Heat generation in high power prismatic Li‐ion battery cell with LiMnNiCoO2 cathode material

While in use, battery modules and battery packs generate large amounts of heat, which needs to be accounted for. The main challenge in battery thermal management is the correct estimation of heat generation in the battery cell during charging/discharging. In this paper, a method to calculate accurate heat generation in one individual cell is provided. The heat generation is calculated by measuring the overpotential resistances with four different methods and entropic heat generation in the cell. The effect and contribution of entropic heat generation towards the total heat generation in the cell are also calculated and measured. Finally, calorimeter tests are carried out to compare the calculated and measured heat generation. The results indicate that except for direct current resistance measured by impedance spectroscopy, all the overpotential resistances are very close to each other. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impaired platelet binding of fibrinogen due to a lower number of GPIIB/IIIA receptors in polycythemia vera

We have previously described a stimulus-specific defect in platelet aggregation in polycythaemia vera (PV) after stimulation with surface receptor dependent agonists such as platelet activating factor (PAF). In contrast, responses to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) were normal. We now report that after PAF stimulation, using flow cytometry, the amount of fibrinogen bound to its receptor was significantly lower in PV platelets with a median MFI of 6.0 (range 4.1-17.3) compared to controls, 12.8 (range 8-21.3; n=11; p<0.01). We found no evidence of preactivation of PV platelets. Quantitative analysis of GPIIIa gave a significantly lower number of GPIIIa on resting PV platelets, 14300 subunits of GPIIIa (range 8500-15500) vs. 19800 for controls (range 13400-26800; n=12; p<0.01). Both patients and controls increased their number of receptors on the cell surface after stimulation with PAF and PMA, but the significant difference in the number of receptors per cell remained. Indirect evaluation of PAF receptor function showed that activation of CD 62 did not differ in PV and controls after PAF stimulation. Additionally, although the basal level of serotonin in platelet-rich plasma was significantly lower in PV, there was a threefold increase of the basal level after stimulation with PAF for both PV and control platelets, also indicating a normal interaction of PAF with its receptor. Although our results indicate both an impaired PAF induced aggregation in PV and a lower number of GPIIb/IIIa complexes on single platelets, whether these phenomena are related remains uncertain.     

A mutation of F47 to A in staphylococcus enterotoxin A activates the T-cell receptor Vbeta repertoire in vivo

The bacterial superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) binds with high affinity to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules and subsequently activates T cells bearing particular T-cell receptor (TCR) Vbeta chains. Structural and mutational studies have defined two distinct MHC class II binding sites located in the N-terminal and C-terminal domains of SEA. The N-terminal F47 amino acid is critically involved in a low-affinity interaction to the MHC class II alpha-chain, while the C-terminal residues H187, H225, and D227 coordinate a Zn2+ ion and bind with moderate affinity to the beta-chain. In order to analyze whether the SEA-MHC class II alpha-chain interaction plays a role in dictating the in vivo repertoire of T-cell subsets, we studied distinct Vbeta populations after stimulation with wild-type SEA [SEA(wt)] and SEA with an F47A mutation [SEA(F47A)]. Injections of SEA(wt) in C57BL/6 mice induced cytokine release in serum, strong cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activity, expansion of T-cell subsets, and modulated expression of the T-cell activation antigens CD25, CD11a, CD44, CD62L, and CD69. SEA-reactive TCR Vbeta3+ and Vbeta11+ T cells were activated, while TCR Vbeta8+ T cells remained unaffected. The SEA(F47A) mutant protein induced a weaker T-cell response and failed to induce substantial interleukin-6 production compared to SEA(wt). Notably, SEA(F47A) failed to activate TCR Vbeta11+ T cells, whereas in vivo expansion and modulation of T-cell activation markers on TCR Vbeta3+ T cells were similar to those for SEA(wt). A similar response to SEA(F47A) was seen among CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Activation of TCR Vbeta3+ and TCR Vbeta11+ T-cell hybridomas confirmed that SEA(F47A) activates TCR Vbeta3+ but not TCR Vbeta11+ T cells. The data support the view that the SEA-N-terminal MHC class II alpha-chain interaction defines a topology that is required for engagement of certain TCR Vbeta chains in vivo.     

