The characteristics of particulate matter in different subway station environmental control systems in Beijing

The characteristics of inhalable particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10) in urban subway stations can have a major impact on passengers’ health. Existing research largely fails to focus on different environmental control systems and there are few studies focused on different pollution conditions. This study therefore focused on measuring and comparing the characteristics of PM2.5 and PM10 at subway stations with three control systems in Beijing different pollution conditions. Stations including three types of control system (open, closed and screen door) and outside were monitored and analyzed using a general linear model. The concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 at different locations, such as on platforms, in carriages and in working areas, was compared and analyzed under different external pollution conditions. The results show that at different environment control systems the characteristics of PM2.5 and PM10 are different. The concentrations of particles in closed system are generally higher than screen system at platform. While the pollution in carriage is heavier for open system than that of screen system. The PM2.5/PM10 ratio was 91%, 90% and 83.84% at closed, open and screen system, respectively. While, the PM2.5 and PM10 levels inside the stations were strongly correlated with the outdoor conditions regardless of the environmental control system. This is the first study to show the PM concentration characteristics for different subway environmental control systems. As such, it provides a solid foundation for air clean studies at subway stations with different control systems.

A fluorescence-based genetic screen reveals diverse mechanisms silencing small RNA signaling in E. coli

As key players of gene regulation in many bacteria, small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) associated with the RNA chaperone Hfq shape numerous phenotypic traits, including metabolism, stress response and adaptation, as well as virulence. sRNAs can alter target messenger RNA (mRNA) translation and stability via base pairing. sRNA synthesis is generally under tight transcriptional regulation, but other levels of regulation of sRNA signaling are less well understood. Here we used a fluorescence-based functional screen to identify regulators that can quench sRNA signaling of the iron-responsive sRNA RyhB in Escherichia coli. The identified regulators fell into two classes, general regulators (affecting signaling by many sRNAs) and RyhB-specific regulators; we focused on the specific ones here. General regulators include three Hfq-interacting sRNAs, CyaR, ChiX, and McaS, previously found to act through Hfq competition, RNase T, a 3′ to 5′ exonuclease not previously implicated in sRNA degradation, and YhbS, a putative GCN5-related N-acetyltransferase (GNAT). Two specific regulators were identified. AspX, a 3′end-derived small RNA, specifically represses RyhB signaling via an RNA sponging mechanism. YicC, a previously uncharacterized but widely conserved protein, triggers rapid RyhB degradation via collaboration with the exoribonuclease PNPase. These findings greatly expand our knowledge of regulation of bacterial sRNA signaling and suggest complex regulatory networks for controlling iron homeostasis in bacteria. The fluorescence-based genetic screen system described here is a powerful tool expected to accelerate the discovery of novel regulators of sRNA signaling in many bacteria.

Telephone Damage Analysis on Voice Control Unit (VCU) At Perum LPPNPI Manado Branch Office

Voice Communication Control System (VCCS) is a tool designed to make it easier for users to communicate voice by integrating all users (clients) and means of communication in one system and controlled using a control panel. VCCS is a voice switching device used in VHF A / G and Direct Speech communications. The benefit of using VCCS is that when the user makes flight communication it becomes easy because all frequencies and telephones are combined in a VCU (Voice Control Unit) so that the ATC desk/work desk is not filled with communication devices. In addition, to facilitate its use, the VCCS client control panel uses a touch screen system. AirNav Indonesia Manado Branch has a LESS brand VCCS equipment server manufactured by China. VCCS consists of two main parts, namely the server and client. The server is a processing center and control center for switching input and output, while the client or VCU (Voice Control Unit) is the device used by the user in VCCS operations. There are 7 VCUs at AirNav Indonesia Manado which are placed in the Tower room (3 VCU), APP room (3 VCU), and FSS Kompen room (1 VCU).

Practical and Economical Effects of the Use of Screen Meshes for Steel Nitriding Processes with Glow Plasma

The dynamically developing energy sector forces technologists to create new materials that meet the increasingly higher mechanical, chemical, and electrical requirements. The paper relates to the method of reducing the energy consumption of the plasma nitriding process of austenitic steels. The method proposed by the authors involves the modification of nitriding technology in glow plasma. It consists of introducing perforated screens between the anode and nitrided surface made of a material with a composition similar to the processed material and the use of an HF power supply with controlled mean current generating negative voltage peaks of about 1000 V. Nitriding is carried out in a nitrogen-hydrogen atmosphere. The processed material has a negative potential in relation to the surrounding plasma and strongly negative in relation to the vacuum chamber jacket. The actual treatment is preceded by ionic cleaning of the surface of the detail and heating it to the temperature that activates the diffusion processes. The authors analyse the dynamic distribution of electric fields generated at the surface of the nitrided material with different configurations of the cathode-sample-screen system, trying to find the correlation of treatment parameters with the parameters of the nitrided layer. A significant influence of the screening meshes on the depth of the obtained diffusion layers containing nitrogen was found. The oscilloscopic measurements of the plasma in the boundary layer allowed for the observation of voltage peaks, probably leading to an increase in the peak kinetic energy of nitrogen ions and their easier penetration into the material. The work is of a cognitive nature and is probably one of the first to look for relationships between the dynamic electrical parameters of plasma and the efficiency of nitriding.

