batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
A new pyrolysis-pickling method was developed to prepare various lead oxide (PbO)/carbon black (CB) composites as the additives in the negative plates of lead-acid batteries to improve their high-rate partial-state-of-charge (HRPSoC) performance. Compared with CB, the PbO/CB composites prepared by the pyrolysis-pickling method have higher content of alkaline surface functional groups (C alkaline) and less content of carboxyl surface functional groups (C COOH) on CB particles which are still covered with small amount of PbO, meanwhile they have smaller BET surface area, but larger pore volume and average pore width. The hydrogen evolution process in the negative plates containing the PbO/CB composites is inhibited effectively due to the increased C alkaline on CB, while the redox processes (Pb↔PbSO4) in these negative plates are accelerated obviously owing to the changes in their microstructure. The PbO/CB composites can impede the growth of PbSO4 crystals and significantly increase the HRPSoC cycle life of the simulated test cells. In general, the PbO/CB composites with a lower PbO content may be the appropriate additives for the negative plate of lead-acid batteries.
Lithium metal is an ideal anode material for next-generation electrical energy storage because of its high specific capacity. However, uncontrolled growth of Li dendrites during deposition and stripping processes results in low coulombic efficiency and severe safety concerns. Here we report a porous and robust coating of metal-organic framework (MOF-199), which could physically suppress the growth of lithium dendrite by acting as a robust shield, and homogenize Li-ion concentration by its high-polarity structure, thereby relieving excess SEI formation. In addition, another MOF (ZIF-8) layer is also confirmed to effectively hinder the formation and penetration of Li dendrites. The MOF particle size in the coating layer is shown to be a key factor determining the level of protection. Finally, the ability of the MOF-199 layer to protect Na metal anodes is studied.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide; however, treatment development is hindered by the heterogenous nature of TBI presentation and pathophysiology. In particular, the degree of neuroinflammation after TBI varies between individuals and may be modified by other factors such as infection. Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that infects approximately one-third of the world’s population, has a tropism for brain tissue and can persist as a life-long infection. Importantly, there is notable overlap in the pathophysiology between TBI and T. gondii infection, including neuroinflammation. This paper will review current understandings of the clinical problems, pathophysiological mechanisms, and functional outcomes of TBI and T. gondii, before considering the potential synergy between the two conditions. In particular, the discussion will focus on neuroinflammatory processes such as microglial activation, inflammatory cytokines, and peripheral immune cell recruitment that occur during T. gondii infection and after TBI. We will present the notion that these overlapping pathologies in TBI individuals with a chronic T. gondii infection have the strong potential to exacerbate neuroinflammation and related brain damage, leading to amplified functional deficits. The impact of chronic T. gondii infection on TBI should therefore be investigated in both preclinical and clinical studies as the possible interplay could influence treatment strategies.
A new class of amorphous cathode active material Li x M y PO z (LiMPO) is proposed. The materials are sputter deposited to thin film form by Li3PO4 together with metal or metal oxide targets. Among several materials tested as thin-film battery, working material found are M = Ni, Cu, Co, Mn, Au, Ag, Pd. The property is intensively studied for Li x Cu y PO z (LiCuPO) and Li x Ni y PO z (LiNiPO). Those materials shows wide composition margin such as composition y between 1 and 3, and high capacity for LiNiPO with maximum value of 330 mAh g−1. The capability to charge and discharge at high rate is shown up to 30 C. This preliminary report reveals its high potentiality for further optimization.
Graphene is an appealing two-dimensional material with superior mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. Mass production of high-quality graphene is attracting more and more researchers' attention in recent years. Most of the current methods for synthesizing graphene use purified chemical reagents that could be expensive for large-scale production. In this study, we have developed a less expensive method to synthesise high-quality graphene sheets from wheat straw via a combined hydrothermal and graphitization approach. The resulting graphene sheets show favorable features such as ultrathin nanosheet frameworks (2–10 atomic layers), high graphitization (up to 90.7%), graphite-like interlayer spacing (0.3362nm), and the mesoporous structure. When used as an anode material for lithium ion batteries, the few-layer graphene delivers high reversible capacity (502mAhg−1 at 0.1 C), superior rate capability (463.5, 431.4, and 306.8mAhg−1 at 1, 2, and 5 C, respectively), and good cycling performance (392.8mAhg−1 at 1 C after 300cycles). The wheat straw-derived graphene sheets also display the relatively flat voltage profiles with a negligible charge/discharge voltage hysteresis. Moreover, this low-cost, highly efficient, and catalyst-free technique is a significant milepost towards environmentally-sustainable, commercially feasible fabrication of carbon nanomaterials from renewable natural resources.
