batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Traditionally, safety and impact of failure concerns of lithium ion batteries have dealt with the field failure of single cells. However, large and complex battery systems require the consideration of how a single cell failure will impact the system as a whole. Initial failure that leads to the thermal runaway of other cells within the system creates a much more serious condition than the failure of a single cell. This work examines the behavior of small modules of cylindrical and stacked pouch cells after thermal runaway is induced in a single cell. Cylindrical cells are observed to be less prone to propagate owing to the limited contact between neighboring cells. The electrical connectivity is found to be impactful as the 10S1P cylindrical cell module did not show failure propagation through the module, while the 1S10P module had an energetic thermal runaway consuming the module minutes after the initiation failure trigger. Modules built using pouch cells conversely showed the impact of strong heat transfer between cells. In this case, a large surface area of the cells was in direct contact with its neighbors, allowing failure to propagate through the entire battery within 60–80 s for all configurations (parallel or series) tested.
Most existing models of language production and speech motor control do not explicitly address how language requirements affect speech motor functions, as these domains are usually treated as separate and independent from one another. This investigation compared lip movements during bilabial closure between five individuals with mild aphasia and five age and gender-matched control speakers when the linguistic characteristics of the stimuli were varied by increasing the number of syllables. Upper and lower lip movement data were collected for mono-, bi- and tri-syllabic nonword sequences using an AG 100 EMMA system. Each task was performed under both normal and fast rate conditions. Single articulator kinematic parameters (peak velocity, amplitude, duration, and cyclic spatio-temporal index) were measured to characterize lip movements. Results revealed that compared to control speakers, individuals with aphasia showed significantly longer movement duration and lower movement stability for longer items (bi- and tri-syllables). Moreover, utterance length affected the lip kinematics, in that the monosyllables had smaller peak velocities, smaller amplitudes and shorter durations compared to bi- and trisyllables, and movement stability was lowest for the trisyllables. In addition, the rate-induced changes (smaller amplitude and shorter duration with increased rate) were most prominent for the short items (i.e., monosyllables). These findings provide further support for the notion that linguistic changes have an impact on the characteristics of speech movements, and that individuals with aphasia are more affected by such changes than control speakers.
The application of supercapacitors for objectives such as automobiles requires high voltage and high temperature operation, therefore development of new electrode materials that have sufficient stability under such harsh conditions is crucial. In this work, we report the development of seamless mesoporous carbon sheet consisting of continuous graphene walls, which exhibits extraordinarily high stability under high voltage and high temperature conditions. The sheet contains very few carbon edge sites (only 4% of the number present in conventional activated carbons) despite its high specific surface area (1500 m2 g−1), and it is possible to use it to assemble symmetric supercapacitors with excellent stability under 3.5 V@60 °C and 4.4 V@25 °C conditions, even using a conventional electrolyte (1 M Et3MeNBF4/propylene carbonate). Moreover, high-voltage operation at 4.4 V results in a 2.7 times higher energy density compared to that achieved using conventional activated carbons.
Recharge characteristics of the battery based on the electrochemically synthesized polypyrrole cathode and aluminum, zinc, or magnesium anode in 2 M NH4Cl are investigated. It is shown that polypyrrole electrode can be regenerated by the reoxidation with the dissolved oxygen from the air. Using the polypyrrole synthesized on high surface graphite-felt electrode under modest discharge conditions, stable discharge voltage of 1.1 V is obtained. Such behavior is explained by the complex interaction of polypyrrole and hydrogen peroxide produced by the oxygen reduction reaction. The electrochemical characteristics are compared with the zinc–manganese dioxide and zinc-air systems.
