batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Several studies have investigated the health of children attending schools located near busy roads. In this study, we have measured personal exposure to traffic-related pollutants in children to validate exposure classification based on school location. Personal exposure to PM2.5, soot, NO x and NO2 was measured during four 48-h periods. The study involved 54 children attending four different schools, two of which were located within 100m of a major road (one ring road and one freeway) and the other two were located at a background location in the city of Utrecht, The Netherlands. Outdoor monitoring was conducted at all school sites, during the personal measurements. A questionnaire was administered on time activity patterns and indoor sources at home. The outdoor concentration of soot was 74% higher at the freeway school compared to its matched background school. Personal exposure to soot was 30% higher. For NO x the outdoor concentration was 52% higher at the freeway school compared to its background school. The personal concentration of NO x was 37% higher for children attending the freeway school. Differences were smaller and insignificant for PM2.5 and NO2. No elevated personal exposure to air pollutants was found for the children attending the school near the ring road. We conclude that the school's proximity to a freeway can be used as a valid estimate of exposure in epidemiological studies on the effects of the traffic-related air pollutants soot and NO x in children.
Ultracapacitors have numerous advantages including a remarkably high energy density as compared to conventional capacitors, long life cycle, temperature stability, and require no maintenance, which make them a good candidate to replace batteries as energy storage devices in renewable energy applications. However, ultracapacitors, just like conventional capacitors, inevitably suffer from constant voltage drop during discharging, which may limit their energy utilization, increase the voltage ripple of the DC bus across which the capacitors are connected and consequently increase the VA stresses of the subsequent converter stage. To alleviate the above limitations, parallel-series ultracapacitor shift circuits are employed to improve the energy utilization and minimize the DC bus voltage ripple. Two generalized parallel-series ultracapacitor shift circuits are presented and analyzed, and some design considerations and optimization methods are discussed.
Lithium-rich cathode materials possess poor cycle stability and severe voltage decay during cycling. The main reason is that they suffer severe structure transformation during (I) Li2MnO3 activation in the initial charge process accompanied with the release of O2 and the extraction of Li-ions from transition metal (TM) layer; (II) the migration of TM-ions (Mn4+, Ni2+) from TM layer to Li layer during cycling. Both of them accelerate phase transformation from the layered to LiNi x Mn2−x O4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 2) spinel structure. In order to solve this problem, LaNiO3 surface reorganization layer is proposed in this work. In the process of surface modification, the La salts are decomposed and then bond with Ni ions that diffused from the bulk of particles to the surface at high-temperature calcinations. Due to the strong LaO bond energy, there is less Li2O removed and less lithium vacancy formed in TM layer during every charge processes. In addition, the stable existing form of Ni3+ in material surface inhibits the migration of TM-ions from TM layer into Li layer. LaNiO3 surface can protect the electrode from the erosion by electrolyte, and effectively impede the electrode/electrolyte interface side reactions. Owing to the positive effects of LaNiO3 surface reorganization layer, the modified Li1.2Mn0.6Ni0.2O2 samples exhibit superior high capacity retention (more than 87.7% after 200 cycles) with a significantly decrease in voltage decay, which exhibit an improvement over the state of art.
Nanocarbon materials play a critical role in the development of new or improved technologies and devices for sustainable production and use of renewable energy. This perspective paper defines some of the trends and outlooks in this exciting area, with the effort of evidencing some of the possibilities offered from the growing level of knowledge, as testified from the exponentially rising number of publications, and putting bases for a more rational design of these nanomaterials. The basic members of the new carbon family are fullerene, graphene, and carbon nanotube. Derived from them are carbon quantum dots, nanohorn, nanofiber, nano ribbon, nanocapsulate, nanocage and other nanomorphologies. Second generation nanocarbons are those which have been modified by surface functionalization or doping with heteroatoms to create specific tailored properties. The third generation of nanocarbons is the nanoarchitectured supramolecular hybrids or composites of the first and second generation nanocarbons, or with organic or inorganic species. The advantages of the new carbon materials, relating to the field of sustainable energy, are discussed, evidencing the unique properties that they offer for developing next generation solar devices and energy storage solutions.
