Percolation in deposits for competitive models in (1+1)-dimensions

The percolation behaviour during the deposit formation, when the spanning cluster was formed in the substrate plane, was studied. Two competitive or mixed models of surface layer formation were considered in (1+1)-dimensional geometry. These models are based on the combination of ballistic deposition (BD) and random deposition (RD) models or BD and Family deposition (FD) models. Numerically we find, that for pure RD, FD or BD models the mean height of the percolation deposit $\bar h$ grows with the substrate length $L$ according to the generalized logarithmic law $\bar h\propto (\ln (L))^\gamma$, where $\gamma=1.0$ (RD), $\gamma=0.88\pm 0.020$ (FD) and $\gamma=1.52\pm 0.020$ (BD). For BD model, the scaling law between deposit density $p$ and its mean height $\bar h$ at the point of percolation of type $p-p_\infty \propto \bar h^{-1/\nu_h}$ are observed, where $\nu_h =1.74\pm0.02$ is a scaling coefficient. For competitive models the crossover, %in $h$ versus $L$ corresponding to the RD or FD -like behaviour at small $L$ and the BD-like behaviour at large $L$ are observed.Comment: 8 pages,4 figures, Latex, uses iopart.cl

Percolation in Models of Thin Film Depositions

We have studied the percolation behaviour of deposits for different (2+1)-dimensional models of surface layer formation. The mixed model of deposition was used, where particles were deposited selectively according to the random (RD) and ballistic (BD) deposition rules. In the mixed one-component models with deposition of only conducting particles, the mean height of the percolation layer (measured in monolayers) grows continuously from 0.89832 for the pure RD model to 2.605 for the pure RD model, but the percolation transition belong to the same universality class, as in the 2- dimensional random percolation problem. In two- component models with deposition of conducting and isolating particles, the percolation layer height approaches infinity as concentration of the isolating particles becomes higher than some critical value. The crossover from 2d to 3d percolation was observed with increase of the percolation layer height.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

An optimal charging algorithm to minimise solid electrolyte interface layer in lithium-ion battery

This article presents a novel control algorithm for online optimal charging of lithium-ion battery by explicitly incorporating degradation mechanism into control, to reduce the degradation process. The health of battery directly relates to degradation and capacity fade in cycles of charging. We mainly focus on the growth of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer, which is the primary source of degradation of batteries. This article addresses the challenge of minimising SEI layer growth during charging by incorporating the first-order SEI layer growth rate model into a non-linear model predictive control approach. A single particle model (SPM) is used for optimal charging using orthogonal projection-based model reformulation. Gauss pseudo-spectral method is used for the optimisation of charging trajectories. Results of the optimal algorithm are compared with the traditional constant current constant voltage (CCCV) approach without considering SEI layer growth. It is ensured that overpotential caused by lithium plating remains in a healthy regime which is another feature of the proposed strategy. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed charging method

Sarilumab in patients admitted to hospital with severe or critical COVID-19: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial

