Algunos aspectos cinéticos de las reacciones de sólidos con cloro

The present paper describes detailed kinetics investigations on some selected chlorine-solid reactions through thermogravimetric measurements. The solids studied in this article include chemical pure oxides and sulfides as well as their natural bearing materials. The chlorinating agents employed are gaseous mixtures of Cl2+N2 (chlorination), Cl2+O2 (oxychlorination), and Cl2+CO (carbochlorination). Results are presented as effects of various parameters on the reaction rate of these solids with these chlorinating agents. It was observed that the reactivity of these solids towards different chlorinating agents varied widely. Sulfides could be chlorinated at room temperature, while carbochlorination of chromium (III) oxide was possible only above 500 °C. The variation of the chlorination rate of these complex materials with respect to gas velocity, composition and temperature enabled us to focus some light on the plausible reaction mechanisms and stoichiometries. The obtained results were used for selective removal of iron from chromite concentrates, extraction of valuable metals from sulfide materials, purification of MgO samples, etc.Este trabajo describe detalladas investigaciones cinéticas en algunas reacciones seleccionadas de cloro-sólido a través de medidas termogravimétricas. Los sólidos estudiados en este artículo incluyen óxidos químicos puros y sulfuros, así como sus materiales naturales de soporte. Los agentes de cloración empleados son mezclas de gases de Cl2+N2 (cloración), Cl2+O2 (oxicloración) y Cl2+CO (carbocloración). Los resultados se presentan como efecto de varios parámetros en el porcentaje de reacción de estos sólidos con los agentes de cloración. Se ha observado que la reactividad de estos sólidos a través de diferentes agentes de cloración varía ampliamente. Los sulfuros se pudieron clorar a temperatura ambiente mientras que la carbocloración del óxido de cromo (III) sólo fue posible por encima de los 500 °C. La variación del porcentaje de cloración de estos materiales complejos con respecto a la velocidad del gas, composición y temperatura permitió arrojar alguna luz en los posibles mecanismos de reacción y estequiometrías. Los resultados obtenidos se han usado para la eliminación selectiva del hierro de concentrados de cromo, extracción de metales valiosos de materiales sulfhídricos, purificación de muestras de MgO, etc.Peer reviewe

The (theta, wheel)-free graphs Part I: Only-prism and only-pyramid graphs

Truemper configurations are four types of graphs (namely thetas, wheels, prisms and pyramids) that play an important role in the proof of several decomposition theorems for hereditary graph classes. In this paper, we prove two structure theorems: one for graphs with no thetas, wheels and prisms as induced subgraphs, and one for graphs with no thetas, wheels and pyramids as induced subgraphs. A consequence is a polynomial time recognition algorithms for these two classes. In Part II of this series we generalize these results to graphs with no thetas and wheels as induced subgraphs, and in Parts III and IV, using the obtained structure, we solve several optimization problems for these graphs

Aérosols de médicaments

L\u27aérosolthérapie a bénéficié ces dernières années de progrès technologiques considérables au niveau des générateurs d\u27aérosols. Les aérosols doseurs liquides HFA avec ou sans chambre d\u27inhalation, les aérosols doseurs de poudre ont vu leurs indications respectives précisées. Les systèmes de nébulisation ont également progressé avec notamment l\u27apparition des nébuliseurs à membranes. La nébulisation permet de traiter les formes les plus sévères des maladies repiratoires, asthme, BPCO, mucoviscidose, par les bronchodilatateurs, les corticoïdes, les antibiotiques et la rhDNase I. L\u27utilisation de la nébulisation trouve depuis peu des applications pour le traitement de maladies systémiques telles que le diabète ou l\u27hypertension artérielle pulmonaire. Des perspectives apparaissent également pour la chimiothérapie antitumorale et la vaccination par aérosols. Les conditions optimales de prescription, d\u27administration et de suivi de l\u27aérosolthérapie ont été définies

Unbiased yeast screens identify cellular pathways affected in Niemann-Pick disease type C

Niemann–Pick disease type C (NPC) is a rare lysosomal storage disease caused by mutations in either the NPC1 or NPC2 genes. Mutations in the NPC1 gene lead to the majority of clinical cases (95%); however, the function of NPC1 remains unknown. To gain further insights into the biology of NPC1, we took advantage of the homology between the human NPC1 protein and its yeast orthologue, Niemann–Pick C–related protein 1 (Ncr1). We recreated the NCR1 mutant in yeast and performed screens to identify compensatory or redundant pathways that may be involved in NPC pathology, as well as proteins that were mislocalized in NCR1-deficient yeast. We also identified binding partners of the yeast Ncr1 orthologue. These screens identified several processes and pathways that may contribute to NPC pathogenesis. These included alterations in mitochondrial function, cytoskeleton organization, metal ion homeostasis, lipid trafficking, calcium signalling, and nutrient sensing. The mitochondrial and cytoskeletal abnormalities were validated in patient cells carrying mutations in NPC1, confirming their dysfunction in NPC disease

