Layered LiNi0.5Co0.5O2 cathode materials grown by soft-chemistry via various solution methods

[Abstract] The lithiated nickel–cobalt oxide LiNi0.5Co0.5O2 used as cathode material was grown at low-temperature using different aqueous solution methods. The wet chemistry involved the mixture of metal salts (acetates or nitrates) with various carboxylic acid-based aqueous solutions. Physicochemical and electrochemical properties of LiNi0.5Co0.5O2 products calcined at 400–600°C were extensively investigated. The four methods used involved complexing agents such as either citric, oxalic, aminoacetic (glycine), or succinic acid in aqueous medium which functioned as a fuel, decomposed the metal complexes at low temperature, and yielded the free impurity LiNi0.5Co0.5O2 compounds. Thermal (TG–DTA) analyses and XRD data show that powders grown with a layered structure ( space group) have been obtained at temperatures below 400°C by the acidification reaction of the aqueous solutions. The local structure of synthesized products was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The electrochemical properties of the synthesized products were evaluated in rechargeable Li cells using a non-aqueous organic electrolyte (1 M LiClO4 in propylene carbonate, PC). The LiNi0.5Co0.5O2 positive electrodes fired at 600°C exhibited good cycling behavior

Experience of Forced Sex and Subsequent Sexual, Drug, and Mental Health Outcomes: African American and Hispanic Women in the Southeastern United States

This cross-sectional study examined African American and Hispanic women’s (N = 1,509) self-reports of unwanted forced sex and its association with behavioral and mental health outcomes after the event

Characteristics of African American Women and Their Partners With Perceived Concurrent Partnerships in 4 Rural Counties in the Southeastern US

Among African American women from four rural Southeastern counties, partner's concurrency was associated with intimate partner violence, and forced sex, but not economic benefit

Religiosity, Spirituality, and HIV Risk Behaviors among African American Women from Four Rural Counties in the Southeastern U.S.

In a cross- sectional survey of 1,013 African American women from rural Alabama and North Carolina, we examined the relationship of (1) organizational religiosity (i.e., religious service attendance), (2) non- organizational religiosity (e.g., reading religious materials), and (3) spirituality with these outcomes: women’s reports of their sexual behaviors and perceptions of their partners’ risk characteristics. Women with high non-organizational religiosity, compared with low, had fewer sex partners in the past 12 months (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR): 0.58, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.42, 0.80) and were less likely to have concurrent partnerships (aPR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.30, 0.73). Similar results were observed for spirituality, and protective but weaker associations were observed for organizational religiosity. Weak associations were observed between organizational religiosity, non- organizational religiosity, and spirituality with partners’ risk characteristics. Further exploration of how religiosity and spirituality are associated with protective sexual behaviors is needed to promote safe sex for African American women

Trial participation disclosure and gel use behavior in the CAPRISA 004 tenofovir gel trial.

CAPRISA, 2014.Abstract available in pdf

Knot-isomers of Moebius Cyclacene: How Does the Number of Knots Influence the Structure and First Hyperpolarizability?

Four large ring molecules composed by 15 nitrogen-substituted benzene rings, named as "knot-isomers of Moebius cyclacene", i.e. non-Moebius cyclacenes without a knot (0), Moebius cyclacenes with a knot (1), non-Moebius cyclacenes with two knots (2), and Moebius cyclacenes with three knots (3), are systematically studied for their structures and nonlinear optical properties. The first hyperpolarizability (beta_0) values of these four knot-isomers structures are 4693 (0) < 10484 (2) < 25419 (3) < 60846 au (1). The beta_0 values (60846 for 1, 10484 for 2 and 25419 au for 3) of the knot-isomers with knot(s) are larger than that (4693 au for 0) of the knot-isomer without a knot. It shows that the beta_0 value can be dramatically increases (13 times) by introducing the knot(s) to the cyclacenes structures. It is found that introducing knots to cyclacenes is a new means to enhance the first hyperpolarizability.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Lock-in thermography as an analytical tool for magnetic nanoparticles: measuring heating power and magnetic fields

Magnetic nanoparticles and their ability to convert electromagnetic energy into heat are of explicit interest for various applications. However, precise quantification of their heating efficiency is not always upfront, and several parameters render comparative studies challenging. This paper describes the theory behind lock-in thermography, a new technique for quantifying the heating properties of magnetic nanoparticles. This technique allows the investigation of some of the potential sources of variability: key factors such as magnetic field inhomogeneity and its effects on the heating power are explored in detail. The presented results, obtained from various nanoparticle batches of different origins, highlight the importance of pursuing a standardized and systematic approach when quantifying the heating efficiency of magnetic nanoparticles

Sexual Risk Behaviors among African-American and Hispanic Women in Five Counties in the Southeastern United States: 2008–2009

We examined sexual risk behaviors and unrecognized HIV infection among heterosexually active African American (AA) and Hispanic women