Condensate-removal device for heat exchangers

Device comprises array of perforated tubes manifolded together and connected to a vacuum suction device. Vacuum applied to these tubes pulls mixture of condensate and effluent gas through perforations and along length of tubes to discharge device. Discharge device may be a separator which separates water vapor from effluent air and allows recirculation of both of them

Condensate removal device for heat exchanger

A set of perforated tubes disposed at the gas output side of a heat exchanger, in a position not to affect the rate of flow of the air or other gas is described. The tubes are connected to a common manifold which is connected to a sucking device. Where it is necessary to conserve and recirculate the air sucked through the tubes, the output of the manifold is run through a separator to remove the condensate from the gas. The perforations in the slurper tubes are small, lying in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.100 inch. The tubes are disposed in contact with the surfaces of the heat exchanger on which the condensate is precipitated, whether fins or plates, so that the water may be directed to the tube openings by means of surface effects, together with the assistance of the air flow. Only about 5 percent of the air output need be thus diverted, and it effectively removes virtually all of the condensate

NmPin from the marine thaumarchaeote Nitrosopumilus maritimus is an active membrane associated prolyl isomerase.

We cordially thank Alma Rute for excellent technical assistance and the DFG (GRK 1431-1 and 1431-2) for financial support (PB). We thank the Microscope and Histology Facility of the University of Aberdeen for providing their equipment. We also thank Jacob Hargreaves for proofreading the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Structural Characterization of the Loop at the Alpha-Subunit C-Terminus of the Mixed Lineage Leukemia Protein Activating Protease Taspase1.

Acknowledgments We acknowledge the Fonds of Chemical Industry for funding JvdB by their Chemiefonds grant and the DFG for funding PB and CB (CRC 1093). Additional gratitude goes to Shirley Knauer for providing Taspase1 expression clones. Funding: The authors acknowledge the Fonds of Chemical Industry for funding JvdB by their Chemiefonds grant and the DFG for funding PB and CB (CRC 1093).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Aphanomyces invadans, the causal agent of Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome, is a global threat to wild and farmed fish

Acknowledgements Our work is supported by the University of Aberdeen (PvW); BBSRC (BB/M026566/1 & BB/P020224/1: PvW); BBSRC (BB/N005058/1 & BB/J018333/1: FT & PvW); NERC (NE/P010873/1: PvW) and a PhD scholarship from Ministry of Education Malaysia (NAI).Peer reviewedPostprin

Collaboration of general practitioners and gynaecologists in outpatient health care for women aged 50 and over in Germany

Hintergrund Die Frauengesundheit von älteren Frauen ist vor allem in ländlichen Gebieten Deutschlands vor dem Hintergrund einer steigenden Anzahl von Frauen ab 50 Jahren und einer drohenden Unterversorgung bei medizinischen Leistungen zu betrachten. Einflüsse auf die Primärversorgung wie Delegation, Telemedizin oder interdisziplinäre Praktiken wurden in Studien beschrieben. Zu interdisziplinären Praktiken zählen Vernetzung und Zusammenarbeit von Fachärztinnen/Fachärzten (FÄ) in der ambulanten Primärversorgung. In Bezug auf die Gesundheit älterer Frauen berichteten Hausärztinnen/Hausärzte (HÄ) sowie Gynäkologinnen/Gynäkologen (Gyn) als zuständige FÄ-Gruppen in dieser Arbeit über die Versorgungssituation sowie über ihre Vernetzung und Zusammenarbeit. Darüber hinaus wurden Einflussfaktoren auf die Zusammenarbeit wissenschaftlich untersucht. Methodik Zwischen März und Juni 2018 wurde im Stadtstaat Berlin sowie in den Flächenländern Brandenburg und Mecklenburg-Vorpommern im Rahmen einer repräsentativen postalischen Befragung eine randomisierte Auswahl von 3.514 HÄ (67 % von 5.265 HÄ) und 1.031 Gyn in einer Vollerhebung quantitativ unter Verwendung eines selbst entwickelten und mit Expertinnen/Experten pilotierten Fragebogens befragt. Deskriptive Analysen wurden zur Darstellung von Versorgungssituation, formeller und informeller Vernetzung sowie zu 13 Aspekten der Zusammenarbeit genutzt. Die Ermittlung von Einflussfaktoren auf die Zusammenarbeit erfolgte jeweils mittels multipler logistischer Regressionen, adjustiert nach Alter und Geschlecht. Ergebnisse Der Fragebogen wurde von 1.389 FÄ (861 HÄ, 528 Gyn) ausgefüllt zurückgesendet, was einer Responserate von 31 % (25 % HÄ, 51 % Gyn) entsprach. Responder waren im Durchschnitt 54,4 Jahre alt, eher weiblich (72 %) und stammten aus den Flächenländern (55 %). Die gynäkologische Versorgungssituation wird von 30 % aller Responder als bedroht angesehen. Insgesamt gaben 68 % der FÄ an vernetzt zu sein, jedoch nur 10 % in formalen Strukturen. Haupteinflussfaktoren auf die engere Zusammenarbeit von HÄ und Gyn war das Praktizieren in einem Flächenland sowie die Angabe, Teil eines Netzwerks zu sein. So war die Zufriedenheit mit der Zusammenarbeit in Flächenländern höher als im Stadtstaat (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1,7, 95 %iges Konfidenzintervall [CI] = 1,3-2,1) sowie bei HÄ und Gyn als Teil eines informellen Netzwerks im Vergleich mit HÄ und Gyn ohne informelles Netzwerk (OR = 2,7, CI = 2,1-3,4). Schlussfolgerungen Die Versorgungssituation wird in Flächenländern und Stadtstaat im gleichen Maße als bedroht angesehen. Zusammenarbeit ist systematisch besser ausgeprägt zwischen ambulant tätigen HÄ und Gyn in Flächenländern sowie zwischen FÄ, die sich einem Netzwerk zugehörig fühlen. Eine stärkere informelle und formale Vernetzung könnte die Zusammenarbeit zwischen HÄ und Gyn verbessern, die Kontinuität und Sicherheit der ambulanten ärztlichen Versorgung älterer Frauen steigern und die Zufriedenheit der FÄ stärken.Background The health of elderly women, especially in rural areas of Germany, has to be considered within the context of an increasing number of women aged 50 and over and a threatening shortage of medical services. Influences on the primary healthcare such as delegation, telemedicine or interdisciplinary practices have been described in previous studies. Interdisciplinary practices include networking and collaboration between medical specialists in outpatient primary healthcare. Being the responsible medical specialists in this study, general practitioners (GPs) and gynaecologists (Gyns) reported on the healthcare situation as well as on their networking and collaboration. In addition, factors influencing these collaborations were scientifically investigated. Methods Between March and June 2018, a randomised selection of 3,514 GPs (67 % of 5,265 GPs) and 1,031 Gyns from the city state of Berlin and the territorial states of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania were surveyed quantitatively with a representative postal survey using a self-developed questionnaire, which was pilot-tested with the help of experts. Descriptive analyses were used to describe the healthcare situation, formal and informal networking and 13 aspects of the collaboration among GPs and Gyns. Factors influencing collaboration were determined using multiple logistic regressions, adjusted for age and gender. Results The questionnaire was completed and returned by 1,389 physicians (861 GPs, 528 Gyns), which corresponded to a response rate of 31 % (25 % GPs, 51 % Gyns). Responders were on average 54.4 years old, more likely to be female (72 %) and working in the territorial states (55 %). The gynaecological care situation was considered threatened by 30 % of all responders. Overall, 68 % of the Gyns stated that they were members of a network, but only 10 % in formal structures. The main factors influencing a closer collaboration between GPs and Gyns included practising in a territorial state and being member of a network. Satisfaction regarding collaboration was higher in territorial states than in the city state (odds ratio [OR] = 1.7, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.3-2.1) and for GPs and Gyns that were members of an informal network compared to those GPs and Gyns without an informal network (OR = 2.7, CI = 2.1-3.4). Conclusions The healthcare situation is considered to be threatened to the same extent in the territorial states and the city state. Collaboration is systematically better developed between outpatient GPs and Gyns in the territorial states and between those who see themselves as members of a network. Stronger informal and formal networking could improve collaboration between GPs and Gyns, increase the continuity and safety of outpatient medical care for elderly women and increase the satisfaction of the specialists

