batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Global warming, environmental pollution, and an energy shortage in the current fossil fuel society may cause a severe ecological crisis. Storage and conversion of renewable, dispersive and non-perennial energy from the sun, wind, geothermal sources, water, or biomass could be a promising option to relieve this crisis. Carbon materials could be the most versatile platform materials applied in the field of modern energy storage and conversion. Conventional carbon materials produced from coal and petrochemical products are usually energy intensive or involve harsh synthetic conditions. It is highly desired to develop effective methods to produce carbon materials from renewable resources that have high performance and limited environmental impacts. In this regard, biochar, a bio-carbon with abundant surface functional groups and easily tuned porosity produced from biomass, may be a promising candidate as a sustainable carbon material. Recent studies have demonstrated that biochar-based materials show great application potential in energy storage and conversion because of their easily tuned surface chemistry and porosity. In this review, recent advances in the applications of biochar-based materials in various energy storage and conversion fields, including hydrogen storage and production, oxygen electrocatalysts, emerging fuel cell technology, supercapacitors, and lithium/sodium ion batteries, are summarized, highlighting the mechanisms and open questions in current energy applications. Finally, contemporary challenges and perspectives on how biochar-based materials will develop and, in particular, the fields in which the use of biochar-based materials could be expanded are discussed throughout the review. This review demonstrates significant potential for energy applications of biochar-based materials, and it is expected to inspire new discoveries to promote practical applications of biochar-based materials in more energy storage and conversion fields.
ABSTRACT Novel semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) anion-permselective membranes are prepared via a facile monomer sorption method. The base membrane is prepared by in-situ copolymerization of N,N’-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and divinylbenzene (DVB) in a non-porous poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) substrate film (i.e. poly(DMAEMA-co-DVB)/PVC). The successive quaternization reaction along with di-functional p-xylylene dichloride forms the structurally stable anion-exchange groups that are fused with one another. Various characterizations (measurements of the transport number, electrical resistance, I-V curves, and chronopotentiometry etc.) reveal that the electrochemical properties of the prepared membranes are almost comparable with those of a commercial anion-exchange membrane (AMX, Astom Corp., Japan). In addition, the structural stability of the anion-exchange sites is confirmed through the water-splitting experiments at a high applied current condition.
An emerging body of research has shown that computer-assisted cognitive remediation, consisting of training in attention, memory, language and/or problem-solving, produces improvement in neurocognitive function that generalizes to untrained neurocognitive tests and may also impact symptoms and work functioning in patients with schizophrenia. The active ingredient of these interventions, however, remains unknown as control groups in these studies have typically included few, if any, of the elements of these complex behavioral treatments. This study compared the effects of an extended (12-month), standardized, computer-assisted cognitive remediation intervention with those of a computer-skills training control condition that consisted of many of the elements of the experimental intervention, including hours spent on a computer, interaction with a clinician and non-specific cognitive stimulation. Forty-two patients with schizophrenia were randomly assigned to one of two conditions and were assessed with a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery before and after treatment. Results revealed that cognitive-remediation training produced a significant improvement in working memory, relative to the computers-skills training control condition, but that there was overall improvement in both groups on measures of working memory, reasoning/executive-function, verbal and spatial episodic memory, and processing speed. Taken together, these findings suggest that specific practice in neurocognitive exercises targeted at attention, memory and language, produce improvements in neurocognitive function that are not solely attributable to non-specific stimulation associated with working with a computer, interacting with a clinician or cognitive challenge, but that non-specific stimulation has a salutary effect on neurocognition as well.
The kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the practical air cathode in a Lithium-air cell, which is conventionally composed of porous carbon with or without catalysts supported on it, was investigated. The mechanism and kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was studied on a porous carbon electrode in an oxygen saturated solution of 0.1M Lithium bis-trifluoromethanesulfonimide (LiTFSI) in Dimethoxyethane (DME) using cyclic voltammetery (CV) and the rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) technique. The oxygen reduction and evolution reactions were found to occur at similar potentials to those observed on a smooth, planar glassy carbon (GC) electrode. The effect of porosity and the resultant increase in surface area were readily observed in the increase in the transient time required for the intermediates to reach the ring and the much larger disk currents (compared to smooth, planar GC) recorded respectively. The RRDE data was analyzed using a kinetic model previously developed by us and the rate constants for the elementary reactions were calculated. The rates constant for the electrochemical reactions were found to be similar in magnitude to the rate constants calculated for smooth GC disks. The porosity of the electrode was found to decrease the rate of desorption of the intermediate and the product and delay their diffusion by shifting it from a Fickian regime in the electrolyte bulk to the Knudsen regime in the film pores. Thus, it is shown that the effect of the electrode porosity on the kinetics of the ORR is physical rather than electrochemical.
