The present invention relates generally to processes for preparing agglomerated particulate low-rank coal feedstocks of a particle size suitable for reaction in a fluidized-bed reactor and certain other gasification reactors and, in particular, for coal gasification and combustion applications. The present invention also relates to integrated coal gasification and combustion processes including preparing and utilizing such agglomerated particulate low-rank coal feedstocks.

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

The present invention is directed to a degradation composition, methods and kits for degrading organic pollutants comprising reduced copper based nanoparticles-polymer complex (Cu-NPs) and an oxidant.

A method for removing glyphosate from a solution by contacting the solution with a polymeric particle including a moiety selected from the group consisting of ammonium, amine and combinations thereof, wherein the moiety is positively charged in the solution.

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.

The present invention is directed to systems, apparatus and methods for creating derivatives of at least one form of HDL without substantially affecting LDL. These derivatives of HDL are particles with reduced lipid content, particularly reduced cholesterol content. These particles have the capacity to bind cholesterol and are administered to a patient to enhance cellular cholesterol efflux and reduce cholesterol levels in cells, tissues, organs, and blood vessels. The present method is useful for treating atherogenic vascular disease and may be combined with other therapies such as statins, inhibitors of cholesterol absorption, niacin, anti-inflammatories, exercise and dietary restriction.

Last week, Oakland artist Jet Martinez finished his largest mural yet, on the side of the I. Magnin Building in downtown Oakland — to stunning effect. 

The Mexico-born artist  is known internationally for his gorgeous floral patterning inspired by motifs in Mexican folk art. But, according to a recent statement released about his new mural, he recently decided he wanted to contribute more directly to the community in which he lives by doing more local art.…

'Don’t build technology for Mordor.' On Saturday at Peter Thiel’s San Francisco home overlooking the Bay, protesters demonstrated against a collaboration between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Palantir Technologies, a data-mining firm that Thiel co-founded. As reported in The Intercept, ICE will be using a new Palantir product called Investigative Case Management to to aid in its expanded deportation mission.…

Turf dancing has become ubiquitous on the trains, providing steady income, a creative platform, and a built-in audience. On a recent Friday, Yaameen Muhammad stood on the West Oakland BART platform, the afternoon sun reflecting off his neon-yellow high-tops.…

The Burnt Orange Heresy is rich, entertaining, and dirty. At the risk of overstating the obvious, let’s re-emphasize the three most important ingredients of any film: writing, writing, and writing. That perennial baseline comes to mind while watching Giuseppe Capotondi’s The Burnt Orange Heresy, a British-Italian co-prod crime pic that gets down to the foul details with an extraordinary amount of style.…

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.

An assay system and method for use in the field of chemical testing is disclosed. The assay system can be used for filtering whole blood for testing on an integrated circuit containing digital control functionality.

In accordance with disclosed embodiments, there are provided methods, systems, and apparatuses for implementing a magnetic particle embedded flexible substrate, a printed flexible substrate for a magnetic tray, or an electro-magnetic carrier for magnetized or ferromagnetic flexible substrates. For instance, in accordance with one embodiment, there are means disclosed for fabricating a flexible substrate having one or more electrical interconnects to couple with leads of an electrical device; integrating magnetic particles or ferromagnetic particles into the flexible substrate; supporting the flexible substrate with a carrier plate during one or more manufacturing processes for the flexible substrate, in which the flexible substrate is held flat against the carrier plate by an attractive magnetic force between the magnetic particles or ferromagnetic particles integrated with the flexible substrate and a complementary magnetic attraction of the carrier plate; and removing the flexible substrate from the carrier plate subsequent to completion of the one or more manufacturing processes for the flexible substrate. Other related embodiments are disclosed.

More rose-tinted views of the EU: the EU not falling apart?

Bandcamp is waiving their fees, so we're going to spotlight and promote you, our community members.

The post Operation: Help DJTT Artists – submit your Bandcamp project and we’ll promote you. appeared first on DJ TechTools.

Right now there’s a lot of uncertainty in the world – with lots of people within our industry struggling to figure out what they’re going to do next. So when Bandcamp announced their fee-free Fridays were happening again, we decided to lean in and help our own community be supported in something great: making music. […]

The post 80+ DJTT Artists You Should Support Today On Bandcamp appeared first on DJ TechTools.