Background: Elevated proinflammatory cytokines are associated with greater COVID-19 severity. We aimed to assess safety and efficacy of sarilumab, an interleukin-6 receptor inhibitor, in patients with severe (requiring supplemental oxygen by nasal cannula or face mask) or critical (requiring greater supplemental oxygen, mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal support) COVID-19. Methods: We did a 60-day, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multinational phase 3 trial at 45 hospitals in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Russia, and Spain. We included adults (≥18 years) admitted to hospital with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and pneumonia, who required oxygen supplementation or intensive care. Patients were randomly assigned (2:2:1 with permuted blocks of five) to receive intravenous sarilumab 400 mg, sarilumab 200 mg, or placebo. Patients, care providers, outcome assessors, and investigators remained masked to assigned intervention throughout the course of the study. The primary endpoint was time to clinical improvement of two or more points (seven point scale ranging from 1 [death] to 7 [discharged from hospital]) in the modified intention-to-treat population. The key secondary endpoint was proportion of patients alive at day 29. Safety outcomes included adverse events and laboratory assessments. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04327388; EudraCT, 2020-001162-12; and WHO, U1111-1249-6021. Findings: Between March 28 and July 3, 2020, of 431 patients who were screened, 420 patients were randomly assigned and 416 received placebo (n=84 [20%]), sarilumab 200 mg (n=159 [38%]), or sarilumab 400 mg (n=173 [42%]). At day 29, no significant differences were seen in median time to an improvement of two or more points between placebo (12·0 days [95% CI 9·0 to 15·0]) and sarilumab 200 mg (10·0 days [9·0 to 12·0]; hazard ratio [HR] 1·03 [95% CI 0·75 to 1·40]; log-rank p=0·96) or sarilumab 400 mg (10·0 days [9·0 to 13·0]; HR 1·14 [95% CI 0·84 to 1·54]; log-rank p=0·34), or in proportions of patients alive (77 [92%] of 84 patients in the placebo group; 143 [90%] of 159 patients in the sarilumab 200 mg group; difference −1·7 [−9·3 to 5·8]; p=0·63 vs placebo; and 159 [92%] of 173 patients in the sarilumab 400 mg group; difference 0·2 [−6·9 to 7·4]; p=0·85 vs placebo). At day 29, there were numerical, non-significant survival differences between sarilumab 400 mg (88%) and placebo (79%; difference +8·9% [95% CI −7·7 to 25·5]; p=0·25) for patients who had critical disease. No unexpected safety signals were seen. The rates of treatment-emergent adverse events were 65% (55 of 84) in the placebo group, 65% (103 of 159) in the sarilumab 200 mg group, and 70% (121 of 173) in the sarilumab 400 mg group, and of those leading to death 11% (nine of 84) were in the placebo group, 11% (17 of 159) were in the sarilumab 200 mg group, and 10% (18 of 173) were in the sarilumab 400 mg group. Interpretation: This trial did not show efficacy of sarilumab in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 and receiving supplemental oxygen. Adequately powered trials of targeted immunomodulatory therapies assessing survival as a primary endpoint are suggested in patients with critical COVID-19. Funding: Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

Fractal dimension of reaction-diffusion wave fronts

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

La haute-couture aujourd'hui : comment concilier le luxe et la mode ?

National audienceLa maturité de nombreux secteurs industriels a remis en cause leur business model. Les maisons de haute couture, contrairement aux apparences, ne se réduisent pas à l'exubérance de leurs grands couturiers : elles ont dû faire évoluer l'approche purement artisanale de leur activité pour pouvoir s'adapter aux changements de leur clientèle historique et ce, grâce au co-développement de deux différenciations " produits " : celle du luxe et celle de la mode. Cette transition a profondément impacté l'organisation de ces sociétés : les maisons de haute couture ont trouvé des solutions originales leur permettant de dépasser l'opposition entre mode et luxe et de figurer, aujourd'hui encore, parmi les entreprises les plus rentables. Ainsi, derrière le strass et les paillettes, on découvre un monde atypique dans sa structure et son organisation, qui pourrait bien fasciner au moins autant par la finesse des stratégies qu'il met en œuvre que par ses créations elles-mêmes..

Fractal dimension of reaction-diffusion wave fronts

Determining the fractal dimension associated with the percolating interface of chemical wave fronts, we show that two different types of reaction-diffusion fronts, propagating either into a stable or an unstable stationary state, belong to the same universality class as pure diffusion fronts. The results are deduced from microscopic simulations and stochastic partial differential equations

[Epidemiology of candidemia: a one-year prospective observational study in the west of France] : Épidémiologie des candidémies : étude observationnelle prospective d'un an dans l'Ouest de la France

ERMAInternational audienceOBJECTIVE: A one-year prospective, observational study was conducted in the west of France, to evaluate the epidemiology of candidemia. METHOD: During the year 2004, each patient with at least one blood culture yielding Candida sp. was included. For each episode of candidemia, mycological, demographical, clinical, and therapeutic data, as well as outcome, were collected. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-three strains of Candida sp. were isolated in 186 patients, Candida albicans accounting for 54.9%, Candida glabrata for 18.7%, Candida parapsilosis for 12.9%, Candida tropicalis for 4.7% and Candida krusei for 4.1% of these isolates. A percentage of 84% of the Candida isolates were fully susceptible to fluconazole in vitro. Dose-dependent susceptibility or resistance to fluconazole was detected in more than one third of the Candida glabrata strains, of which 36% were also resistant to voriconazole. Two-thirds of the patients were males, and the mean age was 61.5 years. A percentage of 37% of patients were hospitalized in intensive care units. The main predisposing factors for candidemia were broad-spectrum antibiotics (75.8%), central venous catheter (72.6%), cancer or hematologic malignancy (47.3%), recent surgery (42.5%), total parenteral nutrition (37.6%). One hundred and fifty-four patients were treated with antifungal therapy, two-thirds of whom received fluconazole as first-line agent. Mortality was 49% overall, and was significantly higher in case of septic shock, advanced age, and absence of catheter removal