abstract
stringlengths 7
3.8k
| label
stringclasses 2
values |
|---|---|
To improve the cycling stability and rate performance of SnO2–based anode materials applied in lithium ions batteries (LIBs), SnO2/graphene oxide (SnO2/GO) composite was synthesized by hydrothermal method. The SnO2/GO composite material exhibits much more excellent lithium ions storage capacity and cycling stability. The reversible capacity is 612.2 mAhg−1 with the coulombic efficiency of 98.8%, after 100 cycles. Especially, at a high discharge-charge current density (1000 mAg−1), the SnO2/GO composite showed an outstanding structure stability and rate performance (204.2 mAhg−1). Such excellent performance could be attributed to the existence of GO. With the assistance of GO, the composite material achieves more stable structure and high electron conductivity. | battery |
Developing devices and related materials for storing and producing electricity is a key issue to meet the global energy demand. Low-cost and high-performance energy-storage devices are important for sustainable energy utilization. Recently, lithium-ion battery (LIB) is emerging as a promising power source for high-performance electronics. However, their technological drawbacks have hindered the development of LIB with improved specific capacity, stable cyclic and coulombic efficiency for portable electronics application, due to the lack of availability of reliable electrode materials that provided superior electrochemical properties. As a solution to this problem, we herein demonstrated two types of few-layered graphene produced by Fenton reaction (FG) and Hummers method (HG) used for the fabrication of electrodes on flexi copper and aluminum foils in two different ways. Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4 or LFP) mixed with super-P carbon black (SP) and fabricated cathode, FG and HG, respectively, blended with SP and fabricated two anodes, by carefully balancing the cell composition of the anode and cathode. An optimal cell performance in terms of specific capacity and stable cyclability depends on the fabrication method of electrodes and their chemical composition. The FG electrodes showed a specific capacity of 186 mAh g−1 at 150 mA g−1 charge/discharge (C/D) current rate while HG showed a specific capacity of 195mAh g−1 at same C/D rate without capacity decay during 30 cycles and an excellent cycling stability was also observed when HG was used in cathode with SP in the same ratio at 150, 300 and 450 mA g−1 C/D rate in full LIB. | non-battery |
A facile procedure are developed to fabricate graphene-bonded and -enwrapped mesoporous anatase TiO2 microspheres (GMTMs) using graphene oxide (GO) and titanium glycolate microspheres (TGMs) as precursors without using any cross-linking reagents. Highly nanoporous TiO2 spheres are generated via in situ hydrolysis of the TGMs and then wrapped by GO nanosheets over their surface through covalent linkage during a reflux process. After hydrothermal treatment and calcination in an Ar atmosphere, the crystallization of TiO2 and the reduction of GO is significantly increased simultaneously. Electrochemical performance of the mesoporous TiO2 microspheres (MTMs) enwrapped with chemically-bonded graphene is greatly improved in terms of specific capacity, rate capability and cycle stability. The composite material shows a discharge capacity of 170 mA h g−1 at the 10 C rate, which is much higher than that of the pristine TiO2 microspheres (116 mA h g−1). | battery |
Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) is a key enzyme of cellular detoxification systems that defend cells against reactive oxygen species. Knowledge of the complement of GPx in shrimp is essential to understanding regulation and detoxification mechanisms of environmental stress. In this study, we expressed GPx from white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei in Escherichia coli, and then characterized the purified recombinant enzyme with respect to the effects of pH, temperature on its catalytic activity. Quantitative real-time PCR and western blot analysis were carried out to investigate the expression patterns of GPx in shrimp hepatopancreas exposed to Cd stress. A statistically significant increase in expression of GPx mRNA and protein was observed in the Cd stress at 24 h. By contrast, western blot showed a significant up-regulation in GPx protein expression at 12 h exposed pH stress (5.6 and 9.3, respectively). These results suggest that L. vannamei GPx expression was modulated by Cd and pH stress and may play an important role in detoxification of xenobiotics and antioxidant defense. We conclude that GPx could be used as biomarkers of Cd and pH stress in aquatic environment for the studied species. | non-battery |
Magnesium and its alloys are prone to corrosion upon exposure to atmosphere thus are usually protected by using a pretreatment before being employed. The use of ionic liquids (ILs) has emerged as a novel chemical in corrosion protection of reactive metals such as lithium and magnesium. This paper reviews the use of ILs in the corrosion protection of magnesium and aluminium with respect to a range of IL chemistries. Emphasis has also been placed on characterisation of the passivating films using various techniques, as well as proposed mechanisms for film formation. This review highlights that there is still much research needed to understand how to generate robust passivating films on reactive metal surfaces in the presence of ILs. | battery |
Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are considered as a promising candidate to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to the inexpensive and abundant sodium reserves. However, the application of anode materials for SIBs still confront rapid capacity fading and undesirable rate capability. Here we simultaneously grow ultrafine ZnSe nanoparticles on the inner walls and the outer surface of hollow carbon nanospheres (ZnSe@HCNs), giving a unique hierarchical hybrid nanostructure that can sustain a capacity of 361.9 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 over 1000 cycles and 266.5 mAh g−1 at 20 A g−1. Our investigations indicate that the sodium storage mechanism of ZnSe@HCNs electrodes is a mixture of alloying and conversion reactions, where ZnSe converts to Na2Se and NaZn13 through a series of intermediate compounds. Also, a full cell is constructed from our designed ZnSe@HCNs anode and Na3V2(PO4)3 cathode. It delivers a reversible discharge capacity of about 313.1 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.5 A g−1 with high Columbic efficiency over 98.2%. The outstanding sodium storage of as-prepared ZnSe@HCNs is attributed to the confinement of ZnSe structural changes both inside/outside of hollow nanospheres during the sodiation/desodiation processes. Our work offers a promising design to enable high-power-density electrodes for the various battery systems. | battery |
Oral nutritional supplements (ONS) are commonly prescribed to malnourished patients to improve their nutritional status. Taste and smell changes in patients with cancer can affect the palatability of ONS. The present study investigated: (1) the palatability of six ONS in testicular cancer patients before, during the first two cycles, and after chemotherapy; (2) the relation between the palatability and taste and smell function; (3) the metallic taste of these ONS. | non-battery |
A highly porous NiO/Ag composite film is prepared by the combination of chemical bath deposition and silver mirror reaction. The as-prepared NiO/Ag composite film has an interconnecting reticular morphology made up of NiO flakes with highly dispersed Ag nanoparticles of about 6nm. The pseudocapacitive behavior of the NiO/Ag composite film is investigated by cyclic voltammograms (CV) and galvanostatic charge–discharge tests in 1M KOH. The NiO/Ag composite film exhibits weaker polarization, higher specific capacitance and better cycling performance as compared to the unmodified porous NiO film. The specific capacitance of the porous NiO/Ag composite film is 330Fg−1 at 2Ag−1 and 281Fg−1 at 40Ag−1, respectively, much higher than that of the unmodified porous NiO film (261Fg−1 at 2Ag−1 and 191Fg−1 at 40Ag−1). The enhancement of pseudocapacitive properties is due to highly dispersed Ag nanoparticles in the composite film, which improves the electric conductivity of the film electrode. | battery |
The prospects of incorporating a consumer side load-scheduling algorithm that works in conjunction with the unit commitment problem, which in turn coordinates with real-time load balancer, are discussed in this paper. An integrated framework for an autonomous microgrid with objectives of increasing stability, reliability and economy is proposed. From the microgrid operators’ point of view, the load side scheduling helps reduce the stress on the system especially during peak hours thereby ensuring system stability and security. From the consumers’ point of view, the dynamic electricity prices within a day, which are a reflection of this time varying stress on the system, encourage them to endorse such a scheme and reduce their bills incurred. The unit commitment problem is run a day in advance to determine generator outputs for the following day. Owing to unpredictable weather conditions, running unit commitment problem in advance does not guarantee planned real-time generation in the microgrid scenario. Such variability in forecasted generation must be handled in any microgrid, while accounting for load demand uncertainties. To address this issue a load side energy management system and power balance scheme is proposed in this paper. The objective is to ascertain uninterrupted power to critical loads while managing other non-critical loads based on their priorities. | battery |
A recycling process involving mechanical, thermal, hydrometallurgical and sol–gel steps has been applied to recover cobalt and lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries and to synthesize LiCoO2 from leach liquor as cathodic active materials. Electrode materials containing lithium and cobalt can be concentrated with a two-step thermal and mechanical treatment. The leaching behavior of lithium and cobalt in nitric acid media is investigated in terms of reaction variables. Hydrogen peroxide in 1M HNO3 solution is found to be an effective reducing agent by enhancing the leaching efficiency. Of the many possible processes to produce LiCoO2, the amorphous citrate precursor process (ACP) has been applied to synthesize powders with a large specific surface area and an exact stoichiometry. After leaching used LiCoO2 with nitric acid, the molar ratio of Li to Co in the leach liquor is adjusted to 1.1 by adding a fresh LiNO3 solution. Then, 1M citric acid solution at a 100% stoichiometry is added to prepare a gelatinous precursor. When the precursor is calcined at 950°C for 24h, purely crystalline LiCoO2 is successfully obtained. The particle size and specific surface-area of the resulting crystalline powders are 20μm and 30cm2 g−1, respectively. The LiCoO2 powder is found to have good characteristics as a cathode active material in terms of charge–discharge capacity and cycling performance. | battery |
A new effective Gel Polymer Electrolyte membrane based on two polymers, the polyethylene oxide (PEO), a poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP) copolymer and a plasticizer, the dibutylphtalate (DBP), was realized. This separator membrane was made by adjunction, through lamination, of an industrially made DBP/PVdF-HFP film and a homemade DBP/PEO thin film. Once the plasticizer was removed and the separator gelled by the electrolyte, the PEO enables the formation of a good interface with the lithium while the PVdF-HFP film brings the mechanical strength to the membrane. The electrochemical behavior of lithium batteries based on this bi-layer separator was investigated versus temperature, cycling potential and cycling rate. Owing to the promising results obtained with laboratory cells, a 1Ah prototype was successfully assembled, and its cycling and rate performances were reported. | battery |
Pyrite FeS2 decorated sulfur-doped carbon (FeS2@S-C) fibers have been successfully synthesized by a facile bio-templating method and applied as the anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Cotton was used as both the carbon source and the template. SEM and TEM results showed that the FeS2 nanoparticles fabricated using 0.2M FeSO4 were uniformly embedded in or attached on the surface of the carbon fibers. FeS2@S-C synthesized with 0.2M FeSO4 showed the best cycle stability and rate capability, which retained a high reversible specific capacity of 689mAhg−1 after 100 cycles. The specific capacities are about 1200, 900, 700, 550 and 400mAhg−1 after every 10 cycles at 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1 and 2Ag−1. The excellent electrochemical performance can be ascribed to the highly conductive sulfur-doped carbon and the homogeneous distribution of FeS2 nanoparticles. It is believed that the S-doped carbon matrix acts as an effective buffer layer helping relieve the volume strain as well as a hinder preventing FeS2 from aggregating during cycling, which ensure the high electrochemical performance. This kind of low-cost anode with high specific capacity and improved cycling stability show potential application for high capacity lithium-ion batteries. | battery |
Ethnopharmacological relevance Momordica charantia fruit is a widely used traditional medicinal herb as, anti-diabetic, anti-HIV, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, anti-leukemic, anti-microbial, and anti-tumor. Aims of study The present study is undertaken to investigate the possible mode of action of fruit extracts derived from Momordica charantia (MC) and study its pharmacological effects for controlling diabetic mellitus. Effects of aqueous and chloroform extracts of Momordica charantia fruit on glucose uptake and up-regulation of glucose transporter (Glut-4), peroxisome proliferator activator receptor gamma (PPARγ) and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), were investigated to show its efficacy as a hypoglycaemic agent. Materials and methods Dose dependent glucose uptake assay was performed on L6 myotubes using 2-deoxy-d-[1-3H] glucose. Up-regulatory effects of the extracts on the mRNA expression level of Glut-4, PPARγ and PI3K have been studied. Results The association of Momordica charantia with the aqueous and chloroform extracts of Momordica charantia fruit at 6μg/ml has shown significant up-regulatory effect, respectively, by 3.6-, 2.8- and 3.8-fold on the battery of targets Glut-4, PPARγ and PI3K involved in glucose transport. The up-regulation of glucose uptake was comparable with insulin and rosiglitazone which was approximately 2-fold over the control. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of the cyclohexamide on Momordica charantia fruit extract mediated glucose uptake suggested the requirement of new protein synthesis for the enhanced glucose uptake. Conclusion This study demonstrated the significance of Glut-4, PPARγ and PI3K up-regulation by Momordica charantia in augmenting the glucose uptake and homeostasis. | non-battery |
The discovery of anionic redox chemistry in Li-rich cathode materials provides much hope for enhancing battery performance. Tarascon and Assat analyse the underlying science behind anionic redox and discuss its practical limitations as well as the routes to overcome the application barriers.
