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California is the world's biggest producer and exporter of almonds. Currently, the sweeping of almonds during the harvest creates a significant amount of dust, causing air pollution in the neighboring urban areas. A low-dust sweeping system was designed to reduce the dust during the sweeping of almonds in the orchard. The system includes a feedback control system to control the sweeper brushes' height and their angular velocity by adjusting the forward velocity of the harvester and the brushes' rotational speeds to avoid any extra overlapping sweeping, which increases dust generation. The governing kinematic equations for sweepers' angular velocity and vehicle forward speed were derived. The feedback controllers for synchronizing these speeds were designed to optimize brush/dust contact to minimize dust generation. The sweepers' height controller was also designed to stabilize the gap between the brushes and the orchard floor and track the road trajectory. Controllers were simulated and tuned for a fast response for agricultural applications with less than a second response delay. Results showed that the designed system has acceptable performance and generates low amounts of dust within the acceptable range of California ambient air quality standards.

Highlights 1. DUB1 is an important modulator of Hippo signaling in gastric cancer. 2. DUB1 expression is elevated in human gastric cancer samples and correlates with poor survival in gastric cancer. 3. DUB1 facilitates gastric cancer progression via the Hippo/TAZ axis. 4. DUB1 associates with TAZ and directly inhibits YAP polyubiquitination and degradation.

Estrogen receptor α (ERα) is the most common clinical marker used for breast cancer prognosis and the classification of breast cancer subtypes. Clinically, patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer can receive endocrine therapy. However, resistance to endocrine therapy has become an urgent clinical problem. A large number of previous studies have proven that posttranslational modification of the estrogen receptor is significantly related to endocrine therapy resistance. RNF2 is a member of the RING finger protein family that functions as an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Several studies have clarified that RNF2 is a critical regulator of ERα transcriptional regulation. In our current study, we identified RNF2 as an important posttranslational modification regulator of the estrogen receptor. RNF2 depletion inhibited breast cancer cell progression and ERα signaling activity. TCGA data analysis indicated that RNF2 was elevated in breast malignancies, while RNF2 depletion could drastically inhibit estrogen response gene expression on a whole-genome scale. TCGA data analysis revealed that RNF2 was positively correlated with ERα target gene expression. Further mechanistic studies showed that RNF2 was mainly localized in the nucleus and associated with ERα. The association increased ERα stability by inhibiting ERα K48-linked polyubiquitination. In conclusion, our study implicates nongenomic regulation by RNF2 on ERα protein stability and suggests that targeting RNF2 could be a promising strategy for breast cancer treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Hippo pathway functions as a tumor suppressor pathway in human cancers, while dysfunction of the Hippo pathway is frequently observed in malignancies. Although YAP/TAZ activity is tightly controlled by the phosphorylation cascade of the MST-LATS-YAP/TAZ axis, it is still unclear why the YAP/TAZ proteins are activated in human cancers despite Hippo pathway activation. Recent studies have suggested that in addition to phosphorylation, several other posttranslational modifications, including ubiquitination, also play critical roles in modulating TAZ function. Methods: We used several gastric cancer cell lines and performed western blot analysis, real-time PCR, immunoprecipitation assays, and in vitro ubiquitination assays and established a xenograft mouse model. Results: Here, by screening a DUB (deubiquitinase) siRNA library, we discovered that DUB1 functions as a critical modulator that facilitates gastric cancer stemness and progression by deubiquitinating and activating the TAZ protein. We also found that DUB1 expression was elevated in gastric cancer and that elevated DUB1 expression correlated with TAZ activation and poor survival. DUB1 associates with the TAZ protein and deubiquitinates TAZ at several lysine residues, which subsequently stabilizes TAZ and facilitates its function. Conclusions: Our study revealed a novel deubiquitinase in the Hippo/TAZ axis and identified one possible therapeutic target for Hippo-driven gastric cancer. Highlights: 1. DUB1 is an important modulator of Hippo signaling in gastric cancer. 2. DUB1 expression is elevated in human gastric cancer samples and correlates with poor survival in gastric cancer. 