Production and characterization of used cooking oil as an alternative fuel: optimization by response surface methodology

The application of biodiesel in internal combustion engines are increasing at a faster rate, due to the fact that biodiesel posses more oxygen content (Approximately 12 %), which helps in the complete combustion of the fuel. On the other hand the production cost of the biodiesel is high compared to mineral diesel fuel. This may be due to the availability of raw oil and its high initial cost. To minimize the high initial cost of the biodiesel used cooking oil is one of the best solutions. In this paper an attempt was made to analyze the fatty acid compositions and other characteristics of used cooking oil. Optimization techniques like response surface methodology (RSM) was successfully used for better yield estimation with the help of advanced software Design Expert. The optimum values of the variables were: oil to methanol ratio (1:8.37), catalyst concentration (0.74 Wt%), reaction temperature (47.950 °C) and reaction time (54.58 min) at 250 rpm. The predicted response value at these optimum values was 96.15 %. To confirm these optimum values, experimentations were conducted based on the optimum values and achieve the yield of 96 %. This shows that the yield of used cooking oil methyl ester is very near to the optimum value with an error of 0.15 % which may be accepted. This showed that the model correctly explains the influence of the process variables on the production of FAME from used cooking oil (UCOME). And from the gas chromatography results there is equal distribution of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. 14 % oxygen can be acclaimed in UCOME by elemental analysis. Unsaturated level of fatty acids are observed

Design, Synthesis, and Biomedical Applications of Glycotripods for Targeting Trimeric Lectins

In the last decades, various efforts have been made to synthesize optimal glycotripods for targeting trimeric glycoproteins like asialoglycoprotein receptor, hemagglutinin, and langerin. All these trimeric glycoproteins have sugar binding pockets which are highly selective for a particular carbohydrate ligand. Optimized glycotripods are high affinity binders and have been used for delivering drugs or even applied as drug candidates. The selection of the tripodal base scaffold together with the length and flexibility of the linker between the scaffold and sugar residue, as important design parameters are discussed in this review

A model synthetic approach towards the furanacetal component of azadirachtin: a potent insect antifeedant

In this article, a model synthetic approach towards the furanacetal component of azadirachtin has been described from α-D-glucose. Tandem radical cyclization was the key step for the formation of the desired tricyclic system. The reaction provided a bicyclic system instead of the desired tricyclic molecule. The reason for the unsuccessful tandem cyclization was proposed to be mainly energy factors

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices of universal precautions among medical and nursing students

Background: Universal precautions is an approach to infection control to treat all human blood and certain human body fluids as if they were known to be infectious for HIV, HBV and other bloodborne pathogens. The CDC recommends Standard Precautions for the care of all patients, regardless of their diagnosis or presumed infection status. Health care personals are at risk of being exposed to blood-borne pathogens. The aim of the study to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of medical and nursing students towards universal precautions.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out at S. S. Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Davangere, Karnataka. The participants were medical and Nursing undergraduate students. A questionnaire was prepared based on the WHO and CDC guidelines on Universal Precautions and was validated and pre-tested before finalization. Degree of knowledge was ascertained by means of yes-no questions on each item being evaluated.Results: All students were aware of Universal precautions, but soundness of their knowledge is very poor. Compliance in Universal precautions is good to average in nursing students but poor to average in medical students.Conclusions: It can be concluded that interventions to improve Universal precautions among medical students, nursing students urgently needed. So, there is a need for developing strategies to promote the use of Universal precautions which take into account behaviour change and accuracy of knowledge including its integration into practice. Teaching universal precautions early in their curriculum is necessary for better learning and practices during their posting

Short-Term Effect of Forage Grasses on Carbon Sustainability, Fodder Security, and Soil Properties in Poor Soils of Semi-Arid India

Grasses are essential sources of fodder for livestock and provide options for climate resilience due to their broad range of adoption. They are also valuable resources for soil quality enhancement. Therefore, a six-year field study using nine grasses (2013 to 2019) was initiated in a semi-arid region of central India. The study aimed to assess the short-term impact of these nine grasses on soil carbon stock, selected soil physiochemical and biological properties, and green fodder yield. Results (after six years) revealed that a greater carbon stock (7.0 and 7.2 Mg ha–1), carbon sustainability index (71.6 and 89.3), and sustainable yield index for green fodder (0.89 and 0.91), respectively, were observed in lampagrass [Heteropogon contortus (L.)] and guineagrass [Megathyrsus maximus(Jacq.)]. These improvements could be due to the greater root length (1700 and 2220 cm plant–1) and root weight density of grasses in the upper soil layer (0–10 cm, 70%), and the higher green biomass production (~44.1 t ha–1 year–1). These beneficial changes might have further led to the lower soil bulk density (~1.05 g cm–3), higher water-filled porosity (14.7 and 16.1%), and soil organic carbon content (~0.67%) over other grasses and barren soil. Consequently, the highest total bacterial count (21.9 and 44.5 × 107 CFU g–1), soil microbial biomass carbon and enzyme activities such as acid phosphatase (17.7 and 22.6 µg p-nitrophenyl g–1 h–1) and alkaline phosphatase (9.6 and 15.9 µg p-nitrophenyl g–1 h–1) were noticed in lampagrass and guineagrass rhizospheres. Therefore, cultivation of perennial grasses in the low fertile soils of semi-arid environments can be an eco-friendly approach to enhance soil fertility, green fodder supply, and soil carbon build-up

