Modeling the Microstructural and Micromechanical Influence on Effective Properties of Granular Electrode Structures with regard to Solid Oxide Fuel Cells and Lithium Ion Batteries

The work studies electrode structures and the influence on the performance of electrochemical cells. Porous electrodes structures are modeled as a mixture of electron and ion conducting particles, densified considering manufacturing: sintering of SOFC is approximated geometrically; calendering and intercalation in LIB are modeled by a discrete element approach. A tracking algorithm plus a resistor network approach allow predicting connectivity, conductivity and active area of various structures

Fertility Preservation after a Cancer Diagnosis: A Systematic Review of Adolescents', Parents', and Providers’ Perspectives, Experiences, and Preferences

Study Objective Survival into adulthood is now a reality for many adolescents facing cancer. Fertility preservation (FP) is rapidly advancing, but oncology providers and health systems struggle to incorporate the newest FP technologies into the clinical care of adolescents. Our objective was to systematically review and synthesize the available data regarding the perspectives, experiences, and preferences of adolescents, parents, and oncology providers about FP to inform clinical implementation of FP technologies. Design, Setting, Participants, Interventions, and Main Outcome Measures Five electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Knowledge, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsychInfo) were systematically searched for studies published between January 1999 and May 2014. Adolescents were defined as 12-18 years at the time of diagnosis or designated as pubertal/postpubertal and younger than 18 years of age. Studies were assessed for methodological quality, data were extracted using a standardized form, and results were synthesized using guidelines for a narrative syntheses of quantitative and qualitative data. Results In total, 1237 records were identified, with 22 articles, representing 17 unique studies that met the inclusion criteria. The following topics were consistently observed across studies and populations: (1) fertility in trust; (2) decision-making challenges; (3) provider knowledge and practices; and (4) discrepancies between desired and actual experiences. Conclusion Despite the challenges associated with a new cancer diagnosis, adolescents and parents value the opportunity to discuss fertility concerns and preservation options. Providers play an important role in addressing these topics for families and efforts should be made to incorporate FP discussions into routine cancer care for all adolescents, with attention paid to the unique needs of adolescents and their parents

Vergleich der Anwendbarkeit unterschiedlicher Tetrazoliumsalze in Biotoxizitätsassays in Anwesenheit von Nickel- und Kupferionen

In der Kieferorthopaedie kommen unterschiedliche metallische Werkstoffe zum Einsatz. Vor dem Gebrauch muss sichergestellt sein, dass diese keine toxische Wirkung auf den menschlichen Organismus haben. Hierfuer gibt es zahlreiche Zytotoxizitaetsverfahren, zu denen auch der MTT-Test zaehlt. Bei dem MTT-Test werden Zellen in vitro mit dem Tetrazoliumsalz 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenoltetrazoliumbromid (MTT) behandelt. Hierbei handelt es sich um einen gelben und wasserloeslichen Farbstoff, der durch pyridinhaltige Reduktionsaequivalente NADH und NADPH, zum Teil auch durch Succinat der Zellen, zu einem violetten und wasserunloeslichen Formazan reduziert wird. Die Formazanbildung laesst sich photometrisch bestimmen und damit laesst sich die Zellaktivitaet in Anwesenheit bzw. Abwesenheit des Pruefkorpers feststellen. Dieses Prinzip funktioniert auch mit anderen Tetrazoliumsalzen, wie z.B. XTT, MTS, WST1. Jedoch koennen Tetrazoliumsalze mit Metallionen, wie z.B. Nickel- oder Kupfer-Ionen chelatieren. Es entsteht ein andersfarbiges Produkt mit einem anderen Absorptionsmaximum, das die Aussagekraft des Zytotoxizitaetstests verfaelscht. Das Ziel dieser Studie war daher die Untersuchung des Einflusses von Nickel- und Kupferionen auf das Absorptionsvermoegen der 4 Tetrazoliumsalze MTT, MTS, WST1,und XTT. In dieser Studie wurden vier Tetrazoliumsalze (MTT,MTS, WST1, XTT) in einem zellfreien System unter Verwendung von Diaphorase und mit humanen Fibroblasten untersucht. Jedes der vier Tetrazoliumsalze wurde mit Nickel- und Kupfer-Ionen in verschiedenen Konzentrationen getestet. In dieser Studie konnte festgestellt werden, dass die Formazane einiger Tetrazoliumsalze (MTT und MTS) mit Metallionen Chelatkomplexe eingehen koennen. Die Chelatkomplexe haben ein anderes Absorptionsspektrum im Vergleich zu den Formazanen und koennen moeglicherweise die Aussagekraft von Zytotoxizitaetsassays beeintraechtigen. Bei Durchfuehrung eines Zytotoxizitaetsassays mit Tetrazoliumsalzen sollte man daher kritisch pruefen, ob diese mit Metallionen der zu untersuchenden Proben chelatieren koennten. Kann man eine Komplexbildung nicht ausschliessen, sollte man entweder auf Tetrazoliumsalze bei denen keine Chelatbildung nachgewiesen wurde (z.B. XTT, WST-1) oder auf andere Assays, wie z.B. den Brd-U Test zurueckgreifen

