Vanadium oxide - poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) cathodes for zinc-ion batteries: effect of synthesis temperature

Vanadium oxide composites with conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) were obtained by one-step microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis at two different temperatures: 120 and 170 °C (denoted as V-120 and V-170, respectively). The structure and composition of the obtained samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectro­scopy (XPS), and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The detailed study of the electro­chemical properties of the composites as cathodes of aqueous zinc-ion battery was per­formed by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) at different current densities and by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). It was shown that V-120 demonstrated excellent electrochemical performance in the 0.3 to 1.4 V vs. Zn/Zn2+ potential range reaching specific capacities of up to 390 mA∙h∙g−1 at 0.3 A∙g−1 with excel­lent capacity stability after 1000 charge-discharge cycles. Its functional parameters were found to be much better than those of the electrodes based on the V-170 composite obtained at a higher temperature. The effect of the synthesis temperature on the electro­chemical properties is discussed in terms of the crystallographic, compositional, and thermogravimetric properties of the samples

Mapping genomic loci implicates genes and synaptic biology in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia has a heritability of 60-80%1, much of which is attributable to common risk alleles. Here, in a two-stage genome-wide association study of up to 76,755 individuals with schizophrenia and 243,649 control individuals, we report common variant associations at 287 distinct genomic loci. Associations were concentrated in genes that are expressed in excitatory and inhibitory neurons of the central nervous system, but not in other tissues or cell types. Using fine-mapping and functional genomic data, we identify 120 genes (106 protein-coding) that are likely to underpin associations at some of these loci, including 16 genes with credible causal non-synonymous or untranslated region variation. We also implicate fundamental processes related to neuronal function, including synaptic organization, differentiation and transmission. Fine-mapped candidates were enriched for genes associated with rare disruptive coding variants in people with schizophrenia, including the glutamate receptor subunit GRIN2A and transcription factor SP4, and were also enriched for genes implicated by such variants in neurodevelopmental disorders. We identify biological processes relevant to schizophrenia pathophysiology; show convergence of common and rare variant associations in schizophrenia and neurodevelopmental disorders; and provide a resource of prioritized genes and variants to advance mechanistic studies

Mapping genomic loci prioritises genes and implicates synaptic biology in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia has a heritability of 60–80%1, much of which is attributable to common risk alleles. Here, in a two-stage genome-wide association study of up to 76,755 individuals with schizophrenia and 243,649 control individuals, we report common variant associations at 287 distinct genomic loci. Associations were concentrated in genes that are expressed in excitatory and inhibitory neurons of the central nervous system, but not in other tissues or cell types. Using fine-mapping and functional genomic data, we identify 120 genes (106 protein-coding) that are likely to underpin associations at some of these loci, including 16 genes with credible causal non-synonymous or untranslated region variation. We also implicate fundamental processes related to neuronal function, including synaptic organization, differentiation and transmission. Fine-mapped candidates were enriched for genes associated with rare disruptive coding variants in people with schizophrenia, including the glutamate receptor subunit GRIN2A and transcription factor SP4, and were also enriched for genes implicated by such variants in neurodevelopmental disorders. We identify biological processes relevant to schizophrenia pathophysiology; show convergence of common and rare variant associations in schizophrenia and neurodevelopmental disorders; and provide a resource of prioritized genes and variants to advance mechanistic studies

Influence of sports asymmetry and ambidexterity of ground wrestling on the level of competitive performance of Greco-Roman style wrestlers

