Abstract: Battery components are generally provided. In some embodiments, the battery components can be used as pasting paper and/or capacitance layers for batteries, such as lead acid batteries. The battery components described herein may comprise a plurality of fibers. The battery component may include, in some embodiments, a plurality of fibers and, optionally, one or more additives such as conductive carbon and/or activated carbon. In certain embodiments, the plurality of fibers include relatively coarse glass fibers (e.g., having an average diameter of greater than or equal to 2 microns), relatively fine glass fibers (e.g., having an average diameter of less than 2 microns), and/or fibrillated fibers. In some instances, such fibers may be present in amounts such that the battery component has a particular surface area, mean pore size, and/or dry tensile strength.

Abstract: Battery separators and related methods are generally provided. The battery separators may include one or more fiber webs. In some embodiments, one or more fiber webs of the battery separator comprises a plurality of glass fibers wherein at least a portion of the glass fibers are fused. The fiber web(s) may include, for example, glass fibers having particular glass compositions (e.g., a particular Li2O content), and/or at least two different glass fibers having a minimum difference in softening temperatures. The one or more fiber webs may be designed to have desirable properties such as relatively high structural integrity (e.g., during acid filling of the battery such as in lead-acid batteries), enhanced separator stability, and/or enhanced wettability (e.g., wettability to acid) as compared to certain existing battery separators.

Abstract: Non-woven webs that can be used as battery separators for batteries, such as lead acid batteries, are generally provided. In some embodiments, battery separators comprising a non-woven web including one or more chemical additives are provided. The chemical additives may impart beneficial properties, such as enhanced separator stability and/or battery performance. In some embodiments, the chemical additive(s) may confer resistance to oxidation, heavy metal deposition, and/or formation of short circuits during cycling of a battery including the battery separator. The respective characteristics and/or amounts of the chemical additive(s) may be selected to impart desirable properties while having relatively minimal or no adverse effects on another property of the battery separator and/or the battery.

Abstract: A method for making an at least double layered cell aggregate and/or an artificial blastocyst, and/or a further-developed blastoid termed blastoid, by forming a double layered cell aggregate from at least one trophoblast cell and at least one pluripotent and/or totipotent cell, and culturing the aggregate to obtain an artificial blastocyst having a trophectoderm-like tissue that surrounds a blastocoel and an inner cell mass-like tissue. The cell aggregate can be formed from toti- or pluripotent stem cell types, or induced pluripotent stem cell types, in combination with trophoblast stem cells. Formation of a blastoid can be achieved by culturing the cell aggregate in a medium preferably comprising one or more of a Rho/ROCK inhibitor, a Wnt pathway modulator, a PKA pathway modulator, a PKC pathway modulator, a MAPK pathway modulator, a STAT pathway modulator, an Akt pathway modulator, a Tgf pathway modulator and a Hippo pathway modulator.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a battery separator described herein may comprise a layer having a relatively low apparent density; for example, the density that includes any unoccupied space within the outermost boundaries of the layer may be relatively low. The low apparent density may be attributed to, at least in part, the geometry of the layer. For instance, in some embodiments, the layer may include undulations and/or have at least one non-planar surface (e.g., a corrugated layer; an embossed layer). In some embodiments, a battery comprising a layer having a relatively low apparent density may have desirable properties, including relatively low electrical resistance and/or relatively high capacity. The battery separators described herein may be well suited for a variety of battery types, including lead acid batteries.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a new approach to constructing cellular aggregates in vitro and their use in methods for producing 3D-tissue constructs in a modular way. In particular, the disclosure is directed to a method for in vitro producing a tissue construct comprising: a) combining living cells to form supracellular aggregates using spatial confinement; b) combining two or more of the supracellular aggregates in a mold or on a biomaterial; c) applying conditions that induce self-assembly within the combined supracellular aggregates to obtain the tissue construct; and d) applying conditions that induce tissue morphogenesis in the tissue construct.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new approach to constructing cellular aggregates in vitro and their use in methods for producing 3D-tissue constructs in a modular way. In particular, the invention is directed to a method for in vitro producing a tissue construct comprising: a) combining living cells to form supracellular aggregates using spatial confinement; b) combining two or more of the supracellular aggregates in a mold or on a biomaterial; c) applying conditions that induce self-assembly within the combined supracellular aggregates to obtain the tissue construct; and d) applying conditions that induce tissue morphogenesis in the tissue construct.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for making an at least double layered cell aggregate and/or an artificial blastocyst, and/or a further-developed blastoid termed blastoid, by forming a double layered cell aggregate from at least one trophoblast cell and at least one pluripotent and/or totipotent cell, and culturing said aggregate to obtain an artificial blastocyst. This artificial blastocyst has a trophectoderm-like tissue that surrounds a blastocoel and an inner cell mass-like tissue. The cell aggregate can be formed from toti- or pluripotent stem cell types, or induced pluripotent stem cell types, in combination with trophoblast stem cells. Formation of a blastoid can be achieved by culturing the cell aggregate in a medium preferably comprising one or more of a Rho/ROCK inhibitor, a Wnt pathway modulator, a PKA pathway modulator, a PKC pathway modulator, a MAPK pathway modulator, a STAT pathway modulator, an Akt pathway modulator, a Tgf pathway modulator and a Hippo pathway modulator.