Heat Load-Induced Changes in Lying Behavior and Lying Cubicle Occupancy of Lactating Dairy Cows in a Naturally Ventilated Barn

Dairy cows show a high sensitivity to changes in barn climate, which can result in physiological and ethological responses because of the homeostatic mechanisms to regulate the body temperature under heat load. The objective of this study was to analyze the lying behavior and occupancy of lying cubicles of lactating high-yielding Holstein-Friesian cows throughout the day during three summer months and three winter months. The study was conducted in summer 2016 and in winter 2016/17 in a naturally ventilated barn in Brandenburg, Germany. The determined temperaturehumidity index (THI) of the barn was calculated using the measured ambient temperature and relative humidity at eight locations inside the barn. The THI was used to define the heat load the cows were exposed to. The activity of the cows was measured with accelerometers, and a video recording was made to analyze the occupancy of the three rows of lying cubicles. The results indicated that increasing heat load led to a decrease in lying time; therefore, the daily lying time differed between summer and winter months. In addition, there were different patterns of lying behavior during the course of the day, depending on the season. A sharp decline in lying time could be observed especially in the afternoon hours during the summer. The occupancy of lying cubicles was also influenced by the heat load. The data could be helpful to enable evaluation with algorithms for early detection of heat load

Phase-field simulation and discrete element modeling of the interaction of diffusion and mechanics in electrode particles and electrodes of lithium ion batteries

In active electrode materials of litium ion batteries, there exists a coupling beween the field of lithium concentration on the one hand and mechanical strain on the other. When lithium ions are inserted in the electrode particles, this may cause significant stresses, which may lead to particle failure. For individual particles, we study the interaction of diffusion and mechanical stresses in cathode particles by means of a phase-field model employing the Cahn–Hilliard equation. Although the porous structure of electrodes allows for the improvement of cell power due to shortened diffusion paths in the solid phase for lithium ions, it constitutes issues with respect to the transport of electrons. In the second part of this discussion, the effective conductivity of the porous electrode is described by a resistor network method, coupled to DEM to account for the interaction with mechanical loadings

Noble Gas Analysis in the Quest to Find "Regolithic" Howardites

The howardite meteorites consist of approximately 200 polymict breccias of eucrite (basaltic) and diogenite (orthopyroxenitic) material (collectively, the HED group) that originate from the asteroid belt. Infrared reflectance spectroscopy of asteroids and laboratory studies of HEDs have indicated that the asteroid 4-Vesta is the likely parent body, and the partially-demolished south pole may be the source region. Asteroid regolith formation processes may be responsible for a number of observed petrological features including impact melt clasts, reworked clasts and mosaisicm. We have identified such features in a study of 30 howardites and polymict eucrites, and developed a regolith grading scheme based on petrology. However, the true regolithic nature of the howardite suite is not well defined, and previous research has suggested correlations between Ni contents of 300 - 1200 micron / g, a minimal variation in Al2O3 content around 8-9 wt% and the presence of solar wind noble gases are key hallmarks of an ancient regolith on Vesta . Through combined petrological, compositional and noble gas research, we aim to better understand howardite petrological diversity, regolith formation processes on parent asteroids, and to establish what defines a truly "regolithic" howardite. Our research will play an integral part in the interpretation of data gathered by the Dawn mission. Here we report the preliminary results from our noble gas analyses of four howardites: LEW 85313, EET 99408, MET 96500 and PCA 02066. Bulk major element compositional data have been collected, further petrological data for the HED group are reported by our colleagues, whilst trace-element analyses are underway. Our work will investigate the extent of whether previously described Ni, Al2O3 and noble gas characteristics are in fact indicative of a "regolithic" howardite

"Solar-Wind-Rich" Howardite: True Regolith vs. CM-Implanted Components

Howardite, eucrite and diogenite meteorites (collectively HED) likely originate from asteroid 4-Vesta [1], one of two asteroids targeted by NASA s Dawn mission. Many howardites (polymict breccias of E and D material) contain "regolithic" features, including impact-melt clasts, fragmental breccia clasts, and carbonaceous chondrite fragments. True regolithic nature can be determined through noble gas analysis, as Solar Wind (SW) is implanted into the upper-most surfaces of solar system bodies. Whilst previous work [2] suggested that high siderophile element contents (e.g. Ni of 300-1200 g/g) were regolith indicators, we found no obvious correlation between SW and these indicators in our initial howardite noble gas analyses [3]. We observed CM-like fragments in a number of our howardites, whose textures suggest late addition to the breccia assemblage [4]. As typical CMs contain mixtures of SW (in matrix) and planetary (in clasts) components [5], we investigate the dominance of such components in SW-rich howardites. This will help deter-mine the extent of implanted SW in HED grains vs. SW and planetary gases from CM fragments, and allow better understanding of regolith processe

