Preparation and separation of metallic chlorides

The use of chlorine and chlorine compounds as metallurgical reagents has long been known to the metallurgical industry. Recent developments in corrosion resistant metals and alloys as well as new equipment and techniques have led to a revival of chlorine processes. Many of the objections to the use of chlorine in metallurgical operations have been overcome and many are being reconsidered, as evidenced by the new processes in which chlorine and chlorides are the primary reagents. The Betterton process employs chlorine or lead chloride for the dezincing of lead. Ductile zirconium and titanium have been made by reducing their chlorides with magnesium. Patents have been assigned to the Cerro de Pasco Copper Corporation which cover the treatment of bismuth with chlorine or chlorides to remove lead and zinc. Various methods of preparing metal chlorides have been proposed. Some chlorides are formed by the direct combination of a metal or alloy with chlorine. Others are formed by the action of chlorine on metallic oxides. Carbon and other reducing agents can be employed to reduce metal oxides and promote chlorination…. The objects of this investigation were twofold; (1) to apply high temperature vacuum techniques to the preparation of\u27 metallic chlorides by double decomposition reactions between a chloride such as calcium chloride and a metallic phosphate, silicate or oxide and to separate the newly formed chlorides from the products of the reaction by volatilization and condensation; (2) to observe the effect of adding non volatile, stable oxides to the metallic oxide-chloride reactions and to compare these effects to the predictions that may be made on the basis of thermodynamic data. Chemical, spectroscopic, optical and x-ray diffraction methods were employed to analyze the condensates and residues resulting from the reactions --Abstract, pages 1, 4-5

Quantitative CT analysis in patients with pulmonary emphysema: is lung function influenced by concomitant unspecific pulmonary fibrosis?

Purpose: Quantitative analysis of CT scans has proven to be a reproducible technique, which might help to understand the pathophysiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema. The aim of this retrospective study was to find out if the lung function of patients with COPD with Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stages III or IV and pulmonary emphysema is measurably influenced by high attenuation areas as a correlate of concomitant unspecific fibrotic changes of lung parenchyma. Patients and methods: Eighty-eight patients with COPD GOLD stage III or IV underwent CT and pulmonary function tests. Quantitative CT analysis was performed to determine low attenuation volume (LAV) and high attenuation volume (HAV), which are considered to be equivalents of fibrotic (HAV) and emphysematous (LAV) changes of lung parenchyma. Both parameters were determined for the whole lung, as well as peripheral and central lung areas only. Multivariate regression analysis was used to correlate HAV with different parameters of lung function. Results: Unlike LAV, HAV did not show significant correlation with parameters of lung function. Even in patients with a relatively high HAVof more than 10%, in contrast to HAV (p=0.786) only LAV showed a significantly negative correlation with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (r=−0.309, R2=0.096, p=0.003). A severe decrease of DLCO% was associated with both larger HAV (p=0.045) and larger LAV (p=0.001). Residual volume and FVC were not influenced by LAV or HAV. Conclusion: In patients with COPD GOLD stage III-IV, emphysematous changes of lung parenchyma seem to have such a strong influence on lung function, which is a possible effect of concomitant unspecific fibrosis is overwhelmed

Charakterisierung des ATP-gekoppelten Elektronentransfers zwischen dem Corrinoid-Iron-Sulfur-Protein von Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans und seinem Aktivator

