High Activity Ratio Research Articles

PERBEDAAN KEMAMPUAN KEUANGAN DAERAH DI INDONESIA

The purpose of this study is to examine the differences in financial capacity of the district / city and the expansion in Indonesia. The data used in this study are secondary data obtained from the district / city APBD in Indonesia accessed from the website of the Ministry of Finance Republic of Indonesia Budget Director General. The number of parent districts / cities and expansion district is 280. Data analysis methods used are descriptive analysis and different test. The results of the research obtained are: (1) The independence ratio of the main districts / cities and expansion district is not significantly different. This means that regional independence in the main district / city and division in Indonesia is relatively similar, where the two groups of regions still have low independence; (2) The ratio of the degree of fiscal decentralization between the districts / cities of the parent and expansion district occurs differences. This shows that between the parent’s district and expansion district have relatively different financial capabilities and the two regional groups still have a high dependence on the central government; (3) The ratio of the activity of the main district / city and division has a significant difference. This shows that the district / city parent has a high activity ratio in regional development, where the allocation of regional expenditures is relatively larger compared to the newly created districts / cities; (4) Routine capability ratios in the parent / city and expansion district have significant differences. This shows that the parent districts / cities have higher routine capability ratios compared to newly created districts / cities. This condition can be seen from the total routine expenditure allocated by the parent district / city; and (5) The growth ratio in the parent regency / city and expansion district has a significant difference. This shows that the parent districts / cities have a higher ability to receive their PAD compared to the newly created districts / cities.

3D height-alternant island arrays for stretchable OLEDs with high active area ratio and maximum strain

Stretchable optoelectronic devices are typically realized through a 2D integration of rigid components and elastic interconnectors to maintain device performance under stretching deformation. However, such configurations inevitably sacrifice the area ratio of active components to enhance the maximum interconnector strain. We herein propose a 3D buckled height-alternant architecture for stretchable OLEDs that enables the high active-area ratio and the enhanced maximum strain simultaneously. Along with the optimal dual serpentine structure leading to a low critical buckling strain, a pop-up assisting adhesion blocking layer is proposed based on an array of micro concave structures for spatially selective adhesion control, enabling a reliable transition to a 3D buckled state with OLED-compatible processes. Consequently, we demonstrate stretchable OLEDs with both the high initial active-area ratio of 85% and the system strain of up to 40%, which would require a lateral interconnector strain of up to 512% if it were attained with conventional 2D rigid-island approaches. These OLEDs are shown to exhibit reliable performance under 2,000 biaxial cycles of 40% system strain. 7 × 7 passive-matrix OLED displays with the similar level of the initial active-area ratio and maximum system strain are also demonstrated.

Physical and chemical properties of CaF2−CaO−Al2O3−MgO slag for electroslag remelting of Mg-containing GH3128 superalloy

During electroslag remelting, Mg in the electrode reacts with some components in the slag, resulting in its serve oxidation loss. The CaF2−CaO−Al2O3−MgO slags with high MgO content are generally used for remelting Mg-containing Fe- and Ni-based alloys. However, there is a scarcity of foundational data available on the physical and chemical properties of the slags, posing a challenge in developing a suitable slag for remelting Mg-containing GH3128 superalloy. Hence, this paper conducted a comprehensive study on the melting temperature, viscosity, and reactivity of four known slags. The results show that D2 slag (50%CaF2–20%CaO–20%Al2O3–10%MgO) has the lowest melting temperature of 1588 K due to containing fewer high-melting-point phases and possesses lower viscosity because of simpler aluminate structures. Additionally, the D2 slag has the highest activity ratio, enabling the superalloy to achieve the highest equilibrium Mg content of 0.0174%. The D2 slag exhibits a heightened MgO activity and facilitates the release of more Mg2+ ions, thereby exerting a pronounced inhibitory effect on the diffusion of Mg2+ ions from the slag–metal interface to the slag. The superalloy attains a highest Mg yield of about 30%. Therefore, the D2 slag emerges as the most suitable choice for remelting the Mg-containing GH3128 superalloy.

