5 research outputs found
Operando Fabricated Quasi-Solid-State Electrolyte Hinders Polysulfide Shuttles in an Advanced Li-S Battery
No full textLithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are a promising option for energy storage due to their theoretical high energy density and the use of abundant, low-cost sulfur cathodes. Nevertheless, several obstacles remain, including the dissolution of lithium polysulfides (LiPS) into the electrolyte and a restricted operational temperature range. This manuscript presents a promising approach to addressing these challenges. The manuscript describes a straightforward and scalable in situ thermal polymerization method for synthesizing a quasi-solid-state electrolyte (QSE) by gelling pentaerythritol tetraacrylate (PETEA), azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN), and a dual salt lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and lithium nitrate (LiNO3)-based liquid electrolyte. The resulting freestanding quasi-solid-state electrolyte (QSE) effectively inhibits the polysulfide shuttle effect across a wider temperature range of −25 °C to 45 °C. The electrolyte’s ability to prevent LiPS migration and cluster formation has been corroborated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy analyses. The optimized QSE composition appears to act as a physical barrier, thereby significantly improving battery performance. Notably, the capacity retention has been demonstrated to reach 95% after 100 cycles at a 2C rate. Furthermore, the simple and scalable synthesis process paves the way for the potential commercialization of this technology
The local brand representative in reseller networks
No full textThis study investigates the characteristics of local individuals who represent a brand to its resellers by first conceptualizing these characteristics by employing complexity theory and then testing the conceptualization. This research revealed that four characteristics ‘native’, ‘entrepreneurial’, ‘advisor’, and ‘compatible’ are the main ones that influence reseller brand preferences. The study finds a link between reseller brand preference and reseller brand loyalty which is useful for managing business-to-business markets. The study closes with implications, limitations, and directions for future research. © 2016 The Author
Marketing innovation : A consequence of competitiveness
No full textThis research uses complexity theory to probe the relationship between competiveness and innovation in the marketing practises of large manufacturing firms that offer their branded products in a foreign market by engaging a network of local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as resellers of their brand. A deductive, quantitative research approach was employed and data were collected over a nine-month period from resellers of international IT firms in India using a questionnaire. A structural equation modelling technique and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) were employed on a sample of 649 respondents to find answers to the questions raised. This research indicates that a successful business relationship between a brand and its resellers can enable both parties to compete in a competitive market. This study finds that innovativeness in the marketing initiatives of the brand can be a function of the contributions made by the brand to its competitiveness. Nevertheless, the findings are also subject to some limitations and provide direction for future research on the topic. © 2016 The Author
Empagliflozin improves cardiorespiratory fitness in type 2 diabetes: Translational implications
No full textSGLT2 inhibitors have been shown to prevent heart failure and reduce cardiovascular death in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Whether or not SGLT2 inhibitors improve indices of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), an independent predictor of mortality in patients with CVD, remains unknown.
We evaluated the effects of empagliflozin on indices of CRF in patients with T2DM. Twenty patients with T2DM received either empagliflozin 10mg or usual care. Baseline and 3 to 6-month post-treatment measurements of CRF were evaluated using CPET on a cycle ergometer.
Treatment with empagliflozin led to an increased peak oxygen consumption (VO2), reduction in VE/VCO2 slope and improvement in heart rate recovery.
Our results suggest that SGLT2 inhibitors may improve markers of cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with type 2 diabetes. This may help provide important clues into the mechanism of benefit of SGLT2 inhibitors in clinical trials and provide a translational framework for the ongoing large studies of SGLT2 inhibitors in the treatment of heart failure.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author
Reduced glutathione and cysteine hydrochloride on crossbred bull semen
No full textOver the last few years, good quality freezable semen was not utilized effectively due to less knowledge about the freezability of semen. One reason is the lack of sufficient antioxidants in the seminal plasma and semen extender. The antioxidant content is reduced during the cryopreservation process and causes premature cryo-capacitation and modification of sperm membrane structure upon thawing. So the study of pre-freezing and post thaw seminal parameters like viability, motility, acrosomal integrity, lipid peroxide assay, vanguard distance traveled by sperm, mitochondrial membrane potential, velocity and motility parameters (CASA) and field fertility trial helped to assess the effectiveness of the additives. The conception rate was better in reduced glutathione than the cysteine hydrochloride treated group. The glutathione has improved the poor freezing and maintained the good freezable semen. Thus the field fertility rate was enhanced and in turn helped to prevent waste of good quality germplasm and repeat breeder syndrome in cows
