scholarly journals Short Communication: Sulphur Levels and Fuel Quality in Peninsular Malaysia

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 52 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. RAMALINGAM ◽  
A. AHMAD FUAD

This paper presents the investigation on sulphur levels in fuels collected from different petrol stations in Peninsular Malaysia. Diesel and gasoline samples were analysed for sulphur using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry technique. In general, diesel concentrations of sulphur were only slightly lower than the Deprtment of Environment’s current sulphur limit of 500 p.p.m. across 2010–2014 (the range was 289–698 p.p.m., 374–410 p.p.m., 319–436 p.p.m., 447–605 p.p.m. and 300–477 p.p.m. for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively). Sulphur concentrations were relatively low in gasoline samples: the mean figures were 95, 77, 96, 74, 240 and 125 for 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively when compared with the sulphur limit of 500  p.p.m.. The importance of determining sulphur concentration in fuel oils was critical in the efforts to determine if the vehicles used quality fuels that comply with Euro 2 Standards; and also was relevant in meeting Euro 4 Standards requirement of 50 p.p.m. sulphur that was proposed to be adopted in the future.

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1557
Author(s):  
Mateusz Winder ◽  
Aleksander Jerzy Owczarek ◽  
Jerzy Chudek ◽  
Joanna Pilch-Kowalczyk ◽  
Jan Baron

Since the 1990s, there has been a significant increase in the number of imaging examinations as well as a related increase in the healthcare expenditure and the exposure of the population to X-rays. This study aimed to analyze the workload trends in radiology during the last decade, including the impact of COVID-19 in a single university hospital in Poland and to identify possible solutions to the challenges that radiology could face in the future. We compared the annual amount of computed tomography (CT), radiography (X-ray), and ultrasound (US) examinations performed between the years 2010 and 2020 and analyzed the changes in the number of practicing radiologists in Poland. The mean number of patients treated in our hospital was 60,727 per year. During the last decade, the number of CT and US examinations nearly doubled (from 87.4 to 155.7 and from 52.1 to 86.5 per 1000 patients in 2010 and 2020 respectively), while X-ray examinations decreased from 115.1 to 96.9 per 1000 patients. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic did not change the workload trends as more chest examinations were performed. AI, which contributed to the COVID-19 diagnosis, could aid radiologists in the future with the growing workload by increasing the efficiency of radiology departments as well as by potentially minimizing the related costs.


Fuel ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 243 ◽  
pp. 493-500
Author(s):  
Marlin J. Pedrozo-Peñafiel ◽  
Adriana Doyle ◽  
Luiz André N. Mendes ◽  
Maria Luiza B. Tristão ◽  
Álvaro Saavedra ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
William F. Tivol ◽  
Murray Vernon King ◽  
D. F. Parsons

Feasibility of isomorphous substitution in electron diffraction is supported by a calculation of the mean alteration of the electron-diffraction structure factors for hemoglobin crystals caused by substituting two mercury atoms per molecule, following Green, Ingram & Perutz, but with allowance for the proportionality of f to Z3/4 for electron diffraction. This yields a mean net change in F of 12.5%, as contrasted with 22.8% for x-ray diffraction.Use of the hydration chamber in electron diffraction opens prospects for examining many proteins that yield only very thin crystals not suitable for x-ray diffraction. Examination in the wet state avoids treatments that could cause translocation of the heavy-atom labels or distortion of the crystal. Combined with low-fluence techniques, it enables study of the protein in a state as close to native as possible.We have undertaken a study of crystals of rat hemoglobin by electron diffraction in the wet state. Rat hemoglobin offers a certain advantage for hydration-chamber work over other hemoglobins in that it can be crystallized from distilled water instead of salt solutions.


Author(s):  
Noriyuki Kuwano ◽  
Masaru Itakura ◽  
Kensuke Oki

Pd-Ce alloys exhibit various anomalies in physical properties due to mixed valences of Ce, and the anomalies are thought to be strongly related with the crystal structures. Since Pd and Ce are both heavy elements, relative magnitudes of (fcc-fpd) are so small compared with <f> that superlattice reflections, even if any, sometimes cannot be detected in conventional x-ray powder patterns, where fee and fpd are atomic scattering factors of Ce and Pd, and <f> the mean value in the crystal. However, superlattices in Pd-Ce alloys can be analyzed by electron microscopy, thanks to the high detectability of electron diffraction. In this work, we investigated modulated superstructures in alloys with 12.5 and 15.0 at.%Ce.Ingots of Pd-Ce alloys were prepared in an arc furnace under atmosphere of ultra high purity argon. The disc specimens cut out from the ingots were heat-treated in vacuum and electrothinned to electron transparency by a jet method.


Reproduction ◽  
2000 ◽  
pp. 331-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Holm ◽  
H Ekwall ◽  
GJ Wishart ◽  
Y Ridderstrale

Sperm storage tubules from the utero-vaginal junction of chickens, quails and turkeys were analysed for calcium and zinc using X-ray microanalysis of ultra-rapidly frozen tissue in a scanning electron microscope. This technique enabled the tubular fluid surrounding the stored spermatozoa and the intracellular content of the cells of the sperm storage tubules to be analysed separately and, by using standards with known concentrations, their elemental concentrations were estimated. The mean (+/- SEM) concentration of calcium in the tubular fluid from chickens, quails and turkeys was 17 +/- 3, 19 +/- 3 and 17 +/- 4 mmol kg(-1) wet weight, respectively. The intracellular calcium concentration of the cells of the tubules did not differ significantly from these values and was also similar in the mucosal epithelial cells of the utero-vaginal junction. Zinc was localized in the cells of turkey sperm storage tubules and tubular fluid, but at low concentrations. No zinc could be detected in corresponding structures from chickens and quails. The concentration of calcium in the tubular fluid is within the range known to inhibit the motility of spermatozoa, supporting this function for calcium during storage. Zinc is known to depress turkey sperm metabolism and it may also be involved in inducing quiescence of spermatozoa during storage in this species.


2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.J. Kovalyshyn ◽  
O.P. Shvets ◽  
S. Grundas ◽  
J. Tys

Abstract The paper presents the results of a study of the use of electro-separation methods for improvement of the utility value of 5 winter rapeseed cultivars. The process of electro-separation of rapeseed was conducted on a prototype apparatus built at the Laboratory of Application of Electro-technologies in Agriculture, Lviv National Agriculture University. The process facilitated separation of damaged, low quality seeds from the sowing material. The initial mean level of mechanically damaged seeds in the winter rapeseed cultivars studied varied within the range of 15.8-20.1%. Verification of the amount of seeds with mechanical damage was performed on X-ray images of seeds acquired by means of a digital X-ray apparatus. In the course of analysis of the X-ray images, it was noted that the mean level of mechanical damage to the seeds after the electro-separation was in the range of 2.1-3.8%. The application of the method of separation of rapeseeds in the corona discharge field yielded a significant reduction of the level of seeds with mechanical damage. The application of the method in practice may effectively contribute to improvement of the utility value of sowing material or seed material for production of edible oil.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (65) ◽  
Author(s):  
V.G Zinovyev. ◽  
V.T. Lebedev ◽  
I.A. Mitropolsky ◽  
G.I. Shulyak ◽  
P.A. Sushkov ◽  
...  

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