Identifiability of flow distributions from link measurements with applications to computer networks

We study the problem of identifiability of distributions of flows on a graph from aggregate measurements collected on its edges. This is a canonical example of a statistical inverse problem motivated by recent developments in computer networks. In this paper (i) we introduce a number of models for multi-modal data that capture their spatio-temporal correlation, (ii) provide sufficient conditions for the identifiability of nth order cumulants and also for a special class of heavy tailed distributions. Further, we investigate conditions on network routing for the flows that prove sufficient for identifiability of their distributions (up to mean). Finally, we extend our results to directed acyclic graphs and discuss some open problems.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/58107/2/ip7_5_004.pd

Tailored Protocol Development Using ESTEREL

The rapid evolution of networking and the multiplication of new applications re-emphasizes the importance of the efficient communication supports. Implementations must be able to take maximal advantage of the details of application-specific semantics and of specific networking environments. In other words, the application needs to have more control over data transmission. Such control can be obtained by tailoring the communication facilities (or protocols) to the application characteritics, and by integrating the communication control to the application. Because such a task is too complex to be realized manually, we propose to automate the protocol development process using a formal approach. This report presents our approach to the automated design and implementation of application- specific communication protocols based on information provided by the application. Starting from the formal description of an application, our approach is based on a tool called "Protocol Compiler" that will automatically produce the implementation of a communication protocol tailored to the application. The formalism we use is ESTEREL, a synchronous reactive language dedicated to the description of real-time systems. Protocol description and verification using ESTEREL are described, as well as protocol optimization and implementation principles

Risk factors for death and the 3-year survival of patients with systemic sclerosis: the French ItinérAIR-Sclérodermie study

Objectives. This longitudinal study investigated survival, risk factors and causes of death in the multicentre ItinérAIR-Sclérodermie cohort of patients with SSc without severe pulmonary fibrosis or severe left heart disease at baseline

Evidence of the contribution of the X chromosome to systemic sclerosis susceptibility: Association with the functional IRAK1 196Phe/532Ser haplotype

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WormPaths: Caenorhabditis elegans metabolic pathway annotation and visualization [preprint]

In our group, we aim to understand metabolism in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and its relationships with gene expression, physiology and the response to therapeutic drugs. On March 15, 2020, a stay-at-home order was put into effect in the state of Massachusetts, USA, to flatten the curve of the spread of the novel SARS-CoV2 virus that causes COVID-19. For biomedical researchers in our state, this meant putting a hold on experiments for nine weeks until May 18, 2020. To keep the lab engaged and productive, and to enhance communication and collaboration, we embarked on an in-lab project that we all found important but that we never had the time for: the detailed annotation and drawing of C. elegans metabolic pathways. As a result, we present WormPaths, which is composed of two parts: 1) the careful manual annotation of metabolic genes into pathways, categories and levels, and 2) 66 pathway maps that include metabolites, metabolite structures, genes, reactions, and pathway connections between maps. These maps are available on our WormFlux website. We show that WormPaths provides easy-to-navigate maps and that the different levels in WormPaths can be used for metabolic pathway enrichment analysis of transcriptomic data. In the unfortunate event of additional lockdowns, we envision further developing these maps to be more interactive, with an analogy of road maps that are available on mobile devices

Relationship between ozone and temperature during the 2003 heat wave in France: consequences for health data analysis

BACKGROUND: PAPRICA is a research program designed to estimate the impact on the health of patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency of a prevention strategy based on notification of ozone pollution. The first year of this study was conducted during the 2003 heat wave, and high temperatures were therefore considered as a confounding factor in the data analysis. The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between ozone and temperature in order to propose a methodology to distinguish between the effects of ozone and temperature on the impact of a prevention strategy with regard to ozone pollution. METHODS: Multivariate analyses were used to identify associated climate and ozone pollution profiles. This descriptive method is of great value to highlight the complexity of interactions between these parameters. RESULTS: Ozone concentration and temperature were strongly correlated, but the health impact of ozone pollution alone will be evaluated by focusing on situations characterized by ozone concentrations above 110 μg/m(3)/8h (air quality guidelines to protect human health defined by the French legislation) and temperatures lower than 26°C, below the discomfort threshold. CONCLUSION: The precise relationship between ambient ozone concentration and temperature identified during the PAPRICA 2003 study period will be used in analysing the PAPRICA health data