This paper presents the impact of acetoacetic esters and di-carboxylic acid esters on the lubrication properties of automotive diesel. Three alkyl acetoacetates and seven di-carboxylic esters were ...used as lubricating additives on two low sulfur diesel fuels, at seven different concentrations of 50, 100, 500, 750, 1000, 1500 and 2000
ppm. Tribological experiments carried out on the high frequency reciprocating rig (HFRR) showed that only two of the three acetoacetic esters used, provide satisfactory mean wear scar diameter (WS 1.4) of less than 460
μm, at the concentration level of 750
ppm. In the case of di-carboxylic acid esters, the effective concentration was 500
ppm or higher.
In October 2001, four cases of inhalational anthrax occurred in workers in a Washington, D.C., mail facility that processed envelopes containing Bacillus anthracis spores. We reviewed the envelopes' ...paths and obtained exposure histories and nasal swab cultures from postal workers. Environmental sampling was performed. A sample of employees was assessed for antibody concentrations to B. anthracis protective antigen. Case-patients worked on nonoverlapping shifts throughout the facility, suggesting multiple aerosolization events. Environmental sampling showed diffuse contamination of the facility. Potential workplace exposures were similar for the case-patients and the sample of workers. All nasal swab cultures and serum antibody tests were negative. Available tools could not identify subgroups of employees at higher risk for exposure or disease. Prophylaxis was necessary for all employees. To protect postal workers against bioterrorism, measures to reduce the risk of occupational exposure are necessary.
All five species of sea turtles in continental U.S. waters are protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the population sizes of all species remain well below historic levels. Shrimp ...trawling was determined to be the largest source of anthropogenic mortality of many of the species. As a mechanism to reduce the incidental catch of turtles in trawl nets, turtle excluder devices have been required intermittently in the shrimp fishery since 1987, and at all times since 1994. The expanded turtle excluder device (TED) regulations, implemented in 1994, were expected to reduce shrimp trawl capture of sea turtles by 97%. Recent evidence has indicated that the sizes of turtles stranding were not representative of the animals subjected to being captured by the shrimp trawlers. The purpose of our study was to compare the sizes of stranded sea turtles with the size of the TED openings. We compared the sizes of stranded loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas), and Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) sea turtles, the three species most commonly found stranded, to the minimum widths and heights of TED openings. We found that annually a large proportion of stranded loggerhead turtles (33-47%) and a small proportion of stranded green turtles (1-7%) are too large to fit through the required minimum-size TED openings. The continued high mortality of sea turtles caused by bottom trawling is reason for concern, especially for the northern subpopulation of loggerhead turtles, which currently is not projected to achieve the federal recovery goal of reaching and maintaining prelisting levels of nesting.
To reduce their fuel related logistic burden, NATO Armed Forces are advancing the use of a single fuel for both aircraft and ground equipment. To this end, F-34 is replacing distillate diesel fuel in ...many applications. However, tests conducted with kerosene on High Frequency Reciprocating Rig, showed that it causes unacceptable wear due to the poor lubricity of aviation fuel. In order to make this type of fuel compatible with direct injection compression engines, tests were carried out with ten mono–carboxylic acid esters to improve the lubricity of kerosene. Tribological results showed that all esters tested, were suitable for increasing the kerosene lubricity to a satisfactory level. Among the esters of the same molecular type, those having the ester group around the middle of the molecule appear to have better lubrication performance.
This paper presents the impact of alkyl ethers and alcohols on the lubricity of automotive diesel. Seven ethers and five alcohols were used as lubricating additives on two low sulfur diesel fuels, at ...the concentration range of 50–2000
ppm. Tribological experiments carried out on the high frequency reciprocating rig showed that six of seven ethers used provide satisfactory mean wear scar diameter (WS 1.4) of less than 0.46
mm, at the concentration levels of 750–1500
ppm. Among the ethers of the same molecular type, those having the oxygen in the middle of the molecule appeared to have marginally better lubrication performance for some concentration ranges. In the case of alcohols, the effective concentration was 750
ppm or higher. Overall, alcohols appear to be better lubricants than ethers at high concentrations, maybe due to their more pronounced polar nature.
Seaweed and soy foods are consumed daily in Japan, where breast cancer rates for postmenopausal women are significantly lower than in the West. Likely mechanisms include differences in diet, ...especially soy consumption, and estrogen metabolism. Fifteen healthy postmenopausal women participated in this double-blind trial of seaweed supplementation with soy challenge. Participants were randomized to 7 wk of either 5 g/d seaweed (Alaria) or placebo (maltodextrin). During wk 7, participants also consumed a daily soy protein isolate (2 mg isoflavones/kg body weight). After a 3-wk washout period, participants were crossed over to the alternate supplement schedule. There was an inverse correlation between seaweed dose (mg/kg body weight) and serum estradiol (E2) (seaweed-placebo = y = 0.28 × dose − 42.8; r = 0.70; P = 0.003), which was linear across the range of weights. Soy supplementation increased urinary daidzein, glycitein, genistein, and O-desmethylangolensin (P = 0.0001) and decreased matairesinol and enterolactone (P < 0.05). Soy and seaweed plus soy (SeaSoy) increased urinary excretion of 2-hydroxyestrogen (2-OHE) (P = 0.0001) and the ratio of 2-OHE:16α-hydroxyestrone (16αOHE1) (P = 0.01). For the 5 equol excretors, soy increased urinary equol excretion (P = 0.0001); the combination of SeaSoy further increased equol excretion by 58% (P = 0.0001). Equol producers also had a 315% increase in 2:16 ratio (P = 0.001) with SeaSoy. Seaweed favorably alters estrogen and phytoestrogen metabolism and these changes likely include modulation of colonic bacteria.
There is on-going global debate and policy-setting concerning researchers' obligations to meet the health needs of people participating in HIV prevention trials in resource-poor settings. The ...perspectives of local community stakeholders on this issue are poorly understood as most of what is presented on behalf of communities where research takes place is anecdotal commentary. Using qualitative methods (130 in-depth interviews and 20 focus groups) we assessed perceived fairness of different strategies to meet the health needs of women who become HIV-infected during a hypothetical vaginal microbicide trial. Respondents included HIV prevention research participants, community stakeholders and health-care service providers in ten sites in seven countries (South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, India, US). Many respondents perceived referrals to be a potentially fair way to address care and treatment needs but concerns were also voiced about the adequacy of local health-care options and the ability of trial participants to access options. Most respondents viewed the provision of antiretroviral treatment by researchers to HIV-infected trial participants as unfair if treatment was not sustained beyond the end of the trial. The results underscore the importance of effectively linking trial participants to sustainable, community-based treatment and care.
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