High-rate acetylene black (AB) decorated NiCo2S4 hollow microsphere is prepared via a gas bubble soft template and hydrothermal methodology. Benefiting from the combined advantages of the AB with high conductivity and the nanopetals assembled NiCo2S4 with unique hollow micro-/nano- structures, abundant porosity and high conductivity, the as-obtained composites are found to exhibit high specific capacitances (768Fg−1 at 2Ag−1) and remarkable rate capabilities (92.2, 80.1 and 70.3% of capacity retention rate at 20, 50 and 100Ag−1). The fabrication mechanism of the AB-NiCo2S4 composite is also proposed. Furthermore, an asymmetric supercapacitor is fabricated by using the AB-NiCo2S4 composite as a positive electrode and activated carbon as a negative electrode. Owing to the excellent electrochemical properties of the AB-NiCo2S4 electrode, the asymmetric device delivers high energy density (24.7Whkg−1) at a power density of 428Wkg−1 or high power density (17.12kWkg−1) at a reasonable energy density of 7.1Whkg−1, and exceptional cycling stability (105.6% of the initial capacity retention at 5Ag−1 over 5000 cycles). These results above demonstrate the significance and great potential of mesoporous NiCo2S4 hollow microsphere-based composites in the development of high-performance energy-storage systems.
Emissions from land transport, and from road transport in particular, have significant impacts on the atmosphere and on climate change. This assessment gives an overview of past, present and future emissions from land transport, of their impacts on the atmospheric composition and air quality, on human health and climate change and on options for mitigation. In the past vehicle exhaust emission control has successfully reduced emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and particulate matter. This contributed to improved air quality and reduced health impacts in industrialised countries. In developing countries however, pollutant emissions have been growing strongly, adversely affecting many populations. In addition, ozone and particulate matter change the radiative balance and hence contribute to global warming on shorter time scales. Latest knowledge on the magnitude of land transport's impact on global warming is reviewed here. In the future, road transport's emissions of these pollutants are expected to stagnate and then decrease globally. This will then help to improve the air quality notably in developing countries. On the contrary, emissions of carbon dioxide and of halocarbons from mobile air conditioners have been globally increasing and are further expected to grow. Consequently, road transport's impact on climate is gaining in importance. The expected efficiency improvements of vehicles and the introduction of biofuels will not be sufficient to offset the expected strong growth in both, passenger and freight transportation. Technical measures could offer a significant reduction potential, but strong interventions would be needed as markets do not initiate the necessary changes. Further reductions would need a resolute expansion of low-carbon fuels, a tripling of vehicle fuel efficiency and a stagnation in absolute transport volumes. Land transport will remain a key sector in climate change mitigation during the next decades.
Boreal Sphagnum-dominated peatlands are known to emit isoprene in amounts comparable to emissions from boreal Picea abies-dominated forests. Due to its high reactivity, isoprene can affect the local climate. Increases in isoprene emission under elevated ozone concentration have been detected in a few plant species, but the effects at the ecosystem level are largely unknown. We investigated the isoprene emission from microcosms representing a boreal Sphagnum fen under long-term realistically elevated ozone concentration in open-field conditions. The vegetation of the microcosms was dominated by Sphagnum papillosum Lindb. moss with dense Eriophorum vaginatum L. growth. The mean standardised emissions of isoprene under ambient and elevated ozone concentrations in the growing season of 2005 were on average 1.016 mg m - 2 h - 1 , and 1.308 mg m - 2 h - 1 , respectively. In August 2004, they were 0.434 mg m - 2 h - 1 under ambient, and 0.509 mg m - 2 h - 1 under elevated ozone concentration. Elevated ozone concentration had no statistically significant overall effects on the isoprene emission, although isoprene emissions tended to vary more and were slightly higher under ozone exposure during the warmest weather conditions. The results are in accordance with earlier observations of substantial isoprene emissions from boreal peatlands. As isoprene emissions from peatlands can be increased by ozone during warm periods, further research addressing this issue is needed.