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde der ATP-gekoppelte uphill Elektronentransfer von reduziertem RACo auf Kobalt(II)-CoFeSP untersucht. Dazu wurden zunächst die Bedingungen der rekombinanten Genexpression in Escherichia coli und die Reinigungsstrategie der Proteine verbessert, um einen Cofaktorgehalt beider Proteine von annähernd 100 % zu erreichen. Anschließend wurden die Reaktionsbedingungen des Elektronentransfers optimiert, um eine tiefergehende Analyse zu ermöglichen. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit deuten darauf hin, dass durch die Bindung von ATP ein bidirektionaler Elektronentransfer induziert wird. Der Elektronentransfer konnte mit nicht-hydrolysierbaren ATP-Analoga und mit ADP induziert werden. Weder für die nicht-hydrolysierbaren ATP-Analoga noch für ADP konnten anschließend Hydrolyseprodukte nachgewiesen werden. Zusätzlich konnte für die limitierende Rate der ATP-Hydrolyse ein mehr als 100-fach kleinerer Wert bestimmt werden als für den Elektronentransfer. Beide Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der Elektronentransfer unabhängig von der ATP-Hydrolyse ist. Kobalt(I)-CoFeSP kann jedoch auch ein Elektron auf oxidiertes RACo übertragen, was auf einen bidirektionalen Elektronentransfer hindeutet. Diese These wurde mit der Beobachtung untermauert, dass sich durch Zugabe von ADP und der Erhöhung der ADP-Konzentration die Anzahl der transferierten Elektronen pro CoFeSP zunimmt und sich somit die Lage des entstehenden Gleichgewichts verschieben lässt. Auf dieser Datengrundlage konnten drei mögliche Modelle für den Reaktionsmechanismus erstellt werden, von welchen ein Modell als am wahrscheinlichsten erscheint. In diesem Reaktionsmechanismus gleichen sich die Redox-Potentiale beider Redox-Zentren durch die ATP-Bindung an. Dies ermöglicht den Elektronentransfer vom [2Fe2S]-Cluster von RACo auf das Kobalt-Ion des Cobalamins. Die Rückreaktion wird durch eine erneute Reduktion des [2Fe2S]-Clusters verhindert und durch die anschließende ATP-Hydrolyse dissoziiert der Komplex.In the present work, ATP-coupled uphill electron transfer from reduced RACo to cobalt(II)-CoFeSP was investigated. For this purpose, the conditions of recombinant gene expression in Escherichia coli and the purification strategy of the proteins were improved to achieve a cofactor content of both proteins close to 100%. Subsequently, the electron transfer reaction conditions were optimized to enable a more in-depth analysis. The results of this work indicate that a bidirectional electron transfer is induced by the binding of ATP. Electron transfer could be induced with non-hydrolysable ATP analogues and with ADP. Neither for the nonhydrolyzable ATP analogues nor for ADP hydrolysis products could subsequently be detected. In addition, a value more than 100-fold smaller could be determined for the limiting rate of ATP hydrolysis than for electron transfer. Both results indicate that electron transfer is independent of ATP hydrolysis. However, cobalt(I)-CoFeSP can also transfer an electron to oxidized RACo, suggesting bidirectional electron transfer. This hypothesis was supported with the observation that adding ADP and increasing the ADP concentration increases the number of transferred electrons per CoFeSP by shifting the position of the emerging equilibrium. Based on these data, three possible models for the reaction mechanism are suggested, of which one model appears to be the most plausible. In this reaction mechanism, the redox potentials of both redox centers equalize due to ATP binding. This allows electron transfer from the [2Fe2S] cluster of RACo to the cobalt ion of cobalamin. The back reaction is prevented by a further reduction of the [2Fe2S] cluster, and subsequent ATP hydrolysis dissociates the comple

The value of panendoscopy for identifying synchronous second primary malignancies in patients suffering from oral squamous cell carcinoma – a retrospective study

