Oxidative desulfurization of tire pyrolysis oil over molybdenum heteropolyacid supported mesoporous catalysts

Pyrolytic oil derived from waste tires consists of high sulfur content in the range of 7000–9000 ppm. To use as transportation fuels, its sulfur content needs to be lowered to 10–15 ppm. Though conventional hydrodesulfurization is suitable for sulfur removal in tire pyrolytic oil, its high cost provides the avenue for alternative desulfurization technologies to be explored. In this study, oxidative desulfurization, a low-cost technology was explored for desulfurization of tire pyrolytic oil at mild process conditions. Two categories of Ti-incorporated mesoporous supports with 20 wt.% loaded heteropoly molybdic acid catalysts (HPMo/Ti-Al2O3 and HPMo/Ti-TUD-1) were developed and tested for oxidative desulfurization of tire pyrolytic oil. Catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, BET-N2 physisorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The surface acidity of catalysts was studied by temperature-programmed desorption of NH3 and pyridine FTIR analyses. The presence of titanium in catalysts was found to promote the ODS activity of phosphomolybdic acid. Ti-TUD-1 supported catalysts performed better than Ti-Al2O3 supported catalysts as the former retains its keggin structure from phosphomolybdic acid. Hydrogen peroxide and cumene peroxide were found to be better oxidants than tert-butyl hydroperoxide for ODS of tire pyrolytic oil. Process parameter optimization study along with the catalyst regeneration study was carried out with phosphomolybdic acid on Ti-TUD-1 (Ti/Si= 0.025) catalyst, which was found to be most suitable for the ODS process. ANOVA statistical analysis was carried out to elucidate the significance of process parameters. Kinetic study for oxidative desulfurization was confirmed to be a pseudo-first-order reaction over HPMo/Ti-TUD-1 catalyst

Raising climate ambition : G20 countries way out

To save the world from the catastrophic effects of climate change, there is debate at all levels about achieving net zero, including government action and public engagement. In addition to achieving net zero, the focus is on adopting long-term development strategies with low greenhouse gases (GHGs), as these are critical to moving growth paths and investment patterns toward the long-term temperature goal of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius (°C). Given that G20 economies are responsible for nearly 75% of global GHGs, a coordinated approach is critical to enable countries to scale up their ambition and efforts to the levels required to achieve their respective net zero targets. The policy brief provides an overview of the key economic sectors of G20 member countries using climate action databases such as Climate Action Tracker, Climatewatch, etc. The brief outlines a pathway for further scaling up and strengthening G20 climate action, including linkages to immediate climate action. Additionally, it also offers a range of policy solutions that can help member countries achieve climate targets and subsequently reach net zero

Effect of the Pharmacist-managed Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Services (CVRRS) on the Diabetic Retinopathy Outcome Measures

poster abstractIndianapolis Diabetes mellitus is affecting many people throughout the world. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a long-term complication of diabetes associated with impaired vision. If left untreated DR may eventually lead to blindness. DR is caused by a damage to the small blood vessels in the retina. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, 5-10 % of the diabetic patients with normal retinal exams will develop DR within a year of their last retinal exam. The diabetic individuals who currently have DR are similarly susceptible to developing more severe retinopathy. Unfortunately many individuals with diabetes fail to receive education about maintaining glycemic control, medication management and recommended frequency of tests to monitor diabetic complications such as DR. Several studies have shown that the disease management services are effective in improving the quality of care for persons with diabetes. An increasing number of disease management programs utilize pharmacists to assist in the disease management of diabetic individuals. For this clinical study we evaluated the effect of pharmacistmanaged CVRRs on the development of DR in over 100 diabetic individuals. The patient records were assessed for demographics (e.g. age, sex etc.), metabolic parameters (lipid profile, HbA1c) along with number of pharmacist appointments and ophthalmology records. We observed that 95% of the patients who have had pharmacist intervention have been able to keep their retinopathy from getting worse or have improved it. Our studies suggest that there is a correlation supporting the theory that pharmacist intervention helps manage or reduce the severity of DR. Further studies can be conducted in the area to find potential ways to help decrease the severity of DR in patients with diabetes and maybe even prevent diabetic patients from developing DR

Circular economy approach - economy, livelihoods, and environment

It is time to ask some simple and some not so simple questions about the various forms of circular economy (CE) and their existing business models. According to the European Commission, CE is a production and consumption model that aims to preserve the value of products, materials and resources for as long as possible by returning them to the product cycle at the end of their use, while minimising waste generation. CE is closely linked to environmental problems such as air and water pollution, waste generation, etc., as well as to climate change and the goal of limiting the temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the need for new business and governance models that go beyond sectoral policies for effective implementation of CE. This policy brief highlights the concept and approaches of CE and outlines the role of governments, businesses, and international institutions in improving the transition from a linear to a CE. Using India, a developing country, as an example, the authors highlight the opportunities and challenges in moving towards a CE approach. The authors conclude by identifying ways to improve the adoption of CE through increased investment flows, competitiveness, the emergence of innovative business models, and job creation.Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them