The provocative A Human Ounce at Central Works asks whether the creator can be separate from the creation. Central Works opens its 30th anniversary season with A Human Ounce, a new play by Nicole Parizeau that poses provocative questions. What is the value of great art, literature, music, commerce, scientific discovery — even Peet's coffee — when scandalous information about its creators or owners comes to light?…

Coming on the heels of the AB5 trauma, the coronavirus lockdown poses an extra economic threat. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all facets of life in California and the world.…

There is provided coal gasification unit including: a coal gasifier; a char recovery unit; flare equipment; an air flow rate adjustment valve and an oxygen supply flow passage that supply oxygen-containing gas to the coal gasifier; an inert gas supply flow passage that supplies nitrogen gas to an upstream side of the char recovery unit; and a control unit that controls a supply amount of the oxygen-containing gas and a supply amount of the nitrogen gas, in which the coal gasifier has a starting burner, and in which the control unit controls the supply amount of the nitrogen gas prior to starting combustion of starting fuel by the starting burner so that an oxygen concentration of mixed gas in which combustion gas generated by combustion of the oxygen-containing gas and the starting fuel has been mixed with the nitrogen gas becomes not more than an ignition concentration.

An apparatus and related method of utilizing articulating vacuum plates to manipulate a film or polymeric sheet and form a three dimensional article is provided. The apparatus can be in the form of an articulating vacuum plate system which includes one or more plates or mold parts that are configured to support a sheet, constructed for example, from a polymeric film, in a two dimensional configuration or a three dimensional configuration in a first mode. The apparatus is constructed so that the plates and/or mold parts can articulate or move so as to reconfigure the sheet from a generally planar configuration into a second three dimensional configuration in a second mode for further forming, optionally while the plates and/or mold parts apply vacuum to the sheet while the plates and/or mold parts articulate, so that the plates and/or mold parts bend or otherwise manipulate the configuration and shape of the sheet.

Apparatuses and methods for applying a transfer material onto the surface of an article are disclosed, including apparatuses and methods of transfer printing on and/or decorating three-dimensional articles, as well as the articles printed and/or decorated thereby. In some cases, the apparatuses and methods involve providing a deposition device, such as a printing device; providing a transfer component; depositing a material onto a portion of the transfer component with the deposition device; modifying the portion of the transfer component with the transfer material thereon to conform the transfer component to at least a portion of the surface of the three-dimensional article; and transferring the transfer material onto the surface of the article.

Apparatuses and methods for applying a transfer material onto the surface of an article are disclosed, including apparatuses and methods of transfer printing on and/or decorating three-dimensional articles, as well as the articles printed and/or decorated thereby. In some cases, the apparatuses and methods involve providing a deposition device, such as a printing device; providing a transfer component; depositing a material onto a portion of the transfer component with the deposition device; modifying the portion of the transfer component with the transfer material thereon to conform the transfer component to at least a portion of the surface of the three-dimensional article; and transferring the transfer material onto the surface of the article.

The disclosed composite wood particulate products, adhesives contained in such wood particulate products, and methods of making the adhesive and the wood particulate products employ an aldehyde-free adhesive, and more specifically a formaldehyde-free adhesive. The aldehyde-free adhesive includes an inert additive that extends a resin, such as an isocyanate resin, and forms an evenly dispersed, less expensive polymeric adhesive admixture. The extender-filler of the resin is mixed with water to form a slurry. The slurry can then be mixed with a resin, like the isocyanate resin, to form the adhesive. Various rheology modifiers can be added, if desired, to the extender-filler or the slurry. The adhesive can be blended with wood particles to form a mat that is then pressed into a composite wood particulate product.

The disclosed apparatus cools a drinking liquid utilizing the Peltier effect, and optionally includes a system of gasification for gasifying the drinking liquid, once cooled. The cooling system in turn includes: a first cooling circuit, in which an operating fluid circulates, associated with a hot side of a Peltier cell; and a second cooling circuit, in which the drinking liquid circulates, associated with a cold side of the Peltier cell. The Peltier cell is integrated in a cooling unit exhibiting a special sandwich structure which integrates, as well as the Peltier cell, a first and a second heat exchanger, apt respectively to exchange directly the heat between the operating fluid which circulates in the first cooling circuit and the hot side of the Peltier cell and between the drinking liquid which circulates in the second cooling circuit and the cold side of the Peltier cell to cool the drinking liquid.

