Poly (Ionic Liquid) Based Electrolyte for Lithium Battery Application

The demand for electric vehicles is increasing rapidly as the world is preparing for a fossil fuel-free future in the automotive field. Lithium battery technologies are the most effective options to replace fossil fuels due to their higher energy densities. However, safety remains a major concern in using lithium as the anode, and the development of non-volatile, non-flammable, high conductivity electrolytes is of great importance. In this dissertation, a gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) consisting of ionic liquid, lithium salt, and a polymer has been developed for their application in lithium batteries. A comparative study between GPE and ionic liquid electrolyte (ILE) containing batteries shows a superior cyclic performance up to 5C rate and a better rate capability for 40 cycles for cells with GPE at room temperature. The improvement is attributed to GPE’s improved stability voltage window against lithium as well as higher lithium transference number. The performance of the GPE in lithium-sulfur battery system using sulfur-CNT cathodes shows superior rate capability for the GPE versus ILE for up to 1C rates. Also, GPE containing batteries had higher capacity retention versus ILE when cycled for 500 cycles vii at C/2 rate. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies reveal interfacial impedances for ILE containing batteries grew faster than in GPE batteries. The accumulation of insoluble Li2S2/Li2S on the electrodes decreases the active material thus contributes to capacity fading. SEM imaging of cycled cathodes reveals cracks on the surface of cathode recovered from ILE batteries. On the other hand, the improved electrochemical performance of GPE batteries indicates better and more stable passivation layer formation on the surface of the electrodes. Composite GPE (cGPE) containing micro glass fillers were studied to determine their electrochemical performance in Li batteries. GPE with 1 wt% micro fillers show superior rate capability for up to 7C and also cyclic stability for 300 cycles at C/2 rate. In situ, EIS also reveals a rapid increase in charge transfer resistance in GPE batteries, responsible for lowering the capacity during cycling. Improved ion transport properties due to ion-complex formations in the presence of the micro fillers, is evidenced by improved lithium transference number, ionic conduction, and ion-pair dissociation detected using Raman spectroscopy

Dependency in Activities of Daily Living Following Limb Trauma in Elderly Referred to Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan-Iran in 2013

Background: Activities of daily living (ADL) are an important indicator of health and independence in elderly. It provides useful information for proper planning in the field of elderly care. Trauma in elderly population is frequent and can negatively affect the independence in ADL. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate elderly independence in activities of daily living (ADL) following limb trauma and its related factors in patients referred to trauma emergency ward of Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, Iran, in 2013. Patients and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted on 200 traumatic patients admitted to trauma emergency ward of Shahid Beheshti Hospital in 2013. The questionnaire used in this study had three parts as demographic data, information related to trauma and ISADL (independency scale of activities of daily living). ISADL was completed in emergency ward to declare pretraumatic status; it was also completed 1 and 3 months after trauma. Statistical analysis was conducted by Chi-square test, One-way and two-factor ANOVA, and Multiple regression analysis. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software, version 16. Results: The average age of participants was 70.57 ± 9.05 years. In total, 80.5% of the elderly were completely independent in ISADL before trauma; this decreased to 13.5% one month after trauma. Besides, 32% of the elderly were completely or relatively dependent three months after trauma. Two-factor ANOVA showed a significant association between the scores of ISADL, the time interval and the type and location of an injured organ, and having the surgery as a treatment. Conclusions: More than three-quarters of the elderly were independent in ISADL before the trauma, but trauma in elderly patients had a substantial negative effect on patients' ability and ADL function

Improving the Resistance of Self Compacting Concrete exposed to Elevated Temperatures by Using Steel Fiber

