Electrochemical Properties of Pristine and Vanadium Doped LiFePO4 Nanocrystallized Glasses

In our recent papers, it was shown that the thermal nanocrystallization of glassy analogs of selected cathode materials led to a substantial increase in electrical conductivity. The advantage of this technique is the lack of carbon additive during synthesis. In this paper, the electrochemical performance of nanocrystalline LiFePO4 (LFP) and LiFe0.88V0.08PO4 (LFVP) cathode materials was studied and compared with commercially purchased high-performance LiFePO4 (C-LFP). The structure of the nanocrystalline materials was confirmed using X-ray diffractometry. The laboratory cells were tested at a wide variety of loads ranging from 0.1 to 3 C-rate. Their performance is discussed with reference to their microstructure and electrical conductivity. LFP exhibited a modest electrochemical performance, while the gravimetric capacity of LFVP reached ca. 100 mAh/g. This value is lower than the theoretical capacity, probably due to the residual glassy matrix in which the nanocrystallites are embedded, and thus does not play a significant role in the electrochemistry of the material. The relative capacity fade at high loads was, however, comparable to that of the commercially purchased high-performance LFP. Further optimization of the crystallites-to-matrix ratio could possibly result in further improvement of the electrochemical performance of nanocrystallized LFVP glasses.

Horizon Volume and Being

Drawing is an innovative practice that provides architects an emancipated spatial apparatus freed from capitalistic pressures such as, deadline, utility and profitability. Through an immersive act to which I refer as experiential criticism, my practice materializes a 1:1 drawing operation with a relative capacity to unite or react or interact with the latent dimensions of the inherited landscape – the post-industrial remains of capitalism and the Midwestern family farm legacies. Utilizes a range of domains as means of exploring not only the tangible but the intangible nature of such material cultivations, the work is based on a series of modulated experimental actions. Reflecting on two bodies of work, Perforated Horizon and InsideOute, this content proposal will consider the practice of drawing as a means of observation and teaching specific to volume, materiality, context and time.

A Transition State Theory-influenced Model of Secondary Battery Cycle-life: Towards a Final Regularity Resembling Carnot-efficiency

A transition state theory-influenced approach on maximum battery cycle-life is outlined, arriving at an ideal model of general validity. The outcome may be understood further as a thermodynamic final regularity reminiscent of Carnot-efficiency. In contrast to the common perception which attributes in blanket fashion the causality of changes in cycle-life to the engineering of battery-specific tangibles, this model allows for a more differentiated picture: That changes to battery-specific tangibles may yield differences of several hundred or more cycles is here the result of them being enhanced by a comparatively long, natural constant-based, logarithmic lever. That way such changes can cause big differences though being comparatively small to the lever base value, which emerges as a quantity of natural constants, temperature(s) and relative capacity margins but independent of battery specific energy and applied power. These are findings suggesting a revision of the current empirics-biased consensus opinion about the matter.

A Transition State Theory-influenced Model of Secondary Battery Cycle-life: Towards a Final Regularity Resembling Carnot-efficiency

A transition state theory-influenced approach on maximum battery cycle-life is outlined, arriving at an ideal model of general validity. The outcome may be understood further as a thermodynamic final regularity reminiscent of Carnot-efficiency. In contrast to the common perception which attributes in blanket fashion the causality of changes in cycle-life to the engineering of battery-specific tangibles, this model allows for a more differentiated picture: That changes to battery-specific tangibles may yield differences of several hundred or more cycles is here the result of them being enhanced by a comparatively long, natural constant-based, logarithmic lever. That way such changes can cause big differences though being comparatively small to the lever base value, which emerges as a quantity of natural constants, temperature(s) and relative capacity margins but independent of battery specific energy and applied power. These are findings suggesting a revision of the current empirics-biased consensus opinion about the matter.