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common condition that causes significant morbidity and reduced life expectancy, and can have a serious economic impact. It is often underdiagnosed in primary care, partially due to the fact that the current National Institute for Health Care and Excellence-recommended ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) test for PAD in primary care is time-consuming and is technically challenging to perform. The availability of a simple, reliable diagnostic test has the potential to facilitate early PAD identification and treatment.
A manganese-based lithium ion battery was developed for hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) applications. The cell consists of an improved manganese spinel as the positive electrode and hard carbon for the negative electrode. The Mn-based Li ion cell for HEVs was developed by adding a high power density modification to a pure-EV (EV) cell of high energy density specification. It has a power density as high as 2000W/kg at 50% depth of discharge (DOD) and 25°C. Storage tests at various temperatures suggest a practical calendar life of more than 5 years. The 48-cell battery module was developed for use in an HEV. It also proved to have an excellent output power density of 1350W/kg at 50% DOD. Based on the excellent characteristics of the lithium ion battery, it seems very promising to apply this battery not only to EV, HEV and other motor-assisting drive systems but also to other high power applications.
Inputs to apical dendritic tufts have been considered to be crucial for associative learning, attention and similar ‘‘feedback’’ interactions and are located in neocortical layer Ia. Excitatory thalamic projections to apical tufts in layer Ia have been well characterized and their role in the cortical circuit has been emphasized. In addition, the neuropil and the extracellular matrix surrounding apical tufts are highly reactive to GABA and to the glycoprotein Reelin, respectively. Recently it has been shown that the GABA inhibition on apical dendrites can reduce the output of pyramidal cells in layer V, however, the origin of 89 % of the symmetric synapses in layer I still remains unknown. In the present study we have systematically analyzed the origin of the GABAergic neuropil in neocortical layer Ia in a qualitative and quantitative manner, and investigated the possible extrinsic origin of the rich extracellular Reelin content of the same layer. We show that the inhibitory inputs in a given spot in layer I come from cortical projections and arise mainly from Martinotti cells located directly under that same spot. Double bouquet and bipolar cells may also project to layer Ia although to a lesser extent and the external globus pallidus and zona incerta provide the remaining inhibitory inputs. Finally, our results suggest that Martinotti cells are also the main source of Reelin in layer Ia. The present data will help in the understanding of the cortical circuit and why it changes in pathological conditions.
Every biotechnology process that relies on the use of bacteria to make a product or to overproduce a molecule may, at some time, struggle with the presence of virulent phages. For example, phages are the primary cause of fermentation failure in the milk transformation industry. This review focuses on the recent scientific advances in the field of lactic acid bacteria phage research. Three specific topics, namely, the sources of contamination, the detection methods and the control procedures will be discussed.
The calendering of Si-based electrodes is required to obtain a substantial gain in their volumetric capacity compared to conventional graphite electrode. However, as shown in the present study performed on silicon/carbon nanoplatelets/carboxymethyl cellulose electrodes, their calendering induces a major decrease of their cycling stability. This can be attributed to the rupture of the particle-binder bridges during the calendering, lowering the mechanical strength of the electrode. It is found that these cohesive bonds can be restored through an appropriate post-calendering treatment (called maturation). It consists of storing the calendered electrode in a humid atmosphere for a few days before drying and cell assembly. From in-operando dilatometric experiments, it appears that the volumetric expansion is lower and more reversible than for a standard (not-calendered, not-matured) electrode. As a result, a remarkable improvement of the cycle life is observed. However, when cycled in Si/NMC full cell, a rapid capacity decay is observed because of the SEI instability.
A glassy carbon (GC) electrode surface was modified with a cadmium pentacyanonitrosylferrate (CdPCNF) film as a novel electrode material. The modification procedure of the GC surface includes two consecutive procedures: (i) the electrodeposition of metallic cadmium on the GC electrode surface from a CdCl2 solution and (ii) the chemical transformation of the deposited cadmium to the CdPCNF films in 0.05M Na2[Fe(CN)5NO]+0.5M KNO3 solution. The modified GC electrode showed a well-defined redox couple due to [CdIIFeIII/II(CN)5NO]0/−1 system. The effects of supporting electrolytes and solution pH were studied on the electrochemical behavior of the modified electrode. The diffusion coefficients of alkali-metal cations in the film (D), the transfer coefficient (α) and the charge transfer rate constant at the modifying film|electrode interface (k s), were calculated in the presence of various alkali-metal cations. The stability of the modified electrode was investigated under various experimental conditions.