1D/2D heterostructure induced built-in electric field accelerate the reaction kinetics of MnO2/MXene paper-like film for advanced flexible zinc-ion batteries

Paper-like flexible electrode plays a critical importance role in booming the development of flexible energy storage devices. One-dimensional manganese dioxide (1D MnO2) shows immense advantage in flexible zinc-ion batteries (FZIBs) on account of renowned tunnel crystal structure and high operating voltage. However, inherent inferior electrical conductivity and sluggish reaction kinetics seriously hinder the practical application of FZIBs, resulting in unsatisfactory rate capability and cycle performance. Herein, 1D/2D MnO2/MXene-5 heterostructure materials were constructed by electrostatic self-assembly, which were then prepared into paper-like membrane with high energy storage active substance ratio (95.2 %) towards high capacity and ultrastable FZIBs. The built-in electric field induced by the heterostructure accelerates the electron transfer, reduces the charge transfer resistance and promotes ion diffusion, enabling the 1D/2D phase collaboration to improve the zinc ion storage of the paper-like electrode. The design achieves a high total specific capacity (based on the total cathode mass) of 314.7 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and ultrastable of 8000 cycles at 5 A g−1 with a retention of 81.1 %. Remarkably, quasi-solid-state FZIBs with MnO2/MXene-5 membrane can deliver an outstanding reversible capacity of 273.5 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and maintain 500 cycles at 1 A g−1 across various bending angles without decay, demonstrating excellent stability. This work provides a novel approach for the targeted design of self-standing flexible electrodes.

Activation Ratio Correlates with IQ in Female Carriers of the FMR1 Premutation.

Carriers of the FMR1 premutation (PM) allele are at risk of one or more clinical conditions referred to as FX premutation-associated conditions (FXPAC). Since the FMR1 gene is on the X chromosome, the activation ratio (AR) may impact the risk, age of onset, progression, and severity of these conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of AR measured using different approaches and to investigate potential correlations with clinical outcomes. Molecular and clinical assessments were obtained for 30 PM female participants, and AR was assessed using both Southern blot analysis (AR-Sb) and methylation PCR (AR-mPCR). Higher ARs were associated with lower FMR1 transcript levels for any given repeat length. The higher AR-Sb was significantly associated with performance, verbal, and full-scale IQ scores, confirming previous reports. However, the AR-mPCR was not significantly associated (p > 0.05) with these measures. Similarly, the odds of depression and the number of medical conditions were correlated with higher AR-Sb but not correlated with a higher AR-mPCR. This study suggests that AR-Sb may be a more reliable measure of the AR in female carriers of PM alleles. However, further studies are warranted in a larger sample size to fully evaluate the methylation status in these participants and how it may affect the clinical phenotype.

Phase behavior of active and passive dumbbells.

We report phase separation in a mixture of "hot" and "cold" three-dimensional dumbbells which interact by Lennard-Jones potential. We also have studied the effect of asymmetry of dumbbells and the variation of ratio of "hot" and "cold" dumbbells on their phase separation. The ratio of the temperature difference between hot and cold dumbbells to the temperature of cold dumbbells is a measure of the activity χ of the system. From constant density simulations of symmetric dumbbells, we observe that the "hot" and "cold" dumbbells phase separate at higher activity ratio (χ>5.80) compared to that of a mixture of hot and cold Lennard-Jones monomers (χ>3.44). We find that, in the phase-separated system, the hot dumbbells have high effective volume and hence high entropy which is calculated by two-phase thermodynamic method. The high kinetic pressure of hot dumbbells forces the cold dumbbells to form dense clusters such that at the interface the high kinetic pressure of hot dumbbells is balanced by the virial pressure of cold dumbbells. We find that phase separation pushes the cluster of cold dumbbells to have solidlike ordering. Bond orientation order parameters reveal that the cold dumbbells form solidlike ordering consisting of predominantly face-centered cubic and hexagonal-close packing packing, but the individual dumbbells have random orientations. The simulation of the nonequilibrium system of symmetric dumbbells at different ratios of number of hot dumbbells to cold dumbbells reveals that the critical activity of phase separation decreases with increase in fraction of hot dumbbells. The simulation of equal mixture of hot and cold asymmetric dumbbells revealed that the critical activity of phase separation was independent of the asymmetry of dumbbells. We also observed that the clusters of cold asymmetric dumbbells showed both crystalline and noncrystalline order depending on the asymmetry of dumbbells.

