Measurements are taken of moisture, BTU/lb (British Thermal Units per pound), ash, forms of sulfur, volatile material, grindability, and absorption properties of any of a wide variety of mine-run solid fuels. Using that information, a dry electromagnetic process technology has been developed that can be controlled and monitored to selectively alter and enhance metallurgical solid fuel properties. Specific changes include altering the mechanical structure and chemical composition of solid fuels such as coal, coal coke or petroleum coke, increasing the BTU/lb to optimum levels, decreasing all forms of sulfur, and decreasing ash, while maintaining the BTU/lb of the fuels. A new family of solid fuel designer coals not found in nature can be produced via these methods and apparatus.

The present invention relates to transparent gel candle bases that may be used as a base material of transparent candles, to the transparent candles made therefrom, and to methods of making such candle bases and candles. The transparent gel candle bases of the present invention include a hydrocarbon oil and a gelling agent comprising dibutyl lauroyl glutamide and dibutyl ethylhexanoyl glutamide.

A method for controlling the manufacture and certification of an oxygenated gasoline product is carried out by manufacturing a gasoline Basestock for Oxygenate Blending (BOB) at a refinery site in accordance with an empirical relationship, valid for at that site under typical manufacturing conditions, between (i) a property value of the BOB stream such as octane as determined by an on-site online process analyzer and (ii) the corresponding instantaneous value or FPAPV property value as determined by the test method mandated by the product specification for the final gasoline stream when blended with the required proportion of oxygenate. The quality of fit of this empirical relationship is calculated according to the standard deviation of the residuals of the relationship and a confidence level is fixed so that the final oxygenated gasoline formulated with the BOB will meet the required property specification when measured by the test method mandated by the specification. The final oxygenated gasoline blend is certified as having a property value conforming to the required specification based on the predicted property value for the finished gasoline.

A compound having formula (I) wherein G represents at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of C1-C12 alkyl and C1-C12 alkoxy.

A method for marking a petroleum hydrocarbon or a liquid biologically derived fuel by adding at least one compound having formula (I), wherein R1 and R2 independently represent hydrogen or C1-C4 alkyl groups, and G represents hydrogen or at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of C1-C18 alkyl and C1-C18 alkoxy.

A process for upgrading brown coal having a first water content including subjecting the brown coal to a conditioning step which includes heating the brown coal to a first temperature to produce a conditioned brown coal having a second water content which is lower than the first water content; attritioning the conditioned brown coal to enable water to be released from the microstructure of the brown coal and thereby producing an admixture of the brown coal and released water; forming aggregates of the admixture; drying the aggregates to produce upgraded brown coal having a third water content which is lower than the second water content.

Polytetrahydrobenzoxazines and bistetrahydrobenzoxazines, obtainable by (A) reacting at least one diamine of the formula H2N-A-NH2 with a C1- to C12-aldehyde and a C1- to C8-alkanol at 20 to 80° C. with elimination and removal of water, (B) reacting the condensation product from (A) with a phenol which bears a long-chain substituent at 30 to 120° C., and optionally (C) heating the reaction product from (B) to 125 to 280° C. The resulting polytetrahydrobenzoxazines and bistetrahydrobenzoxazines are suitable as fuel or lubricant additives, especially as detergent additives for diesel fuels.

The present disclosure is directed to a middle distillate fuel composition comprising a friction modifying effective amount of a hydrocarbyl-substituted succinimide derived from maleic anhydride, polyisobutylene and ammonia; and a middle distillate fuel. A method for modifying friction in a compression engine comprising providing to the engine the disclosed fuel composition is also disclosed. Moreover, there is disclosed a method for improving fuel mileage.

Present embodiments include systems for reducing moisture in a solid feed provided to a gasifier. For example, in an embodiment, a feedstock preparation system includes an aspirator having a first inlet for receiving a flow of steam, a second inlet for receiving a flow of a moist gaseous phase from a grinding mechanism configured to grind a solid fuel in the presence of a conveyance gas. The moist gaseous phase includes the conveyance gas and moisture removed from the ground solid fuel. The aspirator also includes an outlet configured to output a reduced pressure flow having the steam and the moist gaseous phase. The aspirator is configured to enhance moisture removal from the ground solid fuel to produce a dry feed of the ground solid fuel. The aspirator discharge is recycled within the process to heat the incoming dry conveyance gas and improve system efficiency.

