The status of and opportunities for utility-scale battery storage in Australia: A regulatory and market perspective

Australia's electricity market is rapidly adding renewable energy generation. Utility-scale batteries could have a major role in facilitating these transitions; however, their deployment is still largely state-subsidized. We summarize the current and future roles for batteries from a legal-economic perspective in the context of Australia's electricity market framework. We find that the future of batteries in Australia is not only a function of the large-scale deployment of renewables, their cost development and the comparative future cost of competing gas turbines but also of national electricity market and state policy reforms focusing on reliability.     

Effect of Li2O on the crystallization behavior of CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-Li2O-Ce2O3 mold slags

The effect of Li₂O on the crystallization properties of CaO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂-Li₂O-Ce₂O₃ slags was investigated. With increasing the Li₂O content, LiAlO₂ and CaCeAlO₄ were the main crystalline phases. LiAlO₂ formed for the charge compensating of Li⁺ ions to [AlO₄^5?]-tetrahedrons, and CaCeAlO₄ formed as a result of the charge balance of Ce³⁺ ions, Ca²⁺ ions, and [AlO₆^9?]-octahedrons. Increasing the content of Li₂O to 10%, the crystallization temperature was the highest, and the incubation time was the shortest. The crystallization ability was strong due to the three factors of strengthening the interaction between ions and ion groups, decreasing the polymerization degree, and increasing the melting temperature. Further increasing the content of Li₂O, the crystallization performance was obviously suppressed, because the melting temperature and the force between the cations and the anion groups decreased.     

Electrospun fiber membranes from blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride) with fouling‐resistant zwitterionic copolymers

Nonwoven super‐hydrophobic fiber membranes have potential applications in oil–water separation and membrane distillation, but fouling negatively impacts both applications. Membranes were prepared from blends comprising poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and random zwitterionic copolymers of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) or with sulfobetaine‐2‐vinylpyridine (SB2VP). PVDF imparts mechanical strength to the membrane, while the copolymers enhance fouling resistance. Blend composition was varied by controlling the PVDF‐to‐copolymer ratio. Nonwoven fiber membranes were obtained by electrospinning solutions of PVDF and the copolymers in a mixed solvent of N,N‐dimethylacetamide and acetone. The PVDF crystal phases and crystallinities of the blends were studied using wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). PVDF crystallized preferentially into its polar β‐phase, though its degree of crystallinity was reduced with increased addition of the random copolymers. Thermogravimetry (TG) showed that the degradation temperatures varied systematically with blend composition. PVDF blends with either copolymer showed significant increase of fouling resistance. Membranes prepared from blends containing 10% P(MMA‐ran‐SB2VP) had the highest fouling resistance, with a fivefold decrease in protein adsorption on the surface, compared to homopolymer PVDF. They also exhibited higher pure water flux, and better oil removal in oil–water separation experiments. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Characterization,in vitro bioactivity and biological studies of sol-gel-derived TiO2 substituted 58S bioactive glass

Bioactive glasses (BGs) have been used for bone formation and bone repair processes in recent years. This study investigated the titanium substitution effect on 58S BGs (Ti-BGs) 60SiO₂-(36 − X)CaO-4P₂O₅-XTiO₂ (X = 0, 3, and 5 mol.%) prepared by the sol-gel technique, and the main goal was to find the optimum amount of titanium in Ti-BGs. Synthesized BGs, which were investigated after immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF), were tested by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy. Moreover alkaline phosphate (ALP) activity, 3-(4,5dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and antibacterial studies were employed to investigate the biological properties of Ti-BGs. According to the FTIR and XRD test results, hydroxyapatite (HA) formation on Ti-BGs surfaces was confirmed. Meanwhile, the presence of 5 mol.% compared to 3 mol.% increased the HA grain distribution and their size on the Ti-BGs surface. Additionally, MTT and ALP results confirmed that the optimal amount of titanium substitution in BG was 5 mol.%. Since 5 mol.% Ti incorporated BG (BG-5) had the highest biocompatibility level, antibacterial properties, maximum cell proliferation, and ALP activity among the synthesized Ti-BGs, it is presented as the best candidate for further in vivo investigations.     

Red-shift and improved afterglow of Sr3Al2-xBxO5Cl2:Eu2+, Dy3+ phosphors via a cation substitution strategy

Sr₃Al_2-xB_xO₅Cl₂:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺ (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4) long persistent phosphors were prepared via solid-state process. The pristine Sr₃Al₂O₅Cl₂:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺ phosphor exhibits orange/red broad band emission around 609 nm, which can be attributed to the electric radiation transitions 4f⁶5 d¹→4f⁷ of Eu²⁺. Upon the same excitation, the B³⁺-doped Sr₃Al_2-xB_xO₅Cl₂:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺ phosphors display red-shift from 609 nm to 625 nm with increasing B³⁺ concentrations. The XRD patterns show that Al³⁺ can be replaced by B³⁺ in the host lattice at the tetrahedral site, which causes lattice contraction and crystal field enhancement, and thereafter achieves the red-shift on the emission spectrum. The XPS investigation provides direct evidence of the dominant 2-valent europium in the phosphor, which can be ascribed for the broad band emission of the prepared phosphors. The afterglow of all phosphors show standard double exponential decay behavior, and the afterglow of Sr₃Al₂O₅Cl₂:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺is rather weak, while the sample co-doped with B³⁺shows longer and stronger afterglow, as confirmed after the curve simulation. The analysis of thermally stimulated luminescence showed that, when B³⁺ is introduced, a much deeper trap is created, and the density of the electron trap is also significantly increased. As a result, B³⁺ ions caused redshift and enhanced afterglow for the Sr₃Al_2-xB_xO₅Cl₂:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺ phosphor.     

