Stress Analysis of Electrode Particles in Lithium-Ion Batteries

This chapter reviews several theoretical models that are used to compute the stress fields inside the electrode particles of lithium-ion batteries during discharging/charging process and provides a guideline for researchers to choose the appropriate models. Due to the limitation of the existing models, a general electrochemo-mechanical framework is presented to model the concentration and stress fields of the electrode during the phase transformation. The interaction between stresses fields and phase transformation is addressed, which is a novel discovery in the research of lithium-ion batteries. The electrodes with different sizes and geometries are compared. The structural and electrochemical advantages of hollow core-shell structure particles are highlighted. The present work could help to accurate predict stress profile in electrode particles with different sizes, geometries, and charging operations and contributes to finding the optimal electrode. Therefore, this chapter is helpful for the material and structure design of electrodes of lithium-ion batteries

Effects of first and second generation antihistamines on muscarinic induced mucus gland cell ion transport

BACKGROUND: The first generation antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine, are fairly potent muscarinic antagonists in addition to being H1 selective antihistamines. The antimuscarinic action is often not desirable since it is in part responsible for the drying of secretions in the airways and the sedative effect. We therefore examined a number of antihistamines for antimuscarinic effects on ion transport by mucus gland cells isolated from the airways of swine. Enzymatically isolated airway mucus gland cells were purified utilizing density gradients and grown in culture on porous inserts (Millicell HA™) at an air interface. Cells grown in this manner maintain phenotype and polarity. Transport of ions, as short-circuit current measured under voltage-clamp, was measured in response to acetylcholine (ACh) or histamine applied to the serosal side of the gland cell layers. Concentration-response relationships for ACh or histamine were generated in the presence and absence of various drugs. The potencies against muscarinic receptor activation were estimated using the dose-ratio method of Schild. RESULTS: Three known muscarinic antagonists were used to validate the system. Atropine had a pA(2 )of 9.4 ± 0.1 (n = 9). 4-DAMP and methoctramine had pA(2 )values of 8.6 ± 0.1 and 5.6 ± 0.1, respectively (n = 12, 11) all consistent with inhibition of an M3 subtype muscarinic receptor. The rank order of potency of the antihistamines against the inhibition of M3 receptors was desloratadine = diphenhydramine > hydroxyzine (pA(2); 6.4, 6.2, 4.8, respectively). pA(2 )values for fexofenadine, loratadine and cetirizine were not determined since they had no effect on the cholinergic response at the highest drug concentrations tested (10, 10 and 100 μM, respectively). The pA(2 )values for the antihistamines against the histamine response could not be calculated, but the estimates of the rank order of potency were estimated to be desloratadine> cetirizine ≈ hydroxyzine > fexofenadine > loratadine > diphenhydramine. CONCLUSION: The rank order of selectivity for histamine receptors over muscarinic receptors was estimated to be cetirizine ≈ fexofenadine > loratadine > desloratadine ≥ hydroxyzine ≥ diphenhydramine

Research on the Competitiveness of Hubei Manufacturing Post Financial Crisis Era——Panel Data of 2008~2011

With Location Quotient and Shift-Share-Method, this paper evaluated the competitiveness of manufacturing industries in Hubei province post Financial Crisis Era based on the panel data from 2008 to 2011of Output Value of Industrial Products Sales and Delivery Value for Export of Large and Medium Scale Industrial Enterprises. On basis of these, this paper also put forward some countermeasures to improve the competitiveness of manufacturing industry of Hubei province

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Strong Shock Waves Propagating in Dense Deuterium With the Effect of Excited Electrons

We present a molecular dynamics simulation of shock waves propagating in dense deuterium with the electron force field method [J. T. Su and W. A. Goddard, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 185003 (2007)], which explicitly takes the excitation of electrons into consideration. Non-equilibrium features associated with the excitation of electrons are systematically investigated. We show that chemical bonds in D$_2$ molecules lead to a more complicated shock wave structure near the shock front, compared with the results of classical molecular dynamics simulation. Charge separation can bring about accumulation of net charges on the large scale, instead of the formation of a localized dipole layer, which might cause extra energy for the shock wave to propagate. In addition, the simulations also display that molecular dissociation at the shock front is the major factor corresponding to the "bump" structure in the principal Hugoniot. These results could help to build a more realistic picture of shock wave propagation in fuel materials commonly used in the inertial confinement fusion

