Cardiac tumours in children

Cardiac tumours are benign or malignant neoplasms arising primarily in the inner lining, muscle layer, or the surrounding pericardium of the heart. They can be primary or metastatic. Primary cardiac tumours are rare in paediatric practice with a prevalence of 0.0017 to 0.28 in autopsy series. In contrast, the incidence of cardiac tumours during foetal life has been reported to be approximately 0.14%. The vast majority of primary cardiac tumours in children are benign, whilst approximately 10% are malignant. Secondary malignant tumours are 10–20 times more prevalent than primary malignant tumours. Rhabdomyoma is the most common cardiac tumour during foetal life and childhood. It accounts for more than 60% of all primary cardiac tumours. The frequency and type of cardiac tumours in adults differ from those in children with 75% being benign and 25% being malignant. Myxomas are the most common primary tumours in adults constituting 40% of benign tumours. Sarcomas make up 75% of malignant cardiac masses. Echocardiography, Computing Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the heart are the main non-invasive diagnostic tools. Cardiac catheterisation is seldom necessary. Tumour biopsy with histological assessment remains the gold standard for confirmation of the diagnosis. Surgical resection of primary cardiac tumours should be considered to relieve symptoms and mechanical obstruction to blood flow. The outcome of surgical resection in symptomatic, non-myxomatous benign cardiac tumours is favourable. Patients with primary cardiac malignancies may benefit from palliative surgery but this approach should not be recommended for patients with metastatic cardiac tumours. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy may prolong survival. The prognosis for malignant primary cardiac tumours is generally extremely poor

Thermogravimetric pyrolysis for neem char using novel agricultural waste: a study of process optimization and statistical modeling

Agricultural biomasses are the underutilized sources that have extraordinary potential to synthesize green and cost-effective chemicals. This research focuses on the utilization of novel agricultural residue, i.e., waste neem cake, to produce highly efficient, cost-effective, and environment-friendly fuel, i.e., neem char (NC), through thermogravimetric pyrolysis. To study the effects of process variable on char yield and higher heating value (HHV), statistical modeling was applied by central composite design of response surface methodology. Furthermore, chemical and structural characterization of neem cake and char were carried out by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The reaction temperature was the most prominent variable found from the ANOVA (analysis of variances) to affect char yield and its HHV. The optimal result was achieved with 21.46% char yield and HHV value of 6371 kcal/kg at 600 °C, 60 min, and 3 mm. The heating value of char was highly improved indicating the potential application of char as a high-energy renewable fuel. Further, the carbon content and fixed carbon values increased, whereas hydrogen, oxygen, volatile matters, and moisture content decreased in char after the pyrolysis process

Characterization and Process Optimization of Biochar Produced Using Novel Biomass, Waste Pomegranate Peel: A Response Surface Methodology Approach

Agricultural waste is considered as a burden all over the world due to its disposal issues. In this research an effort is made to utilize agricultural residue for the production of cost effective and environmental friendly fuel. The study also focused on investigation of role of best process conditions to get optimized biochar (OB) from the slow pyrolysis of novel biomass, waste pomegranate peel (WPP). The effect and interaction of process parameters including reaction temperature, reaction time and particle size was optimized using central composite design of response surface methodology. The optimized process parameters were found at temperature of 300 °C, reaction time of 20 min and the particle size of 3 mm producing maximum 54.9% of biochar yield. Furthermore, the WPP and OB were considered and compared for physical and chemical analyses including scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermo gravimetric analysis, and higher heating value (HHV), proximate and ultimate analysis. Considerable modification in structure has been seen in the product which can be observed by SEM analysis. In result of thermal processing through pyrolysis, HHV of OB was improved to 23.5 from 14.61 MJ/kg of parent biomass