Rickettsial neglected zoonoses: prevalence of scrub typhus at central Karnataka

Background: Fever of unknown Origin (FUO) has many multiple causes such as enteric fever, malaria, dengue, tuberculosis, brucellosis. But scrub typhus is less known cause in Indian scenario. The present study reports the prevalence of scrub typhus at central Karnataka and compares the sensitivity and specificity of Weil-Felix test and the IgM ELISA in the detection of infection.Methods: 368 serum samples of FUO cases were collected. Weil-Felix test was performed and also analyzed for IgM antibodies to Orienta tsutsugamushi by IgM ELISA test along with haematological and biochemical investigations.Results: Out of 368 patients of fever of unknown origin, 94 cases were positive by OXK antigens by Weil Felix test and 61 were positive by ELISA test for ST IgM antibodies. Fever was the most common clinical presentation occurring in ST IgM ELISA positive cases, followed by myalgia in 90.1% cases, headache in 77%, hepatomegaly in 65.5%, splenomegaly in 62.2% and rashes were seen in 29.5% patients. Eschar was seen in 13.1% patients, pneumonia in 3.2% and meningo-encephalitis in 1.6%. Sensitivity and specificity of WFT in relation to IgM ELISA at a titre of 160 was 81.97% and 85.67% respectively.Conclusions: With the growing number of cases detected in India, scrub typhus is fast emerging as a public health threat and also due to limited diagnostics leading to underreporting, Weil Felix test could be used in adjunct with Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and blood parameters in the diagnosis of rickettsial diseases

Disseminated Adenovirus Infection After Combined Liver-Kidney Transplantation

Human adenovirus (HAdV) infections are well-described after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation but less well understood in solid organ transplantation (SOT). We describe a case of disseminated HAdV type 21 infection 5 months after combined liver-kidney transplantation, expanding the limited literature describing this infection in the SOT population

Whole genome resequencing and phenotyping of MAGIC population for high resolution mapping of drought tolerance in chickpea

Terminal drought is one of the major constraints to crop production in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). In order to map drought tolerance related traits at high resolution, we sequenced multi-parent advanced generation intercross (MAGIC) population using whole genome resequencing approach and phenotyped it under drought stress environments for two consecutive years (2013-14 and 2014-15). A total of 52.02 billion clean reads containing 4.67 TB clean data were generated on the 1136 MAGIC lines and eight parental lines. Alignment of clean data on to the reference genome enabled identification of a total, 932,172 of SNPs, 35,973 insertions, and 35,726 deletions among the parental lines. A high-density genetic map was constructed using 57,180 SNPs spanning a map distance of 1606.69 cM. Using compressed mixed linear model, genome-wide association study (GWAS) enabled us to identify 737 markers significantly associated with days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, 100 seed weight, biomass, and harvest index. In addition to the GWAS approach, an identity-by-descent (IBD)-based mixed model approach was used to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs). The IBD-based mixed model approach detected major QTLs that were comparable to those from the GWAS analysis as well as some exclusive QTLs with smaller effects. The candidate genes like FRIGIDA and CaTIFY4b can be used for enhancing drought tolerance in chickpea. The genomic resources, genetic map, marker-trait associations, and QTLs identified in the study are valuable resources for the chickpea community for developing climate resilient chickpeas

Breeding tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop cultivated in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Low productivity in India is due to occurrence of both biotic and abiotic stresses. Among the biotic stresses, tomato leaf curl disease, bacterial wilt, early blight and Groundnut Bud Necrosis Virus disease have become serious production constraints causing considerable yield loss in the major tomato growing areas of the country. Adoption of multiple disease resistant varieties or F1 hybrids would be the most appropriate way to address these diseases. At ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru systematic breeding strategies were employed to pyramid genes for resistance to early blight, bacterial wilt and tomato leaf curl diseases and to develop advanced breeding lines& F1 hybrids with triple disease resistance. Stable source of resistance to early blight and bi-partite begomo-virus (Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi Virus) has been identified in Solanum habrochaites LA-1777. Validation with molecular markers linked to tomato leaf curl virus resistance revealed that LA-1777 carryTy2 and other putative resistant genes. Several high yielding dual purpose hybrids were also developed for fresh market and processing with high level of resistance to multiple diseases. Cherry tomato lines have also been bred for high TSS, total carotenoids, total phenols, flavonoids, vitamin C, acidity and lycopene content. IIHR-249-1, IIHR-2101 (Solanum habrochaites LA-1777), IIHR- 2866 and IIHR-2864 recorded high values for quality parameters like total carotenoids, lycopene, vitamin C, total phenols, flavonoids and TSS. Drought tolerant root stock has been developed by an interspecific cross between S. habrochaites LA-1777 and S. lycopersicum (15 SB SB). Resistant sources have also been identified against Tuta absoluta, a serious insect pest reported from major tomato growing areas in the country in recent time. High temperature tolerant breeding lines are in pipe line