Development of Precipitated Iron Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts.

Four (alumina or silica) supported catalysts with nominal compositions (on mass basis) of synthesized catalysts are: (1) 100 Fe/5 Cu/6 K/139 SiO{sub 2} (2) 100 Fe/10 Cu/6 K/134 SiO{sub 2}, (3) 100 Fe/5 Cu/ K/139 Al{sub 2}0{sub 3} and (4) 100 Fe/10 Cu/6 K/134 Al{sub 2}0{sub 3} were char BET surface area measurements. The surface areas of all four catalysts are between 94 and 136 m{sup 2}/g, whereas the surface areas of alumina and silica support are 213 and 252 m{sup 2}/g, respectively. The decrease in surface area of the supports is due to pore filling and blocking during the impregnation of supports with iron and promoters. During the current reporting period one slurry reactor test (SB-2337) was performed with an alumina supported catalyst with nominal composition 100 Fe/5 Cu/9 K/139 Al{sub 2}0{sub 3}, which was synthesized in our laboratory during the last quarter. The performance of this catalyst was inferior in comparison to our catalysts B (100 Fe/5 Cu/6 K/24 SiO{sub 2}) and C (100 Fe/3 Cu/4 K/16 SiO{sub 2}). Activity of the alumina supported catalyst was lower, and its catalyst deactivation rate was higher than that of the baseline catalysts B and C. The work on testing of alternative catalyst has been completed

Quantification of HLA class I molecules on renal cell carcinoma using Edman degradation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Unimpaired HLA class I antigen presentation is a prerequisite for the recognition of tumor cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes and thus essential for the success of anticancer immunotherapeutic concepts. Several approaches have been taken in the immunotherapy of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC), however of limited success. HLA loss or down-regulation have often been reported and might interfere with immunotherapeutic approaches aimed at the recognition of HLA-presented peptides.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We employed a quantitative method of molecular analysis for the comparison of HLA amounts on primary tumor, normal kidney and metastases of RCC, using Edman degradation. We analyzed a series of 47 RCC samples including corresponding renal parenchyma, local lymph node metastases and distant metastases.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Results of quantitative Edman degradation revealed significantly higher HLA yields on primary tumor and metastases compared to normal kidney tissue. This effect was shown not to result from infiltrating immune cells, since tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes had no influence on the overall HLA recovery from tumor tissue. Unexpectedly, we found a higher amount of HLA class I molecules on distant metastases compared to local lymph node metastases.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Edman degradation allows the direct quantitative comparison of HLA class I protein expression by tumor or normal tissue and metastases of RCC patients. Our results raise hopes for improving the success and effectiveness of future immunotherapeutic concepts for metastatic RCC.</p

A Phase II Trial of Sorafenib in Metastatic Melanoma with Tissue Correlates

Sorafenib monotherapy in patients with metastatic melanoma was explored in this multi-institutional phase II study. In correlative studies the impact of sorafenib on cyclin D1 and Ki67 was assessed. mutational status and clinical activity. No significant changes in expression of cyclin D1 or Ki67 with sorafenib treatment were demonstrable in the 15 patients with pre-and post-treatment tumor samples. mutational status of the tumor was not associated with clinical activity and no significant effect of sorafenib on cyclin D1 or Ki67 was seen, suggesting that sorafenib is not an effective BRAF inhibitor or that additional signaling pathways are equally important in the patients who benefit from sorafenib

Vampires in the village Žrnovo on the island of Korčula: following an archival document from the 18th century

Središnja tema rada usmjerena je na raščlambu spisa pohranjenog u Državnom arhivu u Mlecima (fond: Capi del Consiglio de’ Dieci: Lettere di Rettori e di altre cariche) koji se odnosi na događaj iz 1748. godine u korčulanskom selu Žrnovo, kada su mještani – vjerujući da su se pojavili vampiri – oskvrnuli nekoliko mjesnih grobova. U radu se podrobno iznose osnovni podaci iz spisa te rečeni događaj analizira u širem društvenom kontekstu i prate se lokalna vjerovanja.The main interest of this essay is the analysis of the document from the State Archive in Venice (file: Capi del Consiglio de’ Dieci: Lettere di Rettori e di altre cariche) which is connected with the episode from 1748 when the inhabitants of the village Žrnove on the island of Korčula in Croatia opened tombs on the local cemetery in the fear of the vampires treating. This essay try to show some social circumstances connected with this event as well as a local vernacular tradition concerning superstitions

