batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Background Neurologic events such as thromboembolic and hemorrhagic strokes are common complications of mechanical circulatory support. We report the neurologic events observed in patients treated for end-stage heart failure with the implantable, pulsatile LionHeart left ventricular assist device (LVAD). This sub-study was part of the LionHeart European Clinical Utility Baseline Study (CUBS). Methods Twenty-three male patients were implanted with the LionHeart LVAD in a non-randomized, observational study. Neurologic events were classified into three categories: (1) transient ischemic attacks (TIAs); (2) strokes, including cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs) and intracranial bleeding (ICB); and (3) “other,” including hypoperfusion, coma and brain death. Neurologic injuries were also categorized as transient/reversible or permanent/disabling. Results Thirteen of 23 patients (57%) had a total of 30 neurologic events. Eight patients (35%) had 18 TIAs. Eight patients (35%) also had a stroke, either CVA (n = 5, 22%) or ICB (n = 3, 13%), and 5 of these patients (22%) also had 12 TIAs. Three patients (13%) had 4 “other” neurologic events. Ten patients (43%) had transient/reversible neurologic deficits and 10 (43%) had permanent/disabling events. One patient (4%) had intracranial bleeding as a primary cause of death (anti-coagulation–related hemorrhage). The combined incidence of neurologic events was 1.37 events/patient-year. The incidences of transient and permanent events were 0.91 and 0.46 event/patient-year, respectively. Conclusions Neurologic events caused morbidity in the CUBS trial, with infrequent mortality. These results are similar to previous experiences with destination therapy and underscore the need for improvements in LVAD design, patient selection and patient management to reduce the incidence of neurologic events.
The uniform layered Li[Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3]O2 cathode material for lithium ion batteries was prepared by using (Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)(OH)2 synthesized by a liquid phase co-precipitation method as precursor. The effects of calcination temperature and time on the structural and electrochemical properties of the Li[Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3]O2 were systemically studied. XRD results revealed that the optimal prepared conditions of the layered Li[Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3]O2 were 850°C for 18h. Electrochemical measurement showed that the sample prepared under the above conditions has the highest initial discharge capacity of 162.1mAhg−1 and the smallest irreversible capacity loss of 9.2% as well as stable cycling performance at a constant current density of 16mAg−1 between 3 and 4.3V versus Li at room temperature.
Tandem junction (n–p+-Si/ITO/WO3/liquid) core–shell microwire devices for solar-driven water splitting have been designed, fabricated and investigated photoelectrochemically. The tandem devices exhibited open-circuit potentials of Eoc = −1.21 V versus E0′(O2/H2O), demonstrating additive voltages across the individual junctions (n–p+-Si Eoc = −0.5 V versus solution; WO3/liquid Eoc = −0.73 V versus E0′(O2/H2O)). Optical concentration (12×, AM1.5D) shifted the open-circuit potential to Eoc = −1.27 V versus E0′(O2/H2O) and resulted in unassisted H2 production during two-electrode measurements (anode: tandem device, cathode: Pt disc). The solar energy-conversion efficiencies were very low, 0.0068% and 0.0019% when the cathode compartment was saturated with Ar or H2, respectively, due to the non-optimal photovoltage and band-gap of the WO3 that was used in the demonstration system to obtain stability of all of the system components under common operating conditions while also insuring product separation for safety purposes.
A polymer gel electrolyte with the cyanoethylated hydroxypropyl cellulose (CN-HPC) as polymer matrix was prepared and applied in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The ionic conductivities of the gel electrolytes based on LiI/I2 and 1-methyl-3-hexylimidazolium iodide (MHII)/I2 as the I−/I3 − redox couple were determined, being 2.94mScm−1 and 2.46mScm−1 with the respective diffusion constants of I3 − (D app) of 2.54×10−6 cm2 S−1, 2.15×10−6 cm2 S−1. Under the optimized condition, the overall conversion efficiencies of quasi-solid DSSCs were determined to be 7.40% based on a triphenylamine dye (SD2) and 7.55% based on a ruthenium dye (N719), which is 94% of those with liquid electrolyte.