Palm rejection algorithms on touch screen communication system

This paper will discuss one of the most important problems in touch screen systems named palm rejection. Various solutions for palm rejection are discussed through the paper, which are based on hardware modules, software modules, and hybrid software-hardware modules. We hope that our proposed technical research with various solutions will be a great reference for engineers and scientists working on touch screen system design.

A fluorescence-based genetic screen reveals diverse mechanisms silencing small RNA signaling in E. coli

As key players of gene regulation in many bacteria, small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) associated with the RNA chaperone Hfq shape numerous phenotypic traits, including metabolism, stress response and adaptation as well as virulence. sRNAs can alter target mRNA translation and stability via base pairing. sRNA synthesis is generally under tight transcriptional regulation, but other levels of regulation of sRNA signaling are less well understood. Here we used a fluorescence-based functional screen to identify new regulators that can quench sRNA signaling of the iron-responsive sRNA RyhB in E. coli. The identified regulators fell into two classes, general regulators (affecting signaling by many sRNAs) and RyhB-specific regulators; we focused on the specific ones here. General regulators include three Hfq-interacting sRNAs, CyaR, ChiX and McaS, previously found to act through Hfq competition, RNase T, a 3′-5′ exonuclease not previously implicated in sRNA degradation, and YhbS, a putative GCN5-related N-acetyltransferase (GNAT). Two new specific regulators were identified. AspX, a novel 3′ end-derived small RNA, specifically represses RyhB signaling via an RNA sponging mechanism. YicC, a previously uncharacterized but widely conserved protein, triggers rapid RyhB degradation via collaboration with the exoribonuclease PNPase. These findings greatly expand our knowledge of regulation of bacterial sRNA signaling and suggest complex regulatory networks for controlling iron homeostasis in bacteria. The fluorescence-based genetic screen system described here is a powerful tool expected to accelerate the discovery of novel regulators of sRNA signaling in many bacteria.

Effects of introducing Type&Screen system on rational use of transfusions

Introduction: The number of blood donors at the global level has decreased primarily due to ethical and age-related changes in the structure of the planet's population. In addition, there is over ordering of blood for surgical patients. Accordingly, there is a need for rationalizing the testing i.e. reducing the number of cross-matchings and decrease in the use of blood. A type and screen (T&S) upon admission is sufficient for most patients. Determination of ABO blood group and Rh type, and screens for clinically significant alloantibodies is denoted as type and screen (T&S). Aim: Comparison of pharmaco-economic effect using transfusion indices on the number of performed cross-matches and the amount of packed red blood cells issued. Material and Methods: The authors present the comparison between the year 2010 before the introduction of the Type and Screen (T&S) system and the year 2019 when the T&S system and restrictive policy in transfusion practice, were introduced. Data for 2010 were collected from written transfusion protocols of the clinic, and for 2019 were obtained from the hospital information system (Heliant) and written transfusion protocols. The difference between two groups of data was examine with Chi-square test and Fisher exact test, with the reliability level set at p<0.05. Results: With the introduction of the T&S system, the number of cross-matches was reduced from 0.63 to 0.49 and the number of blood units was reduced from 0.21 to 0.11 per hospitalized patient, which at the level of one clinic represents a significant pharmacoeconomic contribution of approximately 50%. In our study, after processing T&S in ordering of blood, the indices (CTR, %T, TI) failed to improve. Despite of unsatisfactory transfusion indices, the application of restrictive indication policies in accordance with national and international guidelines has led to highly significant reduction in the consumption of total blood from 3243 to 1867 blood units. The BOQ as an overall assessment of the results after the introduction of the T&S procedure indicated improvement. Conclusions: The introduction of validation in blood transfusion indirectly draws the attention of prescribing physicians to take into account the significance of blood therapy. The effects of the introduction of the T&S method and restrictive transfusion policy are savings in blood consumption, decreased number of patients tested, a significant reduction in used blood units, and the number of performed cross-matches, despite the increased number of patients.