Einleitung Die Panendoskopie stellt eine Standarduntersuchung im Rahmen der klinischen Ausbreitungsdiagnostik (sog. Staging) oraler Plattenepithelkarzinome dar. Ihr primärer Nutzen besteht im Ausschluss synchroner Zweitkarzinome mit Lokalisation im oberen Aerodigestivtrakt. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit soll der Stellenwert der Panendoskopie als Routineintervention vor dem Hintergrund einer scheinbar sinkenden Prävalenz synchroner Zweitkarzinome in einem Patientenkollektiv mit einem primären oralen Plattenepithelkarzinom untersucht werden. Material und Methoden In der vorliegenden retrospektiven Studie wurden 265 Patienten eingeschlossen, die im Zeitraum vom 01.01.2012 bis 31.12.2017 aufgrund eines primären oralen Plattenepithelkarzinoms in der Klinik für Mund-, Kiefer- und Gesichtschirurgie der Charité – Universitätsmedizin operativ in kurativer Absicht behandelt wurden. Es wurden hierbei nur Patienten eingeschlossen, welche im Rahmen des Stagings eine Panendoskopie erhalten haben. Ergebnisse Es wurden 265 Patienten (99 weiblich, 166 männlich) eingeschlossen. Das mittlere Alter lag bei 63,3 Jahren mit einer Spannweite von 26 – 96 Jahren. Das Follow-up betrug im Mittel 25,88 Monate (±20.479 Standardabweichung). Insgesamt fanden sich im Kollektiv 23 Zweitkarzinome (8,7%), davon waren fünf synchron (1,9%) und 18 metachron (6,8%). Zwei der synchronen Zweitkarzinome (0,8%) wiesen hierbei eine Lokalisation im oberen Aerodigestivtrakt und somit in mittels Panendoskopie zugänglichen Arealen auf. Zehn der 18 metachronen Zweitkarzinome (3,8%) befanden sich in via Panendoskopie erreichbaren Lokalisationen. Bei allen Patienten mit synchronen sowie bei 17 von 18 Patienten mit metachronen Zweitkarzinomen lag mindestens einer der Risikofaktoren Alkohol und Rauchen vor. Darüber hinaus zeigte sich ein Zusammenhang von fortgeschrittenem Tumorstadium und dem Auftreten von Zweitkarzinomen. Diskussion Die Prävalenz synchroner Zweitkarzinome bei oralen Plattenepithelkarzinomen ist gering. Der Anteil davon mittels Panendoskopie detektierbarer Zweitkarzinomen war noch geringer. Daher ist der Stellenwert der Panendoskopie als Standardverfahren kritisch zu hinterfragen, es sollte eine patientenindividuelle Abwägung, basierend auf klinischen Symptomen und dem individuellen Risikoprofil, erfolgen.Objectives: Panendoscopy is used as a standard examination for detecting synchronous primary malignancies of the upper aerodigestive tract in patients suffering from oral squamous cell carcinomas. The aim of this study is to evaluate the value of panendoscopy as standard procedure, referring to seemingly decreasing prevalence of second primary malignancies in a patient population suffering from primary oral squamous cell carcinoma. Material and methods: This retrospective study includes 265 patients with histologically diagnosed oral squamous cell carcinoma who received surgical treatment between 1st January 2012 – 31st December 2017 at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. All patients included must have undergone panendoscopy. Results: All together 265 patients have been included (99 female, 166 male) in this study. Mean age was 63.3 years, ranging from 26 – 96 years. Mean follow-up was 25.88 months (±20.479 standard deviation). In total, 23 second primary malignancies were detected which include five synchronous primary malignancies (1.9%) and 18 metachronous second primary malignancies (6.8%). Two of the five synchronous primary malignancies (0.8%) were located within the upper aerodigestive tract thus were reachable via panendoscopy. Also ten of the 18 metachronous primary malignancies (3.8%) were located in the upper aerodigestive tract and thereby in an area reachable via panendoscopy. All synchronous second primary malignancies were diagnosed in patients with either regular alcohol or tobacco abuse or both. 17 of the 18 patients diagnosed with metachronous second primary malignancies also were presenting with alcohol and/or tobacco abuse as a risk factor. Furthermore, this study indicated a correlation between advanced tumor stages and the occurrence of second primary malignancies. Conclusion: Synchronous primary carcinomas show low prevalence in patients suffering from oral squamous cell carcinoma. Also, prevalence of synchronous second primary malignancies reachable via panendoscopy is even lower. Therefore, the value of panendoscopy, especially in patients without typical risk factors and clinical signs indicating the presence of synchronous second primary malignancies, should be questioned and critically reevaluated, considering individual risk stratification for each patient