3. DUB1 facilitates gastric cancer progression via the Hippo/TAZ axis. 4. DUB1 associates with TAZ and directly inhibits YAP polyubiquitination and degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, the effect of using GO/ water nanofluid as a coolant fluid in an isothermal heat transfer system was studied. At first, to evaluate the atomic bond, chemical, and surface structure of the nanoparticles, XRD-FTIR and FESEM tests were used. Two-step method was used to prepared nanofluid then DLS test was utilized to examine the stability of the nanofluid. Thermal conductivity and the dynamic viscosity were measured experimentally from 25 to 75 ℃ and volume fractions of 0–0.15%. The maximum improvement in thermal conductivity is 11.2% at 0.15% and 75 ℃. Also The dynamic viscosity increased. The validity and uncertainty of the test results were examined. The heat transfer and turbulent flow of the nanofluid under a constant temperature boundary condition were investigated between 6000 and 18,700 Reynolds numbers. Various parameters such as the pressure drop, friction factor, convection heat transfer coefficient, and Nusselt number of the turbulent flow were evaluated. According to the results, the greatest increase in the convection heat transfer coefficient of the nanofluid was 34.7% compared to that of the base fluid. Also, the greatest enhancement in the friction factor was 9.64%. It can be stated that the improvement of the convection heat transfer coefficient dominantly affects the pressure drop so this nanofluid can be used as a coolant fluid in industrial systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Innovative Engineering / Revista de Ingenieria Innovativa is the property of ECORFAN-Mexico S.C. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

California is the world’s biggest producer and exporter of almonds. Currently, the sweeping of almonds during the harvest creates a significant amount of dust, causing air pollution in the neighboring urban areas. A low-dust sweeping system was designed to reduce the dust during the sweeping of almonds in the orchard. The system includes a feedback control system to control the sweeper brushes’ height and their angular velocity by adjusting the forward velocity of the harvester and the brushes’ rotational speeds to avoid any extra overlapping sweeping, which increases dust generation. The governing kinematic equations for sweepers’ angular velocity and vehicle forward speed were derived. The feedback controllers for synchronizing these speeds were designed to optimize brush/dust contact to minimize dust generation. The sweepers’ height controller was also designed to stabilize the gap between the brushes and the orchard floor and track the road trajectory. Controllers were simulated and tuned for a fast response for agricultural applications with less than a second response delay. Results showed that the designed system has acceptable performance and generates low amounts of dust within the acceptable range of California ambient air quality standards.

There are many kinds of heavy metals in tailings and other solid waste, and the content is high. Glass-ceramic as a promising final product not only has excellent physical properties, but also can effectively solidify heavy metals. However, the study on the stabilization of single heavy metal in glass-ceramics is still limited. Therefore, zinc and copper, two common heavy metals in tailings, were used as representatives to conduct this research to find the phase transformation and the stabilization mechanism. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Inductively coupled plasma source mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) were used as the characterization methods. The results showed that the main crystallization phase was diopside (CaMgSi 2 O 6). With the increase of zinc and copper content, the integrity of glass network structure got worse, and the viscosity of glass was decreased. So, the volume density and shrinkage of glass-ceramics were also increased. The shrinkage for glass-ceramics with different content of zinc was from 16.1% to 20.2%, and the volume density was increased from 2.3 g/cm3 to 2.54 g/cm3. The glass-ceramics with different content of copper shows similar trend. The shrinkage ranged from 16.1% to 20.4%, and the volume density was increased from 2.32 g/cm3 to 2.56 g/cm3. For samples with different zinc content, the bending strength was increased from 135 MPa to 161 MPa. On the contrary, for samples with different content of copper first increased to 148 MPa and then decreased to 133 MPa. The curing process of zinc and copper in glass-ceramic shows different trends. When the content of heavy metal is less than 1.5 wt%, zinc and copper all remain in the diopside phase in the form of solid solution. With increased of the heavy metal content, zinc is stably cured in the glass-ceramic as the petedunnite phase (CaZnSi 2 O 6), while copper is remained in the glass-ceramic in the phase of CuAlO 2. Heavy metals are well solidified in glass ceramics, so the leaching concentration is much lower than the standard limit, and the leaching rate tends to be stable when the heavy metal content up to 1.5 wt%. The results showed that the conversion of Zn-rich and Cu-rich tailings and other solid waste into environmentally friendly glass-ceramics had great potential and reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To stabilize a single-wheel vehicle is necessary to know the angle of gradient of the platform with respect to the horizontal axis and also the movement of the vehicle. This can be detected in several ways. Accelerometers and gyroscopes are small, accurate and energy-saving today. They provide analogue or digital output. In the introduction we will describe the basic parameters of accelerometer and gyroscope. We will describe the principle of digital signal processing from both sensors. In the next section we look at the effect of dynamic acceleration on the sensors and the elimination of this phenomenon with a complementary filter. We explain, what it is a complementary filter, benefits and internal structure. We will include a short code in the C language for data processing from the output.