Both cerebral hemispheres contain phonological, orthographic and semantic representations of words, however there are between-hemisphere differences in the relative engagement and specialization of the different representations. Taking orthographic processing for example, previous studies suggest that orthographic neighbourhood size (N) has facilitatory effects in the right but not the left hemispheres. To pursue the nature of this asymmetric N effect, in particular whether there are individual differences in such specialisation, we examined N in a case of developmental dyslexia, FM. We first describe the nature of his difficulties, which are mainly severe phonological deficits. Employing the divided visual field paradigm with FM revealed a greater sensitivity in the right than in the left hemisphere to orthographic variables, with a significant inhibitory N effect in the left, but not right hemisphere. Such inhibition, to a lesser degree, was found among a group of adults with dyslexia but not among age-matched normal readers. We argue that enhanced sensitivity to orthographic cues is developed in some cases of dyslexia when a normal, phonology-based left hemisphere word recognition processing is not achieved. The interpretation presented here is cast in terms of differences between people with dyslexia and typical readers that originate in the atypical way in which orthographic representations are initially set up.
In the physics of two-dimensional materials, notion semi-Dirac dispersion denotes electronic dispersion which is Dirac-like along one direction in the reciprocal space, and quadratic along the orthogonal direction. In our earlier publication (Damljanović and Gajić in J Phys Condens Matter 29:185503, 2017) we have shown that certain layer groups are particularly suitable for hosting semi-Dirac dispersion in the vicinity of some points in the Brillouin zone (BZ). In the present paper we have considered tight-binding model up to seventh nearest neighbors, on a structure belonging to layer group Dg5. According to our theory, this group should host semi-Dirac dispersion at A and B points in the BZ. The structure has four atoms per primitive cell, and it is isostructural with sublattice occupied by phosphorus atoms in the layered material SnPSe3
Two-dimensional (2D) materials are materials that are periodic in two spatial directions but finite in the third, orthogonal direction. These materials gain particular attention after discovery of graphene, a one atom thick layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice. In contrast to graphene, in which all atoms belong to a single plane, buckled silicene and germanene for example, occupy Wyckoff positions with unequal z-coordinates. Existence of massless electrons whose dynamics is described by Dirac (Weyl) equation is among notable properties of graphene and related, so called Dirac, materials.
Low-frequency geoelectrical methods include mainly self-potential, resistivity, and induced polarization techniques, which have potential in many environmental and hydrogeological applications. They provide complementary information to each other and to in-situ measurements. The self-potential method is a passive measurement of the electrical response associated with the in-situ generation of electrical current due to the flow of pore water in porous media, a salinity gradient, and/or the concentration of redox-active species. Under some conditions, this method can be used to visualize groundwater flow, to determine permeability, and to detect preferential flow paths. Electrical resistivity is dependent on the water content, the temperature, the salinity of the pore water, and the clay content and mineralogy. Time-lapse resistivity can be used to assess the permeability and dispersivity distributions and to monitor contaminant plumes. Induced polarization characterizes the ability of rocks to reversibly store electrical energy. It can be used to image permeability and to monitor chemistry of the pore water–minerals interface. These geophysical methods, reviewed in this paper, should always be used in concert with additional in-situ measurements (e.g. in-situ pumping tests, chemical measurements of the pore water), for instance through joint inversion schemes, which is an area of fertile on-going research.
In this article, we introduce and study a two-stage stochastic optimization problem suitable to solve strategic optimization problems of car-sharing systems that utilize electric cars. By combining the individual advantages of car-sharing and electric vehicles, such electric car-sharing systems may help to overcome future challenges related to pollution, congestion, or shortage of fossil fuels. A time-dependent integer linear program and a heuristic algorithm for solving the considered optimization problem are developed and tested on real world instances from the city of Vienna, as well as on grid-graph-based instances. An analysis of the influence of different parameters on the overall performance and managerial insights are given. Results show that the developed exact approach is suitable for medium sized instances such as the ones obtained from the inner districts of Vienna. They also show that the heuristic can be used to tackle very-large-scale instances that cannot be approached successfully by the integer-programming-based method.
Background Cognitive impairment is one of the core features of schizophrenia. For its evaluation, current clinical practice relies on detailed neuropsychological batteries which require trained testers and considerable amount of time to administer. Therefore, a brief and reliable screening tool for identification of overall cognitive impairment prior to a detailed comprehensive neurocognitive assessment is needed in a busy clinical setting. This study evaluates the clinical utility of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in detecting cognitive impairments in schizophrenia and its relationship with functional outcome and demographic characters. Methods The MoCA, the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS), and the Brief UCSD Performance-based Skills Assessment (UPSA-B) were administered to 64 patients with schizophrenia. Mild and severe cognitive impairments were defined as BACS Z-score (calculated with the age and gender adjustments using previously published local norm data) of one or two standard deviations below the mean, respectively. Results The results showed that the MoCA was significantly correlated with BACS (r =.61, p <.001) and sensitive to detect both mild (AUC=0.82, p <.001) and severe (AUC=0.81, p <.001) cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. The MoCA was significantly correlated with UPSA-B score (r =.51, p <.001), and accounted for significant additional variance in UPSA-B score beyond the BACS. Conclusion These findings indicate that MoCA is a useful bedside cognitive screening instrument for people with schizophrenia.