Background: Olfactory processing is becoming of increasing interest as a marker of disturbed cognitive function in schizophrenia. This has been paralleled by several consistent anatomical findings in the illness. Furthermore, olfactory processing is mediated by many of the same medial temporal lobe areas of the brain that have been implicated in schizophrenia. In this study we investigate a range of smell functions in a group of patients with schizophrenia during their first week of hospitalization for acute psychosis. In addition, we tested for correlations between smell scores and disease severity as well as for correlations between smell scores and clinical symptomatology. Methods: Olfactory function was assessed in 20 schizophrenia patients in their 1st week of hospital admission for acute psychosis and compared with matched controls. Olfaction was evaluated via three stages: threshold, discrimination and identification of different odors utilizing the Sniffin' Sticks Test Battery. Patients were rated for clinical symptomatology at the time of testing of smell by means of several clinical rating scales. Results: Schizophrenia patients scored significantly lower on total smell score, discrimination, and identification abilities. A significant association was observed between hospitalization duration and total smell score and smell discrimination. No significant associations between smell and clinical symptomatology were observed. Discussion: Study observations confirm demonstrated decresased sense of smell in schizophrenia patients and suggest cautiously that smell impairment may be a potential marker of more serious illness as expressed in longer hospital stay. Several neurophysiological mechanisms may account for these findings which require further investigation in order to substantiate potential hypotheses.
A well-concealed nest site is supposed to reduce nest predation risk; however, the expected positive relationship between nest concealment and nest survival does not exist in some passerine species, especially in thrushes. Previous studies have suggested thrushes might be capable of defending their nest against predators and do provide compensation for their low nest concealment, but this mechanism is controversial. We conducted a field experiment on the Chestnut Thrush (Turdus rubrocanus) to test whether parental attendance reduced nest predation risk, and to explore the possible mechanism behind this. In this study, we found that natural nests (with parental attendance) suffered lower nest predation rate than paired re-used nests (without parental attendance). With infrared-triggered cameras, we observed that Chestnut Thrush successfully defended their nests against mice. We identified mice as the main predator in re-used nests, while nest concealment had no significant impact on mice predation. Overall, parental attendance of the Chestnut Thrushes reduced the nest predation risk by deterring opportunistic predators, but not enough to offset the low nest concealment.
In this paper, we first synthesized ladderlike poly(vinylsilsesquioxane) (LPVS) by stepwise coupling polymerization on the basis of amido H-bonding self-assembling template from vinyltrichlorosilane (VTCS) monomers. We made the substitutional vinyl of LPVS polymerized at one same side (LPVS-SP), then put it in the vacuum conditions and let it carbonized at 500, 600, 700, 800 and 900°C, respectively to observe its thermal behavior. In our experiment, 700°C can be regarded as a distinct turning point of temperature from weight loss to inter-molecules thermal crosslinking, which can be observed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). At the same time, SEM and TEM photos of the carbonization products give very rigidity topography at micron scale, which are the auxiliary evidence for our conclusion. We also present one reasonable thermal carbonization and crosslinking mechanism of LPVS-SP at high temperature in vacuum by remaining products weight analysis.
We studied romanechite, (2×3) tunnel type manganese dioxide, as a positive electrode material for rechargeable lithium batteries. We synthesized the sample by soft chemical techniques, and its chemical composition was Ba0.18MnO2.10·0.42H2O. We obtained a first discharge capacity of 120mAhg−1 (energy density 264mWhg−1). The capacity decreased with cycling. We examined the thermal behavior of this material, revealing its high thermal stability.