Copyright of Przegląd Elektrotechniczny is the property of Przeglad Elektrotechniczny and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aimed to understand the mechanism of combining the action of different types of flame retardants (FR) on melting, flammability behaviour and burning behaviour, and its moderation of the Polypropylene (PP) polymer. PP Polymer was chosen to be blent in a twin-screw extruder with the flame retardants and an additive, which is a 1% Stabilizer, to investigate Polypropylene's melting, flammability and burning moderation in order to reduce it. Burning and flammability behaviour test conditions, which are known as UL49 vertical and horizontal burning tests, were applied in this study. The flame was applied for 10 seconds and the length of time that the sample burned was measured. The flame was reapplied 10mm below the burned edge of the sample for a further 10 seconds. The length of time the sample burned for a second time was measured. The melting, dripping, and burning behaviour was recorded using high-speed video. These PP Polymer samples behave very differently in terms of upward flame spread. The study also indicates that the melting behaviour of thermoplastic materials is an important characteristic in fires which should be taken into account in the development of models, in particular for upward flame spread models. To study melt dripping behaviour, a burning methodology was developed. The results from these experiments have been analyzed to draw a relationship between melt dripping and burning behaviour. Most of the previous work on melt and dripping behaviour was concentrated on the study of fire operating conditions and modelling of the thermal process, however, no work has been reported on the quantitative relationship between melt and burning behaviour of thermoplastic polymers.

Zero-valent iron particles at the nanoscale are proposed to be one of the important reductants of Cr(VI), transforming the same into nontoxic Cr(III). In this study zero valent iron nanoparticles(ZVINs) were synthesized and characterized for hexavalent chromium removal from aqueous solutions. Five different zero-valent iron nanoparticle types comprising of bare and stabilized ZVINs with poly acrylamide(PAM), polyvinyl pyrrolidone(PVP), polystyrene sulfonate(PSS) and guar gum(GG) were synthesized and employed in this study. The sizes of zero-valent iron nanoparticles were found to be 40, 14, 17, 29 and 34nm, using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), corresponding to bare zero valent iron nanoparticles(ZVINs), poly acrylamide(PAM), guar gum(GG), poly styrene solfunate(PSS) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone(PVP) stabilized zero valent iron nanoparticles (ZVINs) respectively. The trend in the sizes of ZVINs with various stabilizers in the decreasing order was found to be bare ZVIN > PVP-ZVIN >PSS-ZVIN> GG-ZVIN> PAM-ZVIN respectively. Results showed that by increasing hexavalent chromium concentrations from 20 to 100 mg/L, the Cr(VI) efficiency removal decreased significantly. When the ZVINs concentrations increased from 2 to 10 gr/L(0.1 to 0.5g per 50 mL), the Cr(VI) removal efficiency enhanced. The most effective treatments of ZVINs and Cr(VI) for hexavalent chromium removal from solutions were 10 gr/lit (0.5g per 50 mL) and 20 mg/L respectively, so the efficiency of bare and polymer stabilized-ZVINs on Cr(VI) removal from solutions was found to be in the following order: bare ZVINs < PVP-ZVINs

Aim: Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH 4 ), a natural cofactor of aromatic amino acid hydroxylases, and sepiapterin, a natural precursor of BH 4 , are endogenously present in human plasma. This is the first report on methods for direct quantification of sepiapterin and BH 4 in human plasma by LC-MS/MS for pharmacokinetic assessment . Materials & methods: The analytes in plasma were harvested from blood that were treated with 10% ascorbic acid (AA) to a final concentration of 1% AA. Results & conclusion: The quantification methods were validated for calibration ranges of 0.75-500 ng/ml and 0.5-500 ng/ml for sepiapterin and BH 4 , respectively. Quantification of analytes was challenging due to their susceptibility to redox reactions. The validated methods were utilized successfully to support clinical development of sepiapterin.