Phase change materials (PCM) can store heat during the phase change process. Because foam metal is light-weight, has a large specific surface area and conducts heat well, we chose it as a test material. The phase change material paraffin was embedded in copper foam metal to form composite phase change materials. We constructed a platform to test the thermophysical properties of pure paraffin and the composite materials, and the paraffin and composite phase change materials were processed using numerical simulations to analyze their phase change process. For these simulations, the Fluent software with Solidification/Melting and Porous Zone model was used. The results showed that copper foam can effectively improve the internal heat transfer uniformity of paraffin, reduce the heat storage time of paraffin wax by 40%, and improve the relationship between the total phase transition time and the heating boundary temperature in the copper/paraffin composite phase change materials.
Objective We present a new, low power EEG recording system with an ultra-high input impedance that enables the use of long-lasting, passive dry electrodes. It incorporates Bluetooth wireless connectivity and is designed to be suitable for long-term monitoring during daily activities. Methods The new EEG system is compared to a standard and clinically available reference EEG system using wet electrodes in three separate sets of experiments. In the first two experiments, each dry electrode was surrounded by four standard wet electrodes and the alpha and mu-rhythms were recorded. In the third experiment, serial monopolar (referred to the left ear) recordings of flash visual evoked potential were performed using the new EEG system and a reference system. Results These experiments showed that the signal recorded using the new EEG system is almost identical to that recorded with standard clinical EEG equipment; our measurements showed that the correlation coefficient between the dry electrode recordings and the average of the four standard electrodes surrounding each dry electrode is greater than 0.85. Conclusion We conclude that the new EEG system performs similarly to reference EEG systems, while providing the advantages of portability, ease of application and minimal scalp preparation. Significance The proposed system using passive dry electrodes suitable for single use while performing as good as standard EEG equipment provides ease of application and minimal scalp preparation.
Layered LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (LNCMO) is surface coated with different contents of YPO4 (0.5wt.%, 1wt.% and 3wt.%) through simple chemical deposition method. The pristine and YPO4-coated LNCMO are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). It is found that the YPO4 surface coating layers do not change the bulk structure of LNCMO. The investigation in their cycling performances demonstrates that 1wt.% YPO4-coated LNCMO exhibits the best cycling stability, with capacity retention ratio of 88.6% after 50 cycles, much better than that of the pristine material (only 80.1%). Furthermore, the 1wt.% YPO4 surface modification improves the rate performance and thermal stability of layered LNCMO. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurements of pristine and 1wt.% YPO4-coated LNCMO are also measured and compared. It has been proved that the coated YPO4 inhibits the growth of solid electrolyte interfacial (SEI) film in repeated cycling, which partly explains the improved capacity retention in electrochemical tests.
The electropolymerisation of N-methylaniline was studied on glassy carbon and optically transparent tin oxide electrodes in the organic solvents dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) containing 1.0 M methanesulfonic acid or 1.0 M trifluoromethanesulfonic acid. Our results show that a thin film of poly(N-methylaniline) can be obtained in DMF and DMSO, although the reaction product is very soluble. The PNMA film and the soluble fraction of the reaction product was analyzed and characterised with cyclic voltammetry, mass spectroscopy, in situ UV–Visible and Raman spectroscopy. The formation of an intermediate in DMF with an absorbance maximum at 720 nm was confirmed with in situ UV–Visible measurements. This is in contrast to polymerisation in aqueous solution where the absorbance maximum of the intermediate has been reported to appear at 441–460 nm.
