Plasma being the fourth and most abundant form of matter extensively exists in the universe in the inter-galactic regions. It provides an electrically neutral medium of unbound negative and positive charged particles, which has been produced by subjecting air and various other gaseous mixtures to strengthen the electromagnetic field and by heating compressed air or inert gasses for creating negative and positive charged particles known as ions. Nowadays, many researchers are paying attention to the formation of artificial Plasma and its potential benefits for mankind. The literature is sparsely populated with the applications of Plasma. This paper presents specific methods of generation and applications of Plasma, which benefits humankind in various fields, such as in electrical, mechanical, chemical and medical fields. These applications include hydrogen production from alcohol, copper bonding, semiconductor processing, surface treatment, Plasma polymerization, coating, Plasma display panels, antenna beam forming, nanotechnology, Plasma Torch, Plasma pencils, low-current non-thermal Plasmatron, treatment of prostate cancer, Plasma source ion implantation, cutting by Plasma, Plasma etching, pollution control, neutralization of liquid radioactive waste, etc. Resultantly, worth of Plasma technology in the medical industry is increasing exponentially that is closing the gap between its benefits and cost of equipment used for generating and controlling it.

Analysis of 1382 measures of battery State of Health (SoH) from 283 Nissan Leafs (“Leaf/s”), manufactured between 2011 and 2017, has detected a faster rate of decline in this measure of energy-holding capacity for 30 kWh variants. At two years of age, the mean rate of decline of SoH of 30 kWh Leafs was 9.9% per annum (95% uncertainty interval of 8.7% to 11.1%; n = 82). This was around three times the rate of decline of 24 kWh Leafs which at two years averaged 3.1% per annum (95% uncertainty interval of 2.9% to 3.3%; n = 201). For both variants there was evidence for an increasing rate of decline as they aged, although this was much more pronounced in the 30 kWh Leafs. Higher use of rapid DC charging was associated with a small decrease in SoH. Additionally, while 24 kWh cars with greater distances travelled showed a higher SoH, in 30 kWh cars there was a reduction in SoH observed in cars that had travelled further. The 30 kWh Leafs sourced from United Kingdom showed slower initial decline than those from Japan, but the rate of decline was similar at two years of age. Improvements in the battery health diagnostics, continuous monitoring of battery temperatures and state of charge, and verification of a fundamental model of battery health are needed before causes and remedies for the observed decline can be pinpointed. If the high rate of decline in battery capacity that we observed in the first 2.3 years of a 30 kWh Leaf’s lifetime were to continue, the financial and environmental benefits of this model may be significantly eroded. Despite 30 kWh Leafs accounting for only 14% of all light battery electric vehicles registered for use on New Zealand roads at the end of February 2018, there is also the potential for the relatively poor performance of this specific model to undermine electric vehicle uptake more generally unless remedies can be found.

The production of lithium-ion battery cells is characterized by a high degree of complexit due to numerous cause-effect relationships between process characteristics. Knowledge about the multi-stage production is spread among several experts, rendering tasks such as failure analysis challenging. In this paper, a method is presented, which includes expert knowledge acquisition in production ramp-up by combining Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) with a Bayesian Network. We show the effectiveness of this holistic method by building up a large scale, cross-process Bayesian Failure Network in lithium-ion battery production. Using this model, we are able to conduct root cause analyses as well as analyses of failure propagation. The former support operators in identifying root causes once a cell possesses a specific failure by calculating most-probable explanations matched to the individual battery cell data. The latter enable us to analyze propagation of failures and deviations in the production chain and thus provide support for placement of quality gates, leading to a significant reduction in scrap rate. Moreover, it gives an insight into which process steps are key drivers for which final product characteristics.

Considering the safety issues of Li ion batteries, all-solid-state polymer electrolyte has been one of the promising solutions. In this point, achieving a Li ion conductivity in the solid state electrolytes comparable to liquid electrolytes (>1 mS/cm) is particularly challenging. Employment of polyethylene oxide (PEO) solid electrolyte has not been not enough in this point due to high crystallinity. In this study, hybrid solid electrolyte (HSE) systems are designed with Li_1.3Al_0.3Ti_0.7(PO₄)₃(LATP), PEO and Lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF₆) or Lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI). Hybrid solid cathode (HSC) is also designed using LATP, PEO and lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO₂, LCO)—lithium manganese oxide (LiMn₂O₄, LMO). The designed HSE system displays 3.0 × 10⁻⁴ S/cm (55 ℃) and 1.8 × 10⁻³ S/cm (23 ℃) with an electrochemical stability as of 6.0 V without any separation layer introduction. Li metal (anode)/HSE/HSC cell in this study displays initial charge capacity as of 123.4/102.7 mAh/g (55 ℃) and 73/57 mAh/g (25 °C). To these systems, Succinonitrile (SN) has been incorporated as a plasticizer for practical secondary Li ion battery system development to enhance ionic conductivity. The incorporated SN effectively increases the ionic conductivity without any leakage and short-circuits even under broken cell condition. The developed system also overcomes the typical disadvantages of internal resistance induced by Ti ion reduction. In this study, optimized ionic conductivity and low internal resistance inside the Li ion battery cell have been obtained, which suggests a new possibility in the secondary Li ion battery development.

In this work commercial 18650 lithium-ion cells with LiMn₂O₄, LiFePO₄ and Li(Ni_0.33Mn_0.33Co_0.33)O₂ cathodes were exposed to external heating in an Accelerating Rate Calorimeter (es-ARC, THT Company) to investigate the thermal behavior under abuse conditions. New procedures for measuring external and internal pressure change of cells were developed. The external pressure was measured utilizing a gas-tight cylinder inside the calorimeter chamber in order to detect venting of the cells. For internal pressure measurements, a pressure line connected to a pressure transducer was directly inserted into the cell. During the thermal runaway experiments, three stages (low rate, medium rate and high rate reaction) have been observed. Both pressure and temperature change indicated different stages of exothermic reactions, which produced gases or/and heat. The onset temperature of thermal runaway was estimated according to temperature and pressure changes. Moreover, the different activation energies for the exothermic reactions could be derived from Arrhenius plots.

The cell case temperature versus time profiles of a multistage fast charging technique (4C-1C-CV)/fast discharge (4C) in a 2.3 Ah cylindrical lithium-ion cell are analyzed using a 1D thermal model. Heat generation is dominated by the irreversible component associated to cell overpotential, although evidences of the reversible component are also observed, associated to the heat related to entropy from the electrode reactions. The final charging stages (i.e., 1C-CV) significantly reduce heat generation and cell temperature during charge, resulting in a thermally safe charging protocol. Cell heat capacity was determined from cell specific heats and cell materials thickness. The 1D model adjustment of the experimental data during the 2 min. resting period between discharge and charge allowed us to calculate both the time constant of the relaxation process and the cell thermal resistance. The obtained values of these thermal parameters used in the proposed model are almost equal to those found in the literature for the same cell model, which suggests that the proposed model is suitable for its implementation in thermal management systems.

The separator membrane is an essential component of lithium-ion batteries, separating the anode and cathode and controlling the number and mobility of the lithium ions. Among the polymer matrices most investigated for battery separators are poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its copolymers poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE), poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), and poly(vinylidene fluoride-cochlorotrifluoroethylene) (PVDF-CTFE), due to their excellent properties such as high polarity and the possibility of controlling the porosity of the materials through binary and ternary polymer/solvent systems, among others. This review presents the recent advances on battery separators based on poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its copolymers for lithium-ion batteries. It is divided in the following sections: single polymer and co-polymers, surface modification, composites and polymer blends. Further, a critical comparison between those membranes and other separator membranes is presented, as well as the future trends on this area.

Cycling reliability is crucial for Si-based materials due to severe volume change during cycles that results in the fast capacity fading. Though the binder only occupies a very low amount of the total mass of anodes, it is proved to perform a key parameter to improve the cycle performance of Si-based anodes. Because they are eco-friendly and cost saving, water-based binders styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) are regarded as the better binder to substitute Poly (vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) as the binder for Si-based anode. In this study, the anodes are fabricated by simply mixing the active materials (naso Si, graphite and conductive additive) together and using the mixture of SBR and CMC as a binder. The results showed that the retention capacities of the anodes are more than 440 mAh/g after 400 cycles. It indicates that it is an easy and simple way to make high performance anodes.

Lithium batteries and an increasing focus on CO₂ reduction have become an integral part of daily life and business for many people. Boron and boron compounds have been widely studied together in the history and development of lithium batteries. With a broad examination of battery components and systems but a boron-centric approach to raw materials, this review seeks to summarize past and recent studies on the following: which boron compounds are studied in lithium battery, in which parts of lithium batteries, what improvements are offered for battery performance, and what improvement mechanisms can be explained. The uniqueness of boron and its extensive application beyond batteries contextualizes the interesting similarity with studies on batteries. The paper predominantly focuses on lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) but also mentions other lithium batteries. At the end, the article aims to predict prospective trends for future studies that may lead to the successful and extensive use of boron compounds on a commercial scale.

Additive manufacturing (AM) of high strength Al alloys promises to enhance the performance of critical components related to various aerospace and automotive applications. The key advantage of AM is its ability to generate lightweight, robust, and complex shapes. However, the characteristics of the as-built parts may represent an obstacle to satisfy the part quality requirements. The current study investigates the influence of selective laser melting (SLM) process parameters on the quality of parts fabricated from different Al alloys. A design of experiment (DOE) is used to analyze relative density, porosity, surface roughness, and dimensional accuracy according to the interaction effect between the SLM process parameters. The results show a range of energy densities and SLM process parameters for the AlSi10Mg and Al6061 alloys needed to achieve “optimum” values for each performance characteristic. A process map is developed for each material by combining the optimized range of SLM process parameters for each characteristic to ensure good quality of the as-built parts. The second part of this study investigates the effect of SLM process parameters on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the same Al alloys. This comprehensive study is also aimed at reducing the amount of post-processing needed.

Because this issue journal is dedicated to Gelatin here we present a few applications of gelatin in the field of optics. It is understood that optics is the science that studies the production, propagation, interaction and detection of light. Regarding the detection there are some materials sensitive to light (photosensitive) that are used like photomultipliers, CCD’s, crystals, two dimension (2D) materials and more. Among the 2D materials the most popular through several centuries has been gelatin based photographic emulsion that records spatial distributions of light. More recently (1970) films made of Gelatin with Dichromate (DCG) and dyes have been used. We describe some characteristics and applications of these two photosensitive materials. Also we describe examples where gelatin is used as Relative Humidity (RH) sensor and in the fabrication of optical elements based on gelatin. This article is intended to researchers outside the optics community.

Three-dimensional V₂O₅ hollow structures have been prepared through a simple synthesis strategy combining solvothermal treatment and a subsequent thermal annealing. The V₂O₅ materials are composed of microspheres 2–3 μm in diameter and with a distinct hollow interior. The as-synthesized V₂O₅ hollow microspheres, when evaluated as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, can deliver a specific capacity as high as 273 mAh·g⁻¹ at 0.2 C. Benefiting from the hollow structures that afford fast electrolyte transport and volume accommodation, the V₂O₅ cathode also exhibits a superior rate capability and excellent cycling stability. The good Li-ion storage performance demonstrates the great potential of this unique V₂O₅ hollow material as a high-performance cathode for lithium-ion batteries.

Despite the implementation of control strategies, the invasive parasitic mite Varroa destructor remains one of the principal causes of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony losses in numerous countries. For this reason, the parasite represents a serious threat to beekeeping and to agro-ecosystems that benefit from the pollination services provided by honey bees. Numerous selection programmes have been initiated over the last three decades with the aim of promoting the establishment of balance in the host–parasite relationship and, thus, helping European honey bees to survive in the presence of the parasite without the need for acaricide treatments. Such programmes have focused on either selective breeding for putative resistance traits or natural selection. To date, no clear overview of these attempts has been available, which has prevented building on past successes or failures and, therefore, hindered the development of a sustainable strategy for solving the V. destructor problem. In the present study, we review past and current selection strategies, report on their outcomes and discuss their limitations. Based on this state-of-the-art knowledge, we propose a strategy for increasing response to selection and colony survival against V. destructor infestations. Developing in-depth knowledge regarding the selected traits, optimising selection programmes and communicating their outcomes are all crucial to our efforts to establish a balanced relationship between the invasive parasite and its new host.

