batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
The formation of a cesium interphase in-between a polymer film and a platinum electrode has been initiated by low energy bombardment induced ion transport. To this end two different samples of a poly(p-xylylene)(PPX) film, deposited on a platinum electrode have been bombarded by a low energy cesium ion beam. Ions are transported through the film according to the laws of electro-diffusion. They are neutralized at the interface between the PPX film and the metal electrode. Consequently, a cesium interphase is formed. 3D imaging of the interphase by means of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) reveals a correlation between structural characteristics of the interphase and conduction properties of the PPX film. The bombardment of PPX films consisting of a homogenous network leads to the formation of a uniform interphase. The bombardment of PPX films with non-intermittent pathways (NIPs) for the transport of ions leads to the formation of cesium islands which ultimately spread out laterally leading to a non-uniform interphase behind the PPX film. This picture is supported by measurements of the ionic conductivity which differs characteristically for the two kinds of PPX films.
In this study, a novel technique was investigated for the one-step production of graphene layers on a pencil graphite electrode. To the best of our knowledge, this report is the first to describe the formation of graphene layers on a graphite electrode using cyclic voltammetry in 5.0M nitric acid solution. The oxidation of the pencil graphite electrode occurred at the anode. Next, the formed graphene oxide was reduced to graphene over one cycle. The electrochemical characteristics and behaviors of the produced graphene electrodes were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. Physical and morphological characteristics and differences in the electrodes were determined by Raman, XPS and SEM analysis. The graphene electrodes were used as the positive electrode component of a vanadium redox battery. GPGE (the graphene electrode synthesized over 50 cycles in 5M HNO3) had the best performance as a positive electrode in a vanadium redox battery. Moreover, GPGE exhibited great cyclic performance and excellent cycling stability (more than 200 cycles) in cyclic voltammetry. It has been demonstrated that the presented novel processing route is fast, easy, cheap and environmentally friendly for preparation of graphene electrodes which can be used in energy storage systems, sensors, and optoelectronics.
Publisher Summary The binding of the bacterial adhesions to host receptors is a very dynamic process which signals many responses by the bacteria from host cells. Thus, fimbrial adhesions may be viewed as direct mediators of bidirectional signaling between bacteria and host cells. Future studies in this area should prove highly informative for the design of novel strategies to modulate these signaling pathways and to curb bacterial infections and their harmful sequelae. The development of anti-adhesion therapy targeted at the microbial lectins is hampered by the great difficulty in large-scale synthesis of the required inhibitory saccharides. An alternative is the use of glycomimetics, compounds that structurally mimic the inhibitory carbohydrates, and which may be more readily obtainable. Eventually, a cocktail of inhibitors or a polyvalent inhibitor needs to be used, since many infectious agents express multiple specificities. Pathogens employ multiple molecular mechanisms of adhesion to initiate infection and effective anti adhesion drugs may probably have to consist of a cocktail of inhibitors. The biotechnology required to achieve this goal is promising.
Two types of Si–graphite (Si–C) composites are synthesized and evaluated for anode materials of lithium secondary batteries. The mechano-chemical milling and the rotational impact blending methods are applied to synthesize two types of Si–C composites. Graphite powders having Si on the surface (type A) is synthesized by mechano-chemical milling using the pitch as a binder. Si embedded inside the graphite particle (type B) is synthesized by rotational impact blending. The loading level of Si is about 20wt% for both type Si–C composites. The location of Si is verified by observing cross sectional images of particle and conducting EDS mapping. The initial discharge capacity of type B has larger value than that of type A, while the type A shows better cycle performance than type B. The efficiency of first cycle is about 87% for both types A and B.