Comparing microfluidics and ultrasonication as formulation methods for developing hempseed oil nanoemulsions for oral delivery applications

Emerging formulation technologies aimed to produce nanoemulsions with improved characteristics, such as stability are attractive endeavors; however, comparisons between competing technologies are lacking. In this study, two formulation techniques that employed ultrasound and microfluidic approaches, respectively, were examined for relative capacity to produce serviceable oil in water nanoemulsions, based on hempseed oil (HSO). The ultrasound method reached > 99.5% entrapment efficiency with nanoemulsions that had an average droplet size (Z-Ave) < 180 nm and polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.15 ± 0.04. Surfactant concentration (% w/v) was found to be a significant factor (p < 0.05) controlling the Z-Ave, PDI and zeta potential of these nanoparticles. On the other hand, the microfluidic approach produced smaller particles compared to ultrasonication, with good stability observed during storage at room temperature. The Z-Ave of < 62.0 nm was achieved for microfluidic nanoemulsions by adjusting the aqueous : organic flow rate ratio and total flow rate at 4:1 and 12 mL/min, respectively. Further analyses including a morphology examination, a simulated gastrointestinal release behavior study, transepithelial transport evaluations and a toxicity test, using a Caco2-cell model, were performed to assess the functionality of the prepared formulations. The results of this study conclude that both approaches of ultrasound and microfluidics have the capability to prepare an HSO-nanoemulsion formulation, with acceptable characteristics and stability for oral delivery applications.

Numerical Model for High Relative Capacity of Tensegrity Cable Domes

The tensegrity cable domes are a type of structures composed of compressed bars and tensioned cables. They are characterized by an exceptional innovation in terms of lightness. Research in this area is booming towards multiple applications. In the absence of an approach linking design by dimensioning, this article aims to propose a procedure for verifying the design while seeking a better lightness of the structure. The article uses the novelty of the methods applied for this kind of structure, using the hypothesis of geometric nonlinearity, to find the best solution, verifying all the sizing criteria. Through an example of a simple cables dome, we have shown the feasibility of this approach. The shape of the triangles forming the basis of design, have a direct relationship on the relative capacity, this last has been significantly improved, This method can easily be applied to other examples of more complex cables domes.

Ex ante and Ex post Subcontracting between Two Competing Bidders

We consider a first-price sealed-bid procurement auction between two capacity constrained bidders. Either bidder, due to the capacity constraint, is unable to fulfill the auctioned project from a buyer. We consider two formats of capacity cooperation between the two competing bidders: ex ante subcontracting and ex post subcontracting. In the former case, two bidders first bargain over the capacity cooperation contract and then compete with each other by bidding for the buyer’s project. In the latter case, two bidders first submit bids to the buyer and then bargain over the capacity cooperation contract. With ex ante or ex post subcontracting, two bidders have the so-called co-opetition relationship: they compete to win the auction but cooperate through subcontracting. We find that bidders’ subcontract timing has a fundamental impact on their competitive bidding behavior and profits. Both bidders will benefit from the ex ante subcontracting, and submit higher equilibrium bid prices, compared to the case without subcontracting. The ex post subcontracting, however, will lower the equilibrium bid price and may hurt the bidder with capacity advantage when bidders’ relative bargaining power is not consistent with the relative capacity advantage.

Complementation between pathological prion protein subassemblies to cross existing species barriers

Backgroundprion replication results from the autocatalytic templated assisted conversion of the host-encoded prion protein PrPC into misfolded, polydisperse PrPSc conformers. Structurally distinct PrPSc conformers can give rise to multiple prion strains. Within and between prion strains, the biological activity (replicative efficacy and specific infectivity) of PrPSc assemblies is size-dependent and thus reflects an intrinsic structural heterogeneity. The contribution of such PrPSc heterogeneity across species prion adaptation, - which is believed to be based on fit-adjustment between PrPSc template(s) and host PrPC -, has not been explored.Methodsto define the structural-to-fitness PrPSc landscape, we measured the relative capacity of size-fractionated PrPSc assemblies from different prion strains to cross mounting species barriers in transgenic mice expressing foreign PrPc.Resultsin the absence of a transmission barrier, the relative efficacy of the isolated PrPSc assemblies to induce the disease is superimposable to the efficacy observed in the homotypic context. However, in the presence of a transmission barrier, size fractionation overtly delays and even abrogates prion pathogenesis in both neural and extraneural, prion-permissive tissues, for reason independent of the infectivity load of the isolated assemblies. This suggests that a synergy between structurally distinct PrPSc assemblies in the inoculum is requested for crossing the species barrier. We further strengthen this hypothesis by showing that altering, by serial dilution, PrPSc assemblies content of unfractionated inocula reduce their specific infectivity in an aberrant manner, solely in the presence of a transmission barrier.Conclusionsour data support a mechanism whereby overcoming prion species barrier requires complementation between structurally distinct PrPSc assemblies. This work provides key insight into the “quasi-species” concept applied to prions, which would not necessarily rely on prion sub-strains as constituent but on structural PrPSc heterogeneity within prion population.