Methods for making a fuel composition comprising contacting one or more components of a hydroprocessing feedstock, for example both a fatty acid- or triglyceride-containing component and a paraffin-rich component, with hydrogen under catalytic hydroprocessing conditions are disclosed. The methods are effective to upgrade the component(s) and provide a hydroprocessed biofuel. A representative method utilizes a single-stage process in which hydrogen-containing recycle gas is circulated through both a hydrodeoxygenation zone and a hydrocracking zone in series.

Use of a reaction product of saturated or unsaturated aliphatic mono- or polycarboxylic acids with aliphatic polyamines for improving or boosting the separation of water from fuel oils which comprise additives with detergent action. A Fuel additive concentrate comprising the said reaction product, certain additives with detergent action and optionally dehazers, cetane number improvers and solvents or diluents.

News, arts, and dining coverage for Oakland, Berkeley, and the greater East Bay.

A preparation method of Bacillus subtilis biological composite material loaded with Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles with core-shell structure includes the following steps: 1) preparation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles, 2) preparation of Fe3O4@mSiO2 nanoparticles, 3) preparation of Fe3O4@mSiO2@MANHE nanoparticles; and 4) preparation of Bacillus subtilis@Fe3O4@mSiO2@MANHE composite.

Cations that can precipitate from an aqueous composition to produce scaling are sequestered by adding a multi-dentate ligand to the aqueous composition. The multi-dentate ligand bonds with the cation to form a non-scaling ionic complex; and the aqueous solution with the ionic complex is used in a process that produces substantially pure water from the aqueous composition, where the cation, absent formation of the ionic complex, is subject to scaling. The pH of the aqueous composition (or a brine including components of the aqueous composition) is then reduced to release the cation from the multi-dentate ligand; and the multi-dentate ligand, after the cation is released, is then reused in a predominantly closed loop.

An apparatus and a method are provided for an application specific fuel filter that is configured to prevent particulates from entering the fuel system of a motor vehicle, the fuel filter comprising a hollow canister comprising a length and diameter; a first end comprising a fuel inlet; a second end comprising a fuel outlet; a filter element comprising a plurality of pleats; and a rolled seam.

An electrical sensor for sensing electromagnetic properties of process fluids in a dialysis machine or a similar medical device can include a probe for interfacing with the fluids that is made from electronic fabric materials. The electronic fabric probe can include one or more conductors embedded in a non-conductive fabric layer. The electronic fabric probe is accommodated an enclosure which establishes a flow path with respect to the probe to establish fluid contact between the process fluids and the conductors. The conductors can apply or sense current and/or voltage with respect to the fluid. A portion of the electronic fabric probe can be disposed externally of the enclosure to provide electronic communication externally of the enclosure.

A blood purification apparatus capable of achieving a simplified configuration and switching between hemodialysis treatment (HD), hemofiltration treatment (HF), and hemodiafiltration treatment (HDF) as well as selecting from pre-dilution, post-dilution and pre and post-dilution easily and smoothly. The blood purification apparatus includes: a valve means 3 that is capable of closing and opening a dialysate introduction line and a dialysate supply line L3 in any manner, and a control unit 5 that operates the valve means 3 to allow any treatment to be performed selected from hemodialysis treatment in which the dialysate supply line L3 is closed while the dialysate introduction line L1 is opened, hemofiltration treatment in which the dialysate supply line L3 is opened while the dialysate introduction line L1 is closed, and hemodiafiltration treatment in which hemodialysis and hemofiltration are performed concurrently by alternately closing and opening the dialysate introduction line L1 and the dialysate supply line L3.

Blood separation systems and methods are provided for detecting lipids in plasma that has been separated from a plasma-containing fluid, such as blood. The system includes a fluid processing region in which a plasma-containing fluid is separated into plasma and other fluid components. A plasma flow path is associated with the fluid processing region for the flow of at least a portion of the separated plasma into or out of the region. A lipid detector shines blue and/or ultraviolet light through the separated plasma in the plasma line to optically detect the presence of lipids therein. The lipid detector may be used alone or in combination with a hemoglobin detector to reduce the number of false hemoglobin alarms or an interface detector for improved detection and correction of the location of an interface between separated fluid components in the fluid processing region.

