Characterization and research investigation of methanol and methyl fuels. Final progress report

Work on several aspects of using pure methanol as an alternate fuel are reported. A stock (OEM) Pinto engine mounted on a dynamometer was used to compare methanol with Indolene in terms of power, efficiency, and emissions for a variety of speeds and loads. Although the engine was designed for use with gasoline, it was found that methanol was generally superior in power, thermal efficiency and reduced emissions with the exception of aldehydes. Three different fuel metering systems were tested for a variety of speeds and loads using the dynamometer mounted engine. They were all found to provide superior steady state performance on methanol when compared with the OEM carburetor system with enlarged fuel jets for methanol. Mileage and emissions from a Pinto vehicle equipped with the various fuel metering systems were computer predicted for the Federal emissions test procedure using laboratory engine measurements. A computer was used to simulate the test engine's thermokinetic combustion events. The computer model predicts power, fuel economy and emissions with air-fuel ratio, compression ratio, spark advance and speed as parameters. A small (60 hp) gas turbine was converted to run on methanol. The conversion was easily accomplished, but atomization of the fuel was found to be important in obtaining a reduction in CO and NO/sub x/ for methanol in comparison with jet engine fuel. Environmental factors of marine and aquatic methanol spills and photochemical smog are under study. Preliminary experimentation relative to marine spills indicates that methanol is naturally present in that environment. It appears at this early stage of investigation that damage to the ecosystem from a major coastal spill may be localized and of short duration

Desinfestação de substratos com a utilização de coletor solar Utilization of solar collector for treatment of plant growth substrates

Coletores solares planos constituídos de caixas de madeira com canaletas de chapa de alumínio, onde se coloca o substrato e se cobre com plástico transparente, foram testados quanto ao controle de Sclerotium rolfsii, Rhizoctonia solani, Verticillium sp., Meloidogyne arenaria e Cyperus rotundus (tiririca). Dependendo da intensidade de radiação solar, é necessário um dia para desinfestação do substrato com S. rolfsii e dois dias para R. solani, Verticillium sp. e M. arenaria.<br>Flat solar collectors were tested for the control of Sclerotium rolfsii, Rhizoctonia solani, VerticiUium sp., Meloidogyne arenaria and Cyperus rotundus (nut sedge). The equipment developed comprises, basically, gutters of aluminum with termic liner of glass wool and transparent plastic cover. The results showed that, depending upon the solar radiation, one day is required for the disinfestations of substrate infested with S. rolfsii and nut sedge, and two days for R. solani, Verticillium sp. and M. arenaria

RACK1 Regulates Integrin-mediated Adhesion, Protrusion, and Chemotactic Cell Migration via Its Src-binding Site

Mammalian cDNA expression cloning was used to identify novel regulators of integrin-mediated cell-substratum adhesions. Using a focal adhesion morphology screen, we identified a cDNA with homology to a receptor for activated protein kinase C (RACK1) that induced a loss of central focal adhesions and stress fibers in CHO-K1 cells. The identified cDNA was a C-terminal truncated form of RACK1 that had one of the putative protein kinase C binding sites but lacked the region proposed to bind the β integrin cytoplasmic domain and the tyrosine kinase Src. To investigate the role of RACK1 during cell spreading and migration, we tagged RACK1, a C-terminal truncated RACK1 and a point mutant that does not bind Src (RACK Y246F) with green fluorescent protein and expressed them in CHO-K1 cells. We found that RACK1 regulates the organization of focal adhesions and that it localizes to a subset of nascent focal complexes in areas of protrusion that contain paxillin but not vinculin. We also found that RACK1 regulates cell protrusion and chemotactic migration through its Src binding site. Together, these findings suggest that RACK1 regulates adhesion, protrusion, and chemotactic migration through its interaction with Src