Catalytic Conversion of Biomass Derived Syngas to Liquid Fuels using Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

Biomass gasification and subsequent conversion to liquid hydrocarbons using Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is a promising source of energy in today’s scenario when the focus has shifted from conventional fuels to alternate sources of energy. Biomass derived syngas is different from other sources of syngas such as steam reforming of methane followed by water gas shift, in terms of H2/CO ratio. Biomass syngas is usually hydrogen deficient and contains various impurities which need to be removed prior to Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis. Syngas derived from biomass also differs significantly with the different sources of biomass, gasification process and the cleanup conditions it is subjected to. The syngas used in this study has been produced by the air-blown, atmospheric pressure gasification of wood. The syngas from the gasification step is compressed and cleaned in a series of sorbents to produce the following feed to the F-T step: 2.78% methane, 11% CO2, 15.4 % H2, 21.3% CO and balance N2. The relatively high level of CO2, suggests the need to explore catalysts that are active for CO2 hydrogenation as well is resistant to oxidation in presence of high levels of CO2. Here we report the effect of three different structural promoters Si, Al and Zn on iron-based Fischer-Tropsch catalysts; specifically 100Fe/5Cu/4K/15Si, 100Fe/5Cu/4K/15Al and100Fe/5Cu/4K/15Zn. Although the effect of Si, Al or Zn on iron-based F-T catalysts has been examined previously in separate studies for CO+CO2 hydrogenation, there is no direct comparison of these three structural promoters, nor any studies of these promoters for a syngas that has been directly derived from biomass and has a similar composition. In the present study, we found that catalysts promoted with Zn and Al showed higher extent of reduction and carburization and higher amount of carbides and CO adsorption as compared to Fe/Cu/K/Si catalyst, resulting in higher activity and selectivity to C5+ hydrocarbons than the catalyst promoted with silica. The activity as measured by CO+CO2 conversion was in the order Zn\u3eAl\u3eSi. The Si-promoted catalyst had highest selectivity for methane and lower weight hydrocarbons

Chaman Nahal’s The Gandhi Quartet: A Penultimate View

Chaman Nahal is a significant post-independence Indian English novelist. He has a rich creative output to his credit with ranges from literary criticism to philosophy and from translation of The Bhagvad Gita to nine novels and a collection of short stories.  It is however for his novels that he is chiefly known. He has been awarded twice the federation of Indian publishers award, and his novel Azadi was given the Sahitya Academy Award, the highest award of the National Academy of Letter in India. Nahal’s collection of short stories The Weird Dance came out in 1965 and was followed by his first novel, My True Faces in 1973. The maiden novel whose title has been taken from a popular religious song and embodies ‘Vibhuti Yoga’ enunciated in the tenth chapter of The Gita shows Nahal’s broad vision of life.  His next novel Azadi, which came out 1975, is his most celebrated novel. Written on the background of the independence of the nation in 1947 which also brought in its wake the partition of the country and its tragic consequences, the novel is a moving tale of human suffering as well human fortitude and hopes

Predicting phase preferences of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides using machine learning

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) can adopt one of the several possible structures, with most common being the trigonal prismatic and octahedral symmetry phases. Since the structure determines the electronic properties, being able to predict phase-preferences of TMDs from just the knowledge of the constituent atoms is highly desired, but has remained a long-standing problem. In this study, we combine high-throughput quantum mechanical computations with machine learning algorithms to discover novel TMDs and study their chemical stability, as well as their phase preferences. Our analysis provides insights into determining physiochemical factors that dictate the phase-preference of a TMD, identifying and even going beyond the attributes considered by earlier researchers in predicting crystal structures. We show that the machine learning algorithms are powerful tools that can be used not only to find new materials with targeted properties, but also to find connections between elemental attributes and the target property/properties that were not previously obvious

Maternal and perinatal outcome in hypothyroidism in pregnancy: a prospective observational study

