28 research outputs found
Regulation of suspended particulate matter (SPM) in Indian coal-based thermal power plants
Air borne particulate matter, in major Indian cities is at least three times the standard prescribed by the WHO. Coal-based thermal power plants are the major emitters of particulate matter in India. The lack of severe penalty for non-compliance with the standards has worsened the situation and thus calls for an immediate need for investment in technologies to regulate particulate emissions. My dissertation studies the optimal investment decisions in a dynamic framework, for a random sample of forty Indian coal-based power plants to abate particulate emissions. I used Linear Programming to solve the double cost minimization problem for the optimal choices of coal, boiler and pollution-control equipment. A policy analysis is done to choose over various tax policies, which would induce the firms to adopt the energy efficient as well as cost efficient technology. The aim here is to reach the WHO standards. Using the optimal switching point model I show that in a dynamic set up, switching the boiler immediately is always the cost effective option for all the power plants even if there is no policy restriction. The switch to a baghouse depends upon the policy in place. Theoretically, even though an emission tax is considered the most efficient tax, an ash tax or a coal tax can also be considered to be a good substitute especially in countries like India where monitoring costs are very high. As SPM is a local pollutant the analysis here is mainly firm specific.
Optimal time for investment to regulate emissions of particulate matter in Indian thermal power plants
This study aims to find the optimal switching point for the Indian coal-based power plants to switch to a cost-effective technology and reduce particulate emissions. Regulation in the form of an emission standard, an emissions tax, an ash tax, or a coal tax provides an incentive for the power plants to abate. We have taken a period of 40 years to show the pattern of abatement in a sample of 40 power plants. Linear programming using GAMS has been used for the analysis to determine when the plants will shift to cost-efficient technology. We have first done the analysis on a firm-to-firm basis and then we have aggregated to show the variability of our results.
A Novel COMMD1 Mutation Thr174Met associated with Elevated Urinary Copper and Signs of Enhanced Apoptotic Cell death in a Wilson Disease patient
Wilson disease (WD) results from accumulation of copper and caused due to mutations in ATP7B, a copper
transporting ATPase. Besides regular hepatic and neurological symptoms, WD patients occasionally manifest atypical
symptoms due to unknown cause. To understand the molecular etiology of atypical WD manifestations, we screened
COMMD1, a gene implicated in canine copper toxicosis, in 109 WD patients including those with atypical symptoms. In
a patient showing apoptotic symptoms and high urinary copper surpassing normal WD levels, we identified a novel,
putative mutation in COMMD1. Two other changes were also identified in the gene. We have examined genotypephenotype
correlation between the detected changes and the atypical presentation of the WD patient
Fabrication and Therapeutic Process of a Green Silver-Nanoparticle-Embedded Mucilage Microsphere for Pathogenic-Bacteria-Infected Second-Degree Burn and Excision Wounds
Multidrug-resistant bacteria are a serious problem in
biomedical
applications that decrease the wound healing process and increase
the mortality rate. Therefore, in this study, we have prepared a green-synthesized
silver-nanoparticle-encapsulated mucilage microsphere (HMMS@GSNP)
from Hibiscus rosa sinensis leaves and applied it
to pathogen-infected burn and excision wounds. Biophysical properties
like size, polydispersity index, absorbance capacity, and drug release
were measured by different techniques like field-emission scanning
electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, swelling ratio, etc.
The strong antibacterial activity of a HMMS@GSNP microsphere was measured
by minimum inhibitory concentration assay, minimum bactericidal concentration
assay, and agar well diffusion methods. The HMMS@GSNP microsphere
enhanced the cell viability, cell proliferation, migration, antioxidant,
and antiinflammation activity compared to untreated GSNP and HMMS,
as quantified by MTT assay, BrdU assay, scratch wound assay, reactive
oxygen species scavenging assay, and Western blot analysis, respectively.
In the in vivo experiment, we used a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria-infected, burn-and-excision-wound-created
male BALB/c mice model. The HMMS@GSNP-treated burn-and-excision-wound-infected
mice showed significant results compared to other groups (untreated,
Silverex Ionic Gel, AgNO3, HMMS, and GSNP), and the mice
tissues were utilized for bacteria count, immunoblot analysis, histological
studies, and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Thus, the HMM@GSNP
microsphere is an excellent therapeutic material that can be used
as a topical agent for the management of chronic wound therapy