| battery |
We report observations of microstructural changes in {100} and {110} oriented silicon wafers during initial lithiation under relatively high current densities. Evolution of the microstructure during lithiation was found to depend on the crystallographic orientation of the silicon wafers. In {110} silicon wafers, the phase boundary between silicon and Li x Si remained flat and parallel to the surface. In contrast, lithiation of the {100} oriented substrate resulted in a complex vein-like microstructure of LixSi in a crystalline silicon matrix. A simple calculation demonstrates that the formation of such structures is energetically unfavorable in the absence of defects due to the large hydrostatic stresses that develop. However, TEM observations revealed micro-cracks in the {100} silicon wafer, which can create fast diffusion paths for lithium and contribute to the formation of a complex vein-like Li x Si network. This defect-induced microstructure can significantly affect the subsequent delithiation and following cycles, resulting in degradation of the electrode. | battery |
Laffont I, Guillon B, Fermanian C, Pouillot S, Even-Schneider A, Boyer F, Ruquet M, Aegerter P, Dizien O, Lofaso F. Evaluation of a stair-climbing power wheelchair in 25 people with tetraplegia. Objective To compare the performance of a power wheelchair with stair-climbing capability (TopChair) and a conventional power wheelchair (Storm3). Design A single-center, open-label study. Setting A physical medicine and rehabilitation hospital. Participants Patients (N=25) who required power wheelchairs because of severe impairments affecting the upper and lower limbs. Interventions Indoor and outdoor driving trials with both devices. Curb-clearing and stair-climbing with TopChair. Main Outcome Measures Trial duration and Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (QUEST) tool; number of failures during driving trials and ability to climb curbs and stairs. Results All 25 participants successfully completed the outdoor and indoor trials with both wheelchairs. Although differences in times to trial completion were statistically significant, they were less than 10%. QUEST scores were significantly better with the Storm3 than the TopChair for weight (P=.001), dimension (P=.006), and effectiveness (P=.04). Of the 25 participants, 23 cleared a 20-cm curb without help, and 20 climbed up and down 6 steps. Most participants felt these specific capabilities of the TopChair—for example, curb clearing and stair climbing—were easy to use (22/25 for curb, 21/25 for stairs) and helpful (24/25 and 23/25). A few participants felt insecure (4/25 and 6/25, respectively). Conclusions The TopChair is a promising mobility device that enables stair and curb climbing and warrants further study. | non-battery |
A Li/Li1.27Cr0.2Mn0.53O2 cell is found to deliver an excellent discharge capacity of around 260mAhg−1, but exhibits a continuous increase in capacity on extended cycling. To explain this latter behaviour, various electrochemical measurements and ex situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) are performed. Both cyclic voltammetry and ex situ XRD reveal that an accumulation of transition metal atoms (Cr or Mn) in the lithium layer with cycling results in a monoclinic phase and capacity increase. Studies using ac impedance spectroscopy reveal that the structural change mainly occurs during the charging process. | battery |
Gas diffusion electrodes with silver catalysts show a high activity towards oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline media but a rather poor activity towards oxygen evolution reaction. For the use in future lithium–air batteries with an aqueous alkaline electrolyte the activity of such electrodes must be improved significantly. As Co3O4 is a promising metal oxide catalyst for oxygen evolution in alkaline media, silver electrodes were modified with Co3O4. For comparison silver electrodes were also modified with IrO2. Due to the poor stability of carbon materials at high anodic potentials these gas diffusion electrodes were prepared without carbon support to improve especially the long-term stability. Gas diffusion electrodes were electrochemically investigated in an electrochemical half-cell arrangement. In addition to cyclic voltammograms electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was carried out. SEM and XRD were used for the physical and morphological investigations. Investigations showed that silver electrodes containing 20 wt.% Co3O4 exhibited the highest performance and highest long-term stability. For comparison, rotating – ring – disc – electrode experiments have been performed using model electrodes with thin catalyst layers, showing that the amount of hydrogen peroxide evolved is negligible. | battery |
Here we report on a Li-S battery with cathode, based on a S powder obtained from bulk amorphous S, by cryogenic grinding. The cathode was prepared from a slurry, wherein the content of cryo-ground S powder was equal to 80 wt % (corresponds to ≈ 2.26 mg cm−2). Other slurry components included carbon Super P, and polyvinylidene fluoride, dispersed in N-methylpyrrolidone. The electrochemical performance of the as-prepared battery was compared to a battery based on an identically prepared paste, but containing reference S powder (with the orthorhombic structure). A longer life cycle, and enhanced capacity per gram, as well as per cm2 of electrode was revealed for the cryo-ground S-based cathode. The electrochemical results show that the loss in capacity of the cryo-ground S powder cathode was just 3% after 50 cycles, which suggests on a higher stability of S inside the cathode during cycling. | battery |
Titanates are salts of polytitanic acid that can be synthesized as nanostructures in a great variety concerning crystallinity, morphology, size, metal content and surface chemistry. Titanate nanotubes (open-ended hollow cylinders measuring up to 200nm in length and 15nm in outer diameter) and nanowires (solid, elongated rectangular blocks with length up to 1500nm and 30–60nm diameter) are the most widespread representatives of the titanate nanomaterial family. This review covers the properties and applications of these two materials from the surface science point of view. Dielectric, vibrational, electron and X-ray spectroscopic results are comprehensively discussed first, then surface modification methods including covalent functionalization, ion exchange and metal loading are covered. The versatile surface chemistry of one-dimensional titanates renders them excellent candidates for heterogeneous catalytic, photocatalytic, photovoltaic and energy storage applications, therefore, these fields are also reviewed. | non-battery |
This work reports on a new aqueous battery consisting of copper and manganese redox chemistries in an acid environment. The battery achieves a relatively low material cost due to ubiquitous availability and inexpensive price of copper and manganese salts. It exhibits an equilibrium potential of ∼1.1 V, and a coulombic efficiency of higher than 94% is obtained at an operating current of 20 mA cm−2. Cyclic tests confirm that the energy efficiency maintains ∼79% with no observable decay at 10 mA cm−2 over 100 cycles. Possessing other advantages such as ease of scalability and capable of using an inexpensive separator, the battery offers a promising solution for large-scale energy storage applications. | battery |
Trimethylboroxine (TMB) is used as electrolyte additive to improve the cyclic stability of LiCoO2/graphite full cell under high voltage. It is found that capacity retention of LiCoO2/graphite cell at 0.3C rate after 200 cycles between 3.0∼4.5V is improved from 29 % to 66 % by applying 0.5 % (by weight) TMB in EC-based electrolyte. Charge-discharge tests on graphite/Li and LiCoO2/Li half cells demonstrate that the improvement in cyclic stability of the full cell results from the contribution of TMB to the enforced stability of LiCoO2 cathode. Cyclic voltammogram shows that TMB is oxidized preferentially to the EC-based electrolyte, while physical characterizations, from SEM, TEM, FTIR and XPS, indicate that TMB helps build a thin but protective film on LiCoO2, which improves the interfacial stability of high voltage electrode/electrolyte. | battery |
A tier III, essential fish habitat analysis was used to evaluate the biochemical condition of common mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus residing in two isolated tidal salt marshes, one a relatively undisturbed polyhaline site dominated by Spartina alterniflora and the other a meso-oligohaline site dominated by an invasive variety of Phragmites australis. Stable isotopes signatures of C, N, and S in whole tissue samples of F. heteroclitus were used to compare the trophic spectrum for this species in each marsh as a function of the dominant macrophytes present with additional contributions from phytoplankton and benthic microalgae. Allometry of wet mass and its components, water mass, lean protein mass and lipid mass in individual fish exhibited hyperallometric patterns; and average lipid mass fell within the range reported for most fundulids, including F. heteroclitus. Significant differences were also detected in the allocation of lipid classes to energy reserves in the form of triacylglycerols (TAG) and free fatty acids. These reserves, especially TAG, are critical for reproduction, migration, and overwintering survival in many taxa and were significantly lower in fish collected in the P. australis-dominated marsh. Relative to the relatively undisturbed Spartina-dominated site, we tentatively conclude that the P. australis-invaded marsh was an inferior habitat for F. heteroclitus.
| non-battery |
This study aimed to observe the type of asymmetry exhibited by Porcellio laevis sampled from 15 sites belonging to Tunisian industrialized areas. Physicochemical parameters such as pH, organic matter and CaCO3 contents were measured in soils. Moreover, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu concentrations were determined in both soils and woodlice. Additionally, 10 metrical traits were measured to evaluate the type of asymmetry on individuals: the basis, the second and the third articles of the antenna, the first article of the flagellum of the antenna and the merus, the carpus, and the propodus of the sixth and the seventh pereopods. Among the 531 measured individuals, 432 exhibited fluctuating asymmetry (FA) while the remaining individuals exhibited antisymmetry or directional asymmetry. The data obtained were analyzed using a multivariate statistical analysis. Contrary to our hypothesis, the results showed that individuals from contaminated sites have a low FA level, whereas those from uncontaminated sites have a high FA level, particularly females but with some exceptions. Variations in FA level in the traits and populations studied and its usefulness as a stress indicator were discussed.
