A short cut procedure for the design and monitoring of continuous flow sedimentation or thickening tanks

A Short cut graphical procedure has been developed analogous to stepwise for the design of continuous flow sedimentation or thickening tanks.In this technique, several computer programs have been set up in order to reduce the data input, necessary for performing all intermediate calculations by computer. The data describing the settling of particles and movement of the particle-liquid interface as a function of time and operating conditions are the only data required. The method predicts the time required to attain the prescribed underflow concentration, the rate of hindered settling subsidence, the area required for clarification, the thickener area and dimensions. The proposed method has been applied to illustrate the effect of different chemical treatment doses on a typical industrial effluent from the manufacture of starch and byproducts from American yellow corn.List of Symbols A1 cm First falling zone line intercept - A2 cm Settling zone curve intercept - A3 cm Compression zone line intercept - A4 cm Angle bisector intercept - A5 cm Tangent interception at the compression point - ACL m² Minimum clarification area - ALPHA() Angle between line 1 and line 2, radians - ATH m² Minimum thickening area - ATH1 m² Area of each individual tank - B1 cm · min^–1 First falling zone line slope - B2 Settling zone curve power - B3 cm · min^–1 Compression zone line slope - B4 cm · min^–1 Angle bisector slope - B5 cm · min^–1 Tangent slope at the compression point - BT m Approximate width of the tank - BT1 m Actual width of the tank - CC Conversion criteria - CO mg/dm³ Initial solid concentration - CU mg/dm³ Underflow solid concentration - D m Basin depth - DIAM m Diameter of circular tank - DMIN m Minimum allowable liquid depth - DT h Minimum allowable detention time - DT1 h Calculated detention time - HT cm Subsiding particle-liquid interface height - HT1 min Subsiding particle-liquid interface coordinate for line 1 and line 2 intersection - HTR cm Subsiding particle-liquid interface coordinate for compression point - L m Approximate length of the tank - L1 m Actual length of the tank - LMAX m Maximum allowable tank length - LMIN m Minimum allowable tank length - NI Number of iterations - NO Number of tanks - PI Const. - Q m³/h Wastewater flowrate - SL m³/(m² · d) Surface loading - T1 Tan() - T3 Tan (/2) - TM min Time of measuring subsiding particle-liquid interface - TM1 min Time coordinate for line 1 and line 2 intersection - TML min Lower limit of the root - TMR min Time coordinate for compression point - TMU min Upper limit of the root - TU min Time required to attain underflow concentration - ZO cm Initial height of sludge - ZU cm Settled height of sludge interface - FI m Inert depth (typically taken as 1 m)     

Oxidative stress,ceruloplasmin and neopterin biomarkers in dromedary camels with clinical endometritis

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of some oxidative stress (OS), ceruloplasmin (Cp), and neopterin (NPT) as diagnostic biomarkers for dromedary camels endometritis as well as to explore the impact of ceftiofur treatment on endometritis. Camels were categorized into two groups; healthy control group (n = 20) and endometritis group (n = 60). She-camels with clinical signs of endometritis (CE) received 6.6 mg/kg BW of ceftiofur (i/m). On days 7, and 14, she-camels were evaluated and clinical cure or failure to cure was determined. The comparison of the groups for OS demonstrated that endometritis caused an increase in serum malondialdehyde (sMDA), Cp, and NPT levels (P<0.05), but decreased serum levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH) (P<0.05). The most prevalent pathogens involved in the etiology of CE are Arcanobacterium pyogenes, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus. All examined biomarkers demonstrated a high degree of recognition between CE camel and healthy controls (the area under the curve (AUC) was 95.9 for NPT). A higher proportion of camels with CE that were treated with ceftiofur (90%, P<0.0001) showed clinical cure by the first dose, while 10% required a second dose. In conclusion, CE causes increased oxidative reactions and decreased antioxidant defense competence. Subsequently, the alteration in that balance that was represented by the biomarkers of OS could be beneficial for clinical practice and basic clinical research. Additionally, all trials demonstrated the efficacy of ceftiofur for the treatment of CE in she-camel.     

Phosphorylation of Elp1 by Hrr25 Is Required for Elongator-Dependent tRNA Modification in Yeast

Elongator is a conserved protein complex comprising six different polypeptides that has been ascribed a wide range of functions, but which is now known to be required for modification of uridine residues in the wobble position of a subset of tRNAs in yeast, plants, worms and mammals. In previous work, we showed that Elongator''s largest subunit (Elp1; also known as Iki3) was phosphorylated and implicated the yeast casein kinase I Hrr25 in Elongator function. Here we report identification of nine in vivo phosphorylation sites within Elp1 and show that four of these, clustered close to the Elp1 C-terminus and adjacent to a region that binds tRNA, are important for Elongator''s tRNA modification function. Hrr25 protein kinase directly modifies Elp1 on two sites (Ser-1198 and Ser-1202) and through analyzing non-phosphorylatable (alanine) and acidic, phosphomimic substitutions at Ser-1198, Ser-1202 and Ser-1209, we provide evidence that phosphorylation plays a positive role in the tRNA modification function of Elongator and may regulate the interaction of Elongator both with its accessory protein Kti12 and with Hrr25 kinase.     

Prominent crista terminalis mimicking a right atrial mass: case report

Primary heart neoplasms are rare occurring with an estimated incidence of 0.0017-0.19%. Myxoma is the most prevalent primary heart tumor. The right atrium is an unusual localization, occurring only in 15-20% of myxoma cases. We report a rare case of a massive right atrial myxoma causing tricuspid valve obstruction and presenting as syncope and exertional dyspnea. This case illustrates the influence of myxoma's size, position and mobility as well as patient's body posture and respiration to the development of signs and symptoms. Three-dimensional echocardiography proved useful in surgery planning, allowing a better definition of the tumor outline and attachment.     

Feeling Bad and Looking Worse: Negative Affect Is Associated with Reduced Perceptions of Face-Healthiness

Some people perceive themselves to look more, or less attractive than they are in reality. We investigated the role of emotions in enhancement and derogation effects; specifically, whether the propensity to experience positive and negative emotions affects how healthy we perceive our own face to look and how we judge ourselves against others. A psychophysical method was used to measure healthiness of self-image and social comparisons of healthiness. Participants who self-reported high positive (N = 20) or negative affectivity (N = 20) judged themselves against healthy (red-tinged) and unhealthy looking (green-tinged) versions of their own and stranger’s faces. An adaptive staircase procedure was used to measure perceptual thresholds. Participants high in positive affectivity were un-biased in their face health judgement. Participants high in negative affectivity on the other hand, judged themselves as equivalent to less healthy looking versions of their own face and a stranger’s face. Affective traits modulated self-image and social comparisons of healthiness. Face health judgement was also related to physical symptom perception and self-esteem; high physical symptom reports were associated a less healthy self-image and high self-reported (but not implicit) self-esteem was associated with more favourable social comparisons of healthiness. Subject to further validation, our novel face health judgement task could have utility as a perceptual measure of well-being. We are currently investigating whether face health judgement is sensitive to laboratory manipulations of mood.     

Correction of both NBD1 energetics and domain interface is required to restore ΔF508 CFTR folding and function

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Highlights? NBD1 and NBD1-CL4 interface instability limit CFTR conformational maturation ? ΔF508 mutation thermodynamically and kinetically destabilizes NBD1 ? Stabilization of ΔF508-NBD1 is insufficient for CFTR-coupled domain folding ? ΔF508 CFTR folding and function require both NBD1 and NBD1-CL4 stabilization