Solar Power Generation:Technology,New Concepts & Policy

This book offers a global perspective of the current state of affairs in the field of solar power engineering. In four parts, this well-researched volume informs about: Established solar PV (photovoltaic) technologies Third-generation PV technologies based on new materials with potential for low-cost large-scale production Solar cell technology based on new (third-generation) concepts, such as quantum dot solar cells and nano wire solar cells using silicon and compound semiconductors Economic implications and effects, as well as policies and incentives in various countries of the world involved with solar energy implementation In addition to discussing manufacturing facts and implementation issues, this book emphasizes the implications of policy measures in countries with good PV activity, such as Japan, China, India, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the United States, and Canada. This volume is intended as a reference for a global audience of advanced students and R&D and industry professionals, as well as investors and policy-makers with fundamental knowledge of photovoltaic technology

Study of Prevalence and Stages of diabetic nephropathy in a rural tertiary care centre - Southern India (2011-12)

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an alarming health care concern the world over affecting more-than 220 million people worldwide according to World Health Organization. Kidney disease in diabetic patients is clinically characterized by increasing rates of urinary albumin excretion (UAE), starting from normoalbuminuria, which progresses to microalbuminuria, macroalbuminuria and eventually to End-Stage Renal Disease. Diabetic nephropathy has been categorized into stages based on the values of urinary albumin excretion and estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR). There is accumulating evidence suggesting that the risk for developing diabetes nephropathy and cardiovascular disease starts when UAE values are still within normoalbuminic range. Objective: To study the prevalence and stages of nephropathy in T2DM patients and to compare albumin levels with glycemic control in rural population. Methodology: Cross-sectional study was carried out from January 2011 to April 2012 among diabetic patients attending General Medicine department in RL Jalappa Hospital. Random blood sample and spot urine sample was collected for analysis and the data was collected in a predesigned, pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of diabetic nephropathy in our study was 37.02%. The prevalence microalbuminuria was 30.79% in males and 24.46% in females. The prevalence of overt nephropathy was 9.27% in males and 6.73% in females. Around 62.97% were in microalbuminuric range. 75.76% of the patients had poor glycemic control, but among patients with poor glycemic control 79.78% had overt nephropathy and 86.80% had microalbuminuria. Among patients with good glycemic control 20.28% had overt nephropathy and 13.19% had microalbuminuria. Conclusion: Microalbuminuria was earliest sign in Diabetic Nephropathy (DN). Progression of DN can be prevented on early detection. Poor glycemic control and duration of diabetes was associated with increase in UAE level and progression of Chronic Kidney Disease. Screening for DN at the time of diagnosis in T2DM and measures to reduce albuminuria at earliest could prevent further progression of DN in patients with T2D

Biomaterial strategies for alleviation of myocardial infarction

World Health Organization estimated that heart failure initiated by coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction (MI) leads to 29 per cent of deaths worldwide. Heart failure is one of the leading causes of death in industrialized countries and is expected to become a global epidemic within the twenty-first century. MI, the main cause of heart failure, leads to a loss of cardiac tissue impairment of left ventricular function. The damaged left ventricle undergoes progressive ‘remodelling’ and chamber dilation, with myocyte slippage and fibroblast proliferation. Repair of diseased myocardium with in vitro-engineered cardiac muscle patch/injectable biopolymers with cells may become a viable option for heart failure patients. These events reflect an apparent lack of effective intrinsic mechanism for myocardial repair and regeneration. Motivated by the desire to develop minimally invasive procedures, the last 10 years observed growing efforts to develop injectable biomaterials with and without cells to treat cardiac failure. Biomaterials evaluated include alginate, fibrin, collagen, chitosan, self-assembling peptides, biopolymers and a range of synthetic hydrogels. The ultimate goal in therapeutic cardiac tissue engineering is to generate biocompatible, non-immunogenic heart muscle with morphological and functional properties similar to natural myocardium to repair MI. This review summarizes the properties of biomaterial substrates having sufficient mechanical stability, which stimulates the native collagen fibril structure for differentiating pluripotent stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells into cardiomyocytes for cardiac tissue engineering

Electrochemical studies on 4, 4' -dimethoxybenzophenone oxime

956-958The electrochemical reduction of 4, 4'-dimethoxybenzophenone oxime (4, 4'-DMBPO) has been studied at the mercury electrode in different supporting electrolytes, in the pH range 2.0-12.0 including 0.1 M HCIO4 in methanol-water mixture by employing cyclic voltammetry, d.c. polarography and millicoulometry. Kinetic parameters such as diffusion coefficient, transfer coefficient and forward rate constant values has been evaluated

Electrochemical processes for the remediation of wastewater and contaminated soil: emerging technology

11-19The review aims at providing an overview of electrochemical processes used for accomplishing the remediation of industrial wastewater, particularly elecrooxidation processes and electrocoagulation. The applicability of these technologies for the remediation of contaminated soil is also discussed. The use of electrochemical process as a pre-treatment step to enhance the biodegradability of wastewater containing recalcitrant or inhibitory compounds can potentially be justified due to the formation of intermediate, which is easily degraded in subsequent biological treatment. The enhanced degradation of wastewater may be attributed to the electrochemical oxidation of the organic compounds present in the aqueous phase to simple molecules, which may be easily biodegraded. The principle of electrooxidation process, involved in the remediation process was described along with specific applications. The application of electrocoagulation process for wastewater treatment is also reviewed

Nonlinear elastic behavior induced by nano-scale ? phase in ? matrix of ?-type Ti-25Nb-3Zr-2Sn-3Mo titanium alloy

10.1016/j.matlet.2015.01.126Materials Letters145283-28

Susceptibilidad, resistividad y gap superconductor en BI₁.₇₅PB₀.₂₅SR₂CA₂CU₃O₁₀₊δ

En el presente trabajo discutimos medidas de susceptibilidad, resistividad y espectros infrarrojos del cerámico BI₁.₇₅PB₀.₂₅SR₂CA₂CU₃O₁₀₊δ, superconductor a 105 K. La caracterización por disfracción de rayos-X indica que la fase Bi-2223, con tres planos de Cu0₂, es mayoritaria mientras que las conocidas como Bi-2212 y Bi- 2201, con dos y un plano respectivamente, son solamente minoritarias. Las medidas de resistividad de Bi-2223 demuestran un comportamiento metálico entre 303 K y 110 K el que comienza a descender a 115 K, resultando igual a cero a 105 K. La señal diamagnética se satura a 105 K. Un abrupto umbral en el espectro de absorción infrarrojo-diferencia debido al estado superconductor es detectado a partir de la medición de espectros de absorción a temperatura ambiente, 110 K y 20 K. De la diferencia entre los dos primeros se verifica el condensado superconductor, y por consiguiente la presencia de por lo manos un gap superconductor, alrededor de 400 cm-1, están presentes en este compuesto a 110 K.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta