Abstract: An apparatus and process for distillation of methanol which may also be used in distillation of other products, such as ethanol. The apparatus and process have the purpose of reducing the consumption of energy and of cooling water and/or electricity in a distillation process of crude intermediate products, including a pre-treatment stage, known as stabilizing stage, for the removal of the volatile components, and a concentration stage, including one or more columns for distillation.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for distillation of methanol, which may also be used in distillation of other products, such as ethanol. The present apparatus and process have the purpose of reducing the consumption of energy and of cooling water and/or electricity in a distillation process of crude intermediate products, comprising a pre-treatment stage, known as stabilizing stage, for the removal of the volatile components, and a concentration stage, including one or more columns for distillation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of computer analysis of a data set representing an image to extract a texture based measure therefrom, said image including a multiplicative bias in intensity within the image of unknown magnitude, the method comprising applying to said data set a bank of texture extracting filters, such that said filters are chosen from filters that are invariant to the presence of a multiplicative bias field. By providing such a method, rather than attempting to correct the bias field before extraction of a texture based-biomarker, a texture-based biomarker that is bias field invariant is extracted. This makes correction of the bias field unnecessary.

Abstract: Computer analysis of data sets representing images such as MRI images to achieve bias correction and image registration, each image including a bias in intensity within the image of unknown magnitude, is performed by: a) inputting a digital data set of a first image and a digital data set of a second image into a computer; b) calculating a deformation of said first image that transforms said first image into a transformed image that is an optimized approximation of said second image and c) simultaneously calculating and applying a bias correction which is applied to said first image and a bias correction which is applied to said transformed image such that each of the first image and the transformed image is individually corrected for bias therein. Generally, an average of the bias correction over the first image is equal and opposite to an average of the bias correction over said transformed image.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of computer analysis of a data set representing an image to extract a texture based measure therefrom, said image including a multiplicative bias in intensity within the image of unknown magnitude, the method comprising applying to said data set a bank of texture extracting filters, such that said filters are chosen from filters that are invariant to the presence of a multiplicative bias field. By providing such a method, rather than attempting to correct the bias field before extraction of a texture based-biomarker, a texture-based biomarker that is bias field invariant is extracted. This makes correction of the bias field unnecessary.

Abstract: Computer analysis of data sets representing images such as MRI images to achieve bias correction and image registration, each image including a bias in intensity within the image of unknown magnitude, is performed by: a) inputting a digital data set of a first image and a digital data set of a second image into a computer; b) calculating a deformation of said first image that transforms said first image into a transformed image that is an optimised approximation of said second image and c) simultaneously calculating and applying a bias correction which is applied to said first image and a bias correction which is applied to said transformed image such that each of the first image and the transformed image is individually corrected for bias therein. Generally, an average of the bias correction over the first image is equal and opposite to an average of the bias correction over said transformed image.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for automated classification of a medical diagnostic image of a lung according to its deduced probability of relating to a lung of a patient who is suffering from a diffuse parenchymal lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, or severe asthma, or to a class of patients characterized by the severity of such a condition, or to a class of patients characterized by a prognostic likelihood of developing such a condition or severity of condition.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of hydrocarbon products comprising the steps of (a) providing a synthesis gas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide; (b) reacting the synthesis gas to an oxygenate mixture comprising methanol and dimethyl ether in presence of one or more catalysts which together catalyse a reaction of hydrogen and carbon monoxide to oxygenates at a pressure of at least 4 MPa; (c) withdrawing from step (b) the oxygenate mixture comprising amounts of methanol, dimethyl ether, carbon dioxide and water together with unreacted synthesis gas and introducing the entire amount of the oxygenate mixture without further treatment into a catalytic oxygenate conversion step (d); (d) reacting the oxygenate mixture in presence of a catalyst being active in the conversion of oxygenates to higher hydrocarbons; (e) withdrawing an effluent from step (d) and separating the effluent into a tail gas, a liquid hydrocarbon phase containing the higher hydrocarbons produced in step.

Abstract: Flow deflector that is capable of changing the flow direction of a fluid during passage through a duct. The duct is formed by an inner and outer duct, which creates an annular region in the duct. The flow deflector forces the fluid passing through the annular region of the duct to flow inside the inner duct, while the fluid passing through the inner duct is forced to flow through the annular region. Reactor tubes for catalytic reactors are formed by assembling tubes comprising said flow deflector and having a catalyst arranged in the inner tube.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of hydrocarbon products comprising the steps of (a) providing a synthesis gas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide; (b) reacting the synthesis gas to an oxygenate mixture comprising methanol and dimethyl ether in presence of one or more catalysts which together catalyse a reaction of hydrogen and carbon monoxide to oxygenates at a pressure of at least 4 MPa; (c) withdrawing from step (b) the oxygenate mixture comprising amounts of methanol, dimethyl ether, carbon dioxide and water together with unreacted synthesis gas and introducing the entire amount of the oxygenate mixture without further treatment into a catalytic oxygenate conversion step (d); (d) reacting the oxygenate mixture in presence of a catalyst being active in the conversion of oxygenates to higher hydrocarbons; (e) withdrawing an effluent from step (d) and separating the effluent into a tail gas, a liquid hydrocarbon phase containing the higher hydrocarbons produced in step.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of hydrocarbon products comprising the steps of a) providing a synthesis gas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide; (b) reacting at least part of the synthesis gas to an oxygenate mixture comprising methanol and dimethyl ether in presence of one or more catalysts which together catalyse a reaction of hydrogen and carbon monoxide to oxygenates at a pressure of at least 3 MPa; (c) withdrawing from step (b) a reaction mixture comprising amounts of methanol, dimethyl ether, carbon dioxide and water together with unreacted synthesis gas and cooling the reaction mixture to obtain a liquid phase with the amounts of methanol, dimethyl ether and water and simultaneously dissolving carbon dioxide in the liquid phase; (d) separating the carbon dioxide containing liquid phase from a remaining gaseous phase comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide; (e) evaporating and reacting the liquid phase being withdrawn from step (d) in presence of a catalyst being active in the convers

Abstract: The invention provides methods for automated classification of a medical diagnostic image of a lung according to its deduced probability of relating to a lung of a patient who is suffering from a diffuse parenchymal lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, or severe asthma, or to a class of patients characterised by the severity of such a condition, or to a class of patients characterised by a prognostic likelihood of developing such a condition or severity of condition.

Abstract: Flow deflector that is capable of changing the flow direction of a fluid during passage through a duct. The duct is formed by an inner and outer duct, which creates an annular region in the duct. The flow deflector forces the fluid passing through the annular region of the duct to flow inside the inner duct, while the fluid passing through the inner duct is forced to flow through the annular region. Reactor tubes for catalytic reactors are formed by assembling tubes comprising said flow deflector and having a catalyst arranged in the inner tube.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of hydrocarbon products comprising the steps of a) providing a synthesis gas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide; (b) reacting at least part of the synthesis gas to an oxygenate mixture comprising methanol and dimethyl ether in presence of one or more catalysts which together catalyse a reaction of hydrogen and carbon monoxide to oxygenates at a pressure of at least 3 MPa; (c) withdrawing from step (b) a reaction mixture comprising amounts of methanol, dimethyl ether, carbon dioxide and water together with unreacted synthesis gas and cooling the reaction mixture to obtain a liquid phase with the amounts of methanol, dimethyl ether and water and simultaneously dissolving carbon dioxide in the liquid phase; (d) separating the carbon dioxide containing liquid phase from a remaining gaseous phase comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide; (e) evaporating and reacting the liquid phase being withdrawn from step (d) in presence of a catalyst being active in the convers