas, but did decrease outside 1.0 km to the upper end of background concentrations. Mn concentrations in attic dust were ~120 times larger than other indoor dust levels, consistent with historical emissions that yielded high airborne concentrations in the region. Considering the potential health effects that are associated with chronic Mn inhalation and ingestion exposure, remediation of soil near the plants and frequent, on-going hygiene indoors may decrease residential exposure and the likelihood of adverse health effects.
Li-Ion batteries (LIBs) are approaching their energy limits imposed by their intercalation chemistry nature. As alternatives, multivalent (MV) chemistries bring both promises and challenges, with the main obstacle being the sluggish diffusion of MV-cations due to their strong electrostatic interaction with host lattices. In this work, we demonstrated that polyanion based robust crystal architecture could enable ultrafast and reversible Zn2+-intercalation and de-intercalation at a high working voltage. The nominal bivalence of Zn2+ was successfully delocalized by multiple atoms through the p–d hybridization between the V-d and O-p orbitals; hence the inserted Zn2+ only bears an effective charge of 1.336, rendering its high mobility. The novel aqueous rechargeable 1.7 V Zn/LiV2(PO4)3 cell based on such a mechanism delivers a high power density (8000 W kg−1 at 60C) comparable to supercapacitors, and a high energy density (218 W h kg−1 at 1C) close to LIBs, with an extraordinarily long cycle life of 4000 cycles. All of these parameters far exceed those of Zn batteries reported so far. The cell-level volumetric and specific energy densities of the Zn/LiV2(PO4)3 cell are 320 W h L−1 and 150 W h kg−1, respectively, which are even better than those of first-generation LIBs. Combined with the intrinsic safety of its aqueous chemistry and its wide working temperature range, this cell makes a strong candidate for automotive applications.
A singularly perturbed phase field model used to model lithium-ion batteries including chemical and elastic effects is considered. The underlying energy is given by
Actuation is an essential function of any artificial or living machine, allowing its movement and its interaction with the surrounding environment. Living muscles have evolved over millions of years within animals as nature’s premier living generators of force, work and power, showing unique characteristics in comparison with standard artificial actuators. Current actuation technologies actually represent a real bottleneck in many robotics and ICT applications, including the bio-inspired ones. Main limitations involve inertia and backdrivability, stiffness control and power consumption. The development of novel actuators able to better mimic or even to overcome living muscle performances would open new horizons in robotics and ICT technologies: these components would allow the raise of a new generation of machines, with life-like movements and outstanding performances. An innovative solution to achieve this goal is represented by the merging between artificial and living entities, towards the realization of bio-hybrid devices. The aim of the present article is to describe the scientific and technological efforts made by researchers in the last two decades to achieve cell- or tissue-based actuators, with the dream of matching or outperforming natural muscles and to efficiently power micro- and mini-devices. The main challenges connected to the development of a cell-based actuator are highlighted and the most recent solutions to this scientific/technological problem are depicted, reporting advantages and drawbacks of each single approach. Future perspectives are also described, envisioning bio-hybrid actuators as key components of a new generation of machines able to show life-like movements and behaviors.
The Ts65Dn (TS) mouse model of Down syndrome (DS) displays a number of behavioral, neuromorphological and neurochemical phenotypes of the syndrome. Altered GABAergic transmission appears to contribute to the mechanisms responsible for the cognitive impairments in TS mice. Increased functional expression of the trisomic gene encoding an inwardly rectifying potassium channel, subfamily J, member 6 (KCNJ6) has been reported in DS and TS mice, along with the consequent impairment in GAB Aergic function. Partial display of DS phenotypes in mice harboring a single trisomy of Kcnj6 provides compelling evidence for a functional role of increased channel expression in some of the abnormal neurological phenotypes found in DS. Notably, the antiepileptic drug (AED) ethosuximide (ETH), but not other AEDs such as gabapentin (GAB), is known to inhibit KCNJ6 channels in mice. Here, we report the effect of chronic ETH and GAB on the behavioral and cognitive phenotypes of TS and disomic control (CO) mice. Neither drug significantly affected sensorimotor abilities, motor coordination or spontaneous activity in TS and CO mice. Also, ETH and GAB did not induce anxiety in the open field or plus maze tests, did not alter performance in the Morris water maze, and did not affect cued – or context – fear conditioning. Our results thus suggest that KCNJ6 may not be a promising drug target candidate in DS. As a corollary, they also show that long-term use of ETH and GAB is devoid of adverse behavioral and cognitive effects.
