3D Fe2(MoO4)3 microspheres with nanosheet constituents as high-capacity anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Three-dimensional (3D) Fe2(MoO4)3 microspheres with ultrathin nanosheet constituents are first synthesized as anode materials for the lithium-ion battery. It is interesting that the single-crystalline nanosheets allow rapid electron/ion transport on the inside, and the high porosity ensures fast diffusion of liquid electrolyte in energy storage applications. The electrochemical properties of Fe2(MoO4)3 as anode demonstrates that 3D Fe2(MoO4)3 microspheres deliver an initial capacity of 1855 mAh/g at a current density of 100 mA/g. Particularly, when the current density is increased to 800 mA/g, the reversible capacity of Fe2(MoO4)3 anode still arrived at 456 mAh/g over 50 cycles. The large and reversible capacities and stable charge–discharge cycling performance indicate that Fe2(MoO4)3 is a promising anode material for lithium battery applications. Graphical abstract The electrochemical properties of Fe2(MoO4)3 as anode demonstrates that 3D Fe2(MoO4)3 microspheres delivered an initial capacity of 1855 mAh/g at a current density of 100 mA/g. When the current density was increased to 800 mA/g, the Fe2(MoO4)3 still behaved high reversible capacity and good cycle performance.

The effect of exercise and light on mood

The aim of the study was to compare the effect physical exercise and bright light has on mood in healthy, working-age subjects with varying degrees of depressive symptoms. Previous research suggests that exercise may have beneficial effects on mood at least in subjects with depression. Bright light exposure is an effective treatment of winter depression, and possibly of non-seasonal depression as well. Limited data exist on the effect of exercise and bright light on mood in non-clinical populations, and no research has been done on the combination of these interventions. Working-age subjects were recruited through occupational health centres and 244 subjects were randomized into intervention groups: exercise, either in bright light or normal lighting, and relaxation / stretching sessions, either in bright light or normal gym lighting. During the eight-week intervention in midwinter, subjects rated their mood using a self-rating version of the Hamilton Depression Scale with additional questions for atypical depressive symptoms. The main finding of the study was that both exercise and bright-light exposure were effective in treating depressive symptoms. When the interventions were combined, the relative reduction in the Hamilton Depression Scale was 40 to 66%, and in atypical depressive symptoms even higher, 45 to 85%. Bright light exposure was more effective than exercise in treating atypical depressive symptoms. No single factor could be found that would predict a good response to these interventions. In conclusion, aerobic physical exercise twice a week during wintertime was effective in treating depressive symptoms. Adding bright light exposure to exercise increased the benefit, especially by reducing atypical depressive symptoms. Since this is so, this treatment could prevent subsequent major depressive episodes among the population generally.

The effects of entacapone on cardiorespiratory, autonomic, and clinical responses in L-dopa-treated patients with Parkinson's disease

