2 research outputs found
Aqueous batteries as grid scale energy storage solutions
Energy storage technologies are required to make full use of renewable energy sources, and electrochemical
cells offer a great deal flexibility in the design of energy systems. For large scale electrochemical
storage to be viable, the materials employed and device production methods need to be low cost, devices
should be long lasting and safety during operation is of utmost importance. Energy and power densities
are of lesser concern. For these reasons, battery chemistries that make use of aqueous electrolytes are
favorable candidates where large quantities of energy need to be stored. Herein we describe several
different aqueous based battery chemistries and identify some of the research challenges currently
hindering their wider adoption. Lead acid batteries represent a mature technology that currently dominates
the battery market, however there remain challenges that may prevent their future use at the
large scale. Nickel–iron batteries have received a resurgence of interest of late and are known for their
long cycle lives and robust nature however improvements in efficiency are needed in order to make them
competitive. Other technologies that use aqueous electrolytes and have the potential to be useful in
future large-scale applications are briefly introduced. Recent investigations in to the design of nickel–iron
cells are reported with it being shown that electrolyte decomposition can be virtually eliminated by
employing relatively large concentrations of iron sulfide in the electrode mixture, however this is at the
expense of capacity and cycle life
Women and Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
Primary biliary cirrhosis occurs more frequently in women, and previous studies indicated that the average age of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) onset makes pregnancy in PBC patients uncommon. However, more recently, improved diagnostic testing has enabled detection of PBC in younger women, including those of childbearing age. This has led investigators to become increasingly interested in the relationship between the ontogeny of PBC and pregnancy. Published cases indicate that the typical age for pregnant women to be diagnosed with PBC is in the early 30s, and that during gestation, pruritus and jaundice are the most common symptoms. During gestation, susceptible women may experience onset of PBC resulting from the drastic changes in female hormones; this would include not only the mitochondrial damage due to accumulation of bile acids but also changes in the immune response during the different stages of pregnancy that might play an important role in the breakdown of self-tolerance. The mechanisms underlying the potential relationship between PBC and pregnancy warrant further investigation. For women first diagnosed with PBC during gestation, or those for whom first appearance of a flare up occurs during and postpartum, investigation of the immune response throughout gestation could provide new avenues for immunologic therapeutic intervention and the discovery of new treatment strategies for PBC