In-situ interface reinforcement for 3D printed fiber electrodes

The growing demand for wearable electronics has boosted research on flexible fiber batteries. 3D printing has been applied to fiber battery manufacturing, in which tremendous amount of polymer binders with low conductivity are required. Replacing polymer by conducting skeleton such as graphene can offer long-range conductivity and high active material ratio. However, poor interaction and vast voids between active materials and skeletons result in fragile structure with inferior stabilities. Herein, a facile in-situ interface reinforcement method is proposed to print stable binder-free fiber electrodes. Electrode inks consisting of common LiFePO4 (LFP) particles and graphene oxide (GO) are directly printed in a solution containing dopamine and calcium ions. Catalyzed by Ca2+, dopamine that permeated into the fiber could rapidly polymerize and synchronously establish crosslinks during printing. Subsequently, polydopamine-derived carbon (PDC) networks efficiently reinforce the interface. The PDC at interfaces enriches the electron-transfer pathways and ensures a tight connection through covalent and π-π bonding. The reinforcement enables the printed binder-free electrodes to possess remarkably higher stability, flexibility, and durability under deformation. Additionally, the proposed method has remarkable application potential both for individual fiber batteries and directly printed battery textiles, thereby enabling new possibilities for future wearable energy-storage fabrics.

Systematic Comparison and Rational Design of Theophylline Riboswitches for Effective Gene Repression.

Riboswitches are promising regulatory tools in synthetic biology. To date, 25 theophylline riboswitches have been developed for regulation of gene expression in bacteria. However, no one has systematically evaluated their regulatory effects. To promote efficient selection and application of theophylline riboswitches, we examined 25 theophylline riboswitches in Escherichia coli MG1655 and found that they varied widely in terms of activation/repression ratios and expression levels in the absence of theophylline. Of the 20 riboswitches that activate gene expression, only one exhibited a high activation ratio (63.6-fold) and low expression level without theophylline. Furthermore, none of the five riboswitches that repress gene expression were more than 2.0-fold efficient. To obtain an effective repression system, we rationally designed a novel theophylline riboswitch to control a downstream gene or genes by premature transcription termination. This riboswitch allowed theophylline-dependent downregulation of the TurboRFP reporter in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Its performance profile exceeded those of previously described repressive theophylline riboswitches. We then introduced as the second part a RepA tag (protein degradation tag) coding sequence fused at the 5'-terminal end of the turborfp gene, which further reduced protein level, while not reducing the repressive effect of the riboswitch. By combining two tandem theophylline riboswitches with a RepA tag, we constructed a regulatory cassette that represses the expression of the gene(s) of interest at both the transcriptional and posttranslational levels. This regulatory cassette can be used to repress the expression of any gene of interest and represents a crucial step toward harnessing theophylline riboswitches and expanding the synthetic biology toolbox. IMPORTANCE A variety of gene expression regulation tools with significant regulatory effects are essential for the construction of complex gene circuits in synthetic biology. Riboswitches have received wide attention due to their unique biochemical, structural, and genetic properties. Here, we have not only systematically and precisely characterized the regulatory properties of previously developed theophylline riboswitches but also engineered a novel repressive theophylline riboswitch acting at the transcriptional level. By introducing coding sequences of a tandem riboswitch and a RepA protein degradation tag at the 5' end of the reporter gene, we successfully constructed a simple and effective regulatory cassette for gene regulation. Our work provides useful biological components for the construction of synthetic biology gene circuits.

