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Influence of particle size and mass loading of hard carbon on sodium ion battery rate performance in industrially relevant full cells
Get PDFSodium-ion batteries (SIBs) represent a great opportunity for stationary storage, back-up power supply and light electric vehicle applications. Energy and power requirements for these applications needs to be satisfied. Beside material improvement, electrode microstructure plays a critical role. Herein, the influence of hard carbon (HC) particle size and mass loading on the rate performance have been comprehensively investigated. This work analyses the relative contribution of ionic resistance within the porous electrode (Rion) in SIB full cells employing relevant mass loadings. Rion was obtained by applying electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to symmetrical cells and by fitting a transmission line model (TLM) under "blocking" conditions. The relative contribution of Rion arising from HC electrodes was further compared to the charge transfer resistance (RCT) in full cell configuration utilising a three-electrode cell under "non-blocking" conditions. Results illustrate mass loading to be as far more influential on cell rate performance compared to the two particle sizes analyzed. The three-electrode study reveals the contribution of Rion to be greater than that of RCT at high mass loadings and high states of charge for the HC electrode and elucidates that the gravimetric and volumetric discharge capacity of cells is limited by the layered oxide cathode and HC electrode respectively
Development of an Ir/TiO2 catalytic coating for plasma assisted hydrogenation of CO2 to CH4
Get PDFThe hydrogenation of CO2 to methane over a 20 wt% Ir/TiO2 catalytic coating has been investigated in a tubular dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor. The 1.2 µm Ir/TiO2 coating was deposited onto the inner wall of a quartz tube by a combustion-evaporation method from a mixture containing a Ti precursor and a colloidal suspension of Ir nanoparticles (2 nm). The catalyst was characterised by XRD, SEM, TEM/EDS and CO chemisorption. The Ir(0) state in the as-synthesised film was confirmed by XPS. The CH4 conversion increased by 1.5 times, as compared to an empty tube. A maximum CO2 conversion rate of 2.1 μmol s−1 was achieved at a fuel production efficiency of 3.5%. Surface reactions onto the catalyst surface are responsible for enhancement of reaction rate. The results presented in this work open up new possibilities in plasma-catalysis, whereby efficient reactions can be carried out over small volumes of catalyst
The development of a novel sexual health promotion intervention for young people with mental ill-health : the PROSPEct project
Get PDFBackground: Young people with mental ill-health experience higher rates of high-risk sexual behaviour, have poorer sexual health outcomes, and lower satisfaction with their sexual wellbeing compared to their peers. Ensuring good sexual health in this cohort is a public health concern, but best practice intervention in the area remains under-researched. This study aimed to co-design a novel intervention to address the sexual health needs of young people with mental ill-health to test its effectiveness in a future trial undertaken in youth mental health services in Melbourne, Australia. Methods: We followed the 2022 Medical Research Council (MRC) guidelines for developing and evaluating complex interventions. This involved synthesising evidence from the ‘top down’ (published evidence) and ‘bottom up’ (stakeholder views). We combined systematic review findings with data elicited from qualitative interviews and focus groups with young people, carers, and clinicians and identified critical cultural issues to inform the development of our intervention. Results: Existing evidence in the field of sexual health in youth mental health was limited but suggested the need to address sexual wellbeing as a concept broader than an absence of negative health outcomes. The Information-Motivation-Belief (IMB) model was chosen as the theoretical Framework on which to base the intervention. Interviews/focus groups were conducted with 29 stakeholders (18 clinicians, three carers, and eight young people). Synthesis of the evidence gathered resulted in the co-design of a novel intervention consisting of an initial consultation and four 60-90-minute sessions delivered individually by a young ‘sex-positive’ clinician with additional training in sexual health. Barriers and supports to intervention success were also identified. Conclusions: Using the MRC Framework has guided the co-design of a potentially promising intervention that addresses the sexual health needs of young people with mental ill-health. The next step is to test the intervention in a one-arm feasibility trial
A numerical study of rigidity of hyperbolic splittings in simple two-dimensional maps
Get PDFChaotic hyperbolic dynamical systems enjoy a surprising degree of rigidity, a fact which is well known in the mathematics community but perhaps less so in theoretical physics circles. Low-dimensional hyperbolic systems are either conjugate to linear automorphisms, that is, dynamically equivalent to the Arnold cat map and its variants, or their hyperbolic structure is not smooth. We illustrate this dichotomy using a family of analytic maps, for which we show by means of numerical simulations that the corresponding hyperbolic structure is not smooth, thereby providing an example for a global mechanism which produces non-smooth phase space structures in an otherwise smooth dynamical system
The international branch campus : motives and mechanisms
