Patent information in a large electrical company, exemplified by the situation at Siemens

The special situation of patent information is dealt with against the background of the general problems of information provision. The role of the Patent Department of Siemens as a user of patent information and in the distribution of patent information within the company is discussed. Finally, the present system of current patent information on granted patents and first publications is outlined and an outlook on future developments given.     

Untersuchungen zur Tautomerie von o,o'-Dihydroxy-azofarbstoffen der Eriochrom-Reihe

Investigations on the Tautomerism of o,o'-Dihydroxy Azo Dyes of the Eriochrome Type Investigation of the u.v.-vis-, ¹H- and ¹³C-n.m.r. spectra of the title substances and the isomers 3 and 3p at different pH-values and in different solvent mixtures as well as of O,O'-dimethyl derivatives of 2 and 3 show that in aqueous solution as well the monoanions as the trianions exist in the azo forms only. The dianions exist in dependence on the solvents as mixtures of tautomers. The results of PPP calculations for different prototropic structures are in good accordance with the experimental results.     

Treatment of advanced colorectal cancer with folinic acid and 5-fluorouracil in combination with cisplatinum

51 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (stage Dukes D) were treated with intravenous (i.v.) infusion on days 1, 3, 5, 8 and 16 with folinic acid (200 mg/m2) and 5-fluorouracil (600 mg/m2), and on days 1, 8 and 16 with cisplatinum (25 mg/m2 i.v.); cycles were repeated every 4 weeks. All 51 patients were evaluable for toxicity and response criteria. 26 patients had objective responses (3 complete responses, 5.9%; 23 partial responses, 45.1%), relative risk 51% (95% confidence intervals 36.7-65.0%). Response duration ranged from 4 to 28.0 months (median 16.8). Overall median survival of all patients included was 14.7 months (range 3.0-33.0). Toxicity of WHO grade III, requiring dose reduction, occurred in 9 (18%) patients. The regimen described here appears to be active, safe and well tolerated for treatment of patients with advanced colorectal cancer.     

Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Amorphous Si–C–N Ceramics: Composition Dependence of the Atomic Structure

We have performed classical molecular dynamics simulations of amorphous Si–C–N materials. The dependence of the local order and of the microstructure on the chemical composition was investigated. Our simulations show that for a stoichiometric nitrogen/silicon ratio equal to or higher than 4/3, the amorphous ceramic separates into different amorphous domains, namely C-rich, SiN-rich, and SiC-rich phases. Below this ratio, the material is composed of mixed structures, homogeneously spread within the material. For a very particular composition range, we found that carbon atoms crystallize into monoatomic graphitic layers surrounding the SiN-rich domains.     

A mechanical spectroscopy study of the Zr69.5Cu12Ni11Al7.5 alloy

The vibrating reed technique has been used to investigate the Zr_69.5Cu₁₂Ni₁₁Al_7.5 glass forming alloy. The phase transformations of the material, as can be seen through the changes of the resonance frequency of the sample as a function of temperature, have been studied and the results have been compared with TEM and DSC measurements confirming the development, above T_g, of a metastable quasicrystalline state prior to crystallisation. Hydrogen-induced damping peaks were then observed in the different phases of the material with particular attention to the quasicrystalline state, where it seems that the microscopic reorientation mechanism responsible for the internal friction peaks should be similar to the one already known in the amorphous phase (hydrogen jumps between tetrahedral sites). Shortly after crystallisation, three damping peaks were observed, two of which are attributed to relaxation processes (Zener-type or intercrystalline Gorsky effect) taking place in the tetragonal CuZr₂ phase.     

Fabrication and characteristics of melt-spun Al ribbons reinforced with nano/micro-BN phases

Melt-spun aluminum ribbons with up to 5 wt.% of embedded nano/micro boron nitride (BN) phases, namely multiwalled BN nanotubes (BNNTs) or BN microparticles (BNMPs), were fabricated by melt-spinning in an argon atmosphere. The comparative structural characteristics were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and internal friction measurements as a function of temperature within an 80–800 K range. Room temperature tensile tests were carried out on ribbons. These revealed reinforcing effects on pure Al-matrices after nano/micro-BN embedment for both added phases with the notably higher numbers peculiar to the BNNT-containing samples. The intrastructural interactions between BN additions and Al-matrices are discussed based on the structural analysis and the internal friction data.     

Local structure of metallic glasses as seen by mechanical hydrogen relaxation

As an application of hydrogen as a probe, the literature on the damping peak of hydrogen in about 30 amorphous alloys was examined with respect to the question of systematic structural differences between the different types of metallic glasses. A direct plot of measured peak temperatures, corrected to the same frequency, as a function of the peak height turned out to be most suitable for this purpose. Most of these data fall into a 40 K wide band, with no distinction between types like ‘metal–metalloid’, ‘metal–metal’, or ‘bulk’ glasses. This general result suggests, in particular, that the outstanding thermal stability of bulk metallic glasses does not come from a specific amorphous structure. Stronger deviations from the general behaviour, as observed very clearly for Pd-based glasses and tentatively also for phase-separating systems, still need a closer examination.     

Photometrische Untersuchungen zum Übergang der Dianionen in Trianionen von o,ó-Dihydroxyazofarbstoffen und zur Assoziatbildung mit kationaktiven Tensiden in diesem pH-Bereich

Photometric Investigations in Transition of the Dianions in the Trianions of o,ó-Dihydroxyazodyes and to the Forming of Associates with Cationic Surfactants in this pH-range . In transition of the dianions in the trianions of the investigated dyes take place preferred the deprotonation of the tautomeric form A₁²⁻ by forming of the equilibrium H ⇄ A³⁻. The addition of cationic surfactants to the dye solution caused the increase of the pKa₃-values of the dyes. That proved among other things the formation of associates is dye and cationic surfactants determined composition.