Neue Entwicklungen zur Druckwechsel-Adsorption

New developments in pressure swing adsorption. Continuing development of the adsorption agents and optimization of the process have permitted solution of new problems of selective separation and isolation of gases from gas mixtures and of gas purification by pressure swing adsorption. While processes have previously been developed in which the product gas is obtained during the adsorption step, more and more processes are now becoming available in which gases of high purity are obtained during the desorption step. After derivation of the fundamental desorption steps, the new techniques are illustrated in the case of the enrichment of CH₄, CO₂, and ozone, and for recovery of NO_x from nitric acid waste gases.     

BTK and PI3K Inhibitors Reveal Synergistic Inhibitory Anti-Tumoral Effects in Canine Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Cells

Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) in the B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathway are considered potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of B-cell lymphomas, among which, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type. Herein, we comparatively evaluated the single and combined application of the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib and the selective PI3Kγ inhibitor AS-605240 in the canine DLBCL cell line CLBL-1. For further comparison, key findings were additionally analyzed in canine B-cell leukemia GL-1 and human DLBCL cell line SU-DHL-4. While ibrutinib alone induced significant anti-proliferative effects on all cell lines in a dose-dependent manner, AS-605240 only induced anti-proliferative effects at high concentrations. Interestingly, ibrutinib and AS-605240 acted synergistically, reducing cell proliferation and increasing apoptosis/necrosis in all cell lines and inducing morphological changes in CLBL-1. Moreover, the combined application of ibrutinib and AS-605240 reduced relative phosphorylation and, in some instances, the levels of the BTK, AKT, GSK3β, and ERK proteins. Comparative variant analysis of RNA-seq data among canine B- and T-lymphoid cell lines and primary B-cell lymphoma samples revealed potentially high-impact somatic variants in the genes that encode PI3K, which may explain why AS-605240 does not singly inhibit the proliferation of cell lines. The combination of ibrutinib and AS-605240 represents a promising approach that warrants further in vivo evaluation in dogs, potentially bearing significant value for the treatment of human DLBCL.     

Fracture Toughness and Thermal Shock Behavior of Silicon Nitride–Boron Nitride Ceramics

Fracture toughness behavior, stress–strain behavior, and flaw resistance of pressureless-sintered Si₃N₄-BN ceramics are investigated. The results are discussed with respect to the reported thermal shock behavior of these composites. Although the materials behave linear-elastic and exhibit no R -curve behavior, their flaw resistance is different from that of other linear-elastic materials. Whereas the critical thermal shock temperature difference (Δ T _c) is enhanced by adding BN, the content of BN has no influence on the strength loss during severe thermal shocks.     

Butadiene rubbers: topological constraints and microscopic deformation by mechanical and small angle neutron scattering investigation

Summary Results of stress-strain measurements are reported for butadiene rubbers of varying crosslink density. The fluctuation of the effective tube diameter of the polymer networks was investigated under uniaxial elongation by mechanical measurements as well as by small angle neutron scattering (SANS) which probe the local orientation on a segmental scale. The effect of topological constraints on the microscopic deformation of the butadiene network chains is well described within a tube approach. For the first time, experiments at large deformations and for polydisperse sample are presented. Excellent agreement between the statistical mechanical model and the experimental results is obtained. Received: 20 November 2001 /Revised version: 5 March 2002/ Accepted: 5 March 2002     

Local and global error estimations in linear structural dynamics

The study discusses the concept of error estimation in linear elastodynamics. Two different types of error estimators are presented. First ‘classical’ methods based on post-processing techniques are discussed starting from a semidiscrete formulation. The temporal error due to the finite difference discretization is measured independently of the spatial error of the finite element discretization. The temporal error estimators are applied within one time step and the spatial error estimators at a time point. The error is measured in the global energy norm. The temporal evolution of the error cannot be reflected. Furthermore the estimators can only evaluate the mean error of the whole spatial domain. As the second scheme local error estimators are presented. These estimators are designed to evaluate the error of local variables in a certain region by applying duality techniques. Local estimators are known from linear elastostatics and have later on been extended to nonlinear problems. The corresponding dual problem represents the influence of the local variable on the initial problem and may be related to the reciprocal theorem of Betti–Maxwell. In the present study this concept is transferred to linear structural dynamics. Because the dual problem is established over the total space–time domain, the spatial and temporal error of all time steps can be accumulated within one procedure. In this study the space–time finite element method is introduced as a single field formulation.     