Geometrical Effect of Active Material on Electrode Tortuosity in All-Solid-State Lithium Battery

In this study, the effect of the active material geometry on the tortuosity in the ion transport path of the electrode composite of an all-solid-state lithium battery was systematically analyzed in terms of the different design and process factors of an electrode. A direct current technique (i.e., chronoamperometry) using an electron-blocking cell was used to analyze the tortuosity to minimize the experimental error. In addition, aluminum oxide was selected as a hypothetical active material in a composite electrode to exclude the possible disturbance of the ion transport signal caused by real active materials. The experimental results showed that the shape and composition of the active material had significant influences on the ion transport characteristics. In particular, when a fibrous material was applied with a high active material ratio, the degree of tortuosity was significantly increased, reaching values as high as 45, due to the insufficient filling in the micropores formed by particle aggregation. Moreover, the tortuosity degree decreased below 15 as the pressing pressure increased during electrode manufacturing, and the cause of this decrease differed with the active material’s particle shape. The analysis results confirmed that the change in tortuosity resulting from the electrode design factors of an all-solid-state battery has distinctive features compared to that for a conventional liquid electrolyte-based lithium-ion battery.

Gas-liquid interface of a Lennard-Jones binary mixture controlled by differential activity: phase transition and interfacial stability.

We perform molecular dynamics simulations of a two-dimensional binary mixture of Lennard-Jones particles, characterized by some degree of "activity" inside. Starting from a base state that features a gas-liquid interface and a completely segregated system at thermodynamic equilibrium, we introduce differential scalar activity between the two species by prescribing two different effective temperatures. The differential activity is measured as the ratio of the two temperatures. Previous studies showed segregation in a homogeneously mixed system induced by high activity. In this study, we investigate the effect of activity on a pre-existing gas-liquid interface between two separated species. Whereas a high activity ratio induces the formation of new interfaces, we show that a low activity ratio destabilizes existing ones. Moreover, the combination of a pre-existent interface with differential activity leads to partial crystallization and thus to triple phase coexistence (solid, liquid and gas), which is observed over a wide range of moderate differential activities. Findings from this idealized system can guide our understanding of interfacial behaviors in certain biological systems.

Identifying Biomarkers of Cisplatin Sensitivity in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer via Comprehensive Integrative Analysis

Background: Only 30-40% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients are clinically sensitive to cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Thus, it is necessary to identify biomarkers for personalized cisplatin chemotherapy in NSCLC. However, data heterogeneity and low-value density make it challenging to detect reliable cisplatin efficacy biomarkers using traditional analysis methods. Objective: This paper aims to find reliable cisplatin efficacy biomarkers for NSCLC patients using comprehensive integrative analysis. Method: We searched online resources and collected six NSCLC transcriptomics data sets with responses to cisplatin. The six data sets are divided into two groups: the learning group for biomarker identification and the test group for independent validation. We performed comprehensive integrative analysis under two kinds of frameworks, i.e., one-level and two-level, with three integrative models. Pathway analysis was performed to estimate the biological significance of the resulting biomarkers. For independent validation, logrank statistic was employed to test how significant the difference of Kaplan- Meier (KM) curves between two patient groups is, and the Cox proportional-hazards model was used to test how the expression of a gene is associated with patients’ survival time. Especially, a permutation test was performed to verify the predictive power of a biomarker panel on cisplatin efficacy. For comparison, we also analyzed each learning data set individually, in which three popular differential expression models, Limma, SAM, and RankSum, were used. Results: A total of 318 genes were identified as a core panel of cisplatin efficacy markers for NSCLC patients, exhibiting consistent differential expression between cisplatin-sensitive and –resistant groups across studies. A total of 129 of 344 KEGG pathways were found to be enriched in the core panel, reflecting a picture of the molecular mechanism of cisplatin resistance in NSCLC. By mapping onto the KEGG pathway tree, we found that a KEGG pathway-level I module, genetic information processing, is most active in the core panel with the highest activity ratio in response to cisplatin in NSCLC as expected. Related pathways include mismatch repair, nucleotide excision repair, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, and basal transcription factors, most of which respond to DNA double-strand damage in patients. Evaluation on two independent data sets demonstrated the predictive power of the core marker panel for cisplatin sensitivity in NSCLC. Also, some single markers, e.g., MST1R, were observed to be remarkably predictive of cisplatin resistance in NSCLC. Conclusion: Integrative analysis is more powerful in detecting biomarkers for cisplatin efficacy by overcoming data heterogeneity and low-value density in data sets, and the identified core panel (318 genes) can help develop personalized medicine of cisplatin chemotherapy for NSCLC patients.