In our studies, the purpose of our research was to determine the level of dependence of the competitive results of Greco-Roman wrestlers with their ability to realize technique in the ground wrestling in different directions. Actually the participants of the research are the athletes (n = 160) with different sports qualifications from the beginners (B) to subelite (S) and elite athletes (High sports mastery (HSM)). Moreover, the athletes were divided into 2 groups: group of athletes with asymmetry (AG) (n=99) – the athletes conducting holds in the ground mainly in one direction and group of athletes with ambidexterity (AmG) (n=61) – the athletes conducting holds both the right and left sides. The study period is 2 years (2015–2016). By the way the competitive results of the athletes were assessed using the rating scale developed by the authors. On average, the number and quality of techniques of the ground wrestling was assessed by the method of competitive matches analyses. Besides the statistical analysis was performed using Student's t-test. Besides, it was revealed that the elementary education athletes (B) performing ground wrestling holds predominantly in one direction so their competitive results are reliable higher (P<0,01). It should be noted that an approximate equality of the competitive results of the subelite athletes (S) is recorded in the group of athletes (AG) and group of athletes (AmG). The level of competitive results of the elite athletes (HSM) is significantly (P<0,01) higher than the wrestlers of the group of athletes (AmG). Indeed, the results show that the ability to conduct holds successfully in the ground in different directions does not have a significant effect on sports results of the athletes at the initial stage of preparation. Fortunately, this ability allows the elite wrestlers to increase the level of sports results significantly

Effect of Combined Conductive Polymer Binder on the Electrochemical Performance of Electrode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries

The electrodes of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are multicomponent systems and their electrochemical properties are influenced by each component, therefore the composition of electrodes should be properly balanced. At the beginning of lithium-ion battery research, most attention was paid to the nature, size, and morphology peculiarities of inorganic active components as the main components which determine the functional properties of electrode materials. Over the past decade, considerable attention has been paid to development of new binders, as the binders have shown great effect on the electrochemical performance of electrodes in LIBs. The study of new conductive binders, in particular water-based binders with enhanced electronic and ionic conductivity, has become a trend in the development of new electrode materials, especially the conversion/alloying-type anodes. This mini-review provides a summary on the progress of current research of the effects of binders on the electrochemical properties of intercalation electrodes, with particular attention to the mechanisms of binder effects. The comparative analysis of effects of three different binders (PEDOT:PSS/CMC, CMC, and PVDF) for a number of oxide-based and phosphate-based positive and negative electrodes for lithium-ion batteries was performed based on literature and our own published research data. It reveals that the combined PEDOT:PSS/CMC binder can be considered as a versatile component of lithium-ion battery electrode materials (for both positive and negative electrodes), effective in the wide range of electrode potentials

Vanadium Oxide-Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) Nanocomposite as High-Performance Cathode for Aqueous Zn-Ion Batteries: The Structural and Electrochemical Characterization

In this work the nanocomposite of vanadium oxide with conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (VO@PEDOT) was obtained by microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis. The detailed study of its structural and electrochemical properties as cathode of aqueous zinc-ion battery was performed by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The initial VO@PEDOT composite has layered nanosheets structure with thickness of about 30–80 nm, which are assembled into wavy agglomerated thicker layers of up to 0.3–0.6 μm. The phase composition of the samples was determined by XRD analysis which confirmed lamellar structure of vanadium oxide V10O24∙12H2O with interlayer distance of about 13.6 Å. The VO@PEDOT composite demonstrates excellent electrochemical performance, reaching specific capacities of up to 390 mA∙h∙g−1 at 0.3 A∙g−1. Moreover, the electrodes retain specific capacity of 100 mA∙h∙g−1 at a high current density of 20 A∙g−1. The phase transformations of VO@PEDOT electrodes during the cycling were studied at different degrees of charge/discharge by using ex situ XRD measurements. The results of ex situ XRD allow us to conclude that the reversible zinc ion intercalation occurs in stable zinc pyrovanadate structures formed during discharge

Where Brain, Body and World Collide

The production cross section of electrons from semileptonic decays of beauty hadrons was measured at mid-rapidity (|y| &lt; 0.8) in the transverse momentum range 1 &lt; pt &lt; 8 Gev/c with the ALICE experiment at the CERN LHC in pp collisions at a center of mass energy sqrt{s} = 7 TeV using an integrated luminosity of 2.2 nb^{-1}. Electrons from beauty hadron decays were selected based on the displacement of the decay vertex from the collision vertex. A perturbative QCD calculation agrees with the measurement within uncertainties. The data were extrapolated to the full phase space to determine the total cross section for the production of beauty quark-antiquark pairs