Measurements of H2 Solubility in Saline Solutions under Reservoir Conditions: Preliminary Results from Project H2STORE

AbstractA high-pressure/high-temperature reactor has been used to lead PVT and H2-solubility experiments in saline solutions covering conditions for which no data are available in literature: salinity up to halite concentration, pressure up to 200bar and temperature up to 373K. The hereby presented preliminary results show significant deviations from theoretical models. Further analysis and more measurements are needed to assess precision and reproducibility of these measurements; however they pinpoint the importance of experimental work to reliably constrain predictive models

Early stage phase separation of AlCoCr_0.75Cu_0.5FeNi high-entropy powder at the nanoscale

High entropy alloys are generally considered to be single phase material. This state is, however, typically a non-equilibrium state after fabrication at high cooling rates. Phase constitution after fabrication or heat treatment is mostly known for isothermal annealing only and for casts as well as rapidly quenched alloys. Knowledge on early phase separation stages of high entropy alloys and their mechanisms are missing so far. Here, we present results on phase separation at intermediate cooling rates, by characterization of gas atomized powder of the AlCoCr0.75Cu0.5FeNi alloy. Although investigation by X-ray diffraction and Electron Backscatter Diffraction indicates a single-phase nature of the powder particles, aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography reveal a nanoscale phase separation into Ni-Al-rich B2 and Fe-Cr-rich A2 regions as well as a high number density of 3.1x1024 Cu-rich clusters per m3 in the B2 matrix. The observed phase separation and cluster formation are linked to spinodal decomposition and nucleation processes, respectively. The study highlights that adequate characterization techniques need to be chosen when making statements about phase stability and structural evolution in compositionally complex alloys.Comment: 33 pages, 12 figure

Energiespeicher, neue Sekundärenergieträger und Nutzungssysteme, Entsorgungsmöglichkeiten von Kohlendioxid sowie Möglichkeiten der Emissionsminderung klimarelevanter Spurengase : systemare Einordnung, Gesamtpotentiale, Hemmnisse ; Studie A.5.5

Ziel des Studienschwerpunktes A.5.5 des Studienprogrammes der Enquete-Kommission Vorsorge zum Schutz der Erdatmosphäre des Deutschen Bundestages ist die systematische Zusammenfassung der einzelnen Studienschwerpunkte des Studienkomplexes A.5 des Studienprogrammes und deren Einordnung in den Gesamtzusammenhang der Entwicklung der Energieversorgung, um die Möglichkeiten und Potentiale zur Emissionsminderung klimarelevanter Spurengase aufzuzeigen. Die Notwendigkeit dieser Analyse ergibt sich daraus, daß im Rahmen des Studienkomplexes A.5 sehr viele neue Querschnittstechnologien behandelt werden, die in verschiedenen Bereichen Anwendung finden können, etwa Speichertechniken bei der Stromversorgung, im Verkehrssektor oder im Wärmemarkt

Referenzszenario des Energiebedarfs und der Emissionen energiebedingter klimarelevanter Spurengase bis zum Jahr 2050 für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland ohne wesentliche Eingriffe aufgrund des Treibhauseffektes : Studie D.1.b und D.2.b

Die Fragen, die im Studienkomplex D zu beantworten sind, betreffen vor allem die Entwicklung der Determinanten des Energieverbrauchs und die technisch-ökonomische Entwicklung der Energieversorgung ohne Eingriffe aufgrund des Klimaeffektes. Da verschiedene CO-arme Technologien auch ohne solche Eingriffe die Schwelle zur Wirtschaftlichkeit bis zum Jahre 2050 überschreiten werden, ist es notwendig, den autonomen technischen Fortschritt zu quantifizieren und im Referenzszenario zu berücksichtigen. Fragen, die dabei eine große Rolle spielen, sind: - Wie entwickeln sich die Nutzungsgrade der konventionellen Energieerzeugungsanlagen? - Wie entwickeln sich die Energiegestehungskosten der verschiedenen Optionen? - Welche Einsparpotentiale werden bei der Energienutzung realisiert

Abschätzung der technischen und wirtschaftlichen Potentiale des Beitrags zur Energieversorgung und zur Minderung klimarelevanter Spurengase durch Kernenergie in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland : Studie A.4.2.a und A.4.2.b