Background: This study was conducted to analyse the antenatal complications, perinatal outcome and to be advocate routine screening for thyroid disorders in pregnancy. This study was prospective and observational study with 50 cases which was newly diagnosed when suspected as pregnancy with thyroid disorders. The commonest thyroid disorder found in pregnancy is hypothyroidism and it adversely affects the maternal and fetal health in the form of infertility, early pregnancy loss, PIH, anaemia, IUGR, PROM, preterm labor, neonatal and maternal morbidity and mortality. If thyroid disorders are appropriately detected and treated either before or in early pregnancy, the adverse maternal and fetal outcome can be prevented.Methods: The present study was conducted in a tertiary care centre Mumbai from June 2015 to October 2016. All pregnant females who are newly diagnosed as hypothyroid, attending the ANC clinic were enrolled in the study.Results: In the present study, most common obstetric complication observed was preeclampsia and most common fetal complication was preterm delivery.Conclusions: In view of the high prevalence of thyroid dysfunctions in Indian pregnant woman and its association with different adverse pregnancy related complications we recommend routine screening for thyroid dysfunctions in pregnancy

Ethics In Insider Trading: An Analysis From A Deontological Perspective

From the time of inception of the new world order and from the beginning of the stock market itself, we have seen cases of insider trading which have had severe impacts on the style and strategies of investing. Insider trading is the trading of a public company\u27s stock or other securities such as bonds or stock options based on material, non-public information about the company. In various countries, some kinds of trading based on insider information are illegal. This is because it is seen as unfair to other investors who do not have access to the information, as the investor with insider information could potentially make larger profits than a typical investor could make. In this paper we discuss the various aspects of insider trading, the steps taken by various regulatory bodies to curb the practice. It also discusses some popular cases of insider trading which led to formulations of stringent laws. The paper analyses Ethics in Insider Trading from a Deontological Perspective to highlight what should be the best ethical practice

A comparative study of oral nifedipine and intravenous labetalol in control of acute hypertension in severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia

Background: This study was conducted to compare oral Nifedipine and intravenous Labetalol in control of acute hypertension in severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. This study was observational study with 80 sample size in which 40 sample size treated with intravenous Labetalol and other 40 sample size treated with oral Nifedipine. The maternal and perinatal outcome in two groups sample size with oral Nifedipine and intravenous Labetalol compared and found that nevertheless these results do establish oral Nifedipine as an alternative to IV Labetalol in lowering BP in acute severe hypertension. In summary oral Nifedipine may be preferable as it has a convenient dosing pattern orally.Methods: The present study was conducted in tertiary care centre Mumbai from June 2016 to October 2016. All pregnant woman diagnosed with acute hypertension in severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in labour room were enrolled in the study.Results: In the present study oral Nifedipine as an alternative to IV Labetalol in lowering BP in acute severe hypertension. In summary oral Nifedipine may be preferable as it has a convenient dosing pattern orally.Conclusions: A hypertensive disorder of pregnancy is one of the life-threatening complication encountered in obstetrics and globally is major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Management of acute severe hypertension in pregnancy is a challenging task. Present study compares the efficacy of oral Nifedipine and IV Labetalol in reaching the therapeutic goal. From the results of this study we can well conclude that oral Nifedipine is more efficacious

ANTI-ATHEROSCLEROTIC AND LIPID LOWERING EFFECTS OF CINNAMOMUM VERUM IN CHOLESTEROL-FED RABBITS

Objective: The present study was designed to investigate the antihyperlipidemic and anti-atherosclerotic activity of 70% methanolic crude extract of Cinnamomum verum bark in high cholesterol-fed diet rabbits.Methods: C. verum extract was administered at a dose level of 200 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg (p. o) daily for 120 d to cholesterol-fed rabbits. Lipid profile in serum and histological changes in heart and aorta were investigated. The statistical analysis was carried out by student's ‘t'test.Results: Plant extract showed a significant decrease in the levels of serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, LDL, VLDL (P ≤ 0.001) in a dose-dependent manner in treated animals. HDL ratio improved overwhelmingly as well as the marked decline was also noticed in the atherogenic index after administration with C. verum extract. Histopathological examinations demonstrated less cholesterol deposits in the aorta and significant increase in lumen size of coronary arteries of high cholesterol diet animals given C. verum compared to the high cholesterol diet animals not given C. verum supplement.Conclusion: The phytochemical analysis of methanol extracts indicated a strong presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, phenols, saponins and fatty acids may be responsible for the significant hypolipidaemic as well as antiatherosclerotic activity. Our study exhibited that the methanol extract of C. verum bark is a potent hypolipidaemic agent and decreased cholesterol deposition in the aorta and plaque formation process in the coronary artery of high cholesterol diet animals