Objective Diabetes among older adults causes many complications, including decreased lower-extremity function and physical disability. Diabetes can cause peripheral nerve dysfunction, which might be one pathway through which diabetes leads to decreased physical function. The study aims were to determine the following: (1) whether diabetes and impaired fasting glucose are associated with objective measures of physical function in older adults, (2) which peripheral nerve function (PNF) tests are associated with diabetes, and (3) whether PNF mediates the diabetes–physical function relationship. Research Design and Methods This study included 983 participants, age 65years and older from the InCHIANTI study. Diabetes was diagnosed by clinical guidelines. Physical performance was assessed using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), scored from 0 to 12 (higher values, better physical function) and usual walking speed (m/s). PNF was assessed via standard surface electroneurographic study of right peroneal nerve conduction velocity, vibration and touch sensitivity. Clinical cutpoints of PNF tests were used to create a neuropathy score from 0 to 5 (higher values, greater neuropathy). Multiple linear regression models were used to test associations. Results and Conclusion One hundred twenty-six (12.8%) participants had diabetes. Adjusting for age, sex, education, and other confounders, diabetic participants had decreased SPPB (β =−0.99; p <0.01), decreased walking speed (β =−0.1m/s; p <0.01), decreased nerve conduction velocity (β =−1.7m/s; p <0.01), and increased neuropathy (β =0.25; p <0.01) compared to non-diabetic participants. Adjusting for nerve conduction velocity and neuropathy score decreased the effect of diabetes on SPPB by 20%, suggesting partial mediation through decreased PNF.
The demand for electrochemical energy sources is nowadays extremely large and it addresses very different application, from small portable devices, over electric vehicles, to large stationary applications. The requirements for the electrochemical energy sources are therefore extremely various in terms of cost, specific power and energy, cycle life, safety. In spite of the large variety of electrochemical energy storage systems available today they may not fulfil all of the requirements requested. The need of achieving both high energy density and power density has been pointed out in the last decade and, among the different possible approaches, the hybridization of two types of electrochemical energy storage devices, rechargeable battery and electrochemical double layer capacitor, has been strongly investigated. This work reviews the different approaches to the hybridization, such as internal and external, serial and parallel and provides a collection of today's achievements.
LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4/C cathode materials are synthesized by a sol–gel method and the precursor calcinations. The phase structures and morphologies are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Galvanostatic charging/discharging cycles of as-prepared LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4/C are performed in the saturated LiNO3 aqueous solution. The initial discharge capacities of (LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4/C)//LiV3O8 aqueous rechargeable lithium battery are 123.09mAhg−1 and 107.00mAhg−1 at 0.05 C and 0.1 C, respectively. And it delivers a capacity of 66.77mAhg−1 at 50 C which is greater than that of 20 C and 30 C, exhibiting good cycling performance at 50 C. This is the first report of a successful utilization of LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4/C as cathode material for ARLB and the lithium-ion diffusion coefficients of the LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4/C are calculated from the cyclic voltammetry data.
A Li x MnPO4 (x =1.0–0.15) composite cathode was investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy at different states of charge. Significant spectral changes of the PO4 3− vibrations, which are correlated with the Jahn–Teller distortion of Mn3+ in MnPO4 and the 3rd ionization potential of Mn, were observed upon electrochemical delithiation of LiMnPO4. The presence of two sets of peaks observed in the series of delithiated Li x MnPO4 spectra is consistent with a two-phase process for delithiation. These results provide insight into the structural changes that occur during lithium extraction and insertion in LiMnPO4.
In-vivo devices and systems are extensively used in medical field to real-time detect and adjust the physiological status of human being, but supplying energy in-vivo for these devices and systems is still a great challenge. In this work, we first developed a new kind of wireless nanogenerator (WLNG) based on biocompatible BZT-BCT nanowires (NWs). It works through compressing and releasing BZT-BCT NWs/PDMS nanocomposite by a changing magnetic field in wireless non-contact mode. The maximum output voltage reaches 3.9V, and the maximum output current is 1.17μA, which are 21.9% larger than the reported maximum output voltage 3.2V and 23.4 times of the reported maximum 50nA of non-contact nanogenerator. And we further integrated it with a new kind of transmitter into a wireless, power-free and implantable nanosystem for in-vivo biodetection. This nanosystem does not need any electrical power. An in-vitro changing magnetic field can be used to drive it to detect the variation of resistance in-vivo and wirelessly transmit the signal to the equipments in-vitro.