Batteries are called to be part of the electricity grid by providing ancillary services. Area regulation services seem to provide substantial revenues and profit. But Li-ion batteries are still too expensive to enter widely into this market. On the other hand, electric vehicle batteries are considered inappropriate for traction purposes when they reached a state of health of 80%. The reuse of these batteries offers affordable batteries for second life stationary applications. This study analyzes how batteries may provide services to a gas turbine cogeneration power plant and how long these batteries may last under different loads.

A low-cost bio-mass-derived carbon substrate has been employed to synthesize MoS₂@carbon composites through a hydrothermal method. Carbon fibers derived from natural cotton provide a three-dimensional and open framework for the uniform growth of MoS₂ nanosheets, thus constructing hierarchically coaxial architecture. The unique structure could synergistically benefit fast Li-ion and electron transport from the conductive carbon scaffold and porous MoS₂ nanostructures. As a result, the MoS₂@carbon composites, when served as anodes for Li-ion batteries, exhibit a high reversible specific capacity of 820 mAh g^-1, high-rate capability (457 mAh g^-1 at 2 A g^-1), and excellent cycling stability. The superior electrochemical performance makes the MoS₂@carbon composites to be low-cost and promising anode materials for Li-ion batteries.

Recent state-of-the-art scene text recognition methods have primarily focused on horizontal text in images. However, in several Asian countries, including China, large amounts of text in signs, books, and TV commercials are vertically directed. Because the horizontal and vertical texts exhibit different characteristics, developing an algorithm that can simultaneously recognize both types of text in real environments is necessary. To address this problem, we adopted the direction encoding mask (DEM) and selective attention network (SAN) methods based on supervised learning. DEM contains directional information to compensate in cases that lack text direction; therefore, our network is trained using this information to handle the vertical text. The SAN method is designed to work individually for both types of text. To train the network to recognize both types of text and to evaluate the effectiveness of the designed model, we prepared a new synthetic vertical text dataset and collected an actual vertical text dataset (VTD142) from the Web. Using these datasets, we proved that our proposed model can accurately recognize both vertical and horizontal text and can achieve state-of-the-art results in experiments using benchmark datasets, including the street view test (SVT), IIIT-5k, and ICDAR. Although our model is relatively simple as compared to its predecessors, it maintains the accuracy and is trained in an end-to-end manner.

Applied electrostatic engineering can be used to construct greenhouses that prevent entry of insect pests. Two types of electric field screen were used to exclude pests from the greenhouse: single- and double-charged dipolar electric field screens (S- and D-screen, respectively). The S-screen consisted of iron insulated conductor wires (ICWs) arrayed in parallel (ICW-layer), a grounded metal net on either side of the ICW-layer, and a direct current voltage generator. S-screens were attached to the side windows of the greenhouse to repel whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) that approached the nets. The D-screen was installed in a small anteroom at the greenhouse entrance to capture whiteflies entering through it. The ICW-layers of the D-screen were oppositely charged with equal voltages and arrayed alternately, and an insulator board or grounded metal net was placed on one side of the ICW-layer. The ICW-layers captured whiteflies entering the electric field of the double-charged dipolar electric field. Three screens equipped with yellow or gray boards or a grounded metal net were installed in the anteroom based on the airflow inside the room, as most whiteflies were brought in by air when the door was opened. Two D-screens with boards were useful for directing the airflow toward the wall with the netted D-screen. This screen eliminated the insects and the pest-free air was circulated inside the greenhouse. The D-screen with the yellow board attracted the whiteflies and was effective for trapping them when there was no wind. Our method kept the greenhouse pest-free throughout the entire period of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) cultivation.

A time-sequential working, spatially multiplexed autostereoscopic 3D display design consisting of a fast switchable RGB-color filter array is presented. The wavelength-selective filter barrier emits the light from a display over a larger active area than common autostereoscopic barrier displays. An optical modelling of wavelength-selective barriers has been used for instance to calculate the light ray distribution properties of that arrangement. To find well working display designs, automated searches by simulation and computational evaluation has been proceeded. Wavelength-selective filter barrier arrangements exhibit characteristics different from common barrier displays with similar barrier pitch and ascent. In particular, these constructions show strong angular luminance dependency under barrier inclination specified by correspondent slant angle. In time-sequential implementation it is important to avoid that quick eye or eyelid movement lead to visible color artifacts. In the millisecond regime tunable liquid crystal Fabry-Pérot color filters for the colors red, green and blue are presented. They consist of a sub-micrometer thick nematic layer sandwiched between dielectric mirrors and ITO-electrodes. These cells shall switch narrow-banding light of red, green or blue. An array for a glasses-free 3D display has to be equipped with several thousand switchable filter elements having different color apertures. The newly introduced design is usable as a multi user display as well as a single user system with user adaptive control.

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) micro and nano architectures have been intensively studied in the past years because of many varied applications in environmental, energy conversion, and storage fields, such as heterogeneous catalysis, dye-sensitized solar cells, lithium/sodium ion batteries, lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, and bio-nanotechnology, etc. Especially the surface and interface structures in the TiO₂ structures play important roles in those applications. This mini review article focuses on TiO₂ micro and nano architectures with the prevalent crystal structures (anatase, rutile, brookite, and TiO₂(B)), and summarizes major advances in the surface and interface engineering and applications in environmental and electrochemical applications. We present the principles and growth mechanisms of TiO₂ nanostructures via different strategies, with an emphasis on rational control of the surface and interface structures. We further discuss the applications of TiO₂ micro and nano architectures in photocatalysis, lithium/sodium ion batteries, and Li-S batteries. Throughout the discussion, the relationship between the device performance and the surface structures of TiO₂ micro/nano structures will be highlighted. Then we discuss the phase transitions of TiO₂ nanostructures and possible strategies of improving the phase stability. The review concludes with a perspective on the current challenges and future research directions.

The application of solvent method in the preparation of polypropylene powders was investigated, including the influence of various technological conditions, such as the raw material melt index of polypropylene, processing temperature, dosage of the solvent and the packing pressure. The experimental data show that using solvent method can effectively produce polypropylene powder, and the optimal technological conditions are: melt index of polypropylene being about 17.8 g/10min, processing temperature being about 166.0 ℃, dosage of the solvent being about 0.067g/ml and the packing pressure being about 0.7MPa.Under this technological conditions, polypropylene powder with excellent sphericity could be prepared, the apparent density of powder can reach 0.40 g/cm3 and the prepared powder displayed a narrow size distribution with the mean size of about 42.7 µm.

A useful and increasingly common additive manufacturing (AM) process is the selective laser melting (SLM) or direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) process. SLM/DMLS can produce full-density metal parts from difficult materials, but it tends to suffer from severe residual stresses introduced during processing. This limits the usefulness and applicability of the process, particularly in the fabrication of parts with delicate overhanging and protruding features. The purpose of this study was to examine the current insight and progress made toward understanding and eliminating the problem in overhanging and protruding structures. To accomplish this, a survey of literature was undertaken, focusing on process modeling (general, heat transfer, stress and distortion, and material models), direct process control (input and environmental control, hardware-in-the-loop monitoring, parameter optimization, and post-processing), experiment development (methods for evaluation, optical and mechanical process monitoring, imaging, and design-of-experiments), support structure optimization, and overhang feature design; approximately 140 published works were examined. The major findings of this study were that a small minority of the literature on SLM/DMLS deals explicitly with the overhanging stress problem, but some fundamental work has been done on the problem. Implications, needs, and potential future research directions are discussed in-depth in light of the present review.

Infrared spectroscopy is an effective method for the determination of compositions and concentrations of liquids, with advantages of fast response, no-sampling, flexible in use and is able for on-line monitoring. However, for trace substances in drinking water, such as nitrates and heavy metals, infrared spectroscopy is not sensitive enough for the quantitative and qualitative measurement. In this study, we improved the sensitivity of infrared spectroscopy for nitrite determination by developing an ion-exchange-enhanced diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, which consist of an accessory based on ion-exchange resin for enrichment and a FTIR spectrometer for measurement. Using this method, the limit of detection for nitrate is 1.7 mg/L, which is enough for drinking water sensing. We also verified the quantitative measurement ability of the method. Furthermore, the limit of detection and quantitative measuring range could be adjusted by changing the mass of resin and adsorption time. This study demonstrated the method can be used to detect trace nitrites in drinking water, can be applied in the field, and is sensitive, rapid, and inexpensive with a wide dynamic range.

The accurate monitoring of state of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH) is critical for the reliable management of lithium-ion battery (LIB) systems. In this paper, the online model identification is scrutinized to achieve high modeling accuracy and robustness, and a model-based joint estimator is further proposed to estimate the SOC and SOH of LIB concurrently. Specifically, an adaptive forgetting recursive least squares (AF-RLS) method is exploited to optimize the estimation alertness and numerical stability, so as to achieve accurate online adaption of model parameters. Leveraging the online adapted battery model, a joint estimator is proposed by combining an open-circuit voltage (OCV) observer with a low-order state observer to co-estimate the SOC and capacity of LIB. Simulation and experimental studies are performed to evaluate the performance of the proposed data-model fusion method. Results suggest that the proposed method can effectively track the variation of model parameters by using the onboard measured current and voltage data. The SOC and capacity can be further estimated in real time with fast convergence, high accuracy and high stability.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are being endorsed as the uppermost successor to fuel-powered cars, with timetables for banning the sale of petrol-fueled vehicles announced in many countries. However, the range and charging times of EVs are still considerable concerns. Fast charging could be a solution to consumers' range anxiety and the acceptance of EVs. Nevertheless, it is a complicated and systematized challenge to realize the fast charging of EVs because it includes the coordinated development of battery cells, including electrode materials, EV battery power systems, charging piles, electric grids, etc. This paper aims to serve as an analysis for the development of fast-charging technology, with a discussion of the current situation, constraints and development direction of EV fast-charging technologies from the macroscale and microscale perspectives of fast-charging challenges. It is emphasized that to essentially solve the problem of fast charging, the development of new battery materials, especially anode materials with improved lithium ion diffusion coefficients, is the key. It is highlighted that red phosphorus is the most promising anode that can simultaneously satisfy the double standards of high-energy density and fast-charging performance to a maximum degree.

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of a freeform fabrication of porous ceramic parts through selective laser sintering (SLS). SLS was proposed to manufacture ceramic green parts because this additive manufacturing technique can be used to fabricate three-dimensional objects directly without a mold, and the technique has the capability of generating porous ceramics with controlled porosity. However, ceramic printing has yet fully achieved its 3D fabrication capabilities without using polymer binder. Except for the limitation of high melting point, brittleness and low thermal shock resistance from instinct ceramic material properties, the key hurdle lies on very poor absorptivity of oxide ceramics to fiber laser which is widely installed in the commercial SLS equipment. An alternative solution to overcome the poor laser absorptivity via improving material compositions was presented in this study. The positive effect of carbon additive on the absorptivity of silica powder to fiber laser will be discussed. To investigate the capabilities of the SLS process, 3D porous silica structures were successfully prepared and characterized.

A new type of low cost, environmentally friendly wood-plastic composites (WPC) containing carbon nanotubes(CNT)of low content 0%, 0.05wt%, 0.1wt% and 0.15wt%, wood fibers of 14wt% and polymer PES of 86wt% was manufactured by the selective laser sintering (SLS) approach of 3D printing. The experimental results showed that the incorporating of CNTs could obviously increase the mechanical properties of the wood/PES composites material. The tensile strength, bending strength and elasticity modulus were 76.3%, 227.9% and 128.7% higher with 0.1wt% CNTs than without CNTs. And the mechanical properties of specimens firstly increased and then decreased with the increasing contents of CNTs. The SEM results of the specimens’ fracture morphology indicated that the preferable bonding interfaces between wood flour grains and PES grains were achieved by adding CNTs to the composites. There are two reasons to explain why the composites possessed the superior mechanical properties: CNTs could facilitate the laser sintering process of wood plastic composites due to their thermal conductivities; also, CNTs could directly reinforce the WPC composites as reinforcement.