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligands, typified by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), and metals, typified by arsenite (As(III)), are environmental cocontaminants, and their molecular interaction may disrupt the coordinated regulation of the carcinogen activating enzyme cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1). Therefore, in this study we examined the effects of coexposure to As(III) and TCDD on the expression of CYP1A1 in HepG2 cells. Our results showed that As(III) caused a dose-dependent decrease in TCDD-mediated induction of CYP1A1 mRNA, protein, and catalytic activity levels. As(III) significantly inhibited TCDD-mediated induction of AhR-dependent luciferase reporter gene expression without altering CYP1A1 mRNA stability. In addition, As(III) increased heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mRNA, which coincided with a further decrease in the CYP1A1 catalytic activity levels. When a competitive HO-1 inhibitor, tin mesoporphyrin, was applied to HepG2 cells or the cells were transfected with siRNA for HO-1 there was a partial restoration of the inhibition of TCDD-mediated induction of CYP1A1 catalytic activity. Treatment of cells with heme or hemoglobin partially restored the As(III)-mediated inhibition of CYP1A1 catalytic activity. On the other hand, cobalt protoporphyrin increased HO-1 mRNA, with a concomitant decrease in CYP1A1 activity, without affecting CYP1A1 mRNA, which was reversed by HO-1 siRNA transfection. This study demonstrates that As(III) down-regulates CYP1A1 through transcriptional and posttranslational mechanisms. In addition, HO-1 is involved in the As(III)-mediated down-regulation of CYP1A1 at the catalytic activity level.
The Caribbean region is endowed with renewable energy resources which remain largely untapped. With an average insolation of 15-20 MJ m−2 day−1, investment in some renewable energy technologies is feasible. The major problem confronting the region is lack of financial resources. Petroleum imports continue to dominate the energy scenario except for Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. However, increased awareness of sustainable development issues throughout the region is a major factor in support of renewable energy implementation and is a driving force for energy policy decision-making. With the necessary joint-venture partnerships and government fiscal incentives, photovoltaic technologies, wind energy and solar energy industries are poised to expand thus reducing the dependency on fossil fuel imports while preserving the environment.
This symposium focused on the use of tests for chromosomal damage, and other genotoxicity measures, for detection of potentially harmful chemicals. The speakers discussed the information that has been gained over the last three decades about the use of “short-term tests” for genotoxicity in cultured cells and in animals (mainly rodents), and the ongoing debates about the rational use of data from such experimental systems in trying to extrapolate to an understanding of potential human risk. The overall theme was that the field of regulatory toxicology currently is over-reliant on qualitative outcomes of in vitro hazard-screening tests, generally conducted at the maximum achievable exposures, and needs a more realistic approach that incorporates in vivo exposure levels and dose–response information.
Objectives There has been a recent impetus to develop short and portable instruments for the cognitive assessment of patients with schizophrenia in clinical settings, but direct comparative data are lacking. The objectives of the present study were to compare the psychometric properties of two such batteries, the BACS (Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia) and the RBANS (Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status). Methods The French version of the BACS and the RBANS was administered to 36 patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, and 14 healthy controls. A subgroup of patients was also tested with a standard battery (WAIS-III). Results Both instruments were easily administrable. Internal consistency was satisfying (global scale reliability alphas of 0.90 for the BACS, and 0.87 for the RBANS), although some sub-scores from the RBANS decreased the overall consistency of the instrument. BACS and RBANS composite scores were highly correlated to verbal, non-verbal and total WAIS-III scores (BACS: r =0.727, 0.865 and 0.857, respectively; RBANS: r =0.843, 0.747 and 0.875, respectively). Patients underperformed controls by a magnitude of 1.81 SD (BACS), and 0.78 SD (RBANS), after adjusting for education. Both batteries showed good test–retest reliability, except for three sub-scores from the RBANS. Conclusion The psychometric properties and ease of use of the BACS and the RBANS were overall satisfying. The BACS demonstrated better internal consistency and test–retest reliability than the RBANS and was nominally more sensitive to diagnosis.