For lithium‑sulfur batteries (LSBs), some barriers like low conductivity of sulfur, the large irreversible volume change and the “shuttle” issue, hinder its practical application. In this work, Fe-functionalized mesoporous carbonaceous microspheres with high conductivity and intensive chemical adsorption for polar polysulfide species (LiPSs) were successfully synthesized through economical, scalable solvothermal process and pyrolyzing method. Carbon microspheres with Fe/Fe3C components (denoted as CMS900) exhibit high conductivity and significantly enhance the electrochemical reaction kinetics despite 81 wt% sulfur loading. Furthermore, the proper amount surface oxygenic functional groups effectively immobilize sulfur via strong chemical entrapment and suppress the dissolution of LiPSs intermediates during cycling. The CMS900@S has demonstrated a high initial discharge capacity of 1269 mAh g−1 at 0.1C, over 200 cycles with the lowest average capacity fading rate of 0.06% per cycle, which can be treated as an alternative cathode material for LSBs with impressive electrochemical performance.
Network-centered approaches are increasingly used to understand the fundamentals of biology. However, the molecular details contained in the interaction networks, often necessary to understand cellular processes, are very limited, and the experimental difficulties surrounding the determination of protein complex structures make computational modeling techniques paramount. Here we present Interactome3D, a resource for the structural annotation and modeling of protein-protein interactions. Through the integration of interaction data from the main pathway repositories, we provide structural details at atomic resolution for over 12,000 protein-protein interactions in eight model organisms. Unlike static databases, Interactome3D also allows biologists to upload newly discovered interactions and pathways in any species, select the best combination of structural templates and build three-dimensional models in a fully automated manner. Finally, we illustrate the value of Interactome3D through the structural annotation of the complement cascade pathway, rationalizing a potential common mechanism of action suggested for several disease-causing mutations.
When a battery pack is subjected to external mechanical load, i.e. as in the case of crash, the individual cells experience significant deformations leading to the internal short circuit and possibly fire. The current investigation looks into effects of the inactive components (i.e. cooling plates and module protective enclosure) on deformation and failure of individual pouch cells. Experiments on large spherical indentation of electric vehicle battery module with and without such components have been performed. The results show that the presence of cooling plates overall reduces the force under out-of-plane indentation by approximately a factor of 1.5. It was established however that the failure in cells occurs at the same displacement of the indenter, regardless of the presence of the inactive elements in battery module structure. This underlines the necessity for formulation of the failure criterion based on critical strain, rather than critical stress measure. The findings suggest possibility of utilizing such battery modules in impact energy absorption scenarios, due to reduction in force by the cooling components. X-Ray computed tomography (XCT) has been performed on the cells as a non-destructive analysis of internal failure and the differences of failure mode induced by introduction of structural components are discussed.
In this paper, conductive composite films were synthetized based on oxidized cellulosic nanofibres (CNFo), 1-(2-cyanoethyl)pyrrole and pyrrole. The 1-(2-cyanoethyl)pyrrole was reduced into N-(3-aminopropyl)pyrrole before being grafted on carboxyl groups of CNFo. Oxidative polymerization of polypyrrole (Ppy) was conducted in an iron(III) chloride (FeCl3) solution, onto the N-(3-aminopropyl)pyrrole grafted. The resulting composite films were characterized by FTIR-ATR Spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), tensile strength measurement, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), wettability and electrical conductivity measurements. The grafting of 1-(2-cyanoethyl)pyrrole played a leading role in improving these properties by increasing potential connections between chains of conducting polymer and cellulose fibres. The outcomes show that the PPy nanoparticles coating on the grafted films increase a lot of characteristics of our composite such as wettability, mechanical properties, thermal protection and more importantly the electrical conductivity which was improved by a 10E5 factor in comparison to the uncoated films. In this condition, this nanostructure could be considered in the design of high-performance electrodes for supercapacitor, battery and sensor applications.
