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Published data on flow field variation caused by various blade design patterns are scarce. Most designs exhibit significant flow separation and adverse pressure gradients effects that lower mixing efficiency. In view of the design potentials of the CFD methodology, the flow field variations caused by different blade designs could be classified in order to be able to predict the spread of the low pressure regions behind blades while retrofitting existing equipment towards energy-saving performance without decreasing the impeller blending and dispersing capacity related to the geometry considered.

The aim of the present study is to reveal such variations for some conventional flat blade modifications. The performance of three flat and hollow blade design modifications comprising slotted and perforated blades are examined. The specific power drawn, pumping capacity, deformation rate and turbulence intensity are determined and compared. The impeller power effectiveness is discussed in terms of the strain deformation rate produced. Evidence for enhanced performance of slotted and perforated designs is presented.

Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced it will present preclinical data on its program of LPA1 receptor antagonist on June 30, 2009 in the summer research conference of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) held in Carefree, Arizona.

The LPA1 receptor is part of the phosphatidic acid path / lisofosfatidilcolina, which among other things is associated with the communication from cell to cell. In recent studies, it has been shown to play a role in fibrotic disease, particularly idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

Due to the unique and difficult chemistry they perform, the aromatic ring-hydroxylating dioxygenases are of interest as industrial catalysts. Unfortunately, an application-specific array of problems limits their utility. To address these problems through laboratory evolution, I developed methods for high-throughput screening of tens of thousands of dioxygenase variants. These methods rely on a phenol detection reagent (Gibbs reagent) and can be applied to liquid cultures or to growing bacterial colonies expressing variant enzymes.