Durchmischung in einem Kaskaden-reaktor im Hinblick auf die Entkohlung von Fe–C-Schmelzen

Der Strömungsverlauf innerhalb des Reaktorbades muß in Längsrichtung eine geringe Rückvermischung mit einheitlichen Aufenthaltszeiten des Reaktorgutes aufweisen. In den Reaktorquerrichtungen soll eine möglichst hohe Durchmischung für einen intensiven Stofftransport an den Reaktionsort sorgen. Das Ziel gleichmäßiger Verweilzeiten in axialer Richtung wird recht gut durch den Reaktortyp ?Kaskade“ erreicht, in dem der Strömungsverlauf aufgrund der baulichen Form bereits vorgeprägt ist. Zur Sicherung eines Kohlenstofftransportes in der vertikalen zweiten Dimension stellen sich eine kleine Badhöhe und ein großer Badvolumenstrom heraus. Die hierbei günstige Durchmischung innerhalb der einzelnen Kaskadenstufen verschlechtert nicht die Rückvermischungsbedingungen in der Gesamtkaskade, sofern eine genügend hohe Stufenzahl von etwa n = 8 gewählt wird. Die Blasbedingungen haben zwar einen entscheidenden Einfluß auf den Ablauf des Stoffumsatzes, sind für die rein mechanische Durchmischung innerhalb des Reaktorbades aber nur von untergeordneter Bedeutung.     

Neurological and neuroradiological findings in long-term survivors of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

The aim of this study was to assess neurological, neuropsychological, and neuroradiological findings in long-term survivors of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) who were recruited from a hematological outpatient clinic. In addition, risk factors for the development of late neurological complications were identified. In contrast to previous studies on autopsied patients, our study design provoked a bias away from increased neurological sequelae, because patients with early complications after BMT were excluded. Fifty-nine allogeneic patients and 7 autologous BMT patients underwent clinical examination, short neuropsychological testing, and cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 34 +/- 26 months after BMT. The pathological results of the neurological examination (abnormal 64%) and the MRI examination (white matter lesions, 54%; atrophy, 11%) were associated with the occurrence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) evolving from acute GvHD, with corticosteroid therapy and with cyclosporine medication. Neuropsychological impairment (cognitive deficits, 37%) was associated with long-term cyclosporine medication and age. No influence of pre-BMT disease, BMT donor status, or the conditioning regimen was found. These results suggest that the frequent neurological abnormalities in long-term survivors of allogeneic BMT are associated with chronic GvHD and with the resulting immunosuppression as major risk factors.     

Grain structure of bainitic and martensitic steels

In contrast to austenitic and ferritic microstructures, in the case of bainite and martensite the identification of that structural unit representing a grain is less straightforward. There is a general agreement in the literature that the γ → α-transformation follows the Kurdjumow-Sachs relationship (KSR). For the complex microstructures resulting, however, the investigations include practically exclusively lath-type structures. These relatively simple structures may be described as follows. Within the original austenite grain there are several lath packets with only a few variants of the KSR occuring within one bainite or martensite packet. Opinions diverge with regard to the relative orientations within a packet and thus the type of grain boundaries occurring. Most authors, however, agree that a micro-structural unit – such as the grain in the ferrite structure – which determines both the yield strength and toughness properties, does not exist in lath-type structures, and that the yield strength mainly depends on the lath dimensions. The toughness properties, especially the transition temperature, are governed by the packet size, and possibly by the width of the co-variant packet.     

Modular software system for computer aided design of microsystems

A modular software system to assist engineers in designing microsystems is presented. The different modules support both the system and the component design and are linked with each other by a workflow management system. In particular, this paper presents the co-operation of the modules rumtopf, suzana and μ-toast. They assist the designer in the definition and validation of process sequences, the simulation of wet chemical etching of silicon and the tolerance management. The usage and usefulness of the presented software system is illustrated by an example showing the design of an acceleration sensor.     

Zum Legierungseinfluß auf die Umwandlungs- und Ausscheidungsvorgänge bei der Abkühlung warmfester Röhrenstähle nach dem Austenitisieren II. 12%ige Chromstähle

Untersuchung des Umwandlungs- und Ausscheidungsverhaltens von Stählen mit 12% Cr. Betrachtung des Anlaßverhaltens einschließlich des Restaustenitzerfalls nach Umwandlung in der Martensitstufe. Darstellung der Ergebnisse in Zeit-Temperatur-Umwandlung- und Phasenschaubildern.