Li-Ion Cell Safety Monitoring Using Mechanical Parameters: Part I. Normal Battery Operation

The normal operation of a 18650 Lithium-ion cells has been monitored using rectangular rosette strain gauge and a pair of piezoelectric transducers. The sensors for mechanical measurements provide information about the cell deformation mechanism and electrodes structure during the cycling. The strain gauge signal revealed three type of mechanical processes. The predominant deformation pattern during galvanostatic discharge process is an isotropic cylindrical shrinkage relevant to the extraction of lithium ions from the graphite negative electrode. In the case of low-rate discharge in cyclic voltammetry mode, the deformation pattern changes to spherical growth when the state of charge falls below 40. In contrast, the thermal shrinkage and growth of the cell corresponds to simple decrease of the cell diameter with much smaller hysteresis effect. The ultrasound interrogation is able to detect repeatable progressive change of the acoustic waveform transferred across the cell in direction of the jellyroll diameter, which depends on the state of charge and does not undergo any significant changes at different cycling rates. The impact of the state of health under 2h – rated charge/discharge cycling at 25°C reveals slow progressive drift of the strain and acoustic signals corresponding to the growth of the cell size.

Darkfield and Fluorescence Macrovision of a Series of Large Images to Assess Anatomical and Chemical Tissue Variability in Whole Cross-Sections of Maize Stems

The proportion and composition of plant tissues in maize stems vary with genotype and agroclimatic factors and may impact the final biomass use. In this manuscript, we propose a quantitative histology approach without any section labelling to estimate the proportion of different tissues in maize stem sections as well as their chemical characteristics. Macroscopic imaging was chosen to observe the entire section of a stem. Darkfield illumination was retained to visualise the whole stem cellular structure. Multispectral autofluorescence images were acquired to detect cell wall phenolic compounds after UV and visible excitations. Image analysis was implemented to extract morphological features and autofluorescence pseudospectra. By assimilating the internode to a cylinder, the relative proportions of tissues in the internode were estimated from their relative areas in the sections. The approach was applied to study a series of 14 maize inbred lines. Considerable variability was revealed among the 14 inbred lines for both anatomical and chemical traits. The most discriminant morphological descriptors were the relative amount of rind and parenchyma tissues together with the density and size of the individual bundles, the area of stem and the parenchyma cell diameter. The rind, as the most lignified tissue, showed strong visible-induced fluorescence which was line-dependant. The relative amount of para-coumaric acid was associated with the UV-induced fluorescence intensity in the rind and in the parenchyma near the rind, while ferulic acid amount was significantly correlated mainly with the parenchyma near the rind. The correlation between lignin and the tissue pseudospectra showed that a global higher amount of lignin resulted in a higher level of lignin fluorescence whatever the tissues. We demonstrated here the potential of darkfield and autofluorescence imaging coupled with image analysis to quantify histology of maize stem and highlight variability between different lines.

Effect of comb age on cell measurements and worker body size

The honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) mainly use beeswax (comb) for brood rearing and food storage. Changes in the color and cell dimensions occur due to repeated food storage and brood rearing in the comb. The study aimed to determine the changes in comb cell measurements and worker body sizes in relation to comb age. For this purpose, the cell measurements of combs at age zero (wax foundation), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 years and the body size of workers reared in them were estimated. The weight of the comb, the height of the cell base, and the weight of accumulated substances in the cell significantly increased with time. Comb age had negative effects on the cell diameter, cell depth, cell volume, cell honey or pollen capacity, and newly emerged worker body weight. Significant negative correlations were observed between the accumulated substances in a cell and the cell diameter, cell depth, and cell size, while significant positive correlations were observed among the cell volume, cell diameter, cell depth, cell honey capacity, cell pollen capacity, and worker body weight. It can be concluded that the dimensions of the comb cells and worker body size changed with the age of the comb. The obtained results recommend beekeepers to replace combs aged more than 3 years with a new comb to allow large workers to gather more nectar and pollen, rear a larger brood, and store more honey.

