Evaluation and selection of regeneration of waste lubricating oil technology

Lubricant is one of the important resources that cannot be disposed of randomly due to the presence of pollutants. In response to economic efficiency and environmental protection, there is a growing trend of regeneration and reuse of waste lubricant. However, the technologies shall be compared to provide a useful reference for the use of waste lubricant. The major aim of this paper is to use analytic hierarchy process to select, analyze, and compare the regenerative technologies, thus laying a basis for the governmental bodies in policy making of lubricant recovery as well as for industrial operators in deciding the recovery methods.     

Prenatal diagnosis of a fetus harboring an intermediate load of the A3243G mtDNA mutation in a maternal carrier diagnosed with MELAS syndrome

We prenatally diagnosed MELAS syndrome in a fetus whose mother and older brother had the MELAS-specific A3243G mutation. The mutant mtDNA level of the amniotic fluid cells was not significantly different from that of the postnatal peripheral blood and hair follicle samples. The obstetrical course was uncomplicated except for transient exacerbation of the mother's diabetes, which required insulin control. At term, the infant was macrosomic, and the delivery was complicated by shoulder dystocia. MELAS syndrome in itself does not influence either the prenatal course of the mother or the fetal outcome. In contrast to the fulminating clinical course of this mother's first child, MELAS symptoms did not develop in her second child until age four, despite similar high tissue levels of mutant mtDNA. The phenotypic diversity in two offspring with similar higher levels of mutant mtDNA suggests that prenatal genetic diagnosis of cultured amniotic cells may yield results that are poor prognosticators of fetal outcome. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Safety management in a relationship-oriented culture

A relationship-oriented culture predominates in the Greater China region, where it is more important than in Western countries. Some characteristics of this culture influence strongly the organizational structure and interactions among members in an organization. This study aimed to explore the possible influence of relationships on safety management in relationship-oriented cultures. We hypothesized that organizational factors (management involvement and harmonious relationships) within a relationship-oriented culture would influence supervisory work (ongoing monitoring and task instructions), the reporting system (selective reporting), and teamwork (team communication and co-ordination) in safety management at a group level, which would in turn influence individual reliance complacency, risk awareness, and practices. We distributed a safety climate questionnaire to the employees of Taiwanese high-risk industries. The results of structural equation modeling supported the hypothesis. This article also discusses the findings and implications for safety improvement in countries with a relationship-oriented culture.     

Cooling of multichip light emitting diode with ultra-high power—An application of bypass cooling from an air-conditioning system

This study focuses on the use of indium gallium nitride multichip for ultra-high power light emitting diode (LED) heat transfer and thermal cooling analysis. This research approach is based on the multichip LED experimental study of aluminum extrusion heat sink and air-conditioning system-forced cooling approach. An investigation of heat transfer characteristics of the phenomenon of variation is conducted to improve performance and develop an LED system that can become a reference guideline for thermal design and assembly. This study’s package structure can use silicon substrate material and fill copper material to increase thermal conduction. An air-conditioning system bypass cooling approach is also used. This study aims to help to increase LED thermal cooling, long life, reliability, and reduce the optic lumen decay phenomenon in the future. Results are based on different power ratings that can be used to redefine LED classifications.     

Collocated comparisons of continuous and filter-based PM2.5 measurements at Fort McMurray,Alberta, Canada

Collocated comparisons for three PM_2.5 monitors were conducted from June 2011 to May 2013 at an air monitoring station in the residential area of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, a city located in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region. Extremely cold winters (down to approximately ?40°C) coupled with low PM_2.5 concentrations present a challenge for continuous measurements. Both the tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM), operated at 40°C (i.e., TEOM₄₀), and Synchronized Hybrid Ambient Real-time Particulate (SHARP, a Federal Equivalent Method [FEM]), were compared with a Partisol PM_2.5 U.S. Federal Reference Method (FRM) sampler. While hourly TEOM₄₀ PM_2.5 were consistently ~20–50% lower than that of SHARP, no statistically significant differences were found between the 24-hr averages for FRM and SHARP. Orthogonal regression (OR) equations derived from FRM and TEOM₄₀ were used to adjust the TEOM₄₀ (i.e., TEOM_adj) and improve its agreement with FRM, particularly for the cold season. The 12-year-long hourly TEOM_adj measurements from 1999 to 2011 based on the OR equations between SHARP and TEOM₄₀ were derived from the 2-year (2011–2013) collocated measurements. The trend analysis combining both TEOM_adj and SHARP measurements showed a statistically significant decrease in PM_2.5 concentrations with a seasonal slope of ?0.15 μg m^?3 yr^?1 from 1999 to 2014.Implications: Consistency in PM_2.5 measurements are needed for trend analysis. Collocated comparison among the three PM_2.5 monitors demonstrated the difference between FRM and TEOM, as well as between SHARP and TEOM. The orthogonal regressions equations can be applied to correct historical TEOM data to examine long-term trends within the network.     

Advanced superhydrophobic electroactive fluorinated polyimide and its application in anticorrosion coating

A novel superhydrophobicelectroactive fluorinated polyimide (HEFPI) was first synthesized from aniline trimer and 4,4′-(Hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride. The HEFPI could be fabricated as superhydrophobicfilm by replicated the surface of the Xanthosomasagittifolium leaves. The water contact angle of HEFPI film reaches as high as 157 ° and the superhydrophobic property of HEFPI could coat on cold-rolled steel (CRS) to prevent the metal corrosion. Electroactivity of EFPI was evaluated by performing electrochemical cyclic voltammetry study. Besides, redox catalytic capabilities of aniline trimer units existed in HEFPI main chain may induce the formation of passive metal oxide layers on the CRS electrode. The synergistic effects (hydrophobic property and passive metal oxide layers) make the HEFPI coating has great potential for advanced anticorrosion material.     

First detection of enteric adenoviruses genotype 41 in recreation spring areas of Taiwan

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) are DNA viruses found in recreational water, such as water parks and swimming pools. Human adenovirus 41 (HAdV-41) is the...     

Novel mutation and prenatal sonographic findings of glutaric aciduria (type I) in two Taiwanese families

Glutaric aciduria type I (GA I) is an autosomal recessively inherited inborn error with a defect of the enzyme glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase (GCDH), which has never been diagnosed prenatally in Taiwanese patients. We present the prenatal sonographic findings and mutational analysis data of three children in two Taiwanese families. One patient from each family was diagnosed postnatally due to macrocephaly and neurological deterioration at 4 months and 10 months, respectively. The third child, sister of the first patient, was diagnosed prenatally at 11 weeks' gestation through chorionic villus sampling (CVS). Molecular analysis revealed that the fetus and child in Family 1 were homozygous for a common mutation, IVS10 -2A>C, which has not been reported in the Caucasian population. The patient in Family 2 was a compound heterozygote for IVS10 -2A>C and a novel mutation 749T>C (L238P). After genetic counseling, the couple decided to continue the second pregnancy. However, dilatation of quadrigeminal cistern (QC) and suspicious macrocephaly were noted at 30 weeks. Progressive dilatation of the QC associated with macrocephaly, fronto-temporal atrophy and wide space of perisylvian fissure were found in the follow-up scans. The affected girl was delivered at 37 weeks' gestation by cesarean section. Postnatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies confirmed the prenatal sonographic findings. With prenatal sonographic findings and mutational analysis presented in the present cases, the feasibility of prenatal diagnosis of GA I in high-risk pregnancy can not be overlooked. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.