Free-standing ultrathick LiMn2O4@single-wall carbon nanotubes electrode with high areal capacity

The ever-increasing demands for advanced lithium-ion batteries with high energy density have greatly stimulated the pursuit of thick electrodes with high active material loading. However, it is not feasible to prepare thick electrodes with traditional coating methods due to mechanical instability. Herein, using single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) as conductive carbon and binder, free-standing LiMn2O4 thick electrodes (F-LMO) with ultrahigh-mass loading up to ∼190 mg cm−2 were prepared by vacuum filtration combined with freeze-drying. The thick electrodes with ∼30 mg cm−2 mass loading achieved a high specific capacity of 106.7 mAh g−1 with a good capacity retention of 94% over 50 cycles at 0.5 C, which was superior to the traditional coating electrodes (∼20 mg cm−2) of 99.3 mAh g−1 with 95% because of the enhanced electronic conductivity originated from SWCNT. In addition, the high active material ratio of 97.5 wt%, near-theoretical reversible capacity, and high mass loading gave ultrathick F-LMO electrodes (600 μm) of ∼190 mg cm−2 with a remarkable areal capacity of 20 mAh cm−2. Moreover, the concentration polarization that occurred in the thick F-LMO electrodes under high current density was discussed via electrochemical stimulation.

Time-series variations in 129I concentrations and 129I/137Cs ratios in suspended particulate matter collected in eastern Japan immediately after the 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan

We have determined the hourly atmospheric concentrations of 129I in aerosols dispersed into the atmosphere by the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FD1NPP) on March 11, 2011. Data were obtained by measuring the quantity of 129I in suspended particulate matter (SPM) collected on filter tapes at 41 SPM monitoring stations in Fukushima and other prefectures in eastern Japan, including the metropolitan area of Tokyo and the surrounding area. After scrutiny, 500 out of 920 hourly SPM samples were determined to be reliable (i.e., devoid of cross-contamination), and these were subjected to further analysis and discussion. Based on the data from these samples, especially data from the four SPM sampling sites located close to the FD1NPP (Futaba, Naraha, Haramachi and Nihonmatsu), the time-series variations in the atmospheric concentration of 129I and the activity ratio of 129I/137Cs were reconstructed by using 137Cs concentration data in the literature. 129I and 137Cs were observed to be continuously and sometimes explosively dispersed into the atmosphere in aerosols transported by radioactive plumes from the FD1NPP. The highest activity concentrations of 129I and 137Cs were observed in the SPM sample at the Futaba SPM station (3.2 km west-northwest of the FD1NPP) at 14:00–15:00 on March 12 after the venting of Unit 1. Systematically high 129I/137Cs activity ratios were observed at the Futaba and Haramachi stations from March 12 to 14, suggesting that radioactive masses released from the FD1NPP during the first few days after the nuclear accident were relatively enriched in radioiodine. High activity ratios of 129I/137Cs were also measured starting on March 21 at Naraha (17.5 km south of FD1NPP) and from March 22–23 in the metropolitan area which must have been caused by a different type of emission event(s) on those days at the FD1NPP, as previously reported. The 129I data from this study are highly effective in the validation and elaboration of the modelling of the atmospheric dispersion of radioiodine. They further contribute to assessing the internal exposure due to inhalation of 131I estimated by means of such elaborate atmospheric diffusion models.

Determinants of Different Aspects of Upper-Limb Activity after Stroke.