Organic solvent nanofiltration with novel polymeric membranes

A very large variety of membranes polymeric or otherwise have been investigated over the last two decades for organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN). The materials and structures used to make OSN membranes include among others the following: poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS); mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) of PDMS with zeolites and other fillers; asymmetric integrally skinned polyimide (PI) membrane crosslinked with aromatic or aliphatic diamines; polyaniline; polypyrrole; interfacially polymerized polyamide with or without functionalized carbon nanotubes; carbon-based membranes including graphene. Most of the studies involved polymeric membranes. One of the weaknesses of most polymeric membranes is their varying tendencies for swelling with demanding organic solvents aprotic or otherwise; this gets reflected in the solute rejection behaviors of such polymers. Diamine-crosslinked PI membranes show excellent resistance to organic solvents but have some swelling in the presence of water. To this end we have started studying membranes from particular classes of fluoropolymers which are extremely inert. Initially these membranes were studied for pervaporation-based selective removal from organic-organic mixtures and aqueous-organic mixtures. Next they were studied with various solvents for OSN over a considerable pressure range. We report preliminary results of solvent flux and solute rejection for such membranes. These studies were made with dense flat membranes of different thicknesses supported on appropriate porous supports

Time to focus, re-focus on nature-based solutions : can nature-based solutions provide breakthrough for tackling climate crisis?

Reviewing the main points of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), which predicts an increase in climate change in all regions in the coming decades, including increasing heat waves, rising sea levels, longer warm and shorter cold seasons, changing precipitation patterns, as well as the United Nations’ (UN) repeated warnings of increasing greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere with disastrous consequences for people and the planet, it is clear that climate change is intensifying in all regions. To address the problem of climate change, the policy brief describes a breakthrough approach to strengthening ecosystem resilience, protecting biodiversity, and reducing the risk of extreme weather events and climaterelated disasters through the implementation of nature-based solutions (NbS). It also discusses existing NbS collaborations and partnerships for climate change adaptation around the world, as well as global policies that can help enforce NbS, particularly by private actors and companies. In addition, the authors aim to show how and in what ways NbS offer a way to address the climate and biodiversity crises in a synergistic and cost-effective way by enabling companies to scale up their actions, and evaluate the effectiveness of their actions. In this way, they also hope to generate ideas for future research and building multi-stakeholder partnerships for NbS

Protean Career Orientation and Perceived Employability: The Mediating Role of Career Self-Management

The study examines the relationship between protean career orientation and perceived employability along with the engagement in proactive career behavior. The main objective of this paper is to understand how protean career orientation would form perceptions of student's employability with career self-management as a mediator. Data was collected with the help of a questionnaire from 182 business school students at Panjab University, Chandigarh. The result of correlation analysis indicates that a positive relationship exists between protean career orientation and perceived employability. PROCESS macro given by Hayes has been used to test the mediation. Analysis by bootstrapping method reveals that career self-management fully mediates the relationship between the two variables. Theoretically, this study extends the presence of protean career orientation beyond the work domain into the student life. It also adds on to the cross-cultural research by examining protean career orientation that is a US rooted concept in the Indian scenario. The practical implication of this study is that it improves perception of students towards their employability by indulging in career self-management initiatives. Further, business school management should aim at interventions to increase the self-directed and values-driven nature of students to make them more proactive with regards to their career management

Can p53 expression and staining intensity correlate with histopathological prognostic parameter and clinical staging in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma?

Background: In recent years, p53 has emerged as an important tool for not only diagnosis and predicting prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The aim of this study was to find the role of p53 staining intensity in determining prognosis. Materials and Methods: Fifty histopathologically proven cases of squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck were studied. The findings of the study were analyzed particularly in reference to p53 expression and their correlation with age, sex, anatomical site, tumor size, histological grading, vascular, peri-neural, muscle invasion, lymph node metastasis and staining intensity.Results: Immunopositivity rate of p53 was 64% with percentage positive cells varying from 5-76% with mild, moderate and strong staining intensity. A positive correlation of p53 independently was seen with oral cavity, grade, lymph node metastasis and pathological staging.Conclusion: p53 immunoexpression is an important independent variable of prognostication.</p

Deletion of human metapneumovirus M2-2 increases mutation frequency and attenuates growth in hamsters

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infection can cause acute lower respiratory tract illness in infants, the immunocompromised, and the elderly. Currently there are no licensed preventative measures for hMPV infections. Using a variant of hMPV/NL/1/00 that does not require trypsin supplementation for growth in tissue culture, we deleted the M2-2 gene and evaluated the replication of rhMPV/ΔM2-2 virus <it>in vitro </it>and <it>in vivo</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p><it>In vitro </it>studies showed that the ablation of M2-2 increased the propensity for insertion of U nucleotides in poly-U tracts of the genomic RNA. In addition, viral transcription was up-regulated although the level of genomic RNA remained comparable to rhMPV. Thus, deletion of M2-2 alters the ratio between hMPV genome copies and transcripts. <it>In vivo</it>, rhMPV/ΔM2-2 was attenuated compared to rhMPV in the lungs and nasal turbinates of hamsters. Hamsters immunized with one dose of rhMPV/ΔM2-2 were protected from challenge with 10⁶PFU of wild type (<it>wt) </it>hMPV/NL/1/00.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results suggest that hMPV M2-2 alters regulation of transcription and influences the fidelity of the polymerase complex during viral genome replication. In the hamster model, rhMPVΔM2-2 is attenuated and protective suggesting that deletion of M2-2 may result in a potential live vaccine candidate. A more thorough knowledge of the hMPV polymerase complex and the role of M2-2 during hMPV replication are being studied as we develop a potential live hMPV vaccine candidate that lacks M2-2 expression.</p