Sensitization of MCF7 Cells with High Notch1 Activity by Cisplatin and Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Applied Together

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDIs) are promising anti-cancer agents that inhibit proliferation of many types of cancer cells including breast carcinoma (BC) cells. In the present study, we investigated the influence of the Notch1 activity level on the pharmacological interaction between cisplatin (CDDP) and two HDIs, valproic acid (VPA) and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA, vorinostat), in luminal-like BC cells. The type of drug–drug interaction between CDDP and HDIs was determined by isobolographic analysis. MCF7 cells were genetically modified to express differential levels of Notch1 activity. The cytotoxic effect of SAHA or VPA was higher on cells with decreased Notch1 activity and lower for cells with increased Notch1 activity than native BC cells. The isobolographic analysis demonstrated that combinations of CDDP with SAHA or VPA at a fixed ratio of 1:1 exerted additive or additive with tendency toward synergism interactions. Therefore, treatment of CDDP with HDIs could be used to optimize a combined therapy based on CDDP against Notch1-altered luminal BC. In conclusion, the combined therapy of HDIs and CDDP may be a promising therapeutic tool in the treatment of luminal-type BC with altered Notch1 activity.     

TiO2/MXene-Assisted LDI-MS for Urine Metabolic Profiling in Urinary Disease

Cancer remains an intractable medical problem. Rapid diagnosis and identification of cancer are critical to differentiate it from nonmalignant diseases. High-throughput biofluid metabolic analysis has potential for cancer diagnosis. Nevertheless, the present metabolite analysis method does not meet the demand for high-throughput screening of diseases. Herein, a high-throughput, cost-effective, and noninvasive urine metabolic profiling method based on TiO₂/MXene-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) is presented for the efficient screening of bladder cancer (BC) and nonmalignant urinary disease. Combined with machine learning, TiO₂/MXene-assisted LDI-MS enables high diagnostic accuracy (96.8%) for the classification of patient groups (including 47 BC and 46 ureteral calculus (UC) patients) from healthy controls (113 cases). In addition, BC patients can also be identified from noncancerous UC individuals with an accuracy of 88.3% in the independent test cohort. Furthermore, metabolite variations between BC and UC individuals are investigated based on relative quantification, and related pathways are also discussed. These results suggest that this method, based on urine metabolic patterns, provides a potential tool for rapidly distinguishing urinary diseases and it may pave the way for precision medicine.     

Migraine: Calcium Channels and Glia

Migraine is a common neurological disease that affects about 11% of the adult population. The disease is divided into two main clinical subtypes: migraine with aura and migraine without aura. According to the neurovascular theory of migraine, the activation of the trigeminovascular system (TGVS) and the release of numerous neuropeptides, including calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) are involved in headache pathogenesis. TGVS can be activated by cortical spreading depression (CSD), a phenomenon responsible for the aura. The mechanism of CSD, stemming in part from aberrant interactions between neurons and glia have been studied in models of familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM), a rare monogenic form of migraine with aura. The present review focuses on those interactions, especially as seen in FHM type 1, a variant of the disease caused by a mutation in CACNA1A, which encodes the α1A subunit of the P/Q-type voltage-gated calcium channel.     

Salivary Proteome Changes in Response to Acute Psychological Stress Due to an Oral Exam Simulation in University Students: Effect of an Olfactory Stimulus

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a crucial role both in acute and chronic psychological stress eliciting changes in many local and systemic physiological and biochemical processes. Salivary secretion is also regulated by ANS. In this study, we explored salivary proteome changes produced in thirty-eight University students by a test stress, which simulated an oral exam. Students underwent a relaxation phase followed by the stress test during which an electrocardiogram was recorded. To evaluate the effect of an olfactory stimulus, half of the students were exposed to a pleasant odor diffused in the room throughout the whole session. Saliva samples were collected after the relaxation phase (T0) and the stress test (T1). State anxiety was also evaluated at T0 and T1. Salivary proteins were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis, and patterns at different times were compared. Spots differentially expressed were trypsin digested and identified by mass spectrometry. Western blot analysis was used to validate proteomic results. Anxiety scores and heart rate changes indicated that the fake exam induced anxiety. Significant changes of α-amylase, polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (PIGR), and immunoglobulin α chain (IGHA) secretion were observed after the stress test was performed in the two conditions. Moreover, the presence of pleasant odor reduced the acute social stress affecting salivary proteome changes. Therefore, saliva proteomic analysis was a useful approach to evaluate the rapid responses associated to an acute stress test also highlighting known biomarkers.     

Fabrication and characterizations of Cr3+-doped ZnGa2O4 transparent ceramics with persistent luminescence

0.5 at.% Cr:ZnGa₂O₄ precursor was synthesized by the co-precipitation method with nitrates as raw materials, using ammonium carbonate as the precipitant. Low-agglomerated Cr:ZnGa₂O₄ powders with an average particle size of 43 nm were obtained by calcining the precursor at 900℃ for 4 h. Using the powders as starting materials, 0.5 at.% Cr:ZnGa₂O₄ ceramics with an average grain size of about 515 nm were prepared by presintering at 1150℃ for 5 h in air and HIP post-treatment at 1100℃ for 3 h under 200 MPa Ar. The in-line transmittance of 0.5 at.% Cr:ZnGa₂O₄ ceramics with a thickness of 1.3 mm reaches 59.5% at the wavelength of 700 nm. The Cr:ZnGa₂O₄ ceramics can be effectively excited by visible light and produce persistent luminescence at 700 nm. For Cr:ZnGa₂O₄ transparent ceramics, the brightness of afterglow was larger than 0.32 mcd/m² after 30 min, which is far superior to that of Cr:ZnGa₂O₄ persistent luminescence powders.