A container treatment installation having a refrigeration installation, and a method for starting the operation of a refrigeration installation of a container treatment installation, are provided. The refrigeration installation comprises a refrigerant vessel for receiving a refrigerant which can be used for cooling a component of the container treatment installation, and a control device for controlling an amount of the refrigerant in the refrigerant vessel such that, after operation of the refrigeration installation, only a predetermined residual amount of refrigerant remains in the refrigerant vessel for the transport of the refrigerant installation, and after the transport of the refrigeration installation, the predetermined residual amount is filled up with a predetermined replenishment amount of refrigerant.

A novel process for activating available compressors in multiple compressor air conditioning systems, using an Optimum Stage-Up Process. This process is programmed into a controller as an algorithm, to provide a process for fast compressor start. This process shortens the time to initiate operation of compressors in a multi-compressor air conditioning system required to meet the demand call under any load condition, and hence shortens the time required for the actual sensed interior region air temperature to reach the interior region temperature set point. The Optimum Stage-up Algorithm estimates the number of compressor stages or steps that must be initiated, based on sensed or measured values, to meet the demand at any load condition. These measured values include the sensed temperature of the interior region being cooled, which is compared to the temperature set point of this interior region as well as measured mixed air temperature and supply air temperature.

The ability of political cartoonists to point out the absurdity of the news with a beautiful line and a pithy comment never ceases to amaze and they’ve been doing it for over 200 years as Comedy & Commentary at Mottisfont Abbey shows.

There were five of us queuing in the rain - two druggies, one old Brigadier, an HCC worker and Winchester Bloke - What did we all want - apart from an umbrella?

News you don't want to miss for April 23:

1. BART learned on Thursday that $250 million in recent federal relief funds will allow it to balance its budget for this fiscal year, with $78 million remaining, BART Board Director Rebecca Saltzman said.…

News you don't want to miss for April 28:

1. The upcoming school year could open early, maybe in July, Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday, the East Bay Times reports.…

An integral helmet, in particular a so-called full-face helmet, that is preferably designed with a shell construction, comprising a helmet upper-shell unit with an integrated neck unit and a chin protection unit with a jaw clamp, wherein the chin protection unit is detachably connectable to the helmet upper-shell unit so as to form the integral helmet, wherein the chin protection unit is designed for connection to the neck unit as an open chin bar unit with end areas that are separated from one another at a distance so that, in the assembled state, the end areas form a completely closed unit together with the neck unit. Also, a method for connecting and/or disconnecting, without the use of tools, a chin protection unit having a jaw clamp to, or from, a helmet upper-shell unit having an integrated neck unit, so as to form an integral helmet, in particular an integral helmet.

A swimsuit (1) has an outer shell (2) made of a flexible stretchable fabric and forms a tubular trunk portion (6) and two tubular thigh portions (7), the swimsuit (1) comprising two back stiffening lines (8) continuously connected to the outer shell (2) and extending each in a generally longitudinal direction of a one of the thigh portions (7) from a rear region (9) of the thigh portion (7) across a rear region of the trunk portion (6), in which said back stiffening lines (8) have a tensile stiffness greater than a tensile stiffness of said outer shell (2).

Clothing articles (e.g., aquatic “board” shorts) are generally comprised of at least one unitary woven fabric panel having multiple seamlessly adjacent different fabric weave sections. These seamlessly adjacent different fabric weave sections may be selected from plain fabric weaves, twill fabric weaves and/or Dobby fabric weaves. Aquatic activity shorts are provided which include a one piece rear fabric panel providing a seamless back rise.

Articles of apparel include: (a) a garment structure having one or more fabric elements structured and arranged to provide a close fit to at least one predetermined portion of a body (e.g., area(s) of the body for which enhanced position sensing and/or feedback are desired, such as the lower back, the arch of the foot, etc.); and (b) a body position feedback system engaged with or integrally formed as part of the garment structure. The body position feedback system may apply higher tensile or constricting forces to selected portions of the wearer's body, which can help stimulate or interact with nerves and deep tissue receptors located in various portions of the body. The increased forces at selected locations of the body give the wearer sensory feedback regarding the position or orientation of these parts of the body and can improve or accelerate development of “muscle memory.”

An article having an inner article layer and an outer article layer to be worn by a mammal comprising a thermally insulating layer of a reflective metalized polymeric insulation material having moisture vapour transference properties adjacent to at least one of the inner and outer article layers. An apparatus and method for producing a reflective metalized polymeric thermally insulating assembly having moisture vapour transference properties suitable for use in the article is also provided. The insulation material provides enhanced thermal retention.

This is a warning to everyone with a mortgage. The rates on new mortgage deals are getting more expensive, and there is a plausible chance of UK base rates increasing. If you have a mortgage, you should check urgently if you can slice the rate down – you may gain £1,000s right now.