A process for inhibiting formation of calcium scale in a reverse osmosis desalination membrane during desalination involving desalinating an aqueous salt solution comprising water, sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and sodium bicarbonate with the reverse osmosis desalination membrane, while concurrently irradiating the aqueous salt solution with a UV light source that emits UV light with a wavelength of 250-400 nm. Scale formation is inhibited by treating a salt solution with the UV light in a continuous or a non-continuous process.

Provided is an integral 3D graphene-carbon hybrid foam composed of multiple pores and pore walls, wherein the pore walls contain single-layer or few-layer graphene sheets chemically bonded by a carbon material having a carbon material-to-graphene weight ratio from 1/100 to 1/2, wherein the few-layer graphene sheets have 2-10 layers of stacked graphene planes having an inter-plane spacing d002 from 0.3354 nm to 0.40 nm and the graphene sheets contain a pristine graphene material having essentially zero % of non-carbon elements, or a non-pristine graphene material having 0.01% to 25% by weight of non-carbon elements wherein said non-pristine graphene is selected from graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene fluoride, graphene chloride, graphene bromide, graphene iodide, hydrogenated graphene, nitrogenated graphene, doped graphene, chemically functionalized graphene, or a combination thereof. Also provided are a process for producing the hybrid form, products containing the hybrid foam, and its applications.

A pollution mitigation system is disclosed. The system can include a valve forming a passage the valve installable to form an orifice in a storm drain retention chamber that passes storm water into a conduit of a storm water management system. The valve having a stem connected to a closure member that can plug the orifice. The valve can have a spring loaded actuator that can move the closure member into a closed position. The system can also include a node such as a wireless sensor node or a mote that has sensors, a transceiver, an antenna, a microcontroller, memory, an energy source and at least one output to control movement of the closure member via the preloaded actuator. The node can have an output that provides the stimulus to the preloaded actuator to cause the preloaded actuator to move the closure member to a position that obstructs the passage in response to either the sensor or a transmission from a mobile telephone such as a cell phone or a smartphone.

Jay Stone looked at home as he took the stage in a burgundy bathrobe last Thursday at The Night Light, a bar near Jack London Square.…

Despite some growing pains, the fest successfully expanded into a ten-day concert series that highlighted outstanding local talent. Jay Stone looked at home as he took the stage in a burgundy bathrobe last Thursday at The Night Light, a bar near Jack London Square. He was headlining the seventh night of Oakland Music Festival, which dominated the local concert calendar from September 30 to October 9 with shows taking place at different venues every night.…

Including a photo slideshow. Even at 10 a.m. this past Saturday morning, hours before a throng of anti-fascists and Trump-supporting white nationalists overtook downtown Berkeley’s streets, it was clear that most of the attendees were less interested in speeches, protesting, and free speech — and were mostly there just to tee-off on each other. Before the brawling began, officers stationed themselves at the entrances to downtown's "Peace Park."…

ACT for America, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated as an anti-muslim hate group, showed up on Saturday morning in cities nationwide, dubbing its protest a "March Against Sharia." Berkeley was spared, but the group appeared in nearby Santa Clara, and in Roseville, a suburb of Sacramento.…

The organization sets up at 27th Street and Northgate Avenue and at 6th and Castro streets. Blair Hippolyte and Jannie Rutledge, two Oakland residents who are homeless, sat on the sidewalk of 27th Street.…

Fantasy Island is back. Who wished for that? The people who tell you "there are more tears shed over answered prayers" are people who weren't going to answer your prayers anyway. I was a non-TV watching snob during Fantasy Island's six-year reign on TV, as it impressed upon its viewers the importance of not asking for trouble by wishing for anything.…

Once Were Brothers celebrates the timeless sound of The Band. Here's a quiz for roots music fans. Multiple choice.…

Its inventive menu includes Italian sausage tacos, chicken soup tacos, and botanical teas. Most of us go to cafes for the coffee, the Wi-Fi, or the opportunity to plant ourselves near an outlet, put on our noise-cancelling headphones, and crank out some work on our laptops. Few visit cafes for the food, much less the social interaction.…

The present invention refers to a process for classifying tumor samples of unknown and/or uncertain primary origin, specifically including the steps of obtaining patterns of biological activity modulation of tumor of unknown and/or uncertain primary origin and comparing them to an specific and unique group of biomarkers which determine the profiles of biological activity modulation of known origin tumors. The present invention belongs to the molecular biology and genetics field.