Background There is scanty information regarding respiratory medication prescription pattern in Latin America. We examined the use of bronchodilators and corticosteroids in a population-based study conducted in five Latin American cities. Methods Medication use was derived from questions regarding the use of medication “to help breathing” within the previous 12 months, type of medicine, and frequency of use. To minimize the possibility of overdiagnosis, we used postbronchodilator FEV1/FVC<0.70 plus FEV1<80% as the definition of obstruction. Results Interviews were completed in 5571 subjects from 6711 eligible individuals, and spirometry was performed in 5314 subjects. There were 360 (6.5%) treated subjects and 5211 not treated. Treated subjects were more likely to be older, women, unemployed, have higher tobacco consumption, higher body mass index, higher FEV1 reversibility and airway obstruction. They were also more likely to report prior spirometry, prior diagnosis of COPD, asthma or tuberculosis, and more respiratory symptoms. Over half of treated subjects had neither obstruction nor FEV1 reversibility, and approximately 30% reported no prior diagnosis of asthma or COPD. Prior respiratory diagnoses and wheezing were more strongly associated with treatment than objective measures of airway obstruction. Conclusions The use of bronchodilators and/or corticosteroids is common in the general population aged 40 years or older, with over one-half of treated subjects using them without being obstructed.
The aim of the study was to investigate whether children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) show reduced left hemisphere specialization for language and, if so, whether it is associated with a deficit in phonological encoding and a specific type of SLI (Mixed Receptive-Expressive, Expressive, Phonological). We adopted two dichotic listening paradigms, which differed in the phonological similarity of the presented words (Fused and Non-Fused dichotic words tests), as well as a phonological working memory test. Participants included 34 pre-school and school age children affected by SLI. On the dichotic tests, as a group the children with SLI showed a reduced pattern of left hemisphere specialization for language compared to age-matched normal children, with significant differences only in the Fused condition. However, the pattern of hemispheric specialization varied depending on the type of SLI, with reduced left hemisphere specialization in the Expressive type and, to a lesser extent, in the Phonological type of SLI, but not in the Receptive-Expressive type. The three subgroups also differed in phonological processing abilities and the incidence of a positive family history for language disorders: the Receptive-Expressive group performed worse on the working memory and dichotic tests and the Expressive and Phonological groups presented high frequency for familial language disorder. These results suggest that different subtypes of SLI are not different manifestations of the same underlying disorder, but represent pathological conditions that have distinct markers both at the behavioral and neurofunctional level.
Many efforts have been made to improve the electrochemical performance of Li-rich cathode materials such as metal ion doping, surface modification, and fabricating nanostructured materials. Here, we demonstrate Li2MnO3 (denoted as OLO) cathode materials coated with TiO2 (OLO@ TiO2) for high-performance LIBs. The ratio of layered Li2MnO3 to anatase TiO2 as well as the shell thickness in the OLO@TiO2 cathodes were controlled by increasing the addition of titanium butoxide. The structure and chemical states for TiO2 coated OLO electrodes were confirmed using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, field-emission transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. To evaluate the performance of the electrodes for LIBs, charge/discharge curves, cycling performance, cyclic voltammograms, and Nyquist plots of the as-prepare cathode materials were obtained using lithium coin cells. In particular, since the TiO2 coating layer in OLO@TiO2 could stabilize the interface between the cathode and electrolyte, OLO@TiO2 exhibited high specific capacity, improved high rate cycling performance, and excellent cycle life due to the low interface resistance and high diffusion coefficient of lithium ion, compared with the uncoated OLO cathode.