| non-battery |
Using an auditory semantic priming paradigm, the present study investigated the abilities of left-hemisphere-damaged (LHD) non-fluent aphasic, right-hemisphere-damaged (RHD) and normal control individuals to access, out of context, the multiple meanings of three types of ambiguous words, namely homonyms (e.g., “punch”), metonymies (e.g., “rabbit”), and metaphors (e.g., “star”). In addition, the study tested certain predictions of the “suppression deficit” and “coarse semantic coding” hypotheses that have been proposed to account for the linguistic deficits typically observed after RH damage. Homonymous, metonymous, and metaphorical words were used as primes followed after a short (100ms) or a long (1000ms) inter-stimulus interval (ISI) by dominant-meaning-related, subordinate-meaning-related or unrelated target words. No significant group effects were found, and for both ISIs, dominant- and subordinate-related targets were facilitated relative to unrelated control targets for the homonymy and metonymy conditions. In contrast, for the metaphor condition, only targets related to the dominant meaning were facilitated. These findings provide only partial support for the “suppression deficit” hypothesis and no support for the “coarse semantic coding” hypothesis (as interpreted herein) indicating that patients with focal LH or RH damage can access the multiple meanings of ambiguous words and exhibit processing abilities comparable to those of older normal control subjects, at least at the single-word level. | non-battery |
The electrochemical properties of multiphase CoFe3Sb12 based materials were studied with lithium anode model cell Li|LiPF6 (EC+DMC) |CoFe3Sb12. A reversible capacity of about 490mAhg−1 (ca. 3430mAhcm−3) has been obtained in the first cycle. The reversible capacity keeps above 240mAhg−1 in the first 10 cycles. It was found that the cycle life and charge recovery are strongly dependent on particle size and conducting additive. The mechanism of lithium insertion into CoFe3Sb12 electrode was analyzed by ex situ XRD. It was found that there were two different types of the insertion reactions in the first discharge. One type is topotactic reaction and the other is reconstitution reaction. The chemical diffusion coefficient D ̃ Li versus lithium content x in CoFe3Sb12 has been examined by EIS for the first discharge. | battery |
Background A player's fitness can be a key factor that may make the difference between victory and failure. Because technical and tactical skills are predominant factors in tennis it is of great importance to organize the fitness training as efficient and time saving as possible. The German Tennis Federation (DTB) has established a biannual nationwide physical testing including ∼ 400 squad players. The results obtained are used for basic talent identification as well as the development of training guidelines, including individualized training programs. The present article shows the concept for fitness testing and training design of the DTB. Two sample player profiles are presented to show the usefulness of the testing protocols and the individual conclusions obtained in order to design individualized training programs. Material and Methods Between the years 2009 and 2013, the sample of the 1052 best male and female junior players in Germany was evaluated using a battery of standard anthropometric and physical performance tests. Players were recruited from their respective regional federations and all the athletes were tested twice a year in a three week period. Results The individualized training programs are based on established percentiles considering sex, chronological age and the stage of maturation. Results show individual profiles of two players, including the percentile rank relative to their peers and related to both, their chronological and biological age. Conclusions The results enable the identification of weaknesses in different parameters and allow to design efficient physical training programs. Regarding the limited training time and the great amount of time needed to improve tennis specific skills this approach enables a more efficient way to design physical training programs. | non-battery |
One of the major challenges associated with fuel cells is the design of highly efficient electrocatalysts to reduce the high overpotential of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Here we report Polyaniline (PANI) based micro/nanomaterials with or without transition metals, prepared by the emulsion polymerization and subsequent heat treatment. PANI microspheres with the diameter of about 0.7µm have been prepared in basic (NH3 solution) condition, using two different types of surfactant (CTAB, SDS) as the stabilizer, ammonium persulphate (APS) as oxidant with aniline/surfactants molar ratio at 1/1 under the hydrothermal treatment. PANI nanorods, FePANI, and FeCoPANI have been synthesized in acidic (HCl) medium with aniline/surfactants molar ratio at 1/2 and polymerization carried out without stirring for 24h. Products mainly FeCoPANI have shown high current density with increasing sweep rate and excellent specific capacitance 1753F/g at the scan rate of 1mV/s. Additionally, it has shown high thermal stability by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). FePANI has been investigated for excellent performance toward ORR with four electron selectivity in the basic electrolyte. The PANI-based catalysts from emulsion polymerization demonstrate that the method is valuable for making non-precious metal heterogeneous electrocatalysts for ORR or energy storage and conversion technology. | battery |
Advanced batteries are required for an optimal use of intermittent renewable energy sources and to boost new global energy policies. Flow lithium oxygen batteries represent a cutting-edge technology that brings in a unique solution the advantages of the high specific energy of Li/O2 batteries and the design flexibility of redox flow batteries. To maximize the performance of flow lithium oxygen batteries, a careful study of the fluid dynamics of the flow frame of the cell is still needed. Indeed, the pressure drops through the cell generate a loss of power that has to be minimized by a smart cell design. For the first time, the experimental evaluation and the modeling of the power balance of laboratory prototypes of flow lithium oxygen battery cells is here reported. We propose a new, simple semi-empirical approach provides a general law of the net power output of the cell vs flow velocity. We demonstrate that by an intelligent cell geometry it is possible to drastically reduce pressure drops even with viscous systems like the organic electrolytes used in high specific energy batteries. This novel semi-empirical approach can accelerate prototyping of advanced flow redox batteries. | battery |
Time–activity data are traditionally collected by telephone interviews or through paper diaries, which are time consuming and costly. As a potential alternative that may greatly save staff time, a web survey to collect time–activity data was developed and tested in this study. We collected 24-h recall web diaries from 151 parents of young children mostly under 55 years of age (who also answered for their children) and 55 older adults (≥55 years of age) both on a weekday and a weekend day every 3 months during an 18-month period. The performance and reliability of the web surveys collected were evaluated, including the survey-completion rate, and the percentage of surveys with unreasonable time being reported as spent sleeping and with missing reports of being in transit between locations. We also compared the web-survey data with time–activity information we collected from the same subjects in telephone interviews and found that these data sources were fairly consistent with each other. However, we observed slightly more compliance issues for the web than the telephone survey, but most of these issues could be addressed and minimized by refining some questions or the survey interface. Our study suggests that it is critical to reduce participants' burden and improve survey interface design for optimal compliance and data quality. In conclusion, web surveys are a promising method to consider for time–activity data collection. | non-battery |
Mesoporous binary nickel–cobalt (Ni–Co) oxy-hydroxides have been obtained through the microwave-assisted hydrothermal annealing (MAHA) method. The porosity control of the nanostructured Ni–Co oxy-hydroxide nanoparticles is achieved through adding the pluronic triblock copolymer F127 as the surfactant. The structural and electrochemical properties of porous Ni–Co oxy-hydroxide nanostructures are characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brumauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The electrochemical measurement demonstrates that the Ni–Co oxy-hydroxides calcined at 200°C are able to deliver a specific capacitance of 636Fg−1 in 1M NaOH, suggesting their high potential as a novel electrode material of pseudocapacitors with good electrochemical reversibility. In the asymmetric supercapacitor test, the positive electrode is Ni–Co oxy-hydroxide and negative electrode is activated carbon. The specific energy and power, measured at 2Ag−1, for this asymmetric combination are equal to ca. 17Whkg−1 and 1.6kWkg−1, respectively. | battery |
Thin film electrodes for high energy density based flexible supercapacitors are fabricate using layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly of MWCNTs and graphene. The addition of conductive spacer of MWCNTs between the layers of graphene prevents the agglomeration between each other and therefore facilitates the maximum number of active sites for electrolyte ion intercalation. The supercapacitor devices based on this flexible LBL assembly show very high electrochemical capacitance (390Fg−1) and exhibit excellent cycling stability, retaining over 97% of its initial charge after 25,000 cycles. The addition of MWCNTs between the layers of graphene raised the energy density by 31% and power density by 39% more than the bare graphene electrodes. The LBL films of MWCNTs-graphene yield ultra-high energy density of 168Whkg−1 which is very promising for future potential application in high performance flexible energy storage devices. | battery |
Gel polymer electrolytes composed of acrylonitrile–methylmethacrylate (AM) copolymer and 1M LiClO4–ethylene carbonate (EC)/propylene carbonate (PC) are prepared. The ionic conductivity reaches 1.9×10−3 Scm−1 in a gel polymer electrolyte with 20wt.% of AM copolymer and 80wt.% of LiClO4–EC/PC at room temperature. These systems showed no solvent exudation from the matrix polymer due to enhanced compatibility between AM copolymer and organic liquid electrolyte. A Li/gel polymer electrolyte/LiMn2O4 cell has a reversible capacity of 132mAhg−1 in the voltage range of 3.0–4.3V at the C/5 rate and shows good cycling performance with a coulombic efficiency >99%. | battery |
Travieso D, Lederman SJ. Assessing subclinical tactual deficits in the hand function of diabetic blind persons at risk for peripheral neuropathy. Objective To assess subclinical impairments in tactual hand function produced by diabetes mellitus in late-blind adults with diabetic retinopathy. Design The survey compares diabetic blind with nondiabetic blind and blindfolded sighted controls in terms of their performance on a battery of tests that assess tactual hand function. Setting Subjects were evaluated at their rehabilitation program center in Madrid. Participants Nine (referred) diabetic blind subjects affected by diabetic retinopathy versus 10 (referred) nondiabetic blind subjects versus 10 blindfolded sighted volunteers, all right-handed and matched for age. Subjects were referred by the training professionals of the rehabilitation program center and asked to volunteer. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Cutaneous force and spatial resolution thresholds, haptic psychophysical functions for perceived roughness, weight, and size, and both accuracy and response times for haptic classification of 3-dimensional common objects. Measures of joint mobility, muscular strength, and motor dexterity were also included. Results The diabetic blind performed significantly poorer than the controls in terms of force sensitivity (distal and proximal finger pads, and palm), spatial resolution (distal finger pad only), motor dexterity, perceived roughness, and finally, haptic object classification response times for texture-diagnostic objects. Conclusions Subclinical disturbances in the tactual hand function of the diabetic blind subjects were only documented in perceptual and motor tasks for which cutaneous, as opposed to kinesthetic, information was particularly relevant. | non-battery |
The authors regret a mistake in the sentence “… shows a gravimetric energy density of 200 mAhr-g−1 with an average discharge voltage of ∼3.5 V”. The correct values are 180 mAhr-g−1 with an average discharge voltage of ∼3.7 V for Cr-doped Mn-oxide. The correct text should read “… shows a gravimetric energy density of 180 mAhr-g−1 with an average discharge voltage of ∼3.7 V”. The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused. | battery |
This paper reports on a new gauge for blast impulse determination close to explosive charges. The gauge is based on the autonomous data recorder g-rec developed at the Ernst-Mach-Institute for data acquisition in harsh environments. Combined with an acceleration sensor these data recorders allow for the direct determination of the momentum transferred to an object by a blast wave even in the immediate vicinity of the explosive charge. From this the blast impulse can be determined. Using autonomous electronics distinct advantages are gained compared to classical passive momentum traps. The paper summarizes the properties of the g-rec recorder and describes the setup of the autonomous momentum trap in detail. Numerical simulations are presented which illustrate the gauge performance and its limitations. Tests with 1 kg charges demonstrate the feasibility of the approach. Good agreement was found between simulations and tests. The application range of the gauges is determined by the measurement range of the built-in acceleration sensor and its overall dimensions and weight. The present configuration is designed for distances between ∼
A detonation is characterized by a rapid exothermic reaction under high pressure via a so-called detonation wave inside the explosive material. The detonation wave leaves behind a hot pressurized cloud of reaction products (fireball) which upon expansion on their part drive a shock front into the ambient air. Shortly after ignition, hence, the central region of a detonation is filled by expanding detonation products (fireball) ahead of which a shock front propagates which accelerates the air.
