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Phase diagrams were constructed for the equilibria of the AgI–NaI–H2O system at temperatures 0–70 °C. A compound AgI·NaI·3H2O was isolated, and the compound was found by means of X-ray analysis to belong to the orthorhombic system with cell constants a=8.78, b=33.5, and c=6.48 Å.

From the differential thermal and thermogravimetric analyses of potassium oxalate together with the X-ray diffraction studies, three crystallographic modifications of the anhydrous salt were found. When potassium oxalate monohydrate crystals were dehydrated at, e.g., 140°C, phase II, which is stable below 381°C, appears. The crystal in phase II has an orthorhombic unit cell (a=10.9, b=6.11, and c=3.44 Å at 17°C) and transforms at 381°C into phase I, which is stable above 381°C up to the temperature where the decomposition begins. The crystals in phase I belong to the tetragonal system (a=7.01 and c=7.53 Å at 404°C). The transition between phases II and I is not reversible in an exact sense, and when cooled phase I endures down to 215°C, where it transforms(reversibly) into phase III. Phase III can exist at room temperature. When heated, phase III transforms into phase I at 215°C (often accompanied by a partial transformation to phase II). The resulting phase then transforms into phase II. At all temperatures below 381°C phases I and III are metastable with respect to phase II, and they transform into phase II. The decomposition of potassium oxalate in an oxygen-free atmosphere seems to proceed in two stages.

BackgroundMany studies have reported that transverse computed tomography (CT) imaging findings correlate with prognosis of patients with small peripheral lung neoplasm with lepidic growth. However, no studies have examined this correlation with the aid of three-dimensional (3D) CT data.PurposeTo determine the most efficacious imaging factor for differentiation of lepidic growth type lung neoplasms with good prognosis from those with poor prognosis.Material and MethodsWe evaluated CT findings, nodule patterns, SUVmaxon FDG-PET/CT, as well as nodule volume and ratios of solid parts to nodule volume that were semi-automatically measured on CT images of 64 pulmonary nodules of ≤2 cm in 60 consecutive patients (24 men and 36 women; mean age, 65 years). For logistic modeling, we used all of the significant factors observed between the neoplasms with good and with poor prognosis as independent variables to estimate the statistically significant factors for discriminating invasive adenocarcinomas with lepidic growth (lesions with poor prognosis, n = 42) from the other neoplasms, including preinvasive lesions (lesions with good prognosis, n = 22), resulting in a recommendation for the optimal criterion for predicting lesions with poor prognosis.ResultsThe logistic regression model identified the ratio of the solid part to the whole volume of a pulmonary nodule as the only significant factor (P = 0.04) for differentiating lepidic growth type lung neoplasms with good prognosis from those with poor prognosis. A ratio of 0.238 or more showed the highest discriminatory accuracy of 84% with 91% sensitivity and 76% specificity.ConclusionComputer-aided analyses of pulmonary nodules proved most useful for establishing the optimal criterion for differentiation of lepidic growth type lung neoplasms with good prognosis from those with poor prognosis.

BackgroundGround-glass opacity (GGO) is reported to be characteristic to lepidic growth of neoplasm in subsolid nodules. In solid nodules of lung cancer, however, there is no characteristic feature to be reported.PurposeTo study if there are any thin-section CT findings characteristic to tumor histology or if they are only related to tumor size in solid nodules of the lung cancer.Material and MethodsThis study included 106 solid peripheral lung cancers of 3 cm or smaller (56 adenocarcinomas, 33 squamous cell carcinomas, and 17 small cell carcinomas) in which 16-slice CT with 1 mm collimation was performed before surgery. Six morphologic findings (presence or absence of lobulation, coarse spiculation, air bronchogram, cavity, pleural tag, and pleural-based lesion) and four measurements (ratio of the greatest transverse and vertical diameter to the shortest transverse diameter and density of lobulation and coarse spiculation) on thin-section CT images were evaluated. Density of lobulation (coarse spiculation) was defined as the ratio of lobulation (coarse spiculation) number to the greatest transverse diameter of a nodule.ResultsAir bronchogram (P < 0.01) was the only significant factor for predicting lung adenocarcinoma. The prevalence of air bronchogram was significantly greater in adenocarcinoma than in squamous cell carcinoma (P < 0.01) or small cell carcinoma (P < 0.01). As the tumor size advanced, significantly positive linear trends were seen in the prevalence of lobulation (P < 0.01), coarse spiculation (P < 0.01), and pleural tag (P < 0.01), and the mean values of density of lobulation (P < 0.01) and coarse spiculation (P < 0.01), while the significant negative linear trend was seen in the ratio of vertical diameter to the shortest transverse (P = 0.02).ConclusionAir bronchogram on thin-section CT is characteristic feature of solid adenocarcinoma of the lung. However, other thin-section CT findings are irrelevant to tumor histology and related only to tumor size.

The lead(II) ion-selective ceramic membrane electrode developed by sintering a mixture of lead, silver, and cuprous sulfides showed sensitivity, selectivity, and other response characteristics well suited to analytical utilization. The Nernstian slope was obtained over a concentration range from 10−1to 10−6mPb2+in activity, and the analytical range had a concentration of 10−1–10−7mwhen the membrane contained less than 30 wt% of cuprous sulfide and more than 1 wt% of lead sulfide. Among the common ions, silver, cupric, mercury(II), ferric, sulfide and iodide ions interfered seriously. About 10 times as many cadmium and bromide ions and more than 1000 times as many alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, zinc, aluminum, nickel, manganese(II), cobalt, and nitrate ions did not interfere with the lead ion, however. The electrode potentials did not change over a pH range from 2 to the pH at which the precipitation of lead hydroxide occurred. The electrode was safely used at temperatures from 0 to 95°C, and the potentials of the membrane satisfied the Nernstian equation within the limits of experimental error. The membrane electrode responded to activity changes very quickly: the rate of those changes was twice that in a lead sulfide-silver sulfide two-component ceramic electrode. A continuous potential measurement for 5 months promised long-term stability and accuracy. The rapid response rate and the long lifetime suggest that the continuous monitoring of some changing systems is feasible.