We examined factors associated with different aspects of upper-limb (UL) activity in chronic stroke to better understand and improve UL activity in daily life. Three different aspects of UL activity were represented by four sensor measures: (1) contribution to activity according to activity ratio and magnitude ratio, (2) intensity of activity according to bilateral magnitude, and (3) variability of activity according to variation ratio. We combined data from a Belgian and Danish patient cohort (n = 126) and developed four models to determine associated factors for each sensor measure. Results from standard multiple regression show that motor impairment (Fugl–Meyer assessment) accounted for the largest part of the explained variance in all sensor measures (18–61%), with less motor impairment resulting in higher UL activity values (p < 0.001). Higher activity ratio, magnitude ratio, and variation ratio were further explained by having the dominant hand affected (p < 0.007). Bilateral magnitude had the lowest explained variance (adjusted R2 = 0.376), and higher values were further associated with being young and female. As motor impairment and biological aspects accounted for only one- to two-thirds of the variance in UL activity, rehabilitation including behavioral strategies might be important to increase the different aspects of UL activity.

The influence of knee varus and valgus on quadriceps muscle activity changes induced by stretching and kneeling

This study aimed to determine the influence of knee varus (VARUS) and valgus (VALGUS) on the differences in individual quadriceps muscle (QM) activity during knee extension maximum voluntary isometric contractions (MVICs) and sit/stand transitions and on the changes in individual QM activity during sit/stand transitions after QM stretching and kneeling. Ten young healthy males each with VARUS and VALGUS were included. The electromyography signals of the vastus medialis (VM), vastus lateralis, and rectus femoris were recorded during sit/stand transitions before and after rest, stretching, and kneeling and during knee extension MVICs after rest. The individual muscle-to-total muscle activity ratio was assessed. The VARUS group exhibited a significantly higher VM muscle activity ratio in the sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit tasks than in knee extension MVICs (p = 0.004 and p = 0.044, respectively) and a tendency that the VM muscle activity ratio increased in the sit-to-stand task after stretching (p = 0.051), whereas the VALGUS group exhibited no significance. Individuals with VARUS required high VM muscle activity ratios during sit/stand transitions. Future studies should be conducted to determine whether habitual sit-to-stand exercises after QM stretching are effective in preventing knee medial osteoarthritis development in individuals with VARUS.

Effect of annealing time and pressure on electrical activation and surface morphology of Mg-implanted GaN annealed at 1300 °C in ultra-high-pressure nitrogen ambient

We performed an isothermal annealing study on Mg-implanted GaN at 1300 °C in an ultra-high-pressure (1 GPa) nitrogen ambient. Annealing for more than 30 min resulted in a high acceptor activation ratio and a low compensation ratio that were comparable to those obtained with annealing at 1400 °C for 5 min. We also performed annealing at 1300 °C in a reduced nitrogen pressure of 300 MPa which makes us possible to expand the inner diameter of annealing equipment in the future. High electrical activation, similar to one obtained by annealing at 1 GPa, was successfully obtained.

Multifunctional Conformal Polymer Coating by Oxidative Chemical Vapor Deposition for High Specific Energy Ni-Rich Cathode