High-performing positive electrode materials are crucial for the development of aqueous Zn-ion batteries. Here the authors report a battery based on reversible intercalation of Zn ions in a layered Zn0.25V2O5⋅nH2O-based positive electrode, which exhibits high-capacity and long-term cycling stability.
Electrode cracking is a serious problem that hinders the application of many next-generation high-capacity anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Even though nano-sizing the material can reduce fracturing of individual particles, capacity fading is still observed due to large volume change and loss of contact in the electrode during lithium insertion and extraction. In this study, we design a crack-resistant high-modulus polyimide coating with high compressive strength which can hold multiple particles together during charge and discharge to maintain contact. The effectiveness of the coating is demonstrated on tin dioxide, a high-capacity large-volume-change material that undergoes both alloy and conversion reactions. The polyimide coating improves capacity retention of SnO2 from 80% to 100% after 80 cycles at 250 mA g−1. Stable capacity of 585 mAh g−1 can be obtained even at 500 mA g−1 after 300 cycles. Scanning electron microscopy and in-situ dilatometry confirm that electrode cracking is suppressed and thickness change is reduced with the coating. In addition, the chemically-stable polyimide film can separate the surface from direct contact with electrolyte, improving coulombic efficiency to ∼100%. We expect the novel strategy of suppressing electrode degradation with a crack-resistant coating can also be used for other alloy and conversion-based anodes.
Objective Otoacoustic emissions and the speech-evoked auditory brainstem response are objective indices of peripheral auditory physiology that are used clinically for assessing hearing function. While each measure has been extensively explored, their interdependence and the relationships between them remain relatively unexplored. Methods Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) and speech-evoked auditory brainstem responses (sABRs) were recorded from 28 normal-hearing adults. Through correlational analyses, DPOAE characteristics were compared to measures of sABR timing and frequency encoding. Data were organized into two DPOAE (Strength and Structure) and five brainstem (Onset, Spectrotemporal, Harmonics, Envelope Boundary, and Pitch) composite measures. Results DPOAE Strength shows significant relationships with sABR Spectrotemporal and Harmonics measures. DPOAE Structure shows significant relationships with sABR Envelope Boundary. Neither DPOAE Strength nor Structure is related to sABR Pitch. Conclusions The results of the present study show that certain aspects of the speech-evoked auditory brainstem responses are related to, or covary with, cochlear function as measured by distortion product otoacoustic emissions. Significance These results form a foundation for future work in clinical populations. Analyzing cochlear and brainstem function in parallel in different clinical populations will provide a more sensitive clinical battery for identifying the locus of different disorders (e.g., language based learning impairments, hearing impairment).
Two-dimensional (2D) superlattices, assembled from vertically stacked inorganic 2D nanosheets, are a new class of artificial 2D materials of significant scientific and technological importance. The incorporation of an infinite number of organic molecules within these systems further provides unlimited possibilities for the design and synthesis of 2D organic–inorganic hybrid superlattices with predictable functionalities. Herein, the recent research progress in 2D organic–inorganic hybrid superlattices is summarized. Many facile strategies have been developed for the fabrication of 2D organic–inorganic hybrid superlattices, in which continuous organic layers are intercalated in the interlayer galleries of inorganic 2D nanosheets at an atomic/molecular scale. The advantages of these 2D superlattices are discussed for some typical energy storage applications, such as supercapacitors, lithium/sodium/potassium ion batteries, and multivalent-ion rechargeable batteries. The challenges and perspectives for future research are also outlined.
LiFePO4/C composite was synthesized by mechanical activation using sucrose as carbon source. High-energy ball milling facilitated phase formation during thermal treatment. TG–DSC and TPR experiments demonstrated sucrose was converted to CH x intermediate before completely decomposed to carbon. Ball milling time, calcination temperature and dwelling time all had significant impact on the discharge capacity and rate performance of the resulted power. The optimal process parameters are high-energy ball milling for 2–4h followed by thermal treatment at 700°C for 20h. The product showed a capacity of 174mAh/g at 0.1C rate and around 117mAh/g at 20C rate with the capacity fade less than 10% after 50 cycles. Too low calcination temperature or insufficient calcination time, however, could result in the residual of CH x in the electrode and led to a decrease of electrode performance.