Design of Air Thermal Recovery Experiment Device and Analysis of Thermal Efficiency

AbstractIt was significant for energy save and environment protection that heat recovering high temperature and high humidity air directly discharged into the atmosphere. Based on high temperature and high humidity mine retention tower and return air fluid, the air heat recovery simulation experiment device was designed, and air heat recovery experiment was researched by using spray heat exchanger. Heat exchange efficiency was tested by experiment with certain water spray coefficient and different nozzle number, and experiment result that was error analysis and data correction through compared with theoretical analysis results. Result showed that the air heat recovery simulation device can recycle heat of air fluid stably, and rise temperature of spray cold water to about 15°C. The heat exchange efficiency would be 90% with certain water spray coefficient, which is basically identical with theoretical analysis. Energy saving effect of this device was remarkable with high heat exchange efficiency

Analysis of medicine consumption in peacekeeping level II hospitals

Background: The peacekeeping military units of contributing countries are unfamiliar with the conditions prevailing in foreign mission areas and therefore have difficulties with medical supplies storage.Aim: The aim of this study is to provide reasonable and practical guidance on the maintenance of medical supplies in the peacekeeping military units of contributing countries.Materials and methods: A total of 1,972 prescriptions were received by the pharmacy in the peacekeeping level II hospital in the Republic of Sudan from February to July of 2009 including a total of 186 drug categories and 17,713 minimum packing units. Pairwise comparison was performed using the c2 test. When thetotal number of samples was smaller than 40, the Fisher’s exact test was adopted for pairwise comparison.Results: The majority of the consumed medicines mainly belonged to 6 categories, including specialty drugs, anti-microbial drugs, Chinese patent medicines, gastrointestinal drugs, central nervous system drugs, and drugs regulating fluids, electrolytes, and acid-base balance. Altogether, the drugs in the 6 categories accounted for 74% of all consumed medicines that were divided into a total of 20 categories.Conclusions: Medicine consumption in peacekeeping level II hospitals is unique, therefore the drugs used in military medical facilities should be prepared according to their actual needs in the area of peacekeeping operations

Towards a muon scattering tomography system for both low-Z and high-Z materials

Muon scattering tomography (MST) is a non-destructive technique to image various materials by utilizing cosmic ray muons as probes. A typical MST system with a two-fold track detectors is particularly effective in detecting high-$Z$ materials (e.g. nuclear materials), but difficult to recognize low-$Z$ materials (e.g. explosive materials). In this work, we present a concept of MST system to discriminate both low-$Z$ and high-$Z$ materials by extra measuring momentum of low-energy muons with a Cherenkov detector. A toy Monte Carlo simulation to describe detector responses and multiple scatterings of a muon tracking through materials is developed for statistical tests. Based on momentum-dependent track reconstruction and image reconstruction algorithm, we evaluate separation powers of different materials in the system. The results show that momentum measurement of low-energy muons and accurate track reconstruction can improve separation power of low-$Z$ materials significantly. This may enable the MST system to detect both low-$Z$ and high-$Z$ materials with cosmic ray muons in the whole energy range.Comment: 17 pages with 13 figures and 1 tabl

In vitro activity profiling of Cumyl-PEGACLONE variants at the CB1 receptor : fluorination versus isomer exploration

Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) are one of the largest groups of new psychoactive substances monitored in Europe. SCRAs are known to typically exert higher cannabinoid activity than tetrahydrocannabinol from cannabis, thereby entailing a greater health risk. Both Cumyl-PEGACLONE and 5F-Cumyl-PEGACLONE were not controlled by the national legislation upon their first detection in Germany in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and have been linked to several fatalities. In this study, the CB1 receptor activity of these compounds, together with two newly synthesized structural isomers (Cumyl-PEGACLONE ethylbenzyl isomer and npropylphenyl isomer), was assessed using two different in vitro receptor-proximal bioassays, monitoring the recruitment of either β-arrestin2 (β-arr2) or a modified G protein (mini-Gαi) to the activated CB1 receptor. In terms of both potency and relative efficacy, Cumyl-PEGACLONE and 5F-Cumyl-PEGACLONE were found to exert strong CB1 activation, with sub-nanomolar EC50 values and efficacy values exceeding those of the reference agonist JWH-018 threefold (β-arr2 assay) or almost twofold (mini-Gαi assay). The ethylbenzyl and n-propylphenyl isomers exhibited a strongly reduced CB1 activity (EC50 values >100 nM; efficacy <40% relative to JWH-018), which is hypothesized to originate from steric hindrance in the ligand-binding pocket. None of the evaluated compounds exhibited significant biased agonism. In conclusion, the functional assays applied here allowed us to demonstrate that 5-fluorination of Cumyl-PEGACLONE is not linked to an intrinsically higher CB1 activation potential and that the ethylbenzyl and n-propylphenyl isomers yield a strongly reduced CB1 activation

Protective effect of extract of Cordyceps sinensis in middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced focal cerebral ischemia in rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ischemic hypoxic brain injury often causes irreversible brain damage. The lack of effective and widely applicable pharmacological treatments for ischemic stroke patients may explain a growing interest in traditional medicines. From the point of view of "self-medication" or "preventive medicine," <it>Cordyceps sinensis </it>was used in the prevention of cerebral ischemia in this paper.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The right middle cerebral artery occlusion model was used in the study. The effects of <it>Cordyceps sinensis </it>(Caterpillar fungus) extract on mortality rate, neurobehavior, grip strength, lactate dehydrogenase, glutathione content, Lipid Peroxidation, glutathione peroxidase activity, glutathione reductase activity, catalase activity, Na⁺K⁺ATPase activity and glutathione S transferase activity in a rat model were studied respectively.</p> <p>Results</p> <p><it>Cordyceps sinensis </it>extract significantly improved the outcome in rats after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in terms of neurobehavioral function. At the same time, supplementation of <it>Cordyceps sinensis </it>extract significantly boosted the defense mechanism against cerebral ischemia by increasing antioxidants activity related to lesion pathogenesis. Restoration of the antioxidant homeostasis in the brain after reperfusion may have helped the brain recover from ischemic injury.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These experimental results suggest that complement <it>Cordyceps sinensis </it>extract is protective after cerebral ischemia in specific way. The administration of <it>Cordyceps sinensis </it>extract significantly reduced focal cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury. The defense mechanism against cerebral ischemia was by increasing antioxidants activity related to lesion pathogenesis.</p

Mental health resources and awareness of anxiety and depressive disorders in general hospitals in China

Background: Mental health disorders are common in China. There is a lack of knowledge and resources of mental health in China. Objectives: To assess the levels of psychiatric resources and services in general hospitals in China. Methods: Data regarding psychiatric departments, wards and staff were collected from 57 general hospitals in four provinces of China (Hubei, Zhejiang, Heilongjiang and Yunnan) between April 2014 and June 2014. Questionnaires were distributed to 1,200 non-psychiatric clinicians. Results: Among the 57 hospitals, 50 provided mental health services, 36 had mental health wards, and seven had neither mental health clinics nor wards. The median number of mental health clinicians was six per hospital. The median number of specialized nurses was 42 per hospital. A total of 1,152 non-psychiatric clinicians with a career duration of 9.4 ± 8.9 years returned completed questionnaires. Only 6.9% reported a good understanding of the manifestation of anxiety and depressive disorders, 4.5% reported a good understanding of the diagnostic criteria, and 3.8% reported a good understanding of the treatment protocols. Discussion: There is inadequate awareness of anxiety and depressive disorders among non-psychiatric clinicians in general hospitals in China. This awareness/understanding increased with increasing hospital level