Conjugated Molecules and Polymers in Secondary Batteries: A Perspective

Intrinsically conducting polymers constituting a subclass of macromolecules, as well as a still growing family of large, conjugated molecules, oligomers, and polymers, have attracted research interest for the recent decades. Closely corresponding to the fascination of these materials, combining typical properties of organic polymers and metallic materials, numerous applications have been suggested, explored, and sometimes transferred into products. In electrochemistry, they have been used in various functions beyond the initially proposed and obvious application as active masses in devices for electrochemical energy conversion and storage. This perspective contribution wraps up basic facts that are necessary to understand the behavior and properties of the oligo and polymers and their behavior in electrochemical cells for energy conversion by electrode reactions and associated energy storage. Representative examples are presented and discussed, and an overview of the state of research and development is provided. Particular attention is paid to stability and related aspects of practical importance. Future trends and perspectives are indicated.

Erratum to Profinite rigidity for twisted Alexander polynomials (J. reine angew. Math. 771 (2021), 171–192)

We clarify the definition of the divisorial hull and recollect some basic facts. Then we correct Lemma 4.2 and Theorem 11.2 (1)–(2) in the original article.

New uses of Melatonin as a Drug, a Review

Melatonin is a simple compound with a proper chemical name N-acetyl-5-methoxy tryptamine and known as a hormone controlling circadian rhythm. Humans produce melatonin at night which is the reason for sleeping in the night and awakening over the day. Melatonin interacts with melatonin receptors MT1 and MT2 but it was also revealed that melatonin is a strong antioxidant and it also has a role in regulation of cell cycle. Currently, melatonin is used as a drug for some types of sleep disorder but the recent research points to the fact that melatonin can also serve for the other purposes including prophylaxis or therapy of lifestyle diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and exposure to chemicals. This review summarizes basic facts and direction of the current research on melatonin. The actual literature was scrutinized for the purpose of this review.

Media Awareness Preferences for Information on Sickle Cell Disorder Among University Students in Southwestern Nigeria

Sickle cell disorder (SCD) is a defective blood disorder that causes pain associated with blood genotypes of victims who risk dying before their 30th birthday. SCD is best controlled when victims avoid getting married to one another to prevent the spread of susceptible genotype. Many youths lack basic facts of SCD. For long, its awareness was limited to broadcast and print media. But today, social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp—are also used to create awareness on the disease. This study attempts to determine the preferred communication channels for creating awareness on SCD among university students in South-Western Nigeria. Survey research design was adopted. Respondents were 259 students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and University of Ibadan, both in South-West Nigeria. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Social media awareness was 51.6%, and conventional media was 48.4%. Thus, more of the respondents preferred awareness on SCD through social media platforms.

Second-order stochastic differential equations: stability, dissipativity, periodicity. V. - A survey