Recurrent pregnancy loss is associated with a pro-senescent decidual response during the peri-implantation window

During the implantation window, the endometrium becomes poised to transition to a pregnant state, a process driven by differentiation of stromal cells into decidual cells (DC). Perturbations in this process, termed decidualization, leads to breakdown of the feto-maternal interface and miscarriage, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we reconstructed the decidual pathway at single-cell level in vitro and demonstrate that stromal cells first mount an acute stress response before emerging as DC or senescent DC (snDC). In the absence of immune cell-mediated clearance of snDC, secondary senescence transforms DC into progesterone-resistant cells that abundantly express extracellular matrix remodelling factors. Additional single-cell analysis of midluteal endometrium identified DIO2 and SCARA5 as marker genes of a diverging decidual response in vivo. Finally, we report a conspicuous link between a pro-senescent decidual response in peri-implantation endometrium and recurrent pregnancy loss, suggesting that pre-pregnancy screening and intervention may reduce the burden of miscarriage

The Ksar Ghilane 002 shergottite-The 100th registered Martian meteorite fragment

We report on the discovery of a new shergottite from Tunisia, Ksar Ghilane (KG) 002. This single stone, weighing 538 g, is a coarse-grained basaltic shergottite, mainly composed of maskelynitized plagioclase (approximately 52 vol%) and pyroxene (approximately 37 vol%). It also contains Fe-rich olivine (approximately 4.5 vol%), large Ca-phosphates, including both merrillites and Cl-apatites (approximately 3.4 vol%), minor amounts of silica or SiO_2-normative K-rich glass, pyrrhotite, Ti-magnetite, ilmenite, and accessory baddeleyite. The largest crystals of pyroxene and plagioclase reach sizes of approximately 4 to 5 mm. Pyroxenes (Fs_(26–96)En_(5–50)Wo_(2–41)). They typically range from cores of about Fs_(29)En_(41)Wo_(30) to rims of about Fs_(68)En_(14)Wo_(17). Maskelynite is Ab_(41–49)An_(39–58)Or_(1–7) in composition, but some can be as anorthitic as An_(93). Olivine (Fa_(91–96)) occurs mainly within symplectitic intergrowths, in paragenesis with ilmenite, or at neighboring areas of symplectites. KG 002 is heavily shocked (S5) as indicated by mosaic extinction of pyroxenes, maskelynitized plagioclase, the occurrence of localized shock melt glass pockets, and low radiogenic He concentration. Oxygen isotopes confirm that it is a normal member of the SNC suite. KG 002 is slightly depleted in LREE and shows a positive Eu anomaly, providing evidence for complex magma genesis and mantle processes on Mars. Noble gases with a composition thought to be characteristic for Martian interior is a dominant component. Measurements of ^(10)Be, ^(26)Al, and ^(53)Mn and comparison with Monte Carlo calculations of production rates indicate that KG 002 has been exposed to cosmic rays most likely as a single meteoroid body of 35–65 cm radius. KG 002 strongly resembles Los Angeles and NWA 2800 basaltic shergottites in element composition, petrography, and mineral chemistry, suggesting a possible launch-pairing. The similar CRE ages of KG 002 and Los Angeles may suggest an ejection event at approximately 3.0 Ma

Significance of tumour regression in lymph node metastases of gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinomas.

The presence of lymph node (LN) metastases is one of the most important negative prognostic factors in upper gastrointestinal carcinomas. Tumour regression similar to that in primary tumours can be observed in LN metastases after neoadjuvant therapy. We evaluated the prognostic impact of histological regression in LNs in 480 adenocarcinomas of the stomach and gastro-oesophageal junction after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Regressive changes in LNs (nodular and/or hyaline fibrosis, sheets of foamy histiocytes or acellular mucin) were assessed by histology. In total, regressive changes were observed in 128 of 480 patients. LNs were categorised according to the absence or presence of both residual tumour and regressive changes (LN-/+ and Reg-/+). 139 cases were LN-/Reg-, 28 cases without viable LN metastases revealed regressive changes (LN-/Reg+), 100 of 313 cases with LN metastases showed regressive changes (LN+/Reg+), and 213 of 313 metastatic LN had no signs of regression (LN+/Reg-). Overall, LN/Reg categorisation correlated with overall survival with the best prognosis for LN-/Reg- and the worst prognosis for LN+/Reg- (p < 0.001). LN-/Reg+ cases had a nearly significant better outcome than LN+/Reg+ (p = 0.054) and the latter had a significantly better prognosis than LN+/Reg- (p = 0.01). The LN/Reg categorisation was also an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis (HR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.1-1.38; p < 0.001). We conclude that the presence of regressive changes after neoadjuvant treatment in LNs and LN metastases of gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction cancers is a relevant prognostic factor