Electrochemical performances of a prototype lithium–bromine battery (LBB) employing a solid electrolyte is investigated. The discharge capacity decreases with repeating charge/discharge cycles. Electrochemical impedance analysis reveals that the capacity fading is mainly due to increase in the interfacial resistance between an aqueous active material solution and a solid electrolyte. Based on the results of symmetric cells and structural analysis of the surface of the solid electrolyte immersed in Br2 solutions, it is suggested that a Li+-depletion layer is formed on the surface of the solid electrolyte as a result of contact with bromine. Addition of tetraethylammonium bromide (TEABr) depresses the interfacial resistance, which results in improved cycleability. LBB with 1.0 M LiBr and 0.25 M TEABr shows discharge capacity of 139 mAh/g-LiBr and Coulombic efficiency of 99.6% at 5th cycle.
New electrochemical investigations of the Pb/PbO2/PbSO4 electrode are reported. In this study we focus on two related phenomena: an anodic peak that appears on cathodic sweep, which we regard as a reactivation peak and a voltage dip that appears in galvanostatic discharges, commonly known as “coup de fouet”. It was possible to demonstrate that the commonly accepted interpretation for the “coup de fouet” as PbSO4 nucleation over PbO2 surface is incorrect. From the comparison between galvanostatic and voltammetric experiments, the connection between the “coup de fouet” and the reactivation peak is elucidated and a model that explains the overall behavior is proposed.
The objectives of this study were: (i) to identify regions of the aged mouse brain in which advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) were increased, and (ii) assess the functional significance of AGEs by determining the extent to which they could predict age-related brain dysfunction. Densitometric analyses of immunoblots for N epsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), a predominant AGE, and receptor for AGE (RAGE), were performed in different brain regions of mice aged 8 or 25 months. The 25-month-old mice were tested for ability to perform on tests of cognitive and psychomotor function prior to assessment of CML or RAGE, to determine if immunostaining results could predict functional impairment among the older mice. The amounts of CML increased with age in cortex, hippocampus, striatum, and midbrain, but were unchanged in the brainstem and cerebellum. Increases in RAGE were evident in all brain regions but the hippocampus, and were not linked to increased amounts of CML. Different statistical approaches each failed to reveal any strong association between the degree of age-related functional impairment among individual mice and amounts of CML or RAGE in any particular region of the brain. The findings from this study suggest that accrual of CML and expression of RAGE in different brain regions are time-related phenomena that do not account for individual differences in brain aging or cognitive decline.
Whereas economic perceptions influence the national vote in Western European countries, globalization, or international openness, conditions the influence of economic perceptions on that national vote. But how do attitudes toward the EU itself influence the economic vote? After establishing the presence of a national economic vote in Southern Europe (Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal) we test the hypothesis that heightened perception of European Union economic responsibility reduces the magnitude of the national economic vote coefficient. These tests are carried out on current (2009) survey data, via logistic regression analysis of fully specified voting behavior models, estimated country-by-country and in a data pool. Clearly, the national economic vote diminishes, to the extent the EU is held responsible for the economy.
Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is characterized by repeated breathing pauses during sleep and is closely associated with obesity. Body fat is known to be a predictive factor for OSAHS and its severity.
In this study, the performance and reaction location in a VRFB was investigated with a carbon paper electrode that was modified to include a thin layer of multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The nanotube layer was introduced into the electrode at locations on the negative and positive electrode nearest the membrane and nearest the flow field. Results with the nanotube layer on the positive electrode yielded small changes in the performance, despite the location. However, when the nanotube layer was introduced on the negative electrode, the performance was greatly improved when it was closest to the current collector. In this configuration, an 8% increase in power density and a 65mV increase in cell voltage were observed, compared to a cell with raw carbon paper. This is attributed to the increase in active area of the nanoporous structure in a location where the reaction is favored to occur.
As-grown, amorphous LiCoO2 cathodes grown using a sputtering system were annealed in the temperature range of 650–900°C under an Ar and O2 ambients, respectively, in order to obtain crystalline LiCoO2 cathodes. The resulting cathodes were then systematically compared with respect to their charge–discharge properties. The post-annealing process under an O2 ambient resulted in superior cycling performance and thermal stability at high temperature than the Ar ambient. This effect is discussed in terms of grain boundary, surface roughness, and the outdiffusion of oxygen.
The neurocognitive and social cognitive correlates of two types of formal thought disorder (i.e., bizarre-idiosyncratic and concrete thinking) were examined in 47 stable outpatients with schizophrenia. Both types of thinking disturbance were related to impairments in verbal learning, intrusions in verbal memory, immediate auditory memory, sustained attention, and social schema knowledge. Distractibility during an immediate memory task was associated with more frequent bizarre verbalizations but not concreteness. Impaired verbal learning rate and intrusions in verbal memory independently contributed to the prediction of bizarre responses, whereas intrusions in verbal memory and impaired immediate memory independently contributed to concrete thinking. This pattern of findings is consistent with the view that neurocognitive and, possibly, social cognitive deficits underlie these two aspects of formal thinking disturbance in schizophrenia.