Porous MnO/C microspheres have been successfully fabricated by a fast co-precipitation method in a T-shaped microchannel reactor. The structures, compositions and electrochemical performances of the obtained MnO/C microspheres are characterized by X-ray diffraction, emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, charge-discharge testing, cyclic voltammograms, and electrochemical impedance spectra. Experimental results reveal that the as-prepared MnO/C, with a specific surface area of 96.66 m²·g^–1 and average pore size of 24.37 nm, exhibits excellent electrochemical performance, with a discharge capacity of 655.4 mAh·g^–1 after cycling 50 times at 1 C and capacities of 808.3, 743.7, 642.6, 450.1, and 803.1 mAh·g^–1 at 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, and 0.2 C, respectively. Moreover, the controlled method of using a micro-channel reactor, which can produce larger specific surface area porous MnO/C with improved cycling performance by shortening lithium-ion diffusion distances, can be easily applied in real production on a large-scale.

Driven by the rapid uptake of battery electric vehicles, Li-ion power batteries are increasingly reused in stationary energy storage systems, and eventually recycled to recover all the valued components. Offering an updated global perspective, this study provides a circular economy insight on lithium-ion battery reuse and recycling.

Solvent-free, single-ion conducting electrolytes are sought after for use in electrochemical energy storage devices. Here, we investigate the ionic conductivity and how this property is influenced by segmental mobility and conducting ion number in crosslinked single-ion conducting polyether-based electrolytes with varying tethered anion and counter-cation types. Crosslinked electrolytes are prepared by the polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate, and ionic monomers. The ionic conductivity of the electrolytes is measured and interpreted in the context of differential scanning calorimetry and Raman spectroscopy measurements. A lithiated crosslinked electrolyte prepared with PEG₃₁DA and STFSI monomers is found to have a lithium ion conductivity of 3.2 × 10^-6 and 1.8 × 10⁻⁵ S/cm at 55 and 100 °C, respectively. The percentage of unpaired anions for this electrolyte was estimated at about 23% via Raman spectroscopy. Despite the large variances in metal cation – STFSI binding energies as predicted via DFT and large variations in ionic conductivity, STFSI-based crosslinked electrolytes with the same charge density and varying cations (Li, Na, K, Mg, and Ca) were estimated to all have unpaired anion populations in the range of 19 to 29%.

4-(thiazol-2-yldiazenyl)phenol (L₁) and 2-((4-hydroxyphenyl) diazenyl)-5-nitrophenol (L₂) based on azo phenol were synthesised and used as selective colorimetric sensor for CN^- and AcO⁻ ion in DMSO/H₂O-HEPES (v/v; 1:1, pH–7.3 ± 0.2) and showed good sensitivity with large red shifts and nanomolar detection limit for CN^- and AcO^- ion. The stoichiometry of L₁ with CN⁻/AcO⁻ ion was found to be 1:1 and L₂ with CN⁻/AcO⁻ ion was found to be 1:2. Binding constant for L₁+ CN⁻, L₁ + AcO⁻, L₂ + CN⁻ and L₂ + AcO⁻ were calculated by B-H plot as 1.6 × 10³, 8.0 × 10², 8.4 × 10³ and 1.7 × 10² respectively. L₂ showed high selectivity towards CN⁻ ion with low detection limit of 81 nM and large binding constant. In addition, ¹H NMR titration and DFT studies also supported the deprotonation mechanism of receptors in the presence of selective anions.

Li-ion cell designs, component integrity and manufacturing processes all have critical influence on the safety of Li-ion batteries. Any internal defective features that induce a short circuit, can trigger a thermal runaway: a cascade of reactions, leading to a device fire. As consumer device manufacturers push aggressively for increased battery energy, instances of field failure are increasingly reported. Notably Samsung made a press release in 2017 following a total product recall of their Galaxy Note 7 mobile phone, confirming speculation that the events were attributable to the battery and its mode of manufacture. Recent incidences of battery swelling on the new iPhone 8 have been reported in the media, and the techniques and lessons reported herein may have future relevance. Here we look deeper into the key components of one of these cells and confirm evidence of cracking of electrode material in tightly folded areas, combined with a delamination of surface coating on the separator, which itself is an unusually thin monolayer. We report microstructural information about the electrodes, battery welding attributes and thermal mapping of the battery whilst operational. The findings point to the most likely combination of events and highlights the impact of design features, whilst providing structural considerations most likely to have led to the reported incidences relating to this phone.

Crystalline β-cobalt hydroxide (β-Co(OH)₂) of different morphologies have been successfully synthesized with the addition of sodium hydroxide to cobalt nitrate solution and aging in the mother liquor. The rate of NaOH addition, ranging from 0.1 mL/min to 10 mL/min, influences the surface morphology with the obtained storage capability of the respective electrode. Characterization of the β-Co(OH)₂ was fully developed, including X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and BET analyses. At a lower rate of NaOH addition, particles are like platelets, while for a higher rate (≥2 mL/min) grains are fused together forming a larger crystallite size. This result is supported by the X-ray diffraction structural analysis, where the phase evolution of (002) plane becomes distinct for the higher rate of NaOH addition. Lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO₂) was synthesized through oxidation from the as-prepared β-Co(OH)₂ and LiOH. The electrochemical performance of as obtained LiCoO₂ is investigated using charge-discharge and cyclic voltammetric studies. The precursor β-Co(OH)₂ prepared at a lower rate of 0.1 mL/min in LiCoO₂ demonstrated the best electrochemical performance of 155 mAh/g. After 50 cycles, the capacity retention rate was 67% compared with the first cycle. Finally, we have attempted to correlate the amount of the available OH^- ions with the formation of platelets and the discharge capacity. This work has developed a methodology for the synthesis of LiCoO₂ using β-Co(OH)₂ in a facile chemical solution process.

Additive manufacturing (AM) provides customization of the microstructure and mechanical properties of components. Selective laser melting (SLM) is the commonly used technique for processing high strength Aluminum alloys. Selection of SLM process parameters could control the microstructure of fabricated parts and their mechanical properties. However, process parameter limits and defects inside the as-built parts present obstacles to customized part production. This study is the second part of a comprehensive work that investigates the influence of SLM process parameters on the quality of as-built Al6061 and AlSi10Mg parts. The microstructure of both materials was characterized for different parts processed over a wide range of SLM process parameters. The optimized SLM parameters were investigated to eliminate the internal microstructure defects. Mechanical properties of the parts were illustrated by regression models generated with design of experiment (DOE) analysis. The results reported in this study were compared to previous studies, illustrating how the process parameters and powder characteristics could affect the quality of produced parts.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures have been studied extensively in the past years due to the novel electronic, photonic, mechanical and electrochemical properties. Recently, more attention has been paid to assemble nanoscale building blocks into three dimensional (3D) complex hierarchical structures, which not only inherit the excellent properties of the single building blocks but also provide potential applications in the bottom-up fabrication of functional devices. This review article focuses on 3D ZnO hierarchical nanostructures, and summarizes major advances in the solution phase synthesis, applications in environment, and electrical/electrochemical devices. We present the principles and growth mechanisms of ZnO nanostructures via different solution methods, with an emphasis on rational control of the morphology and assembly. We then discuss the applications of 3D ZnO hierarchical nanostructures in photocatalysis, field emission, electrochemical sensor, and lithium ion batteries. Throughout the discussion, the relationship between the device performance and the microstructures of 3D ZnO hierarchical nanostructures will be highlighted. This review concludes with a personal perspective on the current challenges and future researches.

In this study, the optimal condition for the extraction of antioxidants from the fruit Buah Mahkota Dewa (Phaleria macrocarpa) was determined by using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The optimization was applied using central composite design (CCD) to investigate the three independent variables, namely extraction temperature (^oC), extraction time (minutes) and extraction solvent to-feed ratio (%v/v) on the responses of free radical scavenging activity (DPPH), ferric ion reducing power assay (FRAP), total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC).The optimal conditions for the antioxidants extraction were found to be extraction temperature (64^oC), extraction time (66 minutes) and solvent to-feed ratio (75 %v/v) with the highest percentage yield of DPPH, FRAP, TPC and TFC were 86.85%, 7.47%, 292.86 mg/g and 3.22 mg/g respectively. Moreover, the data were subjected to response surface methodology (RSM) and the results showed that the polynomial equations for all models were significant, did not show lack of fit, and presented adjusted determination coefficients (R²) above 99%, proving the yield of phenolic, flavonoid and antioxidants activities obtained experimentally were close to the predicted values and the suitability of the model employed in RSM to optimize the extraction conditions. Hence, in this study, the fruit from P.macrocarpa could be considered to have the strong antioxidant ability and can be used in various cosmeceutical or medicinal applications.

The garnet Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ (LLZO) has been widely investigated because of its high conductivity, wide electrochemical window and chemical stability to lithium metal. However, the usual preparation process of LLZO requires a long time of high-temperature sintering and a lot of mother powders against the lithium evaporation. The submicron Li₆.6La₃Zr₁.6Nb₀.4O₁₂ (LLZNO) powders are prepared by conventional solid-state reaction method and attrition milling process, which are stable cubic phase and have high sintering activity, and Li stoichiometric LLZNO ceramics are obtained by sintering at a relative lower temperature or for a short time by using these powders which are difficult to control under high sintering temperature and long sintering time. The particle size distribution, phase structure, microstructure, distribution of element, total ionic conductivity, relative density and activation energy of submicron LLZNO powders and LLZNO ceramics are tested and analyzed by laser diffraction particle size analyzer, XRD, SEM, EIS and Archimedean method. The total ionic conductivity of sample sintered at 1200 °C for 30 min is 5.09 × 10-4 S·cm-1, the activation energy is 0.311 eV, and the relative density is 87.3%, and sintered at 1150 °C for 60 min total ionic conductivity is 3.49 × 10-4 S·cm-1, the activation energy is 0.316 eV, and the relative density is 90.4%. At the same time, all-solid-state batteries are assembled with LiMn₂O₄ as positive electrode and submicron LLZNO powders as solid state electrolyte. After 50 cycles, the discharge specific capacity is 105.5 mAh/g and the columbic efficiency is above 95%.

Selective laser melting (SLM) is one of the widely used techniques in metallic additive manufacturing, in which high-density laser powder is utilized to selectively melting layers of powders to create geometrically complex parts. Temperature distribution and molten pool geometry directly determine the balling effect, and concentrated balling phenomenon significantly deteriorates surface integrity and mechanical properties of the part. Finite element models have been developed to predict temperature distribution and molten pool geometry, but they were computationally expensive. In this paper, the three-dimensional temperature distributions are predicted by analytical models using point moving heat source and semi-ellipsoidal moving source respectively. The molten pool dimensions under various process conditions are obtained from the three-dimensional temperature predictions and experimentally validated. Ti-6Al-4V alloy is chosen for the investigation. Good agreements between the predictions and the measurements are observed. The presented models are also suitable for other metallic materials in the SLM process.

We describe our investigations of the surface physicochemical and biological properties of polylactic acid modified by silver, argon and carbon ion implantation to doses of 1 × 10¹⁴, 1 × 10¹⁵ and 1 × 10¹⁶ ion/cm² at energies of 20 keV (for C and Ar) and 40 keV (for Ag). X-ray analysis shows enhancement of coherent scattering regions and lattice constant increase after ion implantation. Secondary electron mass-spectrometry indicates that Ag concentration in the subsurface layer is less than 80%, but at a depth of 500 nm does not exceed 1–2%. The silver forms metal particles in the subsurface layer rather than making additional chemical bonds with polymer atoms. Atomic force microscopy reveals that the higher the irradiation dose the larger the surface roughness of the samples. Ag-irradiated samples implanted to a dose of 1 × 10¹⁶ ions/cm² have the highest roughness, 190 nm. Our investigation of the cytotoxicity of two individual donor macrophages shows that Ag-implanted polylactic acid has no negative impact on immune system cells and could be a promising material for biomedical application.