Energy future scenarios are used in policy decision-making but little is known about how they influence public preferences. This study shows that engaging with an interactive scenario-building tool strengthens existing preferences, but exemplar scenarios provide reference points that anchor choices.
Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is one of the major environmental issues in Tunisian cities. Rapid growth in urbanization and population rates and the changes in people’s lifestyle have prompted a dramatic increase quantity and a significant shift in the composition of municipal solid waste. There is insufficient data concerning the quantities and the composition of waste streams along with the absence of a comprehensive complete overview and a wider perspective of MSWM potential that provides detailed information at region and city level. As a result, it is still impossible for the scientific community and the authorities to provide synergetic schemes to tie the problems of MSWM with how to integrate economically feasible and environmentally sustainable practices holistically. In the present study, an attempt has been made to provide a comprehensive overview of MSW, through a qualitative (compositional) and quantitative (parametric) characterization of the generated total waste generated in Tunisian cities. A 1-year research survey was conducted in seven regions in Tunisia (Great Tunis, Northeast, Northwest, Midwest, Mideast, Southwest, and Southeast) that cover the 24 provinces of the country. Collected samples revealed that the distribution of waste by region was defined by the region’s demographic, economic, and industrial status. Approaches of possibly more efficient procedures that can be undertaken to improve MSW collection are discussed. At a final stage and based on the potential of biogas calculated in the seven regions, we suggest that the scientific community and the authorities should introduce applicable schemes to valorize MSW through generating biogas as a renewable energy.
LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 was prepared through a solid-state reaction using various Ni precursors. The effect of precursors on the electrochemical performance of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 was investigated. LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 made from Ni(NO3)2·6H2O shows the best charge–discharge performance. The reversible capacity of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 is about 145mAhg−1 and remained 143mAhg−1 after 10 cycles at 3.0–5.0V. The XRD results showed that the precursors and the dispersion methods had significant effect on their phase purity. Pure spinel phase can be obtained with high energy ball-milling method and Ni(NO3)2·6H2O as precursor. Trace amount of NiO and Li2MnO3 phase were detected in LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 with manual-mixture method and using Ni(CH3COO)2·6H2O, NiO and Ni2O3 as precursors.
Objective To explore the interrelationships between the psychosocial and illness factors that determine the disease status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to identify how each factor is associated with quality of life (QOL). Methods The study group comprised 120 RA outpatients who completed a series of health examinations and questionnaires. Disease severity, functional disability, counts of swollen and/or tender joints, duration of RA, frequency of arthritis surgery, and C-reactive protein level were assessed by rheumatologists. Self-report inventories completed by the patients were used to assess perceived degree of pain, fatigue (visual analogue scales), depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II), anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and social support (Social Support Questionnaire). Mental and physical components of health-related QOL were evaluated using the Short-Form 36 Health Survey. Results After z-transformation of the data, a principal axis factor analysis was conducted. A four-factor structure was identified in which the components reflected psychosocial factors, disease activity, current symptoms, and physical functional status, respectively. There was no significant association between psychosocial factors and disease activity, while the other components were moderately correlated with each other. Multiple regression analysis revealed that physical QOL was determined by current symptoms and physical functions. Mental QOL was determined by psychosocial factors, current symptoms, and physical functions. Conclusion Disease activity was independent from psychosocial factors and failed to reflect the perceived physical and mental QOL of RA patients. Clinicians should therefore evaluate psychosocial factors, as well as subjective disease status, to improve the QOL of patients with RA.
We have developed a low-cost and facile preparation of powdery carbon@MnO2 core–shell hybrid nanospheres for supercapacitor electrode materials. The core carbon spheres serve as supporting template and electronically conductive material for the nanostructured MnO2 shell, which is benefit for the improve of the capacitive performance. By simply controlling the reaction time, various nanostructure MnO2 shells with different morphologies and crystalline structures are obtained. Typically, the hybrid nanospheres with flower-like birnessite-type MnO2 shells exhibit a highest capacitance of 252 F g−1 (based on the mass of MnO2) at the scan rate of 2 mV s−1, an excellent rate performance with a specific capacitance of 175 F g−1 at 100 mV s−1 and a good cycle ability with 74% retention after 2000 cycles at 5 A g−1. The results indicate that this kind of hybrid core–shell carbon@MnO2 nanospheres have great potential in the future practical applications.