| non-battery |
The use of electronically conducting polymers (ECPs) as pseudocapacitive electrode materials in high-power supercapacitors is a challenge to overcome the performance of carbon-based double-layer supercapacitors for applications requiring high power levels. ECPs provide different supercapacitor configurations but devices with the polymer n-doped form as the negative electrode and the p-doped form as the positive one are the most promising in term of energy and power. This type of supercapacitor has indeed a high operating voltage, it is able to deliver all the doping charge and it has in the charged state both electrodes in the conducting (p- and n-doped) states. Data for poly(3-methylthiophene) positive and negative electrodes, envisioned for a n/p-type supercapacitor, as well as data for cyclability of supercapacitors with composite electrodes based on such conventional polymer are here reported and discussed. The capacitance and cycling stability of poly(3-methylthiophene) are sufficiently high to take this polymer into consideration for supercapacitor technology. | battery |
The thermal stability of fluorinated ester electrolytes with and without lithium metal and the positive electrode material at the charged state were investigated, in terms of application for electrolytes in lithium metal anode cells. The fluorinated ester electrolytes are solutions dissolving LiPF6 in carboxylic acid esters whose original carboxylic acids are partially fluorinated. The corresponding non-fluorinated ester electrolytes were also studied for comparison. According to differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurement, fluorinated ester electrolytes exhibited significant thermal stability when coexisting with lithium metal or Li0.5CoO2. LiPF6/methyl difluoroacetate showed the best stabilization effect, which shifted the exothermic peak of the electrolyte with lithium metal or Li0.5CoO2 to about 300°C. In addition, LiPF6/methyl difluoroacetate exhibited a good lithium anode cycling efficiency. We believe that LiPF6/methyl difluoroacetate is a very promising electrolyte for use in realizing lithium metal anode secondary cells. | battery |
The electrochemical properties of FeVO4 are affected by morphology, particle size and structure of the materials. In this paper, the amorphous and crystalline FeVO4 nanoparticles have been synthesized by the liquid precipitation method. The amorphous FeVO4 shows the initial specific capacity of 215mAh/g, with the initial capacity loss of 22% at the current density of 50mAg−1 in the range of 2.0–4.0V after 40cycles. Compared with crystalline materials, the amorphous one shows lower charge transfer resistance, higher rate capability, and better capacity retention. These improvements are mainly attributed to shorter lithium ion diffusion length and high electronic conductivity along the surface of small amorphous particles. | battery |
Decision support in health systems is a highly difficult task, due to the inherent complexity of the process and structures involved. | non-battery |
Efforts to parse ADHD’s heterogeneity in the DSM system has generally relied on subtypes, or presentations, based on different symptom combinations. Promising recent work has suggested that biologically-relevant and clinically predictive subgroups may be identified via an alternative feature set based on either a) temperament traits or b) executive function measures. Yet, the potential additive ability of these domains for specifying ADHD sub-phenotypes remains unknown. We thus sought to determine whether temperament traits and executive function, together, could facilitate a more nuanced and clinically meaningful subgrouping of children with ADHD. Participants included 828 children aged 7–11 years (62% with ADHD, 38% female). Latent profile and community detection analyses using both temperament and cognitive input features provided support for a primarily temperament-based three-subgroup solution (i.e., “Mild,” “Irritable,” and “Surgent”), although the distinction between Surgent and Mild subgroups may have been better explained as an ADHD symptom severity effect. There was also evidence of a five-subgroup solution, in which cognitive measures differentiated the Surgent subgroup into those with and without cognitive impairment. Cognitive measures also appeared to differentiate the Irritable subgroup based on severity, although differences in resulting subgroups appeared better explained via differences in negative affect and shyness. Subgroups within the five-subgroup solution meaningfully differed with respect to concurrent comorbidity. The utility of the five-subgroup solution for predicting comorbid diagnoses 2 years later was more limited. Additional work is needed to fully characterize the integration of cognitive and affective functioning in ADHD and their overlapping or additive value for clinical prediction.
| non-battery |
The influence of the supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) on ionic conductivity for polyether electrolytes based on oligo(oxyethylene glycol) methacrylate with lithium triflate, LiCF3SO3, has been investigated. In particular, the present research is a first attempt to improve an ion transport behavior of the polyether electrolytes using scCO2 treatment technique. Consequently, the ionic conductivity of scCO2 treated samples at room temperature was more than ten times elevated by the scCO2 treatment under the condition of 10 MPa and 40°C. From the Raman spectroscopy, decrease of aggregate ions and increase of free ions for the scCO2 treated samples have been observed. | battery |
There is a recent trend among low speed electric vehicle manufacturers to update traction batteries from older, heavy chemistries to new, lighter battery chemistries. In this viability study, a Club Car Villager LSV electric golf cart was converted from the original flooded lead acid batteries to hard carbon/mixed oxide lithium batteries. The range and speed of both chemistries are compared. This paper demonstrates a potential operational savings for ight electric vehicle users. Despite a reduction in volume, the lithium batteries outperformed the lead acid in both range (46.7% increase) and charging time (95% reduction). The range increase was due, in part, to a reduction in battery weight of 62.5%. In addition to range test results, implementation of the lithium battery management system and J1772 charger system used to support this conversion are discussed. | non-battery |
This work investigates the ion conduction of polymer electrolytes confined in cylindrical pores having diameters ranging from 400 to 30 nm. The confinement of PEO polymer electrolytes in nanopores increases ionic conduction as the pore size decreases with the greatest conductivity occurring in pores that were 30 nm in diameter where a specific conductivity of 2.43×10−4 S cm−1 was observed. This is almost two orders of magnitude higher than a polymer electrolyte film of the same composition but not confined in nanopores. This enhanced conduction may occur because of an orientation of the polymer chains in the pores. In addition to the advantage of enhanced conduction, these membranes have enhanced conduction perpendicular to the plane of the thin electrolyte film, which is the configuration desired for the construction of polymer electrolyte films for use in batteries. | battery |
The Bionor™ HIV-1&2 Confirmatory Test is a semi-rapid simple immunoassay based on magnetic particles for the confirmation of serological status to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The specificity and sensitivity of this assay was evaluated by comparison with the Diagnostic Biotechnology HIV-1 Western blot (WB) 2.2 and the HIV-2/SBL-6669 WB. Bionor’s confirmatory test demonstrated 98% specificity when testing sero-negative blood donors and false positive sera in screening tests compared to 81.5 and 71.6%, respectively, using the HIV-1 WB. The sensitivity of this assay for HIV-1 antibody positive sera was 97.9% compared to the WB which was 99.5%. When testing confirmed HIV-2 antibody positive samples, 2/100 scored negative using this confirmatory test similar to other HIV-2 peptide-based line immunoassays available commercially, whilst 8/100 were indeterminate reacting to HIV-2 membrane antigens only. Bionor’s confirmatory test detected HIV-1 seropositivity earlier than the WB in longitudinal seroconversion panels and could discriminate between HIV-1 and -2 infection. The number of indeterminate responses was generally reduced significantly using Bionor’s confirmatory test compared to the HIV-1 WB. The greater specificity, speed and ease of interpretation of Bionor’s confirmatory test renders it an attractive and cost effective alternative to the WB for confirming HIV serological status worldwide. | non-battery |
To improve the electrochemical performance of LiVPO4F at room and elevated temperature focusing on the stability of LiVPO4F electrode/electrolyte interface, for the first time, MoS2 nanosheets are introduced to modify LiVPO4F/C composites. The coating of MoS2 layers on the surface of LiVPO4F/C nanoparticles is realized via a solution method followed by low-temperature calcination. Morphological observations present that the MoS2 sheets are homogeneously wrapped around the LiVPO4F/C particles. When employed as cathode materials for lithium ion batteries, the MoS2-modified LiVPO4F/C composites exhibit superior high-rate capability and greatly improved cycle ability compared to bare one, and the sample coated with 1.75 wt% MoS2 (2M-LVPF) delivers the best electrochemical performance. In particular, it maintains the capacity retention of 91.7% in 100 cycles at 2.0C and delivers a reversible specific capacity of 112 mAh g−1 at a high rate of 8.0C under room temperature. More importantly, it shows greatly improved cycling stability at elevated temperature (55 °C), maintaining 88.1% of its initial capacity at 0.5C after 50 cycles. The reasons for such improvement lie in the MoS2 coating layer acting as a physical barrier between electrode and electrolyte, as well as electronic/ionic conducting framework for LiVPO4F particles. | battery |
To develop and validate an item bank to measure mobility in older people in primary care and to analyse differential item functioning (DIF) and differential bundle functioning (DBF) by sex. | non-battery |
As the market and related industry for wearable electronics dramatically expands, there are continuous and strong demands for flexible and stretchable devices to be seamlessly integrated with soft and curvilinear human skin or clothes. However, the mechanical mismatch between the rigid conventional electronics and the soft human body causes many problems. Therefore, various prospective nanomaterials that possess a much lower flexural rigidity than their bulk counterparts have rapidly established themselves as promising electronic materials replacing rigid silicon and/or compound semiconductors in next-generation wearable devices. Many hybrid structures of multiple nanomaterials have been also developed to pursue both high performance and multifunctionality. Here, we provide an overview of state-of-the-art wearable devices based on one- or two-dimensional nanomaterials (e.g., carbon nanotubes, graphene, single-crystal silicon and oxide nanomembranes, organic nanomaterials and their hybrids) in combination with zero-dimensional functional nanomaterials (e.g., metal/oxide nanoparticles and quantum dots). Starting from an introduction of materials strategies, we describe device designs and the roles of individual ones in integrated systems. Detailed application examples of wearable sensors/actuators, memories, energy devices, and displays are also presented.