Rest tremor, rigidity, and slowness of movements-considered to be mainly due to markedly reduced levels of dopamine (DA) in the basal ganglia-are characteristic motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Although there is yet no cure for this illness, several drugs can alleviate the motor symptoms. Among these symptomatic therapies, L-dopa is the most effective. As a precursor to DA, it is able to replace the loss of DA in the basal ganglia. In the long run L-dopa has, however, disadvantages. Motor response complications, such as shortening of the duration of drug effect ("wearing-off"), develop in many patients. In addition, extensive peripheral metabolism of L-dopa by aromatic amino acid decarboxylase and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) results in its short half-life, low bioavailability, and reduced efficacy. Entacapone, a nitrocatechol-structured compound, is a highly selective, reversible, and orally active inhibitor of COMT. It increases the bioavailability of L-dopa by reducing its peripheral elimination rate. Entacapone extends the duration of clinical response to each L-dopa dose in PD patients with wearing-off fluctuations. COMT is important in the metabolism of catecholamines. Its inhibition could, therefore, theoretically lead to adverse cardiovascular reactions, especially in circumstances of enhanced sympathetic activity (physical exercise). PD patients may be particularly vulnerable to such effects due to high prevalence of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction, and the common use of monoamine oxidase B inhibitor selegiline, another drug with effects on catecholamine metabolism. Both entacapone and selegiline enhance L-dopa's clinical effect. Their co-administration may therefore lead to pharmacodynamic interactions, either beneficial (improved L-dopa efficacy) or harmful (increased dyskinesia). We investigated the effects of repeated dosing (3-5 daily doses for 1-2 weeks) of entacapone 200 mg administered either with or without selegiline (10 mg once daily), on several safety and efficacy parameters in 39 L-dopa-treated patients with mild to moderate PD in three double-blind placebo-controlled, crossover studies. In the first two, the cardiovascular, clinical, and biochemical responses were assessed repeatedly for 6 hours after drug intake, first with L-dopa only (control), and then after a 2 weeks on study drugs (entacapone vs. entacapone plus selegiline in one; entacapone vs. selegiline vs. entacapone plus selegiline in the other). The third study included cardiovascular reflex and spiroergometric exercise testing, first after overnight L-dopa withdrawal (control), and then after 1 week on entacapone plus selegiline as adjuncts to L-dopa. Ambulatory ECG was recorded in two of the studies. Blood pressure, heart rate, ECG, cardiovascular autonomic function, cardiorespiratory exercise responses, and the resting/exercise levels of circulating catecholamines remained unaffected by entacapone, irrespective of selegiline. Entacapone significantly enhanced both L-dopa bioavailability and its clinical response, the latter being more pronounced with the co-administration of selegiline. Dyskinesias were also increased during simultaneous use of both entacapone and selegiline as L-dopa adjuncts. Entacapone had no effect on either work capacity or work efficiency. The drug was well tolerated, both with and without selegiline. Conclusions: the use of entacapone-either alone or combined with selegiline-seems to be hemodynamically safe in L-dopa-treated PD patients, also during maximal physical effort. This is in line with the safety experience from larger phase III studies. Entacapone had no effect on cardiovascular autonomic function. Concomitant administration of entacapone and selegiline may enhance L-dopa's clinical efficacy but may also lead to increased dyskinesia.

Enhanced adsorption capacity of activated alumina by impregnation with alum for removal of As(V) from water

Alum-impregnated activated alumina (AIAA) was investigated in the present work as an adsorbent for the removal of As(V) from water by batch mode. Adsorption study at different pH values shows that the efficiency of AIAA is much higher than as such activated alumina and is suitable for treatment of drinking water. The adsorption isotherm experiments indicated that the uptake of As(V) increased with increasing As(V) concentration from 1 to 25 mg/l and followed Langmuir-type adsorption isotherm. Speciation diagram shows that in the pH range of 2.8–11.5, arsenate predominantly exists as H2AsO4− and HAsO42− species and hence it is presumed that these are the major species being adsorbed on the surface of AIAA. Intraparticle diffusion and kinetic studies revealed that adsorption of As(V) was due to physical adsorption as well as through intraparticle diffusion. Effect of interfering ions revealed that As(V) sorption is strongly influenced by the presence of phosphate ion. The presence of arsenic on AIAA is depicted from zeta potential measurement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDAX) mapping study. Alum-impregnated activated alumina successfully removed As(V) to below 40 ppb (within the permissible limit set by WHO) from water, when the initial concentration of As(V) is 10 mg/l.

Clathrin-independent carriers form a high capacity endocytic sorting system at the leading edge of migrating cells

Although the importance of clathrin- and caveolin-independent endocytic pathways has recently emerged, key aspects of these routes remain unknown. Using quantitative ultrastructural approaches, we show that clathrin-independent carriers (CLICs) account for approximately three times the volume internalized by the clathrin-mediated endocytic pathway, forming the major pathway involved in uptake of fluid and bulk membrane in fibroblasts. Electron tomographic analysis of the 3D morphology of the earliest carriers shows that they are multidomain organelles that form a complex sorting station as they mature. Proteomic analysis provides direct links between CLICs, cellular adhesion turnover, and migration. Consistent with this, CLIC-mediated endocytosis of key cargo proteins, CD44 and Thy-1, is polarized at the leading edge of migrating fibroblasts, while transient ablation of CLICs impairs their ability to migrate. These studies provide the first quantitative ultrastructural analysis and molecular characterization of the major endocytic pathway in fibroblasts, a pathway that provides rapid membrane turnover at the leading edge of migrating cells.

