Unified model of lithium-ion battery and electrochemical storage system

Nowadays, energy storage systems are of paramount importance in sectors such as renewable energy production and sustainable mobility because of the energy crisis and climate change issues. Although there are various types of energy storage systems, electrochemical devices such as electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs), lithium-ion capacitors (LiCs), and lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) are the most common because of their high efficiency and flexibility. In particular, LiBs are broadly employed in many applications and preferred in the mobility sector, where there is a need for high energy and high power. To ensure good operating conditions for a battery and limit its degradation, it is important to have a precise model of the device. The literature contains numerous equivalent circuit models capable of predicting the electrical behavior of an LiB in the time or frequency domain. In most of them, the battery impedance is in series with a voltage source modeling the open circuit voltage of the battery for simulation in the time domain. This study demonstrated that an extension of a model composed exclusively of passive elements from the literature for EDLCs and LiCs would also be suitable for LiBs, resulting in a unified model for these types of electrochemical storage systems. This model uses the finite space Warburg impedance, which, in addition to the diffusion process of lithium\lithium ions in the electrodes\electrolyte, makes it possible to consider the main capacitance of the battery. Finally, experimental tests were performed to validate the proposed model

Calendar Aging Effect on the Open Circuit Voltage of Lithium-Ion Battery

In recent years, lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) have gained a lot of importance due to the increasing use of renewable energy sources and electric vehicles. To ensure that batteries work properly and limit their degradation, the battery management system needs accurate battery models capable of precisely predicting their parameters. Among them, the state of charge (SOC) estimation is one of the most important, as it enables the prediction of the battery's available energy and prevents it from operating beyond its safety limits. A common method for SOC estimation involves utilizing the relationship between the state of charge and the open circuit voltage (OCV). On the other hand, the latter changes with battery aging. In a previous work, the authors studied a simple function to model the OCV curve, which was expressed as a function of the absolute state of discharge, q, instead of SOC. They also analyzed how the parameters of such a curve changed with the cycle aging. In the present work, a similar analysis was carried out considering the calendar aging effect. Three different LiB cells were stored at three different SOC levels (low, medium, and high levels) for around 1000 days, and an analysis of the change in the OCV-q curve model parameters with the calendar aging was performed

miRNA Signatures in Sera of Patients with Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

Several studies showed that assessing levels of specific circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) is a non-invasive, rapid, and accurate method for diagnosing diseases or detecting alterations in physiological conditions. We aimed to identify a serum miRNA signature to be used for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). To account for variations due to the genetic makeup, we enrolled adults from two study settings in Europe and Africa. The following categories of subjects were considered: healthy (H), active pulmonary TB (PTB), active pulmonary TB, HIV co-infected (PTB/HIV), latent TB infection (LTBI), other pulmonary infections (OPI), and active extra-pulmonary TB (EPTB). Sera from 10 subjects of the same category were pooled and, after total RNA extraction, screened for miRNA levels by TaqMan low-density arrays. After identification of "relevant miRNAs", we refined the serum miRNA signature discriminating between H and PTB on individual subjects. Signatures were analyzed for their diagnostic performances using a multivariate logistic model and a Relevance Vector Machine (RVM) model. A leave-one-out-cross-validation (LOOCV) approach was adopted for assessing how both models could perform in practice. The analysis on pooled specimens identified selected miRNAs as discriminatory for the categories analyzed. On individual serum samples, we showed that 15 miRNAs serve as signature for H and PTB categories with a diagnostic accuracy of 82% (CI 70.2-90.0), and 77% (CI 64.2-85.9) in a RVM and a logistic classification model, respectively. Considering the different ethnicity, by selecting the specific signature for the European group (10 miRNAs) the diagnostic accuracy increased up to 83% (CI 68.1-92.1), and 81% (65.0-90.3), respectively. The African-specific signature (12 miRNAs) increased the diagnostic accuracy up to 95% (CI 76.4-99.1), and 100% (83.9-100.0), respectively. Serum miRNA signatures represent an interesting source of biomarkers for TB disease with the potential to discriminate between PTB and LTBI, but also among the other categories

Haemoptysis and fever in a young refugee from Somalia

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How We Treat Drug-Susceptible Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Practical Guide for Clinicians

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and pulmonary TB (PTB) is the main variant responsible for fueling transmission of the infection. Effective treatment of drug-susceptible (DS) TB is crucial to avoid the emergence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-resistant strains. In this narrative review, through a fictional suggestive case of DS PTB, we guide the reader in a step-by-step commentary to provide an updated review of current evidence in the management of TB, from diagnosis to post-treatment follow-up. World Health Organization and Centre for Diseases Control (CDC) guidelines for TB, as well as the updated literature, were used to support this manuscript