| non-battery |
Background: Treatment compliance is a crucial pronostic factor regarding the longitudinal course of patients with First Episode Psychosis (FEP). The rate of oral antipsychotic treatment discontinuation at first year is about 70% (1). Risperidone injectable long-acting treatment (RILD) has shown high rates of clinical remission, as well as improvement in treatment compliance. As far as we know, there is no RCT that compared RILD vs oral atipic antipsychotics in FEP. Methods: Eighty-seven FEP patients were randomly located on two groups: patients receiving RILD (N=18) and patients receiving oral antipsychotic treatment (N=21). Both underwent a baseline assessment and one year follow-up, including: medical interview, PAS Scale, neuropsychological battery, diagnostic assessment (SCID-I) and stability at one year follow-up, clinical assessment (PANSS; CGI; SUMD; HDRS and YMRS), functional assessment(GAF), quality of life (WHO/DAS), hospitalizations, urgency episodes and treatment compliance (subjective for oral antipsychotics). Results: Both groups significantly reduced positive and general psychopathology scales from PANNS at one year follow-up. There were no differences regarding the course of cognitive symptoms. The group receiving RILD significantly improved in functional disability, quality of life and negative symptoms, and showed a trend toward significance in insight and compliance. Two patients receiving oral antipsychotics were rehospitalized, while the rate of rehospitalization for RILD groups was 0. Discussion: RILD an reasonable and treatment alternative for FEP. It treatment compliance, which turns to improvements in insight, negative symptomatology, functional capacity and quality of life. | non-battery |
We fabricated a lithium tungsten oxide (LWO)-modified LiCoO2 (LCO) thin film electrode by pulsed laser deposition and investigated the reason for its lower resistance as compared with a bare LCO electrode. X-ray diffraction revealed that the LWO layer has a randomly oriented Li2WO4 structure with tetragonal symmetry. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) indicated that the LWO modification changes the LCO particle surface, and the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy demonstrated that the LWO modification on LCO decreases the lithium ion transfer resistance at the interface between the positive electrode and the liquid electrolyte and increases the frequency factor at the interface. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, EDX, and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) indicated the presence of phosphate on the surface of the unmodified LCO electrode after electrochemical tests, but EDX and EELS did not indicate the presence of phosphate in the LWO-modified LCO electrode. The absence of phosphates apparently alleviates the hindrance of Li+ ion diffusion and increases the frequency factor in LCO, resulting in lowered Li+ ion transfer resistance at the interface. | battery |
The dilation of lithium-ion cells is sensitive towards swelling phenomena caused by both graphite staging processes and lithium plating on graphite anodes. In this work, the dilation behavior of graphite/NMC pouch cells is studied with a focus on relaxation phenomena occurring after current pulses. In order to prevent misleading interpretations due to thermal effects, thermal expansion is quantified and a method for the thermal compensation of dilation data is developed. Dilation data are recorded for quasi-equilibrium cycling as well as for current pulses at high rates. In the quasi-equilibrium case, the staging behavior is characterized based on dilation and voltage data. By comparison with a graphite half-cell measurement, the major effects in full cell dilation are confirmed to be anode related. In the high rate case, the dilation responses to the actual pulse and the subsequent relaxation phases are recorded systematically. Positive and negative relaxation phenomena are observed depending on the SOC. They are ascribed to both graphite staging and lithium plating processes. A model is presented explaining the unexpected relaxation effects by a temporary coexistence of three or more staging compounds during high rate lithiation and delithiation. Our data thereby confirm the shrinking annuli model introduced by Heβ and Novák. | battery |
Cylindrical lithium-ion cells with a lithium–nickel–cobalt–aluminum oxide (LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2) and a non-graphitizable carbon (hard carbon) as the positive and negative electrodes, respectively, were degraded by the storage tests with 50% state-of-charge (SOC). The degraded cells were disassembled and positive electrodes obtained were examined. The cation distribution of lithium and nickel in the positive electrode was clarified using neutron and synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements. The degree of lithium and nickel disordering varied with the storage condition. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) analysis demonstrated that the structural change was mainly located near the surface of the positive electrode and the valence state of Ni and Co ions did not change with the storage test. The disordering of the cations near the surface was closely related to the power fade of the cell. The storage condition is an important factor in the power fade of lithium-ion cells. | battery |
Nickel hydroxide is prepared by neutralizing NiSO4 solution with 4.8M NaOH, followed by washing the precipitate and treating the slurry hydrothermally at different temperatures. The parameters varied are: initial nickel concentration; effect of presence of sodium ions during hydrothermal treatment; aging time after hydrothermal treatment. The samples so prepared are chemically analyzed and the physical and electrolytic properties such as tap density, percentage weight loss and discharge capacity are determined. On increasing the temperature from 60 to 160°C, the discharge capacity increases from 52 to 112mAhg−1. At 200°C, the discharge capacity decreases to 94mAhg−1. Allowing the hydroxide precipitate to age after hydrothermal treatment also causes a decrease in discharge capacity. The presence of excess sodium ions during hydrothermal treatment yields nickel hydroxide with a very low discharge capacity. The maximum discharge capacity of 160mAhg−1 is obtained for nickel hydroxide prepared under the following conditions: nickel concentration 43gl−1, neutralizing agent sodium hydroxide, time of hydrothermal treatment 2h, temperature during hydrothermal treatment 160°C. XRD patterns and FTIR spectra confirm the precipitate to be β-nickel hydroxide. The sample contains 62.89wt.% Ni with a tap density of 0.96gcm−3. TG–DTA measurements show a weight loss of 19% with an endothermic peak at 325°C which corresponds to the decomposition of nickel hydroxide to nickel oxide. The present method of preparing nickel hydroxide through hydrothermal treatment reduces the aging time to 2h and gives a product with good filtration characteristics. | battery |
Performance of six different microbial fuel cells (MFCs) made from baked clayware, having 450 ml effective anodic chamber volume, was evaluated, with different configurations of separator electrode assemblies, to study the feasibility of bioelectricity generation and high-strength wastewater treatment in a single-chambered mediator-less air-cathode MFC. Superior performance of an air-cathode MFC (ACMFC) with carbon coating on both sides of the separator was observed over an aqueous cathode MFC, resulting in a maximum volumetric power of 4.38 W m−3 and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of more than 90 % in a batch cycle of 4 days. Hydrophilic polymer polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was successfully used as a binder. The problem of salt deposition and fouling of cathode could be minimized by using a sock net current collector, replacing the usual stainless steel wire. However, electrolyte loss due to evaporation is a problem that needs to be resolved for better performance of an ACMFC. | non-battery |
Layered Li(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2 was prepared by mixed hydroxide method and characterised by means of X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cyclic voltammetry and charge–discharge cycling. The hexagonal lattice parameters obtained for the compound are: a=2.864 and c=14.233 Å. XPS studies show that the predominant oxidation states of Ni, Co and Mn in the compound are 2+, 3+ and 4+, respectively with small content of Ni3+ and Mn3+ ions. Initial discharge capacity of 160 mAh/g was obtained in the range 2.5–4.4 V and at a specific current of 30 mA/g of which 143 mAh/g was retained at the end of 40 charge–discharge cycles. At lower current (10 mA/g) and in the voltage window 2.5–4.7 V, discharge capacity of 215 mAh/g is obtainable. From the voltage profile and cyclic voltammetry, the redox processes occurring at ∼3.8 and ∼4.6 V are assigned to the Ni2+/4+ and Co3+/4+ couples, respectively. | battery |
Transport is an essential requirement for the growth of any country. Transport of passengers and goods is vital to satisfy the mobility needs, commensurate with today’s lifestyle characterized by social interactions and reliable goods distribution nation-wide. Inadequate and inefficient public transport in India and grossly inadequate infrastructure are some of the key reasons for the sharp imbalance in a modal split of vehicle population, which has led to a sharp spurt in demand for private vehicles. In such a scenario, rapid consumption of fossil fuels such as mineral diesel, gasoline, etc., and associated vehicular pollution have become worrisome. Pollutants emitted by fossil-fuelled conventional vehicles at the ground level significantly deteriorated breathing air, which increased the death rate due to respiratory diseases. This article deals with all these issues related to the Indian road transport sector and proposes a path to resolve them. Sections related to advanced vehicle technology and alternative energy resources for reducing harmful emissions from road transport vehicles are important aspects of this study. A possible pathway for adopting electric vehicles (EVs) in the Indian road transport sector has also been included. Overall, this article summarizes energy and vehicle technology-related issues in the road transport sector and provides different solutions and their implementation strategies.
| non-battery |
The aim of this work is to present a critical review on slurry bioreactors (SB) and their application to bioremediation of soils and sediments polluted with recalcitrant and toxic compounds. The scope of the review encompasses the following subjects: (i) process fundamentals of SB and analysis of advantages and disadvantages; (ii) the most recent applications of SB to laboratory scale and commercial scale soil bioremediation, with a focus on pesticides, explosives, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and chlorinated organic pollutants; (iii) trends on the use of surfactants to improve availability of contaminants and supplementation with degradable carbon sources to enhance cometabolism of pollutants; (iv) recent findings on the utilization of electron acceptors other than oxygen; (v) bioaugmentation and advances made on characterization of microbial communities of SB; (vi) developments on ecotoxicity assays aimed at evaluating bioremediation efficiency of the process. | non-battery |
The search of new membranes for vanadium redox flow battery with low vanadium ions permeation rates, high ion conductivity, excellent proton conductivity, low area resistance, chemical stability, and low cost is on a soaring demand. In this work, a simple modification method is applied to improve the performance of commercially available low-cost membranes by applying several polyelectrolytes layers. Particularly, graphene-containing commercial perfluorinated sulfonic acid membrane of GN212C with a thickness of 33 μm is modified by introducing alternate layers of positively charged poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) and negatively charged poly(sodium styrene sulfonate). Microscopy and spectroscopy investigations indicate that the polyelectrolytes layers are successfully deposited on the membrane surface. The effects of the layer composition and number of bilayers are evaluated with regard to vanadium ion permeability, proton conductivity and battery performance. The modified membranes exhibit an improved vanadium (VO2+) barrier property, which enhances the VRFB single cell performance in terms of coulombic efficiency and energy efficiency compared to pristine GN212C and Nafion 117 membranes. The overall results suggest that the bi-ionically modified membrane is a potential candidate for application in flow battery despite its small thickness. | battery |
Na-containing bilayer vanadium oxides offer outstanding storage capabilities for lithium and sodium batteries, but a multistep process for chemical pre-intercalation of Na-ion exposes a limitation for the application. Herein, we propose a facile one-pot hydrothermal approach to synthesize well crystallized bilayer Na x V2O5·nH2O with ketjen black as conductive dense-network. As a cathode in sodium-ion batteries, the resultant NaxV2O5·nH2O/ketjen black nanocomposite exhibits a high specific capacity of 239 mA h g-1 at a current density of 20 mA g−1 as well as an enhanced rate performance at high current rates up to 640 mA g−1. Ex situ XRD and XPS analysis are conducted to demonstrate the high specific capacity and investigate the changes in structure. Moreover, it is noticeable that two pronounced voltage plateaus reflect the high electrochemical activity of V4+/V5+, contributing to a remarkable energy density of 597 Wh kg−1, which is one of the highest records for cathode of sodium-ion batteries ever reported. | battery |
To improve the high-rate capacity and cycle ability, minor Li2ZrO3 successfully coat the nanoparticles of 0.4Li2MnO3·0.6LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (LMO) via sol–gel method. The crystal structure and electrochemical properties of the bare and coated material are studied by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT), and charge–discharge tests. The lithium diffusion coefficient of LMO increases one to two orders of magnitude after Li2ZrO3 coating. Li2ZrO3 coating improves the rate capability and cycling stability of LMO. Within the cut-off voltage of 2.5–4.8 V, the initial discharge capacity of Li2ZrO3-coated 0.4Li2MnO3·0.6LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (LZO-LMO) reaches to 264 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C rate, and the capacity remains 235 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles. At the current rates of 1, 2, 5 and 10 C, the maximum discharge capacities of LZO-LMO are 205.6, 161, 153.8 and 106 mAh g−1, respectively. Minor Li2ZrO3 modification plays an important role to enhance the high-rate capability and cycle ability of LMO. | battery |
It is common for some healthy older adults to obtain low test scores when a battery of neuropsychological tests is administered, which increases the risk of the clinician misdiagnosing cognitive impairment. Thus, base rates of healthy individuals’ low scores are required to more accurately interpret neuropsychological results. At present, this information is not available for the German version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease-Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (CERAD-NAB), a frequently used battery in the USA and in German-speaking Europe. This study aimed to determine the base rates of low scores for the CERAD-NAB and to tabulate a summary figure of cut-off scores and numbers of low scores to aid in clinical decision making. The base rates of low scores on the ten German CERAD-NAB subscores were calculated from the German CERAD-NAB normative sample (N = 1,081) using six different cut-off scores (i.e., 1st, 2.5th, 7th, 10th, 16th, and 25th percentile). Results indicate that high percentages of one or more “abnormal” scores were obtained, irrespective of the cut-off criterion. For example, 60.6 % of the normative sample obtained one or more scores at or below the 10th percentile. These findings illustrate the importance of considering the prevalence of low scores in healthy individuals. The summary figure of CERAD-NAB base rates is an important supplement for test interpretation and can be used to improve the diagnostic accuracy of neurocognitive disorders.
