Solid state fermentation studies of citric acid production

Treated sugarcane bagasse supplemented with sucrose medium was found 1.7 fold (citric acid based on sugar consumption) better substrate than untreated bagasse carrier. The performance of packed bed reactor at aeration rate of 0.75 l/min and apparent packing density of 35.0 g/l was superior with citric acid yield of 55.90% (w/w), overall productivity of 0.087 g/100 g DS.h and specific growth rate of 0.055 h-1. However, in flask fermentation citric acid yield of 41.56% (w/w) with overall productivity of 0.064 g/100 gDS.h and specific growth rate of 0.043 h-1 was observed. The system confirmed that citric acid production was Type-II fermentation. Citric acid recovery of 90.39% (w/w) was achieved from fermented broth

Analysis of genetic variation in different banana (Musa species) variety using random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs)

The banana (Musa acuminata Colla) is considered as an important crop plant due to its high economic value as good dietary source. Here, we analyze the genetic relationship of four different banana varieties that are cultivated in south India. Random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs) fingerprinting of these banana varieties (Grand Naine, Red Banana, Nendran and Rasthali) carried out by three primers (OPA-19, OPB-18, OPD-16) led to DNA amplification. 43.47% of the amplification products weremonomorphic (common to all the genotypes), whereas 30.43% were unique, but only 26.08% revealed the relationship between these genotypes

GIS-Based Framework for Local Spatial Planning in Hill Areas

Spatial planning plays an important role in achieving efficient and sustainable development in hill areas. It is more critical in hill areas because of the scarcity of land having potential for development. One of the problems frequently faced by planners is the absence of a quantitative approach for spatial planning at the local level. In the present study, an attempt has been made to develop the framework for spatial planning at the local level for hill areas. In the process of development of the framework, three tasks have been completed. First, existing spatial planning approaches and frameworks used at the local level have been reviewed. Second, the conceptual framework has been developed for spatial planning based on the review of existing frameworks. Third, the geographic information system based methodology has been developed to execute the developed conceptual framework. The developed framework has been executed for validation on one of the proposed spatial planning projects in hills. The developed framework has been found useful in making spatial planning decisions for both practitioners and researchers involved in the development of hill areas

Alternative low-cost adsorbent for water and wastewater decontamination derived from eggshellwaste: an overview

As the current global trend towards more stringent environmental standards, technical applicability and cost-effectiveness became key factors in the selection of adsorbents for water and wastewater treatment. Recently, various low-cost adsorbents derived from agricultural waste, industrial by-products or natural materials, have been intensively investigated. In this respect, the eggshells from egg-breaking operations constitute significant waste disposal problems for the food industry, so the development of value-added by-products from this waste is to be welcomed. The egg processing industry is very competitive, with low profit margins due to global competition and cheap imports. Additionally, the costs associated with the egg shell disposal (mainly on landfill sites) are significant, and expected to continue increasing as landfill taxes increase. The aim of the present review is to provide an overview on the development of low-cost adsorbents derived from eggshell by-products

Genetic Algorithms as a Feature Selection Tool in Heart Failure Disease

A great wealth of information is hidden in clinical datasets, which could be analyzed to support decision-making processes or to better diagnose patients. Feature selection is one of the data pre-processing that selects a set of input features by removing unneeded or irrelevant features. Various algorithms have been used in healthcare to solve such problems involving complex medical data. This paper demonstrates how Genetic Algorithms offer a natural way to solve feature selection amongst data sets, where the fittest individual choice of variables is preserved over different generations. In this paper, a Genetic Algorithm is introduced as a feature selection method and shown to be effective in aiding understanding of such data

Evidence of Coronavirus (CoV) Pathogenesis and Emerging Pathogen SARS-CoV-2 in the Nervous System: A Review on Neurological Impairments and Manifestations.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an issue of global significance that has taken the lives of many across the world. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the virus responsible for its pathogenesis. The pulmonary manifestations of COVID-19 have been well described in the literature. Initially, it was thought to be limited to the respiratory system; however, we now recognize that COVID-19 also affects several other organs, including the nervous system. Two similar human coronaviruses (CoV) that cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-1) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) are also known to cause disease in the nervous system. The neurological manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection are growing rapidly, as evidenced by several reports. There are several mechanisms responsible for such manifestations in the nervous system. For instance, post-infectious immune-mediated processes, direct virus infection of the central nervous system (CNS), and virus-induced hyperinflammatory and hypercoagulable states are commonly involved. Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and its variants, dysfunction of taste and smell, and muscle injury are numerous examples of COVID-19 PNS (peripheral nervous system) disease. Likewise, hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke, encephalitis, meningitis, encephalopathy acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, endothelialitis, and venous sinus thrombosis are some instances of COVID-19 CNS disease. Due to multifactorial and complicated pathogenic mechanisms, COVID-19 poses a large-scale threat to the whole nervous system. A complete understanding of SARS-CoV-2 neurological impairments is still lacking, but our knowledge base is rapidly expanding. Therefore, we anticipate that this comprehensive review will provide valuable insights and facilitate the work of neuroscientists in unfolding different neurological dimensions of COVID-19 and other CoV associated abnormalities

Contact lens rehabilitation following repaired corneal perforations

BACKGROUND: Visual outcome following repair of post-traumatic corneal perforation may not be optimal due to presence of irregular keratometric astigmatism. We performed a study to evaluate and compare rigid gas permeable contact lens and spectacles in visual rehabilitation following perforating corneal injuries. METHOD: Eyes that had undergone repair for corneal perforating injuries with or without lens aspiration were fitted rigid gas permeable contact lenses. The fitting pattern and the improvement in visual acuity by contact lens over spectacle correction were noted. RESULTS: Forty eyes of 40 patients that had undergone surgical repair of posttraumatic corneal perforations were fitted rigid gas permeable contact lenses for visual rehabilitation. Twenty-four eyes (60%) required aphakic contact lenses. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of ≥ 6/18 in the snellen's acuity chart was seen in 10 (25%) eyes with spectacle correction and 37 (92.5%) eyes with the use of contact lens (p < 0.001). The best-corrected visual acuity with spectacles was 0.20 ± 0.13 while the same with contact lens was 0.58 ± 0.26. All the patients showed an improvement of ≥ 2 lines over spectacles in the snellen's acuity chart with contact lens. CONCLUSION: Rigid gas permeable contact lenses are better means of rehabilitation in eyes that have an irregular cornea due to scars caused by perforating corneal injuries

Polyurethane composite adsorbent using solid phase extraction method for preconcentration of metal ion from aqueous solution

Polyurethane composite adsorbent polymeric material was prepared and investigated for selected solid-phase extraction for metal ions, prior to its determination by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The surface characterisation was done using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The separation and preconcentration conditions of the analytes investigated includes influence of pH, sample loading flow rate, elution flow rate, type and concentration of eluents. The optimum pH for the highest efficient recoveries for all metal ions, which ranged from 70 to 85 %, is pH 7. The metal ions were quantitatively eluted with 5 mL of 2 mol/L HNO3. Common coexisting ions did not interfere with the separation. The percentage recovery of the metal ions ranged between 70 and 89 %, while the results for the limit of detection and limit of quantification ranged from 0.249 to 0.256 and 0.831 to 0.855, respectively. The experimental tests showed good preconcentration results of trace levels of metal ions using synthesised polyurethane polymer adsorbent composite