Lithium-ion conductive ceramic textile: A new architecture for flexible solid-state lithium metal batteries

Designing solid-state lithium metal batteries requires fast lithium-ion conductors, good electrochemical stability, and scalable processing approaches to device integration. In this work, we demonstrate a unique design for a flexible lithium-ion conducting ceramic textile with the above features for use in solid-state batteries. The ceramic textile was based on the garnet-type conductor Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ and exhibited a range of desirable chemical and structural properties, including: lithium-ion conducting cubic structure, low density, multi-scale porosity, high surface area/volume ratio, and good flexibility. The solid garnet textile enabled reinforcement of a solid polymer electrolyte to achieve high lithium-ion conductivity and stable long-term Li cycling over 500?h without failure. The textile also provided an electrolyte framework when designing a 3D electrode to realize ultrahigh cathode loading (10.8?g/cm² sulfur) for high-performance Li-metal batteries.     

Segmenting point-sampled surfaces

Extracting features from point-based representations of geometric surface models is becoming increasingly important for purposes such as model classification, matching, and exploration. In an earlier paper, we proposed a multiphase segmentation process to identify elongated features in point-sampled surface models without the explicit construction of a mesh or other surface representation. The preliminary results demonstrated the strength and potential of the segmentation process, but the resulting segmentations were still of low quality, and the segmentation process could be slow. In this paper, we describe several algorithmic improvements to overcome the shortcomings of the segmentation process. To demonstrate the improved quality of the segmentation and the superior time efficiency of the new segmentation process, we present segmentation results obtained for various point-sampled surface models. We also discuss an application of our segmentation process to extract ridge-separated features in point-sampled surfaces of CAD models.     

A topological approach to simplification of three-dimensional scalar functions

This paper describes an efficient combinatorial method for simplification of topological features in a 3D scalar function. The Morse-Smale complex, which provides a succinct representation of a function's associated gradient flow field, is used to identify topological features and their significance. The simplification process, guided by the Morse-Smale complex, proceeds by repeatedly applying two atomic operations that each remove a pair of critical points from the complex. Efficient storage of the complex results in execution of these atomic operations at interactive rates. Visualization of the simplified complex shows that the simplification preserves significant topological features while removing small features and noise.     

A benchmark for OCL engine accuracy, determinateness, and efficiency

Since several years, the Object Constraint Language (OCL) is a central component in modeling and transformation languages like the Unified Modeling Language, the Meta Object Facility, and Query View Transformation. Consequently, approaches MDE (Model-Driven Engineering) depend on this language. OCL is present not only in areas influenced by the OMG but also in the Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF). Thus the quality of OCL and its realization in tools seems to be crucial for the success of model-driven development. Surprisingly, up to now a benchmark for OCL to measure quality properties has not been proposed. This paper puts forward in the first part the concepts of a comprehensive OCL benchmark. Our benchmark covers (1) OCL engine accuracy (e.g., for the handling of the undefined value, the use of variables and the implementation of OCL standard operations), (2) OCL engine determinateness properties (e.g., for the collection operations ??any?? and ??flatten??), and (3) OCL engine efficiency (for data type and user-defined operations). In the second part, this paper empirically evaluates the proposed benchmark concepts by examining several OCL tools. The paper clarifies a number of differences in handling particular language features and under specifications in the OCL standard.     

Hydrierung von Crotonaldehyd,Butyraldehyd und Acetaldol mit modifizierten Ni-Trägerkatalysatoren. I. Zum Einfluß einer Kupfermodifizierung auf Ni/Kaolin-Katalysatoren

Hydrogenation of Crotonaldehyde, Butyraldehyde and Acetaldole with Modified Ni Carrier Catalysts. I. On the Influence of a Copper Modification of Ni/Kaolin Catalysts The hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde, butyraldehyde and acetaldol in the presence of Ni-Cu catalysts is a single-centre reaction, whereas the decarbonylation of crotonaldehyde is a multi-centre reaction. The ratio between the specific activities of the hydrogenation of the CC double bond and the carbonyl group is two. In the conversion of acetaldol the hydrogenolysis to butyraldehyde can be neglected in comparison with the hydrogenation to butan-1,3-diol.     

Curvature approximation of 3D manifolds in 4D space

A method for the approximation of the three principal curvatures at points on a discretized, triangulated 3D manifold in 4D space (referred to as 3-surface) is presented. The approximation scheme is based on the fact that a parametric 3-surface can locally be approximated by the graph of a trivariate function. Using a local coordinate system, a least square polynomial approximation is constructed for the estimation of the principal curvatures at each 3-surface point. Curvature is extremely useful for the analysis of qualitative characteristics of surfaces. The technique presented is an example of extending existing surface interrogation methods to multivariate data. Such a generalization is valuable for scientific visualization.     

Fluconazole prophylaxis in patients with head and neck tumours undergoing radiation and radiochemotherapy

The aim of the present study was to investigate the incidence of Candida stomatitis and resulting interruptions in radiation and radiochemotherapy in 50 patients suffering from squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck region receiving fluconazole (100 mg d-1) in comparison with a historical control group (n = 50) without specific prophylaxis. Twenty of the control patients (40%) demonstrated Candida stomatitis, with seven of them (14%) requiring interruptions in anticancer therapy. In contrast, none of the patients with fluconazole had evidence of Candida stomatitis (P = 0.0000051) and subsequent interruption of anti-cancer therapy (P = 0.0061). Laboratory monitoring for the presence of Candida species was performed in 30 patients before and after therapy with fluconazole. Candida albicans was identified less frequently after therapy when compared with the pretreatment status. However, C. glabrata and C. krusei were isolated in some of the patients, probably because of drug resistance of these subspecies. The results demonstrate the clinical usefulness of prophylactic fluconazole applications in patients suffering from head and neck tumours with the aim of reducing Candida stomatitis and the resulting interruptions in radiation and radiochemotherapy.