Influence of Additives on the Reversible Oxygen Reduction Reaction/Oxygen Evolution Reaction in the Mg²⁺‐Containing Ionic Liquid N ‐Butyl‐N ‐Methylpyrrolidinium Bis(Trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide

The influence of different additives on the oxygen reduction reaction/oxygen evolution reaction (ORR/OER) in magnesium‐containing N ‐butyl‐N ‐methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([BMP][TFSI]) on a glassy carbon electrode was investigated to gain a better understanding of the electrochemical processes in Mg–air batteries. 18‐Crown‐6 was used as a complexing agent for Mg ions to hinder the passivation caused by their reaction with ORR products such as superoxide and peroxide anions. Furthermore, borane dimethylamine complex (NBH) was used as a potential water‐removing agent to inhibit electrode passivation by reacting with trace impurities of water. The electrochemical processes were characterized by differential electrochemical mass spectrometry to monitor the consumed and evolved O2 in the ORR/OER and determine the number of transferred electrons. Crown ether and NBH efficiently masked Mg$^{2+}$. A stochiometric excess of crown ether resulted in reduced formation of a passivation layer, whereas at too high concentrations the reversibility of the ORR/OER was diminished

A Tailored Systems Engineering Framework for Science and Technology Projects

As government and industry becomes subject to a wider range of technology initiatives, science and technology (S&T) research project leadership recognizes the need to incorporate more systems engineering (SE) rigor into their projects. The objective of this research is to develop a tailorable systems engineering framework for S&T project planning, execution, assessment and transition. The key deliverable is an Excel-based tool instantiating the SE framework for a wide range of S&T projects in technology development organizations. It includes a report with tailored methods based on programmatic discriminants. To develop this framework, a comprehensive understanding of SE principles is applied to several case studies across government and supporting industry-sponsored S&T activities. This research followed a six-step approach: (1) Literature Review; (2) Formulate Taxonomy; (3) Prepare Data Gathering Approach; (4) Review Case Studies; (5) Develop Tailorable SE Framework for Technology Development and Transition; and (6) Validate Framework.The framework allows S&T project leaders and engineers to customize a recommended set of SE processes, methods and tools for their specific project type, size, maturity, budget, and integration level. Recommendations for SE methods are made at a summary level, with additional details available for desired activities. References to established SE documentation is also included for further investigation of appropriate SE techniques

Knee joint neuromuscular activation performance during muscle damage and superimposed fatigue

This study examined the concurrent effects of exercise-induced muscle damage and superimposed acute fatigue on the neuromuscular activation performance of the knee flexors of nine males (age: 26.7 ± 6.1yrs; height 1.81 ± 0.05m; body mass 81.2 ± 11.7kg [mean ± SD]). Measures were obtained during three experimental conditions: (i) FAT-EEVID, involving acute fatiguing exercise performed on each assessment occasion plus a single episode of eccentric exercise performed on the first occasion and after the fatigue trial; (ii) FAT, involving the fatiguing exercise only and; (iii) CON consisting of no exercise. Assessments were performed prior to (pre) and at lh, 24h, 48h, 72h, and 168h relative to the eccentric exercise. Repeated-measures ANOVAs showed that muscle damage within the FAT-EEVID condition elicited reductions of up to 38%, 24%) and 65%> in volitional peak force, electromechanical delay and rate of force development compared to baseline and controls, respectively (F[io, 80] = 2.3 to 4.6; p to 30.7%>) following acute fatigue (Fp; i6] = 4.3 to 9.1; p ; Fp, iq = 3.9; p <0.05). The safeguarding of evoked muscle activation capability despite compromised volitional performance might reveal aspects of capabilities for emergency and protective responses during episodes of fatigue and antecedent muscle damaging exercise

Canadian Society For Exercise Physiology Position Stand on the Acute Effects of Muscle Stretching on Physical Performance, Range of Motion and Injury Incidence in Healthy Active Individuals

Muscle stretching in some form appears to be of greater benefit than cost (in terms of performance, ROM and injury outcomes) but the type of stretching chosen and the make-up of the stretch routine will depend on the context within which it is used. SS and PNF stretching are not recommended if prolonged (>60s total per individual muscle) stretching is employed within 5 min of an activity without subsequent dynamic activity (e.g. if prolonged stretching immediately precedes training or competition), unless the requirements for increases in ROM and/or decrease in (specifically) muscle injury outweigh the requirement for optimum physical performance. Injury reduction appears to require more than 5 min of total stretching of multiple task-related muscle groups. However, when an optimal pre-event warm-up with an appropriate duration of stretching is completed (i.e. initial aerobic activity, stretching component, task- or activity-specific dynamic activities) the benefits of SS and PNF stretching for increasing ROM and reducing muscle injury risk at least balance, or may outweigh, any possible cost of performance decrements. SS also appears to enhance performance in activities performed at long muscle lengths. DS may induce moderate performance enhancements and may be included in the stretching component to provide task-specific ROM increases and facilitation of dynamic SSC performance when performed soon before an activity, and/or when a full pre-activity routine is not completed; however there is no evidence as to whether it influences injury risk. Furthermore, while the literature examining the effect of stretching on physical performance is extensive, the literature examining injury risk is much smaller, and thus more research needs to investigate the effect of muscle stretching on injury risk