Novel Drug Delivery Systems of Resveratrol to Bioavailability and Therapeutic Effects

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring product used in the prevention and treatment of various diseases by acting as a potent defensive antioxidant. Resveratrol can be used in various fields, but the use is limited due to its poor solubility and hence low bioavailability. For overcoming this limitation, various drug delivery systems of resveratrol were developed. The aim of the novel drug delivery system (NDDS) is to provide a therapeutic amount of drug to the target site to maintain the desired drug concentration. NDDS enhances the duration of therapeutic activity, increases plasma half-life, decreases the immunogenicity, increases the stability of biopharmaceuticals, improves the solubility of low molecular weight drugs so does the bioavailability, and has a potential of targeted drug delivery. However, they have their own advantages as well as limitations. This chapter focuses on: (1) general introduction to resveratrol and its various therapeutic uses, (2) pharmacokinetic- and bioavailability-related problems of resveratrol, and (3) general about various NDDS used in resveratrol formulations

ANTI-ATHEROSCLEROTIC ACTIVITY OF ELAEOCARPUS GANITRUS ROXB. IN CHOLESTEROL-FED RABBITS

  Objectives: Atherosclerosis was experimentally induced in New Zealand white male rabbits by cholesterol feeding for 120 days for investigating effects of 70% ethanolic Elaeocarpus ganitrus seed extract (EEGS) against atherosclerosis.Methods: Anti-atherosclerotic activity of E. ganitrus extract was evaluated at a dose level of 250 and 500 mg/kg of body weight (p.o). On 121st day, the animals were sacrificed to collect the aorta for determining tissue lipid profile, antioxidant parameters, and histopathological changes. One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's multiple comparison test was used for the statistical analysis.Results: Aorta of cholesterol-fed rabbits for 120 days showed marked elevation in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids. EEGS extract treatment significantly (p≤0.01, ≤0.001) corrected disturbed lipid profile in cholesterol-fed rabbits in a dose-dependent manner during the 60 days of the treatment period. A significant reduction in lipid peroxidation and a considerable raise in glutathione, catalase, and superoxide dismutase levels (p≤0.01, ≤0.001) were accompanied by post-treatment with EEGS extract to cholesterol-fed rabbits. The histopathological modifications such as accumulation of foam cells, atheromatous plaque formation, and lumen size reduction supported the successful induction of atherosclerosis in rabbits. The treated rabbits showed significant protective effect by lowering the deposition of cholesterol and increasing the lumen size compared to cholesterol-fed group.Conclusions: Phytoconstituents such as alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, steroids, triterpenoids, and carbohydrates in the ethanolic extract may be attributed to effective anti-atherosclerotic and antioxidant activity of plant extract. Our study exhibited that EEGS extract could be a potent herbal therapeutic agent for the treatment of atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia-related diseases

Rare cause of stillbirth: a true knot and loop of cord: case report

True knot is an extremely rare condition of the umbilical cord. It affects around 0.3-1.3% of all the pregnancies. It can be loose without obstructing the blood flow to the foetus or can be tight enough to exsanguinate the foetus by compromising the blood flow towards the foetus. A 26 years old, gravida 2, para 1, live 1, with previous 1 caesarean section with hypothyroidism came at 40 weeks POG in labour. No complaints. Antenatal history was uneventful. On examination, patient was stable. Patient was explained risk and demits of TOLAC verses ERCD and opted for TOLAC. Delivered a limp baby. There was presence of one tight loop of cord around neck and one tight true knot over the umbilical cord leading to stillbirth. The umbilical cord is the only blood supply to the foetus during the antepartum and intrapartum period. If the true knot is loose, it will not lead to foetal compromise since foetal circulation is maintained. However, at the time of fetal descent through the birth canal, the knot could be tightened. The tightening knot can occlude fetal circulation resulting in an intrauterine demise. The process of delivery should be very careful and if any fetal distress or non-reactive CTG is present, then an emergency caesarean section must be done. Routine continuous cardiotocography can be the best modality to pick distress at the earliest and to achieve a good outcome of the neonate. A good ultrasonologist can detect nuchal cord and true knot during the antenatal scan.