The N-terminal region of the ubiquitin regulatory x (UBX) domain-containing Protein 1 (UBXD1) modulates interdomain communication within the valosin-containing Protein p97

Valosin-containing protein/p97 is an ATP-driven protein segregase that cooperates with distinct protein cofactors to control various aspects of cellular homeostasis. Mutations at the interface between the regulatory N-domain and the first of two ATPase domains (D1 and D2) deregulate the ATPase activity and cause a multisystem degenerative disorder, inclusion body myopathy associated with Paget disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Intriguingly, the mutations affect only a subset of p97-mediated pathways correlating with unbalanced cofactor interactions and most prominently compromised binding of the ubiquitin regulatory X domain-containing protein 1 (UBXD1) cofactor during endolysosomal sorting of caveolin-1. However, how the mutations impinge on the p97-cofactor interplay is unclear so far. In cell-based endosomal localization studies, we identified a critical role of the N-terminal region of UBXD1 (UBXD1-N). Biophysical studies using NMR and CD spectroscopy revealed that UBXD1-N can be classified as intrinsically disordered. NMR titration experiments confirmed a valosin-containing protein/p97 interaction motif and identified a second binding site at helices 1 and 2 of UBXD1-N as binding interfaces for p97. In reverse titration experiments, we identified two distant epitopes on the p97 N-domain that include disease-associated residues and an additional interaction between UBXD1-N and the D1D2 barrel of p97 that was confirmed by fluorescence anisotropy. Functionally, binding of UBXD1-N to p97 led to a reduction of ATPase activity and partial protection from proteolysis. These findings indicate that UBXD1-N intercalates into the p97-ND1 interface, thereby modulating interdomain communication of p97 domains and its activity with relevance for disease pathogenesis. We propose that the polyvalent binding mode characterized for UBXD1-N is a more general principle that defines a subset of p97 cofactors

Identification of a novel human polyomavirus in organs of the gastrointestinal tract

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Galleria melonella as an experimental in vivo host model for the fish-pathogenic oomycete Saprolegnia parasitica

Our work is supported by the University of Aberdeen (AW, PvW); BBSRC (BB/M026566/1 & BB/P020224/1: PvW); BBSRC (BB/N005058/1 & BB/J018333/1: FT & PvW); NERC (NE/P010873/1: PvW). We would like to acknowledge Joan Wilson and Bill Mathieson at NHS Grampian Biorepository (Aberdeen, Scotland) for help with histological experiments and Kevin McKenzie and his team at the Microscopy Core facility at the University of Aberdeen for assistance with microscopy and histology.Peer reviewedPublisher PD