To stabilize a single-wheel vehicle is necessary to know the angle of gradient of the platform with respect to the horizontal axis and also the movement of the vehicle. This can be detected in several ways. Accelerometers and gyroscopes are small, accurate and energy-saving today. They provide analogue or digital output. In the introduction we will describe the basic parameters of accelerometer and gyroscope. We will describe the principle of digital signal processing from both sensors. In the next section we look at the effect of dynamic acceleration on the sensors and the elimination of this phenomenon with a complementary filter. We explain, what it is a complementary filter, benefits and internal structure. We will include a short code in the C language for data processing from the output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The instability of CsPbX 3 QDs has been a natural barrier to their applications. We found a new approach to stabilize the CsPbX 3 quantum dots by double chemical coupling, using both (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) and ethylene cellulose (EC) through forming Si-O-Si coating during hydrolysis reactions. By this way, similar spherical perovskite CsPbX 3 QDs wrapped by Si-O-Si linkage with stress were achieved. Formation process, characters and optoelectronic stable properties of QDs/silica/EC composites were investigated. Highly stable QDs/silica/EC composite solid-state film was obtained with excellent water resistance of more than 3000 min. The quantum yield of green and red composites still keeps in higher level with 85% and 71% respectively, and their narrow full width at half maximum were 20 nm and 32 nm respectively. White LED (WLED) showed a highly stable working performance and excellent optical performance. CIE color coordinates was (0.3379, 0.3338) under the driving current at 80 mA. Three discrete emission peaks located at 458, 525, and 622 nm. Moreover, the luminous efficiency of WLED achieved 51.51 lm/W. Continues stable working time achieved more than 180 min under 15 mA in the air environment. More interestingly, luminous slight efficiency drop and color-rendering index rise would be recoverable after cooling. Highlights • Stabilize the CsPbX 3 QDs by double chemical coupling through with stress. • Excellent water resistance of more than 3000 min. • Highly stable working performance and excellent optical performance. • Continues stable working time achieved more than 180 min. • Luminous efficiency drop and color-rendering index rise would recover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Amoxicillin is one of the most important groups of pharmaceuticals that benefits humans and animals. However, antibiotics excertion in wastewaters and environment have emerged as a serious risk to the biotic environment, and their toxic effects can harm the organisms. Iron-based metallic nanoparticles have received special attention in regard with remediation of groundwater contaminants. In the typical nZVI-based bimetallic particle system, Fe acts as the reducing agent. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the synthesis and characteristics of nZVI in regard with degrading AMX. Methods: In this study, nZVI nanoparticles were synthesized using the liquid-phase reduction method by EDTA as a stabilizer material. Structure and properties of nanoparticles were characterized by BET, SEM, XRD and EDX analysis. A multi-variate analysis was applied using a response surface methodology (RSM) in order to develop a quadratic model as a functional relationship between AMX removal efficiency and independent variables ( initial pH values, dosage of nZVI, contact time and amoxicillin concentration). The four independent variables of solution pH (2–10), AMX concentration (5-45mg/l), contact time (5-85 min) and nanoparticles dose (0.25 – 1.25 g) were transformed to the coded values. Results: The study results demonstrated that more than 69 % of AMX was removed by nZVI. The optimal AMX removal conditions using nZVI were found as 1.25 g of nZVI, pH 4, contact time of 80 min and concentration of 30 mg/l. Conclusions: The ability of nZVI in degradation of AMX revealed that these materials can serve as a potential nano material with respect to the environmental remediation.