Nine variants of regular lattice structures with different relative densities have been designed and successfully manufactured. The produced structures have been subjected to geometrical quality control, and the manufacturability of the implemented selective laser melting SLM technique has been assessed. It was found that the dimensions of the produced lattice struts differ from those of the designed struts. These deviations depend on the direction of geometrical evaluation. Additionally, the microstructures and phase compositions of the obtained structures were characterized and compared with those of conventionally produced 316L stainless steel. The microstructure analysis and X-Ray Diffraction XRD patterns revealed a single austenite phase in the SLM samples. Both a certain broadening and a displacement of the austenite peaks were observed due to residual stresses and a crystallographic texture induced by the SLM process. Furthermore, the mechanical behavior of the lattice structure material has been defined. It was demonstrated that under both quasi-static and dynamic testing, lattice structures with high relative densities are stretch-dominated, whereas those with low relative densities are bending-dominated. Moreover, the linear relationship between the energy absorption and relative density under dynamic loading conditions has been defined

Dental caries is a public health problem worldwide according to WHO data. Among treatments in pediatric dentistry, prefabricated metal crowns (PMCs) have been one of the most successful options since they were introduced in cases of considerable tooth destruction. Our objective was to detect the presence and concentration of iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni) in saliva of patients who require rehabilitation with PMCs, before and after their placement. A quasi-experimental study was performed in 32 patients who attended dental care in a pediatric dentistry clinic at a public university and who required rehabilitation with PMCs. Parametric tests (ANOVA and Pearson correlation) were performed, and a p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistically significant differences were found when comparing the Ni release before, 1 week, and 1 month after placing the crowns. Similarly, we observed a positive correlation between the number of crowns and Ni release. No tests were performed for Fe and Cr because the amounts of these metals were less than 0.1 ppb, which was not detectable by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The levels of Fe, Cr, and Ni released were below toxic health levels. Studies are required to evaluate whether this release has negative effects at cellular levels.

The Conus genus includes around 500 species of marine mollusks with a peculiar production of venomous peptides known as conotoxins (CTX). Each species is able to produce up to 200 different biological active peptides. Common structure of CTX is the low number of aminoacids stabilized by disulfide bridges and post-translational modifications that give rise to different isoforms. µ and µ-O CTX are two isoforms that specifically target voltage-gated sodium channels. These, by inducing the entrance of sodium ions in the cell, modulate the neuronal excitability by depolarizing plasma membrane and propagating the action potential. Hyperxcitability and mutations of sodium channels are responsible for perception and transmission of inflammatory and neuropathic pain states. In this review, we describe the current knowledge of µ-CTX interacting with the different sodium channels subtypes, the mechanism of action and their potential therapeutic use as analgesic compounds in the clinical management of pain conditions.

Optical and mechanical properties of multilayer coatings depend on the selected layer materials and the deposition technology; therefore, knowledge of the performances of thin films is essential. In the present work, titanium dioxide (TiO2) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) thin films have been prepared by plasma ion-assisted deposition (PIAD). The optical, structural, and mechanical properties of thin films have been investigated using spectrometer/ellipsometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and laser interferometer. The results show that TiO2 film fabricated by PIAD induces a high refractive index, wide optical band gap, amorphous structure, smooth surface, and tensile stress. In the case of SiO2 film, high bias voltage leads to dense structure and compressive stress. As an application, a three-wavelength high reflectance at 632.8, 808, and 1550nm is optimized and deposited. The dependence of total stress in the multilayer on the substrate temperature is studied as well. In conclusion, it is demonstrated that PIAD is an effective method for the preparation of ultralow stress TiO2/SiO2 multilayer films. The achieved stress is as low as 1.4Mpa. The result could provide guidance to the stress optimization of most optical components without prefiguring, backside coating, and post-deposition treatments.

Malassezia species are fastidious and slow-growing yeasts whose isolation from polymicrobial samples is hampered by fast-growing microorganisms. Malassezia selective culture media are needed because Malassezia are resistant to cycloheximide, but some fungi, including the chief human commensal Candida albicans resist to this compound. This study aimed to test whether the macrolide rapamycin could be used in combination with cycloheximide to develop a Malassezia-selective culture medium. Rapamycin susceptibility testing was performed via microdilution assays in modified Dixon against M. furfur and five Candida spp. The MIC was the lowest concentration producing 90% growth inhibition. Rapamycin medium ± cycloheximide 500 mg/L was also added to FastFung solid and yeast suspensions were inoculated and incubated for 72h. Rapamycin MICs against Candida spp. ranged from 0.5 to 2 mg/L, except for C. krusei whose MIC was >32 mg/L. M. furfur stains were rapamycin resistant. Rapamycin and cycloheximide supplementation of the FastFung medium effectively inhibited the growth of non-Malassezia yeast, including the cycloheximide-resistant C. albicans and C. tropicalis. Based on our findings, we recommend using this “MalaSelect” medium for Malassezia isolation and culture from polymicrobial samples.

A study of photovoltaic solar window technologies is reported, focusing on their structural features, functional materials, system development, and suitability for use in practical field applications, e.g. public infrastructures and agricultural installations. Energy generation performance characteristics are summarized and compared to theory-limit predictions. Working examples of pilot-trial solar window-based installations are described. We also report on achieving electric power outputs of about 25 W_p/m² from clear and transparent large-area glass-based solar windows.

The limitations of investment casting of cobalt-based alloys are claimed to be less problematic with significant improvements in metal additive manufacturing by selective laser melting (SLM). Despite these advantages, the metallic devices are likely to display mechanical anisotropy in relation to build orientations, which could consequently affect their performance ‘in vivo’. In addition, there are inconclusive evidence concerning the requisite composition and post-processing steps (e.g. heat-treatment to relieve stress) that must be completed prior to the devices being used. In the current paper, we evaluate the microstructure of ternary cobalt-chromium-molybdenum (Co-Cr-Mo) and cobalt-chromium-tungsten (Co-Cr-W) alloys built with Direct Metal Printing and LaserCUSING SLM systems respectively at 0°, 30°, 60° and 90° inclinations (Φ) in as-built (AB) and heat-treated (HT) conditions. The study also examines the tensile properties (Young's modulus, E; yield strength, R_P0.2; elongation at failure, A_t and ultimate tensile strength, R_m), relative density (RD), and micro-hardness (HV5) and macro-hardness (HV20) as relevant physico-mechanical properties of the alloys. Data obtained indicate improved tensile properties and HV values after short and cost-effective heat-treatment cycle of Co-Cr-Mo alloy; however, the process did not homogenize the microstructure of the alloy. Annealing heat-treatment of Co-Cr-W led to significant isotropic characteristics with increased E and A_t (except for Φ = 90º) in contrast to decreased R_P0.2, R_m and HV values, compared to the AB form. Similarly, the interlaced weld-bead structures in AB Co-Cr-W were removed during heat-treatment, which led to a complete recrystallization in the microstructure. Both alloys exhibited defect-free microstructures with RD exceeding 99.5%.

The remaining capacity can only be measured with offline method. This brings great challenge for the online prediction of Li-ion battery’s RUL. A novel online prediction method for Li-ion battery’s RUL was proposed, which is based on multiple health indicators (HIs) and can be derived from the batteries’ historical operation data. Firstly, four indirect HIs were built according to the battery’s operation current, voltage and temperature data respectively. On that basis, a generalized regression neural network (GRNN) was developed to estimate the battery’s remaining capacity, and the non-linear autoregressive approach (NAR) was utilized to predict the battery’s RUL based on the estimated capacity value. Furthermore, to reduce the interference, twice wavelet denoising were performed with different thresholds. A case study is conducted with a NASA battery dataset to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. The result shows that the proposed method can obtain Li-ion batteries’ RUL effectively.

The feasibility of using full ion kinetics, instead of gyrokinetics, in simulating low-frequency Ion-Temperature-Gradient (ITG) instabilities in tokamaks has recently been demonstrated by Sturdevant et al. [Physics of Plasmas 24, 081207 (2017)]. In that work, a variational integrator was developed to integrate the full orbits of ions in toroidal geometry, which proved to be accurate in capturing both the short-time scale cyclotron motion and long time scale drift motion. The present work extends that work in three aspects. First, we implement a relatively simple full orbit integrator, the Boris integrator, and demonstrate that the accuracy of this integrator is also sufficient for simulation of ITG instabilities. Second, the equilibrium magnetic configuration is extended to general toroidal configuration specified numerically, enabling simulation of realistic equilibria reconstructed from tokamak experiments. Third, we extend that work to the nonlinear regime and investigate the nonlinear saturation of ITG instabilities. To verify the new numerical implementation of the orbit integrator and magnetic configuration, the linear electrostatic ITG frequency and growth rate are compared with those given in Sturdevant's work and good agreement is found.

In this paper, we proposed a novel saddle type FinFET (S-FinFET) to effectively solve problems occurring under the capacitor node of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) cell and showed how its structure was superior to conventional S-FinFETs in terms of short channel effect (SCE), subthreshold slope (SS), and gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL). The proposed FinFET exhibited 4 times lower Ioff than modified S-FinFET called RFinFET with more improved DIBL characteristics while minimizing Ion reduction compared to RFinFET. Our results also confirmed that the proposed device showed improved DIBL and Ioff characteristics as gate channel length decreased.

Ag+ pollution is great of harm to the human body and the biology. Therefore, it is an urgent need to develop inexpensive and accurate detection methods. Herein, lignin-derived structural memory carbon nanodots (CSM-dots) with outstanding fluorescence property were fabricated via a green method, which reserve functional and structural units of the precursor molecules. The CSM-dots could specifically bind Ag+, accompanied with a remarkable fluorescence quenching response. This “turn-off” fluorescence behavior was used for Ag+ determination in a linear range of 5-290 μM with the detection limit as low as 500 nM. Furthermore, the finding showed that this sensing nano-platform was successfully used for Ag+ determination in real samples and intracellular imaging, showing great potential in biological and environmental monitoring applications.

Magnetic nanoparticles are met across many biological species ranging from magnetosensitive bacteria, fishes, bees, bats, rats, birds, to humans. They can be both of biogenetic origin and due to environmental contamination, being either in paramagnetic or ferromagnetic state. The energy of such naturally occurring single-domain magnetic nanoparticles can reach up to 10-20 room k_BT in the magnetic field of the Earth, which naturally led to supposition that they can serve as sensory elements in various animals. This work explores within a stochastic modeling framework a fascinating hypothesis of magnetosensitive ion channels with magnetic nanoparticles serving as sensory elements, especially, how realistic it is given a highly dissipative viscoelastic interior of living cells and typical sizes of nanoparticles possibly involved.

Green synthesis offers a superior alternative to traditional methods for producing metal and metal oxide nanoparticles. This approach is not only benign and safe but also cost-effective, scalable, and straightforward, operating under ambient conditions. Notable metals and metal oxide nanoparticles, such as manganese oxides, iron oxides, silver, and gold, have been produced using various bio-reductants derived from plant extracts. These biological agents not only expedite the reduction process but also stabilize the nanoparticles, serving dual roles as reducing and capping agents. This review presents the green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) obtained from biogenic wastes and plant extracts. The green-synthesized nanostructured MnO2 are evaluated as a potential photocatalyst for water treatment and as an electrode material in lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. The green-derived iron oxide nanoparticles are examined as promising antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic agents. Additionally, this review discusses the green synthesis of precious metal nanoparticles, specifically silver (Ag NPs) and gold (Au NPs), highlighting their potential medical applications in areas like antiviral treatments and cancer therapy.

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is an additive manufacturing process employed in many industries, for example for aerospace, automotive and medical applications. In these sectors, mainly nickel-, aluminum- and titanium-based alloys are used. In contrast, the mechanical engineering industry is interested in more wear-resistant steel alloys with higher hardness, both of which can be achieved with a higher carbon content, like in high-speed steels. Since these steels are susceptible to cracking, preheating needs to be applied during processing by LPBF. In a previous study, we applied a base plate preheating temperature of 500 °C for HS6-5-3-8 with 1.3 % carbon content. We were able to manufacture dense (p > 99.9 %) and crack-free parts from HS6-5-3-8 with a hardness > 62 HRC (as built) by LPBF. In this study, we investigate the influence of preheating temperatures up to 600 °C on hardness and microstructure dependent on part height for HS6-5-3-8. The microstructure was studied by light optical microscopy (LOM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The analysis of hardness and microstructure at different part heights is necessary because state-of-the-art preheating systems induce heat only into the base plate. Consequently, parts are subjected to temperature gradients and different heat treatment effects depending on part height during the LPBF process.