Quasi-optimality of a pressure-robust nonconforming finite element method for the Stokes problem

Nearly all classical inf-sup stable mixed finite element methods for the incompressible Stokes equations are not pressure-robust, i.e., the velocity error is dependent on the pressure. However, recent results show that pressure-robustness can be recovered by a non-standard discretization of the right hand side alone. This variational crime introduces a consistency error in the method which can be estimated in a straightforward manner provided that the exact velocity solution is sufficiently smooth. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the pressure-robust scheme with low regularity. The numerical analysis applies divergence-free H¹-conforming Stokes finite element methods as a theoretical tool. As an example, pressure-robust velocity and pressure a-priori error estimates will be presented for the (first order) nonconforming Crouzeix--Raviart element. A key feature in the analysis is the dependence of the errors on the Helmholtz projector of the right hand side data, and not on the entire data term. Numerical examples illustrate the theoretical results

Noise Trader Behavior - A Disaggregated Approach to Understanding News Reception in Financial Markets

Financial disclosures serve as primary intermediaries between companies and investors. However, investors have different information processing skills and might easily be misled by noisy signals that lack a deeper meaning. In financial markets, this is formalized by the noise trader theory, which groups investors into two categories: (a) informed investors assumed to form rational decisions and (b) noise traders forming beliefs partly based on non-fundamental noise signals and news sentiment. Yet, little is known about how these groups actually interpret textual information in financial statements and how the resulting stock market reaction differs. This work extends previous research by unraveling the role of word choice and semantic orientation in financial disclosures for both investor types. For this purpose, we use Kalman filtering to decompose the stock market reaction following the publication of U.S. regulated Form 8-K filings into a fundamental price component and a noise residual. We then use LASSO regression to identify the statistically relevant words for informed investors and noise traders. According to our results, each investor type assigns significantly different interpretations and degrees of importance to individual words and documents. Keywords: Noise trader theory, Information processing, Decision-making, Financial markets, News sentiment, Kalman filte

Reducing Friction and Leakage by Means of Microstructured Sealing Surfaces – Example Mechanical Face Seal

By defined structuring of sliding surfaces at dynamic contact seals friction and leakage can be reduced. Compared to macro-structures, micro-structures have the advantage of a quasi-homogeneous influence on the fluid behavior in the sealing gap. The development of suitable microstructures based on prototypes, whose properties are studied on the test bench, is very expensive and time-consuming due to the challenging manufacturing process and measuring technologies, which are necessary to investigate the complex rheological behavior within the sealing gap. A simulation-based development of microstructured sealing surfaces offers a cost- and time-saving alternative. This paper presents a method for simulative design and optimization of microstructured sealing surfaces at the example of a microstructured mechanical face seal

A fully adaptive interpolated stochastic sampling method for random PDEs

A numerical method for the fully adaptive sampling and interpolation of PDE with random data is presented. It is based on the idea that the solution of the PDE with stochastic data can be represented as conditional expectation of a functional of a corresponding stochastic differential equation (SDE). The physical domain is decomposed subject to a non-uniform grid and a classical Euler scheme is employed to approximately solve the SDE at grid vertices. Interpolation with a conforming finite element basis is employed to reconstruct a global solution of the problem. An a posteriori error estimator is introduced which provides a measure of the different error contributions. This facilitates the formulation of an adaptive algorithm to control the overall error by either reducing the stochastic error by locally evaluating more samples, or the approximation error by locally refining the underlying mesh. Numerical examples illustrate the performance of the presented novel method

A theoretical and computational basis for CATNETS

The main content of this report is the identification and definition of market mechanisms for Application Layer Networks (ALNs). On basis of the structured Market Engineering process, the work comprises the identification of requirements which adequate market mechanisms for ALNs have to fulfill. Subsequently, two mechanisms for each, the centralized and the decentralized case are described in this document. These build the theoretical foundation for the work within the following two years of the CATNETS project. --Grid Computing