Elevated high temperatures due to fire represents one of the most severe risks to buildings and structures, which negatively affects on the engineering properties for constituent members of these buildings. The study aims to investigate the role of  steel fiber to improve of  properties of self compacting concrete (SCC) at elevated temperature (25, 200, 400 and 600°C) with two different exposure durations of (0.5 and 1.5 hours). Specimens were exposed to temperature and tested at age (7, 28 and 90 days) .The slump flow and T500mm, L-box, and Sieve segregation resistance were conducted to investigate the fresh properties of SCC. Whereas the properties of hardened concrete were inspected using compression test, splitting tensile test, and flexural , as well as modulus of elasticity tests. The results indicate that Elevated temperatures and increasing of exposure duration had  passively influenced on hardened properties of both plain and reinforced SCC, hardened properties of two type of SCC decreased with increased temperatures and increasing of exposure duration. Also the results indicate that steel fiber used in self-compacting concrete reduced the amount of deterioration of properties of Self compacting fiber-reinforced concrete (SCFRC) at high temperature. The percentage change ( improvement ) for mixes with steel fiber (0.5 and 1%) with respect to mixes without steel fiber , where compressive strength ranged between (0.3-20.9%) at 200 o C, (-3.1-31.3%) at 400 o C and (-3.9-31.5%) at 600 o C. Also the best percentages of increase were in splitting tensile strength and flexural strength , the percentages of increase in splitting tensile ranged between (27-94%) at 200 o C, (39-121%) at 400 o C and (38-109%) at 600 o C. and the percentage of increase in flexural strength ranged between (68-146%)  at 200 o C, (75-122%) at 400 o C and (45-109%) at 600 o C. Also the percentage of increase in static modulus of elasticity ranged between (4.3-15.5%) at 200 o C and (6.1-18.3%) at 400 o C for mixes with steel fiber (0.5 and 1%) with respect to reference mixture. It had also emerged the spalling phenomenon at parts of cylinders and prisms specimens  at exposed to high temperatures (400 oC), at  the duration of exposure was 1.5 hours, and the temperature (600 oC) at duration of exposure 0.5 and 1.5 hours. Keywords: Self compacting concrete , elevated  temperature , Steel Fiber , Compressive strength, Splitting tensile , Flexural strength , modulus of elasticity, spalling phenomenon

THE POSSIBLE CARDIOPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT FRACTIONS OF ARTICHOKE EXTRACTS AGAINST 5-FU INDUCED CARDIOTOXICITY IN ALBINO RATS

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the cardioprotective effects of ethyl acetate and methanolartichoke extracts(Cynara scolymus L.) against 5-Flurouracil (5-FU) induced cardiotoxicity in rats.Methods: Thirty-six albino rats were divided randomly and equallyin to six groups (each group with 6 rats): I, negative control, received (2 ml/kg/d)of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) orally for 30 successive d; II, positive control, received (2 ml/kg/d) of (DMSO) orally for 30 successive d, and subsequently administered a single dose of 5-FU (150 mg/kg) by intraperitoneal injection on 27thd in assossiation with DSMO; III and V, received (200 mg/kg/d) of oral methanol and ethyl acetate artichoke extracts respectivelyfor 30 successive d; V and VI, received(200 mg/kg/d) of oral methanol and ethyl acetate artichoke extracts respectively for 30 successive d,with a subsequently received single dose of 5-FU (150 mg/kg) by intraperitoneal injection on 27th d of the experiment.Results: Prophylactic treatment of ethyl acetate and methanol artichoke extracts significantly attenuates the increased level of serum cardiac troponin T (CTn-T) and tumor necrosis factor-a(TNF-a)caused by 5-FU-induced cardiotoxicity in experimental albino rats while it increases the serum level of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC).Conclusion: Results of the present study suggest that methanol and ethyl acetate artichoke extracts may be an effective modulator in mitigating 5-FU induced cardiotoxicity.Â

TO ESTIMATE THE INCIDENCE OF POTENTIAL DRUG-DRUG INTERACTION IN STROKE PATIENTS ADMITTED IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL, TELANGANA