A new area-specific bio-optical algorithm for the Bay of Biscay and assessment of its potential for SeaWiFS and MODIS/Aqua data merging

Based on a feed-forward and error-back-propagated neural network (NN), a new bio-optical algorithm is developed for the Bay of Biscay. It is designed as a set of NNs individually dedicated to the retrieval of the phytoplankton chlorophyll (chl), and total suspended matter (tsm) from Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aqua data. The retrieved versus in situ measured concentrations of chl and tsm correlation coefficients for chl proved to be ～0.8 (SeaWiFS) and 0.72 (MODIS), and for tsm 0.71 (SeaWiFS) and 0.74 (MODIS). The developed NN-based bio-optical algorithms are employed to assess the compatibility of SeaWiFS and MODIS data on chl and tsm in the coastal zone of the Bay of Biscay (case 2 waters). The value of the ratio between the concentration of chl and tsm derived from the same-day SeaWiFS and MODIS data (the overflight time difference, Δt is ≤2.5 hours) has in most cases values of approximately 1, however, in specific cases it varies appreciably. These results indicate that, unlike the reportedly very successful cases of merging of SeaWiFS and MODIS data on chl in open ocean waters (case 1 waters), the merging of chl (and tsm) data from these sensors collected over case 2 waters needs to be supervised at a level of a few pixels. At the same time, when averaged over the entire coastal zone of the Bay of Biscay, the retrieved monthly mean chl and tsm concentrations from SeaWiFS and MODIS practically coincide throughout the years (2002–2004) of contemporaneous operation of these two satellite sensors. Thus, even in the case of such dynamic and optically complex case 2 waters that are inherent in the Bay of Biscay, the potentials for ocean colour data merging are very good. The merging efficiency is assessed and illustrated via documenting the spatio-temporal dynamics of bottom sediment re-suspension in the bay occurring in winter – the season of heaviest cloudiness over the bay.     

Exploitation of electric field in controlling of nanofiber spinning process

Nanofibers can be prepared from a polymer solution utilizing electrospinning, a method exploiting an electrostatic field. In this work the electric field of the electrospinning process was modeled for better understanding and controllability of the fiber deposition in the electrospinning process. The model of the electric field was compared with experimental observations. The model of the electric field explained many phenomena in electrospinning, but did not provide an exclusive control tool for the process. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 47:2065–2074, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Antioxidative Dietary Compounds Modulate Gene Expression Associated with Apoptosis,DNA Repair,Inhibition of Cell Proliferation and Migration

Many dietary compounds are known to have health benefits owing to their antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. To determine the molecular mechanism of these food-derived compounds, we analyzed their effect on various genes related to cell apoptosis, DNA damage and repair, oxidation and inflammation using in vitro cell culture assays. This review further tests the hypothesis proposed previously that downstream products of COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2) called electrophilic oxo-derivatives induce antioxidant responsive elements (ARE), which leads to cell proliferation under antioxidative conditions. Our findings support this hypothesis and show that cell proliferation was inhibited when COX-2 was down-regulated by polyphenols and polysaccharides. Flattened macrophage morphology was also observed following the induction of cytokine production by polysaccharides extracted from viili, a traditional Nordic fermented dairy product. Coix lacryma-jobi (coix) polysaccharides were found to reduce mitochondrial membrane potential and induce caspase-3- and 9-mediated apoptosis. In contrast, polyphenols from blueberries were involved in the ultraviolet-activated p53/Gadd45/MDM2 DNA repair system by restoring the cell membrane potential. Inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 by saponin extracts of ginsenoside (Ginsen) and Gynostemma and inhibition of S100A4 by coix polysaccharides inhibited cancer cell migration and invasion. These observations suggest that antioxidants and changes in cell membrane potential are the major driving forces that transfer signals through the cell membrane into the cytosol and nucleus, triggering gene expression, changes in cell proliferation and the induction of apoptosis or DNA repair.     

Thresholding-based detection of fine and sparse details

Fine and sparse details appear in many quality inspection applications requiring machine vision. Especially on flat surfaces, such as paper or board, the details can be made detectable by oblique illumination. In this study, a general definition of such details is given by defining sufficient statistical properties from histograms. The statistical model allows simulation of data and comparison of methods designed for detail detection. Based on the definition, utilization of the existing thresholding methods is shown to be well motivated. The comparison shows that minimum error thresholding outperforms the other standard methods. Finally, the results are successfully applied to a paper printability inspection application, and the IGT picking assessment, in which small surface defects must be detected. The provided method and measurement system prototype provide automated assessment with results comparable to manual expert evaluations in this laborious task.     

Effects on accidents of changes in the use of studded tyres in major cities in Norway: A long-term investigation

This paper reports the findings of two studies made eleven years apart in Norway (0035 and 0025) to evaluate effects on accidents of changes in the use of studded tyres in major cities in Norway. The first study covered the period from 1991 to 2000, the second study covered the period from 2002 to 2009. In both these periods, large changes in the percentage of cars using studded tyres were found in the cities that were included in the study. There was, in most cities, a tendency for the use of studded tyres to go down. Effects of these changes on injury accidents were evaluated by means of negative binomial regression models, using city and day as the unit of analysis, and including more than twenty explanatory variables in order to control for confounding factors. The effects of changes in the percentage of cars using studded tyres were well described by an accident modification function (dose–response curve), relating the size of changes in the number of accident to the size of the change in the use of studded tyres. Accidents during the season when the use of studded tyres is permitted were found to increase by about 5 percent if the use of studded tyres was reduced by 25 percentage points (e.g. from 50 to 25 percent) and to decline by about 2 percent when the use of studded tyres increased by 20 percentage points.