The present invention relates to methods for predicting the survival time of patients suffering from cancer. Said methods are based on the quantification and analysis of the cell free nucleic acids that are present in a sample from the patient and typically include the determination of the level of the mutant nucleic acid which contains a mutation of interest, the calculation of the mutation load for said mutation of interest, the calculation of the DNA integrity index or a combination thereof.

Disclosed are methods and compositions for detecting the presence of a cancer in a subject and assessing the efficacy of treatments for the same. The disclosed method use reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and multiplex polymerase chain reaction techniques as well as Template Exchange Extension Reaction (TEER) to detect the presence of point mutations, truncations, or fusions of anaplastic lymphoma kinase.

A method of detecting a cancer progression observation index gene group, comprising: a) preparing a plurality of AKR/J mice in which an oncogene is inserted into a thymocyte; b) dividing the AKR/J mice into three groups, raising the first group of the AKR/J mice after high-dose ionizing radiation of 0.8 Gy/min, raising the second group of the AKR/J mice after low-dose ionizing radiation of 0.7 mGy/hr, and raising the third group of the AKR/J mice in a general environment; c) obtaining a thymus of a dead mouse of the first or second group of the AKR/J mice throughout the b) operation and diagnosing cancer when a weight of the thymus is increased to twice or more than before radiation; d) extracting thymuses by sacrificing the first to third groups of the AKR/J mice at the time at which the third group of the AKR/J mice initially die; and e) selecting only a thymus having no change in weight compared to the organs of the same-aged non-irradiated AKR/J mice from the organs extracted in d) and detecting a gene of the organ whose weight is increased or decreased by a factor of two or more through gene analysis.

The invention relates to the field of virology. The invention provides an isolated essentially mammalian negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus (MPV) within the subfamily Pneumovirinae of the family Paramyxoviridae and identifiable as phylogenetically corresponding to the genus Metapneumovirus and components thereof.

Highly efficient and rapid filtration-based concentration devices, systems and methods are disclosed with sample fluidic lines and a filter packaged in a disposable tip which concentrate biological particles that are suspended in liquid from a dilute feed suspension. A sample concentrate or retentate suspension is retained while eliminating the separated fluid in a separate flow stream. The concentrate is then dispensed from the disposable tip in a set volume of elution fluid. Suspended biological particles include such materials as proteins/toxins, viruses, DNA, and/or bacteria in the size range of approximately 0.001 micron to 20 microns diameter. Concentration of these particles is advantageous for detection of target particles in a dilute suspension, because concentrating them into a small volume makes them easier to detect. All conduits by which the disposable tip attaches to the instrument are combined into a single connection point on the upper end of the tip.

Methods of screening for expression of an RNA associated with a post-kidney transplant complication include collecting vesicles from urine, isolating vesicle-associated RNA, and analyzing expression patterns. In particular, AIF1, BTN3A3, CCL5, CD48, HAVCR1, or SLC6A6 mRNA expression patterns are analyzed.

The invention concerns soluble and antigenic HTLV p24 variants that can be fused to chaperones and their use in diagnostic applications such as immunoassays for detecting antibodies against HTLV-I or HTLV-II in an isolated biological sample. In particular, the invention relates to a soluble HTLV-I or HTLV-II p24 antigen comprising either the N- or the C-terminal domain of p24 and lacking the other domain. Moreover, the invention covers recombinant DNA molecules encoding these HTLV-I and -II fusion antigens as well as their recombinant production using expression vectors and host cells transformed with such expression vectors. In addition, the invention focuses on compositions of these HTLV p24 antigens with HTLV gp21 antigen and on an immunoassay method for detection of HTLV antibodies using the antigens of the invention. Also the use of HTLV p24 antigens in an in vitro diagnostic assay as well as a reagent kit for detection of anti-HTLV-antibodies comprising said HTLV antigens is encompassed.