Abstract The benefit of the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is that it can utilize hydrogen to produce zero emission electrical power near ambient temperatures in a compact, lightweight device which can replace a combustion engine generator. Hydrogen is now being viewed widely as a zero emission fuel for PEMFC electric cars to augment or replace fossil fuel combustion vehicles in city applications where air pollution is a problem. Since 1998, when the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate in California was unsuccessful, much progress has been made, and the increasing presence of PEMFC ZEVs in cities is now visible, with several manufacturers producing cars (Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda) and several EU companies installing hydrogen filling stations for consumers (Air Liquide, Air Products, and Linde). Hydrogen fuel cells are also being used for portable power and in buildings; 200,000 units delivering 700W plus heat have been installed in Japanese houses during the last 10 years. This article gives an overview of progress until 2016 and points the way to future developments.
The present work is aimed at the optimization of a redox cell design. The studied redox cell consists on a device designed to convert the energy of reactants into electrical energy when a liquid electrolyte reacts at the electrode in a conventional manner. In this particular sort of cells, the two electrolytes are present and separated by a proton exchange membrane. Therefore, the flow of the electrolyte and the interaction with the membrane takes a paramount importance for the general performance of the cell. A methodology for designing the inlet part of the cell based on optimizing the uniformity of the flow and the initial position of the membrane is presented in this study. This methodology, based on the definition and optimization of several parameters related to the electrolyte flow in different regions of the geometry, is depicted. The CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) model coupled with the statistical study pointed to several practical conclusions on how to improve the final geometry construction of the redox cell. A particular case study of redox cell is implemented in order to validate the proposed methodology.
A new methodology for the electrochemical characterization of any device constituted by two electroactive films of conducting polymers, such as electrochromic windows, artificial muscles, polymeric batteries or supercapacitors, is proposed. During electrochemical characterization of dual polymer devices, the charge consumed by the device and the independent potential evolution vs. a reference electrode (oxidation states) of the two constituent materials are followed. The charges consumed inside and outside the electrochromic potential window of each polymer are measured, therefore obtaining percentages of efficient and inefficient charge. Dual polymer electrochromic systems were constructed and characterized by potential sweeps. The influence of the applied potential limits, the redox charge ratio between the two constituting films, or the starting oxidation state of each material on the final percentage of efficient charge consumed by each electrode were studied.
The aims of this cross-sectional study were to examine the developmental characteristics (biological maturation and body size) associated with gross motor coordination problems in 5193 Peruvian children (2787 girls) aged 6–14 years from different geographical locations, and to investigate how the probability that children suffer with gross motor coordination problems varies with physical fitness. Children with gross motor coordination problems were more likely to have lower flexibility and explosive strength levels, having adjusted for age, sex, maturation and study site. Older children were more likely to suffer from gross motor coordination problems, as were those with greater body mass index. However, more mature children were less likely to have gross motor coordination problems, although children who live at sea level or at high altitude were more likely to suffer from gross motor coordination problems than children living in the jungle. Our results provide evidence that children and adolescents with lower physical fitness are more likely to have gross motor coordination difficulties. The identification of youths with gross motor coordination problems and providing them with effective intervention programs is an important priority in order to overcome such developmental problems, and help to improve their general health status.
Polyindole(Pind) is one of the conducting polymers (CPs) which previously was less studied but of recent is gaining attention for energy storage applications. In all the few previous reports, when Pind was employed as electrode active material in supercapacitors, the capacitance was reported low with reasonable values only being obtained as a composite with other materials. The reasons underlying the poor performance of Pind and Pind nanocomposites are thought to be: 1) inactive morphology and limited surface area, 2) poor conductivity, and 3) poor electrode fabrication techniques. To address the trio, we employed the traditional, easy and scalable electrospinning technique to fabricate high surface area electroactive Pind nanofibers. Further, a little percentage (10wt.%) of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were added to enhance the conductivity of Pind and to study the effect of our fabrication route on the nanocomposites. Significant capacitance improvements of up to 238Fg−1 and 476Fg−1 at 1.0Ag−1 for Pind and Pind/CNT freestanding electrospun electrodes, respectively were achieved. Moreover, we report the significant performance of the all-solid-state symmetric, flexible and binder-free supercapacitor fabricated by a one-step and scalable method of as-electrospun Pind/CNT nanofibers on the stainless steel fabric current collector. The supercapacitor showed a high energy density of 17.14W h kg−1 at a power density of 426Wkg−1 and capacitance retention of 95% after 2000 cycles. We strongly believe that we have set a stage for Pind to compete in a healthy race with other CPs as a next generation electrode material for supercapacitors.