Developing an understanding of the cavity stability underlying the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of ZnO is critical to the fabrication of oxide-based devices. Therefore, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to study the process parameters (e.g., the growth temperature, total gas flow, chamber pressure, and substrate speed) of the MOCVD H-type reaction chamber for four states in the cavity: buoyancy-induced flow, plug flow, rotating-plug flow, and rotating flow. Based on these states, criteria for determining stable and unstable flows were determined. These can be presented on the pressure–rotation rate spectrum, which can be used to visualize the effects of specific process parameters on the flow stability. In order to obtain a good film deposition rate in the stable flow state of the cavity, a response surface model and genetic algorithm were also used to optimize the process parameters. The coefficient of variation of the optimized ZnO film was reduced to 2%, which greatly improved the film quality. This study provides a comprehensive insight into the transport phenomena of the MOCVD H-type reaction chamber, including coupled heat and mass transfer and chemical reactions, and presents the optimal combination of parameters to provide a useful reference for obtaining high-quality thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polystyrene (PS) is introduced to stabilize the perovskite component, grains and microstructures by forming PS-capped perovskite grains. It is found that the PS coverage has significant advantages in suppressing the component loss and phase separation, obstructing moisture corrosion and promoting crystal self-healing of perovskite films. Besides, with the PS involvement, exceeding 20% efficiency of a planar TiO 2 based cell has been achieved by decreasing charge traps and nonradiative recombination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mirsky proposed a model of attention that included these dimensions: focus/execute, sustain, stabilize, encode, and shift. The neural correlates of these dimensions were investigated within corona radiata subregions in healthy youth. Diffusion tensor imaging and neuropsychological assessments were conducted in 79 healthy, right-handed youth aged 4-17 years. Diffusion tensor imaging maps were analyzed using standardized parcellation methods. Partial Pearson correlations between neuropsychological standardized scores, representing these attention dimensions, and diffusion tensor imaging measures of corona radiata subregions were calculated after adjusting for gender and IQ. Significant correlations were found between the focus/execute, sustain, stabilize, and shift dimensions and imaging metrics in hypothesized corona radiata subregions. Results suggest that greater microstructural white matter integrity of the corona radiata is partly associated with attention across 4 attention dimensions. Findings suggest that white matter microstructure of the corona radiata is a neural correlate of several, but not all, attention dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein (Env), a Type 1 transmembrane protein, assembles into a trimeric spike complex that mediates virus entry into host cells. The high potential energy of the metastable, unliganded Env trimer is maintained by multiple non-covalent contacts among the gp120 exterior and gp41 transmembrane Env subunits. Structural studies suggest that the gp41 transmembrane region forms a left-handed coiled coil that contributes to the Env trimer interprotomer contacts. Here we evaluate the contribution of the gp41 transmembrane region to the folding and stability of Env trimers. Methods: Multiple polar/charged amino acid residues, which hypothetically disrupt the stop-transfer signal, were introduced in the proposed lipid-interactive face of the transmembrane coiled coil, allowing release of soluble cleavage-negative Envs containing the modified transmembrane region (TMmod). We also examined effects of cleavage, the cytoplasmic tail and a C-terminal fibritin trimerization (FT) motif on oligomerization, antigenicity and functionality of soluble and membrane-bound Envs. Results: The introduction of polar/charged amino acids into the transmembrane region resulted in the secretion of soluble Envs from the cell. However, these TMmod Envs primarily formed dimers. By contrast, control cleavage-negative sgp140 Envs lacking the transmembrane region formed soluble trimers, dimers and monomers. TMmod and sgp140 trimers were stabilized by the addition of a C-terminal FT sequence, but still exhibited carbohydrate and antigenic signatures of a flexible ectodomain structure. On the other hand, detergent-solubilized cleaved and uncleaved Envs isolated from the membranes of expressing cells exhibited "tighter" ectodomain structures, based on carbohydrate modifications. These trimers were found to be unstable in detergent solutions, but could be stabilized by the addition of a C-terminal FT moiety. The C-terminal FT domain decreased Env cleavage and syncytium-forming ability by approximately three-fold; alteration of the FT trimerization interface restored Env cleavage and syncytium formation to near-wild-type levels. Conclusion: The modified transmembrane region was not conducive to trimerization of soluble Envs. However, for HIV-1 Env ectodomains that are minimally modified, membrane-anchored Envs exhibit the most native structures and can be stabilized by appropriately positioned FT domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, cyclodextrin-based aqueous eye drop suspension of the water insoluble drug telmisartan was developed. Formation of a drug/γ-cyclodextrin complex was enabled by preventing formation of a poorly water-soluble zwitterion using a volatile base that was removed upon drying of the complex powder. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose was shown to have the overall best effect, stabilizing the complexes without hampering the drug release from the formulation. Two strategies for preparing cyclodextrin-based aqueous eye drop suspensions of telmisartan were investigated, one where hydroxypropyl methylcellulose was added to the medium during preparation of the drug/γ-cyclodextrin complex powder (ternary complex) and the other where hydroxypropyl methylcellulose was added to the complex powder after preparation of the complex (binary complex). The complexation was characterized by DSC, FT-IR and 1 H NMR and the eye drop suspensions formed were examined regarding their stability and in vitro mucoadhesion property. The ternary complex exhibited inferior mucoadhesive property compared to the binary complex. However, the ternary complex was more stable as no notable change in particle size and particle size distribution was observed during storage at 4 °C over 6 months ( p < 0.05) with the mean particle size determined between 2.0 and 2.5 μm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is found that G-quadruplexes have important functions in biological systems, such as gene expression. Molecules which can stabilize the G-quadruplex structure may have potential application in regulating the expression of gene. A series of methylazacalix[ n ]pyridine ( n = 4, 6, 7, 8, 9) has been tested to stabilize the intermolecular human telomeric G-quadruplex (T12 and H12), intramolecular TBA, c-kit and bcl-2 G-quadruplex by CD denaturation experiments. The results showed that only methylazacalix[6]pyridine (MACP6) can stabilize the intermolecular G-quadruplex formed from the 12 bp human telomere. Further studies evidenced that the shape-complementary binding mode was what contributed to the interaction between MACP6 and T12 G-quadruplex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a flow decelerating and self-adjusting device to realize the self-adjustment of the water flow and stabilize volume by the principle of negative feedback regulation. Firstly, we put forward a "Y"'-type deceleration mechanism, and analyze the water flow stabilization principle of the structure. Next, we go on designing the main structural components of the flow decelerating and self-adjusting device. Finally, we take the intake water pressure as the variable to test the outlet water flow with a flow decelerating and self-adjusting device or not. The test shows that when the intake water pressure is changed, the flow decelerating and self-adjusting device can stabilize the outlet water pressure within a certain range effectively. Hence, the device can solve the water waste and the problem of that the water pressure of some lower residents is too big. Because the device uses the principle of negative feedback regulation, it does not need any other additional accessories and energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) working in the emergency department (ED) is asked to see a patient with an "eye infection." The patient has a severe retrobulbar orbital abscess requiring complex multidisciplinary specialty management and is ultimately transferred to a tertiary care center. The patient had first presented to a community ED per the recommendation of her ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist. The patient was advised to leave the first ED during triage and to go to a second community ED. Although the referring physician was made aware of the recommendation to have the patient drive to another facility, the APRN questions whether this is a case of an Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) violation. This article defines EMTALA and evaluates the case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Asia Minor Studies is the property of Asia Minor Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Demulsification (emulsion breaking) is necessary in many practical applications as the petroleum industry and waste water treatment in environmental technology. The emulsion stability results from the presence of interfacial barrier preventing coalescence of the dispersed water droplets. The most effective method to overcome the problem is to demulsify the crude by using demulsifiers. The demulsifiers will destabilize the interfacial film between the droplets. Demulsifiers with amine and polymeric groups were used for breaking of water in crude oil emulsion, in this study. The relative rate of water separation were determined via breaker tests. The polymeric group demulsifier had better performance on breaking emulsion than amine group demulsifiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, a pulse dampener system for stabilizing the fluctuating liquid pressure and flow rate is experimentally and numerically studied. Its working principle is to seal a certain amount of gas in a container which can absorb the flow rate fluctuations and therefore stabilize the liquid flow. Experimental results show that the stabilizing effect is improved with the increasing gas volume introduced into the container. A numerical model was then developed to simulate the liquid flow in presence of the pulse dampener. The simulation results show that, in addition to the gas volume, the stabilizing effect is also dependent on the frequency and magnitude of fluctuations, as well as the flow resistance from downstream channels. The study offers a very quantitative understanding of the stabilizing effect and may help to customize the design and operation of pulse dampeners for specific applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The catalytic (C) subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase [protein kinase A (PKA)] is a major target of cAMP signaling, and its regulation is of fundamental importance to biological processes. One mode of regulation is N-myristylation, which has eluded structural and functional characterization so far because most crystal structures are of the non-myristylated enzyme, are phosphorylated on Ser10, and generally lack electron density for the first 13 residues. We crystallized myristylated wild-type (WT) PKA and a K7C mutant as binary (bound to a