Abstract: Filter media suitable for various applications and related components, systems, and methods associated therewith are described. The filter media may include a fiber web having a mixture comprising non-fibrillated synthetic fibers and fibrillated fibers, such as lyocell. The fiber web may also include multi-component fibers (e.g., bi-component fibers). In some embodiments, glass fibers are not incorporated into the fiber web.

Abstract: Filter media suitable for various applications and related components, systems, and methods associated therewith are described. The filter media may include a fiber web having a mixture comprising non-fibrillated synthetic fibers and fibrillated fibers, such as lyocell. The fiber web may also include multi-component fibers (e.g., bi-component fibers). In some embodiments, glass fibers are not incorporated into the fiber web.

Abstract: Disclosed is a battery separator, comprising a coarse fiber region comprising fibers, such as glass fibers, having an average diameter of greater than or equal to 2 ?m; a first fine fiber region comprising glass fibers having an average diameter of less than or equal to 2 ?m, and a second fine fiber region comprising glass fibers having an average diameter of less than or equal to 2 ?m, wherein the coarse fiber region is disposed between the first fine fiber region and the second fine fiber region, and wherein the thickness of the coarse fiber region constitutes 1-49% of the sum of the thicknesses of the coarse fiber region, the first fine fiber region and the second fine fiber region. Such a separator is useful, e.g., in a lead-acid battery, where during filling of the battery with acid, the separator enhances the diffusion of acid toward the interior region.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mirror including a glass substrate covered with a silver layer, which is in turn covered with at least one paint layer, wherein the intensity ratio of the crystallographic orientations (111)/(200) within the silver layer is less than 5.0. Said mirror is characterized in that the silver layer has a correlation length (CLz) (111), as measured by X-ray diffraction using the Scherrer method (i.e., using the Scherrer equation) of greater than 27.0 nm.

Abstract: Filter media suitable for various applications and related components, systems, and methods associated therewith are described. The filter media may include a fiber web having a mixture comprising non-fibrillated synthetic fibers and fibrillated fibers, such as lyocell. The fiber web may also include multi-component fibers (e.g., bi-component fibers). In some embodiments, glass fibers are not incorporated into the fiber web.

Abstract: The disclosure describes compositions and methods for producing a change in the voltage at which hydrogen gas is produced in a lead acid battery. The compositions and methods relate to producing a concentration of one or more metal ions in the lead acid battery electrolyte. The compositions include glass based compositions that are included as part of various battery components, such as the battery separator, pasting paper, additives to battery paste, etc.

Abstract: The application describes glass compositions that includes more than 30 percent by weight of bismuth compounds, in particular bismuth oxide. Additionally, components, specifically battery separators, made from the glass compositions with high levels of bismuth are described.

Abstract: The disclosure describes compositions and methods for producing a change in the voltage at which hydrogen gas is produced in a lead acid battery. The compositions and methods relate to producing a concentration of one or more metal ions in the lead acid battery electrolyte.

Abstract: A permanent pasting sheet for an open and/or sealed battery, the material including glass microfibers that withstand acid electrolytes and a hydrophilic binder that withstands acid electrolytes, wherein the fiber material has a Cobb60 degree, determined using the standard ISO 535, that is greater than or equal to three times its weight.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new approach to constructing cellular aggregates in vitro and their use in methods for producing 3D-tissue constructs in a modular way. In particular, the invention is directed to a method for in vitro producing a tissue construct comprising: a) combining living cells to form supracellular aggregates using spatial confinement; b) combining two or more of the supracellular aggregates in a mold or on a biomaterial; c) applying conditions that induce self-assembly within the combined supracellular aggregates to obtain the tissue construct; and d) applying conditions that induce tissue morphogenesis in the tissue construct.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for manufacturing nanowire structures, the process comprising the following steps: manufacture of a thin semiconductor film (1) extending between a first terminal (4) and a second terminal (5), and passage of a current between the first and the second terminals so as to form at least one continuous overthickness (R1, R2, R3) in the thin semiconductor film by migration of a fraction of the semiconductor material, under the action of the current, the continuous overthickness being formed along the direction of the current that passes through the film.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for manufacturing nanowire structures, the process comprising the following steps: manufacture of a thin semiconductor film (1) extending between a first terminal (4) and a second terminal (5), and passage of a current between the first and the second terminals so as to form at least one continuous overthickness (R1, R2, R3) in the thin semiconductor film by migration of a fraction of the semiconductor material, under the action of the current, the continuous overthickness being formed along the direction of the current that passes through the film.