| non-battery |
Regional cortical brain volume is the product of surface area and thickness. These measures exhibit partially distinct trajectories of change across the brain’s cortex in older age, but it is unclear which cortical characteristics at which loci are sensitive to cognitive ageing differences. We examine associations between change in intelligence from age 11 to 73 years and regional cortical volume, surface area, and thickness measured at age 73 years in 568 community-dwelling older adults, all born in 1936. A relative positive change in intelligence from 11 to 73 was associated with larger volume and surface area in selective frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital regions (r < 0.180, FDR-corrected q < 0.05). There were no significant associations between cognitive ageing and a thinner cortex for any region. Interestingly, thickness and surface area were phenotypically independent across bilateral lateral temporal loci, whose surface area was significantly related to change in intelligence. These findings suggest that associations between regional cortical volume and cognitive ageing differences are predominantly driven by surface area rather than thickness among healthy older adults. Regional brain surface area has been relatively underexplored, and is a potentially informative biomarker for identifying determinants of cognitive ageing differences. | non-battery |
Objective Current diagnostic criteria for somatoform disorders demand revisions due to their insufficient clinical as well as scientific usability. Various psychological and behavioral characteristics have been considered for the proposed new category Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD). With this study, we were able to jointly assess the validity of these variables in an inpatient sample. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, we investigated N=456 patients suffering from somatoform disorder, anxiety, or depression. Within one week after admission to the hospital, informed consent was obtained and afterwards, a diagnostic interview and a battery of self-report questionnaires were administered. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine which variables significantly add to construct and descriptive validity. Results Several features, such as somatic symptom severity, health worries, health habits, a self-concept of being weak, and symptom attribution, predicted physical health status in somatization. Overall, our model explained about 50% of the total variance. Furthermore, in comparison with anxious and depressed patients, health anxiety, body scanning, and a self-concept of bodily weakness were specific for DSM-IV somatoform disorders and the proposed SSD. Conclusions The present study supports the inclusion of psychological and behavioral characteristics in the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for somatoform disorders. Based on our results, we make suggestions for a slight modification of criterion B to enhance construct validity of the Somatic Symptom Disorder. | non-battery |
Na3PS4 has been demonstrated to be a promising solid electrolyte for all solid-state sodium ion batteries. Its high intrinsic ionic conductivity makes it ideal for high power battery applications. Although much research has been conducted on studying its structural and electrochemical properties, there is still no consensus on an optimal synthesis protocol despite a variety of reported Na3PS4 synthesis methods available. Here, we investigate the key parameters required to achieve single-step scalable synthesis of Na3PS4 solid electrolyte from its starting precursors. We determine that Na3PS4 solid electrolyte with high ionic conductivity (∼0.2 mS cm−1) can be easily achieved in 20 min using a single synthesis step, representing a significant improvement over other existing energy-intensive multiple-step methods. The all solid-state battery constructed with this highly conductive Na3PS4 is able to deliver 185 mAh g−1 capacity on the first discharge and excellent rate performance with a TiS2 cathode and a Na15Sn4 anode. | battery |
This study explored whether there are distinguishable neurocognitive profiles in diagnostic subgroups of first-episode non-affective psychosis (FEP) patients. Four hundred and eighty-seven individuals with diagnoses of non-affective psychosis disorders were evaluated 6 months after first contact with psychiatric services. Individuals with schizophrenia (n = 257), schizophreniform (n = 141), brief psychotic disorder (n = 54), and psychosis not otherwise specified (n = 35) were compared on baseline neuropsychological variables using analyses of variance and covariance with potential clinical, premorbid, and sociodemographic confounders. The brief psychotic disorder subgroup was the least impaired on global cognitive function, in particular when compared to the schizophrenia subgroup, and specifically on executive function, processing speed, and motor dexterity domains. However, with the exception of the processing speed domain, profile differences could be explained by sex, age, psychotic and negative symptoms, years of education, and premorbid IQ. These results suggest processing speed as a diagnostic marker for brief psychotic disorder in FEP patients. Further, there are quantitative and qualitative differences across the schizophrenia spectrum disorders subgroups, indicating different profiles with varying degrees of deficit.
| non-battery |
Railway transport is a source of pollution to soils and living organisms by e.g. PAHs, PCBs, oil-derived products, pesticides and heavy metals. Soil toxicity evaluation requires chemical analyses, indicating the type and content of particular pollutants, as well as biological analyses, which allow assessing the reaction of organisms to these pollutants. This paper is focused on a multi-aspect evaluation of the degree of toxicity and pollution of soil in selected railway areas from north-eastern Poland by application of numerous biotests and chemical analyses. The soils were sampled on railway tracks from the following railway stations: Białystok Fabryczny, Siemianówka, Hajnówka, Iława Główna and Waliły. The most toxic soils occur on the railway tracks at Białystok Fabryczny and Siemianówka. They had a significant toxic effect on test organisms from various trophic levels. The contents of PAHs, PCBs, heavy metals, oil-derived hydrocarbons and pesticide residues were determined in the examined soils. In all cases the detected pollutants did not exceed the admissible levels. The highest content of oil-derived substances was noted in soils from Białystok Fabryczny and concentrations were moderate in soils from Siemianówka. Although the pollutants determined in soils from railway tracks did not exceed the admissible values, they had a toxic effect on numerous test organisms from different trophic levels. This suggests a synergistic effect of low concentrations (within the admissible levels) of several pollutants together, which resulted in a toxic effect on the organisms. Thus, there is a strong need of not only chemical, but also ecotoxicological analyses during the evaluation of environmental conditions. Based on data obtained from biological and chemical analyses, we concluded that railway transport may pose a hazard to the natural environment to a larger extent that hitherto expected. | non-battery |
Diverse strategies have been used to address the irreversible structural collapse issues of Ge-based anodes associated with lithium insertion/extraction. In this research, the hollow C-Ge and C-Si core-shell (Ge@C and Si@C) anode materials are successfully synthesized through a facile chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method onto hollow carbon nanoboxes. Compared with the Si@C nanoboxes anode, the Ge@C nanoboxes display better cycling performance, which is attributed to the Ge intrinsic favorable electronic/ionic conductivities and the distinctive Ge anode configurations. In addition, the conductive carbon nanobox supporting structure not only effectively accommodates the volume change of the amorphous Ge nanoparticles during the repeated cycling, but also significantly enhances the reaction kinetics of the Ge active material due to the enlarged surface area. More importantly, the nanoarchitecture of this un-protective Ge shell layer anode can be well maintained even after long-term cycling and the LiCoO2||Separator(LiPF6+EC + DEC)||Ge@C full battery also display superior cyclability. | battery |
Spinel LiMn2O4 as a cathode material for lithium rechargeable batteries is economically prepared by a novel eutectic self-mixing method without any artificial mixing procedures of reactants. The phase transitions of lithium manganese oxide are found three times on the preparation. Thus, those process controls are discussed and emphasized. The prepared LiMn2O4 exhibits the initial discharge capacity of 124.8mAhg−1 and the discharge capacity retention of 98.2% after 20 cycles. | battery |
The details of a potentiostatic preparation method for a composite of iron(III) hexacyanoferrate and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) on a platinum electrode are reported. The heterogeneous electron transfer processes involving the composite and its stability are examined in aqueous and acetonitrile solutions. Cyclic voltammetrical studies show that in aqueous solution poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) is in its neutral state (non oxidised state) in the potential range where iron(III) hexacyanoferrate is electroactive. On the other hand, in acetonitrile solution, we show that iron(III) hexacyanoferrate is not electroactive. Thus, the faradaic response of the composite is due only to the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) in this organic medium. This behaviour allows us to study separately the electrochemical behaviour of each part of the composite in the two solvents. A cooperative effect (synergy) is observed within the composite. This is reflected by the increase of the faradaic and the capacitive responses of the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) in acetonitrile solution in the presence of iron(III) hexacyanoferrate. Moreover, the stability of the iron(III) hexacyanoferrate in the composite material is enhanced in aqueous solution. | battery |
Electrodes with novel architectures may enable the construction of high power density batteries with ultrafast charge/discharge performances, which are fundamental for todays power tools, medical devices and transportation systems. Hereby, we demonstrate the application of vertically arranged multilayered-graphene, namely carbon nanowalls (CNW), as a potential high power anode to be used in Li-ion secondary batteries. CNWs are deposited onto Cu foils using microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MPE-CVD) technique. MPE-CVD is a simple and rapid technique, which is effectively proven to produce self-standing layered anodes by single step processing. The direct deposition over Cu avoids the addition of foreign ingredients such as binders and conductive agents. This opens up the possibility to reduce the number of processing steps and processing time, which are key aspects when upscaling is sought. The superior cycling behaviour of the newly elaborated CNWs is demonstrated in lab-scale Li-metal and Li-ion cells (LiFePO4 cathode) capable of very stable and prolonged reversible cycling with excellent durability (>1000 cycles), good specific capacity and capacity retention when subjected to ultrafast current regimes. | battery |
Li ion kinetics in the O2-phase layered manganese oxides, Li2/3(Co0.15Mn0.85)O2 (O2(Li)) and Li(2/3)+x (Co0.15Mn0.85)O2 (x=1/3 (O2(Li+x))), has been studied by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) at room temperature and the results were correlated with the observed cathodic behaviour. Both compounds show a reversible capacity of ∼180 mA h/g at low current density (∼5 mA/g). EIS studies as a function of cycle number show an increased contribution of resistance associated with surface film formation and bulk contribution which is in agreement with the increased capacity fading observed in O2(Li+x) after 10–15 cycles. The Li ion diffusion coefficient (D Li) vs voltage plots show minima during the first charge cycle coinciding with the irreversible plateau of the voltage vs capacity profiles reflecting the irreversible phase change in both the compounds. The values of D Li (GITT method) observed for the second and subsequent cycles (≤6) in the full voltage range (3.0–4.4 V) are 2×10−11–10×10−11 cm2/s for O2(Li+x) and 0.5×10−10–3.0×10−10 cm2/s for O2(Li). Variation of D Li as a function of cycle number (up to 35) indicates that, in addition to the interface kinetics, changes in the D Li values with cycling also contribute to the capacity fading of the compounds, especially in O2(Li+x). | battery |
The gel electrolyte for the zinc–air cell was prepared by mixing hydroponics gel with a 6M potassium hydroxide aqueous solution. The self-discharge of cells was characterized by measuring the open-circuit voltage. The effect of a discharge rate of 50mA constant current on cell voltage and plateau hour, as well as the voltage–current and current density–power density were measured and analysed. The electrode degradation after discharge cycling was characterized by structural and surface methods. The oxidation of the electrode surface further blocked the utilization of the Zn anode and was identified as a cause for the failure of the cell. | battery |
A free-standing ceramic separator for lithium-ion batteries based on synthesized and surface-functionalized boehmite nanoparticles (AlO(OH)) was prepared by means of a pilot coating machine. For this composite membrane, polyvinylidene difluoride (PVdF) homopolymer was used as a binder. The separator displays a homogeneous morphology with a thickness of 22 µm. The mean pore size of the separator is 64 nm and the MacMullin number is 5.1. The constant current cycling behavior and C-rate capability up to 5 C are comparable to those of a commercial tri-layer polyolefin separator. Even though the mechanical properties of the ceramic separator are in some regards comparable to those of the polyolefin separator, however, they need to be improved so that the ceramic separator is able to withstand the stressful cell assembly process. Moreover, the boehmite-based ceramic separator displays a superior wettability and thermal stability compared to state-of-the-art polyolefin separators and is, therefore very promising for application in lithium-ion batteries.
