Evaluation of protective paint films on steel by x-ray diffraction techniques

Paints and related organic materials provide the most widely used means of protecting metals against corrosion. While corrosion measurements are based on a full range of quantitative methods in physical and analytical chemistry, the basic problem of evaluation work in the field of paint chemistry has been characterized by empirical testing procedures. Field tests are still of major importance and secondly, the relative value of paints may be predicted through exacting laboratory tests. However, the results of accelerated exposure tests have never successfully been correlated with service experience despite the efforts of many laboratories over a period of 35 years ... The specific purposes of this investigation were: 1. check the practicality of making some x-ray measurements of corrosion through paint films. 2. investigate changes on exposure to warm humid air, in the wustite (FeO) layer of high temperature scale of hot-rolled steel by x-ray diffraction. 3. attempt an aggregation of rust by high temperature inert baking in order to effect x-ray diffraction. 4. attempt paint removal by heating in either oxygen or inert atmospheres and check for changes in the substrate diffraction patterns. 5. make a study of paint removal by solvent of some weathered painted steel panels --Introduction, pages [1]-2

In the moonlight: non-catalytic functions of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteases

Proteases that cleave ubiquitin or ubiquitin-like proteins (UBLs) are critical players in maintaining the homeostasis of the organism. Concordantly, their dysregulation has been directly linked to various diseases, including cancer, neurodegeneration, developmental aberrations, cardiac disorders and inflammation. Given their potential as novel therapeutic targets, it is essential to fully understand their mechanisms of action. Traditionally, observed effects resulting from deficiencies in deubiquitinases (DUBs) and UBL proteases have often been attributed to the misregulation of substrate modification by ubiquitin or UBLs. Therefore, much research has focused on understanding the catalytic activities of these proteins. However, this view has overlooked the possibility that DUBs and UBL proteases might also have significant non-catalytic functions, which are more prevalent than previously believed and urgently require further investigation. Moreover, multiple examples have shown that either selective loss of only the protease activity or complete absence of these proteins can have different functional and physiological consequences. Furthermore, DUBs and UBL proteases have been shown to often contain domains or binding motifs that not only modulate their catalytic activity but can also mediate entirely different functions. This review aims to shed light on the non-catalytic, moonlighting functions of DUBs and UBL proteases, which extend beyond the hydrolysis of ubiquitin and UBL chains and are just beginning to emerge

THE EFFECTS OF TIMING AND VISUAL CUES ON SOCIAL ANXIETY IN ONLINE COMMUNICATION

The development of internet-based mediums for communication has created new ways to study social interactions. Previous research has shown that individuals high in social anxiety report more comfort in online social interactions than in face-to-face interactions. Similarly, individuals have been found to self-disclose more online than in face-to-face interactions, regardless of anxiety level. Computer-mediated communication also allows for more controlled interactions because of the potential to remove visual, auditory, and time-based factors that are inherent to most other communication mediums. This study explored the influence of visual and timing aspects of computer-mediated communication on self-reported levels of anxiety. The study used an undergraduate sample of 148 participants and explored how experiences of anxiety varied by whether participants believed that a webcam and/or time limit was present in a 10-minute mock computer-mediated communication. Results indicated that participants reported reduced levels of anxiety in anticipation of a face-to-face interaction after the mock online interaction. Including a webcam in the interaction led to a nearly-statistically significant increase in reported confidence. Both the inclusion/exclusion of a webcam and timer had main effects on responses during the interaction. The implications for understanding the effectiveness and use of online interactions as a treatment for social anxiety are discussed

Vaccinia Virus E3 Protein Prevents the Antiviral Action of ISG15

The ubiquitin-like modifier ISG15 is one of the most predominant proteins induced by type I interferons (IFN). In this study, murine embryo fibroblast (MEFs) and mice lacking the gene were used to demonstrate a novel role of ISG15 as a host defense molecule against vaccinia virus (VACV) infection. In MEFs, the growth of replication competent Western Reserve (WR) VACV strain was affected by the absence of ISG15, but in addition, virus lacking E3 protein (VVΔE3L) that is unable to grow in ISG15+/+ cells replicated in ISG15-deficient cells. Inhibiting ISG15 with siRNA or promoting its expression in ISG15−/− cells with a lentivirus vector showed that VACV replication was controlled by ISG15. Immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that E3 binds ISG15 through its C-terminal domain. The VACV antiviral action of ISG15 and its interaction with E3 are events independent of PKR (double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase). In mice lacking ISG15, infection with VVΔE3L caused significant disease and mortality, an effect not observed in VVΔE3L-infected ISG15+/+ mice. Pathogenesis in ISG15-deficient mice infected with VVΔE3L or with an E3L deletion mutant virus lacking the C-terminal domain triggered an enhanced inflammatory response in the lungs compared with ISG15+/+-infected mice. These findings showed an anti-VACV function of ISG15, with the virus E3 protein suppressing the action of the ISG15 antiviral factor

