Measurement of the current distribution in a direct methanol fuel cell—Confirmation of parallel galvanic and electrolytic operation within one cell

Current production in fuel cells is typically unequally distributed along the cell surface due to inhomogeneous concentration of reactants and temperature. The inhomogeneities in fuel cells can result in reduced output power and accelerated ageing. To quantify the inhomogeneities a measurement system has been developed which allows measuring the local distribution of current and temperature in hydrogen and direct methanol fuel cells. With this system we are able to directly observe the coexistence of galvanic and electrolytic domains in a single channel direct methanol fuel cell (the electrolytic domain is the domain where electrolysis occurs in contrast to the galvanic domain where the fuel cell process takes place). The measurement device also allows for the measurement locally resolved impedance spectra.     

The effect of different platinum concentrations as nucleation agent in the BaO/SrO/ZnO/SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> glass system

The recently reported solid solution of Ba_1?xSr _x Zn₂Si₂O₇ has a similar structure to the high-temperature phase of BaZn₂Si₂O₇ and possesses a coefficient of thermal expansion close to zero or even negative. Without nucleating agents, glasses in this system show solely surface crystallization. In order to stimulate volume crystallization, different quantities of platinum were added to the glass. The characteristic temperatures of the glasses were obtained by differential scanning calorimetry. In order to achieve volume crystallization, a two-step thermal treatment (nucleation and crystal growth) above the glass transition temperature was carried out. The phase identification was performed by X-ray diffraction, and the microstructure was studied by scanning electron microscopy including energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron backscatter diffraction.     

Effects of Lean/Rich Timing and Nature of Reductant on the Performance of a NOx Trap Catalyst

A NO _x trap catalyst was studied in a laboratory reactor under simulated diesel passenger car conditions. The effects of lean/rich duration and the nature of reductant are investigated. At 300°C, the average NO _x conversion decreases with increasing lean duration; conversely the NO _x conversion increases with increasing rich duration. The NO _x conversion at this temperature was found to be a direct function of reaction stoichiometry. That is, the quantity of trapped NO _x under lean conditions must be balanced by the quantity of reductant during the rich trap regeneration step. At extreme temperatures, other factors, reaction kinetics (at lower temperatures) and NO _x storage capacity (at higher temperatures), dominate the NO _x conversion process. Overall, carbon monoxide was found to be the most effective reductant. Hydrocarbon, e.g., C₃H₆, is effective at higher temperatures (T>350°C), while H₂ is more efficient than other reductants at low temperatures (T<200°C). The individual steps of the NO _x conversion process are discussed.     

Perisynaptic Schwann cells of the vertebrate motor endplate bear modified cilia

Perisynaptic Schwann cells (PSCs), descendants of the myelinating Schwann cells, cover the axon terminal of the vertebrate motor endplate of the skeletal muscle fiber. PSCs are assumed to support the function of the axon terminal. This function suggests a net material transport in the direction of the axon terminal. Morphologically it is to be expected that these cells have a cytoskeleton aligned to the axon terminal. Investigations clarifying this statement have not yet been undertaken. From previous investigations we know, however, that the PSCs have a microtubule-organizing center, which is a part of this cytoskeleton. The centrioles of the organizing center may also participate in the formation of a modified cilium structure whose function is unknown. In the present investigation, characteristic ultrastructural features of the modified cilium structure and its relationship to the Golgi apparatus and the axon terminal are presented. A function for the modified cilium structure is discussed.     

Emergency and Resuscitation Emergency Mobile Service--Neuchatel experience

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: We investigated the possible cardiac effects of oxygen addition to contrast media (CM) during coronary arteriography in dogs that did and did not have ischemic heart failure. METHODS: Acute ischemic heart failure was induced by injecting small plastic microspheres into the left coronary artery of 18 dogs. Hemodynamic and electrophysiologic measurements were performed during a single injection before and during heart failure and during a single injection and five rapidly repeated CM injections during heart failure. Iohexol supplemented with electrolytes (iohexol + electrolytes = IPE), oxygenated IPE (IPE+O), Ringer acetate, and oxygenated Ringer acetate were injected into the left coronary artery. RESULTS: Single injections of IPE and IPE+O induced small hemodynamic and electrophysiologic effects. However, repeated injections of IPE and IPE+O increased left ventricular inotropy (maximum value of the first derivative of the left ventricular pressure) by 36% and 39%, reduced heart rate by 7% (for both), and lengthened QTc time (corrected QT interval) by 39 and 38 msec, respectively. A comparison of IPE and IPE+O revealed no statistically significant differences. CONCLUSION: Although electrolyte addition to nonionic CM may reduce the risk of cardiac complications during coronary arteriography, oxygenation does not seem to significantly further reduce this risk.     