| battery |
Information on early recovery after arthroplasty is needed to help benchmark progress and make appropriate decisions concerning patient rehabilitation needs. The purpose of this study was to model early recovery of physical function in patients undergoing total hip (THA) and knee (TKA) arthroplasty, using physical performance and self-report measures. | non-battery |
MoS2 has been extensively investigated as anode material in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the poor stability of MoS2 due to the weak interaction with conductive support and current collector significantly hinders its performance in LIBs. In this work, the Ni3S2 interlayer was successfully in-situ formed between MoS2 and Ni foam by decomposing MoS2 precurors ((NH4)2MoS4) on Ni foam (denoted as MoS2/Ni3S2/Ni). The presence of Ni3S2 interlayer significantly enhanced the interaction between MoS2 and Ni foam support, resulting in excellent stability in lithium-ion batteries. In addition, the foam structure facilitates the ion diffusion and electron transport properties of the electrode materials, leading to high-rate and highly durable performance. The as-prepared MoS2/Ni3S2/Ni reveals a capacity of 1263mAhg−1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 0.1Ag−1. On the other hand, it shows excellent rate performance, and it’s capacity can maintain at 740mAhg−1 even at a high current density of 10Ag−1. The interlayer strategy provides a novel principle for the design of durable electrode materials in electrochemical energy storage devices. In this work, for the first time, the Ni3S2 interlayer was successfully in-situ formed between MoS2 and Ni foam by decomposing MoS2 precursors ((NH4)2MoS4) on Ni foam resulting in excellent performance in lithium-ion batteries. The interlayer strategy provides a novel principle for the design of electrode materials in electrochemical energy storage devices. | battery |
We present a technology that efficiently harnesses the energy content of hydrocarbon fuels in a volume that is only a fraction of a cubic inch. A propane-fueled microcombustor heats a photonic crystal emitter to incandescence and the resulting spectrally-confined thermal radiation drives low-bandgap PV cells to generate electricity. We overcome the technical challenges that are currently limiting thermophotovoltaics in the following ways: we develop new fabrication processes; we adopt high-temperature alloys to improve the thermo-mechanical stability; we adopt commercial polycrystalline tantalum to fabricate large-area photonic crystals; and finally, we develop a passivation coating for improved thermo-chemical stability. We demonstrate unprecedented heat-to-electricity efficiencies exceeding 4%, greater than the 2–3% efficiencies that were previously thought to be the practical limit, and we predict that over 12% efficiency is achievable with only engineering optimization. For reference, a 1.5% efficiency corresponds to the energy density of lithium ion batteries. This work opens new opportunities to free portable electronics, robots, and small drones from the constraints of bulky power sources.
| battery |
The cognitive phenotyping of mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) currently focuses on impairments in learning and memory. However, AD is not simply a memory disorder, but other cognitive domains, and in particular attention, can also be impaired even at very early stages of the disease. In this review we argue for the benefits of including other constructs, and in particular attention, in preclinical studies to identify drug targets and disease mechanisms of AD in mouse models. First we give a brief account of the evidence for attentional deficits in AD; we then summarise methods to assess equivalent aspects of attention in mice, followed by a review of recent evidence for attentional impairments in widely used mouse models of AD. We conclude by suggesting that a multidimensional approach to cognitive assessment in preclinical models, in which a number of aspects of cognition are investigated while confounding factors are minimized, is becoming increasingly feasible and may contribute significantly towards the development of more targeted therapeutic interventions. | non-battery |
The present study performs an analysis of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) as a reference point that diagnoses the feasibility of current status and future roadmap to nurture the renewable energy sector in Pakistan. The results identify the social, economic and environmental impacts on the sustainable development of the renewable energy sector through explicit and categorical investigation of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in local perspective. Hence, strengths of the renewable sector in terms of available renewable energy potential, validated resource maps, environment friendliness, and the growing private investors are explored, whereas inefficient technologies, huge capital investment, immature institutional framework, and technology-related environmental hazards are found to be the internal weaknesses that need to be fixed. Main opportunities that are found mandatory to be capitalized for the sustainable development are: untapped potential, micro and mini-installations, off-grid energy systems and efficiency improvements, whereas associated threats to be defended for the sustainability of the renewable energy sector are: policy implications, lack of grid connection, and the competitive energy resources. Furthermore, to cope with the energy crisis under the current scenario, policy-based strategies are suggested to ensure the retainability of the renewable energy sector towards secure and sustainable Pakistan. | battery |
Families of people with eating disorders are often caught up in rule bound eating and safety behaviours that characterise the illness. The main aim of this study was to develop a valid and specific scale to measure family accommodation in the context of having a relative with an eating disorder. | non-battery |
Well-ordered high-temperature LiCoO2 (HT-LiCoO2) is synthesized by mechanical alloying (MA) of LiOH·H2O and Co(OH)2 powders and subsequent firing. Its electrochemical properties are investigated. The maximum discharge capacity of a sample mechanically alloyed and fired at 600°C for 2h is 152mAhg−1 at the C/40 rate, which is comparable to that obtained from a sample made by conventional solid state reactions. The cycleability is inferior, however, due to a relatively low crystallinity. When the firing temperature is increased to 850°C, the first discharge capacity of 142mAhg−1 at the C/5 rate is increased by more than 10%, and retains 93% of its maximum value after 30 cycles. These cycling properties are about the same, or slightly higher, than those synthesized by firing a sample mixture of the same starting materials at 600°C for 8h and then at 850°C for 24h. Consequently, given the lower firing temperature and/or reduced reaction time, MA could prove a promising synthetic process for cathode materials used in rechargeable lithium batteries. | battery |
Previous evidence has shown a link between neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD), and melatonin. The data in the literature about the impact of the hormone under different experimental PD conditions are quite controversial, and its effect on memory impairment in the disease is very poorly explored. The current research was aimed at investigating the role of melatonin pretreatment on memory and motor behavior in healthy rats and those with the partial 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) model of PD. All rodents were pretreated with melatonin (20 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) for 5 days. At 24 h and 7 days after the first treatment for healthy rats, and at the second and third week post-lesion for those with PD, the animals were tested behaviorally (apomorphine-induced rotations, rotarod, and passive avoidance tests). The neurochemical levels of dopamine (DA), acetylcholine (ACh), noradrenaline (NA), and serotonin (Sero) in the brain were also determined. The results showed that in healthy animals, melatonin pretreatment had amnestic and motor-suppressive effects and did not change the levels of measured brain neurotransmitters. In animals with PD, melatonin pretreatment exerted a neuroprotective effect, manifested as a significantly decreased number of apomorphine-induced rotations, reduced number of falls in the rotarod test, and improved memory performance. The brain DA and ACh concentrations in the same animals were restored to the control levels, and those of NA and Sero did not change. Our results demonstrate a beneficial effect of melatonin on memory and motor disturbance in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. | non-battery |
In this paper, the wind energy potential of Vesleskarvet in Antarctica is assessed and the possibility of meeting the energy needs of South African׳s SANAE IV located in Vesleskarvet using the wind resource of the site is presented. The data used for the study consists of daily average wind speed, temperature and atmospheric pressure collected over a period of eleven years (2001–2012) at an anemometer height of 10m. The data is obtained from South African Weather Services and the analysis is performed using statistical approach. Some commercially available wind turbine ranging from 10kW to 1650kW are simulated using HOMER simulation software in different scenario to determine the combination of wind turbine, battery and power electronic converter that could meet the electrical energy demand of SANAE IV with lowest Net Present Cost (NPC) and the Cost of Energy (COE) over 25 year life cycle of the project. The results show that Vesleskarvet has exceptional wind resource with average wind speed of 10.9m/s and standard deviation of 6.3m/s. The minimum wind speed in the period under study is 0m/s and maximum value of 41.9m/s. The average wind potential density (2001–2001) is 1650W/m2. The HOMER optimization result reveals that 15 numbers of PGE20/25 wind turbine with rated power of 25kW, hub height of 25m, cut in wind speed of 3.5m/s, rated wind speed of 9m/s and cut-out wind speed of 25m/s seems suitable to meet the electrical energy demand of SANAE IV with NPC of $1,336,262, operating cost of $976,500 and COE of $0.102. | battery |
This work presents the construction and evaluation of a membraneless nanofluidic fuel cell made with fiberglass using flow-through porous electrodes based on Toray paper, coupled with a microelectronic interface to supply energy to low-power demand applications. The device performance is optimized for different operating conditions related with flow rate, stoichiometry and concentration and employing formic acid as fuel. Evaluation tests were performed with a homemade testing station using a commercial varying resistance. | battery |
LiNi1−y Al y O2 (0.10≤y≤0.50) compounds have been synthesized by a coprecipitation method. The characterization of the samples by X-ray and neutron diffraction, associated with Rietveld refinement analysis, has shown that for all materials, about 5% extra-nickel ions are present in the interslab space. Charge−discharge cycling of LiNi1−y Al y O2 as positive electrode material in lithium cells has shown that aluminum substitution suppresses all the phase transitions observed for the LiNiO2 system. Good cycling stability was observed, but the capacity decreases from 125 to 100mAh/g by increasing the aluminum amount from 10 to 25% (3–4.15V range; C/20 rate). | battery |
This study develops a urea-based homogeneous precipitation method to synthesize spherical carbonate precursors (Ni0.25Mn0.75CO3) for the Li-rich layered cathode material Li(Ni0.2Li0.2Mn0.6)O2. The structure and morphology of the precursor particles were tailored by controlling of urea concentration, reaction temperature and time. Combined with XRD, SEM, and particle size analysis, the optimized conditions for synthesizing desired stoichiometric Ni0.25Mn0.75CO3 were obtained. We also investigated the processes of nucleation and growth of precursors. The obtained spherical Li(Ni0.2Li0.2Mn0.6)O2 delivers discharge capacity of 237 mAh g−1 at the initial cycle and 253 mAh g−1 after 50 cycles. | battery |
We use AC impedance methods to investigate the effect of mechanical deformation on ion transport in commercial separator membranes and lithium-ion cells as a whole. A Bruggeman type power law relationship is found to provide an accurate correlation between porosity and tortuosity of deformed separators, which allows the impedance of a separator membrane to be predicted as a function of deformation. By using mechanical compression to vary the porosity of the separator membranes during impedance measurements it is possible to determine both the α and γ parameters from the modified Bruggeman relation for individual separator membranes. From impedance testing of compressed pouch cells it is found that separator deformation accounts for the majority of the transport restrictions arising from compressive stress in a lithium-ion cell. Finally, a charge state dependent increase in the impedance associated with charge transfer is observed with increasing cell compression. | battery |
Publisher Summary This chapter describes the homeostatic model for the motivation to maintain subjective well-being (SWB). Motivation arises from conditions that challenge the maintenance of SWB and is strongly linked with two aspects of the model: personality and needs. The general idea of the proposed homeostatic system is that SWB is managed, for each individual, within a set-point range. Each person has a built-in set-point for their normal level of SWB and their perceived SWB is normally held within a narrow range around this setting. At the level of individuals, homeostasis predicts that people who suffer some event that depresses their SWB below the threshold should improve their levels of SWB over time. It is found that, if the initial level of SWB fell within the normal range of values, improved extrinsic circumstances will not be reflected in higher levels of SWB. It is found that under extrinsic threat conditions, on the other hand, the control of SWB is predicted to shift, first, to the homeostatic system of buffers and then when homeostasis is defeated to the threatening agent itself, as it causes SWB to fall below its normal range. | non-battery |