Heterodera glycines Infection Increases Incidence and Severity of Brown Stem Rot in Both Resistant and Susceptible Soybean

Growth chamber experiments were conducted to investigate whether parasitism by Heterodera glycines, the soybean cyst nematode, increases incidence and severity of brown stem rot (BSR) of soybean, caused by Phialophora gregata, in both resistant and susceptible soybean cultivars. Soybean genotypes with various combinations of resistance and susceptibility to both pathogens were inoculated with P. gregata alone or P. gregataplus H. glycines. In most tests of H. glycines-susceptible genotypes, incidence and severity of internal stem discoloration, characteristic of BSR, was greater in the presence than in the absence of H. glycines, regardless of susceptibility or resistance to BSR. There was less of an increasing effect of H. glycines on stem symptoms in genotypes resistant to both BSR and H. glycines; however, P. gregata colonization of these genotypes was increased. Stems of both a BSR-resistant and a BSR-susceptible genotype were colonized earlier by P. gregata in the presence than in the absence of H. glycines. Our findings indicate that H. glycines can increase the incidence and severity of BSR in soybean regardless of resistance or susceptibility to either pathogen

Rechargeable Calcium–Sulfur Batteries Enabled by an Efficient Borate-Based Electrolyte

Rechargeable metal–sulfur batteries show great promise for energy storage applications because of their potentially high energy and low cost. The multivalent‐metal based electrochemical system exhibits the particular advantage of the feasibility of dendrite‐free metal anode. Calcium (Ca) represents a promising anode material owing to the low reductive potential, high capacity, and abundant natural resources. However, calcium–sulfur (Ca–S) battery technology is in an early R&D stage, facing the fundamental challenge to develop a suitable electrolyte enabling reversible electrochemical Ca deposition, and at the same time, sulfur redox reactions in the system. Herein, a study of a room‐temperature Ca–S battery by employing a stable and efficient calcium tetrakis(hexafluoroisopropyloxy) borate Ca[B(hfip)$_{4}$]$_{2}$ electrolyte is presented. The Ca–S batteries exhibit a cell voltage of ≈2.1 V (close to its thermodynamic value) and good reversibility. The mechanistic studies hint at a redox chemistry of sulfur with polysulfide/sulfide species involved in the Ca‐based system

Raising the COx Methanation Activity of a Ru/γ-Al2O3 Catalyst by Activated Modification of Metal–Support Interactions

Ru/Al2O3 is a highly stable, but less active catalyst for methanation reactions. Herein we report an effective approach to significantly improve its performance in the methanation of CO2/H2 mixtures. Highly active and stable Ru/γ-Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by high-temperature treatment in the reductive reaction gas. Operando/in situ spectroscopy and STEM imaging reveals that the strongly improved activity, by factors of 5 and 14 for CO and CO2 methanation, is accompanied by a flattening of the Ru nanoparticles and the formation of highly basic hydroxylated alumina sites. We propose a modification of the metal–support interactions (MSIs) as the origin of the increased activity, caused by modification of the Al2O3 surface in the reductive atmosphere and an increased thermal mobility of the Ru nanoparticles, allowing their transfer to modified surface sites

Ethanol oxidation on shape-controlled platinum nanoparticles at different pHs: A combined in situ IR spectroscopy and online mass spectrometry study

Ethanol oxidation on different shape-controlled platinum nanoparticles at different pHs was studied using electrochemical, Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and, especially, Differential Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry (DEMS) techniques, the latter giving interesting quantitative information about the products of ethanol oxidation. Two Pt nanoparticle samples were used for this purpose: (100) and (111) preferentially oriented Pt nanoparticles. The results are in agreement with previous findings that the preferred decomposition product depends on surface structure, with COads formation on (100) domains and acetaldehyde/acetic acid formation on (111) domains. However, new information has been obtained about the changes in CHx and CO formation at lower potentials when the pH is changed, showing that CHx formation is favored against the decrease in CO adsorption on (100) domains. At higher potentials, complete oxidation to CO2 occurs from both CHx and CO fragments. In (111) Pt nanoparticles, the splitting of Csingle bondC bond is hindered, favoring acetaldehyde and acetate formation even in 0.5 M H2SO4. C1 fragments become even less when the pH increases, being nearly negligible in the highest pH studied.This work has been financially supported by the MCINN-FEDER (Spain) and Generalitat Valenciana through projects CTQ 2013-44083-P and PROMETEO/2014/013, respectively