Experimental validation of high-order time integration for non-linear heat transfer problems

An accurate prediction of the temperature distribution in space and time plays an important role in many industrial applications, in particular when phase transformations are involved. In this article the thermo-physical properties of steel 51CrV4 (SAE 6150) are determined and used in numerical simulations. For the simulation of the temperature field a semi-discrete approach is used, consisting of a finite element approximation in space and a high order Runge– Kutta integration in time. Several adaptive high-order time integration method (stiffly accurate diagonally implicit Runge–Kutta methods) are applied and their computational efficiency is investigated. The theoretical rates of convergence are achieved for all problems, including the non-linear case. Whereas the second order accurate method of Ellsiepen with time adaptive step-size control proves to be most efficient. Further, the influence of the material model on the simulation results is studied and the numerical results are verified by experiments. The best correlation of the simulation and experimental data is achieved using temperature-dependent parameters.     

Plasma ion assisted deposition of aluminium oxide and aluminium oxifluoride layers for applications in the ultraviolet spectral range

We present extended experimental material about optical and mechanical properties as well as the water content of aluminium oxide films, deposited by plasma ion assisted electron beam evaporation. A clear correlation between these experimental data is established and understood as being affected by the different degree of the porosity of the films. When adding fluorine as a reactive gas during deposition, aluminium oxifluoride layers can be obtained that appear nearly free of water, and combine UV-transparency with higher UV refractive indices than porous aluminium oxide layers.     

Transparente Barriereschichten auf flexiblen Polymersubstraten

Transparent permeation barrier layers on flexible polymer substrates This paper reviews different vacuum based technologies for manufacturing transparent permeation barrier layers and layer stacks on flexible polymer substrates. With plasma assisted reactive evaporation, a cost‐efficient, highly productive process for food packaging applications is presented. Reactive dual magnetron sputtering is a technology for the deposition of oxide layers with a very low water vapor and oxygen transmission rate at a reasonable deposition rate. Many groups suggest multilayer stacks for the encapsulation of flexible electronic devices. In this paper, an all‐in‐vacuum inline concept for manufacturing such multilayers is presented. It is based on the combination of reactively sputtered barrier layers with interlayers grown by using a magnetron based PECVD process (Magnetron‐PECVD). Both, process parameters, such as deposition rate and process pressure, and important layer properties, such as morphology and the water vapor and oxygen transmission rate are compared for the different single and multi layer technologies.     

The SARS-CoV-2 Delta-Omicron Recombinant Lineage (XD) Exhibits Immune-Escape Properties Similar to the Omicron (BA.1) Variant

Recently, a recombinant SARS-CoV-2 lineage, XD, emerged that harbors a spike gene that is largely derived from the Omicron variant BA.1 in the genetic background of the Delta variant. This finding raised concerns that the recombinant virus might exhibit altered biological properties as compared to the parental viruses and might pose an elevated threat to human health. Here, using pseudotyped particles, we show that ACE2 binding and cell tropism of XD mimics that of BA.1. Further, XD and BA.1 displayed comparable sensitivity to neutralization by antibodies induced upon vaccination with BNT162b2/Comirnaty (BNT) or BNT vaccination followed by breakthrough infection. Our findings reveal important biological commonalities between XD and Omicron BA.1 host cell entry and its inhibition by antibodies.     

河流样式框架：基于水文地貌评估支撑 河流景观的可持续修复与管理

河流景观是人类需求与自然基底相互作用形成的复 杂、多尺度嵌套的社会生态和水文地貌系统。基于水文地貌学 原理的“河流样式框架”为理解河流“形式与过程”之间的关 系提供了一个成熟的分析工具。系统梳理河流样式框架的基本 原则、具体步骤与核心内容,提出多尺度的空间层级划分、河 流样式与地貌单元的分类体系是该框架解释河流特征与河流行 为的核心方法。进而在流域尺度依据地貌状况与修复潜力评估 结果确定各个河段修复管理的优先次序,在河段尺度通过河流 演变轨迹分析预测河流的变化趋势。以期为“基于过程”的河 流景观修复设计与行动计划提供理论支持。     

Associated ulcerative colitis, sclerosing cholangitis, and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

We report two young men with clinical and laboratory evidence of macroscopic ulcerative colitis, sclerosing cholangitis, and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The first patient presented at age 15 with vomiting, abdominal pain, weight loss, and abnormal liver function test results. Liver biopsy and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) demonstrated sclerosing cholangitis. Colonoscopy with biopsy revealed ulcerative colitis which responded to sulfasalazine. Diabetes occurred at age 18 and insulin therapy was begun. The second patient was 19 at presentation with diarrhea, hematochezia, and weight loss. Proctosigmoidoscopy revealed ulcerative colitis, and sulfasalazine led to clinical remission. Three months later he developed diabetes requiring insulin therapy. At age 28, he developed elevated alkaline phosphatase, and ERCP revealed sclerosing cholangitis. At age 37 he expired from adenocarcinoma that metastasized to the liver. Literature review revealed only one possible case report of this association with microscopic asymptomatic ulcerative colitis in that patient. Statistical analysis suggests that this association is real rather than a chance occurrence. An autoimmune process may be involved and a specific histocompatibility locus antigen (HLA) type may exert a regulatory influence.     

Reconstitution of Monocyte Subsets and PD-L1 Expression but Not T Cell PD-1 Expression in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients upon PAP Therapy

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by nocturnal breathing intermissions resulting in oxidative stress and eventually, a low-grade systemic inflammation. The study aimed to investigate the impact of positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy on the inflammatory milieu as measured by monocyte and T cell phenotypic alterations. Participants were assessed for their OSA severity before PAP therapy and about six months later, including patient-reported outcome and therapy usage by telemetry readout. The distributions of the CD14/CD16-characterized monocyte subsets as well as the CD4/CD8-characterized effector T cell subsets with regard to their PD-1 and PD-L1 expression were analyzed by flow cytometry from blood samples. Data of 25 patients revealed a significant reconstitution of the monocyte subset distribution and a decrease in PD-L1 expression on pan-monocytes and CD8⁺ T cells without an association to initial AHI and overweight. The PD-1 expression was still increased on T cell subsets, especially on CD4⁺ TH17/22 cells. We conclude that PAP therapy might have a rapid effect on the monocyte phenotype and overall PD-L1 expression levels. However, T cell immune alterations especially on TH17/22 cells persist longer, indicating an ongoing disturbance of the adaptive immune system.