Road freight transportation is a key enabler of global economic activity while also a central consumer of fossil fuels, which presents a challenge in realising a low-carbon future. To identify feasible decarbonisation solutions, we first assess significant drivers of activity in the road freight sector. We then use these drivers to project road freight service demand, vehicle stock, mileage, sales, final energy demand, and well-to-wheel GHG emissions using the IEA’s Mobility Model (MoMo) under two scenarios – the first incorporating the policy ambition of the Nationally Determined Contributions pledged at COP21, and the second extending ambitions to emission reductions that are in line with limiting global temperature rise to 1.75 degrees. In the former scenario, road freight well-to-wheel GHG emissions increase by 56% between 2015 and 2050, while in the latter, sectoral emissions are reduced by 60% over the same period, reflecting our assessment of the threshold of emission reductions potential. This reduction is catalysed by policy efforts including fuel economy regulations, carbon taxes on transport fuels, differentiated distance-based pricing, widespread data-sharing and collaboration across the supply chain as enabled by digital technologies, and sustained investment in ultra-low and zero-carbon infrastructure and research development and deployment. | battery |
Based on the results of the experimental study in Part I [1], a holistic simulation model that combines electrical and thermal simulation of electrochemical double-layer capacitor (EDLC) modules with an ageing model is presented. This simulation model allows analysing self-accelerating degradation effects caused by elevated voltages and temperatures. Furthermore, the divergence of cell performance in a stack of cells can be investigated which makes the model a valuable tool for cell and stack design as well as for testing operating strategies and cooling systems. | battery |
In this study, we aimed to evaluate the attentional and executive functions in patients with benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BCECTS) with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared with controls and compared with patients with ADHD without epilepsy. We evaluated 12 patients with BCECTS and ADHD (66.7% boys; mean age of 9.67years); 11 children with non-ADHD BCECTS (63.6% boys; mean age of 11.91years); 20 healthy children (75% boys; mean age of 10.15years); and 20 subjects with ADHD without epilepsy (60% boys; mean age of 10.9years). We used a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests to evaluate attentional and executive functions in their broad domains. Patients with BCECTS and ADHD had worse performance in Conners' Continuous Performance Test II (reaction time standard error [p=0.008], variability [p=0.033], perseverations [p=0.044] and in reaction time interstimuli interval [p=0.016]). Patients with ADHD showed worse performance in Trail Making Test B errors [p=0.012]. In conclusion, patients with BCECTS and ADHD had worse executive and attentional performance compared with controls than non-ADHD patients with BCECTS. Regardless of the presence of epilepsy, ADHD also negatively impacted executive and attentional functions but in different executive subdomains compared with patients with epilepsy. | non-battery |
Nonfluent (NFV) and semantic (SV) variants of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) are associated with distinct patterns of focal cortical atrophy and underlying pathology. Previous diffusion tensor (DT) MRI studies showed a more ventral white matter (WM) involvement in SV patients and a more widespread frontal involvement in NFV. Aim of this manuscript is twofold. First, we wished to provide a brief state-of-the-art review on WM damage in PPA. Second, we used DT MRI to assess the topography of WM microstructural damage along dorsal and ventral language pathways and corpus callosum in patients with NFV and SV. Our findings show that the two PPA variants share an overlapping pattern of dorsal and ventral pathway abnormalities. In addition to these common abnormalities, variant-specific WM changes were also found, with NFV patients having a more severe damage to the dorsal (fronto-parietal) WM connections within the left superior longitudinal fasciculus/arcuate and SV patients showing a greater left ventral tract involvement (inferior longitudinal and uncinate fasciculi). These findings offer evidence that both dorsal and ventral language networks may contribute to the relatively selective deficits in NFV and SV patients. | non-battery |
A new hybrid electrochemical capacitor based on an activated carbon negative electrode, lead dioxide thin film and nanowire array positive electrode with an electrolyte made of a lead salt dissolved in methanesulfonic acid was investigated. It is shown that the maximum energy density and specific capacity of the C/PbO2 nanowire system increase during the first 50 cycles before reaching their maximum values, which are 29Whkg−1 and 34Fg−1, respectively, at a current density of 10mAcm−2 and a depth of discharge (positive active electrode material) of 3.8%, that corresponds to a 22C rate. This is 7–8 times higher than the corresponding maximum values reached with a C/PbO2 thin film cell operated in the same conditions. After an initial activation period, the performances of the C/PbO2 nanowire system stay constant and do not show any sign of degradation during more than 5000 cycles. For comparison, the C/PbO2 thin film system exhibits a 50% decrease of its performances in similar conditions. | battery |
Even after its being phased out in gasoline in the late 90s, lead (Pb) is still present at relatively high levels in the atmosphere of Beijing, China (0.10–0.18μgm−3). Its origin is subject to debate as several distinct sources may contribute to the observed pollution levels. This study proposes to constrain the origin(s) of Pb and strontium (Sr) in aerosols, by coupling both Pb and Sr isotope systematics. The characterisation of the main pollution sources (road traffic, smelters, metal refining plants, coal combustion, cement factories, and soil erosion) shows that they can unambiguously be discriminated by the multi-isotope approach (206Pb/204Pb and 87Sr/86Sr). The study of total suspended particulates (TSP) and fine particles (PM2.5) from Beijing and its vicinity indicates that both size fractions are controlled by the same sources. Lead isotopes indicate that metal refining plants are the major source of atmospheric lead, followed by thermal power stations and other coal combustion processes. The role of this latter source is confirmed by the study of strontium isotopes. Occasionally, emissions from cement plants and/or input from soil alteration are isotopically detectable. | non-battery |
Poor storage property and the rapid moisture hinder the application of LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 due to the formation of Li2CO3/LiOH impurities and a spontaneous reduction of Ni3+ to Ni2+ on the surface. Alcohol washing is desirable to improve the electrochemical performance, storage characteristics and structural stability of LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2. Electrochemical studies indicate that washed material exhibits a higher discharge capacity (148mAhg−1 at 8C) and better capacity retention at 2C (79.2% after 100 cycles) compared with the un-treated material after storage in air for 40 days. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) tests show the amount of metal dissolution decreases compared with the un-washed sample. The Rietveld refinement results indicate that the Li/Ni cationic disorder can be reduced from 0.0714 to 0.0538 by alcohol washing after storage. Transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicate alcohol washing contributes LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 much resistant to H2O and CO2, which further reduce the formation of Li2CO3 and maintain structural stability during the storage process. | battery |
The availability of drinking water is reducing day by day; where as the requirement of drinking water is increasing rapidly. To overcome this problem there is a need for some sustainable source for the water distillation (purification). Solar still is a useful device that can be used for the distilling of brackish water for the drinking purposes. In this article a review has been done on different types of solar still. | battery |
According to present evolution trends for ICE vehicles, different architectures of the vehicle electric powernet and improved energy storage systems are required. In particular, the use of a 36V as nominal voltage for the powernet, in addition to the conventional 12V one, will be needed to face the increasing power demand caused by fuel consumption reduction needs, comfort and safety concerns. This will require developments in the field of batteries. In this paper, the trends of development of the electric powernets on conventional vehicles are described along with future system architectures and battery requirements. This last topic includes technical aspects related to the sizing, performance, operating voltage range, technologies proposed, management system and safety concerns. | battery |
Metal sulfides have been drawing more and more attention as electrode materials in batteries due to their high theoretical capacities. However, the volume expansion and loss of active materials are two major problems, hindering further improvement in their electrochemical performances. Herein, a strategy based on physical confinement/chemical adsorption is proposed to fabricate CoS and Co9S8 electrodes for advanced lithium batteries. Via a facile two-step method, porous C/CNT micro/nano-spheres embedding cobalt sulfide nanoparticles are successfully fabricated, in which sulfur is immobilized by CS bonds. Physically, the porous C/CNT micro/nano-spheres well accommodate the volume change and inhibit the loss of active materials. Chemically, the sulfur species are anchored by CS bonds to alleviate the migration and loss. Assembled as lithium battery anodes, the porous cobalt sulfide/carbon composites, particularly the CoS/C/CNT (CoS-0.4C) and Co9S8/C/CNT (Co9S8-0.8C), exhibit superior lithium storage properties to those without any complexing or any CS bonding. Furthermore, an in-situ electrochemical measurement is proposed to detect the existence of Li2S, which is helpful to understand the mechanism of conversion reaction-based metal sulfides. | battery |
Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) is recognized as being less stable and easily dissolvable in aqueous suspensions, particularly when the suspension pH is adjusted to be more alkaline or acidic. In this investigation, an unexpected and interesting finding is revealed, which contradicts the conventional understanding of the dissolution of LiFePO4. As most of the surface of commercial LiFePO4 is coated with carbon, the key factor determining its dissolution behavior is the chemical quality of the surface carbon. With more sp2-bonded carbon on the surface, both the dissolution and electrochemistry of LiFePO4 are independent of pH variations in aqueous suspensions. When the surface carbon is mainly sp3-bonded, LiFePO4 exhibits distinct dissolution and electrochemical properties at different pH levels and, under alkaline conditions, shows greater dissolution and poorer cell performance than that characterized mainly by sp2-bonded carbon. | battery |
Solar and wind energy systems are omnipresent, freely available, environmental friendly, and they are considered as promising power generating sources due to their availability and topological advantages for local power generations. Hybrid solar–wind energy systems, uses two renewable energy sources, allow improving the system efficiency and power reliability and reduce the energy storage requirements for stand-alone applications. The hybrid solar–wind systems are becoming popular in remote area power generation applications due to advancements in renewable energy technologies and substantial rise in prices of petroleum products. This paper is to review the current state of the simulation, optimization and control technologies for the stand-alone hybrid solar–wind energy systems with battery storage. It is found that continued research and development effort in this area is still needed for improving the systems’ performance, establishing techniques for accurately predicting their output and reliably integrating them with other renewable or conventional power generation sources. | battery |
This paper proposes an efficient approach based on Virus colony search (VCS) algorithm to optimize the sizing and placement of stand-alone hybrid power system including photovoltaic solar panels (PV) and battery bank in system which employ diesel generators (DGs) as pilot source of electrical energy formatting hybrid system. The optimization is carried out to incessantly satisfy the load demand. Two objectives have been defined: the reduction of the equalized cost system (economic objective) and equalized CO2 equivalent life cycle emissions (environmental objective). In the optimization problem, the dependability index of not supplied energy (NSE) is also considered to have a reliable system. The VCS algorithm is an effective and powerful approach that has fast convergence and high precision. This algorithm simulates diffusion and infection strategies for the host cells adopted by virus to survive and propagate in the cell environment. With the policies, the individual in the new algorithm explores and exploits the search space more professionally. This study is applied to Fort-Lotfi City: Tindouf (South of Algeria) that still needs access to National grid electricity due to economic and geography matters. The results prove the advantages of hybrid power systems in isolated locations ranging from being cost effective and reducing the accumulated emissions. The proposed algorithm is compared with PSO and MPSO algorithms which confirm its best performance and effectiveness. | battery |