DETECTING MECHANICAL DAMAGE FROM THE TIME CONSTANTS OF LI-ION BATTERIES

This study investigates the dependency of the internal processes of Li-ion batteries on operating conditions, cycling life, and mechanical damage. Li-ion Batteries are the preferred energy storage solution for many applications, including cell phones and electric vehicles. However, they can pose serious hazards if their safety is compromised, such as after sustaining mechanical damage. An example of such loadings is an electric vehicle crash or a drone's impact landing. Prior work has shown that mechanical damage to the battery may not affect its voltage, capacity, or other primary specifications. Currently, there is no reliable method to check the integrity of battery cells inside an electric vehicle battery pack once it has been subjected to a shock or impact. Here, we report a novel method to determine the time constants and polarizations of the main internal processes of Li-ion cells from their impedance spectra and investigate the effect of mechanical damage and aging on them. We formulate a distribution function of relaxation times to deconvolute the measured impedance spectra to achieve this goal. Our formulation is based on representing the battery dynamics via basis functions formed using a series of passive electrical elements consisting of inductors, resistors, and capacitors. We used a ridge regression optimization to determine the optimal number of elements and their values to represent the battery dynamics in the measured frequency range. We divided the samples into a control (intact) group and a test group, which went through controlled mechanical damage. We cycled the batteries and collected their impedance spectra at various temperatures and state-of-charge (SOC) levels. The experiments were conducted on LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) and NMC811 (80% nickel, 10% manganese, and 10% of cobalt in the active cathode material) cells, which are two main types of batteries used in commercial electric vehicles. After deconvoluting the impedance spectra using our formulation and criteria, we identified four peaks in the low- and medium-range frequencies related to diffusion, charge transfer, and solid electrolyte interface, as well as peaks in the high-frequency region related to contact resistances and ionic conductivity through the electrolyte and separator pores. We used the dependency of the peaks on the SOC level and temperatures to assign them to these processes. We represented each process with representative time constants defined as the local maxima of the peak and the area under the curve as the polarization of the process. We showed that the mechanically damaged cells have substantially different high-frequency time constant characteristics than the control group. Further, using our proposed approach, we studied the ability to identify degradation mechanisms during the aging process of a cell at different temperatures and states of charge. For LFP cells, the representative time constants remained almost unchanged during mechanical damage. However, the high-frequency peak height dropped by more than 36% during indentation, compared to less than 2.5% change in the control group. For NMC811 cells, the time constant of the high-frequency peak increased slightly with increased mechanical loading, and the associated peak height dropped by more than 12.9% during indentation and more than 17.8% during three-point bending. For the NMC811 cells, the average activation energy for charge transfer was 62 kJ/mol, while the activation energy for SEI was 49 kJ/mol. These values confirmed the physical relevance of the assigned peaks by verifying them with reported values in the literature. Finally, we analyzed the trend of changes in the impedance spectra (showed as EIS- Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy) collected during battery cycling at 0% and 100% SOC for NMC811 cells. The time constant of charge transfer increased significantly with aging, while the time constants of SEI and contact resistance increased slightly, and the high-frequency peaks remained almost constant. Polarization analyses showed significant increases with aging: the polarization of contact resistance, SEI, and charge transfer increased by 2.06, 2.36, and 2.24 times from cycle number 40 to 280 at 0% SOC, and by 1.86, 2.65, and 11.95 times at 100% SOC. Ohmic resistance increased slightly at both 0% and 100% SOC from cycle number 40 to 280. These results align with the observed linear degradation phase, where cells experienced a 4.8% capacity fade until cycle 280. We investigated the contribution of each degradation mode to changes in time constant and polarization of internal processes and degradation mechanisms based on aging stress factors, including large Depth of Discharge, low and high SOC, and a large number of cycles. This research demonstrated the effectiveness of our suggested DRT method in studying the effects of temperature, SOC, aging, and mechanical damage on the internal processes of LFP and NMC811 cells. This non-invasive method can detect hazardous mechanical damage in batteries, making it useful for applications such as electric vehicles after a crash or drones after impact landings. The aging results highlighted the potential of this approach for evaluating changes in the internal processes and degradation mechanisms caused by aging, which is essential for efficient battery management systems and estimating battery state of health. This method can also be used to diagnose battery safety in second-life applications, such as grid energy storage.Mechanical Engineerin