Development of a kinetic model for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over a Ru promoted Co/Al2O3 catalyst in a slurry reactor

A detailed kinetic model for hydrocarbon formation rate over a wide range of operating conditions by using a stirred tank slurry reactor (STSR), which closely mimics the kinetics of the commercialized slurry process, is put forward. Kinetics of the Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis over 0.27% Ru 25% Co/Al 2 O 3 catalyst was studied using the STSR. Hydrogen-assisted dissociative adsorption of CO followed by hydrogenation of dissociatively adsorbed CO was the likely path for formation of the monomer (methylene) and was the likely rate controlling step in F-T synthesis. Rates obtained from the best kinetic model provided a satisfactory fit to the experimental data. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 2011 AIChE Spring Meeting & 7th Global Congress on Process Safety (Chicago, IL 3/13-17/2011)

Development of a kinetic model for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over a Ru promoted Co/Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> catalyst in a slurry reactor

Depleting oil reserves, environmental pressure, as well as abundant reserves of coal, natural gas and biomass, have all contributed to a revived interest in Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) technology for producing ultra-clean, virtually sulfur-free, transportation fuels and chemicals. F-T technology involves conversion of synthesis gas (i.e., a mixture of H 2 and CO) to hydrocarbons, which can be upgraded by processes such as hydrocracking to produce liquid transportation fuels and chemicals - especially diesel, jet fuels, lubricants and waxes. F-T synthesis is a very complex reaction that produces a large number of products. The reaction is catalyzed by certain metals or metal carbides of the transition metal elements Co, Ru, Ni, and Ru (Dry, 1996). Due to the low intrinsic water-gas-shift activity of Co and the fact that it is easier to separate from the products than Fe based catalysts, cobalt based catalysts are used in commercial reactors for gas-to-liquids (GTL) conversion

Kinetic model of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in a slurry reactor on Co-Re/Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> catalyst

A kinetic model for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is derived using a Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson approach. Experiments were conducted over 25% Co/0.48% Re/Al 2 O 3 catalyst in a 1 L slurry reactor over a range of operating conditions (T = 478, 493, 503 K; P = 1.5, 2.5 MPa; H 2 /CO = 1.4, 2.1; WHSV = 1.0-22.5 NL/(g cat ·h)). Rate equations were based on the elementary reactions corresponding to a form of well-known carbide mechanism. The 1-olefin desorption rate constant was assumed to be a function of carbon number due to the effect of weak interaction of the hydrocarbon chain with the catalyst surface. Values of estimated activation energies are in good agreement with those reported previously in the literature. The kinetic model was able to correctly predict all of the major product distribution characteristics, including the increase in chain growth probability and decrease in olefin-to-paraffin ratio with carbon number, as well as formation rates of methane and ethylene. © 2012 American Chemical Society

Fischer-tropschsynthesis: Influence of co conversion on selectivities, H 2/co usage ratios, and catalyst stability for a ru promoted Co/Al 2O 3 catalyst using a slurry phase reactor

The Co particle size effect is a topic of interest in Co-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysis. The effect of CO conversion on various parameters, i.e., CH 4 and C 5+ selectivities, CO 2 selectivity, H 2 /CO usage, and olefin/paraffin, was studied. CH 4 selectivity decreased and C 5+ selectivity increased with increasing CO conversion. When CO conversion was over 70%, the decrease in CH 4 selectivity and increase in C 5+ selectivity decelerated. CO 2 selectivity started to increase rapidly at ˜ 70% CO conversion for the Ru-Co/Al 2 O 3 catalyst. Controlling CO conversion below 70% for long-term testing of Co/Al 2 O 3 catalyst possibly minimized CH 4 and CO 2 selectivities and extended catalyst life. The H 2 /CO usage ratio decreased from 2.26:1 to 1.9:1 when CO conversion increased from 12% to 94% at a H 2 /CO feed ratio of 2.1:1. The decreasing H 2 /CO usage rate with CO conversion was ascribed to an increase in the WGS rate. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 2011 AIChE Spring Meeting & 7th Global Congress on Process Safety (Chicago, IL 3/13-17/2011)