The successful commercialization of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) leads to wide utilization in portable electronic devices such as cellphones and laptops because of their excellent cycle performance and moderate rate capability [1]. Technical challenges still remain to enhance specific energy of LIBs to be implemented in large-scale devices including hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) [2]. Adopting high specific capacity electrode materials and decreasing the weight ratio of non-capacity materials in batteries are considered as two main methods for improving the overall specific energy for LIBs.Ni-rich layer oxides as one of the mainstream cathode materials have drawn much attention due to their high theoretical specific capacity. However, the surface and bulk degradation of Ni-rich materials during circulation may trigger capacity loss and generate serious safety issues, which limits its application in LIBs [3]. Coating inert inorganic compounds has been suggested to enhance the stability of Ni-rich materials. However, it is also reported that the coating layer was delaminated from the cathode bulk particles due to the anisotropic volume change during lithiation and delithiation as well as the stiff nature of inorganic coating materials [4].On the other hand, reducing non-capacity materials such as conductive carbon led to the lower electronic conductivity, which may cause polarization and increase the resistance of the battery. Meanwhile, a traditional binder is electronically insulating, limiting electron transportation. In addition, less binder in electrodes could result in separation of the active materials from the electrode, causing battery capacity loss [5].In order to accommodate the volume variation during circulation, polymers with resilience possibly protect the Ni-rich particles during cycle life. Further, binders and conductive carbonaceous are preferred to construct conductive networks for electrodes for enhancing the overall conductivity of the battery. As thus the polymer with electronic conductivity is supposed to be uniformly coated on Ni-rich particles and sufficiently distributed in the electrode.Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) is a promising polymer due to its high electrical conductivity and the demonstrated protection ability for Ni-rich materials in LIBs [6]. Meanwhile, as an emerging technique, oxidative chemical vapor deposition (oCVD) is a deposition process that generates uniform and conformal polymers via gas phase reaction with a vaporized source monomer (in this case EDOT) and an oxidizer (in this case FeCl3). PEDOT deposited on the electrode through the oCVD method is homogeneous on the surface of Ni-rich particles. And the high electronic conductivity of the polymer would enhance the battery performance as well as the adhesive ability of the polymer own.In this study, Ni-rich cathode with 99% active materials weight ratio was prepared from as-synthesized LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) particles and oxidative chemical vapor deposition method was employed to generate a controllable PEDOT layer with 55 nm thickness. Moreover, the PEDOT layer was found between the secondary particles, indicating excellent conformal coating capability of the oCVD technique. Further characterization X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Density functional theory calculation (DFT) revealed that sulfide in PEDOT is preferentially bonded with transition metal (Ni, Co and Mn) in NCM811, which prolonged the service life of the PEDOT layer. Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) and XPS was employed which unveiled the formed PEDOT layer restricted the parasite reaction during the charge/discharge process and diminished the transition metal dissolving, and endowed the battery with improved stability (81.6% after 300 cycles under 1C, 1C = 200 mA g-1) Cyclic voltammetry (CV) showed less difference value for modification sample (△E=0.14 V) compared with pristine sample (△E=0.25 V). Furthermore, the battery even showed 171.5 mAh g-1 under 7C and high reversibility after a high rate, which provides a potential for the fast-charge. The trifunctional PEDOT layer is verified to serve as the protection layer, binder and electronic conductivity network for the cathode materials. The results of this study demonstrate significant promises of employing the high active material weight ratio with high cycle life and a pathway for various kinds of cathode materials for reaching higher specific energy as well.Reference:[1]. Goodenough, J. B.; Park, K. S., J Am Chem Soc 2013, 135 (4), 1167-76.[2]. Lee, W.; Yoon, W.-S., Advanced Energy Materials 2018, 8 (4), 1701788.[3]. Sun, Y. K.; Myung, S. T.; Park, B. C.; Prakash, J.; Belharouak, I.; Amine, K., Nat Mater 2009, 8 (4), 320-4.[4]. Liu, J.; Manthiram, A., Journal of The Electrochemical Society 2009, 156 (1).[5]. Jeong S.S., Journal of Power Source 2012, 199 (1).[6]. Xu G.-L.; Chen G., Nature Energy 2019, 4. Figure 1

Electromyographic Analysis of a Selective Exercise for the Serratus Anterior Muscle Among Patients With Frozen Shoulder and Subacromial Impingement Syndrome.