Breast Reconstruction Systematic Review Search Strategy

To identify studies to include or consider for this [review type] review, the review team worked with a librarian (TN]) to develop detailed search strategies for each database. The PRISMA-S extension was followed for search reporting. The librarian (TN) developed the search for PubMed (NLM) and translated the search for every database searched. The PubMed (NLM) search strategy was reviewed by the research team to check for accuracy and term relevancy. All final searches were peer-reviewed by another librarian following the Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies (PRESS checklist). The search was limited to English language only. The databases included in this search are PubMed (NLM), Embase (Elsevier), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Wiley), Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate Analytics), and HealthSTAR (Ovid) using a combination of keywords and subject headings. A grey literature search included Clinical Trials Registry (https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/), WHO ICTRP (https://trialsearch.who.int/), TRIP Pro Database (tripdatabase.com), and MedRxiv (https://www.medrxiv.org/). All final searches were performed on April 12, 2024 by the librarian and were fully reported on April 18, 2024. The full search strategies as reported by the librarian are provided in Appendix (___). A summary of the search results: PubMed (NLM) from 1809 to 4/12/2024 (200 Results) Embase (Elsevier) from 1974 to 4/12/2024 (458 Results) Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Wiley) from inception to 4/12/2024 (26 Results) Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate Analytics) from 1900 to 4/12/2024 (177 Results) HealthSTAR (Ovid) from 1975 to 4/12/2024 (198 results) Clinical Trials Registry (https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/) from inception to 4/12/2024 (74 Results) WHO ICTRP (https://trialsearch.who.int/) 1900 to 4/12/2024 (4 Results) TRIP Pro Database from 1867 to 4/12/2024 (53 Results) MedRxiv (https://www.medrxiv.org/) from inception to 4/12/2024 (5 results) The search resulted in 1,195 studies. 567 duplicate studies were found and omitted by the librarian (TN) using EndNote 20 following the Wichor Bramer duplicate identification strategy. This resulted in 591 records to screen from databases or registers and 58 records to screen from other methods (websites), resulting in a total of 628 records. Studies were screened by title and abstract by two blinded and independent reviewers. If a tiebreaker was needed, a third reviewer was called in. This process was repeated for full text article screening and article selection.Lewis Katz School of MedicineTemple University (Health Sciences Center Campus). LibraryDepartment of Surgical OncologyDepartment of SurgeryFox Chase Cancer Center, Division of Plastic SurgeryGinsburg LibraryTo identify studies to include or consider for this [review type] review, the review team worked with a librarian (TN]) to develop detailed search strategies for each database. The PRISMA-S extension was followed for search reporting. The librarian (TN) developed the search for PubMed (NLM) and translated the search for every database searched. The PubMed (NLM) search strategy was reviewed by the research team to check for accuracy and term relevancy. All final searches were peer-reviewed by another librarian following the Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies (PRESS checklist). The search was limited to English language only. The databases included in this search are PubMed (NLM), Embase (Elsevier), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Wiley), Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate Analytics), and HealthSTAR (Ovid) using a combination of keywords and subject headings. A grey literature search included Clinical Trials Registry (https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/), WHO ICTRP (https://trialsearch.who.int/), TRIP Pro Database (tripdatabase.com), and MedRxiv (https://www.medrxiv.org/). All final searches were performed on April 12, 2024 by the librarian and were fully reported on April 18, 2024. The full search strategies as reported by the librarian are provided in Appendix (___)

The Covid 19 Pandemic and Alcohol Consumption in Adults 18+ Years Old: What Can We Learn for Future Pandemics?

The purpose of this quality improvement project is to review the influence of COVID 19 on rates of binge drinking.Temple University Health SystemNursingA poster presented at the Temple University Hospital Research and EBP Conference, which took place April 19, 2024, in Philadelphia, PA

Supplemental Figure S1. Expression of six neurotrophic factors-related genes in dog bladders