Fe-based air alkaline batteries are promising candidates for large scale energy storage due to their low cost, eco-friendliness and high energy density. In this work, pure iron was studied as negative electrode of Fe-air batteries with and without Na2S added to the KOH alkaline electrolyte in order to bring new insight on the mechanisms of inhibition of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and improvement of the electrochemical performances of the Fe electrode. Electrochemical (CV, galvanostatic discharge), spectroscopic (XPS, ToF-SIMS) and microscopic (SEM) analysis were applied to characterize the effect of the sulfide additive (Na2S) on the electrochemical behavior of Fe electrodes and their chemical and morphological modifications. Surface analysis performed by XPS and ToF-SIMS revealed the formation of a markedly thicker oxide/hydroxide layer. The mechanism of formation of this thick oxide/hydroxide layer is initiated by the adsorption of sulfur (Sads) at the oxide/metal interface that inhibits the HER during the first stages of electrochemical process and promotes subsequent anodic oxidation. With the Na2S electrolyte additive, Fe(0)/Fe(II) conversion/deconversion is suppressed and charge/discharge proceeds mostly by Fe(II)/Fe(III) conversion/deconversion with improved capacity owing to the porous morphology of the oxide/hydroxide layer.
Caesium-137 activity concentration in the water columns of the Gulf of Patras (Central Greece) and the North-Eastern Aegean Sea (easterward to Lemnos Island) was investigated in selected sampling stations during the period September 2004–June 2006. The methodology followed was based on the sorption of caesium (Cs) on cotton wound cartridge filters impregnated by Cu2[Fe(CN)6] via in-situ pumping. In terms of the horizontal and vertical records, the activity concentrations of 137Cs in the Gulf of Patras ranged between 1.2 and 6.7Bqm−3, depending on the sampling period and the prevailing physicochemical regime at the sampling station. The general pattern of the decreased activity concentrations of 137Cs with increasing depth was reversed in the Gulf of Patras during the cold period attributed to the prevailing advective processes of the area. The activity concentrations of 137Cs in the North-Eastern Aegean Sea ranged from 2.6 to 12.8Bqm−3, whereas significant stratified curves were observed during the warm period and also, in one station during the cold period. In terms of temporal variation, the discharges in the Gulf of Patras resulted in enhanced levels of 137Cs, whereas in the North Aegean Sea the incoming water masses form the Black Sea had an apparent influence throughout the year by increasing the 137Cs levels, hence presenting a weak seasonal variation. Comparing the two studied areas, one could say that the North Aegean Sea, as an open sea environment, presented higher concentrations due to the influence of the Black Sea water masses. The estimated inventories of 137Cs in the Gulf of Patras ranged 0.25±0.03–0.79±0.03kBqm−2, whereas in the North-Eastern Aegean Sea they ranged 0.33±0.02–0.92±0.03kBqm−2.
Hatfield B, Millet D, Coles J, Gassaway J, Conroy B, Smout RJ. Characterizing speech and language pathology outcomes in stroke rehabilitation. Objectives To describe a subset of speech-language pathology (SLP) patients in the Post-Stroke Rehabilitation Outcomes Project and to examine outcomes for patients with low admission FIM levels of auditory comprehension and verbal expression. Design Observational cohort study. Setting Five inpatient rehabilitation hospitals. Participants Patients (N=397) receiving poststroke SLP with admission FIM cognitive components at levels 1 through 5. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure Increase in comprehension and expression FIM scores from admission to discharge. Results Cognitively and linguistically complex SLP activities (problem-solving and executive functioning skills) were associated with greater likelihood of success in low- to mid-level functioning communicators in the acute poststroke rehabilitation period. Conclusions The results challenge common clinical practice by suggesting that use of high-level cognitively and linguistically complex SLP activities early in a patient’s stay may result in more efficient practice and better outcomes regardless of the patient’s functional communication severity level on admission.