Thin-film batteries based on zinc/manganese dioxide chemistry with gel ZnCl2 electrolyte were manufactured as single (1.5 V) and double (3.0 V) cells from electrodes printed on paper substrates covered with different polymeric insulating coatings. Their properties were evaluated by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and chronopotentiometry. Best performing cells achieved capacities in the range of 3 mAh cm−2 during discharge with 100 μA current, corresponding approximately to C/100 discharge rate. The influence of the cell elements on the overvoltage was examined and suggestions for the optimization of their performance were postulated. In particular, it was observed that limitations in the delivered power were governed by the poor conductivity of the carbon current collector. An optimized cell was built and showed a 4-fold improvement in the power delivered at 1 mA.
An electrochemical model was developed to compare the use of internal and external reference electrodes for the study of lithium-ion cells. The impact of reference electrode placement on electrode measurements was examined using idealized reference electrodes in cells undergoing short-duration pulse currents. The effectiveness of internal reference electrodes with finite size and impedance was also examined.
With the “Artemis”-mission mankind will return to the Moon by 2024. Prolonged periods in space will not only present physical and psychological challenges to the astronauts, but also pose risks concerning the medical treatment capabilities of the crew. So far, no guideline exists for the treatment of severe medical emergencies in microgravity. We, as a international group of researchers related to the field of aerospace medicine and critical care, took on the challenge and developed a an evidence-based guideline for the arguably most severe medical emergency – cardiac arrest.
Background/aims The Lewis Score (LS) can assess inflammatory activity on small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE). We aimed to evaluate the LS usefulness in the setting of suspected Crohn's Disease (CD). Methods Retrospective single-center study including 56 patients undergoing SBCE for suspected CD. Patients were divided into three groups, according to clinical presentation: Group 1 (28 patients): suspected CD not supported by the International Conference on Capsule Endoscopy (ICCE) criteria; Group 2 (19 patients): suspected CD based on two ICCE criteria; Group 3 (9 patients): patients fulfilling three or more criteria. Inflammatory activity was assessed with the LS. The diagnosis of CD required a minimum follow-up of 6months after SBCE, basing on clinical evaluation, endoscopic, histological, radiological, and/or biochemical investigations. Results SBCE detected significant inflammatory activity (LS≥135) in 23 patients (41.1%), being 5 patients from Group 1 (17.8%), 11 from Group 2 (57.9%) and 7 from Group 3 (77.8%) (p<0.05). CD was diagnosed in 23 patients (41.1%): six patients from Group 1 (21.4%), 10 from Group 2 (52.6%) and 7 from Group 3 (77.8%) (p<0.05). CD was diagnosed in 82.6% of patients with significant inflammatory activity on CE (LS≥135), but in only 12.1% of those having a LS<135 (p<0.05). The LS Positive Predictive Value, Negative Predictive Value, Sensitivity and Specificity were 82.6%, 87.9%, 82.6% and 87.9%, respectively. Conclusions The LS may be a valuable diagnostic tool in the setting of suspected CD. Patients not fulfilling the ICCE criteria have lower LS and fewer are diagnosed with CD during follow-up.
Postictal behavioral changes (PBCs), including psychosis, aggression, and mood change, are commonly observed in patients with epilepsy. Recognition and description of the clinical manifestations of PBCs would help in understanding and treating patients. Additionally, various quantified objective scales that are widely available in clinical psychiatry could be used to assess the clinical symptoms of PBCs. There are few reports in which objective rating scales have been used to assess neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with epilepsy. However, there have been a small number of studies on interictal psychosis and depression in which either the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale or the Hamilton Depression Scale was used. These inventories are likely to be useful for the assessment of PBCs. Other rating scales used for schizophrenia, depression, mania, and aggressive behavior are reviewed here. The author suggests that cross-sectional and longitudinal neuropsychiatric measurement combined with other modalities, including functional neuroimaging, could provide clues to the pathophysiology of PBCs.