Impact of exercise selection on hamstring muscle activation

Objective: To determine the extent to which different strength training exercises selectively activate the commonly injured biceps femoris long head (BFLH) muscle. Methods: This two-part observational study recruited 24 recreationally active males. Part 1 explored the amplitudes and the ratios of lateral to medial hamstring (BF/MH) normalised electromyography (nEMG) during the concentric and eccentric phases of 10 common strength training exercises. Part 2 used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine the spatial patterns of hamstring activation during two exercises which i) most selectively, and ii) least selectively activated the BF in part 1. Results: Eccentrically, the largest BF/MH nEMG ratio was observed in the 45° hip extension exercise and the lowest was observed in the Nordic hamstring (NHE) and bent-knee bridge exercises. Concentrically, the highest BF/MH nEMG ratio was observed during the lunge and 45° hip extension and the lowest was observed for the leg curl and bent-knee bridge. fMRI revealed a greater BFLH to semitendinosus activation ratio in the 45° hip extension than the NHE (p<0.001). The T2 increase after hip extension for BFLH, semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles were greater than that for BFSH (p<0.001). During the NHE, the T2 increase was greater for the semitendinosus than for the other hamstrings (p≤0.002). Conclusion: This investigation highlights the non-uniformity of hamstring activation patterns in different tasks and suggests that hip extension exercise more selectively activates the BFLH while the NHE preferentially recruits the semitendinosus. These findings have implications for strength training interventions aimed at preventing hamstring injury.

Analytical models for capacity estimation of IEEE 802.11 WLANs using DCF for internet applications

We provide analytical models for capacity evaluation of an infrastructure IEEE 802.11 based network carrying TCP controlled file downloads or full-duplex packet telephone calls. In each case the analytical models utilize the attempt probabilities from a well known fixed-point based saturation analysis. For TCP controlled file downloads, following Bruno et al. (In Networking '04, LNCS 2042, pp. 626-637), we model the number of wireless stations (STAs) with ACKs as a Markov renewal process embedded at packet success instants. In our work, analysis of the evolution between the embedded instants is done by using saturation analysis to provide state dependent attempt probabilities. We show that in spite of its simplicity, our model works well, by comparing various simulated quantities, such as collision probability, with values predicted from our model. Next we consider N constant bit rate VoIP calls terminating at N STAs. We model the number of STAs that have an up-link voice packet as a Markov renewal process embedded at so called channel slot boundaries. Analysis of the evolution over a channel slot is done using saturation analysis as before. We find that again the AP is the bottleneck, and the system can support (in the sense of a bound on the probability of delay exceeding a given value) a number of calls less than that at which the arrival rate into the AP exceeds the average service rate applied to the AP. Finally, we extend the analytical model for VoIP calls to determine the call capacity of an 802.11b WLAN in a situation where VoIP calls originate from two different types of coders. We consider N-1 calls originating from Type 1 codecs and N-2 calls originating from Type 2 codecs. For G711 and G729 voice coders, we show that the analytical model again provides accurate results in comparison with simulations.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a self-management exercise intervention on wound healing, functional ability and health-related quality of life outcomes in adults with venous leg ulcers: a randomised controlled trial

Exercise that targets ankle joint mobility may lead to improvement in calf muscle pump function and subsequent healing. The objectives of this research were to assess the impact of an exercise intervention in addition to routine evidence-based care on the healing rates, functional ability and health-related quality of life for adults with venous leg ulcers (VLUs). This study included 63 patients with VLUs. Patients were randomised to receive either a 12-week exercise intervention with a telephone coaching component or usual care plus telephone calls at the same timepoints. The primary outcome evaluated the effectiveness of the intervention in relation to wound healing. The secondary outcomes evaluated physical activity, functional ability and health-related quality of life measures between groups at the end of the 12 weeks. A per protocol analysis complemented the effectiveness (intention-to-treat) analysis to highlight the importance of adherence to an exercise intervention. Intention-to-treat analyses for the primary outcome showed 77% of those in the intervention group healed by 12 weeks compared to 53% of those in the usual care group. Although this difference was not statistically significant due to a smaller than expected sample size, a 24% difference in healing rates could be considered clinically significant. The per protocol analysis for wound healing, however, showed that those in the intervention group who adhered to the exercise protocol 75% or more of the time were significantly more likely to heal and showed higher rates for wound healing than the control group (P = 0·01), that is, 95% of those who adhered in the intervention group healed in 12 weeks. The secondary outcomes of physical activity, functional ability and health-related quality of life were not significantly altered by the intervention. Among the secondary outcomes (physical activity, functional ability and health-related quality of life), intention-to-treat analyses did not support the effectiveness of the intervention. However, per protocol analyses revealed encouraging results with those participants who adhered more than 75% of the time (n = 19) showing significantly improved Range of Ankle Motion from the self-management exercise programme (P = 0·045). This study has shown that those participants who adhere to the exercise programme as an adjunctive treatment to standard care are more likely to heal and have better functional outcomes than those who do not adhere to the exercises in conjunction with usual care.