Anatomical and Chemical Characterization of Ulmus Species from South Korea

Ulmus species (Ulmaceae) are large deciduous trees distributed throughout Korea. Although their root and stem bark have been used to treat gastrointestinal diseases and wounds in folk medicine, commercial products are consumed without any standardization. Therefore, we examined anatomical and chemical differences among five Ulmus species in South Korea. Transverse sections of leaf, stem, and root barks were examined under a microscope to elucidate anatomical differences. Stem and root bark exhibited characteristic medullary ray and secretary canal size. Leaf surface, petiole, and midrib exhibited characteristic inner morphologies including stomatal size, parenchyma, and epidermal cell diameter, as well as ratio of vascular bundle thickness to diameter among the samples. Orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis of anatomical data efficiently differentiated the five species. To evaluate chemical differences among the five species, we quantified (-)-catechin, (-)-catechin-7-O-β-D-apiofuranoside, (-)-catechin-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside, (-)-catechin-7-O-β-D-xylopyranoside, (-)-catechin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, and (-)-catechin-5-O-β-D-apiofuranoside using high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode-array detector. (-)-Catechin-7-O-β-D-apiofuranoside content was the highest among all compounds in all species, and (-)-catechin-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside content was characteristically the highest in Ulmus parvifolia among the five species. Overall, the Ulmus species tested was able to be clearly distinguished on the basis of anatomy and chemical composition, which may be used as scientific criteria for appropriate identification and standard establishment for commercialization of these species

Seasonal Variations in the Organization and Structure of Apis cerana cerana Swarm Queen Cells

This paper describes the organization and structure of the swarm queen cells of Apis cerana cerana in spring, summer, and autumn in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. We measured the following indices to reveal the organization rule of swarm cells: number of swarm cells built by each colony during different seasons; the shortest distance between two adjacent swarm cells on the comb; distance between swarm cell base and bottom bar of movable frame. We revealed the swarm cells structural characteristics using the following indicators: maximum diameter of swarm cell, the length between mouth and bottom of swarm cell, depth between maximum diameter and bottom of swarm cell, and the ratio of maximum diameter to depth between maximum diameter and bottom of swarm cell. Regarding seasonal differences, results indicated a significant variation in the distance between the swarm cell base and the bottom bar of the movable frame. Still, no such effect was observed in the shortest distance between two adjacent swarm cells. The maximum swarm cell diameter was not considerably influenced either, while the distance between the maximum diameter and the bottom of the swarm cell had substantial variation. The detected ratio of the maximum diameter to the depth between the maximum diameter and the bottom of theswarm cell indicated seasonal changes in the bottom shape of the swarm cell. This study clarifies the temporal and spatial distribution and structure of swarm cells of A. c. cerana. It establishes the basis for predicting the time and position of appearing swarm cells, thus allowing for a more precise determination of the shape and size of queen-cell punch and the ideal position of a cell cup on the bar of queen cup frames in artificial queen rearing.

Effect of rare earth nucleating agent on supercritical CO2 foaming behavior of block copolymerized polypropylene

The rare earth nucleating agent was used to modify block copolymerized polypropylene (PPB) in foaming process. The results show that the crystallization of PPB and the melting temperature of β-crystal increased gradually with increased β-crystal nucleating agent content. The total crystallinity decreased with amount of addition increasing, and the relative content of β-crystal increased first and then decreased. When β-crystal nucleating agent content was 0.4 wt%, the relative β-crystal content reached the maximum value of 95.27%, and the final crystal grain refinement significantly. The addition of rare earth β-crystal nucleating agent has a good effect on improving the uniformity of foam cells. Under the same content of β-crystal nucleating agent and pressure, the average cell diameter and expansion ratio increased with the saturation temperature increasing. After the foaming temperature reaches 155°C, the expansion ratio began to decrease, which was also consistent with the changed trend of relative β-crystal content. At the same content of temperature and relative β-crystal, as the foaming pressure increased, the cell diameter decreased gradually, and the expansion ratio increased first, and then decreased.

Beneficial effects of pyruvate for a high-density perfusion process

High volumetric productivities can be achieved when perfusion processes are operated at high cell densities. Yet it is fairly challenging to keep high cell density cultures in a steady state over an extended period. Aiming for robust processes, in this study cultures were operated at a constant biomass specific perfusion rate (BSPR). The cell density was monitored with a capacitance probe and a continuous bleed maintained the cell density at the targeted viable cell volume (VCV). Despite our tightly controlled BSPR, a gradual accumulation of ammonium and changes in cell diameter were observed during the production phase for the three different monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Although a lot of efforts in media optimization have been made to reduce ammonium in fed-batch process, less examples are known about how media components impact the cellular metabolism and thus the quality of monoclonal antibodies in continuous processes. In this work, we show that a continuous Na-pyruvate fed at 2 g/L/day strongly reduced ammonium production and stabilized fucosylation, sialylation and high mannose content for three different mAbs.