To develop high performance anion exchange membranes (AEMs), a novel bisphenol monomer bearing eight benzylmethyl groups at the outer edge of the molecule was synthesized, which after condensation polymerization with various amounts of 4,4′-dihydroxydiphenylsulfone and 4,4′-difluorobenzophenone yielded novel poly(arylene ether)s with densely located benzylmethyl groups. These benzylmethyl groups were then converted to quaternary ammonium groups by radical-initiated bromination and quaternization in tandem, leading to the emergence of densely quaternized poly(arylene ether sulfone)s (QA-PAEs) with controlled ion exchange capacities (IECs) ranging from 1.61 to 2.32 mmol g−1. Both small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies revealed distinct phase separation in the QA-PAEs. The QA-PAE-40 with an IEC of 2.32 mmol g−1 exhibited a Br− conductivity of 9.2 mS cm−1 and a SO4 2− conductivity of 14.0 mS cm−1 at room temperature, much higher than those of a control membrane with a similar IEC but without obvious phase separation. Therefore, phase separation of AEMs was validated to be advantageous for the efficient conducting of anions. The experimental results also showed that the QA-PAEs were promising AEM materials, especially for non-alkaline applications.
A series of Pt x Co y (x:y =4, 2, 1, and 0.5) alloy nanoparticles deposited on Vulcan XC-72 carbon was prepared through a chemical reduction method. The structures and morphologies of the as-prepared nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, which revealed the formation of Pt–Co alloys during the co-reduction process. Pt x Co y alloy nanoparticles were applied as catalysts in lithium-air batteries. Through electrochemical testing, we found that the Pt based alloy nanocatalysts significantly increased the specific capacity of lithium-air batteries and the increase of Co content in Pt x Co y alloy nanoparticles further enhanced the catalytic activity. This result illustrated that Pt x Co y alloy nanoparticles could be used as an efficient catalyst material for lithium-air batteries with the feature of much reduced cost, but drastically increased catalytic activity.
Executives and scholars alike strongly emphasize the increasing need to adequately respond to the economic needs of customers while simultaneously considering human welfare and ecological constraints. This study contributes to the ongoing debate on the triple bottom line by disclosing a compilation of organizational capabilities (strategic flexibility, value chain flexibility, and customer integration) that supports firms in achieving superior sustainability performance. Using survey data of chemical firms in Germany, structural equation modeling eventually confirms the mediating role of value chain flexibility and customer integration in the strategic flexibility–sustainability performance relationship.
The battery of genetic toxicity tests required by most regulatory authorities includes both bacterial and mammalian cell assays and identifies practically all genotoxic carcinogens. However, the relatively high specificity of the Salmonella mutagenicity assay (Ames test) is offset by the low specificity of the established mammalian cell assays, which leads to difficulties in the interpretation of the biological relevance of results. This paper describes a new high-throughput assay that links the regulation of the human GADD45a gene to the production of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). A study of 75 well-characterised genotoxic and non-genotoxic compounds with diverse mechanisms of DNA-damage induction (including aneugens) reveals that the assay responds positively to all classes of genotoxic damage with both high specificity and high sensitivity. The current micro-well assay format does not include metabolic activation, but a separate low-throughput protocol demonstrates a successful proof-of-principle for an S9 metabolic activation assay with the model pro-mutagen cyclophosphamide. The test should be of value both as a tool in the selection of candidate compounds for further development, where additional data may be required because of conflicting information from the in vitro test battery, or in product development areas where the use of animals is to be discontinued. As a microplate assay however, it has the qualities of high throughput and low compound use that will facilitate its application in early screening for genotoxic liability.