The in situ control of redox insult in human organs is of major clinical relevance, yet remains incompletely understood. Activation of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2), the “master regulator” of genes controlling cellular redox homeostasis, is advocated as a therapeutic strategy for diseases with severely impaired redox balance. It remains to be shown whether this strategy is effective in human organs, rather than only in isolated human cell types. We have therefore explored the role of Nrf2 in a uniquely accessible human (mini-) organ: scalp hair follicles. Microarray and qRT-PCR analysis of human hair follicles after Nrf2 activation using sulforaphane identified the modulation of phase II metabolism, reactive oxygen species clearance, the pentose phosphate pathway, and glutathione homeostasis. Nrf2 knockdown (small interfering RNA) in cultured human hair follicles confirmed the regulation of key Nrf2 target genes (i.e., heme oxygenase-1, NAD(P)H dehydrogenase, quinone 1, glutathione reductase, glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit, ABCC1, peroxiredoxin 1). Importantly, Nrf2 activation significantly reduced reactive oxygen species levels and associated lipid peroxidation. Nrf2 preactivation reduced premature catagen and hair growth inhibition induced by oxidative stress (H2O2 or menadione), significantly ameliorated the H2O2-dependent increase in matrix keratinocyte apoptosis and reversed the reactive oxygen species-induced reduction in hair matrix proliferation. This study thus provides direct evidence for the crucial role of Nrf2 in protecting human organ function (i.e., scalp hair follicles) against redox insult.
We demonstrate a simple process to synthesize silicon-based multicomponents via a high-temperature annealing of bulk silicon monoxide in the presence of sodium hydroxide. The carbon-coated Si-based anodes exhibit a highly stable cycling performance (capacity retention of 99.5% after 200 cycles) with a reversible charge capacity of 1280 mA h g−1.
This paper presents a procedure to evaluate the optimal element sizing of hybrid power systems. In order to generalize the problem, this work exploits the “energy hub” formulation previously presented in the literature, defining an energy hub as an interface among energy producers, consumers and the transportation infrastructure. The resulting optimization minimizes an objective function which is based on costs and efficiencies of the system elements, while taking into account the hub model, energy and power constraints and estimated operational conditions, such as energy prices, input power flow availability and output energy demand. The resulting optimal architecture also constitutes a framework for further real-time control designs. Moreover, an example of a hybrid storage system is considered. In particular, the architecture of a hybrid plant incorporating a wind generator, batteries and intermediate hydrogen storage is optimized, based on real wind data and averaged residential demands, also taking into account possible estimation errors. The hydrogen system integrates an electrolyzer, a fuel cell stack and hydrogen tanks. The resulting optimal cost of such hybrid power plant is compared with the equivalent hydrogen-only and battery-only systems, showing improvements in investment costs of almost 30% in the worst case.
New lithium nickel nitrides Li3−2x Ni x N (0.20≤ x ≤ 0.60) have been prepared and investigated as negative electrode in the 0.85/0.02V potential window. These materials are prepared from a Ni/Li3N mixture at 700°C under a nitrogen flow. Their structural characteristics as well as their electrochemical behaviour are investigated as a function of the nickel content. For the first time are reported here the electrochemical properties of a lithium intercalation compound based on a layered nitride structure. The Li3−2x Ni x N compounds can be reversibly reduced and oxidized around 0.5V versus Li/Li+ leading to specific capacities in the range 120–160mAh/g depending on the nickel content and the C rate. Due to a large number of lithium vacancies, the structural stability provides an excellent capacity retention of the specific capacity upon cycling.
Cluster headache is a debilitating primary headache disorder with two subtypes — episodic and chronic — that are currently defined according to a temporal cut-off.Cluster headache pathogenesis involves complex interactions between the trigeminovascular pathway, trigeminal autonomic reflex, hypothalamus and the neuropeptides calcitonin gene-related peptide and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide 38.Emerging therapies in cluster headache include calcitonin gene-related peptide monoclonal antibodies, non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation and sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation.Clinical studies of these emerging treatments have highlighted differences between episodic and chronic cluster headache that imply different underlying mechanisms that could be used to distinguish them.