Almost all modern inorganic light-emitting diode (LED) designs are based on double heterojunctions (DHJs) whose structure and current injection principle have remained essentially unchanged for decades. Although highly efficient devices based on the DHJ design have been developed and commercialized for energy-efficient general lighting, the conventional DHJ design requires burying the active region (AR) inside a pn-junction. This has hindered the development of emitters utilizing nanostructured ARs located close to device surfaces such as nanowires or surface quantum wells. Modern DHJ III-N LEDs also exhibit resistive losses which arise from the DHJ device geometry. The recently introduced diffusion-driven charge transport (DDCT) emitter design offers a novel way to transport charge carriers to unconventionally placed ARs. In a DDCT device, the AR is located apart from the pn-junction and the charge carriers are injected into the AR by bipolar diffusion. This device design allows the integration of surface ARs to semiconductor LEDs and offers a promising method to reduce resistive losses in high power devices. In this work, we present a review of the recent progress in gallium nitride (GaN) based DDCT devices, and an outlook of potential DDCT has for opto- and microelectronics.

Fluorescent carbon dots (C-dots) were synthesized by one pot hydrothermal treatment of garlic juice at 180 °C for 7h. The as-prepared C-dots with an average diameter of 2.13±0.71 nm can be well dispersed, and show absinthe fluorescence with a quantum yield of 8.9% in water. The C-dots were fully characterized by TEM, XPS, XRD, and FTIR, respectively. Additionally, the as-prepared C-dots reveal nearly nontoxic to SW480 cells and can be used for cell imaging. The water solution of C-dots show sensitivity to pH values and metal ions, and also have a high selectivity to the Hg²⁺ ion among other transition metal ions, and achieve a high sensitive detection with the detection limit of 0.45 μM. The fluorescent C-dots are expected to be useful for the evaluation of mercury ions in environmental water system.

Aiming at the industrial scale development of a Scandium (Sc)-selective leaching process of Bauxite Residue (BR), a sufficiently numerous set of process design aspects has been investigated, by appropriate exploitation of available experimental data. The interpretation of experimental data for Sc leaching yield, with sulfuric acid as the leaching solvent, has shown significant impact from acid feed concentration, mixing residence time, liquid to solids ratio, and times of leachate re-usage onto fresh BR. The thin film diffusion model, as the fundamental theory for leaching, either with constant particle size for selective leaching, or with shrinking particle size for less-, or non-, selective leaching, interprets sufficiently well the relevant experimental data. In both cases, a concept for an unyielding core supplements the basic model. Especially for the selective leaching mild conditions, the simplest model version keeps step with the experiments, since both prove 1^st order kinetics, while especially for the extreme conditions including very low solvent excess, it is proposed a combined conversion rate model with diffusion and chemical reaction inside particles. The maximization of Sc recovery per unit of consumed solvent (i.e., specific recovery) emerged as highly critical for the process economics.

As one of the critical state parameters of the battery management system, lithium battery state of charge (SOC) can provide an essential reference for battery safety management, charge/discharge control, and energy management of electric vehicles. To analyze the application of deep learning in electric vehicle power battery SOC estimation, this study reviewed the technical process, common public datasets, and the neural networks used, structural characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of lithium battery SOC estimation in deep learning method. First, the specific technical processes of the deep learning method for SOC estimation were analyzed, including data collection, data preprocessing, feature engineering, model training, and model evaluation. Secondly, the current commonly and publicly used lithium battery dataset was summarized. Then, the input variables, data sets, errors, and advantages and disadvantages of four types of deep learning methods, were concluded using the structure of neural network used for training as the classification criterion. Finally, the challenges and future development directions of lithium battery SOC estimation in deep learning method were explained.

Vertically aligned Fe, S, and Fe-S doped anatase TiO₂ nanotube arrays are prepared by electrochemical anodization process using an organic electrolyte in which lactic acid is added as an additive. In the electrolyte, nanotube layers of greater length (12 μm) and high order with inner diameter of approx. 90 nm and outer diameter of approx. 170 nm are achieved. Doping of Fe, S, and Fe-S via simple wet impregnation method substituted Ti and O sites with Fe and S, which leads to enhance the rate performance at high discharge current densities. Discharge capacities of TiO₂ tubes increased from 82 mAh g-1 (bare) to 165 mAh g-1 for Fe-S doped TiO₂ at high current densities of 0.3 mAcm-2 after 100 cycles with exceptional capacity retention of 85% after 100 cycles. Owing to the enhancement of thermodynamic and kinetic properties by doping of Fe-S, Li-diffusion increas2ed resulting in remarkable discharge capacities of 143 mAh g-1 and 89 mAh g-1 at a current density of 7.4 mA cm-2 and 19 mA cm-2, respectively.

Voltage-gated Ca²⁺ (Ca_v) channels play pivotal roles in regulating gene transcription, neuronal excitability, and neurotransmitter release. In order to meet the spatial and temporal demands of visual signaling, Ca_v channels exhibit unusual properties in the retina compared to their counterparts in other areas of the nervous system. Here, we review current concepts regarding the specific subtypes of Ca_v channels expressed in the retina, their intrinsic properties and forms of modulation, and how their dysregulation could lead to retinal disease.

This review discusses a broad range of recent advances (2013-2017) of chemical imaging using electrochemical methods, with a particular focus on techniques that have been applied to study cellular processes, or techniques that show promise for use in this field in the future. Non-scanning techniques such as microelectrode arrays (MEAs) offer high time-resolution (< 10 ms) imaging, however at reduced spatial resolution. In contrast, scanning electrochemical probe microscopies (SEPMs) offer higher spatial resolution (as low as a few nm per pixel) imaging, with images collected typically over many minutes. Recent significant research efforts to improve the spatial resolution of SEPMs using nanoscale probes, and to improve the temporal resolution using fast scanning have resulted in movie (multiple frame) imaging with frame rates as low as a few seconds per image. Many SEPM techniques lack chemical specificity or have poor selectivity (defined by the choice of applied potential for redox-active species). This can be improved using multifunctional probes, ion-selective electrodes and tip-integrated biosensors, although additional effort may be required to preserve sensor performance after miniaturization of these probes. We discuss advances to the field of electrochemical imaging, and technological developments which are anticipated to extend the range of processes that can be studied. This includes imaging cellular processes with increased sensor selectivity and at much improved spatiotemporal resolution than has been previously customary.

The transportation sector significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, thus imposing sig-nificant environmental hazards. In response, many nations have begun promoting Electric Vehicles (EVs) as an ecologically sustainable substitute for traditional combustion vehicles. Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs), characterized by their high energy density, extended lifespan, and relatively low self-discharge rate, have become the suitable energy storage system for EVs, advancing the field of sustainable transportation. The decreasing cost of LIB production has primarily driven this progression, realized through a combination of economies of scale, advancements in electrode materials and cell design, and re-finements in manufacturing processes. All these elements collectively contribute to the cost reduc-tion of LIBs. A foreseeable implication of this trend is an expected surge in LIBs that will exhaust their operational lifespan and, consequently, be cast away into the environment. One mitigating strategy for this impending environmental issue involves collecting these spent EV batteries, re-configuring them, and repurposing them for applications with less rigorous weight, performance, and size prerequisites. This approach would not only prolong the utility life of the batteries but also ameliorate their environmental impacts. Nevertheless, second-life batteries are anticipated to exhibit a higher rate of gas evolution, necessitating comprehensive testing and readjustments to ensure safe operation in secondary ap-plications. The regulatory framework encompassing the second-life battery sector still needs to be defined regarding norms, technical standards, and legislation. This paper aims to elucidate the primary regulations and technical standards proposed thus far in the second-life battery marketplace. The results underscore the exigency for neutral evaluative entities, such as universities, research centers, and governmental institutions, to perform an unbi-ased assessment of the second-life battery market. This would pave the way for novel technical standards and legislative measures specifically tailored to this emerging sector.

Objective: Rett syndrome (RTT) is an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in MeCP2, a transcription factor. MeCP2 mutations cause abnormal expression of downstream genes and eventually lead to brain dysfunction. The role of MeCP2 in brain neural development remains unclear. To further elucidate this role, a MeCP2-null rat model was created with the CRISPR/cas9 system. Method: A MeCP2-cas9 vector was constructed and then microinjected into fertilized rat ova in vitro. Two mutations by CRISPR/cas9 were confirmed to cause deletions in exon 2 of MeCP2 via DNA sequencing, and protein expression was measured by Western blotting. Transcriptome data for three brain tissues, the cerebellum, cerebral cortex and hippocampus, were obtained via next-generation sequencing. Results: MeCP2-null rats were successfully obtained, and preliminary analysis showed that the MeCP2-null rats exhibited motor dysfunction and anxious and depressed behaviour. In addition, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the three MeCP2-null brain tissues compared to wild-type rat brain tissues. In the rat cerebellum, 388 downregulated DEGs were mainly involved in the calcium ion signalling pathway and the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway. In the cerebral cortex, 386 upregulated DEGs were primarily involved in intracellular signal transduction, protein phosphorylation and the MAPK signalling pathway. In the hippocampus, the DEGs were related to the MAPK signalling pathway. Conclusion: We constructed a MeCP2-null rat model with unique features with CRISPR/cas9 technology to study RTT and analysed DEGs in three rat brain tissues to highlight potential targets for the development of new medicines.

The structural, electronic and magnetochemical properties of the star-shaped polyoxopalladate [Pd₁₅O₁₀(SeO₃)₁₀]¹⁰⁻ (POPd) and its lanthanide functionalized derivatives have been investigated on the basis of density functional theory followed by a ligand field analysis using the Radial Effective Charge (REC) model. Our study predicts that heteroPOPd is a robust cryptand that enforces D_5h symmetry around the encapsulated Ln³⁺ centers. This rigid coordination environment favors interesting potential magnetic behavior in the Er and Ho derivatives, which may be of interest for molecular spintronics and quantum computing applications.

Acute ischemic strokes are the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of neurological disability worldwide. The oxygen and glucose deprivation associated with ischemic strokes not only leads to neuronal cell death, but also increases the inflammatory response and decreases functional output of the brain. The only intervention approved by US Federal Drug and Food Administration for treatment of ischemic strokes is tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), however, such treatment can only be given within 4.5 hours of the onset of stroke-like symptoms. This narrow time-range limits its application, and it also might induce detrimental rather than beneficial effects to stroke patients by treatment of the tPA. In order to reduce the infarct volume of an acute ischemic stroke while increasing the time period for treatment, emerging therapies reveal great potential by targeting inflammation, growth factors, ion channels, and neurotransmitter receptors with monoclonal antibody (MAB). With successfully application in the treatment of cancer patient by MAB, in this review, we will focus on recent advances on stroke therapy by using MAB on the treatment of stroke by targeting inflammation, growth factors, ion channels, and neurotransmitter receptors. Therefore, developing specific MAB targeting the signaling pathway of stroke will contribute to stroke therapy.

A study has been carried out on Ta and Nb recovery by liquid-liquid extraction process using 4-methylacetophenone (4-MAcPh) as organic phase. The 4-MAcPh was compared to methylisobutylketone (MIBK) with respect to extraction efficiencies (kD values) at different concentrations of H2SO4 in the aqueous phase. The results showed a similar extraction of Nb for both solvents. However, for Ta extraction efficiency is increased by a factor of 1.3 for 4-MAcPh. In addition, the MIBK solubilized completely after 6 mol L-1 of H2SO4 against only a loss of 0.14 to 4% for 4-MAcPh between 6 and 9 mol L-1 of H2SO4. The potential of 4-MAcPh has also been studied to selectively recover Ta from a model capacitor waste solution. The results showed a selectivity for Ta in the presence of impurities such as Fe, Ni, Mn. The 4-MAcPh also presents the advantage of having physicochemical properties adapted to its use in liquid-liquid extraction technologies such as mixer-settlers.