Neurotrophic factors and reactive oxygen species (ROS) modulate neuronal plasticity. In an established model of lower motor neuron-lesioned bladder, somatic nerve transfer was used as a nerve reinnervation strategy. Levels of neurotrophic factors, ROS, and related markers, were evaluated in three groups of adult female dogs: 1) Decentralized, after bilateral transection of coccygeal and sacral spinal roots, dorsal roots of lumbar 7, and hypogastric nerves, then 6–21-mo recovery; 2) Reinnervated (ObNT-Reinn), after similar decentralization for 12 mo, then bilateral transfer of obturator to bladder vesical nerves, then 8–12-mo recovery; and 3) Controls. Detrusor mucosa and smooth muscle tissues were dissected, homogenized, and biochemically assayed. Protein levels of BDNF were higher in ObNT-Reinn mucosa, compared to other groups, as were ROS levels. Protein levels of BDNF were also higher in ObNT-Reinn bladder mucosa versus muscle layers. In contrast, protein levels of NT-3 and ARTN were lower in ObNT-Reinn and Decentralized mucosa, and protein levels of GDNF were lower in Decentralized mucosa, each compared to Controls, perhaps due to the prolonged decentralization. Protein levels of TNF-α were lower in Decentralized mucosa compared to the other groups. The muscle layer of each group showed similar protein levels of each neurotrophin, although ROS was lower in ObNT-Reinn muscle, compared to Control muscle. These results show variability in neutrotrophic factors, ROS and TNF-α, based on decentralization or reinnervation status, and elevation of only BDNF in the mucosa of ObNT-Reinn bladder perhaps due to somatic nerve ingrowth.Lewis Katz School of MedicineSupplemental Figure and Figure legend for: Enhanced BDNF and ROS in mucosa of lower motor neuron-lesioned dog bladder following somatic motor nerve transfer: Aging’s influenc

THE IMPACT OF PERCEIVED MORALITY, NORMALITY, AND AGENCY ON FREE WILL ATTRIBUTIONS

Past research consistently shows that people widely believe human beings possess free will and share similar definitions of the concept. However, how individuals attribute free will to others varies significantly and depends on the context, though the factors that influence these evaluations remain unclear. This study explores the nuances of free will beliefs through two pilot studies and a main study. Pilot Study 1 analyzed free-response definitions of free will, identifying the most frequently cited elements as (1) ability to make a choice that was (2) consistent with one’s desires and (3) free of constraints. Pilot Study 2 utilized vignettes based on these definitions to investigate free will attributions, confirming the method’s effectiveness for future research. The main study aimed to test two theories: the motivated account, suggesting free will attributions increase with immoral actions, and the nom-violation account, proposing that nonconformist behaviors are seen as exercises of more free will, regardless of moral implications. Through a series of vignettes, the main study uncovered a complex pattern of free will attributions that both align with and challenge these theoretical perspectives. Initial vignettes explored the role of moral valence, revealing that both blameworthy and praiseworthy behaviors are attributed with more free will compared to neutral behaviors, thus contesting the idea that punitive desires solely underpin free will attributions. Further analysis indicated that there was relatively stronger support for the norm violation account, highlighting the significant role of perceived autonomy and desires on free will attributions. The main study expanded upon these frameworks by investigating the impact of behavioral expectations, uncovering that expected behaviors were often attributed with more free will than unexpected behaviors, particularly when unexpected actions could be attributed to situational pressures. These findings collectively offer a nuanced and contextually determined view of free will attributions, influenced by moral significance, norm deviation, and the core aspects of the folk concept of free will.Psycholog

RESEARCH ON INFLUENCE OF CHINESE GEOMANTIC CULTURE ON PROPERTY INVESTMENT BEHAVIOR

Geomantic culture, deeply rooted in China's rich traditions, stands out as one of the most captivating and mysterious aspects of the country's heritage. In thousands of years, this enigmatic blend of metaphysics and geomancy has significantly shaped the lives of the Chinese people. Its historical success in predicting and judging risks has made it a valuable tool for investors in the field of real estate. In this case, research on the influence of risks of metaphysics and geomancy becomes necessarily important to facilitate investors to own relatively feasible tools when participating in economic activities. In this dissertation, I collect property transaction data in a district of city of Beijing in China in August 2023, and examine how various geomantic characteristics affect property prices. I identify sixteen indicators of geomantic factors, among which four are variables of community characteristics (location, shape, main entrance and road), four are building characteristics (position, orientation, floor and house number), and eight are internal characteristics of residences (house type, layout, daylighting, ventilation, color scheme, five elements, door and window). Quantification of these 16 characteristic variables can be divided as quantitative quantification and qualitative quantification, and the method to quantify indicators in accordance with the actual situation is an innovative content of indicator quantification of this paper. Employing multiple linear regressions, I find that 10 out of the 16 characteristic variables, including location, shape, main entrance, road, position, orientation, floor, house number, house type, and layout, are significantly related to property prices. I also compare the strength of the effect of each geomantic characteristic variable on property prices through standardized regression. Community location of the property has the greatest influence on prices. a building's position is at the second most important factor. House number and layout seem having the least effect on property transaction prices. My research suggests that homeowners in China care about the geomantic characteristics of their property, hence are willing to pay a higher price for more favorable geomantic characteristics. This study also offers useful guidance for real estate developers how to maximize profits through improving geomantic characteristics of their property development.Global Financ