substrate peptide) and ternary [bound to a substrate peptide and adenosine-5′-(β,γ-imido)triphosphate] complexes. There was clear electron density for the entire N-terminus in the binary complexes, both refined to 2.0 Å, and K7C ternary complex, refined to 1.35 Å. The N-termini in these three structures display a novel conformation with a previously unseen helix from residues 1 to 7. The K7C mutant appears to have a more stable N-terminus, and this correlated with a significant decrease in the B-factors for the N-terminus in the myr-K7C complexes compared to the WT binary complex. The N-terminus of the myristylated WT ternary complex, refined to 2.0 Å, was disordered as in previous structures. In addition to a more ordered N-terminus, the myristylated K7C mutant exhibited a 53% increase in k cat. The effect of nucleotide binding on the structure of the N-terminus in the WT protein and the kinetic changes in the K7C protein suggest that myristylation or occupancy of the myristyl binding pocket may serve as a site for allosteric regulation in the C-subunit. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

CONSTRUCTION OF ECOLOGICAL BUILDINGS HAS ONE SPECIFIC SUB-SEGMENT - CONSTRUCTION WITH NATURAL MATERIALS. These are buildings made of timber, earth, stone, straw bales, reed, hemp, etc. The majority of these materials need protection against external effects. Architectural or structural elements (roofing overlaps etc.) provide passive protection. Outdoor plasters may be used as an active protection element. The practice to-date has mostly applied lime plasters with high demands for treatment during the first two to three months. An alternative choice were unstabilized earthen plasters with high demands for maintenance. The research intention, therefore, was to develop an outdoor plaster based on natural materials resistant to external weather effects. The desired solution was a plaster of unburnt earth with slightly modified properties, mainly in reaction to water. In the first phase of research, extensive literature search, dozens of potential stabilizing agents were shortlisted. The selection criteria were: water resistance plus low diffusion resistance of the resulting material, improved strength characteristics, a zero effect on colour and appearance etc. Many alternative agents were rejected. Positive results were reached with special types of polymer binders applied in small doses into earthen plasters. It must be emphasized that it is the plaster quality that plays a significant role here (the analysis would provide a topic for a separate article). The plaster is also suitable for repairs and reconstructions of historical earthen structures. These plasters are protected by a utility model. Outdoor earthen plasters were first introduced to the Czech market at the end of 2009. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A series of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) smaller than 3nm were successfully encapsulated in dendrimer/SBA-15 organic and inorganic hybrid composite. The obtained catalysts were characterized by XPS, XRD and TEM. The results of XPS and XRD indicate the existence of Pt NPs in the hybrid matrix. TEM images display the Pt NPs with narrow size distribution are monodispersed in SBA-15 channels. Catalytic property of the supported Pt catalysts was investigated in inorganic (ferricyanide to ferrocyanide by thiosulfate) and organic (p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol by sodium borohydride) electron transfer (redox) reactions. In both cases, the reduction reactions followed smoothly and the catalysts showed excellent catalytic activity. Moreover, the catalysts can be easily separated and reused several times preserving good catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a simple device that stabilizes the blood level in the reservoir of the extracorporeal circulation open circuit system by measuring the hydrostatic pressure of the reservoir to control the flow rate of the arterial pump. When the flow rate of the venous return decreases, the rotation speed of the arterial pump is automatically slowed down. Consequently, the blood level in the reservoir is stabilized quickly between two arbitrarily set levels and never falls below the pre-set low level. We conducted a basic experiment to verify the operation of the device, using a mock circuit with water. Commercially available pumps and reservoir were used without modification. The results confirmed that the control method effectively regulates the reservoir liquid level and is highly reliable. The device possibly also functions as a safety device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The interaction between polyethylenimine (PEI) and telomeric DNA was studied. The results demonstrated that PEI could effectively induce, stabilize, and regulate intramolecular G-quadruplexes. The mechanism for these results has been discussed, and was estimated to be condensation effect of PEI. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Groundwater remediation by nanoparticles has received increasing interest in recent years. This report presents a thorough evaluation of hexavalent chromium removal in aqueous solutions using iron (Feo) nanoparticles. Cr(VI) is a major pollutant of groundwater. Zero-valent iron, an important natural reductant of Cr(VI), is an option in the remediation of contaminated sites, transforming Cr(VI) to essentially nontoxic Cr(III). At a dose of 0.4 g/L, 100% off Cr(VI) (20 mg/L) was degraded. The Cr(VI) removal efficiency decreased significantly with increasing initial pH. Different Feo type was compared in the same conditions. The reactivity was in the order starch-stabilized Feo nanoparticles>Feo nanoparticles>Feo powder>Feo filings. Electrochemical analysis of the reaction process led to the conclusion that Cr(OH)3 should be the final product of Cr(VI). Iron nanoparticles are good choice for the remediation of heavy metals in groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]