Summer’s now over, and sadly there’s little you can do to repair a holiday ruined by flight delay or cancellation (eg from a strike like Ryanair’s) but many are entitled to up to £550 per person compensation. In fact this applies even for delays as far back as 2012.

“I am not a number. I am a free man!” I’m afraid not, you’re a number… when it comes to credit scoring anyway. The famous cry for help of the eponymous Prisoner from the cult 1960s TV show of the 1960, could have been written for today’s world of mass computer assessed finance.

This is a warning to every UK worker aged 22 or over. You’re about to get a pay rise, but it may cost you, and you may not even be told.

This April, whether we're in, out or, most likely, just shaken all about, one thing is certain... it’s the time of annual public service price rises. While you can't prevent the rises, there are often other ways to cut these bills. I want to show how you can steal a March (sorry) on April's hikes.

'Tax-Free Childcare' is a confusing and inaccurately named scheme that launched in April 2017. It can be worth thousands of pounds, but only 250,000 of the 1.5 million eligible families are collecting it.

The mood music for savers isn’t good. The world economic outlook is gloomy and there’s huge uncertainty here in the UK, so the City’s long-term interest rates have plummeted. And it’s these that many fixed savings rates are based on – so they’re dropping too. On top of that, the two top easy-access savings accounts cut their rates within days of each other.

Are you ripping yourself off? At least 11m people in the UK are overpaying on their energy bills, usually by £100s a year. Sorting it is one of the biggest and easiest savings you can make – yet the majority still don’t do it. More so, even if you’re scared of switching firm, right now you may be able to save £100s and stick with your existing provider. So as we’re in the core of winter, carpe diem (translation: get off your bum and try to give it a go).

Mis-sold Wonga customers have been legally robbed.

Sole structures (e.g., midsoles and/or outsoles) and articles of footwear include heel-supporting areas and/or forefoot-supporting areas that include a central area (e.g., a central recessed area) and a plurality of surrounding rings. Additionally or alternatively, the sole structures (e.g., midsoles and/or outsoles) may include bands of material defined by recessed grooves to provide a bumpstop type impact-force attenuating structure.

Sole structures include (a) a first midsole component formed at least in part from a first polymeric foam material, wherein the first midsole component forms at least a majority of a plantar support surface and at least a majority of a medial sidewall surface of the sole structure, and wherein the first midsole component includes a lateral side edge; and (b) a second midsole component formed at least in part from a second polymeric foam material, wherein the second midsole component forms at least a majority of a lateral sidewall surface of the sole structure, wherein the second midsole component includes a medial side edge that extends adjacent the lateral side edge of the first midsole component. The second polymeric foam material may have a higher durometer than the first polymeric foam material.

A method for providing parts of waterproof and breathable shoes, parts of waterproof and breathable shoes provided with the method, and waterproof and breathable soles provided with the shoe parts. The method uses a mold including a first element and a second element, at least one of which has hollow regions of a matrix of impressions, which are filled with polymeric material in the fluid state by depositing it in the hollow regions or by injecting it while the mold is closed; a support made of flexible sheet is interposed between the first element and the second element and includes a waterproof and breathable functional element, on which, when the mold is closed, the polymeric material sets and adheres to the support.

An article of footwear has a tubular structure. The tubular structure may include tab portions that extend away from a tunnel portion of the tubular structure. The tab portions may engage parts of the article of footwear. The tab portions may engage an upper or sole structure along a bite line. The tab portions may be attached to a heel counter, eyestay, or other structure on the article of footwear.

An article of footwear has a tubular structure that may conform to various anatomical features of a foot. The tubular structure has a tunnel, and a tensile strand runs through the tunnel. Applying tension along the tensile strand may cause the tubular structure to conform more closely to one or more anatomical features. The geometry, or path, of the tubular structure on the article may be customized.

An article of footwear has a sole assembly that is further comprised of a chassis, a reinforcing member and a forefoot plate. The reinforcing member includes lateral and medial forefoot portions that fit with corresponding recesses in the forefoot plate and the reinforcing member in the forefoot region of the chassis. The reinforcing member includes a central portion that figs with a corresponding recess in the heel region of the chassis. The chassis and the forefoot plate include ridges on their outer surfaces. Cleats extending from ridges in the forefoot of the chassis are vertically aligned with protrusions on ridges in the forefoot plate. The protrusions can help diffuse forces applied by the cleats against the inner components of the sole and foot to reduce point loading.