APPLICATIONS OF GAUSSIAN FIELDS TO THE PERMANENT AND THE MATCHING POLYNOMIAL

In this thesis, we explore applications of Gaussian fields to the problems of approximating the permanent of a matrix and to the theory of the matching polynomial of a graph. In the first part of this thesis, we introduce a new randomized algorithm that leverages a form of Wick's theorem to estimate the permanent of a real matrix. In particular, we do this by viewing the permanent as the expectation of a product of centered joint Gaussian random variables with a particular covariance matrix C. The algorithm outputs the empirical mean S_{N} of this product after sampling N times. Our algorithm runs in polynomial time and we provide an error analysis to bound the failure probability. We compare our procedure to a previous procedure due to Gurvits. We discuss how to find a particular covariance matrix C using a semidefinite program and a relation to the Max-Cut problem and cut norms. In the second part of this thesis, we use these techniques to prove a new identity for the matching polynomial P_{G}(x) of a graph G. In doing so, we introduce a random procedure for estimating the coefficients of P_{G}(x) and provide a new proof of a duality result due to Godsil.Mathematic

Reducing Emergency Department Admission Wait Times through Utilization of Secure Chat Technology: An Innovative Approach Transforming the Oncology Patient Journey

Temple University Health SystemA poster presented at the Oncology Nursing Society's Congress, which took place April 24-28, 2024 in Washington, DC

UNITED STATES AND CHINESE PARENTS’ PERCEPTION OF PLAYFUL LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Parents’ perceptions of how their children learn most effectively are crucial drivers in shaping both how they interact with their children and the broader educational landscape in which their children are raised. Recent shifts in educational policy reflect an increasing acceptance of playful learning principles, but methodological gaps have made it challenging to determine which principles drive parents’ attitudes, and how widely shared these perceptions may be across the globe. In the present set of studies, we surveyed parents in the United States and China – countries with purportedly very different cultural attitudes toward education – to assess parent’s perceptions of the connection between common childhood activities and playful learning. Study 1, in the United States, and Study 3, in China, used a between-subjects design to examine parents’ perceptions of 37 common childhood activities across play and learning conditions. Study 2, in the United States, and 4, in China, used a within-subjects design to dig deeper into parents’ perceptions of the overlap between play and learning in these same activities and how this overlap was associated with the characteristics of playful learning (Zosh et al., 2018). We found similarities between both cultures in their categorization of childhood activities as playful and learning. Furthermore, parents in both the United States and China positively associated most characteristics of playful learning with activities that they categorized as both play and learning and that joyful was associated with play, either alone or in conjunction with learning, while joyful was not associated with learning alone.Psycholog

Exploring Music-Based Interventions for Executive Functioning and Emotional Well-Being in Stroke Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review

Purpose: Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability with life-long implications requiring assessment and treatment of several functional domains. This review identifies the results from research into music-based interventions (MBIs), including music therapy (MT), for executive functions (EFs) and emotional well-being (EWB) in adults with stroke and highlights opportunities for clinical practice and future research. Methods: APA PsycInfo (EBSCOhost), and CINAHL (EBSCOhost) were searched, in addition to grey literature. Results: A total of 49 studies were included and encompassed experimental, analytic, and descriptive observational studies, and case reports, involving a total of 1663 participants. In total, 32 studies included MT interventions, and 17 were MBIs. EFs were an outcome in 20.41%, and EWB in 61.22% of studies, for which active interventions were the most utilized. Overall, 73.47% of the studies reported positive results. Conclusions: This scoping review indicates that music interventions can be beneficial for the improvement of different aspects of EFs and EWB at different stages of stroke recovery. Further research may benefit clinical practice by including standardized protocols, outcome and self-reported measures, and brain imaging data to determine the effects of interventions and support evidence-based decisions for treatment policies for stroke survivors.Boyer College of Music and DanceTemple University. LibrariesTemple University (Health Sciences Center Campus). LibraryMusic Therap