In diesem Arbeitspaket A.4.2 werden die Möglichkeiten der Minderung von CO2-Emissionen durch den Einsatz der Kernenergie untersucht. Dabei werden sechs Einsatzbereiche betrachtet, in denen die Kernenergie eine CO2-Emissionsminderung durch Substitution fossiler Energieerzeugung bewirken kann. In Kapitel 2 werden mögliche CO2-Emissionsminderungen im Bereich der Stromerzeugung, in Kapitel 3 bei der Fern- bzw. Nahwärmeerzeugung diskutiert. In den Kapiteln 4 bis 7 werden die CO2-Minderungspotentiale durch die Nutzung der Kernenergie zur Veredelung fossiler Energieträger, zur Prozeßdampf- und Prozeßwärmeerzeugung, zur Wasserstofferzeugung über Elektrolyse und bei der tertiären Erdölförderung in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland untersucht

a clinical study protocol

Introduction The approved analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs ibuprofen and indometacin block the small GTPase RhoA, a key enzyme that impedes axonal sprouting after axonal damage. Inhibition of the Rho pathway in a central nervous system-effective manner requires higher dosages compared with orthodox cyclooxygenase-blocking effects. Preclinical studies on spinal cord injury (SCI) imply improved motor recovery after ibuprofen/indometacin-mediated Rho inhibition. This has been reassessed by a meta-analysis of the underlying experimental evidence, which indicates an overall effect size of 20.2% regarding motor outcome achieved after ibuprofen/indometacin treatment compared with vehicle controls. In addition, ibuprofen/indometacin may also limit sickness behaviour, non-neurogenic systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), neuropathic pain and heterotopic ossifications after SCI. Consequently, ‘small molecule’-mediated Rho inhibition after acute SCI warrants clinical investigation. Methods and analysis Protocol of an investigator-initiated clinical open-label pilot trial on high-dose ibuprofen treatment after acute traumatic, motor-complete SCI. A sample of n=12 patients will be enrolled in two cohorts treated with 2400 mg/day ibuprofen for 4 or 12 weeks, respectively. The primary safety end point is an occurrence of serious adverse events, primarily gastroduodenal bleedings. Secondary end points are pharmacokinetics, feasibility and preliminary effects on neurological recovery, neuropathic pain and heterotopic ossifications. The primary safety analysis is based on the incidence of severe gastrointestinal bleedings. Additional analyses will be mainly descriptive and casuistic. Ethics and dissemination The clinical trial protocol was approved by the responsible German state Ethics Board, and the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices. The study complies with the Declaration of Helsinki, the principles of Good Clinical Practice and all further applicable regulations. This safety and pharmacokinetics trial informs the planning of a subsequent randomised controlled trial. Regardless of the result of the primary and secondary outcome assessments, the clinical trial will be reported as a publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Trial registration number NCT02096913; Pre-results

Development of a New Vaccine for the Prevention of Lassa Fever

BACKGROUND: Recent importation of Lassa fever into Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States by travelers on commercial airlines from Africa underscores the public health challenge of emerging viruses. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines for Lassa fever, and no experimental vaccine has completely protected nonhuman primates against a lethal challenge. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We developed a replication-competent vaccine against Lassa virus based on attenuated recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus vectors expressing the Lassa viral glycoprotein. A single intramuscular vaccination of the Lassa vaccine elicited a protective immune response in nonhuman primates against a lethal Lassa virus challenge. Vaccine shedding was not detected in the monkeys, and none of the animals developed fever or other symptoms of illness associated with vaccination. The Lassa vaccine induced strong humoral and cellular immune responses in the four vaccinated and challenged monkeys. Despite a transient Lassa viremia in vaccinated animals 7 d after challenge, the vaccinated animals showed no evidence of clinical disease. In contrast, the two control animals developed severe symptoms including rashes, facial edema, and elevated liver enzymes, and ultimately succumbed to the Lassa infection. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the Lassa vaccine candidate based on recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus is safe and highly efficacious in a relevant animal model that faithfully reproduces human disease

The SZT2 Interactome Unravels New Functions of the KICSTOR Complex

Seizure threshold 2 (SZT2) is a component of the KICSTOR complex which, under catabolic conditions, functions as a negative regulator in the amino acid-sensing branch of mTORC1. Mutations in this gene cause a severe neurodevelopmental and epileptic encephalopathy whose main symptoms include epilepsy, intellectual disability, and macrocephaly. As SZT2 remains one of the least characterized regulators of mTORC1, in this work we performed a systematic interactome analysis under catabolic and anabolic conditions. Besides numerous mTORC1 and AMPK signaling components, we identified clusters of proteins related to autophagy, ciliogenesis regulation, neurogenesis, and neurodegenerative processes. Moreover, analysis of SZT2 ablated cells revealed increased mTORC1 signaling activation that could be reversed by Rapamycin or Torin treatments. Strikingly, SZT2 KO cells also exhibited higher levels of autophagic components, independent of the physiological conditions tested. These results are consistent with our interactome data, in which we detected an enriched pool of selective autophagy receptors/regulators. Moreover, preliminary analyses indicated that SZT2 alters ciliogenesis. Overall, the data presented form the basis to comprehensively investigate the physiological functions of SZT2 that could explain major molecular events in the pathophysiology of developmental and epileptic encephalopathy in patients with SZT2 mutations