Mild aqueous Zn–MnO2 battery attracts lots of attention in energy storage filed due to its low cost, high safety and environmental friendliness. To achieve high-performance in battery, phase evolution processes of MnO2 during synthesis and electrochemical reactions need to be understood. Herein, the phase evolution during microwave hydrothermal and correlated battery performance of β-MnO2 are studied. The results demonstrate a phase evolution mechanism from an initial mixture of vernadite, nsutite, and pyrolusite (β-MnO2) to a final single β-MnO2 phase, along with enhanced structure stability, increased Mn valence, and decreased BET surface area. It is found that only when microwave hydrothermal time (MHT) ≥ 120 min, β-MnO2 showing both high capacity and excellent cycling performance can be obtained. β-MnO2 prepared under a MHT of 120 min shows a high reversible capacity of 288 mA h g−1 with a median voltage of 1.36 V vs. Zn/Zn2+, and high capacity retentions of 91.8% after 200 cycles at 0.5C and 84.3% after 1000 cycles at 4C, respectively. In addition, the formation of inactive ZnMn2O4 during cycling is observed, which contributes to the capacity fading of β-MnO2 after long-term cycling. This research makes a step forward to the practical application of Zn–MnO2 batteries, and contributes to the large-scale energy storage field.
The higher risk of adult neuropsychiatric diseases in individuals with low fetal birth weight may be related to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling pathway inhibition. Here, we investigated whether prenatal food restriction (PFR) induces neurobehavioral alterations in adult female offspring and explored the underlying intrauterine programming mechanism. Pregnant Wistar rats in the PFR group were fed 50% of the daily food intake of control rats from gestational day (GD) 11 to 20; some pregnant rats were sacrificed at GD20, and the remaining female pups had normal delivery and were fed a post-weaning high-fat diet (HFD) and half of them were exposed to an unpredictable chronic stress (UCS) from postnatal week (PW) 21. All adult female offspring were sacrificed at PW24. At GD20, PFR altered fetal hippocampal structure and function, increased glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression, and decreased mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), BDNF and synaptic plasticity-related gene expressions. At PW24, PFR induced depression-like behavioral abnormalities in adult rat offspring fed an HFD. These rats exhibited depression- and anxiety-like behavioral changes after HFD/UCS. Furthermore, the hippocampal morphology of the PFR group showed abnormal changes in adult offspring fed an HFD and more serious damage after HFD/UCS. These changes were accompanied by increased serum corticosterone levels, elevated GR expression, and reduced expression of the BDNF signaling pathway and synaptic plasticity-related genes in the hippocampus. In conclusion, PFR may induce neurobehavioral abnormalities in adult offspring, especially those exposed to UCS, through high levels of glucocorticoids, which increase hippocampal GR expression and decrease BDNF expression.
Three-dimensional (3D) nickel hydroxide electrodes based on well-ordered and laminated structures are prepared via an electrochemical route combined with microfabrication technologies. The electrodes exhibit enhanced rate capabilities owing to their large surface area and reduced diffusion and conduction path lengths for the charge transfer. Highly laminated electrodes enable areal capacities as high as 2.43 mAh cm−2. When charged at fast rates of 150C, the electrodes are able to deliver more than 50% of their initial capacity. The electrochemical performance of the fabricated electrodes is predicted with close approximation by means of a mathematical model developed by employing fundamental mass transport and reaction kinetics principles. This model is then used to optimize the characteristic dimensions of the electrodes and make projections of performance for various energy and power needs.
An ethyl 4,4,4-trifluorobutyrate (ETFB) additive, with ester and partially fluorinated alkyl moieties, is employed to stabilize the interface structure of Ni-rich layered LiNi0.7Co0.15Mn0.15O2 (NCM) cathodes and graphite anodes. The analysis of the surface chemistry of the electrodes shows that ETFB serves as a bifunctional additive for constructing protective layers on both electrodes in a full cell. Cycling tests reveal that the addition of 1% ETFB leads to excellent capacity retention (84.8%) for the NCM/graphite full cell, which also delivers a superior discharge capacity of 167 mAh g−1 and a high Coulombic efficiency of over 99.8% after 300 cycles at 45 °C. The ETFB-derived protective layer effectively reduces intergranular cracking in secondary NCM cathode particles upon repeated charge-discharge cycling and limits the dissolution of transition metal ions from the cathode at high temperatures. In addition, after ETFB reduction, the graphite anode develops a thermally stable interface structure, which suppresses the self-discharge of graphite coupled with the NCM cathode at 60 °C.