Side-branch expansion capacity of contemporary DES platforms

Background Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) of bifurcation stenoses are both complex and challenging. Stenting strategies share that the stents’ side cells must be carefully explored and appropriately prepared using balloons or stents. So far, stent manufacturers have not provided any information regarding side-branch expansion capacity of their stent platforms. Aims Given that drug-eluting stent (DES) information regarding their mechanical capacity of side-branch expansion is not available, we aimed to evaluate contemporary DES (Orsiro, BIOTRONIK AG; Xience Sierra, Abbott Vascular; Resolute Integrity, Medtronic; Promus Premier Select, Boston Scientific; Supraflex Cruz, Sahajan and Medical Technologies) by their side-branch expansion behavior using in vitro bench testing. Methods In this in vitro study, we analyzed five commercially available DES (diameter 3.0 mm), measuring their side-branch expansion following inflation of different high-pressure non-compliant (NC) balloons (balloon diameter: 2.00–4.00 mm), thereby revealing the morphological characteristics of their side-branch expansion capacities. Results We demonstrated that all tested contemporary DES platforms could withstand large single-cell deformations, up to 4.0 mm. As seen in our side-branch experiments, DES designs consisting of only two connectors between strut rings did not only result in huge cell areas, but also in larger cell diameters following side-branch expansion compared with DES designs using three or more connectors. Furthermore, the stent cell diameter attained was below the balloon diameter at normal pressure. Conclusions We recommend that the expansion capacity of side-branches should be considered in stent selection for bifurcation interventions.

Can Serum Thymidine Kinase 1 Detect Small Invisible Malignant Tumours?

Objectives. Early detection of malignant tumour is a prerequisite for a successful treatment. Here we investigate if thymidine kinase 1 is more sensitive than imaging technology to discover small invisible malignant tumours.Material and Methods. The cellular concentration of TK1 was determined by a novel automatic chemiluminescence analyzer of magnetic particle immune sandwich minimum. The primary and secondary antibodies linked to the magnetic beads were chicken anti-human thymidine kinase 1 IgY-polyclonal antibodies (IgY pAb). The minimum number of cells able to be detected by the novel detection technology using an automatic chemiluminescence analyzer were determined based on the cellar TK1 concentration of low and high TK1 cell lines of known cell count.Results. The TK1 concentration of malignant cell was found to be 0.021 pg/cell. Assuming 200 pg of total protein/cell, TK1 corresponds to 0.01 % of the total protein/cell. The concentration of TK1 in human blood serum of malignant patients is in the range of 2-10 pmol/l (pM), corresponding to about 50 x106 growing cells in the body that release TK1 into 5 litre blood. The limit visibility by imaging of a tumour is about 1 mm in diameter, corresponding to about 109cells of a cell diameter of 1µm. Conclusion. TK1 is more sensitive than imaging.

Modifications in the Intestinal Functionality, Morphology and Microbiome Following Intra-Amniotic Administration (Gallus gallus) of Grape (Vitis vinifera) Stilbenes (Resveratrol and Pterostilbene)

This efficacy trial evaluated the effects of two polyphenolic stilbenes, resveratrol and pterostilbene, mostly found in grapes, on the brush border membrane functionality, morphology and gut microbiome. This study applied the validated Gallus gallus intra-amniotic approach to investigate the effects of stilbene administration versus the controls. Three treatment groups (5% resveratrol; 5% pterostilbene; and synergistic: 4.75% resveratrol and 0.25% pterostilbene) and three controls (18 MΩ H2O; no injection; 5% inulin) were employed. We observed beneficial morphological changes, specifically an increase in the villus length, diameter, depth of crypts and goblet cell diameter in the pterostilbene and synergistic groups, with concomitant increases in the serum iron and zinc concentrations. Further, the alterations in gene expression of the mineral metabolism proteins and pro-inflammatory cytokines indicate a potential improvement in gut health and mineral bioavailability. The cecal microbiota was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. A lower α-diversity was observed in the synergistic group compared with the other treatment groups. However, beneficial compositional and functional alterations in the gut microbiome were detected. Several key microbial metabolic pathways were differentially enriched in the pterostilbene treatment group. These observations demonstrate a significant bacterial–host interaction that contributed to enhancements in intestinal functionality, morphology and physiological status. Our data demonstrate a novel understanding of the nutritional benefits of dietary stilbenes and their effects on intestinal functionality, morphology and gut microbiota in vivo.