Данная статья является продолжением предыдущей и представляет собой пятую, заключительную, часть работы автора. В работе делается обзор результатов исследований, касающихся свойств устойчивости, диссипативности и существования периодических решений стохастических дифференциальных уравнений и систем второго порядка. Приводятся результаты исследований, развивающие теорию устойчивости стохастических дифференциальных уравнений на основе модифицированного второго метода Ляпунова. Работа состоит из пяти частей. В первых двух частях были приведены предварительные сведения из теории вероятностей и случайных процессов, включая построение стохастических интегралов Ито и Стратоновича. В третьей части работы приведены некоторые факты из теории стохастических дифференциальных уравнений. Сформулированы теоремы существования и единственности для стохастических систем. В четвертой части приведены определения и даны основные сведения из теории устойчивости стохастических дифференциальных уравнений Ито. Общие теоремы об устойчивости, диссипативности и периодичности решений рассматриваемых систем сформулированы в терминах существования функций Ляпунова. В настоящей, пятой, части работы даны эффективные достаточные условия устойчивости по вероятности и экспоненциальной устойчивости в среднем квадратическом решений стохастических дифференциальных уравнений и систем второго порядка. Также даны достаточные условия диссипативности и периодичности случайных процессов, определяемых нелинейными дифференциальными уравнениями второго порядка со случайными правыми частями. В качестве примера рассматривается гармонический осциллятор, возмущенный белым шумом. В последнем разделе настоящей статьи сделан краткий обзор работ по стохастической устойчивости, которые характеризуют текущее состояние теории. This paper is a continuation of the previous papers and presents the fifth final part of the author’s work. The paper surveys the results concerning stability, dissipativity and periodicity properties of the second-order stochastic differential equations and systems. Some new developments in the theory of stability of stochastic differential equations based on the use of the modifying Lyapunov’s second method are presented. The work consists of five parts. In the first two parts we have introduced mathematical preliminaries from probability theory and stochastic processes including the construction of Ito and Stratonovich stochastic integrals. In the third part, some facts from the theory of stochastic differential equations are presented. The existence and uniqueness theorems for stochastic systems are formulated. In the fourth part, definitions are provided and basic facts from the theory of stability of stochastic differential equations are given. The basic general Lyapunov-like theorems on stochastic stability, dissipativity and periodicity for solutions of systems considered are formulated in the terms of the existence of Lyapunov functions. Here in the present fifth part, effective sufficient conditions of stability in probability, exponential stability in mean square for the second-order stochastic differential equations and systems are given. Also we give sufficient conditions for dissipativity and periodicity of random processes defined by nonlinear second-order differential equations with random right-hand sides. As an example the harmonic oscillator disturbed by white noise is considered. In the final section of the present paper, we briefly review some new publications related to stochastic stability that characterizes the state - of - the - art of the theory.

The Ethical Philosophic Dimension of Responsibility in Mitigating the COVID-19 Disaster in Indonesia

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a global disaster and every country makes efforts to mitigate it. There needs to be a gradual rise of awareness on the ethics of responsibility to others in the form of a sense of solidarity and togetherness. Philosopher Emmanuel Levinas stated that the basic facts in his philosophy were other people. Therefore, his philosophy is the ethics of responsibility toward others. COVID-19 deserves to be a momentum to reflect on Levinas’ philosophy, by reaffirming responsibility toward others as an ethical fact in mitigating the COVID-19 disaster in Indonesia.

Myths about fingerprint evidence: Basic facts countering miscarriage of justice. Part 1

The long practice of fingerprint science is accompanied by confusing thoughts affecting the interpretation of the fingerprint evidence recovered from a crime scene, and, consequently, prosecutors and judges’ decisions as well. However, despite the tremendous scientific and technological developments relating to fingerprint enhancement, processing, and usage, which clarify precise facts regarding the influence of deposition circumstances, substrate, light, air, temperature, and time factors on fingerprint secretions, misconceptions about fingerprints are still widespread within the law enforcement and judicial system. This problem prevents the proper usage of fingerprints in fighting crimes and supporting the justice system by strong physical evidence. This study aims to highlight some scientific facts about fingerprints as well as a new approach and reconceptualization of fingermarks as a tool for crime scene investigation and training. The article discusses twenty-four myths about fingerprints – part 1 covers ten of them and part 2 discusses the other fourteen.

Myths about fingerprint evidence: Basic facts countering miscarriage of justice. Part 2

This is the second part of the study that aims at highlighting twenty-four myths about fingerprint evidence. In this paper, the authors are going to explicate and clarify the difference between the scientific facts and the wrongful concepts that negatively affect the justice system and the effective usage of fingerprint evidence starting from the initial investigation at the crime scene until the final trial at the courtroom.

Eight Unproductive Practices in Developing Fact Fluency

Basic fact fluency has always been of interest to elementary school teachers and is particularly relevant because a wide variety of supplementary materials of varying quality exist for this topic. This article unpacks eight common unproductive practices with basic facts instruction and assessment.