Characterizing non-tuberculous mycobacteria infection in bronchiectasis

Chronic airway infection is a key aspect of the pathogenesis of bronchiectasis. A growing interest has been raised on non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection. We aimed at describing the clinical characteristics, diagnostic process, therapeutic options and outcomes of bronchiectasis patients with pulmonary NTM (pNTM) disease. This was a prospective, observational study enrolling 261 adult bronchiectasis patients during the stable state at the San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy, from 2012 to 2015. Three groups were identified: pNTM disease; chronic P. aeruginosa infection; chronic infection due to bacteria other than P. aeruginosa. NTM were isolated in 32 (12%) patients, and among them, a diagnosis of pNTM disease was reached in 23 cases. When compared to chronic P. aeruginosa infection, patients with pNTM were more likely to have cylindrical bronchiectasis and a “tree-in-bud” pattern, a history of weight loss, a lower disease severity and a lower number of pulmonary exacerbations. Among pNTM patients who started treatment, 68% showed a radiological improvement, and 37% achieved culture conversion without recurrence, while 21% showed NTM isolation recurrence. NTM isolation seems to be a frequent event in bronchiectasis patients, and few parameters might help to suspect NTM infection. Treatment indications and monitoring still remain an important area for future research

Mycobacterium lentiflavum Infection in Immunocompetent Patient

Mycobacterium lentiflavum is a recently described nontuberculous mycobacterium that has mainly clinical importance in young children with cervical lymphadenitis and in immunocompromised patients. We describe a case of chronic pulmonary infection in an immunocompetent patient. Our observation confirms clinical, diagnostic, and treatment difficulties in the management of M. lentiflavum infection

Pregnancy in patients with tuberculosis: A TBNET cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND: Objectives: To determine whether the incidence of tuberculosis with pregnancy is more common than would be expected from the crude birth rate; to see whether there is significant delay in the diagnosis of tuberculosis during pregnancy. METHOD: Design: A cross-sectional survey. SETTING: 13 tuberculosis clinics within different European countries and the USA. POPULATION/SAMPLE: All patients with tuberculosis seen at these clinics for a period\u2009>\u20091 year. INSTRUMENT: Questionnaire survey based on continuous data collection. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: number and proportion of women with tuberculosis who were pregnant; timing of diagnosis in relation to pregnancy, including those who were pregnant or delivered in the 3 months prior to the diagnosis of TB and those who developed TB within 3 months after delivery. RESULTS: Pregnancy occurred in 224 (1.5 %) of 15,217 TB patients and followed the expected rate predicted from the crude birth rate for the clinic populations. TB was diagnosed more commonly in the 3 months after delivery (n\u2009=\u2009103) than during pregnancy (n\u2009=\u200968; \u3c7 2\u2009=\u200925.1, P\u2009<\u20090.001). CONCLUSIONS: TB is diagnosed more frequently after delivery, despite variations in local TB incidence and healthcare systems

Screening for Tuberculosis in Migrants: A Survey by the Global Tuberculosis Network

Tuberculosis (TB) does not respect borders, and migration confounds global TB control and elimination. Systematic screening of immigrants from TB high burden settings and-to a lesser degree TB infection (TBI)-is recommended in most countries with a low incidence of TB. The aim of the study was to evaluate the views of a diverse group of international health professionals on TB management among migrants. Participants expressed their level of agreement using a six-point Likert scale with different statements in an online survey available in English, French, Mandarin, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. The survey consisted of eight sections, covering TB and TBI screening and treatment in migrants. A total of 1055 respondents from 80 countries and territories participated between November 2019 and April 2020. The largest professional groups were pulmonologists (16.8%), other clinicians (30.4%), and nurses (11.8%). Participants generally supported infection control and TB surveillance established practices (administrative interventions, personal protection, etc.), while they disagreed on how to diagnose and manage both TB and TBI, particularly on which TBI regimens to use and when patients should be hospitalised. The results of this first knowledge, attitude and practice study on TB screening and treatment in migrants will inform public health policy and educational resources

Long-term outcomes of the global tuberculosis and COVID-19 co-infection cohort

Background: Longitudinal cohort data of patients with tuberculosis (TB) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are lacking. In our global study, we describe long-term outcomes of patients affected by TB and COVID-19. Methods: We collected data from 174 centres in 31 countries on all patients affected by COVID-19 and TB between 1 March 2020 and 30 September 2022. Patients were followed-up until cure, death or end of cohort time. All patients had TB and COVID-19; for analysis purposes, deaths were attributed to TB, COVID-19 or both. Survival analysis was performed using Cox proportional risk-regression models, and the log-rank test was used to compare survival and mortality attributed to TB, COVID-19 or both. Results: Overall, 788 patients with COVID-19 and TB (active or sequelae) were recruited from 31 countries, and 10.8% (n=85) died during the observation period. Survival was significantly lower among patients whose death was attributed to TB and COVID-19 versus those dying because of either TB or COVID-19 alone (p&lt;0.001). Significant adjusted risk factors for TB mortality were higher age (hazard ratio (HR) 1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.07), HIV infection (HR 2.29, 95% CI 1.02-5.16) and invasive ventilation (HR 4.28, 95% CI 2.34-7.83). For COVID-19 mortality, the adjusted risks were higher age (HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02-1.04), male sex (HR 2.21, 95% CI 1.24-3.91), oxygen requirement (HR 7.93, 95% CI 3.44-18.26) and invasive ventilation (HR 2.19, 95% CI 1.36-3.53). Conclusions: In our global cohort, death was the outcome in &gt;10% of patients with TB and COVID-19. A range of demographic and clinical predictors are associated with adverse outcomes