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For high-cobalt cathodes such as lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) conventional pyrometallurgical (see section ‘Pyrometallurgical recovery’) or hydrometallurgical (see section ‘Hydrometallurgical recovery’) recycling processes can recover around 70% of the cathode value¹¹. However, for other cathode chemistries that are not as cobalt-rich, this figure drops notably¹¹. A 2019 648-lb Nissan Leaf battery, for example, costs US$6,500–8,500 new, but the value of the pure metals in the cathode material is less than US$400 and the cost of the equivalent amount of NMC (an alternative cathode material) is in the region of US$4,000. It is important, therefore, to appreciate that cathode material must be directly recycled (or upcycled) to recover sufficient value. As direct recycling avoids lengthy and expensive purification steps, it could be particularly advantageous for lower-value cathodes such as LiMn₂O₄ and LiFePO₄, where manufacturing of the cathode oxides is the major contributor to cathode costs, embedded energy and carbon dioxide footprint⁹⁵.

Direct recycling also has the advantage that, in principle, all battery components²⁰ can be recovered and re-used after further processing (with the exclusion of separators). Although there is substantial literature regarding the recycling of the cathode component from spent LIBs, research on recycling of the graphitic anode is limited, owing to its lower recovery value. Nevertheless, the successful re-use of mechanically separated graphite anodes from spent batteries has been demonstrated, with similar properties to that of pristine graphite⁹⁶.

Continue reading “Recycling lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles” »

Dr. Cody reveals private conversations about BCI and experience at CES2023.

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Continue reading “A Billionaire and Brain Computer Interface: Behind the Scenes at Consumer Electronic Show 2023” »

Seems like a good fit for this group:

Thanks to YOGABODY Teachers College http://www.yogabody.com/iha for sponsoring this video. Check out their science-based, online yoga certification courses.

Continue reading “The Exercise That Prolongs Life” »

Dr Miriam Stoppard writes how the ancient infection leprosy — once such a disfiguring disease that sufferers were exiled — could now help people’s health Leprosy is an ancient infection, common in biblical times, causing such disfiguring disease that sufferers were exiled to isolated colonies miles from anywhere.

A new study has identified a promising drug candidate that can protect neurons from degeneration in mouse models of Parkinson’s disease. The research is published in Science Translational Medicine.

Addressing an unmet need

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, and over the last 25 years, the prevalence of PD has doubled, presenting a large health burden across the globe.

The ultraviolet nail polish drying devices used to cure gel manicures may pose more of a public health concern than previously thought. Researchers at the University of California San Diego studied these ultraviolet (UV) light emitting devices, and found that their use leads to cell death and cancer-causing mutations in human cells.

The devices are a common fixture in nail salons, and generally use a particular spectrum of UV light (340-395nm) to cure the chemicals used in gel manicures. While tanning beds use a different spectrum of UV light (280-400nm) that studies have conclusively proven to be carcinogenic, the spectrum used in the nail dryers has not been well studied.

“If you look at the way these devices are presented, they are marketed as safe, with nothing to be concerned about,” said Ludmil Alexandrov, a professor of bioengineering as well as cellular and molecular medicine at UC San Diego, and corresponding author of the study published Jan. 17 in Nature Communications. “But to the best of our knowledge, no one has actually studied these devices and how they affect human cells at the molecular and cellular levels until now.”

The University of Singapore has invented a VR Glove that allows you to feel objects in the metaverse! The technology includes pressurized fingertips and restricted motion that mimics the real-life sensation of picking up objects. The goal is to assist medical professionals to practice in Virtual Reality (but we can see how these would make for some pretty incredible immersive gameplay). Production will begin over the next few years.

The VR glove is an important advancement in wearable tech, as it is a fully untethered haptic system. With this super fast feedback loop, the glove encounters the metaverse in what is essentially real-time. So, that means minimal to no lag for users. Additionally, the gloves are lighter and more affordable than the gloves that are currently on the market. This makes The National University of Singapore’s HaptGlove all the more impressive as a piece of wearable tech.

The glove was developed by The National University of Singapore for use with trainees at the National University Health System. Specifically, users will be able to use the technology to grasp surgical devices or check the pulse of a patient. Furthermore, the haptic system inside the glove should resemble the feeling of an object on your fingertips, providing real-time feedback. This is an important moment for the medical field that could have serious impact, as VR becomes a testing ground for future health tech. It’s interesting to note this development alongside other trends, like the push towards Web5.

Past neuroscience research consistently found a link between deviations from the “normal” iron metabolism, also known as iron dysregulation, and different neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Specifically, brain regions associated with these diseases have been found to be often populated by microglia (i.e., resident immune cells) packed with Iron.

While the association between iron dysregulation and neurodegenerative diseases is well documented, the ways in which iron accumulation affects the physiology of microglia and neurodegeneration are yet to be fully grasped. Researchers at global health care company Sanofi have recently carried out a study aimed at filling this gap in the literature, by better understanding how microglia respond to iron.

“For years it has been known that iron accumulates in affected brain regions in PD, MS and other neurodegenerative diseases,” Timothy Hammond, one of the researchers who carried out the study, told MedicalXpress. “This is something we can see in patients using MRI imaging, where it has been shown that iron levels increase over the course of the disease. We also had our own data from progressive MS patients showing iron dysregulation in brain microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain.”

The inside of a person’s mouth can say a lot about their overall health. Studies have established links between poor oral health and conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure and pneumonia. Now, a new study shows there’s a connection to the brain. Researchers in the U.K. found certain bacteria in the mouth may cause deadly brain abscesses.