Patients with shoulder disorders show altered periscapular muscle activity (e.g., decreased serratus anterior and increased upper trapezius activities). We herein devised a novel method for strengthening serratus anterior without excessive upper trapezius activation, named squeezing ball exercise in which patients squeezed a ball between both elbows with maximum voluntary isometric contraction in the horizontal adduction direction with the arms elevated at a 45-degree angle. The present study aimed to investigate whether the squeezing ball exercise could produce high muscle activity in the serratus anterior in patients with frozen shoulder and subacromial impingement syndrome before the rehabilitation intervention. This is a proof-of-concept study. Serratus anterior and upper trapezius activities during squeezing ball exercise were evaluated using electromyography in 16 patients with frozen shoulders and subacromial impingement syndrome. Electromyography signals were normalized using maximal voluntary isometric contraction, and the muscle balance ratios (upper trapezius/serratus anterior) were calculated. The average serratus anterior and upper trapezius activity was 69.9% ± 30.8% and 10.2% ± 6.3% maximal voluntary isometric contraction during the squeezing ball exercise, respectively, whereas the upper trapezius-serratus anterior ratio of the affected side was 0.15 ± 0.07. The high serratus anterior activation and low upper trapezius-serratus anterior ratio during squeezing ball exercise could be attributed to the limb position where shortened serratus anterior exerts itself without painful subacromial impingement. Squeezing ball exercise could be a novel rehabilitation tool for patients with frozen shoulders and subacromial impingement syndrome.

Accuracy Assessment of SUV Measurements in SPECT/CT: APhantom Study.

Advances in iterative image reconstruction enable absolute quantification of SPECT/CT studies by incorporating compensations for collimator-detector response, attenuation, and scatter. This study aimed to assess the quantitative accuracy of SPECT/CT based on different levels of 99mTc activity (low/high) using different SUV metrics (SUVmean, SUVmax, SUV0.6 max, and SUV0.75 max [the average values that include pixels greater than 60% and 75% of the SUVmax in the volume of interest, respectively]). Methods: A Jaszczak phantom equipped with 6 fillable spheres was set up with low and high activity ratios of 1:4 and 1:10 (background-to-sphere) on background activities of 10 and 60 kBq/mL, respectively. The fixed-size volume of interest based on the diameter of each sphere was drawn on SPECT images using various metrics for SUV quantification purposes. Results: The convergence of activity concentration was dependent on the number of iterations and application of postfiltering. For the background-to-sphere ratio of 1:10 with a low background activity concentration, the SUVmean metric showed an underestimation of about 38% from the actual SUV, and SUVmax exhibited an overestimation of about 24% for the largest sphere diameter. Meanwhile, bias reductions of as much as -6% and -7% for SUV0.6 max and SUV0.75 max, respectively, were observed. SUVmax gave a more accurate reading than the others, although points that exceeded the actual value were detected. At 1:4 and 1:10 background activity of 10 kBq/mL, a low activity concentration attained a value close to the actual ratio. Use of 2 iterations and 10 subsets without postfiltering gave the most accurate values for reconstruction and the best image overall. Conclusion: SUVmax is the best metric in a high- or low-contrast-ratio phantom with at least 2 iterations, 10 subsets, and no postfiltering.

Improving the cycling stability of three-dimensional nanoporous Ge anode by embedding Ag nanoparticles for high-performance lithium-ion battery

Due to huge volume expansion and poor electrical conductivity, the commercial application of the promising Germanium (Ge) anode is restrained in lithium ion battery (LIB) field. Generally, conductive metals can improve the electron mobility in Ge. In that way, whether active materials or conductive metals account for a higher proportion in the anode is controversial in this field and needs to be clarified urgently. Herein, three Ge-based anodes with different ratios in conductive Ag are fabricated by a facile melt spinning and one-step dealloying method. It is found that Ag nanoparticles embedded three-dimensional nanoporous Ge (Ag/np-Ge) electrode with high active material ratio exhibits the best cycling stability among tested samples, delivering a high capacity of 953 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g−1 and an excellent reversible capacity of 522 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles even at the high current density of 1000 mA g−1. The enhanced cycling stability can be attributed to the synergistic effect of nanoporous network-like structure and embedded Ag nanoparticles. A dramatical increase in electrical conductivity and activity of Ge by doping of Ag is confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The work provides us an idea to rationally design the three-dimensional structure of active materials assisting with a proper ratio of conductive metals, which may promote the development of promising Ge anodes for LIBs with excellent cycling stability.