Biomolecule-nanoparticle hybrid bioconjugates based on bioscaffolds such as protein cages and virus capsules have been widely studied. Highly stable and durable biotemplates are a vital pillar in constructing bio-inorganic functional hybrid composites. Here, we introduce a highly heat-resistant coat protein (CP) of Sulfolobus tengchongensis spindle-shaped virus 1 (STSV1) isolated from the hyperthermophilic archaeon as a prospective biological matrix. Our experiments showed that STSV1 CP was successfully cloned and solubly expressed in the Escherichia coli Rosetta-(DE3) host strain. Protein expression was verified by SDS-PAGE and western blot analysis of the reference C-terminally six-histidine (His6) tagged STSV1 CP (HT-CP). Thermal stability experiments showed that the STSV1 coat protein remained fairly stable at 80 °C. The proteins can be purified facilely by heat treatment followed by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of the purified STSV1 CP protein aggregates demonstrated that the protein could self-assemble into rotavirus-like nanostructures devoid of genetic materials under our experimental conditions. Similar results were obtained for the HT-CP purified by heat treatment followed by Ni-NTA and SEC, indicating that moderately engineered STSV1 CP can retain its self-assembly property. In addition, the STSV1 CP has a high binding affinity for TiO2 nanoparticles. This illustrates that the STSV1 CP can be used as a bioscaffold in nanobiotechnological applications.
LiMn0.9Fe0.05V0.05PO4 (LMFVP) and nanocomposite 0.95LiMn0.95Fe0.05PO4·0.05Li3V2(PO4)3 (LMFP-LVP) are prepared by sol–gel and heat-treatment. The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), scanning electron micrograph (SEM), and Bruauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. The coexistence of minor Li3V2(PO4)3 (LVP) in LiMn0.95Fe0.05PO4 (LMFP) plays the important role in electrochemical properties rather than V-doped in LMFP. LMFP-LVP nanocomposite delivers capacity of 176 mAh g−1 much higher than LMFVP of 115 mAh g−1. At 2C rate, LMFVP only delivers capacity of 47 mAh g−1 (no response at 5C rate). LMFP-LVP presents the improved rate performance of 126, 105 and 72 mAh g−1 at 1, 2 and 5 C-rate, respectively. Electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) and galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) of LMFP-LVP confirm that the coexistence of minor LVP phase is positive to improve the lithium diffusion ability rather than V-doped in LMFP.
Solar home systems (SHS) are seen as an attractive option for off-grid electrification in rural areas in developing countries. The combined effect of declining photovoltaic module costs and success in micro-finance has resulted in increased SHS installations in emerging economies in Asia such as Bangladesh. Majority of the SHS components are now manufactured locally with the exception of PV cells. Considering the role of component quality in SHS performance, technical quality of four key SHS components: solar panel, battery, charge controller and lamp circuit (inverter) from market-leading manufacturers were evaluated in this study in laboratory settings, against national and international standards. All of the tested components met some evaluation criteria in their respective categories but none met all. Key performance failures were found to be related to inverter efficiency, reverse polarity protection in charge controllers and battery capacity, which are critical for optimum performance of the system. Findings in this study point towards an ineffective regulatory mechanism for quality assurance and the protection of consumer rights, which needs to be rectified for maintaining public confidence and sustaining the growth of SHS based off-grid electrification.
Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) are used as a laboratory animal model for multiple areas of scientific inquiry including, but not limited to, developmental biology, endocrinology, aging, immunology, behavior studies, and a variety of human genetic disorders. The quail embryo is an amniote with early developmental patterns remarkably similar to those of humans; as such they present significant experimental advantages for the study of amniotes, e.g., rapid reproductive maturation, modest size of breeding adults, ease of breeding in laboratory animal facilities, resilience to research manipulations, availability of transgenic lines, a fully sequenced genome, and tools for molecular manipulations.
Metallic and alloyed powders were prepared with a novel technique, called electrostatic spray reductive precipitation (ESRP). This technique combines aerosol generation by electric means together with chemical precipitation in order to form solid particles with tunable features. The structural and compositional characterizations of Co, Sn and Co–Sn materials show that metallic and alloyed nanoparticles can be obtained. This synthesis method represents a new route to produce metal, alloyed and intermetallic particles, which here are considered as alternative anode materials for rechargeable Li-ion batteries. This approach, however, can be easily extended to the fabrication of other materials, enabling a wider range of applications e.g. for catalysis and hydrogen storage.
Lead–acid batteries used in hybrid solar–wind power generation systems operate under very specific conditions, and it is often very difficult to predict when the energy will be extracted from or supplied to the battery. Owing to the highly variable working conditions, no battery model has achieved a good compromise between the complexity and precision. This paper presents a simple mathematical approach to simulate the lead–acid battery behaviors in stand alone hybrid solar–wind power generation systems. Several factors that affect the battery behaviors have been taken into account, such as the current rate, the charging efficiency, the self-discharge rate, as well as the battery capacity. Good agreements were found between the predicted results and the field measured data of a hybrid solar–wind project. At last, calculated from 1-year field data with the simulation model, the time-series battery state-of-charge (SOC) has been statistically analyzed considering the monthly and hourly variations as well as the probability distributions. The results have shown the battery working states in the real hybrid solar–wind power generation system.
The use of conventional lithium-ion batteries in high temperature applications (>50°C) is currently inhibited by the high reactivity and volatility of liquid electrolytes. Solvent-free, solid-state polymer electrolytes allow for safe and stable operation of lithium-ion batteries, even at elevated temperatures. Recent advances in polymer synthesis have led to the development of novel materials that exhibit solid-like mechanical behavior while providing the ionic conductivities approaching that of liquid electrolytes. Here we report the successful charge and discharge cycling of a graft copolymer electrolyte (GCE)-based lithium-ion battery at temperatures up to 120°C. The GCE consists of poly(oxyethylene) methacrylate-g-poly(dimethyl siloxane) (POEM-g-PDMS) doped with lithium triflate. Using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), we analyze the temperature stability and cycling behavior of GCE-based lithium-ion batteries comprised of a LiFePO4 cathode, a metallic lithium anode, and an electrolyte consisting of a 20-μm-thick layer of lithium triflate-doped POEM-g-PDMS. Our results demonstrate the great potential of GCE-based Li-ion batteries for high-temperature applications.
Continuously growing and miniaturizing autonomous electronic devices and sensors for large temperature window is mostly depends on stability and performance of power-up systems. The net achievable power and energy densities of such miniatured rechargeable energy storage systems are largely dominated by internal hardware and external packaging materials. Similarly, temperature stability of electrochemically active materials and packaging components is also crucial to realize desired activity at few millimeter scale devices. Herein, we explore energy storage devices at tunable miniatured scale by selecting optimal electroactive materials, thermally stable packaging components, and their fabrication process. Further, an assembled device is subjected to evaluate its energy and power density per foot-print-area along with other key electrochemical parameters such as internal resistance, self-discharge, and thermal stability. Detailed studies reveal that the presently packaged millimeter size rechargeable batteries (2 mm–5 mm) have the ability to work up to 120 °C with minimal load loss and compatible with energy harvesting renewable source of the solar cell.