Objective To investigate the neuropsychological profile of individuals with an at risk mental state for psychosis (ARMS, N =60) compared to healthy controls (HC, N =51) and to identify those cognitive domains which discriminate best between groups. Method Study subjects and controls were compared using a neuropsychological test battery covering the domains of intelligence (LPS3, MWT-A), executive functions (ToH, WCST, TAP - Go/NoGo), working memory (Tests for Attentional Performance (TAP) - Working Memory), and attention (CPT-OX). A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) comparing ARMS subjects with HC was conducted. A stepwise logit regression procedure was performed in order to determine the subset of measures which best distinguish ARMS subjects from HC. Results ARMS subjects revealed deficiencies in intelligence, executive functions, working memory and attention. Verbal intelligence, executive functions, and, in particular, working memory discriminated best between the groups. Conclusion Individuals with an at risk mental state for psychosis already show impairment of neuropsychological functions prior to the onset of the first psychotic episode and can best be distinguished from healthy controls on the basis of working memory.
With an objective to develop a better understanding of the origin of high voltage (>4.5 V) capacities, the electrochemical behaviors of a number of spinel lithium manganese oxides with and without other transition metal ions have been studied and compared. The oxides investigated are LiMn2−y M y O4 (M=Co, Ni, and Cu), LiMn2−y−z M y Li z O4, LiMn2−y Li y O4, Li2Mn4O9−δ , and Li4Mn5O12. The LiMn2−y Li y O4 (0.05≤y≤0.12) oxides are found to exhibit capacity above 4.5 V although they do not contain other transition metal ions. In the case of Li2Mn4O9−δ and Li4Mn5O12, charging above 4.5 V is found to increase the discharge capacity below 4.5 V. While both LiMn2−y Co y O4 and LiMn2−y−z Co y Li z O4 show a similar behavior at >4.5 V, LiMn2−y Ni y O4 and LiMn2−y−z Ni y Li z O4 differ significantly. Also, while LiMn1.9Li0.1O4 and LiMn1.8Co0.2O4 show a rapid decrease in their discharge capacity above 4.5 V with rest time allowed in the fully charged state (self-discharge), LiMn2−y Ni y O4 does not suffer from such a difficulty. Additionally, long-range periodicity with good crystallinity is found to be essential to observe discharge capacity above 4.5 V. The results are explained on the basis of the participation of the O2−:2p band in the redox process and the relative positions of the other transition metal ion redox energies with respect to the top of the O2−:2p band.
A diffusion-limited transient mathematical model for a lithium/air cell, with the air cathode pores flooded with an organic electrolyte, has been developed. During cell discharge, the cathode pore radius profile is reflective of the distribution of the lithium peroxide product in the cathode. The cathode pore radius profile has been predicted as a function of time, current density, oxygen gas pressure, and cathode thickness for an assumed initial porosity and average cathode pore size. Transient concentration profiles of the dissolved oxygen in the electrolyte were also determined. Capacities of the lithium/air cell were predicted and compared favorably with literature experimental results.
The awareness of energy, environment, and economy for electrolysis has required the development of new methods to prevent environmental pollution, such as the emission of acid fog, CO2, and SO2. Hence, the use of gas diffusion electrode as a cathode in the electrodeposition of manganese dioxide to save energy and protect the environment is attracting research interest. In this work, a gas diffusion electrode consisting of a mixture of Pt/TiO2-CNx nanocatalysts and two different additive conductor supports that activate carbon and acetylene black were synthesized. The Pt/TiO2-CNx nanocatalysts and Pt/TiO2-CNx gas diffusion electrode were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The Pt/TiO2-CNx nanowire catalyst showed strong interaction between the Pt nanoparticles (~2.21 nm) and TiO2-CNx nanowire support. Results of electrochemical tests in 120 g of MnSO4 + 30 g of H2SO4 at 80 °C show that the Pt/TiO2-CNx gas diffusion electrode used in the electrodeposition of manganese dioxide could save electric energy by approximately 60%. Furthermore, the lifetime of the gas diffusion electrode of Pt/TiO2-CNx nanocatalysts was about twofold longer than that of the gas diffusion electrode of Pt/C and Pt/TiO2 nanocatalysts. The Pt/TiO2-CNx nanowire catalyst exhibited high anti-acid corrosion, activity, and stability, indicating its potential important application in the electrodeposition of manganese dioxide.