Objective: To determine the frequency and pattern of potential drug-drug interactions in hospitalized stroke patients. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out among patients treated for ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke at a tertiary care hospital, Hyderabad for a period of 1 y. A total of 177 prescriptions were analyzed during the study period. The potential drug-drug interactions were identified using Clinirex software. Results: Among the 177 prescriptions, 63.8% were male and 36.2% were female. Out of 177, 79 % of prescriptions had shown potential drug-drug interactions. The patients prescribed with more than 5 drugs developed higher incidence of drug-drug interactions. Based on severity scale we observed 12% major, 71% moderate and 17% minor drug-drug interactions. The incidence of pharmacodynamic interactions was 68% and the pharmacokinetic interactions were 32%. Conclusion: This study suggests that patients with stroke are frequently exposed to potential drug-drug interactions. The incidence of potential drug-drug interactions was higher in patients above 40 y. Most of the prescriptions contained polypharmacy which may lead to increased risk of hospitalization and higher health care cost. It is essential to identify potential drug-drug interactions especially in elderly patients as early as possible in order to prevent adverse drug reactions and ensure patient’s safety.&nbsp

The 19th and 20th century interventions on the dormitory wing of the Jerónimos monastery in Lisbon: an account with a focus on the constructive aspects

The dormitory wing of the Jerónimos Monastery, that nowadays houses the National Museum of Archeology, is a monument with a very complex history of interventions. This paper presents the result of an extensive historical survey based on the study of written documents, drawings and photographs. The profusion of photographs that document the restoration and extensions give a special angle to the survey because it allows the understanding of constructive aspects that normally remain uncertain without the use of invasive methods. The main structural systems of the original building and more recent extensions are presented, explained and compared. A critical analysis of the construction works carried out, which relies on these constructive aspects, is then presented and completes already formulated critiques of the conceptual aspects of these interventions

Flexible and Robust Privacy-Preserving Implicit Authentication

Implicit authentication consists of a server authenticating a user based on the user's usage profile, instead of/in addition to relying on something the user explicitly knows (passwords, private keys, etc.). While implicit authentication makes identity theft by third parties more difficult, it requires the server to learn and store the user's usage profile. Recently, the first privacy-preserving implicit authentication system was presented, in which the server does not learn the user's profile. It uses an ad hoc two-party computation protocol to compare the user's fresh sampled features against an encrypted stored user's profile. The protocol requires storing the usage profile and comparing against it using two different cryptosystems, one of them order-preserving; furthermore, features must be numerical. We present here a simpler protocol based on set intersection that has the advantages of: i) requiring only one cryptosystem; ii) not leaking the relative order of fresh feature samples; iii) being able to deal with any type of features (numerical or non-numerical). Keywords: Privacy-preserving implicit authentication, privacy-preserving set intersection, implicit authentication, active authentication, transparent authentication, risk mitigation, data brokers.Comment: IFIP SEC 2015-Intl. Information Security and Privacy Conference, May 26-28, 2015, IFIP AICT, Springer, to appea

Square-Root parametrization of dark energy in f(Q)f(Q) cosmology

This paper is a parametrization of the equation of state (EoS) parameter of dark energy (DE), which is parameterized using Square-Root (SR) form i.e. \omega _{SR}=\text{\omega _{0}}+\text{\omega _{1}}\frac{z}{\sqrt{z^{2}+1}}, where $\omega _{0}$ and $\omega _{1}$ are free constants. This parametrization will be examined in the context of the recently suggested $f(Q)$ gravity theory as an alternative to General Relativity (GR), in which gravitational effects are attributed to the non-metricity scalar $Q$ with the functional form $f(Q)=Q+\alpha Q^{n}$, where $\alpha$ and $n$ are arbitrary constants. We derived observational constraints on model parameters using the Hubble dataset with 31 data points and the Supernovae (SNe) dataset from the Pantheon samples compilation dataset with 1048 data points. For the current model, the evolution of the deceleration parameter, density parameter, EoS for DE, and $Om(z)$ diagnostic have all been investigated. It has been shown that the deceleration parameter favors the current accelerated expansion phase. It has also been shown that the EoS parameter for DE has a quintessence nature at this time.Comment: Communications in Theoretical Physics accepted versio