Various types of electroconductive additives were evaluated for high C-rate capability in an attempt to extend practical application of high-areal-capacity lithium–sulfur batteries that employ an aluminum-foam current collector. Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were found to be the most effective additive, with the ability to attain a high-sulfur-loading of 40 mg cm−2. A CNF-containing cell exhibited gravimetric capacities of 1094 and 758 mAh gsulfur−1 (46.8 and 32.4 mAh cm−2) at 0.05 and 0.1 C-rate, respectively, in an ether-based electrolyte. Because a CNF-containing slurry exhibits low viscosity even at a high solid ratio, it could be filled into the aluminum foam. Additionally, a lithium–sulfur battery with high-sulfur-loading had an energy density of ~120 Wh kg−1, a value that was calculated from the weight of the components of the cathode, anode, current collectors, electrolyte, and separator. Assuming that the amount of electrolyte decreases and that the energy density of cells accumulate, a theoretical energy density of 522 Wh kg−1 was estimated. Moreover, it was found that even if a high-areal-capacity was achieved, the discharge capacity converged at a high C-rate, unless there was an improvement in ion diffusion in the bulk electrolyte. This is considered a limitation of sulfur cathodes with high-sulfur-loading.

Temperature field is an essential attribute of metal additive manufacturing in view of its bearings on the prediction, control, and optimization of residual stress, part distortion, fatigue, balling effect, etc. This work provides an analytical physics-based approach to investigate the effect of scan strategy parameters including time delay between two irradiations and hatching space on thermal material properties and melt pool geometry. This approach is performed through the analysis of the distribution of material properties and temperature profile in three-dimensional space. The moving point heat source approach is used to predict the temperature field. To predict the temperature field during the additive manufacturing process some important phenomena are considered. 1) Due to the high magnitude of temperature in the presence of the laser, the temperature gradient is usually high which has a crucial influence on thermal material properties. Consequently, the thermal material properties of stainless steel grade 316L are considered to be temperature-dependent. 2) Due to the repeated heating and cooling, part usually undergoes several melting and solidification cycles. This physical phenomenon is considered by modifying the heat capacity using the latent heat of melting. 3) The multi-layer aspect of metal AM process is considered by incorporating the temperature history from the previous layer since the interaction of the successive layers has an impact on heat transfer mechanisms. 4) Effect of heat affected zone on thermal material properties is considered by the superposition of material properties in regions where the temperature fields of two consecutive irradiations have an overlap since the consecutive irradiations change the behavior of the material properties. The goals are to 1) investigate the effects of temperature-sensitive material properties and constant material properties on the temperature field. 2) Study the behavior of thermal material properties under different scan strategies. 3) Study the importance of considering the effect of heat affected zone on thermal material through the prediction of melt pool geometry. 4) Investigate the effect of hatching space on melt pool geometry. This work is purely employed physics-based analytical models to predict the behavior of material properties and temperature field under different process conditions, and no finite element modeling is used.

We investigate the ammonium removal abilities of natural and synthetic zeolites, which have distinct Si/Al ratios and various surface areas, to study how adsorption and ion-exchange processes in zeolites perform under different ammonium concentrations and different temperatures. Five zeolites including natural mordenite, chabazite, erionite, clinoptilolite and synthetic merlinoite were immersed in 20 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg ammonium solutions. The results demonstrate that zeolites under high ammonium concentrations (100 mg/kg) possess higher physical adsorption capacity (0.398–0.468 meq/g), whereas those under lower ammonium concentrations (20 mg/kg) possess greater ion-exchange property (64–99%). The ion-exchange ability of zeolites are extremely dependent on the cation content of the zeolites, and the cation content is affected by the Si/Al ratio. The surface area of zeolites also has a partial influence on its physical adsorption ability. When the surface area is less than 100 m²/g, the adsorption ability of zeolite increases obviously with surface area; however, adsorption ability is saturated as the surface area becomes larger than this critical value of 100 m²/g. When we carried out the zeolites in 50 mg/kg ammonium concentration at different temperatures (5~50 ℃), we found that zeolites exhibit the highest ammonium removal ability at 30°C and the potassium release was enhanced at 30~40 ℃.

We have proposed a data-driven approach for designing mesoscale porous structures of Li-ion battery electrode with three-dimensional virtual structures and machine learning techniques. Over 2,000 artificial 3D structures assuming positive electrode composed of random packed spheres as active material particles are generated, and charge/discharge resistance has been evaluated using simplified Physico-chemical model. In this model, resistance from Li diffusion in active material particles (diffusion resistance), transfer resistance of Li+ in electrolyte (electrolyte resistance) and reaction resistance on the interface between active material and electrolyte are simulated based on mass balance of Li, Ohm’s law in and linearized Butler-Volmer equation, respectively. Using these simulation results, regression models via Artificial Neural Network (ANN) have been created in order to predict charge/discharge resistance from porous structure features. In this study, porosity, active material particle size and volume fraction, pressure in the compaction process, electrolyte conductivity, and binder volume fraction are adopted as features, associated with controllable process parameters for manufacturing battery electrode. As results, the predicted electrode resistance by ANN regression model is good agreement with the simulated values. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis and optimization of the process parameters have been carried out. The proposed data-driven approach could be a solution as a guiding principle for manufacturing battery electrode.

This study refers to the optimization of a Selective Solar Absorber to improve the Sun-to-thermal conversion efficiency at mid temperatures in high vacuum flat thermal collectors. Efficiency has been evaluated by using analytical formula and a numerical thermal model. Both results have been experimentally validated using a commercial absorber in a custom experimental set-up. The optimization procedure aimed at obtaining Selective Solar Absorber is presented and discussed in the case of a metal dielectric multilayer based on Cr2O3 and Ti. The importance of adopting a real spectral emissivity curve to estimate high thermal efficiency at high temperatures in selective solar absorber is outlined. Optimized absorber multilayers can be 8% more efficient than the commercial alternative at 250 °C operating temperatures and up to 27% more efficient at 300 °C. Once the multilayer has been optimized the choice of a very low emissivity substrate such as copper allows to further improve efficiency and to reach stagnation temperature higher than 400 °C without Sun concentration.

In order to understand the evolution of multicellularity, we must understand how and why selection favors the first steps in this process: the evolution of simple multicellular groups. Multicellularity has evolved many times in independent lineages with fundamentally different ecologies, yet no work has yet systematically examined these diverse selective drivers. Here we review recent developments in systematics, comparative biology, paleontology, synthetic biology, theory, and experimental evolution, highlighting ten selective drivers of simple multicellularity. Our survey highlights the many ecological opportunities available for simple multicellularity, and stresses the need for additional work examining how these first steps impact the subsequent evolution of complex multicellularity.

Industries that rely on additive manufacturing of metallic elements, especially biomedical companies, require material science-based knowledge of how process parameters and methods affect element properties, but such phenomena are incompletely understood. In this study, we investigated the influence of selective laser melting (SLM) process parameters and additional heat treatment on mechanical properties. The research included structural analysis of residual stress, microstructure, and scleronomic hardness in low-depth measurements. Tensile tests with element deformation analysis using digital image correlation (DIC) were performed as well. Experiment results showed it was possible to observe the porosity growth mechanism and its influence on material strength. Elements manufactured with 20% lower energy density had almost half the elongation, which was directly connected with porosity growth during energy density reduction. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) treatment allowed for a significant reduction of porosity and helped achieve properties similar to elements manufactured using different levels of energy density.

The dopamine D3 receptor is an important CNS target for the treatment of a variety of neurological diseases. Selective dopamine D3 receptor antagonists modulate the improvement of psychostimulant addiction and relapse. In this study, five and six featured pharmacophore models of D3R antagonists were generated and evaluated with the post-hoc score combining two survival scores of active and inactive. Among Top 10 models, APRRR215 and AHPRRR104 were chosen based on the coefficient of determination (APRRR215: R2training = 0.80; AHPRRR104: R2training = 0.82) and predictability (APRRR215: Q2test = 0.73, R2predictive = 0.82; AHPRRR104: Q2test = 0.86, R2predictive = 0.74) of their 3D-quantitative structure–activity relationship models. Pharmacophore-based virtual screening of a large compound library from eMolecules (> 3 million compounds) using two optimal models expedited the search process 100-fold speed increase compared to the docking-based screening (HTVS scoring function in Glide) and identified a series of hit compounds having promising novel scaffolds. After the screening, docking scores, as an adjuvant predictor, were added to two fitness scores (from the pharmacophore models) and predicted Ki (from PLSs of the QSAR models) to improve accuracy. Final selection of the most promising hit compounds were also evaluated for CNS-like properties as well as expected D3R antagonism.

A study is reported on the electrochemical alloying-dealloying properties of Mg₂Sn intermetallic compounds. ¹¹⁹Sn Mössbauer spectra of β-Sn powder, thermally alloyed cubic-Mg₂Sn and an intermediate MgSn nominal composition are used as references. The discharge of a Mg/micro-Sn half-cell led to significant changes in spectra line shape that are explained by a multiphase mechanism involving the coexistence of c-Mg₂Sn, distorted Mg_2-δSn and Mg-doped β-Sn. Capacities and capacity retention were improved by using nanoparticulate tin electrodes. This material reduces significantly the diffusion lengths for magnesium and contains surface SnO and SnO₂, which are partially electroactive. The half-cell potentials were suitable to be combined versus MgMn₂O₄ cathodes. Energy density and cycling properties of the resulting full Mg-ion cells are also scrutinized.

Plasma treatment of soft polymers is the promising technique to improve biomedical properties. The response to the deformation of such materials is not yet clear. Soft elastic polyurethane treated with plasma immersion ion implantation is subjected to fatigue uniaxial loading (50000 cycles, frequency – 1 Hz, strain amplitude – 10, 20, 40%). The influence of the strain amplitude and the plasma treatment regime on damage character is discussed. Surface defects are studied in unloaded and stretched states of the material. As a result of fatigue loading, transverse cracks (with closed overlapping edges as well as with open edges deeply propagating into the polymer) and longitudinal folds which are break and bend inward, appear on the surface. Hard edges of cracks cut the soft polymer which is squeezed from the bulk to the surface.

At different heat treatment temperatures, the hardness and flexural strength of M2 high-speed steel selective laser melting (SLM) parts show mixed trends. When the heat treatment temperature is 260°C, the hardness and flexural strength of the M2 high-speed steel SLM part are decreased, but the hardness difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the M2 high-speed steel SLM part is also reduced. When the heat treatment temperature is 560°C, the hardness and flexural strength of the M2 high-speed steel SLM part are almost close to that of the original M2 high-speed steel SLM part, and the performance gradient in the sample is improved, and the overall structure is uniform. When the subsequent heat treatment temperature is 860 °C, the hardness of the SLM parts reaches a minimum, with an average value of 24 HRC. However, the flexural strength exceeds that of the original SLM parts. Moreover, the microstructure of the sample is uniform, which significantly improves the anisotropy of performance.

Immobilized metal ion affinity adsorbents have been widely used in separation technique to purify proteins. Due to the leakage of metal ion from the adsorbents, there is no metal ion affinity adsorbent for hemoperfusion has been applied to clinical trial. In this study, in order to prevent the leakage of Zn²⁺ loaded from cellulose beads based adsorbent, improve its stability and adsorption capacity for testosterone, Freeze-drying method was used to enhance the porosity of cellulose beads, improve the surface area of the cellulose beads and adsorption capacity for testosterone. Chitosan was used to coat the adsorbents for preventing the leakage of Zn²⁺ loaded and improve the adsorbent’s stability. Moreover, the factors affecting adsorption ability and some components in plasma were also investigated. The results indicate the adsorption ability of the adsorbent can be significantly improved by freeze-drying. After the adsorbent was coated with 0.02% chitosan solution, the highest adsorption percentage reached 48%. During adsorption, the Zn²⁺ concentration in plasma did not rise. In addition, the adsorption percentage for total proteins was below 15%. The results may be caused by the pore size and surface area of the adsorbent enlarged via freeze-drying, and the chitosan solution went into the pores and coated the outer and inner surface of the adsorbent. The adsorbent has a potential clinical application to remove testosterone in patients with recurrent and metastatic prostate cancer.