Bayesian estimation of small effects in exercise and sports science

The aim of this paper is to provide a Bayesian formulation of the so-called magnitude-based inference approach to quantifying and interpreting effects, and in a case study example provide accurate probabilistic statements that correspond to the intended magnitude-based inferences. The model is described in the context of a published small-scale athlete study which employed a magnitude-based inference approach to compare the effect of two altitude training regimens (live high-train low (LHTL), and intermittent hypoxic exposure (IHE)) on running performance and blood measurements of elite triathletes. The posterior distributions, and corresponding point and interval estimates, for the parameters and associated effects and comparisons of interest, were estimated using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations. The Bayesian analysis was shown to provide more direct probabilistic comparisons of treatments and able to identify small effects of interest. The approach avoided asymptotic assumptions and overcame issues such as multiple testing. Bayesian analysis of unscaled effects showed a probability of 0.96 that LHTL yields a substantially greater increase in hemoglobin mass than IHE, a 0.93 probability of a substantially greater improvement in running economy and a greater than 0.96 probability that both IHE and LHTL yield a substantially greater improvement in maximum blood lactate concentration compared to a Placebo. The conclusions are consistent with those obtained using a ‘magnitude-based inference’ approach that has been promoted in the field. The paper demonstrates that a fully Bayesian analysis is a simple and effective way of analysing small effects, providing a rich set of results that are straightforward to interpret in terms of probabilistic statements.

Water management capacity building to support rapidly developing mining economies

Many developing countries are experiencing rapid expansion in mining with associated water impacts. In most cases mining expansion is outpacing the building of national capacity to ensure that sustainable water management practices are implemented. Since 2011, Australia's International Mining for Development Centre (IM4DC) has funded capacity building in such countries including a program of water projects. Five projects in particular (principally covering experiences from Peru, Colombia, Ghana, Zambia, Indonesia, Philippines and Mongolia) have provided insight into water capacity building priorities and opportunities. This paper reviews the challenges faced by water stakeholders, and proposes the associated capacity needs. The paper uses the evidence derived from the IM4DC projects to develop a set of specific capacity-building recommendations. Recommendations include: the incorporation of mine water management in engineering and environmental undergraduate courses; secondments of staff to suitable partner organisations; training to allow site staff to effectively monitor water including community impacts; leadership training to support a water stewardship culture; training of officials to support implementation of catchment management approaches; and the empowerment of communities to recognise and negotiate solutions to mine-related risks. New initiatives to fund the transfer of multi-disciplinary knowledge from nations with well-developed water management practices are called for.

The mini clinical evaluation exercise (mini-CEX) for assessing clinical performance of international medical graduates

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility, reliability and acceptability of the mini clinical evaluation exercise (mini-CEX) for performance assessment among international medical graduates (IMGs). Design, setting and participants: Observational study of 209 patient encounters involving 28 IMGs and 35 examiners at three metropolitan teaching hospitals in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, September-December 2006. Main outcome measures: The reliability of the mini-CEX was estimated using generatisability (G) analysis, and its acceptability was evaluated by a written survey of the examiners and IMGs. Results: The G coefficient for eight encounters was 0.88, suggesting that the reliability of the mini-CEX was 0.90 for 10 encounters. Almost half of the IMGs (7/16) and most examiners (14/18) were satisfied with the mini-CEX as a learning tool. Most of the IMGs and examiners enjoyed the immediate feedback, which is a strong component of the tool. Conclusion: The mini-CEX is a reliable tool for performance assessment of IMGs, and is acceptable to and well received by both learners and supervisors.

12-weeks supervised exercise training is a feasible and efficacious treatment for reducing depression in youth with major depressive disorder

Introduction: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has high prevalence among adolescents and young adults. Evidence of any effective treatments is limited. Exercise as an effective treatment for adults has some support but studies in younger populations are lacking. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of brief motivational interviewing (MI) plus 12-weeks exercise training as a treatment for MDD in youth...