No full textThe knowledge economy has a long history and, internationally, has been dependent on the mobility of individuals to engage with and transmit learning. But while individual mobility was widespread, the institutions most commonly associated with knowledge production and dissemination – higher-education institutions – remained stubbornly national – whether limited by the demands of domestic regulation or by protectionist approaches in potential destinations. This was all to change at the end of the 20th century and the past 30 years or so have seen almost seismic shifts in context, in policy and regulation, and in attitudes and behaviour. Now, the idea of institutional mobility is no longer seen as a being a bold, abnormal, overly risky or threatening choice and has become a realistic strategic option for a range of higher-education providers. This chapter charts the growth of international branch campuses in the broader context of international higher education. It explores motives and approaches, considers operational challenges and draws on the case of the University of Nottingham to address many of these issues in practice
Long‐time existence of Brownian motion on configurations of two landmarks
Get PDFWe study Brownian motion on the space of distinct landmarks in R d , considered as a homogeneous space with a Riemannian metric inherited from a right‐invariant metric on the diffeomorphism group. As of yet, there is no proof of long‐time existence of this process, despite its fundamental importance in statistical shape analysis, where it is used to model stochastic shape evolutions. We make some first progress in this direction by providing a full classification of long‐time existence for configurations of exactly two landmarks, governed by a radial kernel. For low‐order Sobolev kernels, we show that the landmarks collide with positive probability in finite time, whilst for higher‐order Sobolev and Gaussian kernels, the landmark Brownian motion exists for all times. We illustrate our theoretical results by numerical simulations
Theorizing the governance of direct and indirect transactions in multi-tier supply chains
Get PDFAn outsourcing decision does not equate to the outsourcing of a sourcing decision. Many indirect transactions with lower-tier suppliers are embedded in transactions with first-tier suppliers. Building on Williamson’s (1985) identification of a transaction as the fundamental unit of analysis, this study proposes that transactions comprise bundles of intertwined direct transactions at the firm level and indirect transactions at the supply chain level. These indirect transactions require separate but not independent sourcing decisions. Using a buyer’s decision to control or delegate the governance of indirect transactions for an externally sourced product, this study demonstrates that disaggregating the transaction advances theory by extending the range of outcomes, refining the calculus of the make-or-buy decision, and providing a coherent theoretical framework for multi-tier supply chain management. This study considers the theoretical, managerial, and societal implications across various contingencies involving inter-firm relationships
The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health and wellbeing of children with special education needs and disabilities : a systematic review
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic has impacted greatly the mental health of children. We performed a systematic review to better understand the impact of the pandemic on children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across different SEND categories. Following PRISMA guidelines, of 1699 search results, 66 studies were included in our analysis as they met our inclusion criteria concerning: a) children with SEND; b) focus on COVID-19; c) longitudinal or cross-sectional design; d) quantitative or qualitative measures; and e) mental health or well-being outcomes. Our review suggests that there was a typically negative impact on mental health and well-being for children with SEND, yet experiences varied on the basis of individual differences, rather than category of SEND. Findings highlight the need for interventions and policy implementations to improve the everyday mental well-being of this population
An exploratory analysis of gastronomy tourism : the impact of dining attributes on satisfaction among young adult Indian travelers
No full textGastronomy tourism has become increasingly popular recently, drawing tourists looking for distinctive gastronomic experiences. For tourism organizations and destinations to succeed, it is crucial to comprehend the elements that go into client happiness in this area. This study attempts to dive into the thoughts of consumers and reveal how they view the crucial factors that influence their pleasure with gourmet tourism. The goal of this study is to find out what customers think are the most important parts of gastronomy tourism satisfaction based on their recent experiences. The study design is a cross-sectional survey that looks at different points in time. Convenience sampling, which is not based on chance, has been used. This study used a survey sampling technique and was based on the positivist paradigm of research. Method: A quantitative method (n = 300) called "structural equation modelling" was used. The study shows that, out of the five things that were looked at, convenience, creativity, and food quality are the most important for the success of gastronomy tourism. So, some conclusions have been made that will help managers in the tourism industry improve customer happiness. The results of this study could help both academics and people who work in the field. Gastronomy tourism is becoming more popular all over the world, but there are not a lot of scientific studies about it, especially when it comes to Indian tourists. So, this study can add to what is already known about this subject