Chalcone-Supported Cardiac Mesoderm Induction in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells for Heart Muscle Engineering

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) hold great promise for applications in cell therapy and drug screening in the cardiovascular field. Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) is key for early cardiac mesoderm induction in hPSC and subsequent cardiomyocyte derivation. Small-molecular BMP4 mimetics may help to standardize cardiomyocyte derivation from hPSCs. Based on observations that chalcones can stimulate BMP4 signaling pathways, we hypothesized their utility in cardiac mesoderm induction. To test this, we set up a two-tiered screening strategy, (1) for directed differentiation of hPSCs with commercially available chalcones (4’-hydroxychalcone [4’HC] and Isoliquiritigen) and 24 newly synthesized chalcone derivatives, and (2) a functional screen to assess the propensity of the obtained cardiomyocytes to self-organize into contractile engineered human myocardium (EHM). We identified 4’HC, 4-fluoro-4’-methoxychalcone, and 4-fluoro-4’-hydroxychalcone as similarly effective in cardiac mesoderm induction, but only 4’HC as an effective replacement for BMP4 in the derivation of contractile EHM-forming cardiomyocytes.     

Fiber-Reinforced Ceramic-Matrix Composites with a Polysiloxane/Boron-Derived Matrix

A ceramic matrix for carbon-fiber-reinforced ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs) has been developed from polysiloxane/boron mixtures. Complex geometries can be realized by using standard technologies of fiber-reinforced polymer composites. On pyrolysis, the polymer-filler mixture is converted to a ceramic matrix, consisting of silicon carbide, boron carbide, boron nitride, and a silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) glass, without reacting with the carbon fiber. Because of the large volume increase of the boron filler on nitridation (142 vol%), no multiple reinfiltration of the structure is necessary to achieve a dense matrix. Tensile strength and interlaminar shear strength exhibit maxima at a pyrolysis temperature of 1300°C, where extensive fiber pullout is observed. Thermodynamic calculations have been used to evaluate the theoretical qualitative and quantitative phase compositions at equilibrium. Thermoanalytical (thermogravimetry-mass spectroscopy) and structural analysis (X-ray diffractometry) have shown a satisfying coherence with respect to the condensed phases, whereas deviations have been noted with respect to the composition of the gas phase.     

Generation of discrete first‐ and second‐order sensitivities for single shooting

In this work, an approach to the forward generation of discrete first‐ and second‐order sensitivities is proposed. For this purpose, an algorithm has been developed, which can basically be applied to general implicit differential‐algebraic equation (DAE) systems. Moreover, the approach has been tailored to both the generation of directional derivatives and sensitivities with respect to discontinuous control trajectories. The implementation of the method is discussed here for the orthogonal collocation method based on Legendre–Gauss–Radau points and considering the linear implicit DAE type, which arises in problems related to chemical engineering. Lastly, the approach has been applied to three case studies of different complexities. The corresponding performance for the generation of Jacobian and Hessian information is discussed in detail. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 58: 3110–3122, 2012     

Clinical Phenotype of PDE6B-Associated Retinitis Pigmentosa

In this retrospective, longitudinal, observational cohort study, we investigated the phenotypic and genotypic features of retinitis pigmentosa associated with variants in the PDE6B gene. Patients underwent clinical examination and genetic testing at a single tertiary referral center, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), kinetic visual field (VF), full-field electroretinography, full-field stimulus threshold, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and fundus autofluorescence imaging. The genetic testing comprised candidate gene sequencing, inherited retinal disease gene panel sequencing, whole-genome sequencing, and testing for familial variants by Sanger sequencing. Twenty-four patients with mutations in PDE6B from 21 families were included in the study (mean age at the first visit: 32.1 ± 13.5 years). The majority of variants were putative splicing defects (8/23) and missense (7/23) mutations. Seventy-nine percent (38/48) of eyes had no visual acuity impairment at the first visit. Visual acuity impairment was mild in 4% (2/48), moderate in 13% (6/48), and severe in 4% (2/48). BCVA was symmetrical in the right and left eyes. The kinetic VF measurements were highly symmetrical in the right and left eyes, as was the horizontal ellipsoid zone (EZ) width. Regarding the genetic findings, 43% of the PDE6B variants found in our patients were novel. Thus, this study contributed substantially to the PDE6B mutation spectrum. The visual acuity impairment was mild in 83% of eyes, providing a window of opportunity for investigational new drugs. The EZ width was reduced in all patients and was highly symmetric between the eyes, making it a promising outcome measure. We expect these findings to have implications on the design of future PDE6B-related retinitis pigmentosa (RP) clinical trials.