Krüppel-Like Transcription Factor KLF1 Is Required for Optimal γ- and β-Globin Expression in Human Fetal Erythroblasts

In human adult erythroid cells, lower than normal levels of Krüppel-like transcription factor 1 (KLF1) are generally associated with decreased adult β- and increased fetal γ-globin gene expression. KLF1 also regulates BCL11A, a known repressor of adult γ-globin expression. In seeming contrast to the findings in adult cells, lower amounts of KLF1 correlate with both reduced embryonic and reduced fetal β-like globin mRNA in mouse embryonic erythroid cells. The role of KLF1 in primary human fetal erythroid cells, which express both γ- and β-globin mRNA, is less well understood. Therefore, we studied the role of KLF1 in ex vivo differentiated CD34+ umbilical cord blood cells (UCB erythroblasts), representing the fetal milieu. In UCB erythroblasts, KLF1 binds to the β-globin locus control region (LCR), and the β-globin promoter. There is very little KLF1 binding detectable at the γ-globin promoter. Correspondingly, when cultured fetal UCB erythroblasts are subjected to lentiviral KLF1 knockdown, the active histone mark H3K4me3 and RNA pol II recruitment are diminished at the β- but not the γ-globin gene. The amount of KLF1 expression strongly positively correlates with β-globin mRNA and weakly positively correlates with BCL11A mRNA. With modest KLF1 knockdown, mimicking haploinsufficiency, γ-globin mRNA is increased in UCB erythroblasts, as is common in adult cells. However, a threshold level of KLF1 is evidently required, or there is no absolute increase in γ-globin mRNA in UCB erythroblasts. Therefore, the role of KLF1 in γ-globin regulation in fetal erythroblasts is complex, with both positive and negative facets. Furthermore, in UCB erythroblasts, diminished BCL11A is not sufficient to induce γ-globin in the absence of KLF1. These findings have implications for the manipulation of BCL11A and/or KLF1 to induce γ-globin for therapy of the β-hemoglobinopathies

Krüppel-Like Transcription Factor KLF1 Is Required for Optimal γ- and β-Globin Expression in Human Fetal Erythroblasts

In human adult erythroid cells, lower than normal levels of Krüppel-like transcription factor 1 (KLF1) are generally associated with decreased adult β- and increased fetal γ-globin gene expression. KLF1 also regulates BCL11A, a known repressor of adult γ-globin expression. In seeming contrast to the findings in adult cells, lower amounts of KLF1 correlate with both reduced embryonic and reduced fetal β-like globin mRNA in mouse embryonic erythroid cells. The role of KLF1 in primary human fetal erythroid cells, which express both γ- and β-globin mRNA, is less well understood. Therefore, we studied the role of KLF1 in ex vivo differentiated CD34+ umbilical cord blood cells (UCB erythroblasts), representing the fetal milieu. In UCB erythroblasts, KLF1 binds to the β-globin locus control region (LCR), and the β-globin promoter. There is very little KLF1 binding detectable at the γ-globin promoter. Correspondingly, when cultured fetal UCB erythroblasts are subjected to lentiviral KLF1 knockdown, the active histone mark H3K4me3 and RNA pol II recruitment are diminished at the β- but not the γ-globin gene. The amount of KLF1 expression strongly positively correlates with β-globin mRNA and weakly positively correlates with BCL11A mRNA. With modest KLF1 knockdown, mimicking haploinsufficiency, γ-globin mRNA is increased in UCB erythroblasts, as is common in adult cells. However, a threshold level of KLF1 is evidently required, or there is no absolute increase in γ-globin mRNA in UCB erythroblasts. Therefore, the role of KLF1 in γ-globin regulation in fetal erythroblasts is complex, with both positive and negative facets. Furthermore, in UCB erythroblasts, diminished BCL11A is not sufficient to induce γ-globin in the absence of KLF1. These findings have implications for the manipulation of BCL11A and/or KLF1 to induce γ-globin for therapy of the β-hemoglobinopathies