Molluscan aquaculture is a major contributor to global seafood production, but is hampered by infectious disease outbreaks which can cause serious economic losses. Selective breeding has been widely used to improve disease resistance in major agricultural and aquaculture species, and has clear potential in molluscs, albeit its commercial application remains at a formative stage. Advances in genomic technologies, especially development of cost-efficient genomic selection, have potential to accelerate genetic improvement. However, tailored approaches are required due to the distinctive reproductive and lifecycle characteristics of molluscan species. Transgenesis and genome editing, in particular CRISPR/Cas systems, have been successfully trialled in molluscs, and may further understanding and improvement of genetic resistance to disease through targeted changes to the host genome. Whole organism genome editing is achievable on a much greater scale compared to other farmed species, making genome-wide CRISPR screening approaches plausible. This review discusses the current state and future potential of selective breeding, genomic tools, and genome editing approaches to understand and improve host resistance to infectious disease in molluscs.

A new type of gold nanoparticles was synthesized by using benzoyl pyrazolone as a capping agent. The synthesized AuNPs exhibited a spherical shape and a monodisperse and fluorescence emission characteristic peak at 650 nm. The AuNPs –BMPBP was demonstrated as sensitive and selective fluorescent chemosensor for detection of Al ³⁺ ion. In the presence of Al ³⁺ ion, the fluorescent emission of BMPBP-AuNPs at 650 nm, increased with an increasing concentration of Al ³⁺ ion with a low detection limit (2 µM), the proposed method provided to apply determination of Al ³⁺ ion of tap water with satisfactory results.

In this paper, a new anode environmentally friendly for hydrogen production was developed based on 430 stainless steel with an electrodeposited cobalt layer. The novelty of this work is the cobalt source once the electrodeposition bath was obtained from recycling of spent Li-ion batteries cathode with composition LiCoO₂. The electrodeposited cobalt behaves as supercapacitor in KOH 1M. In the linear voltammetry in KOH 1M, when the overpotential reaches 370 mV, the anodic density current for 430 SS/Co is 19 mA cm⁻². Thus, the anode developed in this paper achieves the double of density current with half of production cost if compared with 316SS. Moreover the anode construction described in this paper is an excellent option for Li- ion battery recycling.

Additive manufacturing (AM) offers customization of microstructure and mechanical properties of fabricated components according to the material selected, and process parameters applied. Selective laser melting (SLM) is the commonly used technique for processing high strength aluminum alloys. Selection of SLM process parameters could control the microstructure of parts and their mechanical properties. However, the process parameters limit and defects obtained inside the as-built parts present obstacles to customized part production. This study investigates the influence of SLM process parameters on the quality of as-built Al6061 and AlSi10Mg parts according to the mutual connection between the microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties. The microstructure of both materials was characterized for different parts processed over a wide range of SLM process parameters. The optimized SLM parameters were investigated to eliminate the internal microstructure defects. The behaviour of mechanical properties of parts was presented through regression models generated from the design of experiment (DOE) analysis for the results of hardness, ultimate tensile strength, and yield strength. A comparison between the results obtained and that reported in the literature is presented to illustrate the influence of process parameters, build environment, and powder characteristics on the quality of parts produced. The results obtained from this study could help to customize the part’s quality by satisfying their design requirements in addition to reducing the as-built defects which in turn reduce the amount of the post-processing needed.

The corrosion morphology in grade 2205 duplex stainless steel wire has been studied to understand the nature of pitting and the causes of the ferrite phase's selective corrosion in acidic NaCl solution. It is shown that the corrosion mechanism is always pitting, which either manifests lacy cover perforation or densely-arrayed selective cavities developing on the ferrite phase. Pits with a lacy metal cover form in concentrated chloride solutions, whereas the ferrite phase's selective corrosion develops in diluted electrolytes, showing dependency on the chloride-ion concentration. The pit perforation is probabilistic and occurs on both austenite and ferrite grains. The lacy metal covers collapse in concentrated solutions but remain intact in diluted electrolytes. The collapse of the lacy metal cover happens due to hydrogen embrittlement. Pit evolution is deterministic and occurs selectively in the ferrite phase in light chloride solutions.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived membranous particles secreted by all cell types into the extracellular milieu. EVs carry, protect, and transport a wide array of bioactive cargoes to recipient/target cells. EVs regulate physiological and pathophysiological processes in recipient cells and are important in therapeutics/drug delivery. Despite these great attributes of EVs, an efficient protocol for EV separation from biofluids is lacking. Numerous techniques have been adapted for the separation of EVs with size exclusion chromatography (SEC)-based methods being the most promising. Here, we review the SEC protocols used for EV separation, and discuss opportunities for significant improvements, such as the development of novel particle purification liquid chromatography (PPLC) system capable of tandem purification and characterization of biological and synthetic particles with near-single vesicle resolution. Finally, we identify future perspectives and current issues to make PPLC a tool capable of providing a unified, automated, adaptable, yet simple and affordable particle separation resource.

Ecological and environmental damage caused by oil spillage has attracted great attention. Used cigarette filter (CF) has also caused negative environmental consequences. Converting CF to economical materials is a feasible way to address these problems. In this study, we demonstrate a simple method for production of a highly hydrophobic absorbent from CF. CF was modified by using different volume ratios of octadecyltrichlorosilane and methyltrimethoxysilane. When the volume ratio was 3:2, the modified CF had the high water contact angle of 155°. It could selectively and completely absorb silicone oil from an oil-water mixture and showed a good absorption capacity of 38.3 g/g. The absorbed oil was readily and rapidly recovered by simple mechanical squeezing, and it could be reused immediately without any additional treatments. The as-obtained superhydrophobic modified CF retained an absorption capacity of 80% for pump oil and 82% for silicone oil after 10 cycles. The modified CF showed good elasticity in the test of repeated use. The present study provides novel design of a functional material for development of hydrophobic absorbents from used CF via a facile method toward oil spillage cleanup as well as a new recycling method of CF to alleviate the environmental impact.

The blue sepal color of hydrangea is due to a metal complex anthocyanin composed of 3-O-glucosyldelphinidin (1) and an aluminum ion with the co-pigments 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (2) and/or 5-O-p-coumaroylquinic acid (3). The three components, namely, anthocyanin, Al³⁺ and 5-O-acylquinic acids, are essential for blue color development, but the complex is unstable and only exists in aqueous solution. Furthermore, the complex did not give analyzable NMR spectra or crystals. Therefore, many trials to determine the detailed chemical structure of the hydrangea-blue complex have failed to date. Instead, via experiments mixing 1, Al³⁺ and 2 or 3 in a buffered solution at pH 4.0, we obtained the same blue solution derived from the sepals. However, the ratio was not stoichiometric but fluctuated. To determine the composition of the complex, we tried direct observation of the molecular ion of the complex using electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry. In a very low-concentration buffer solution (2.0 mM) at pH 4.0, we reproduced the hydrangea-blue color by mixing 1, 2 and Al³⁺ in ratios of 1:1:1, 1:2:1 and 1:3:1. All solution gave the same molecular ion peak at m/z = 843, indicating that the blue solution has a ratio of 1:1:1 for the complex. By using 3, the observed mass number was m/z = 827 and the ratio of 1, 3 and Al³⁺ was also 1:1:1. A mixture of 1, 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid (4) and Al³⁺ did not give any blue color but instead was purple, and the intensity of the molecular ion peak at m/z = 843 was very low. These results strongly indicate that the hydrangea blue-complex is composed of a ratio of 1:1:1 for 1, Al³⁺ and 2 or 3.

A brand-new approach to the understanding of breast cancer (BC) is urgently needed. In this contribution, the etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of this disease is approached from the new pH-centric anticancer paradigm. Only this Unitarian perspective based upon that the hydrogen ion (H+) dynamics of cancer, allows understanding and integrating the many dualisms, confusions, and paradoxes of the disease. The new H+-related wide range model can embrace under a unique frame of mind the many aspects of the disease and at the same time therapeutically interfere with most, if not with all, the hallmarks of cancer known to date. The pH-related armamentarium available for the treatment of BC here reviewed may be beneficial for all types and stages of the disease. In this vein, we have attempted a mega synthesis of traditional and new knowledge in the different areas of breast cancer research and treatment based upon the wide range approach afforded by the hydrogen ion dynamics of cancer. The concerted utilization of a pH-related drugs nowadays available for the treatment of breast cancer is advanced.

In this study, literature on pore structure and chloride ion diffusivity was collected to investigate the correlation of pore structure indicators with diffusivity. Good correlation between total porosity and chloride ion diffusivity was found when the samples did not contain admixture materials and diffusion test was conducted without acceleration. Pore diameter indicators did not correlate with diffusivity. The diffusivity of cement paste was reduced by admixture materials compared to that without admixture materials even if the total porosity is the same. On the other hand, the diffusivity of concrete was not reduced by admixture materials.

Li3FeN2 material was synthesized by two-step solid-state method from Li3N (adiabatic camera) and FeN2 (tube furnace) powders. Phase investigation of Li3N, FeN2 and Li3FeN2 were carried out. Discharge capacity of Li3FeN2 is 343 mAh g-1, that is about 44.7% of theoretic capacity. The molar heat capacity of Li3FeN2 at constant pressure in the temperature range 298-900 K should be calculated as Cp,m = 77,831 + 0,130 × T – 6,289 × T-2, where T is absolute temperature, . Thermodynamic characteristics of Li3FeN2 were determined as next: entropy S0298 = 116.2 J mol-1 K-1, molar enthalpy of dissolution ΔdHLFN = ˗ 206,537 ± 2,8 kJ mol−1, the standard enthalpy of formation ΔfH0 = ˗ 291.331 ± 5.7 kJ mol−1, entropy S0298 = 113.2 J mol-1 K-1 (Neumann-Kopp rule) and 116.2 J mol-1 K-1 (W.Herz rule), the standard Gibbs free energy of formation ∆f G0298 = ˗276,7 kJ mol-1.

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed on a set of 260 lines which belong to three different bi-parental flax mapping populations. These lines were sequenced to an averaged genome coverage of 19× using the Illumina Hi-Seq platform. Phenotypic data for 11 seed yield and oil quality traits were collected in eight year/location environments. A total of 17,288 single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified, which explained more than 80% of the phenotypic variation for days to maturity (DTM), iodine value (IOD), palmitic (PAL), stearic, linoleic (LIO) and linolenic (LIN) acid contents. Twenty-three unique genomic regions associated with 33 QTL for the studied traits were detected, thereby validating four genomic regions previously identified. The 33 QTL explained 48-73% of the phenotypic variation for oil content, IOD, PAL, LIO and LIN but only 8-14% for plant height, DTM and seed yield. A genome-wide selective sweep scan for selection signatures detected 114 genomic regions that accounted for 7.82% of the flax pseudomolecule and overlapped with the 11 GWAS-detected genomic regions associated with 18 QTL for 11 traits. The results demonstrate the utility of GWAS combined with selection signatures for dissection of the genetic structure of traits and for pinpointing genomic regions for breeding improvement.

Selective laser melting (SLM) is a commonly used laser powder bed technique where the final properties are influenced by many different powder related properties, such as particle size distribution, chemical composition and flowability. In applications where high hardness, wear resistance, strength and good heat properties are required, high speed steels (HSS) are widely used today. HSS has high carbon content and are therefore considered as unweldable. The rapidly growing implementation of AM technologies has led to a growing range of new applications and demands for new alloys and properties. The interest in being able to manufacture HSS by SLM without cracking is therefore increasing. In SLM, it is possible to preheat the base plate to a few hundred degrees Celsius which has been used for HSS and proved successful due to reduced thermal gradients. In this study, the properties of SLM produced high speed steel PEARL Micro®2012 with a carbon content of 0.61 wt.-% have been investigated and compared to those of a forged and rolled PM-HIP counterpart ASP®2012.

In the present work, doped ZnO (ZnO:Al) thin film has been grown on Silicon (Si) substrate by DC sputtering. The obtained thickness of the film is 230 ± 5 nm. The films were subjected to swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation 120 MeV, Ag⁹⁺ with different fluences ranging from 3 × 10¹¹ to 3 × 10¹³ ions/cm². To study the impact of SHI, both pristine and irradiated samples were characterized to obtain the structural, surface morphological and electrical properties using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and hall effect measurement system respectively. From XRD results it is observed that there is change in crystallinity of the film with increase in irradiation fluence. The surface morphological studies through AFM shows the increase in surface roughness with increase in fluence. A significant change is also observed in electrical parameters viz conductivity, mobility and carrier concentration. Conductivity, mobility and carrier concentration decreases with increasing fluence.