Studies from our lab demonstrated that 1 × 105 intra-arterial mesenchymal stem cells (IA MSCs) at 6 h following ischemic stroke are efficacious owing to its maximum homing due to elevated stromal derived factor 1 (SDF1) in the tissue. Further, IA MSCs could abate the infarct progression, improve functional outcome, and decrease expression of calcineurin by modifying neuronal Ca2+ channels following ischemic stroke. Since stroke pathology also encompasses acidosis that worsens the condition; hence, the role of acid sensing ion channels (ASICs) in this context could not be overlooked. ASIC1a being the major contributor towards acidosis triggers Ca2+ ions overload which progressively contributes towards exacerbation of neuronal injury following ischemic insult. Inflammasome involvement in ischemic stroke is well reported as activated ASIC1a increases the expression of inflammasome in a pH-dependent manner to trigger inflammatory cascade. Hence, the current study aimed to identify if IA MSCs can decrease the production of inflammasome by attenuating ASIC1a expression to render neuroprotection. Ovariectomized Sprague Dawley (SD) rats exposed to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) for 90 min were treated with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or 1 × 105 MSCs IA at 6 h to check for the expression of ASIC1a and inflammasome in different groups. Inhibition studies were carried out to explore the underlying mechanism. Our results demonstrate that IA MSCs improves functional outcome and oxidative stress parameters, and decreases the expression of ASIC1a and inflammasomes in the cortical brain region after ischemic stroke. This study offers a preliminary evidence of the role of IA MSCs in regulating inflammasome by modulating ASIC1a.
Traditionally polyvinylidene fluoride membranes have been used in applications such as membrane distillation, wastewater treatment, desalination and separator fabrication. Within this work we demonstrate that a novel carbon nanofiber/polyvinylidene fluoride (CNF/PVDF) composite membrane can be used as an interlayer for LithiumSulfur (LiS) batteries yielding both high capacity and long cycling life. This PVDF membrane is shown to effectively separate dissolved lithium polysulfide with the high electronic conductivity CNF not only reducing the internal resistance in the sulfur cathode but also helping immobilize the polysulfide through its abundant nanospaces. The resulting LiS battery assembled with the CNF/PVDF composite membrane effectively solves the polysulfide permeation problem and exhibits excellent electrochemical performance. It is further shown that the CNF/PVDF electrode has an excellent cycling stability and retains a capacity of 768.6 mAh g−1 with a coulombic efficiency above 99% over 200 cycles at 0.5C, which is more than twice that of a cell without CNF/PVDF (374 mAh g−1). In addition, the low-cost raw materials and the simple preparation process of CNF/PVDF composite membrane is also amenable for industrial production.
In a previous study, we reported that selective dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRGSTIM) at DRG level L4 promoted a favorable outcome for complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) patients along with DRGSTIM-related changes of inflammatory biomarkers in blood and saliva. The impact on somatosensation is largely unknown. Herein, we assessed the quantitative sensory profile to quantify L4-DRGSTIM effects in CRPS patients.
Pulses Plus™ batteries were developed at Tadiran and introduced into the market few years ago. These batteries combine a primary high-energy bobbin type Li/SOCl2 cell with a hybrid layer capacitor (HLC). The HLC is a battery-like capacitor consisting of lithium intercalation compounds as electrodes with pseudo capacitance of 785F for standard AA size. The Pulses Plus™ battery can deliver very high energy at very high-power pulses (above 15A at RT). Under low temperature conditions, its power capabilities are also very good, as 2A, 1s pulses above 2.5V at −40°C can be obtained. The stability of performance after elevated temperature storage and its low self-discharge rate make this a battery to operate under high pulse power over 20 years.
Sanshool, the compound responsible for the tingling sensations experienced when consuming Szechuan peppercorns, excites sensory neurons through a unique mechanism, the inhibition of two-pore potassium channels.