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Partial oxidation of methane (POM) into synthesis gas over a single channel of monolithic catalyst 1.4 wt% Pt/Gd0.3Ce0.35Zr0.35Ox/α-Al2O3 was investigated. The effect of the catalyst pretreatment and of the process parameters (temperature, contact time, feed composition) on the catalytic activity and synthesis gas (syngas) selectivity was studied at conditions close to realistic ones with a minimum impact of the mass and heat transfer phenomena. Experimental data are in favor of the direct route of the syngas formation via the methane pyrolysis—selective oxidation sequence.

Partial oxidation of methane (POM) into syngas at short contact times on two catalysts containing Pt/PrCeZrO and Pt/LaCeZrO deposited on single channels of a corundum monolithic substrate was investigated. The effects of the catalyst composition, pretreatment and process parameters on activity and selectivity of the syngas formation were studied. The oxygen mobility in complex oxides was shown to determine both their stability to coking and realization of a direct selective oxidation route of the syngas generation.

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a severe and potentially lethal granulomatosis. Even though no specific radiological criteria exist, CT may suggest the correct diagnosis at an early stage. Recent improvement in the prognosis is related to earlier diagnosis, allowing the initiation of efficient and specific treatment before any severe complications occur. We reviewed a series of WG cases in order to establish the CT diagnostic criteria.

Insulin-like Growth Factor I is a marker of Somatotropin administration. In order to quantify this peptide in horse plasma samples, a high performance liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry method using R3 Insulin-like Growth Factor I as internal standard was developed. The extraction procedure involves an acid ethanol extraction and an immunoaffinity purification. Quantification is made possible by using deconvolution software and by measuring the insulin like growth factor-I/internal standard ratio. Comparison between high performance liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry and two immunological methods indicated agreement between methods even though more samples are needed to confirm this finding.

We studied the activity of the diaphragm and of the genioglossus at the onset and at the end of obstructive sleep apnea in children. Seven children (mean age 46 months, range 15–87) with obstructive sleep apneas mainly due to enlarged tonsils were tested during natural sleep. We recorded sleep stages (neurophysiological criteria), nasal and buccal air flow (thermistors), thoracoabdominal motion (magnetometers), genioglossus and diaphragm electromyographic activity (EMG) (surface electrodes), and transcutaneous partial pressure of oxygen (Radiometer 44° C). A total of 153 obstructive apneas for the whole group of patients was studied. Compared to the preceding unoccluded breaths, genioglossus and diaphragm EMG data showed that 1) at the onset of obstructive apnea there was no significant decrease in genioglossus and/or diaphragm EMG, contrasting with published data for obese adults, and 2) at the end of obstructive apnea, significant preferential increase in genioglossus EMG, not related to the decrease in transcutaneous partial pressure of oxygen, was found as in obese adults. This study showed that different mechanisms may control the onset of obstructive apnea in children as compared to adults, whereas children and obese adults share the same preferential increase in genioglossus EMG at the end of obstructive apnea.