Black silicon (BSi) represents a very active research area in renewable energy materials. The rise of BSi as a focus of study for its fundamental properties and potentially lucrative practical applications is shown by several recent results ranging from solar cells and light-emitting devices to antibacterial coatings and gas-sensors. In this paper, the common BSi fabrication techniques are first reviewed, including electrochemical HF etching, stain etching, metal-assisted chemical etching, reactive ion etching, laser irradiation and the molten salt Fray-Farthing-Chen-Cambridge (FFC-Cambridge) process. The utilization of BSi as an anti-reflection coating in solar cells is then critically examined and appraised, based upon strategies towards higher efficiency renewable solar energy modules. Methods of incorporating BSi in advanced solar cell architectures and the production of ultra-thin and flexible BSi wafers are also surveyed. Particular attention is given to routes leading to passivated BSi surfaces, which are essential for improving the electrical properties of any devices incorporating BSi, with a special focus on atomic layer deposition of Al2O3. Finally, three potential research directions worth exploring for practical solar cell applications are highlighted, namely, encapsulation effects, the development of micro-nano dual-scale BSi, and the incorporation of BSi into thin solar cells. It is intended that this paper will serve as a useful introduction to this novel material and its properties, and provide a general overview of recent progress in research currently being undertaken for renewable energy applications.
The electrochemical utilization of various submicron amorphous manganese dioxide spheres (SMnO2) with highly controlled shape and size was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. MnO2 spheres were synthesized by reaction between KMnO4 and 1–butanol in aqueous butyric acid solution at room temperature. Particle size was tuned by adjusting the concentration of KMnO4. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and nitrogen gas adsorption measurements. SEM results reveal that spheres with average diameter of 451±9, 218±12 and 195±85nm were produced by using a 20, 8 and 2mM of KMnO4 solution, respectively. DLS measurements showed similar mean particle diameter with a relatively high polydispersity-index that indicates the presence of larger agglomerated particles. The BET surface area of the three SMnO2 is ranging between 216 and 259m2 g−1. Since very similar specific capacitance values of about 200Fg−1 (per active material mass) at 2mVs−1 were found for all three samples, MnO2 electrochemical utilization is more related to the pore size distribution rather than the particle size.
Interest in two-dimensional (2D) materials is growing exponentially across various scientific and engineering disciplines owing to their fascinating electrical, optical, chemical, and thermal properties. As one of the newest members in the 2D nanomaterial family, black phosphorus (BP), has recently attracted much attention all over the world and shown great potential in novel nanoelectronics owing to its direct and narrow bandgap. Regarding to the scale production of BP and its related electronic devices, liquid-phase exfoliation reveals superior advances when compared with mechanical exfoliation. Remarkably, liquid-phase exfoliated BP flakes and quantum dots (QDs) exhibit exciting properties in electronic, energy storage, sensors, solar cells, photothermal effect, cancer theranostics and photonic devices. In this article, we discuss the exfoliation of BP in diverse solvents and extend the topic from BP flakes to QDs and summarize the significant advances recently made. We also outline future prospects of solution exfoliated BP nanomaterials, and comment on the challenges that need to be overcome for future applications.
Mn2O3 microcubes with three-dimensional (3D) micromesoporous network structure were synthesized by thermal decomposition of the as-prepared MnCO3 precursor. The structure, morphology, and textural property of the as-synthesized Mn2O3 microcubes were characterized. The electrochemical property and electrochemical sensing performance toward nitrite detection were investigated. Owing to the unique 3D micromesoporous network structure, the Mn2O3 microcubes could provide electrochemical sensing of nitrite with high sensitivity, selectivity, and reliability.
We report synthesis, characterization and ion transport in polyether-based ionic melt electrolytes consisting of Li salts of low-basicity anions covalently attached to polyether oligomers. Purity of the materials was investigated by HPLC analysis and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The highest ionic conductivity of 7.1×10−6 S/cm at 30°C was obtained for the sample consisting of a lithium salt of an arylfluorosulfonimide anion attached to a polyether oligomer with an ethyleneoxide (EO) to lithium ratio of 12. The conductivity order of various ionic melts having different polyether chain lengths suggests that at higher EO:Li ratios the conductivity of the electrolytes at room temperature is determined in part by the amount of crystallization of the polyether portion of the ionic melt.
Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have attracted great attention as next-generation high specific energy density storage devices. However, the low sulfur loading in the cathode for Li-S battery greatly offsets its advantage in high energy density and limits the practical applications of such battery concepts. Flexible energy storage devices are also becoming increasingly important for future applications but are limited by the lack of suitable lightweight electrode materials with robust electrochemical performance under cyclic mechanical strain. Here, we proposed an effective strategy to obtain flexible Li-S battery electrodes with high energy density, high power density, and long cyclic life by adopting graphene foam-based electrodes. Graphene foam can provide a highly electrically conductive network, robust mechanical support and sufficient space for a high sulfur loading. The sulfur loading in graphene foam-based electrodes can be tuned from 3.3 to 10.1mgcm−2. The electrode with 10.1mgcm−2 sulfur loading could deliver an extremely high areal capacity of 13.4mAhcm−2, much higher than the commonly reported Li-S electrodes and commercially used lithium cobalt oxide cathode with a value of ~3–4mAhcm−2. Meanwhile, the high sulfur-loaded electrodes retain a high rate performance with reversible capacities higher than 450mAhg−1 under a large current density of 6Ag−1 and preserve stable cycling performance with ~0.07% capacity decay per cycle over 1000 cycles. These impressive results indicate that such electrodes could enable high performance, fast-charging, and flexible Li-S batteries that show stable performance over extended charge/discharge cycling.
The most established mathematical description of porous battery electrodes is Newman's model, which accounts for the behavior of both solid and liquid phases via concentrated solution theory and porous electrode theory. In the present work, formal volume averaging of reformulated generalized Poisson–Nernst–Planck (PNP) equations in the form of concentration and electrochemical potential, or in the form of equivalent circuit on a representative porous microstructure, lead to “upscaled” equations similar to those in Newman's model. The similarities and differences of the results from the two approaches are discussed throughout the paper.
Li/Ag2VO2PO4 cells exhibit high power output and a 15000 fold decrease in impedance upon initial discharge. Energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) allows dimensional resolution of the reaction progress in situ, revealing that silver metal (Ag0) initially forms at the electrode–electrolyte interface. This report contains the first description of an in situ EDXRD analysis of a cathode located within an intact Li-anode cell.
While neglected stimuli can still be processed, few studies have directly addressed the issue of the unconscious access to semantics. In order to clarify this issue, we engaged four patients with unilateral left spatial neglect in a number comparison task. Each target number was preceded by a lateralized number prime, either in the intact or neglected hemifield (HF). Both group analyses and the intensive study of a single patient show that left (neglected) as well as right (consciously perceived) number primes affect performance: primes representing quantities that fall on the same side of the reference as the target lead to faster categorization. This congruency effect is highly suggestive of numerical semantic processing of neglected stimuli. Absence of conscious perception of neglected primes was evaluated using a combination of subjective and objective measures of performance in forced-choice tasks.
The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the use of statistical techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of voluntary policy instruments for waste management. The voluntary character of these instruments implies that latent characteristics, unobserved by the analyst, might influence the subscription decision and might lead to biased estimates of the effectiveness of the policy instrument if standard techniques are used. We propose an extension of the difference-in-differences (DiD) estimator to evaluate the effectiveness of voluntary policy instruments, which is termed the dynamic difference-in-differences (or DDD) estimator. We illustrate the technique by estimating the effectiveness of voluntary cooperation agreements between the Flemish environmental administration and individual municipalities aimed at curbing residential solid waste. Using a dataset covering all 308 Flemish municipalities for the period 2000–2005, our results indicate that municipalities subscribing to the agreement accomplished less reduction of their waste levels compared to what could be expected on the basis of their own performance prior to subscription and the performance of the non-subscribers. This result might be explained by the rising marginal cost of extra residential solid waste reduction policies. In addition, there are indications that subscribing municipalities refrain from additional reduction efforts once the target waste level of the program is achieved. The more complicated DDD methodology is shown to generate additional insight over the ordinary DiD analysis.