The present invention relates to in vitro methods of assessing the susceptibility or responsiveness of a subject to the treatment with an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor/antagonist, wherein the subject has been diagnosed or suspected of suffering from inflammation-associated. These methods comprise determining the level of expression of EGFR in myeloid cells in a sample from the subject, wherein an expression of EGFR in the myeloid cells is indicative of the subject being susceptible to the treatment with an EGFR inhibitor/antagonist. The invention also relates to EGFR inhibitors/antagonists for use in the treatment or amelioration of inflammation-associated cancer. The invention furthermore provides in vitro methods of prognosing the survival time, progression-free survival time or disease course of a subject that has been diagnosed or suspected of suffering from from inflammation-associated cancer. In addition thereto, the invention relates to in vitro diagnostic methods of assessing the proneness of a subject to develop inflammation-associated cancer in which the expression of EGFR is determined in myeloid cells from the subject.

A method to detect prostate cancer comprising contacting a sample of prostate cells from the patient with a set of detectably labeled probes under hybridization conditions and determining the presence of chromosomal abnormalities in prostate tumor tissue, PIN (intra-epithelial neoplasia), histologically benign tissue and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH); a method to combine immunofluorescence and FISH (IF-FISH) to facilitate the assessment of chromosomal abnormalities; a set of probes; and a kit comprising the set of probes and instructions for diagnosing prostate cancer in a patient.

We have discovered a protein in humans, herein referred to as collagen like gene (CLG) product (SEQ ID NOS: 12 and 13), that is expressed in human prostate cancer and breast cancer cell lines but not in normal adult, placenta, lung, liver, skeletal muscle, kidney or pancreas tissues. We have also discovered that the level of CLG mRNA expression correlates positively with the metastatic potential of the cancer cell lines tested.

The present invention provides detection methods for detecting a pre-cancerous epithelial cell signature. The present invention further provides reagents for use in the detection methods. A subject detection method is useful in various imaging, diagnostic, prognostic, and patient monitoring methods, which are also provided.

Compositions and methods useful for point of care testing for hemophilia by measuring coagulation factor levels are provided.

Noted restaurateur Reem Assil has decided to close her Fruitvale restaurant, Reem's California.

"From the bottom of our hearts, we'd like to thank everyone who has supported us in keeping our humble oakland restaurant operation a force in our community.…

Shelter-in-place rules prevent Local Food Adventures founder Lauren McCabe Herpich from leading groups on East Bay culinary walking tours, as is her usual stock-in-trade.

But she has come up with another project to further tempt food fans while supporting local makers and proprietors.…

East Bay resident Miles Woodruff, CEO of the pioneering vegan-seafood brand Sophie's Kitchen, has just donated 3,000 cases of plant-based Toona to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano County as well as several other Bay Area food shelters.

Amidst the Covid-19 outbreak, the company's brand-new Lemon Grass Toona flavor has not yet arrived in grocery stores — but 100 percent of it is now being provided to people in need.…

Just in time to celebrate its ten-year anniversary, popular Filipino-fusion food truck Señor Sisig has established a long-term location in Oakland.

The brand-new spot is at 3331 Fruitvale Ave. in the Dimond District.…

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent UC Berkeley chancellor Carol Christ a letter today requesting permission to place a banner on the university's famous clocktower that reads "It's High Time We Went Vegan. PETA."…

California today announced its intent to declare bisphenol A a reproductive hazard. Under a state law known as Prop 65, warning signs would be required for consumer items that contain a certain high level of BPA.…

Stories you shouldn’t miss:

1. Alameda County Public Health Director Muntu Davis contends that gentrification should be examined in terms of health impacts because of the displacement and stress it causes for low-income residents, the Bay Area News Group$ reports.…

An apparatus is disclosed which includes an electrolytic capacitive element with multiple capacitor sections.