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have emerged as a more beneficial alternative to conventional therapy and may offer a potential cure for unmet medical needs. MSCs are known to possess strong immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, they promote angiogenesis and tissue regeneration through the secretion of trophic factors. For these reasons, the past decade witnessed a sharp increase in the number of clinical trials conducted with stem cells for various vascular diseases requiring angiogenesis. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro angiogenic potency of Stempeucel®, which is an allogeneic pooled human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cell (phBMMSC) product. We previously established the safety of Stempeucel® in our pre-clinical studies, and clinical trials conducted for critical limb ischaemia and acute myocardial infarction.
Recent findings link fronto-temporal gamma electroencephalographic (EEG) activity to conscious awareness in dreams, but a causal relationship has not yet been established. We found that current stimulation in the lower gamma band during REM sleep influences ongoing brain activity and induces self-reflective awareness in dreams. Other stimulation frequencies were not effective, suggesting that higher order consciousness is indeed related to synchronous oscillations around 25 and 40 Hz.
Strategies to improve energy access in developing countries are urgently needed. Szabó et al. propose an approach to achieve wider access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa that depends on existing under-utilized energy infrastructure such as dams, non-hybridized gensets and biomass cofiring.
Micro/nano-structured SnS2 was prepared by a hydrothermal method using biomolecular
Carbon-coated monoclinic Li3V2(PO4)3 (LVP/C) cathode materials are successfully prepared via a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-assisted sol–gel method. LVP/C composites are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and electrochemical methods. The results indicate that the sample synthesized with 9wt% PVP is coated with a carbon layer in a thickness of about 12nm, which presents excellent rate capability and good cyclic performance. In the potential range of 3.0–4.3V, it shows a capacity of 127.2 and 115.1mAhg−1 at 1 and 10C, respectively. Even at discharge rate of 20C, it still has 81.8mAhg−1 with 10.7% capacity loss after 120 cycles. The lithium diffusion coefficient of the as-prepared material is in the order of 10−8 cm2 s−1. Our experiment results demonstrate that the LVP/C composites prepared via a PVP-assisted sol–gel method can be an attractive candidate as cathode materials in high-power lithium-ion batteries.
MCMBs with different crystal structure were tested for an anode of lithium ion batteries (LIB) and the model describing the behavior of porous anodes was simulated numerically by using orthogonal collocation method (OCM). Kinetic parameters such as diffusion coefficients, exchange current densities, and transfer coefficient, describing electrochemical intercalation system of lithium ions, were estimated by fitting the experimental cyclic voltametry (CV) results with the theoretical ones. It was investigated that the theoretical cyclic voltamograms obtained using above parameters fitted well with the experimental curves for the various scan rates from 1 mV s−1 to 5 μV s−1. The parameters were then evaluated on their extended application in various C-rate-charge/discharge cycling tests with showing good agreements between experiments and simulations. As the results show, it was found that numerical simulations based on both potentiometry and galvanometry experimental data resulted in more accurate parameters of electrochemical system. Simulations indicate there exist the optimum design conditions of electrode and separator to obtain the good performance of lithium ion batteries.
In this work the electrochemical behavior of α-V2O5 at RT, in a 1M NaClO4/PC (propylene carbonate) electrolyte is investigated for the first time. The irreversible formation of a sodiated layered compound is shown from the first electrochemical discharge step. This electrochemically formed compound, with highly stable structure close to that of the high temperature α’-NaV2O5 orthorhombic bronze, is demonstrated to be a genuine sodium intercalation compound. This material exhibits a high capacity of 120mAhg−1 available near 1.6V at C/10 rate with a promising cycling behaviour. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy show zero strain structural behaviour during Na+ insertion/extraction in this large interlayer spacing material.
A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, between subjects study design (N =37) was used to investigate the effects of dexamphetamine on explicit new name learning. Participants ingested 10mg of dexamphetamine or placebo daily over 5 consecutive mornings before learning new names for 50 familiar objects plus fillers. The dexamphetamine group recognised and recalled the new names more accurately than the placebo group over the 5 days and 1 month later. Word learning success was not associated with baseline neuropsychological performance, mood, cardiovascular arousal, or sustained attention. These results may have implications for the pharmacological treatment of acquired naming difficulties.