The A-kinase anchoring protein GSKIP regulates GSK3β activity and controls palatal shelf fusion in mice

A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) represent a family of structurally diverse proteins, all of which bind protein kinase A (PKA). A member of this family is Glycogen synthase kinase 3{beta} (GSK3{beta}) interaction protein (GSKIP). GSKIP interacts with PKA and also directly with GSK3{beta}. The physiological function of the GSKIP protein in vivo is unknown. We developed and characterized a conditional knockout mouse model and found that GSKIP deficiency caused lethality at birth. Embryos obtained through Caesarean section at embryonic day E18.5 were cyanotic, suffered from respiratory distress, and failed to initiate breathing properly. Additionally, all GSKIP-deficient embryos showed an incomplete closure of the palatal shelves accompanied by a delay in ossification along the fusion area of secondary palatal bones. On the molecular level, GSKIP deficiency resulted in decreased phosphorylation of GSK3{beta} at Ser9 starting early in development (E 10.5), leading to enhanced GSK3{beta} activity. At embryonic day 18.5 GSK3{beta} activity decreased to levels close to that of wild type. Our findings reveal a novel, crucial role for GSKIP in the coordination of GSK3{beta} signaling in palatal shelf fusion

Fish Consumption and Advisory Awareness in the Great Lakes Basin

More than 61 million adults live in the eight U.S. states bordering the Great Lakes. Between June 2001 and June 2002, a population-based, random-digit-dial telephone survey of adults residing in Great Lakes (GL) states was conducted to assess consumption of commercial and sport-caught fish and awareness of state-issued consumption advisories for GL fish. On the basis of the weighted survey data, approximately 84% of the adults living in these states included fish in their diets. Seven percent (an estimated 4.2 million adults) consumed fish caught from the Great Lakes. The percentage of residents who had consumed sport-caught fish (from any water source) varied regionally and was highest among those who lived in Minnesota (44%) and Wisconsin (39%). Consumption of GL sport fish was highest among residents of Michigan (16%) and Ohio (12%). Among residents who had eaten GL fish, awareness of consumption advisories varied by gender and race and was lowest among women (30%) and black residents (15%). However, 70% of those who consumed GL sport-caught fish twice a month or more (an estimated 509,000 adults across all eight states) were aware of the advisories. Findings from this survey indicate that exposure to persistent contaminants found in GL fish is likely limited to a relatively small subpopulation of avid sport-fish consumers. Results also underscore the public health importance of advisories for commercial fish because an estimated 2.9 million adults living in these states consume more than 104 fish meals per year and may be at risk of exceeding the reference doses for methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, and other bioaccumulative contaminants

Centro de materiais e esterilização: rastreamento da limpeza automatizada nas cânulas de lipoaspiração

Objetivo: Avaliar a eficácia da limpeza automatizada realizada com lavadora ultrassônica de cânulas de aspiração de 4 mm, por meio do rastreamento de sujidade interna feito com aparelho de microscopia para canulados e o rastreamento de cepas viáveis de Staphylococcus aureus, por análise microbiológica.Métodos: Estudo experimental realizado com 14 cânulas de lipoaspiração de 4 mm em um Centro de Material e Esterilização e no laboratório de microbiologia de um hospital de Porto Alegre, Brasil, no período de outubro de 2018 a abril de 2019.Resultados: Das 14 cânulas de lipoaspiração que constituíram a amostra, 42,9% permaneceram com sujidade mesmo após a limpeza automatizada e todas apresentaram recuperação de microrganismos viáveis nos testes do laboratório de microbiologia.Conclusão: O estudo mostrou não ser possível garantir a eficácia da limpeza automatizada nas cânulas de lipoaspiração de 4 mm, em especial devido à conformação do material com locais onde acumula sujidade. Palavras-chave: Instrumentos cirúrgicos. Esterilização. Enfermagem perioperatória