In this report we have discussed the important role of molecular modeling, especially the use of the molecular dynamics method, in investigating transport processes in nanoporous materials such as membranes. With the availability of high performance computers, molecular modeling can now be used to study rather complex systems at a fraction of the cost or time requirements of experimental studies. Molecular modeling techniques have the advantage of being able to access spatial and temporal resolution which are difficult to reach in experimental studies. For example, sub-Angstrom level spatial resolution is very accessible as is sub-femtosecond temporal resolution. Due to these advantages, simulation can play two important roles: Firstly because of the increased spatial and temporal resolution, it can help understand phenomena not well understood. As an example, we discuss the study of reverse osmosis processes. Before simulations were used it was thought the separation of water from salt was purely a coulombic phenomenon. However, by applying molecular simulation techniques, it was clearly demonstrated that the solvation of ions made the separation in effect a steric separation and it was the flux which was strongly affected by the coulombic interactions between water and the membrane surface. Additionally, because of their relatively low cost and quick turnaround (by using multiple processor systems now increasingly available) simulations can be a useful screening tool to identify membranes for a potential application. To this end, we have described our studies in determining the most suitable zeolite membrane for redox flow battery applications. As computing facilities become more widely available and new computational methods are developed, we believe molecular modeling will become a key tool in the study of transport processes in nanoporous materials.

Novel multifunctional fluorescent chemosensors composed of electrospun (ES) nanofibers with high sensitivity toward pH, mercury ions (Hg²⁺), and temperature were prepared from poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide-co-N-methylolacrylamide-co-rhodamine derivative) (poly(NIPAAm-co-NMA-co-RhBN2AM)) by employing electrospinning process. NIPAAm and NMA moieties provide hydrophilic and thermo-responsive properties (absorption of Hg²⁺ in aqueous solutions), and chemical cross-linking sites (stabilization of the fibrous structure in aqueous solutions), respectively. The fluorescent probe, RhBN2AM is highly sensitive toward pH and Hg²⁺. Synthesis of poly(NIPAAm-co-NMA-co-RhBN2AM) with different compositions were carried on via free-radical polymerization. ES nanofibers prepared from sensory copolymers with a 71.1:28.4:0.5 NIPAAm: NMA: RhBN2AM ratio (P3 ES nanofibers) exhibited significant color change from nonfluorescent to red fluorescence while sensing pH or Hg²⁺, and high reversibility of on/off switchable fluorescence emission when Hg²⁺ and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) were sequentially added. The P3 ES nanofibrous membranes had a higher surface-to-volume ratio to enhance their performance than did the corresponding thin films. In addition, the fluorescence emission of P3 ES nanofibrous membranes exhibited second enhancement above the lower critical solution temperature. Thus, the ES nanofibrous membranes prepared from P3 with on/off switchable capacity and thermo-responsive characteristics can be used as multifunctional sensory devise for specific heavy transition metal (HTM) in aqueous solutions.

We report a self-assembly synthesis of silicon nanoparticles/nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide/ carbon nanofiber (Si@N-doped rGO/CNF) composites as potential high-performance anodes for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIB) through the electrostatic attraction between amino and carboxyl groups. Nitrogen atoms generate a large number of vacancies or defects on the graphite plane, providing additional transmission channels for the diffusion of lithium ions, and improving the conductivity of the electrode. Carbon nanofiber (CNF) can help maintain the stability of the electrode structure and prevent silicon nanoparticles from falling off the electrode, prevent silicon nanoparticles from being directly exposed to the electrolyte, and can form a stable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film. The three-dimensional conductive structure composed of Si, nitrogen atom-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-doped rGO), and CNF can effectively buffer the volume changes of silicon nanoparticles, shorten the transmission distance of lithium ions (Li+) and electrons, and make the electrode have good conductivity and stability in mechanical properties. In addition, compared with the Si@N-doped rGO and Si/rGO/CNF composite electrode, the Si@N-doped rGO/CNF composite electrode shows good cycle performance and rate capability, and its reversible specific capacity can reach 1418.8 mAh/g. The capacity retention rate is 64.7%, and the coulomb efficiency is 95%.

Sodium substitution Li1-xNaxMn2O4 cathodes were synthesized by a solid-state reaction method. The morphologies and crystal structures of Li1-xNaxMn2O4 were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. All Li1-xNaxMn2O4 samples exhibited a single phase LiMn2O4 spinel structure with good crystallinity. The effect of Na+ ions on the electrochemical performance of Li1-xNaxMn2O4 was investigated by galvanostatic charge-discharge test. The results showed that lithium substituted by sodium deteriorated its capacity retention but enhance its discharge capacity when it worked at large current densities. The initial discharge capacity was 114.2 mAh/g for Li0.94Na0.06Mn2O4, and 93.1 mAh/g remained after 300 cycles at a current density of 2220 mA/g in the voltage range 3.0–4.3 V at room temperature.

Membrane transporters (MTs) are mainly localized at the plasma membrane (PM), tonoplast and vacuolar membrane (VM) of cells in all plant organs. Their work is to maintain the cellular homeostasis by controlling ionic movements across PM channels from roots to upper plant parts, xylem loading and remobilization of sugar molecules from photosynthesis tissues in the leaf (source) to roots, stem and seeds (sink) via phloem loading. The plant’s whole source-to-sink relationship is regulated by multiple transporting proteins in a highly sophisticated manner and driven based on different stages of plant growth and development (PG&D), and environmental changes. The MTs play a pivotal role in PG&D in terms of increased plant height, branches/tiller numbers, enhanced numbers, length and filled panicles per plant, seed yield and grain quality. Dynamic climatic changes disturbed the ionic balance (salt, drought and heavy metals) and sugar supply (cold and heat stress). Due to poor selectivity, some of the MTs also uptake toxic elements in the roots that negatively impact on PG&D, later on also exported to upper parts and then deteriorate the grain quality. As an adaptive strategy, in response to salt and HMs plants activated PM and VM localized MTs that export toxic elements into vacuole, and also translocate in the root’s tips and shoot. However, in case of drought, cold and heat stresses, MTs increased the water and sugar supply to all organs. In this review, we mainly reviewed recent literature from Arabidopsis, halophytes, and major field crops such as rice, wheat, maize and oilseed rape to argue on the global role of MTs in PG&D and abiotic stress tolerance. We also discussed the gene expression level changes and genomic variations within a species as well as within a family in response to developmental and environmental cues.

Sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC) develops through distinct molecular events. Loss of 18q chromosome is a conspicuous event in the progression of adenoma to carcinoma. There is limited information regarding the molecular effectors of this event. Earlier, we had reported ATP8B1 as a novel gene associated with CRC. ATP8B1 belongs to the family of P-type ATPases (P4 ATPase) that primarily function to facilitate the translocation of phospholipids. In this study, we attempt to implicate ATP8B1 gene located on chromosome 18q as a tumor suppressor gene. We studied indigenous patient data and confirmed the reduced expression of ATP8B1 in tumor samples. CRC cell lines were engineered with reduced and enhanced levels of ATP8B1 which provided a tool to study its role on cancer progression. Forced reduction of ATP8B1 expression either by CRISPR/Cas9 or shRNA was associated with increased growth and proliferation of CRC cell line - HT29. In contrast, overexpression of ATP8B1 resulted in reduced growth and proliferation of SW480 cell line. We generated a network of genes that are downstream of ATP8B1. Further, we provide predicted effect of modulation of ATP8B1 levels on this network and possible effect on fatty acid metabolism related genes. These results provide evidence in support of ATP8B1 being a tumor suppressor that may affect fatty acid metabolism in CRC.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are the need of the hour due to growing climate change problems linked with the transportation sector. Battery Thermal Management System (BTMS), which is accountable for certifying safety and performance of lithium-ion batteries (LiB), is the most vital part of an EV. LiB has auspicious gravimetric energy density but the heat generation due to chemical reactions inside a LiB during charging and discharging causes temperature rise which has a direct effect on LiB performance and safety. This study specifically focuses on aircooled BTMS, defines different types of air-cooled BTMS (active and Passive), discusses limitations associated with air-cooled BTMS, and investigates different optimization techniques and parameters to improve performance of air-cooled BTMS. Maintaining temperature within optimum range and uniform temperature distribution between cells of a battery pack are the major design parameters for improving the performance and efficiency of air-cooled BTMS. Various optimization techniques including cell arrangement with a battery pack, air-flow channel optimization, and air inlet/outlet position variations are discussed and each technique is thoroughly reviewed. Finally, it’s noted that passive air-cooled BTMS is not that effective for long-distance vehicles so most researchers shifted their focus toward active air-cooled BTMS. Active air-cooled BTMS requires a lot of power for effective performance. Lastly, the most recent field of air-cooled BTMS technology which is Air-Hybrid BTMS is discussed and declared a very promising solution for overcoming major limitations associated with air-cooled BTMS.

The electrical performance of the back-channel etched Indium–Gallium–Zinc–Oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with copper (Cu) source and drain (S/D) which are patterned by a selective etchant was investigated. The Cu S/D were fabricated on molybdenum (Mo) layer to prevent the Cu diffusion to the active layer (IGZO). We deposited the Cu layer using thermal evaporation and performed the selective wet etching of Cu using non-acidic special etchant without damaging the IGZO active layer. We fabricated the IGZO TFTs and compare the performance in terms of linear and saturation region mobility, threshold voltage and ON current (ION). The IGZO TFTs with Mo/Cu S/D exhibits good electrical properties as the linear region mobility is 12.3 cm2/V-s, saturation region mobility is 11 cm2/V-s, threshold voltage is 1.2 V and ION is 3.16 x 10-6 A. We patterned all the layers by photolithography process. Finally, we introduced SiO2-ESL layer to protect the device from the external influence. The results show that the prevention of Cu and introduced ESL layer enhances the electrical properties of IGZO TFTs.

Selective laser melting is an emerging Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology for metals. Intricate three-dimensional parts can be generated from the powder bed by selectively melting the desired location of the powders. The process is repeated for each layer until the part is built. The necessary heat is provided by a laser. Temperature magnitude and history during SLM directly determine the molten pool dimensions, thermal stress, residual stress, balling effect, and dimensional accuracy. Laser-matter interaction is a crucial physical phenomenon in the SLM process. In this paper, five different heat source models are introduced to predict the three-dimensional temperature field analytically. These models are known as steady state moving point heat source, transient moving point heat source, semi-elliptical moving heat source, double elliptical moving heat source, and uniform moving heat source. The analytical temperature model for all of the heat source models are solved using three-dimensional differential equation of heat conduction with different approaches. The Steady state and transient moving heat source are solved using separation of variables approach. However, the rest of models are solved by employing the Green’s functions. Due to the high magnitude of the temperature in the presence of the laser, the temperature gradient is usually high which has a substantial impact on thermal material properties. Consequently, the temperature field is predicted by considering the temperature sensitivity thermal material properties. Moreover, due to the repeated heating and cooling, the part usually undergoes several melting and solidification cycles, this physical phenomenon is considered by modifying the heat capacity using latent heat of melting. Furthermore, the multi-layer aspect of metal AM process is considered by incorporating the temperature history from the previous layer since the interaction of the layers have an impact on heat transfer mechanisms. The proposed temperature field models based on different heat source approaches are validated using experimental measurement of melt pool geometry from independent experimentations. The detailed explanation of the comparison of models is also provided. Moreover, the effect of process parameters on the balling effect is also discussed.

The state of charge estimation is an important part of the battery management system, the estimation accuracy of which seriously affects the working performance of the lithium ion battery pack. The unscented Kalman filter algorithm has been developed and applied to the iterative calculation process. When it is used to estimate the SOC value, there is a rounding error in the numerical calculation. When the sigma point is sampled in the next round, an imaginary number appears, resulting in the estimation failure. In order to improve the estimation accuracy, an improved adaptive square root - unscented Kalman filter method is introduced which combines the QR decomposition in the calculation process. Meanwhile, an adaptive noise covariance matching method is implied. Experiments show that the proposed method can guarantee the semi-positive and numerical stability of the state covariance, and the estimation accuracy can reach the third-order precision. The error remains about 1.60% under the condition of drastic voltage and current changes. The conclusion of this experiment can provide a theoretical basis of the state of charge estimation in the battery management of the lithium ion battery pack.